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Thursday, 27 August 2009
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what makes a great book, or movie, or tv show, or even story?
twists and turns right?
being unpredictable.
the harder it is to figure out, the more i try to, and the happier i am if i succeed.
who wants to invest 2 hours into a movie they have figured out within the first ten minutes?? (unless it's a chick flick, which can all be figured out w/o watching
)
i've been reminded a lot lately that
God has amazing plans
and...
I CAN'T FIGURE THEM OUT!!!
shocked??
don't be
...
i'm sure Jacob never expected to become so great after deceiving his father and brother and then fleeing for his life,
but God...
and Joesph probably thought it was over when he got sold into slavery...what about all his dreams!!? (I wonder how often he wished he hadn't bragged to his brothers?)
but God...
David was content being a nobody, worshiping God while watching sheep. When he did get a "great calling" his life became harder. he fled and hid/lived in caves for years before he became what God told him he would be...
i bet the last thing Gideon expected while threshing wheat in a wine cellar was for an angel to appear...
it was probably the last thing Mary expected either...
but God...but God...but God
God knew all along
you see at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
Christ plan is far better than we can imagine. most Bible "heroes" have unlikely beginnings and unthinkable twists. (think about the story of Jesus!)
God's promise often comes with lots or earthly problems...Daniel is great, but he was a slave. so was Esther.
so though sometimes my life (and probably yours too) seems random, or i may not see how what God has told me is gonna happen, i can look at the Bible.
sometimes, to figure it out, you just have to keep reading.
Friday, 07 August 2009
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get to the end and stay there!
so i missed my july post.
i know i know a whole month and still i can't find time to blah blah blah... here it is :)so i know we have all been tempted. and some temptation is harder to resit than others...like for me, an invite to bar is not tempting, however an inviting bar of good chocolate is hard to resist
(even when full or fasting 
)and the Bible tells us to flee from temptation. and fleeing is a pretty sure way not to get sucked in. (God is so wise)
fleeing in the literal sense made me think of Joseph in Gen 37 when he was so set on fleeing a bad situation that it cost him his shirt. (which ironically would be just enough evidence to convict him of a crime he didn't commit, but lets keep moving..)so i'm reading all this and it hit me...Joe may have only fled in 39 cuz his pride was shattered in 37.
whoa.
u see, pride (and insecurity) are essentially selfishness.
and sin is essentially selfishness.
therefore pride is one of sins' favorite outfits.
Joseph's pride would have probably justified having Potiphar's wife. but the fear of the Lord had gripped him. when your own brothers sell you into slavery for a lousy 30 pieces of silver, the only one you have left to turn to is God. not even self.you become most valuable to God when you realize you're worthless.when i become nothing, i become the perfect vessel to showcase God's glory.
what happened...what HAS to happenfor Joseph, the kind of obedience that God would require in Gen 39 and beyond, took a Gen 37 experienceif yes...how did i get here and how do i stay here?
...what will it take for me?
what does getting to the end of oneself look like exactly?
am i there?
are you?if no, what does that look like and what will it require?like any good race, we should get to the end and stay there.
learning something by realizing i know nothing
so good
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
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getting what you want…
a few months ago i actually wrote in my journal:
“i have no idea what i want, and even less of what I need”
i don’t know if you’ve ever had moments like this with God,
but i have them quite often.
i think i know what i want.
i ask God for it.
a lot.
even try by best to make it happen.
but something is missing.
i pray and pray and pray; talk to other christians.; read the Bible…
yet still something is lacking.
today i started to have one of these conversations with God:
remembering what James 1 says, “if you need wisdom ask God, and he will gladly tell you. And he won’t make you feel dumb for asking.” so i started to tell God about how i needed wisdom and He stopped me dead in my tracks. and HE started asking ME some questions (gulp)
He said:
“Do you really want my wisdom? My opinion? My take on the whole situation?? Or are you just asking for the wisdom to know how to get what you want?”
whoa.
i thought i wanted God’s wisdom, but the more i thought about it the more i realized that is NOT what i’d been asking for.
i had been asking God to make my will his will.
that’s scary.
i had been asking God to give me the “wisdom” to figure out how to make what i want happen.
the next step was clear: REPENT!!
please note: what i wanted wasn’t bad, it was just what I wanted.
Don't love the world's ways.
Don't love the world's goods.
Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father.
Practically everything that goes on in the world—
wanting your own way,
wanting everything for yourself,
wanting to appear important
—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him.
The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out
—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.
1 john 2:15-17msg
phil 2:13 nlt
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
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not a ninny
They are a nation of ninnies,
they don't know enough to come in out of the rain.
If they had any sense at all, they'd know this;
they would see what's coming down the road.
Deut. 32:28msg
ninny = a fool or simpleton
I don't wanna be a ninny.
God, grant wisdom
beyond age or experience.
more discernment;
make me more alert.
help me to see the warning signs of rain:
the wind, the clouds, the leaves turned over...
don't let me be so caught up,
unaware, until i feel the rain drops
then it's too late
damage can only be minimized but not avoided.
let me be found in the cleft of The Rock;
in the shelter of Your wing;
in the shadow of The Almighty.
safe. sound. and dry
his glorious presence, his immense, protective presence,
shade from the burning sun and shelter from the driving rain
Is. 4:6ish msg
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
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the rebound
so here i am, truckin along in life, thinking i've got things figured out, thinking i'm doing okay. and then..BAM
i realize i'm not exactly where God wants me to be.
how did this happen? how do i get back??
does this ever descibe you??
i think that it is easy to get sidetracked. (even with good things.)
(so often good things are what keep us from great things)
and even if i'm only slightly off course, i'm still off course.
and the longer it takes for me to realize that, the farther i get from where God wants me
the process...
there is hope! i don't think that there has to be this huge drawn out process to getting back where God wants you to be.
getting your heart right can take a moment.
but staying where God wants you takes work.
well actually it takes death.
wanna obey?
die
still wanna obey?
love
"Make yourselves at home in my love.
If you keep my commands you'll remain intimately at home in my love."
(Jn 15:9-10)--obedience leads to intimacy
Jn 15:11--obedience leads to joy. complete joy.
just because u aimed and missed (that's what sin is), doesn't mean it's over; get the rebound
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About Me
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i'm crazy in love with Jesus. i work at Starbucks. i like to smile. i love my family. and i have the honor of being a part of the most amazing church with some of the most stunning/remarkable/phenomenal/inspiring people i have ever met. they live and breath ministry, it's pretty incredible.
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if you can jump longer than 7-12 year olds...that's Jesus.
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