We spent part of the day at Children's hospital today- John's consult for future surgeries. Of course John has some birth defects- but as I sit in the waiting room and watch parents come in and out with their children, his seems like it is small compared to some. I find myself trying to figure out what might be the issue, but then does it really matter?
If I switch from physical to spiritual thoughts, we are all born with a spiritual birth defect- a sin nature. As people walk past us on the street some have "defects" that are much more obvious than others. Lives spent in dependence on drugs or alcohol, slaves to one vice or another. I can look at some and think "Their life is sure a mess", but w/o Christ all our lives are a mess. There is no shedding the sin that so easily besets us w/o the power of the Holy Spirit, just as there is no way to repair a cleft lip without surgery.
Back to the physical. It is hard to imagine all the pain and hurt that people have gone through and are going through with all the birth defects-alone- that we just saw today. Born with no arms, legs, holes in hearts, brain issues, seizures, blood problems and the list goes on and on. Why does God allow it- maybe to draw people to Himself, maybe it is a lack of blessing for not following closely to Him- only He knows why.
We must be thankful for things like health, because there is no guarantee it will be there tomorrow. God is good to allow us to live as He does and to provide for us in such amazing ways. What a plan He devised to give up His Son for our rescue from our sin. What a day to look forward to when all our pain is gone and we can worship Him perfectly. Are you ready?
Monday, April 19, 2010
PG update
I didn't post an update for last week and so here you go. After a huge month in March, the traffic seems more quiet this month. We have had decent sales but it seems like many are pretty small projects, compared with last month, and we don't have the volume, thus far, that we enjoyed then. The month is not over yet, but I like it to be really busy, not just sort of busy. He knows what we need and He has always provided so I must trust Him for all things.
Please continue to pray for signed contracts, dollars to come in and His provision of all that we need, even when we don't know what that is yet.
Please continue to pray for signed contracts, dollars to come in and His provision of all that we need, even when we don't know what that is yet.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Dippers and Drops
I was watching "Nova" the other night, and while I think that many of their views are WAY off base, there are things I can glean from it that I wouldn't know myself. I am taking the good out of the bad. Like, I don't believe there was a big bang, except if when God created the universe He said- "Bang- look at that!"
Anyway- the Novaians were talking about the stars and galaxies. Picture a clear night in a dimly lit place and you are looking up at the millions of stars. Sometimes there is a "hole" in the stars where we can't see a light in a small space. Because the Hubble telescope is out in space and of course is much more powerful than our naked eye, they are able to see into the black spot and look beyond it. Remember how much of the sky it is taking up. So they look beyond that little hole and find that there are 100,000 GALAXIES just in that little space. Of course it is not a little space when you get closer to it.
I try to walk in the mornings- it gives me time to think and now that my shoulder is doing better I can move around much better. Often when I am walking it is raining. If you only walk when the weather is nice here, you are not going to walk much. I was thinking the other morning that every single rain drop is placed perfectly by God. If you wear glasses you understand this- even the one that hits the rim of your glasses and then explodes all over your face. That drop could have fallen 1/2" in front of you and hit the ground, but God ordained it to hit your glasses. Every drop that falls where, in our opinion, there is too much rain, every drop that doesn't fall where in our opinion there is not enough rain and every drop that falls where we think it is just right. Every drop is controlled by God.
These are 2 completely different displays of God's power, one with gravity and one without; one is tiny in comparison to the other, but that tiny one is immense compared to us. God controls them all.
If God can create and sustain life on this planet, in a relatively small galaxy, if He can control where each rain drop falls, can He not also handle what might happen today? Does He not completely know what happened yesterday? Can He not renew our strength when necessary? Will He not care for His children and protect them from those who would do harm to them?
If you're struggling today with where God has you, for whatever reason, remember that He controls all things, He promises to use every situation for our good and His glory and He cares personally for each one of His children. I need reminding of this often and often need encouragement- encouragement that only He can give.
Anyway- the Novaians were talking about the stars and galaxies. Picture a clear night in a dimly lit place and you are looking up at the millions of stars. Sometimes there is a "hole" in the stars where we can't see a light in a small space. Because the Hubble telescope is out in space and of course is much more powerful than our naked eye, they are able to see into the black spot and look beyond it. Remember how much of the sky it is taking up. So they look beyond that little hole and find that there are 100,000 GALAXIES just in that little space. Of course it is not a little space when you get closer to it.
I try to walk in the mornings- it gives me time to think and now that my shoulder is doing better I can move around much better. Often when I am walking it is raining. If you only walk when the weather is nice here, you are not going to walk much. I was thinking the other morning that every single rain drop is placed perfectly by God. If you wear glasses you understand this- even the one that hits the rim of your glasses and then explodes all over your face. That drop could have fallen 1/2" in front of you and hit the ground, but God ordained it to hit your glasses. Every drop that falls where, in our opinion, there is too much rain, every drop that doesn't fall where in our opinion there is not enough rain and every drop that falls where we think it is just right. Every drop is controlled by God.
These are 2 completely different displays of God's power, one with gravity and one without; one is tiny in comparison to the other, but that tiny one is immense compared to us. God controls them all.
If God can create and sustain life on this planet, in a relatively small galaxy, if He can control where each rain drop falls, can He not also handle what might happen today? Does He not completely know what happened yesterday? Can He not renew our strength when necessary? Will He not care for His children and protect them from those who would do harm to them?
If you're struggling today with where God has you, for whatever reason, remember that He controls all things, He promises to use every situation for our good and His glory and He cares personally for each one of His children. I need reminding of this often and often need encouragement- encouragement that only He can give.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
A Must Read
Please read this when you have a couple of minutes to take a deep breath, relax and think about all that this is saying.
I guess I can relate in more ways than one. God is good!
I guess I can relate in more ways than one. God is good!
The Easy Life
I was talking to a friend, recently, who told me that they used to live the "easy life". By this they meant- their life was really a mess, they never talked about any of the issues, they knew they should but it was just easier not to say anything and just go on with their life.
They have now come to the conclusion that their life is still a mess, there is still a lot to work on, they want it to change and it will never change if they don't do the hard thing and talk about those hard things.
How are we to love people and irritate them on to love and good deeds if we never say anything? As difficult as it is to hear that we are wrong, we must allow others to be in our lives enough to have the liberty to say something, and then we must be willing to hear it, receive it and understand that it was not easy for them to say the hard thing in the first place.
God created us for relationships; relationships to help us be who He would have us to be. We need to hear the hard things and say the hard things- in love; Gal.6.
Here's a good reminder- for pastors, but we can all take something away- from Tim Challies.
The following is an excerpt from a sermon by Matt Chandler.
"Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. (1 Timothy 4:15)
It seems that if we’re not careful, our faith can retard. What I mean is that Paul tells Timothy here that you are to be ever growing in these things. You are to be ever growing to the point that from year to year your people can notice your growth.
Can I plead with you? It seems to me that I meet a pastor whose heart is on fire for the things of God, and his brain when it comes to doctrine is just non-existent. Then I meet a pastor who has a gigantic head and they have this tiny, shriveled little soul. Some of that’s dispotion. I get that. But Paul is pleading with Timothy to let your growth be evident to all.
I think you should know your Bible a little bit better than you know your football team. I think that’s basic. People say that they’re not a good reader but can give me football statistics. They’re brilliant when it comes to 18-year-olds throwing a ball, but they can’t devote themselves to the Bible.
Paul says to pay attention to yourself and your teaching.
Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:16)"
A good reminder to those of us who have followers- including our own children. Can they see the growth in our lives?
Here's another good one to read.
They have now come to the conclusion that their life is still a mess, there is still a lot to work on, they want it to change and it will never change if they don't do the hard thing and talk about those hard things.
How are we to love people and irritate them on to love and good deeds if we never say anything? As difficult as it is to hear that we are wrong, we must allow others to be in our lives enough to have the liberty to say something, and then we must be willing to hear it, receive it and understand that it was not easy for them to say the hard thing in the first place.
God created us for relationships; relationships to help us be who He would have us to be. We need to hear the hard things and say the hard things- in love; Gal.6.
Here's a good reminder- for pastors, but we can all take something away- from Tim Challies.
The following is an excerpt from a sermon by Matt Chandler.
"Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. (1 Timothy 4:15)
It seems that if we’re not careful, our faith can retard. What I mean is that Paul tells Timothy here that you are to be ever growing in these things. You are to be ever growing to the point that from year to year your people can notice your growth.
Can I plead with you? It seems to me that I meet a pastor whose heart is on fire for the things of God, and his brain when it comes to doctrine is just non-existent. Then I meet a pastor who has a gigantic head and they have this tiny, shriveled little soul. Some of that’s dispotion. I get that. But Paul is pleading with Timothy to let your growth be evident to all.
I think you should know your Bible a little bit better than you know your football team. I think that’s basic. People say that they’re not a good reader but can give me football statistics. They’re brilliant when it comes to 18-year-olds throwing a ball, but they can’t devote themselves to the Bible.
Paul says to pay attention to yourself and your teaching.
Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:16)"
A good reminder to those of us who have followers- including our own children. Can they see the growth in our lives?
Here's another good one to read.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Looking Upward
I have not posted as much as would have liked in the past month or so. I have been wrestling with a few things that have caused my heart to be heavy- ministry would be perfect if it weren't for us imperfect people. I can't share them right now, but I do know that God does work ALL things together for my good and I can trust that these things are no exception.
Isn't it amazing that He can take what seems to be a place where there is no way out, or the outlook is very bleak and turn that into a way to show how truly amazing He is?
Please pray for my own heart to not become cynical.
Please pray for the orphans around the world.
Please continue to pray for PG- sales, guidance and wisdom.
Pray that the Lord would return quickly to gather His Bride to Himself!!!
Isn't it amazing that He can take what seems to be a place where there is no way out, or the outlook is very bleak and turn that into a way to show how truly amazing He is?
Please pray for my own heart to not become cynical.
Please pray for the orphans around the world.
Please continue to pray for PG- sales, guidance and wisdom.
Pray that the Lord would return quickly to gather His Bride to Himself!!!
Friday, April 9, 2010
A Bit Random
In my daily- chronological- Bible reading plan there were a few things that stood out to me today.
1 Sam. 4- The Ark was not going to save the Israelites if God didn't want that to happen.
Chp. 5- the Ark didn't need the Israelites to protect it.
I love that the Philistines were trying to get it and as soon as they took it they realized that they really didn't want it.
Even the Philistines knew that if the cows took it back directly that this was the hand of God.
I laughed when I read about the Ark making their god "bow down" before it. Can you imagine what must have been going through their minds? Finally it just ends up to be a trunk- no arm and no head. And then they want to go back and worship that god? Talk about settling for "second".
Chp 8- Israel wants a king so they can be just like every other nation. Samuel knew this was wrong but he inquired of God and God told him to let the people have what they wanted. This reminds me of America- right now. We have the health care reform bill and maybe it is because we want to be like all the other nations in the world- we, supposedly, are the last major nation w/o this type of health care program. I don't want America to be like the rest of the world.
Interesting reading.
Then something a bit more random. How does John Piper endorse Rick Warren as being Biblical? Piper is giving his time and energy to some people who- in my opinion- should not be getting it; like Driscoll and now Warren. Is Piper paying attention?
1 Sam. 4- The Ark was not going to save the Israelites if God didn't want that to happen.
Chp. 5- the Ark didn't need the Israelites to protect it.
I love that the Philistines were trying to get it and as soon as they took it they realized that they really didn't want it.
Even the Philistines knew that if the cows took it back directly that this was the hand of God.
I laughed when I read about the Ark making their god "bow down" before it. Can you imagine what must have been going through their minds? Finally it just ends up to be a trunk- no arm and no head. And then they want to go back and worship that god? Talk about settling for "second".
Chp 8- Israel wants a king so they can be just like every other nation. Samuel knew this was wrong but he inquired of God and God told him to let the people have what they wanted. This reminds me of America- right now. We have the health care reform bill and maybe it is because we want to be like all the other nations in the world- we, supposedly, are the last major nation w/o this type of health care program. I don't want America to be like the rest of the world.
Interesting reading.
Then something a bit more random. How does John Piper endorse Rick Warren as being Biblical? Piper is giving his time and energy to some people who- in my opinion- should not be getting it; like Driscoll and now Warren. Is Piper paying attention?
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