Is my eye full of light? It totally depends on the day, which is encouraging to me, because it used to be solidly no. I have light days and dark days, which means I am making progress.
A light day is when I know that God is ruling the universe. I know that he is enough for me. I know that He is good and I can trust that He is with me no matter what happens around me. The dark days are when I balance my check book. I see that there isn't enough. I worry about paying for weddings, when no one has a ring. I wake up feeling like I'm two days behind and I can never catch up. I start to feel the not enough that the world pushes at me every day. Today I was shown that the other evil twin of that feeling is to start seeing everyone else's enough. Why do they have...? They should be helping me with... I start assuming that everyone should be serving me and that they clearly aren't doing their part. I pray that I will start to see this warning light and turn it around.
Rick has a good eye. He is able to see the good. I criticize him for it! Apparently my judgement is off. My cynical spirit is the spirit that needs to be checked, not his grace. It was his good eye that allowed me to walk the scary road to the kingdom. When others were sure that I was the path to his destruction, God was faithful and kept him while we both moved toward God. Lord, let me remember that when I start tearing down the young men in my daughter's lives. I know I need to be discerning and give wise counsel, but I also need to trust you to work in mysterious ways.
Lord, thank you for shining your light into my life. Thank you for walking with me, speaking to me, bringing people into my life to help me grow. Thank you for the people who I tried to be like, when it wasn't my path. Thank you that I failed miserably at being them. Thank you for helping me to sort out who I am and being willing to walk with you down my path. Please keep showing me the way. May I keep my eye full of light, your light, following where you lead me. Amen
Life in a small town with a large family. Trying to put God on display.
Showing posts with label sermon notes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sermon notes. Show all posts
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Monday, January 10, 2011
Wasting Time
Sometimes the answers to my problems are ridiculously simple. It came up in the sermon yesterday that the way to make the best use of your time is to do what you are supposed to do. Duh. If you are supposed to be helping your children with homework, then get off of Facebook and help them. If I am working away at what I am supposed to be doing I won't have time to do what I am not supposed to be doing. Literally, I would not have time. I don't have enough time to do all that needs to be done as it is.
The point was that we spend a lot of time contemplating how to stop doing things. If we would just do the next thing that needs to be done we wouldn't even have time to worry about those time wasters. It is so simple, and so true. I think the next step for me is to quit thinking about the things I can't fit in right now. They don't fit in, because they don't NEED to be done. When there is a need the time will be there. It is also true that you will make time for the things you love to do. No one has to remind you to do the things you love, you make the time for them. That is not to say there aren't good things that I could be doing that don't fit in right now. It just means I need to stop wasting time figuring out how to fit them in. If they need to be done I will do them, if they don't worrying about it won't get it done.
I need to help my kids see this as well. Some of them will ask me what they need to do next. I need to remind them to do the priority things. Especially Martha, who has had people telling her what to do for most of her life. She is great about doing whatever I tell her, but she isn't quite at the knowing what to do for herself stage yet. I need to help her think through what her options are, and to prioritize what needs to happen first. I also need to remind myself that much of my time needs to be used in helping the kids use their time well. It is too easy for me to let them waste time, while I do something else, because I don't want to stop and direct them. There are so many ways to distract them that are non-productive, I need to limit how much time I let them spend that way.
I had run across a list of things to consider for the New Year concerning spiritual disciplines. One of the questions was what my biggest time waster is and what I am going to do about it. I think my answer for that one is not making God's priorities my priorities. If I remember that I am His servant and He is my master it will keep my options in better perspective. Then if I do the next thing that He puts in front of me, I won't have to worry about wasting my time. All of my time is His anyway. I was tempted to write something like Facebook, and just stop getting on, but really that is not the heart of the matter. The heart of the matter is making sure I love what God loves, and spend my time seeking His Kingdom in all that I do. So I am off to fold clothes and pick up children at school to the glory of God.
The point was that we spend a lot of time contemplating how to stop doing things. If we would just do the next thing that needs to be done we wouldn't even have time to worry about those time wasters. It is so simple, and so true. I think the next step for me is to quit thinking about the things I can't fit in right now. They don't fit in, because they don't NEED to be done. When there is a need the time will be there. It is also true that you will make time for the things you love to do. No one has to remind you to do the things you love, you make the time for them. That is not to say there aren't good things that I could be doing that don't fit in right now. It just means I need to stop wasting time figuring out how to fit them in. If they need to be done I will do them, if they don't worrying about it won't get it done.
I need to help my kids see this as well. Some of them will ask me what they need to do next. I need to remind them to do the priority things. Especially Martha, who has had people telling her what to do for most of her life. She is great about doing whatever I tell her, but she isn't quite at the knowing what to do for herself stage yet. I need to help her think through what her options are, and to prioritize what needs to happen first. I also need to remind myself that much of my time needs to be used in helping the kids use their time well. It is too easy for me to let them waste time, while I do something else, because I don't want to stop and direct them. There are so many ways to distract them that are non-productive, I need to limit how much time I let them spend that way.
I had run across a list of things to consider for the New Year concerning spiritual disciplines. One of the questions was what my biggest time waster is and what I am going to do about it. I think my answer for that one is not making God's priorities my priorities. If I remember that I am His servant and He is my master it will keep my options in better perspective. Then if I do the next thing that He puts in front of me, I won't have to worry about wasting my time. All of my time is His anyway. I was tempted to write something like Facebook, and just stop getting on, but really that is not the heart of the matter. The heart of the matter is making sure I love what God loves, and spend my time seeking His Kingdom in all that I do. So I am off to fold clothes and pick up children at school to the glory of God.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
It is Very Good
You know that feeling you get when you take a corner just a little too fast, like you think you are going to make it around fine, but you could fly off the shoulder at anytime? I have been feeling like that a lot lately. I have a lot to do and only 24 hours to do it.
We have a wonderful young pastor, that pointed out a couple of weeks ago that God did not create the world in one day. He took six. He created something new everyday, and at the end of each day He pronounced His work very good. It wasn't finished, there was more to do the next day, but for that day it was very good. I have been hanging on to this thought ever since.
I love to wake up to a tidy house, a clean kitchen, a full warm coffee pot, children's bags packed by the front door, and the children busy getting dressed and making their beds. While that sounds lovely, it is extremely rare. Usually the coffee pot is ready, the children are up blinking at me in their jammies, homework stacked on the couch, the really gooey pans still in the sink, but not a total disaster. I have to sleep sometime. I try to use my time well, but there are just days when I need to leave some work for the next day. There are some things that need to happen today, and the wise woman figures those out early and gets them done, the rest can hit tomorrow's to do list. I am learning to thank God every night, and call this days work Very Good, and be okay with the fact that there will be more work tomorrow.
Our other very wise and wonderful pastor pointed out that the reward for doing good work is more work. I must be doing really good work. HAA!
We have a wonderful young pastor, that pointed out a couple of weeks ago that God did not create the world in one day. He took six. He created something new everyday, and at the end of each day He pronounced His work very good. It wasn't finished, there was more to do the next day, but for that day it was very good. I have been hanging on to this thought ever since.
I love to wake up to a tidy house, a clean kitchen, a full warm coffee pot, children's bags packed by the front door, and the children busy getting dressed and making their beds. While that sounds lovely, it is extremely rare. Usually the coffee pot is ready, the children are up blinking at me in their jammies, homework stacked on the couch, the really gooey pans still in the sink, but not a total disaster. I have to sleep sometime. I try to use my time well, but there are just days when I need to leave some work for the next day. There are some things that need to happen today, and the wise woman figures those out early and gets them done, the rest can hit tomorrow's to do list. I am learning to thank God every night, and call this days work Very Good, and be okay with the fact that there will be more work tomorrow.
Our other very wise and wonderful pastor pointed out that the reward for doing good work is more work. I must be doing really good work. HAA!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Being the Comforter
My friend Lisa had a great post on comforting the injured. I have definitely erred on the side of chasing down the wrongdoer and leaving the wounded suffering with their wounds. My nature is to give the "suck it up" answer more often than the "oh, how awful for you" answer. This seems to be a rough spot God is in the process of smoothing down for me.
Our sermon today was on Job 42. After all of Job's suffering, God restores what was taken from him. Not only that he is vindicated from the verbal beatings he suffered at the hands of his "friends." The bottom line was that God is our comfort. Even in the wreckage of our lives, sometimes suffered for no apparent reason, God is there, and He comforts us.
This all works out in my life in a couple of ways. First, I need to work harder at being a comfort to those around me. My nature is to be the judge, but I need to keep that balanced with being the advocate. I need to have more empathy for my children, my husband, my parents, and my friends. I need to be much more humble in the face of suffering. I need to stop trying to explain it, and just bear it with whoever it is that God brings to me. These things are time consuming. They keep me from getting the laundry done, and the dinner made, and all of the other things that need to happen, but they are more important. I need to keep that in the forefront of the brain, maybe I will write it on the top of my to do list.
The second way this works out, is in my thinking about suffering, and justice. I found myself thinking on a personal level, but also on a global level. I was starting to compare Job's friends with the US, and Job with Africa. We tend to tell Africa a lot of truths about their situation, but we are very short on comforting them. We are where we are by the grace of God. I don't believe that the majority of Americans believe that, but it doesn't matter. We seem to think we can point out everyone else's faults, because we currently have the most resources. We don't however spend a lot of time pondering how we can comfort those that suffer around the world. In my life that means that I need to remember those that are suffering. I need to be praying for them regularly. I need to advocate for them, whenever I can. I need to remember to write to my sponsored children, and friends that are ministering in foreign countries. They are encouraged when people in America remember them. These seem like insignificant things, but I believe in God's economy they are worth much more than I think.
Being a comforter will never make me rich in this world. It will not feed the hungry, at least not the physically hungry, but it will feed the soul. I am still reading My Own Country, by Abraham Verghese. He was talking about his role as an infectious disease specialist in the late '80s, and how his treatment options for HIV+ patients were so limited. He realized that more than anything he needed to comfort these people that were dieing, without hope of treatment, without the ability to tell their friends. He was their only comfort. He realized that choosing this speialty meant that he did not get to bill people for many of his services. I could totally relate. I often feel that way about my job. Today I can see it from a new perspective. I may not be "rich" by American standards, but I have abundant riches all around me everyday.
Perhaps my ability to comfort gives some meaning to the other person's suffering. It gives me the opportunity to be like Christ to them. Who knows when the day will come when the roles will be reversed, or maybe they never will, but God sees it all.
Our sermon today was on Job 42. After all of Job's suffering, God restores what was taken from him. Not only that he is vindicated from the verbal beatings he suffered at the hands of his "friends." The bottom line was that God is our comfort. Even in the wreckage of our lives, sometimes suffered for no apparent reason, God is there, and He comforts us.
This all works out in my life in a couple of ways. First, I need to work harder at being a comfort to those around me. My nature is to be the judge, but I need to keep that balanced with being the advocate. I need to have more empathy for my children, my husband, my parents, and my friends. I need to be much more humble in the face of suffering. I need to stop trying to explain it, and just bear it with whoever it is that God brings to me. These things are time consuming. They keep me from getting the laundry done, and the dinner made, and all of the other things that need to happen, but they are more important. I need to keep that in the forefront of the brain, maybe I will write it on the top of my to do list.
The second way this works out, is in my thinking about suffering, and justice. I found myself thinking on a personal level, but also on a global level. I was starting to compare Job's friends with the US, and Job with Africa. We tend to tell Africa a lot of truths about their situation, but we are very short on comforting them. We are where we are by the grace of God. I don't believe that the majority of Americans believe that, but it doesn't matter. We seem to think we can point out everyone else's faults, because we currently have the most resources. We don't however spend a lot of time pondering how we can comfort those that suffer around the world. In my life that means that I need to remember those that are suffering. I need to be praying for them regularly. I need to advocate for them, whenever I can. I need to remember to write to my sponsored children, and friends that are ministering in foreign countries. They are encouraged when people in America remember them. These seem like insignificant things, but I believe in God's economy they are worth much more than I think.
Being a comforter will never make me rich in this world. It will not feed the hungry, at least not the physically hungry, but it will feed the soul. I am still reading My Own Country, by Abraham Verghese. He was talking about his role as an infectious disease specialist in the late '80s, and how his treatment options for HIV+ patients were so limited. He realized that more than anything he needed to comfort these people that were dieing, without hope of treatment, without the ability to tell their friends. He was their only comfort. He realized that choosing this speialty meant that he did not get to bill people for many of his services. I could totally relate. I often feel that way about my job. Today I can see it from a new perspective. I may not be "rich" by American standards, but I have abundant riches all around me everyday.
Perhaps my ability to comfort gives some meaning to the other person's suffering. It gives me the opportunity to be like Christ to them. Who knows when the day will come when the roles will be reversed, or maybe they never will, but God sees it all.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
God visits His people
We are starting a sermon series on the book of Ruth. I just love the way our pastors weave God's word into such a beautiful story. We looked at the first chapter of Ruth, which is sort of a downer. Elimelech and his family left the promised land because of a famine. God caused their famine to get worse in the land they fled to. In Bethlehem their was a famine of food, in Moab they had a famine of people. Naomi lost her husband and her sons. Her sons had married but had no children. Ruth clung to Naomi, and they returned to Bethlehem destitute.
Cheery, huh? The good news is, that God does not leave us barren. God brings life where there is death. Sometimes he has to bring death into our lives so that we recognize that we can not do anything for ourselves. We are totally dependent on God. When we are helpless, when we are weak, then God comes in and brings new life. We were encouraged to seek His grace in our struggles. To recognize that our only hope is in Him and in His promises.
Cheery, huh? The good news is, that God does not leave us barren. God brings life where there is death. Sometimes he has to bring death into our lives so that we recognize that we can not do anything for ourselves. We are totally dependent on God. When we are helpless, when we are weak, then God comes in and brings new life. We were encouraged to seek His grace in our struggles. To recognize that our only hope is in Him and in His promises.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Smoothing more rough spots
Our new pastor has arrived in town, and today was his first Sunday preaching. He preached on how to deal with people, which was especially appropriate since I had just finished up a very people intensive week.
I must say I have a lot of repenting to do. I am not by nature a "people person". By that I mean that given a choice of a weekend at the state fair, or a weekend at a lake cabin, I'd take the lake cabin hands down. I am not particularly gifted in the outgoing department, and I prefer smaller more intimate groups. And I confess noise makes me really grumpy, but enough about me.
The sermon was about knowing who your neighbors are. He made some really wonderful points that I will be praying about, and meditating on this week. He pointed out that two of the most important factors in prioritizing who your people are 1. proximity and 2. opportunity. I find this really helpful. I spend a fair amount of time trying to figure out who I am supposed to be ministering to. Obviously my husband and children are the top of the list, but after that how do I choose? There are times when I know of a need but it seems too, something (insert any variety of excuses) and I find something else more to my liking to do. But God presented me with a need, and I need to get grateful about meeting it without all of my excuses. He also pointed out that the most frequent excuse is that the person who needs our help is our enemy, but in the parable of the good Samaritan the Samaritan did all of this for his enemy. There are so many times when the answer is simple, but not palatable. I want to do the lofty, fun, easy things, but what's in front of me pokes me in my uncomfortable spot. Instead of being irritated I need to count it all joy. God is giving me the opportunity to sand down the rough spots.
I must say I have a lot of repenting to do. I am not by nature a "people person". By that I mean that given a choice of a weekend at the state fair, or a weekend at a lake cabin, I'd take the lake cabin hands down. I am not particularly gifted in the outgoing department, and I prefer smaller more intimate groups. And I confess noise makes me really grumpy, but enough about me.
The sermon was about knowing who your neighbors are. He made some really wonderful points that I will be praying about, and meditating on this week. He pointed out that two of the most important factors in prioritizing who your people are 1. proximity and 2. opportunity. I find this really helpful. I spend a fair amount of time trying to figure out who I am supposed to be ministering to. Obviously my husband and children are the top of the list, but after that how do I choose? There are times when I know of a need but it seems too, something (insert any variety of excuses) and I find something else more to my liking to do. But God presented me with a need, and I need to get grateful about meeting it without all of my excuses. He also pointed out that the most frequent excuse is that the person who needs our help is our enemy, but in the parable of the good Samaritan the Samaritan did all of this for his enemy. There are so many times when the answer is simple, but not palatable. I want to do the lofty, fun, easy things, but what's in front of me pokes me in my uncomfortable spot. Instead of being irritated I need to count it all joy. God is giving me the opportunity to sand down the rough spots.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)