"The walls we build around us to keep out the sadness also keep out the joy. " - Jim Rohn
This has to be one of the longest most stressful, hardest, just outright crappy weeks I have had in a long time. I have just had so many things happen and I have been trying really hard to push it all aside and to push it all away, but it just keeps building, it just keeps coming. I saw this quote and it made me think. Maybe I am not just pushing it away but building up walls around it and i am using all that is outside those walls to go on with another day, but i can't keep filling up myself until I break down those walls where i am frustrated and sad . . . i dont know if any of this is making sense but I am just being real and honest . . .
this week sucks . . . its hard . . . i cant do it . . . .
its God's . . . .
i'm done . . . .
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Sunday, December 9, 2007
The Journey Part 1/4
NEWSONG: Dirty and Left Out by The Almost off the CD Southern Weather
VERSE: Mark 1:17
“’Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’”
THOUGHTS:
We all want to go on journeys, we want to go to somewhere new, to see something new, believe something new, and do something new. This longing isn’t something that simply stems from our flesh and our earthly longing to see more of the world, but is a wonderful and perfect spiritual longing to go somewhere different with God. To grow closer to Him.
“I want to take a trip,” I said to my God. “I’ll take you there,” He says back to me.
The Christian life is one that is constantly developing. It is a journey. I love the way Kyle Stobel puts it in his book Metamorpha: “Merely doing church in a new way or deconstructing all of the structures that we think are hindering us will not help us get closer to God. There is room for those things, but our task has to be more fundamental: we have to be about becoming something new.” Becoming something new.
Maybe I have gone too fast at the start. You are probably asking yourself: A journey, why is my spiritual life a journey? What does that mean? And, how do I really go on this journey? The first question is the most basic and most important because it sets the foundation for the rest of your life, worldview, and whole self. Why is my spiritual life a journey? Well, bluntly, because Jesus said it was. Jesus came down to this earth in the business of changing lives, breaking down worldviews, and growing people closer to Him. “Jesus asks converts to count the cost, which includes having their story changed . . . if we affirm that the Christian life is developmental, we must be willing to walk the path for growth to which Jesus calls us,” says Strobel.
What does that mean? It means that Christ went on this journey, He loves us and wants us to follow Him. How amazing would it be to go on a journey through some remote wilderness, knowing that the person leading you has an intimate knowledge of everything around you. How much more safe would you feel knowing that even if there are rough times along the way, that you will make it and everything will be better as soon as you get through. This Christian life is a journey, called by Christ, to walk through a jungle. A journey to walk through some of the most dangerous, scary, and dark situations, but a journey not walked alone. We really have the fearless leader, the Indiana Jones, the Bear Grylls (the guy from Man v. Wild), the ultimate jungle guide to follow. What does that mean? It means we are to get up, and follow Him, period.
But how are we to go on this journey? I don’t think I can do it? I don’t think I am suited to do this journey thing well? Neither am I, neither were the disciples, neither is anyone else. In Mark we see an instance when Jesus calls out to Simon and his brother Andrew, he says to them “Come and follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” The next verse doesn’t say, “then Simon and Andrew thought about it, they packed up their nets and brought them along, just in case this Jesus thing didn’t work.” It simply says, “at once they left their nets and followed Him.” We don’t need to bring anything to go on this journey, nothing from our previous life. Strobel tells us, “this is the equipment you’ll need for the journey: the Bible, the Spirit, and a community of believers.” We go with Christ’s help, with His word, and with His Spirit in us. Not alone but with a great “cloud of witnesses” to walk with us along our journey.
If you are still feeling insufficient for the journey ahead let me leave you with this encouragement: “Journeying well doesn’t necessarily mean knowing the directions or understanding what it means to walk; it means being informed by the one who knows these things.”
We are all going to experience bumps, we are all going to step out of the footsteps of Him who leads us--but we all must end up somewhere new, somewhere that He is taking us. We don’t have to know the directions, we just have to be willing to follow His set of directions, fully knowing that we may not always think they are right.
Are you ready to have your way of seeing, believing, and being broken and destroyed along the way? Because that’s what he wants to do. But he also wants to build it back up into something new, something beautiful, something holy.
Are you ready to go on a journey? Are you really ready? Are you man enough? If so then lets go . . . lets take a journey.
VERSE: Mark 1:17
“’Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’”
THOUGHTS:
We all want to go on journeys, we want to go to somewhere new, to see something new, believe something new, and do something new. This longing isn’t something that simply stems from our flesh and our earthly longing to see more of the world, but is a wonderful and perfect spiritual longing to go somewhere different with God. To grow closer to Him.
“I want to take a trip,” I said to my God. “I’ll take you there,” He says back to me.
The Christian life is one that is constantly developing. It is a journey. I love the way Kyle Stobel puts it in his book Metamorpha: “Merely doing church in a new way or deconstructing all of the structures that we think are hindering us will not help us get closer to God. There is room for those things, but our task has to be more fundamental: we have to be about becoming something new.” Becoming something new.
Maybe I have gone too fast at the start. You are probably asking yourself: A journey, why is my spiritual life a journey? What does that mean? And, how do I really go on this journey? The first question is the most basic and most important because it sets the foundation for the rest of your life, worldview, and whole self. Why is my spiritual life a journey? Well, bluntly, because Jesus said it was. Jesus came down to this earth in the business of changing lives, breaking down worldviews, and growing people closer to Him. “Jesus asks converts to count the cost, which includes having their story changed . . . if we affirm that the Christian life is developmental, we must be willing to walk the path for growth to which Jesus calls us,” says Strobel.
What does that mean? It means that Christ went on this journey, He loves us and wants us to follow Him. How amazing would it be to go on a journey through some remote wilderness, knowing that the person leading you has an intimate knowledge of everything around you. How much more safe would you feel knowing that even if there are rough times along the way, that you will make it and everything will be better as soon as you get through. This Christian life is a journey, called by Christ, to walk through a jungle. A journey to walk through some of the most dangerous, scary, and dark situations, but a journey not walked alone. We really have the fearless leader, the Indiana Jones, the Bear Grylls (the guy from Man v. Wild), the ultimate jungle guide to follow. What does that mean? It means we are to get up, and follow Him, period.
But how are we to go on this journey? I don’t think I can do it? I don’t think I am suited to do this journey thing well? Neither am I, neither were the disciples, neither is anyone else. In Mark we see an instance when Jesus calls out to Simon and his brother Andrew, he says to them “Come and follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” The next verse doesn’t say, “then Simon and Andrew thought about it, they packed up their nets and brought them along, just in case this Jesus thing didn’t work.” It simply says, “at once they left their nets and followed Him.” We don’t need to bring anything to go on this journey, nothing from our previous life. Strobel tells us, “this is the equipment you’ll need for the journey: the Bible, the Spirit, and a community of believers.” We go with Christ’s help, with His word, and with His Spirit in us. Not alone but with a great “cloud of witnesses” to walk with us along our journey.
If you are still feeling insufficient for the journey ahead let me leave you with this encouragement: “Journeying well doesn’t necessarily mean knowing the directions or understanding what it means to walk; it means being informed by the one who knows these things.”
We are all going to experience bumps, we are all going to step out of the footsteps of Him who leads us--but we all must end up somewhere new, somewhere that He is taking us. We don’t have to know the directions, we just have to be willing to follow His set of directions, fully knowing that we may not always think they are right.
Are you ready to have your way of seeing, believing, and being broken and destroyed along the way? Because that’s what he wants to do. But he also wants to build it back up into something new, something beautiful, something holy.
Are you ready to go on a journey? Are you really ready? Are you man enough? If so then lets go . . . lets take a journey.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Lead Like Jesus Part 3/3
NEWSONG: Beautiful Lord by Leeland on the CD iWorship 24:7
VERSE: Phillipians 2:1-8
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even on a cross!
THOUGHTS: Am I a leader? Yes. Am I willing to follow Jesus as my leadership role model? That was up for you to decide, but in the words of Joshua “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” If you in fact have decided to follow Christ as your leadership role model, if you want to learn to lead in the footsteps of the only one who knows and sets the path than this is your question. How do I lead like Christ? As I continue to talk about this I once again go back to the book from Ken Blanchard. There are two aspects that we must grasp at first.
The first is that an understanding that learning to lead like Jesus is a transformational journey. I remember a conversation I had with a pastor at my parents church named Doug Whittlef, “ministry is a marathon not a sprint.” And so it is with our walk with Christ and our growth as leaders. We must understand that this journey (oh and wait till our next series of devotionals, life is a journey and maybe this will click more) that we take is a transformational one. We must expect, we must long, we must work to become different people through learning from Christ. Blanchard tells us “learning to lead like Christ is more than an announcement; it is a commitment to lead in a different way.”
The second aspect is that we must learn to understand, examine, and internalize the four domains on leadership. Leading like Jesus involves four different domains all of equal importance: heart, head, hands, and habits. There are two internal domains, the heart and the head, and two external domains, the hands and habits. Heart: leadership is at its most basic a spiritual matter of the heart, in simple word its the character. If you want to be a Godly Christ-like leader of integrity, of matter, have the character of Christ. That once again takes us back to the question of “am I a servant leader or self-serving leader?” If you want to know how to lead like Christ in the heart, lead as he did, lead to serve others in serving your God. Head: Once you get your heart into a place of leadership as Christ did, your head will follow suit. But the enemy, that one we call Satan, is smart. He is strong, and he works hard. We must be constantly examining our leadership and making sure that our persepectives on our leadership is as our heart is, that our persepective is that of servanthood. Mark 10:45, Christ says “For even I, the Son of Man, came to not to be served but to serve others.” Keep your perspectives on servanthood. Hands: Others will observe where you heart and head are at by the works of your hands. This is a struggle for me to constantly check what my hands are doing to ensure they are in the same place and mind that my heart and head are. I know it may be cliché but you are the only Jesus some people will see, are you going to show them an example of servant leadership, or an example of self-serving, self-motivated leadership? Habits: This is how you renew your daily commitment to serve as a leader to serve others.
I leave you with this. Christ, the King of Kings, Hosanna, Jehovah Jireh, Prince of Peace, the one who sits at the right hand of the Father, God the Son, came to this earth, not to be served, not to get what was his, but came to serve others! He came to give all of himself for the work of the Father. If you want to know how to lead like Christ just follow his example, serve and love others.
What will change about how you lead? How you look at leadership? What will change about you?
It’s not about what you know, its about what you do!
Next week: Taking a Journey: life and all that comes with it (and above it)
VERSE: Phillipians 2:1-8
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even on a cross!
THOUGHTS: Am I a leader? Yes. Am I willing to follow Jesus as my leadership role model? That was up for you to decide, but in the words of Joshua “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” If you in fact have decided to follow Christ as your leadership role model, if you want to learn to lead in the footsteps of the only one who knows and sets the path than this is your question. How do I lead like Christ? As I continue to talk about this I once again go back to the book from Ken Blanchard. There are two aspects that we must grasp at first.
The first is that an understanding that learning to lead like Jesus is a transformational journey. I remember a conversation I had with a pastor at my parents church named Doug Whittlef, “ministry is a marathon not a sprint.” And so it is with our walk with Christ and our growth as leaders. We must understand that this journey (oh and wait till our next series of devotionals, life is a journey and maybe this will click more) that we take is a transformational one. We must expect, we must long, we must work to become different people through learning from Christ. Blanchard tells us “learning to lead like Christ is more than an announcement; it is a commitment to lead in a different way.”
The second aspect is that we must learn to understand, examine, and internalize the four domains on leadership. Leading like Jesus involves four different domains all of equal importance: heart, head, hands, and habits. There are two internal domains, the heart and the head, and two external domains, the hands and habits. Heart: leadership is at its most basic a spiritual matter of the heart, in simple word its the character. If you want to be a Godly Christ-like leader of integrity, of matter, have the character of Christ. That once again takes us back to the question of “am I a servant leader or self-serving leader?” If you want to know how to lead like Christ in the heart, lead as he did, lead to serve others in serving your God. Head: Once you get your heart into a place of leadership as Christ did, your head will follow suit. But the enemy, that one we call Satan, is smart. He is strong, and he works hard. We must be constantly examining our leadership and making sure that our persepectives on our leadership is as our heart is, that our persepective is that of servanthood. Mark 10:45, Christ says “For even I, the Son of Man, came to not to be served but to serve others.” Keep your perspectives on servanthood. Hands: Others will observe where you heart and head are at by the works of your hands. This is a struggle for me to constantly check what my hands are doing to ensure they are in the same place and mind that my heart and head are. I know it may be cliché but you are the only Jesus some people will see, are you going to show them an example of servant leadership, or an example of self-serving, self-motivated leadership? Habits: This is how you renew your daily commitment to serve as a leader to serve others.
I leave you with this. Christ, the King of Kings, Hosanna, Jehovah Jireh, Prince of Peace, the one who sits at the right hand of the Father, God the Son, came to this earth, not to be served, not to get what was his, but came to serve others! He came to give all of himself for the work of the Father. If you want to know how to lead like Christ just follow his example, serve and love others.
What will change about how you lead? How you look at leadership? What will change about you?
It’s not about what you know, its about what you do!
Next week: Taking a Journey: life and all that comes with it (and above it)
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thousands of thoughts . . .
There are sooo many things going through my head right now . . . . what does God want to do with me? Where does God want me to go? Bethel v. Wheaton? When is the right time? COULD I GRADUATE ANY SOONER? Are the Lions gonna make the playoffs . . . . ok that one isnt so serious . . . .
Anyways just thought I would let ya know there is lots goin through my mind. . . . . . .
Anyways just thought I would let ya know there is lots goin through my mind. . . . . . .
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Christmas debt . . .
So it's coming up. . . . that time of year when you go and buy presents and you go BROKE! haha! I am trying this year to make sure that I walk out of Christmas with a plan. I have budgeted out my spending for the next month and then for the next year! It's really good! I am excited and I feel like now I have a plan and I have a specific amount that I can spend!
I think it is important that as we go into Christmas that we remember that the whole gift giving tradition and all of that is about us primarily. So because of that I think we should be good with our money. Saying that I am making it my commitment to NOT go into any debt this Christmas and walk out with some money still left over . . . . .
we'll see how that goes!!
I think it is important that as we go into Christmas that we remember that the whole gift giving tradition and all of that is about us primarily. So because of that I think we should be good with our money. Saying that I am making it my commitment to NOT go into any debt this Christmas and walk out with some money still left over . . . . .
we'll see how that goes!!
Monday, November 26, 2007
Monday Monday Monday
I have decided that God wasn't thinking when he made Monday! I am having a good day, but I still wish it was the weekend haha!
I just thought I should tell everyone that they should get the CD iWorship 24:7! It's awesome and has really been a great encouragement to me!
My family and I all got pictures taken over break! You should check em out and let me know what you think . . . . http://homepage.mac.com/jonathandurling/mullikin/
Ok thats about it, I am cold. . . .
I just thought I should tell everyone that they should get the CD iWorship 24:7! It's awesome and has really been a great encouragement to me!
My family and I all got pictures taken over break! You should check em out and let me know what you think . . . . http://homepage.mac.com/jonathandurling/mullikin/
Ok thats about it, I am cold. . . .
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Lead Like Jesus Part 2/3
Ok! I know it was a few days soooory! I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving! Mine was great!
NEWSONG: Hosanna by Paul Baloche off the CD iWorship 24:7
VERSE: Matthew 20:25-28
Jesus called them together and said, “You know the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. NOT SO WITH YOU. Instead, whoever wants to be the first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
THOUGHTS: Am I a leader? I would hope that all of you know that in some way, yes you are. Whether you are being a leader in postive or negative role you are in fact leading someone. The next question you must ask in this process of leading like Jesus is: Am I willing to follow Jesus as my leadership role model?
Now I don’t want to sugar coat it for you. I am not going to tell you that it is the safest, easiest, and most liked way to go. Because its not, at least by our earthly standards. To lead like Christ we must understand that our recognition, our affirmation, our fame is in fact not ours at all, but that it is all for Him. We must know that there are going to be times in our lives that the only thing we have to fall on is our faith and our trust in Christ. But that should be an encouragement! In James 1:2 it tells us “when all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends!”
But to say that we must know that He is with us and that He has a plan for us if we are willing to follow. In Jeremiah 29:11-14 it tells us “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you.’” I love this verse because it is always an encouragement, he knows the plans for me! He wants me to succeed not necessarily in the standards of the world or our society but in the standards and the life of the Kingdom of God!
All this to say, we must be willing to accept this leadership role model through everything. Christ came to be a leader through serving others and if we are willing to follow that model than we can move onto our next step. How to lead like Jesus!
Are you willing to step into the storm, to step out into it all? Are you willing to follow one with dirty feet? Are you willing to follow Christ as your leadership example?
It’s not what you know its what you do!
Next week: How do I lead like Jesus?
NEWSONG: Hosanna by Paul Baloche off the CD iWorship 24:7
VERSE: Matthew 20:25-28
Jesus called them together and said, “You know the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. NOT SO WITH YOU. Instead, whoever wants to be the first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
THOUGHTS: Am I a leader? I would hope that all of you know that in some way, yes you are. Whether you are being a leader in postive or negative role you are in fact leading someone. The next question you must ask in this process of leading like Jesus is: Am I willing to follow Jesus as my leadership role model?
Now I don’t want to sugar coat it for you. I am not going to tell you that it is the safest, easiest, and most liked way to go. Because its not, at least by our earthly standards. To lead like Christ we must understand that our recognition, our affirmation, our fame is in fact not ours at all, but that it is all for Him. We must know that there are going to be times in our lives that the only thing we have to fall on is our faith and our trust in Christ. But that should be an encouragement! In James 1:2 it tells us “when all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends!”
But to say that we must know that He is with us and that He has a plan for us if we are willing to follow. In Jeremiah 29:11-14 it tells us “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you.’” I love this verse because it is always an encouragement, he knows the plans for me! He wants me to succeed not necessarily in the standards of the world or our society but in the standards and the life of the Kingdom of God!
All this to say, we must be willing to accept this leadership role model through everything. Christ came to be a leader through serving others and if we are willing to follow that model than we can move onto our next step. How to lead like Jesus!
Are you willing to step into the storm, to step out into it all? Are you willing to follow one with dirty feet? Are you willing to follow Christ as your leadership example?
It’s not what you know its what you do!
Next week: How do I lead like Jesus?
Monday, November 12, 2007
Leading Like Jesus Part 1 of 3
NEWSONG: Knees to the Earth by WaterMark off the CD The Purest Place
*I know its not a brand new song, but its beautiful and maybe would go well with worship
VERSE: 1 Timothy 3:1
Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach . . .
THOUGHTS: I know that this is a short verse and I know that you may just think okay so what next? Well here it is. I have been reading from a book called Lead Like Jesus (it’s a great book). At the very beginning of the book the author tells us that there are three questions we have to ask ourselves about being a leader like Jesus: (1) Am I a leader? (2) Am I willing to follow Jesus as my leadership role model? (3) How do I lead like Jesus?
Through the next few weeks I want to talk about being a leader. Becoming a leader. So as we do these devotionals together and as you are reading this on my blog also, I would like to challenge you to either grow into a leader, or grow your leadership into a whole new level.
This week I want to take a look at the first question: Am I a leader? Ken Blanchard says, “Leadership is a process of influence.” Being a leader doesn’t always mean that you have to have a name, that you have a position, but that you are in a place of influence. Anytime you seek to influence the thinking, behavior, or development of people in their personal, professional, or spiritual lives, you are taking on the role of a leader. Where are you influencing other people? Blanchard then goes on to tell us that there are two things evident in those who lead: (1) a leader doesn’t always have to influence someone in a positive way, it just has to do with the influence they have over someone, and (2) leaders are involved in making personal choices about how and why to use their influence. The ultimate question comes in here. Do we seek to lead through serving the needs of others or do we seek to lead through the service of others to us? I don’t want to tell you how to live your life or how to go about being a leader, but I want to leave you with this, Christ came down to this earth, he is the greatest leader in the history of the world, and he was a leader who came to lead through the serving of others. . . .
Next week: Am I willing to follow Jesus as m leadership role model?
*I know its not a brand new song, but its beautiful and maybe would go well with worship
VERSE: 1 Timothy 3:1
Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach . . .
THOUGHTS: I know that this is a short verse and I know that you may just think okay so what next? Well here it is. I have been reading from a book called Lead Like Jesus (it’s a great book). At the very beginning of the book the author tells us that there are three questions we have to ask ourselves about being a leader like Jesus: (1) Am I a leader? (2) Am I willing to follow Jesus as my leadership role model? (3) How do I lead like Jesus?
Through the next few weeks I want to talk about being a leader. Becoming a leader. So as we do these devotionals together and as you are reading this on my blog also, I would like to challenge you to either grow into a leader, or grow your leadership into a whole new level.
This week I want to take a look at the first question: Am I a leader? Ken Blanchard says, “Leadership is a process of influence.” Being a leader doesn’t always mean that you have to have a name, that you have a position, but that you are in a place of influence. Anytime you seek to influence the thinking, behavior, or development of people in their personal, professional, or spiritual lives, you are taking on the role of a leader. Where are you influencing other people? Blanchard then goes on to tell us that there are two things evident in those who lead: (1) a leader doesn’t always have to influence someone in a positive way, it just has to do with the influence they have over someone, and (2) leaders are involved in making personal choices about how and why to use their influence. The ultimate question comes in here. Do we seek to lead through serving the needs of others or do we seek to lead through the service of others to us? I don’t want to tell you how to live your life or how to go about being a leader, but I want to leave you with this, Christ came down to this earth, he is the greatest leader in the history of the world, and he was a leader who came to lead through the serving of others. . . .
Next week: Am I willing to follow Jesus as m leadership role model?
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Visiting Wheaton . . .
So I am visiting Wheaton tomorrow. It is my first grad school to visit for ministry and I am really excited. I am worried because it is a really good school and I don't really feel adequate but I am just praying that God can help me to go through with all of this and that he can help me. I am excited about it and I hope everything goes well.
I am staying at the Biggs house tonight and I am gonna hopefully get in the hot tub and get to bed early! Ok talk to you all soon . . . .
pray for me . . . .
and Laura's mom got in a car accident, she is ok but I sure she is shaken up . . .
I am staying at the Biggs house tonight and I am gonna hopefully get in the hot tub and get to bed early! Ok talk to you all soon . . . .
pray for me . . . .
and Laura's mom got in a car accident, she is ok but I sure she is shaken up . . .
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
What God can do when we are real!
These past few months have been awesome for me! On the outside they may seem like they have been really rough and really hard, but God has been doing some amazing things and it has made me feel really encouraged.
About 2 months ago I was on my way back from Naperville and was just listening to music and having some time to myself. A lot of times I take that time and use it for me to relax a bit, but that night I remember really praying and talking with God on my way back (and yes you can talk to God with your eyes open haha). Anyways I still remember just torn with everything going on in my life. I didn't know whether God was calling me into ministry or into physical therapy. What came next was one of those "real" moments. I remember kinda wrestling with God. I can almost relate it to when God wrestled with Jacob and he came out with a bum hip. I just felt like I came out with a bum heart. I felt like at that point God had really touched my heart, like he had really called me into something. I was listening to Embracing Accusation by Shane and Shane and just remember feeling chills.
There was a point though when I just had to ask, well more sternly tell haha, God that I neeeded to know where he wanted me. I wanted to do what he wanted me to do, I wanted to do his will. From that point on EVERYTHING I read, everything I heard, everything I experienced, led me to feel, believe, and know more and more that God was calling me into full time ministry for Him.
And ya know what, I can't wait!
About 2 months ago I was on my way back from Naperville and was just listening to music and having some time to myself. A lot of times I take that time and use it for me to relax a bit, but that night I remember really praying and talking with God on my way back (and yes you can talk to God with your eyes open haha). Anyways I still remember just torn with everything going on in my life. I didn't know whether God was calling me into ministry or into physical therapy. What came next was one of those "real" moments. I remember kinda wrestling with God. I can almost relate it to when God wrestled with Jacob and he came out with a bum hip. I just felt like I came out with a bum heart. I felt like at that point God had really touched my heart, like he had really called me into something. I was listening to Embracing Accusation by Shane and Shane and just remember feeling chills.
There was a point though when I just had to ask, well more sternly tell haha, God that I neeeded to know where he wanted me. I wanted to do what he wanted me to do, I wanted to do his will. From that point on EVERYTHING I read, everything I heard, everything I experienced, led me to feel, believe, and know more and more that God was calling me into full time ministry for Him.
And ya know what, I can't wait!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Thoughts on Psalm 147
NEWSONG: Break Free by Hillsong of the CD Hillsong LIVE Saviour King
Verse: Psalm 147:1-11
Praise the Lord, how good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! The Lord builds up Jerusalem he gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground. Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp. He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love
Thoughts:
This verse is one of those really cool verses for people like us who are involved in worship and public praise. David wrote some awesome things for the Jews back in the day huh! Well I wanted us to take just a few minutes and reflect on this verse. Especially the last part "His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." In our day everyone with any type of ability is praised for what they can do, which isn't always a bad thing. Specifically we glorify musicians and artists who do great work and write great music. We lift athletes up to a greater level than anyone else. This isn't always a terrible thing, in culture. But as Christians, in our lives, in our church, we are called to a different evaluation. God LOVES that we can play the guitar, that we can play drums, run 10 miles, write a poem, and on and on. He really does. And you wanna know why? Because he gave us those gifts to use, and it makes Him happy that we can use them!
But we need to make sure that we are using them to show God our love, to give Him praise for what he has done! It is a blessing to me to know that I couldn't do anything without the holy and amazing love that he had for me. It is a blessing to me to know that without Him I am nothing. As we go through our week and as we use our gifts, I challenge you to know and remember that God's real delight, his real joy comes not in the "strength of a horse . . . in the legs of a man" but in those who use those gifts to show Him their love. His real delight is in the worship and hope that we put in Him!
Verse: Psalm 147:1-11
Praise the Lord, how good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! The Lord builds up Jerusalem he gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground. Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp. He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love
Thoughts:
This verse is one of those really cool verses for people like us who are involved in worship and public praise. David wrote some awesome things for the Jews back in the day huh! Well I wanted us to take just a few minutes and reflect on this verse. Especially the last part "His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." In our day everyone with any type of ability is praised for what they can do, which isn't always a bad thing. Specifically we glorify musicians and artists who do great work and write great music. We lift athletes up to a greater level than anyone else. This isn't always a terrible thing, in culture. But as Christians, in our lives, in our church, we are called to a different evaluation. God LOVES that we can play the guitar, that we can play drums, run 10 miles, write a poem, and on and on. He really does. And you wanna know why? Because he gave us those gifts to use, and it makes Him happy that we can use them!
But we need to make sure that we are using them to show God our love, to give Him praise for what he has done! It is a blessing to me to know that I couldn't do anything without the holy and amazing love that he had for me. It is a blessing to me to know that without Him I am nothing. As we go through our week and as we use our gifts, I challenge you to know and remember that God's real delight, his real joy comes not in the "strength of a horse . . . in the legs of a man" but in those who use those gifts to show Him their love. His real delight is in the worship and hope that we put in Him!
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