Hey Girls,
Why rush?? That just came to me. Doesn't it seem like we're so often in a rush, a hurry, doing things so fast? Slow down. Lately, it is becoming clear to me that God's timing is not our timing. What seems like last minute to me, really isn't. Not in God's opinion at least. He does everything in his right timing. Is that why we sometimes try to work things out on our own, make things happen from our own efforts, because we think that we're running out of time and God's not doing anything? Or that he's taking too long? I guess we have to remember that God never takes too long. He's got the plan- why is it so hard for us to be patient? After all, he's got the big picture, he sees things we can't even begin to imagine. Maybe we just need to work on trusting a little more, don't you think? I think so.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Disappearing Time
Hey Girls,
Do you ever feel like time is just going by so quickly? You have so much to do that you can't get it all done in one day? As if there aren't enough hours in a day? I've heard it said that time moves faster the older we get, which really, if you think about it, means we are running out of time faster and faster everyday; there is less and less of it. How would we ever catch up?
I think that's partly why it's important we keep a central perspective that this life isn't about us as much as being about God, how we serve him and do what he calls us to do. I think we often get involved in a lot of extra stuff that God doesn't necessarily mean for us to do. I don't think he desires his children to be stressed out and overworked- why would there be verses on casting our anxiety and fears on him? I think he means for us to take time and rest like he did after creating the world.
So as this summer rushes us by, let's remember to keep in mind the important things and ask God how we should direct our day. After all, he might have an entirely different plan in mind than the one we think we need to follow.
1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
Exodus 33:14 "The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
Do you ever feel like time is just going by so quickly? You have so much to do that you can't get it all done in one day? As if there aren't enough hours in a day? I've heard it said that time moves faster the older we get, which really, if you think about it, means we are running out of time faster and faster everyday; there is less and less of it. How would we ever catch up?
I think that's partly why it's important we keep a central perspective that this life isn't about us as much as being about God, how we serve him and do what he calls us to do. I think we often get involved in a lot of extra stuff that God doesn't necessarily mean for us to do. I don't think he desires his children to be stressed out and overworked- why would there be verses on casting our anxiety and fears on him? I think he means for us to take time and rest like he did after creating the world.
So as this summer rushes us by, let's remember to keep in mind the important things and ask God how we should direct our day. After all, he might have an entirely different plan in mind than the one we think we need to follow.
1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
Exodus 33:14 "The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
Monday, July 19, 2010
Project Finished!
Hey Girls,
Remember way back when I posted about finishing the projects we start? Well I did it! I finished that blanket that I started long ago using various random pieces of yarn that I had. It turned out to my satisfaction for my first blanket attempt. I would like to try making another, keeping in mind some of the things I learned from making this one. It isn't perfect but it's finished and I like it.
So what projects have you left to do? Finish any? Make any progress on any? It's good to finish what we start. Sometimes that just doesn't happen and we lose interest but there is a definite satisfaction in having completed a project. I encourage you all to go and follow through, bring a project of your own to completion.
It's kinda like of how God is working on us eh? Bit by bit. And like how His plans for our lives, and the world at large, are gradually coming together, to one day be complete when Jesus returns and gathers us all to him. Just a thought...
Remember way back when I posted about finishing the projects we start? Well I did it! I finished that blanket that I started long ago using various random pieces of yarn that I had. It turned out to my satisfaction for my first blanket attempt. I would like to try making another, keeping in mind some of the things I learned from making this one. It isn't perfect but it's finished and I like it.
So what projects have you left to do? Finish any? Make any progress on any? It's good to finish what we start. Sometimes that just doesn't happen and we lose interest but there is a definite satisfaction in having completed a project. I encourage you all to go and follow through, bring a project of your own to completion.
It's kinda like of how God is working on us eh? Bit by bit. And like how His plans for our lives, and the world at large, are gradually coming together, to one day be complete when Jesus returns and gathers us all to him. Just a thought...
Monday, June 28, 2010
Summer Sunshine
Hey Girls,
Well, it seems as if summer is in fully swing now (even if the rain wants to tell us otherwise). For a bunch of us, summer means vacation time. For others it's a time of work, no change really, except you have to be indoors at the job when you'd rather be out having fun. And it could also be a time of unknowns, such as, what will I do in the fall?
I hope that everyone gets out and has a chance to enjoy the warmth and sun. That vitamin D is hugely important! But no matter what we are doing, we should still try to keep God at the center of our lives. Sometimes when we are having fun and enjoying vacation time, it's easy to forget to thank God for it and to praise him. It's also easy to get carried away on the fun stuff and forget about what's really important. So this is just a reminder to keep God in mind through it all. He will make your fun even more enjoyable and for those who are trying to figure things out or busy with a job, he will be there to help you through all that too.
So I pray that ya'll will have a safe and happy God focused summertime!
Well, it seems as if summer is in fully swing now (even if the rain wants to tell us otherwise). For a bunch of us, summer means vacation time. For others it's a time of work, no change really, except you have to be indoors at the job when you'd rather be out having fun. And it could also be a time of unknowns, such as, what will I do in the fall?
I hope that everyone gets out and has a chance to enjoy the warmth and sun. That vitamin D is hugely important! But no matter what we are doing, we should still try to keep God at the center of our lives. Sometimes when we are having fun and enjoying vacation time, it's easy to forget to thank God for it and to praise him. It's also easy to get carried away on the fun stuff and forget about what's really important. So this is just a reminder to keep God in mind through it all. He will make your fun even more enjoyable and for those who are trying to figure things out or busy with a job, he will be there to help you through all that too.
So I pray that ya'll will have a safe and happy God focused summertime!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Making Excuses
Hey all,
Have you ever had it happen where you wanted something really badly so you made an excuse to justify why you should have it? We make excuses for a lot of things, don't we? Such as avoiding certain tasks or issues, justifying things... Well, what I'm thinking about today is when we make excuses that actually end up not benefiting us in the end.
Think about sin for a moment, doing wrong. Sometimes it can be really appealing- maybe there are pressures to fit in with a certain group or impress someone. We try to justify a situation to make us feel better about participating in it even when, if we really examined it, we'd know it was wrong. Some people live in a world of excuses. Ever had the thought that if a good Christian person you know was playing really violent video games (for example) that it would be okay for you to do that too? That if they advocated it as okay, than it must be okay for you too? One person's convictions are not necessarily another's. After all, God does give us guidelines to live by but within those guidelines, we often find 'gray' areas or make them up due to our attraction to things not necessarily right. God convicts everyone at different times and on different issues according to his purpose in their lives. So we can't always follow the example of others in choosing right and wrong. We have to listen to the Holy Spirit guide us.
I think excuses are just attractive ways we use to try to make sin okay. For example, growing up we always had talks on what constituted an appropriate movie to watch for the family (limited profanity, sexual references, violence). We knew that what we filled our minds with affected how we thought (which eventually can affect actions). Yet, sometimes, I would hear excuses like 'oh it's fantasy/sci-fi' so that made violence or alternative religions/magic okay to fill our minds with. Personally, that made no sense to me. A wizard/witch in a fairytale land is not more permissible than one in a modern world- after all, neither one gives glory to God for their abilities. So in the end, we'd be watching something that doesn't please God. It's easy to make excuses, to try to justify things that are wrong (I know I've done it lots) but it's not good. If we want to live truthfully and honourably, we can't make excuses just to have a bit of fun- after all, is it really worth the cost? (sometimes there is harmless, innocent fun but how is that defined? when does it cross the line?)
Yet there is more to making excuses than the effect on our relationship with God. It affects how others see us- as I talked about earlier- even though judgement calls should not be made based on human choices, it does happen sometimes, doesn't it? But excuses effect our relationships in life. Think about a close relationship to you, how often have you made excuses? Told your younger sister that you were too tired to play (emphasis on the 'tired' because you just plain didn't want too) or said to your family/inlaws that you were too busy to come over on Sunday (you'd make sure of it because you had no desire to go). We make excuses to avoid things we don't want to do. It prevents us from making a selfless sacrifice for others.
Sometimes there are situations that come up that we need to avoid or we have more important priorities and we need to use an excuse. But the problem is when this becomes a habit, when it causes us to neglect others and harm ourselves. We want to in stand in purity, honour, truth and righteousness before God, eh? I know I do. So I think that means we really need to watch the excuses we are making for things in our lives.
Have you ever had it happen where you wanted something really badly so you made an excuse to justify why you should have it? We make excuses for a lot of things, don't we? Such as avoiding certain tasks or issues, justifying things... Well, what I'm thinking about today is when we make excuses that actually end up not benefiting us in the end.
Think about sin for a moment, doing wrong. Sometimes it can be really appealing- maybe there are pressures to fit in with a certain group or impress someone. We try to justify a situation to make us feel better about participating in it even when, if we really examined it, we'd know it was wrong. Some people live in a world of excuses. Ever had the thought that if a good Christian person you know was playing really violent video games (for example) that it would be okay for you to do that too? That if they advocated it as okay, than it must be okay for you too? One person's convictions are not necessarily another's. After all, God does give us guidelines to live by but within those guidelines, we often find 'gray' areas or make them up due to our attraction to things not necessarily right. God convicts everyone at different times and on different issues according to his purpose in their lives. So we can't always follow the example of others in choosing right and wrong. We have to listen to the Holy Spirit guide us.
I think excuses are just attractive ways we use to try to make sin okay. For example, growing up we always had talks on what constituted an appropriate movie to watch for the family (limited profanity, sexual references, violence). We knew that what we filled our minds with affected how we thought (which eventually can affect actions). Yet, sometimes, I would hear excuses like 'oh it's fantasy/sci-fi' so that made violence or alternative religions/magic okay to fill our minds with. Personally, that made no sense to me. A wizard/witch in a fairytale land is not more permissible than one in a modern world- after all, neither one gives glory to God for their abilities. So in the end, we'd be watching something that doesn't please God. It's easy to make excuses, to try to justify things that are wrong (I know I've done it lots) but it's not good. If we want to live truthfully and honourably, we can't make excuses just to have a bit of fun- after all, is it really worth the cost? (sometimes there is harmless, innocent fun but how is that defined? when does it cross the line?)
Yet there is more to making excuses than the effect on our relationship with God. It affects how others see us- as I talked about earlier- even though judgement calls should not be made based on human choices, it does happen sometimes, doesn't it? But excuses effect our relationships in life. Think about a close relationship to you, how often have you made excuses? Told your younger sister that you were too tired to play (emphasis on the 'tired' because you just plain didn't want too) or said to your family/inlaws that you were too busy to come over on Sunday (you'd make sure of it because you had no desire to go). We make excuses to avoid things we don't want to do. It prevents us from making a selfless sacrifice for others.
Sometimes there are situations that come up that we need to avoid or we have more important priorities and we need to use an excuse. But the problem is when this becomes a habit, when it causes us to neglect others and harm ourselves. We want to in stand in purity, honour, truth and righteousness before God, eh? I know I do. So I think that means we really need to watch the excuses we are making for things in our lives.
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