John 15:5
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
I memorized this verse when I was a kid. My mom quizzed my brothers and I on a regular basis right before we'd go to bed. It was different verses all the time. This one stuck in my head. I remember thinking even then, "crap, apart from God I can do nothing?" Well, actually I can, it just won't bear fruit. SO basically, I would have been working toward something for no reason since it will have no eternal value if God is not in it.
I made this complicated. But, it's real simple. I have to involve Jesus in my daily journey and watch what He does in my life and others. It just doesn't last if I do it on my own.
I'm gonna ponder this one today.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Rest?
Psalm 127:2 It's useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don't you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves?
Ha! So I used this one for me this morning since I got up a half hour later than I wanted to. I do recognize there are days when I need to sleep a little longer to make sure I am who I need to be for my family. Also, there are days when I need to get up earlier to make sure I am who I need to be for my family. I can't decide that when the alarm goes off. I have to decide it before I go to bed. If I wait until the quacking duck of the iphone gently reminds me I am done sleeping, then I will no doubt hit snooze until I am awakened by the sunrise.
I didn't really decide last night, I decided at the first duck quack this morning.
Regardless, I am going to go with this verse this morning. God gave me rest because He loves me. Surely, it had nothing to do with me staying up so late???
This is actually just a reminder to me today to rest in the Lord. He enjoys it when I do. Currently, God is enjoying giving Lisa and Noah some rest :)
Ha! So I used this one for me this morning since I got up a half hour later than I wanted to. I do recognize there are days when I need to sleep a little longer to make sure I am who I need to be for my family. Also, there are days when I need to get up earlier to make sure I am who I need to be for my family. I can't decide that when the alarm goes off. I have to decide it before I go to bed. If I wait until the quacking duck of the iphone gently reminds me I am done sleeping, then I will no doubt hit snooze until I am awakened by the sunrise.
I didn't really decide last night, I decided at the first duck quack this morning.
Regardless, I am going to go with this verse this morning. God gave me rest because He loves me. Surely, it had nothing to do with me staying up so late???
This is actually just a reminder to me today to rest in the Lord. He enjoys it when I do. Currently, God is enjoying giving Lisa and Noah some rest :)
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Serve
Joshua 24:15
choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or (A)the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
I can't control everything, but I can control the tone of our home. I set it. It can be a peaceful one or a loud one, a loving one or a cold one, a Godly one or a not Godly one. Now, truth be told it's probably always somewhere sliding on that scale depending on the day. But, I know that the responsibility for my home rests with me.
There are days I don't want that responsibility. However, it doesn't matter. It's still mine. Much in the same way that there are days it would be easier to be single than married, or childless than having kids, or parentless than having parents...you are where God put you for a reason.
So, really you and I have two choices. We can decide with each action that we are going to serve the "gods which were beyond the river" (which just sounds like a scary movie to me) or the Lord. When it's laid out this way, it seems the choice is easy...when it's a matter of watching a football game instead of listening to your wife's story about her friend at work (this is made up...Lisa doesn't work outside the home...I'm not that stupid. ha!) well, the decision to serve the Lord in your home gets a little tougher, or should I say a bit fuzzier. Should you honor her by listening or honor Peyton Manning because you know he put a lot of hours in this week to prepare for the Bears? I think you know. Unfortunately, I do too.
It's not all clear cut, but my effort will continue to be there. As long as I am here, me and my house will serve the Lord. It's the only good option.
choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or (A)the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
I can't control everything, but I can control the tone of our home. I set it. It can be a peaceful one or a loud one, a loving one or a cold one, a Godly one or a not Godly one. Now, truth be told it's probably always somewhere sliding on that scale depending on the day. But, I know that the responsibility for my home rests with me.
There are days I don't want that responsibility. However, it doesn't matter. It's still mine. Much in the same way that there are days it would be easier to be single than married, or childless than having kids, or parentless than having parents...you are where God put you for a reason.
So, really you and I have two choices. We can decide with each action that we are going to serve the "gods which were beyond the river" (which just sounds like a scary movie to me) or the Lord. When it's laid out this way, it seems the choice is easy...when it's a matter of watching a football game instead of listening to your wife's story about her friend at work (this is made up...Lisa doesn't work outside the home...I'm not that stupid. ha!) well, the decision to serve the Lord in your home gets a little tougher, or should I say a bit fuzzier. Should you honor her by listening or honor Peyton Manning because you know he put a lot of hours in this week to prepare for the Bears? I think you know. Unfortunately, I do too.
It's not all clear cut, but my effort will continue to be there. As long as I am here, me and my house will serve the Lord. It's the only good option.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Fire Truck
Romans 5:3-5
3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
This weekend was great...until Saturday night when the fire truck drove by our house. No, there was no fire. It was Santa throwing out candy. This year was different. No one tried to bust out of the house to chase the candy. Lisa and I spent the next hours sitting around crying together. It was like 2x4 in the face.
I am working on getting to the place where I can glory in my sufferings (as Paul wrote in Romans) because of what it will produce, but I ain't there yet. Saturday night didn't feel like a celebration of a journey toward hope as we stopped through perseverance and character. It just felt like crap.
However, I know there is hope. It's what gets us going every single morning. I know God is good. He is so big and so mighty there is nothing that He cannot do. That being the case, our sufferings must be for some purpose if you believe in an all powerful God as I do. I love verses like this because they help me see that at least someone at some point saw a purpose in suffering. It helps me not only as we walk through the days without Ava here, but it helps me as I feel for others who are going through the same...or worse.
It's going to be a good day today. God is still good, all the time. I'm just too small to figure out how sometimes.
3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
This weekend was great...until Saturday night when the fire truck drove by our house. No, there was no fire. It was Santa throwing out candy. This year was different. No one tried to bust out of the house to chase the candy. Lisa and I spent the next hours sitting around crying together. It was like 2x4 in the face.
I am working on getting to the place where I can glory in my sufferings (as Paul wrote in Romans) because of what it will produce, but I ain't there yet. Saturday night didn't feel like a celebration of a journey toward hope as we stopped through perseverance and character. It just felt like crap.
However, I know there is hope. It's what gets us going every single morning. I know God is good. He is so big and so mighty there is nothing that He cannot do. That being the case, our sufferings must be for some purpose if you believe in an all powerful God as I do. I love verses like this because they help me see that at least someone at some point saw a purpose in suffering. It helps me not only as we walk through the days without Ava here, but it helps me as I feel for others who are going through the same...or worse.
It's going to be a good day today. God is still good, all the time. I'm just too small to figure out how sometimes.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Discipline
Hebrews 12:11-No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
It's so darn illusive. I have it locked down and then it shoots right back out. Yes, I got up everyday this week to spend time with God. However, I exercised once, went to bed late every night, and ate like I needed to make sure I was going to get through the winter hibernation. I am ridiculous. Not because of this week that looked like this, but because you could pick virtually any week from my adult life and it would look like this in some way. (great at one thing, train wreck in the others) I guess I just need to be better at multi-tasking.
I know God wants more from me and I owe it to him, so I'll keep trying. On this particular morning I am not discouraged about my lack of progress. I'm just happy to have made any step toward progress. Maybe next week is my week? I do entertain myself with these conversations. I think my "harvest of righteousness and peace" is a ways off :)
Discipline is not a project to be completed. If it were, I would have completed it on time. Instead, it's a long obedience in the same direction.
Well, I am about to go head out to the righteousness and peace farm...
It's so darn illusive. I have it locked down and then it shoots right back out. Yes, I got up everyday this week to spend time with God. However, I exercised once, went to bed late every night, and ate like I needed to make sure I was going to get through the winter hibernation. I am ridiculous. Not because of this week that looked like this, but because you could pick virtually any week from my adult life and it would look like this in some way. (great at one thing, train wreck in the others) I guess I just need to be better at multi-tasking.
I know God wants more from me and I owe it to him, so I'll keep trying. On this particular morning I am not discouraged about my lack of progress. I'm just happy to have made any step toward progress. Maybe next week is my week? I do entertain myself with these conversations. I think my "harvest of righteousness and peace" is a ways off :)
Discipline is not a project to be completed. If it were, I would have completed it on time. Instead, it's a long obedience in the same direction.
Well, I am about to go head out to the righteousness and peace farm...
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Accountability
Proverbs 27:17-Iron sharpens iron, just as one man sharpens another.
I didn't miss writing this because I failed to get up this morning. I am staying true with at least that part of my new week of discipline... I'll report back on how well I am eating right and exercising at a later date when my report will be more fun for me to give.
I meet with a group of guys every Thursday morning at 5:45am (so I couldn't write at 5). We meet to pray, go through our lives from the past week, and encourage each other toward Christ filled lives. It's great. Also, I hate it. It's the place that I am challenged in ways that are uncomfortable for me. This particular group of guys started roughly 10 years ago...many on and offs in between, but we've been together a long time. Accountability has received a bad wrap over the years. If I was in a group that I had to just weekly report my sins...then I would hate it too. That's not what this group is. This group sees it's primary function as one that builds up...huge difference there.
Everyone should have the blessing of someone in their life who sharpens them. We weren't put on this earth to be comfortable, but to be used by God. Unfortunately for us, that purpose in our lives very often leads to discomfort. Fortunately, that discomfort often leads to growth (if we allow it to).
Iron sharpens iron. I am grateful for these guys that sharpen me.
I didn't miss writing this because I failed to get up this morning. I am staying true with at least that part of my new week of discipline... I'll report back on how well I am eating right and exercising at a later date when my report will be more fun for me to give.
I meet with a group of guys every Thursday morning at 5:45am (so I couldn't write at 5). We meet to pray, go through our lives from the past week, and encourage each other toward Christ filled lives. It's great. Also, I hate it. It's the place that I am challenged in ways that are uncomfortable for me. This particular group of guys started roughly 10 years ago...many on and offs in between, but we've been together a long time. Accountability has received a bad wrap over the years. If I was in a group that I had to just weekly report my sins...then I would hate it too. That's not what this group is. This group sees it's primary function as one that builds up...huge difference there.
Everyone should have the blessing of someone in their life who sharpens them. We weren't put on this earth to be comfortable, but to be used by God. Unfortunately for us, that purpose in our lives very often leads to discomfort. Fortunately, that discomfort often leads to growth (if we allow it to).
Iron sharpens iron. I am grateful for these guys that sharpen me.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Build it up.
Ephesians 4:29 - Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Oooohhhhhh, tough one. Only talk about what is helpful for building others up? I've met very few people in my life who have this "monster of a verse" mastered. I wonder why?
I get to hang around middle school boys on a fairly regular basis. Even the greatest of middle schoolers have trouble finding things they like about...well anything. I regularly hear about how stupid something is, or how goofy that teacher was, or how smelly some dude's feet are. It's how they connect with one another. Unfortunately, many of us have a rough time moving past that phase in our maturation process.
We get stuck in middle school. It's harder to be helpful and build something up than it is to tear it down. However, we are called to something greater. God's plan for our lives did not include showing our disgust for others. He put us here to collectively glorify Him with the complements of our individual gifts. That's hard to do when we are busting on someone because they are annoying, or have a drinking problem, or are overweight, or are promiscuous...or whatever.
The only way to truly live a life that builds others up is to intentionally think about them first. Only then do our own insecurities fade away.
My Checklist for today:
Build people up.
Encourage People.
God will use it to bring others closer because of it.
Oooohhhhhh, tough one. Only talk about what is helpful for building others up? I've met very few people in my life who have this "monster of a verse" mastered. I wonder why?
I get to hang around middle school boys on a fairly regular basis. Even the greatest of middle schoolers have trouble finding things they like about...well anything. I regularly hear about how stupid something is, or how goofy that teacher was, or how smelly some dude's feet are. It's how they connect with one another. Unfortunately, many of us have a rough time moving past that phase in our maturation process.
We get stuck in middle school. It's harder to be helpful and build something up than it is to tear it down. However, we are called to something greater. God's plan for our lives did not include showing our disgust for others. He put us here to collectively glorify Him with the complements of our individual gifts. That's hard to do when we are busting on someone because they are annoying, or have a drinking problem, or are overweight, or are promiscuous...or whatever.
The only way to truly live a life that builds others up is to intentionally think about them first. Only then do our own insecurities fade away.
My Checklist for today:
Build people up.
Encourage People.
God will use it to bring others closer because of it.
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