Welcome back readers! I found out today that my computer has a virus so this is the first time for me to post from my iPhone! I hope the formatting is fine! Today we continue on our journey to day 13 of Rick Warren's book: The Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For?
I'll go thru the bold topics in this chapter & discuss my application/experience.
"God is pleased when our worship is accurate." God keeps leading me to his scripture. Sometimes it's not clear why or what I'm supposed to be taking away from it, but I usually wind up taking several things away from it. I am an experience kind of gal. However this book says: "Worship must be based on the truth of Scripture, not our opinions about God." I am being led to it because the only way I can truly know God is through Scripture...
"God is pleased when our worship is authentic." There is the word AUTHENTIC again. Couple things I learned from this section of the chapter: 1) There is a whole 'nother level to get in tune with...my own spirit...not The Holy Spirit...my own...that is in tune to God's spirit. 2) To really trust my feelings and not try to ignore them. "Heartless praise is not praise at all! It is an insult to God." Important line there... Those people need us to lead them in. This is a cool section and discusses lots and lots of ways to worship God and lots of fun ones.
"God is pleased when our worship is thoughtful." This section encourages you to be specific in prayer and to engage your mind. From the book: "God insists that our worship services be understandable to unbelievers when they are present in our worship gatherings." We should all be trying to bring more people to Christ and to be mindfully aware of that calling. I watched the past season of Vikings on the History Channel. I have to tell you that I really started learning more about God toward the middle of the season. It is a pretty graphic show, and sometimes I felt like it may not be something I should watch. Not to ruin it for people who want to watch it BUT I became hooked when the storyline really began to develop. Pagans/Vikings raided a monastery killing all but one Monk, who was held captive, became a servant to the leader of the Pagan fleet, later became a Viking, Then later was held captive again by a Christian king. The Christian and the Viking leader held so much value in their friendship with the Monk. The series ended with (What I think is) God speaking to the Monk in a way that was clear & Him going back with the Vikings by choice and praying the Lord's prayer with the Viking leader. The Monk lived his life and expressed himself in a way that resonated with some nonbelievers. We are all called to do that. We may not reach everyone but we can all reach someone.
"God is pleased when our worship is practical." This section really goes into how we have to use our mind, spirit, and BODY for worship. I used to wear my body out... I didn't get enough sleep. I ate lots of fast food. I'd wear my mind out stressing out about deadlines... It is SO different now. I can still wear myself out but I know now that I am doing that for the blessings God has given me. Earlier this week I was thinking..."Maybe ease up on me God." He did lots of revealing... Now I am ready for what's next... I think... When you can feel your worship taking effort and using energy you are doing something right.
Today's bullet points:
"Point to Ponder: God wants all of me."
Daily Verse: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:30 (NIV)
Daily Question: "Which is more pleasing to God right now - My public worship or my private worship? What will I do about this?"
From my journal the day of reading: My private worship. Worship him more. Acknowledge my gifts and LOVE me as God has made me. I will really begin to study his word and when I start to worry I will read Bible verses.
I am working on my public worship and God sure is helping me with the rest of it.
There will be days when you will feel exhausted, but those days lead to a stronger purpose. Buck up baby and ride your ride! God bless!
Friday, May 30, 2014
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Day 12: "Developing Your Friendship With God"
Welcome Readers. We continue on as we journey through the chapters of Pastor Rick Warren's book: The Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For?
Day 12: "Developing Your Friendship With God"
"Point to Ponder: I'm as close to God as I choose to be."
Daily Verse: "Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you." James 4:8A (NLT)
Daily Question: "What practical choices will I make today in order to grow closer to God?"
From my journal the day of reading: I will talk to Kyle (my husband) about my journey, so he understands me. I will plan a schedule to help me grow the gifts, talents, and blessings God has blessed me with.
I'm sitting here smiling because that journal entry doesn't come close to doing justice for the walk I've been walking with God, since reading it. I remember reading this chapter & thinking....I've got a lot to work on before I'm ready for a friendship with God....NOT SO MUCH PEEPS.... I mean, YES...I had to work on things (still do) & they were pretty intense for me, but I've done them & I am ALREADY developing my relationship with God.
I was talking to someone yesterday about an experience I had when praying over a tragedy of some VERY dear friends of mine. She was asking me questions about it & how we KNOW when a certain person needs to be prayed for. I started out by saying: "You know that gut feeling you get....or that AWARENESS you get sometimes when you just KNOW The Holy Spirit is guiding you?" They looked at me & said...."No...I can't say that I've really experienced that. I mean I'll read Bible verses & they will speak to me or be exactly what I need, but I can't say that I've ever experienced what you are talking about." The next question they asked me was: "How do you get that feeling? What do you do?" I'm sitting here tearing up because I am in AWE of God. COMPLETE AWE.... I wrote that post yesterday about the types of friendships I have with The Holy Spirit, Jesus, & God.... In the conversation I had yesterday evening I KNEW what I needed to say to answer that question. Here it is: "You have to INVITE God in. You have to STRIP your EGO & PRIDE (and I gave a few examples of extreme ego & what I think is ego, but you don't really look at it that way) & be able to HUMBLE yourself to whatever member of The Holy Trinity they are really speaking to." I explained that humbling yourself to them is SHOWING them ALL of it: your pain, your anger, your confusion, your stress, what you question....which I REMEMBER...I held back until I realized GOD KNOWS ALL OF IT ANYWAY. He wants the raw & honest TRUTH (good, bad, & the ugly) & he wants YOU to WANT to talk to Him. You don't have to go out and profess it to the world, but to God. Once you start being honest to got you start being honest with yourself too.
My friend gave me a new Bible that has several different translations in it. I have to tell you...I struggle with reading the Bible...not because I don't want to, but because I can't figure out how to really get the most out of it. I read 3 quarters through the Old Testament just page after page, but stopped because I wasn't grasping it the way I thought I would....it was more like a chore...kinda. I've tried that online Bible study.....I mean LONG readings & I found it easy for me to stop & not finish...then have a LONG one to catch up with the next day. This book has helped me verse by verse, to learn parts of the Bible. Since getting the new Bible from my friend....I've went to it twice. I just opened to a page. The first day it took me straight to a story of dealing with anger....I needed it.
Last night it took me to Acts 10-11. What I read discussed how the Apostles started FILLING people...ALL people...with The Holy Spirit & the BIRTH of Christianity. Again...I am in AWE. What do I KNOW? I know that we are supposed to INTRODUCE as many people as we can to The Holy Spirit, which I think is the SECOND step in developing a relationship with GOD. The FIRST is being willing to humble yourself & telling him you want him in your life. Guys remember...He will not give you more than you can handle. You can START right now. I have known the person I talked to yesterday ALL of their life & I know they BELIEVE in God & pray, BUT I think they are ready to GET TO KNOW GOD.
This book says 4 things about developing a relationship with God: "I must choose to be honest to God." "I must choose to obey God in faith." "I must choose to value what God values." "I must desire friendship with God more than anything else."
I REALLY do ENCOURAGE everyone to go get this book, if you haven't already & read this for yourself.
Looking at my journal entry & remembering what I was thinking I KNOW that I felt like I'd be 50 before I was even going to be "worthy" enough to have a TRUE friendship with God. Now I KNOW I am worthy right now.
I have to share another thing that this chapter revealed to me & I had been struggling with it for some time. I know someone that doesn't KNOW how to be authentic. (This chapter discussed being AUTHENTIC.) They sort of adapt to the personalities, wants, needs, thoughts of whoever they are around. Now guys....I LOVE making friends....LOVE IT! However...I was having a REALLY hard time gettin' there with this person...in fact...still haven't gotten there & it BOTHERED me BUT I couldn't MAKE myself invite them into my circle of friends. I don't mean my CLOSE friends...I mean just truly FULLY enjoy their company as any kind of friend. This sentence made the light bulb go off: "What may appear as audacity God views as authenticity." Now this was talking about how we should be frank with God & that he can handle our truth in any kind of way we give it to him. BUT what it revealed to me about my struggle with the person above is that I was struggling because THEY weren't being authentic. You can't MAKE someone be authentic. You can't MAKE someone invite you in, AND you can't build a relationship or a friendship with ANYONE if they aren't being AUTHENTIC. There will be NO trust. There will be NO common ground b/c you won't even know what it is. I think it's important for me to say that I'm not just ASSUMING that they aren't being authentic. I had (from my end) an OPEN & HONEST conversation about concerns of the other & offered guidance & support for whatever that person felt like THEY needed. The next week they were doing EXACTLY what they had such a problem with & I KNOW you can't make an AUTHENTIC decision in even a month's time (in this area) & quite frankly....what we discussed may have not been authentic. I KNOW they need the guidance of The Holy Spirit, but I'm not so sure that I am the person that can break through to them. I've tried twice. That is why it is EVER so important that WE HELP OTHERS. Sometimes the people someone is surrounded with can't give them what they need, no matter how much they WANT to.
Buck Up Baby & Ride With Jesus!! Don't wait! Don't hesitate!! God Bless!
Day 12: "Developing Your Friendship With God"
"Point to Ponder: I'm as close to God as I choose to be."
Daily Verse: "Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you." James 4:8A (NLT)
Daily Question: "What practical choices will I make today in order to grow closer to God?"
From my journal the day of reading: I will talk to Kyle (my husband) about my journey, so he understands me. I will plan a schedule to help me grow the gifts, talents, and blessings God has blessed me with.
I'm sitting here smiling because that journal entry doesn't come close to doing justice for the walk I've been walking with God, since reading it. I remember reading this chapter & thinking....I've got a lot to work on before I'm ready for a friendship with God....NOT SO MUCH PEEPS.... I mean, YES...I had to work on things (still do) & they were pretty intense for me, but I've done them & I am ALREADY developing my relationship with God.
I was talking to someone yesterday about an experience I had when praying over a tragedy of some VERY dear friends of mine. She was asking me questions about it & how we KNOW when a certain person needs to be prayed for. I started out by saying: "You know that gut feeling you get....or that AWARENESS you get sometimes when you just KNOW The Holy Spirit is guiding you?" They looked at me & said...."No...I can't say that I've really experienced that. I mean I'll read Bible verses & they will speak to me or be exactly what I need, but I can't say that I've ever experienced what you are talking about." The next question they asked me was: "How do you get that feeling? What do you do?" I'm sitting here tearing up because I am in AWE of God. COMPLETE AWE.... I wrote that post yesterday about the types of friendships I have with The Holy Spirit, Jesus, & God.... In the conversation I had yesterday evening I KNEW what I needed to say to answer that question. Here it is: "You have to INVITE God in. You have to STRIP your EGO & PRIDE (and I gave a few examples of extreme ego & what I think is ego, but you don't really look at it that way) & be able to HUMBLE yourself to whatever member of The Holy Trinity they are really speaking to." I explained that humbling yourself to them is SHOWING them ALL of it: your pain, your anger, your confusion, your stress, what you question....which I REMEMBER...I held back until I realized GOD KNOWS ALL OF IT ANYWAY. He wants the raw & honest TRUTH (good, bad, & the ugly) & he wants YOU to WANT to talk to Him. You don't have to go out and profess it to the world, but to God. Once you start being honest to got you start being honest with yourself too.
My friend gave me a new Bible that has several different translations in it. I have to tell you...I struggle with reading the Bible...not because I don't want to, but because I can't figure out how to really get the most out of it. I read 3 quarters through the Old Testament just page after page, but stopped because I wasn't grasping it the way I thought I would....it was more like a chore...kinda. I've tried that online Bible study.....I mean LONG readings & I found it easy for me to stop & not finish...then have a LONG one to catch up with the next day. This book has helped me verse by verse, to learn parts of the Bible. Since getting the new Bible from my friend....I've went to it twice. I just opened to a page. The first day it took me straight to a story of dealing with anger....I needed it.
Last night it took me to Acts 10-11. What I read discussed how the Apostles started FILLING people...ALL people...with The Holy Spirit & the BIRTH of Christianity. Again...I am in AWE. What do I KNOW? I know that we are supposed to INTRODUCE as many people as we can to The Holy Spirit, which I think is the SECOND step in developing a relationship with GOD. The FIRST is being willing to humble yourself & telling him you want him in your life. Guys remember...He will not give you more than you can handle. You can START right now. I have known the person I talked to yesterday ALL of their life & I know they BELIEVE in God & pray, BUT I think they are ready to GET TO KNOW GOD.
This book says 4 things about developing a relationship with God: "I must choose to be honest to God." "I must choose to obey God in faith." "I must choose to value what God values." "I must desire friendship with God more than anything else."
I REALLY do ENCOURAGE everyone to go get this book, if you haven't already & read this for yourself.
Looking at my journal entry & remembering what I was thinking I KNOW that I felt like I'd be 50 before I was even going to be "worthy" enough to have a TRUE friendship with God. Now I KNOW I am worthy right now.
I have to share another thing that this chapter revealed to me & I had been struggling with it for some time. I know someone that doesn't KNOW how to be authentic. (This chapter discussed being AUTHENTIC.) They sort of adapt to the personalities, wants, needs, thoughts of whoever they are around. Now guys....I LOVE making friends....LOVE IT! However...I was having a REALLY hard time gettin' there with this person...in fact...still haven't gotten there & it BOTHERED me BUT I couldn't MAKE myself invite them into my circle of friends. I don't mean my CLOSE friends...I mean just truly FULLY enjoy their company as any kind of friend. This sentence made the light bulb go off: "What may appear as audacity God views as authenticity." Now this was talking about how we should be frank with God & that he can handle our truth in any kind of way we give it to him. BUT what it revealed to me about my struggle with the person above is that I was struggling because THEY weren't being authentic. You can't MAKE someone be authentic. You can't MAKE someone invite you in, AND you can't build a relationship or a friendship with ANYONE if they aren't being AUTHENTIC. There will be NO trust. There will be NO common ground b/c you won't even know what it is. I think it's important for me to say that I'm not just ASSUMING that they aren't being authentic. I had (from my end) an OPEN & HONEST conversation about concerns of the other & offered guidance & support for whatever that person felt like THEY needed. The next week they were doing EXACTLY what they had such a problem with & I KNOW you can't make an AUTHENTIC decision in even a month's time (in this area) & quite frankly....what we discussed may have not been authentic. I KNOW they need the guidance of The Holy Spirit, but I'm not so sure that I am the person that can break through to them. I've tried twice. That is why it is EVER so important that WE HELP OTHERS. Sometimes the people someone is surrounded with can't give them what they need, no matter how much they WANT to.
Buck Up Baby & Ride With Jesus!! Don't wait! Don't hesitate!! God Bless!
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Day 11: "Becoming Best Friends With God"
Welcome Readers!! Today is Day 11 on our journey through the book: A Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For? by Pastor Rick Warren.
This is such a beautiful chapter. It discusses how we can all DEVELOP a friendship with GOD, JESUS, & THE HOLY SPIRIT & gives us examples from the Bible to help us along the way.
So I have a DIffeRent type of friendship with EACH member of The Holy Trinity. The summer between my Freshman & Sophomore year of high school I had...what is probably my DEEPEST & LONGEST prayer session with God to date. It changed my life. I REALLY developed my FAITH that night. We are ALL HIS, but....GOD took hold of me that day & I KNEW...no matter how HARD things would get...HE HAD ME. From that point though...my relationship with The Holy Spirit began to develop. I was YOUNG, so I didn't know a whole lot about them, BUT I knew what I needed to. I understood in that prayer session that The Holy Spirit would ALWAYS be with me...to guide me, to help me form the RIGHT words and actions, to PROTECT me & I would CONSCIOUSLY acknowledge that throughout my day. I look back now & it may seem like I did it in a selfish way, BUT it was the way God knew I needed him.
Then...as I started to go to church with my boyfriend...husband now...I REALLY came to know Jesus. I credit this to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fayetteville, TX & my Mother-In-Law. I had a different experience than what it seems like most people have with the Catholic Church. I wasn't Catholic. I was Lutheran...& a Lutheran that hadn't been to church in years. Not that I didn't VALUE my relationship with God (really at that time my relationship with The Holy Spirit), but I would venture to say I'm analytical & I WANT to KNOW MORE...always. I remember the first time I went to church with him. I was EXCITED & NERVOUS, but I felt so OVERWHELMING drawn in to the church & accepted. It is hard to explain really. I went to church there for nearly 6 years before I decided to convert to Catholicism during Kyle & I's engagement. I didn't kneel, or do the sign of the cross, or say the Catholic dinner prayer at meals UNTIL I was confirmed in the church on Easter Saturday. I NEVER felt JUDGED. I really do know how that can sound a bit contradicting. I mean...I didn't kneel like the Catholics, didn't receive communion, didn't pray the same prayers, BUT I began to get this feeling like they wanted me to....like they WANTED me to be a part of it...like I was respected on a level I needed. I'm older than my husband & was in Jr. College when he was going to his CCD classes. It seemed like I ALWAYS had studying to do & I'd go along with him & sit in the truck & study. I was invited in to work inside a couple times, but I REALLY didn't want to for any other reason than I like to study all cramped up like that. Then Kyle's class was going to go see The Passion. His teacher told him to invite me. That I may have to pay for my ticket, but I was WELCOME to come. I was TOTALLY down for it. When we got to the church his teacher told me that the church was paying for it. I offered SEVERAL times to pay, but he said Father Jack approved it. We were in a van & I'm not kidding when I say that I don't think I stopped talking the ENTIRE way home. His teacher opened up discussion & I just went to discussin'. I KNOW this time in my life helped me to know Jesus....helped me to become CLOSE friends with Jesus...really BEST FRIENDS.
A few weeks ago I started meditating on how I know Jesus, but who I really need to spend some time getting to know is God. I'm being 100% HONEST here. I felt a mild sense of loss because I knew that would mean less time for Jesus. I mean...when I prayed it was to God, but by the end of it...I was talkin' to Jesus & giving it ALL to him. I also felt afraid...like I wasn't worthy...like I needed to do more work...like God would JUDGE me more harshly. Then...as I was shopping at Sam's with my Mother-In-Law I saw this book standing out on the shelf with NO other books beside it. I picked it up & read the first few pages. I looked to find another because it challenges you to read as a team. I found her....kind of told her I wanted her to read the book with me & here we are....& NOW I am building my friendship with God. Looking back...I can see WHY my friendships have developed the way they have. HE WILL NOT GIVE US MORE THAN WE CAN HANDLE.
Here's what it's like for me: The Holy Spirit is like the friend that LOVES you unconditionally...TOTALLY. Like the friend that is holding your hair back & dragging you back to the hotel after too many drinks & then acts like NOTHING happened the next morning.
Jesus is the friend that is forgiving because he's been through ALL of it. He UNDERSTANDS why you do the things you do & KNOWS that you didn't know any better. Kind of like a mentor or a big brother.
God...now God. He is the friend that LOVES you unconditionally & will ALWAYS PUSH you to be MORE. It's not enough for Him to ease your troubles & have your back when no one else will. It's not enough to understand that life is tough and settle with that. HE WANTS US TO BE ALL HE MADE US TO BE! HE SEES POTENTIAL & knows, to be a good friend, he has to PUSH us. And my friends, you've gotta have some grit to ya. He is (what sometimes seems) BRUTALLY HONEST with you. He will show you things about yourself that you disliked SO much you forgot about'm. He will REVEAL things about you & your experiences that you didn't even know happened. His LIGHT is SO bright that NOTHING goes uncovered. Then....he'll MAKE you face them. Then...when you drag your feet...he will place a sense of urgency on you...that makes you VERY aware. One of my best friends just shared this video of a little girl telling the story of Jonah....& (I'm just sayin') I don't want it to get that far.
My best advice is: Don't force it. It will all come naturally to you. When I was in high school, I wasn't even THINKING about Jesus's journey. I was worried about my own. A few weeks ago I was draggin' my feet on REALLY gettin' to know God & He wasn't havin' that! God will GIVE you what YOU need & he knows EXACTLY what that is.
There is SO much more in this chapter that will help you develop your friendships with The Holy Trinity. One of the BEST & biggest take aways I got from this chapter is this: "If you know how to worry, you already know how to meditate! You just need to switch your attention from your problems to Bible verses." This book urges you to write down these daily verses & keep them with you & work on memorizing them. This is EXACTLY the tool I needed. This is my second time reading the book & there is only one verse that I have memorized (from the book) to where I don't have to double-check the chapter & verse number: "Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." Mark 12:30
Here's the Daily Info:
"Point to Ponder: God wants to be my best friend."
Daily Verse: "Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him." Psalm 25:14A (LB)
Daily Question: "What can I do to remind myself to think about God and talk to him more often throughout the day."
From my journal the first day of reading: I feel like this is something I learned to develop the summer between my Freshman & Sophomore year of high school & I am blessed to still do it. The one thing I NEED and want to do is learn his word. I need to get my note cards & put Bible verses on there, so I can really start letting God speak to me more often.
Buck Up Baby & Ride With Jesus!! He'll take you to GOD & do some teachin' along the way! God Bless!
This is such a beautiful chapter. It discusses how we can all DEVELOP a friendship with GOD, JESUS, & THE HOLY SPIRIT & gives us examples from the Bible to help us along the way.
So I have a DIffeRent type of friendship with EACH member of The Holy Trinity. The summer between my Freshman & Sophomore year of high school I had...what is probably my DEEPEST & LONGEST prayer session with God to date. It changed my life. I REALLY developed my FAITH that night. We are ALL HIS, but....GOD took hold of me that day & I KNEW...no matter how HARD things would get...HE HAD ME. From that point though...my relationship with The Holy Spirit began to develop. I was YOUNG, so I didn't know a whole lot about them, BUT I knew what I needed to. I understood in that prayer session that The Holy Spirit would ALWAYS be with me...to guide me, to help me form the RIGHT words and actions, to PROTECT me & I would CONSCIOUSLY acknowledge that throughout my day. I look back now & it may seem like I did it in a selfish way, BUT it was the way God knew I needed him.
Then...as I started to go to church with my boyfriend...husband now...I REALLY came to know Jesus. I credit this to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fayetteville, TX & my Mother-In-Law. I had a different experience than what it seems like most people have with the Catholic Church. I wasn't Catholic. I was Lutheran...& a Lutheran that hadn't been to church in years. Not that I didn't VALUE my relationship with God (really at that time my relationship with The Holy Spirit), but I would venture to say I'm analytical & I WANT to KNOW MORE...always. I remember the first time I went to church with him. I was EXCITED & NERVOUS, but I felt so OVERWHELMING drawn in to the church & accepted. It is hard to explain really. I went to church there for nearly 6 years before I decided to convert to Catholicism during Kyle & I's engagement. I didn't kneel, or do the sign of the cross, or say the Catholic dinner prayer at meals UNTIL I was confirmed in the church on Easter Saturday. I NEVER felt JUDGED. I really do know how that can sound a bit contradicting. I mean...I didn't kneel like the Catholics, didn't receive communion, didn't pray the same prayers, BUT I began to get this feeling like they wanted me to....like they WANTED me to be a part of it...like I was respected on a level I needed. I'm older than my husband & was in Jr. College when he was going to his CCD classes. It seemed like I ALWAYS had studying to do & I'd go along with him & sit in the truck & study. I was invited in to work inside a couple times, but I REALLY didn't want to for any other reason than I like to study all cramped up like that. Then Kyle's class was going to go see The Passion. His teacher told him to invite me. That I may have to pay for my ticket, but I was WELCOME to come. I was TOTALLY down for it. When we got to the church his teacher told me that the church was paying for it. I offered SEVERAL times to pay, but he said Father Jack approved it. We were in a van & I'm not kidding when I say that I don't think I stopped talking the ENTIRE way home. His teacher opened up discussion & I just went to discussin'. I KNOW this time in my life helped me to know Jesus....helped me to become CLOSE friends with Jesus...really BEST FRIENDS.
A few weeks ago I started meditating on how I know Jesus, but who I really need to spend some time getting to know is God. I'm being 100% HONEST here. I felt a mild sense of loss because I knew that would mean less time for Jesus. I mean...when I prayed it was to God, but by the end of it...I was talkin' to Jesus & giving it ALL to him. I also felt afraid...like I wasn't worthy...like I needed to do more work...like God would JUDGE me more harshly. Then...as I was shopping at Sam's with my Mother-In-Law I saw this book standing out on the shelf with NO other books beside it. I picked it up & read the first few pages. I looked to find another because it challenges you to read as a team. I found her....kind of told her I wanted her to read the book with me & here we are....& NOW I am building my friendship with God. Looking back...I can see WHY my friendships have developed the way they have. HE WILL NOT GIVE US MORE THAN WE CAN HANDLE.
Here's what it's like for me: The Holy Spirit is like the friend that LOVES you unconditionally...TOTALLY. Like the friend that is holding your hair back & dragging you back to the hotel after too many drinks & then acts like NOTHING happened the next morning.
Jesus is the friend that is forgiving because he's been through ALL of it. He UNDERSTANDS why you do the things you do & KNOWS that you didn't know any better. Kind of like a mentor or a big brother.
God...now God. He is the friend that LOVES you unconditionally & will ALWAYS PUSH you to be MORE. It's not enough for Him to ease your troubles & have your back when no one else will. It's not enough to understand that life is tough and settle with that. HE WANTS US TO BE ALL HE MADE US TO BE! HE SEES POTENTIAL & knows, to be a good friend, he has to PUSH us. And my friends, you've gotta have some grit to ya. He is (what sometimes seems) BRUTALLY HONEST with you. He will show you things about yourself that you disliked SO much you forgot about'm. He will REVEAL things about you & your experiences that you didn't even know happened. His LIGHT is SO bright that NOTHING goes uncovered. Then....he'll MAKE you face them. Then...when you drag your feet...he will place a sense of urgency on you...that makes you VERY aware. One of my best friends just shared this video of a little girl telling the story of Jonah....& (I'm just sayin') I don't want it to get that far.
My best advice is: Don't force it. It will all come naturally to you. When I was in high school, I wasn't even THINKING about Jesus's journey. I was worried about my own. A few weeks ago I was draggin' my feet on REALLY gettin' to know God & He wasn't havin' that! God will GIVE you what YOU need & he knows EXACTLY what that is.
There is SO much more in this chapter that will help you develop your friendships with The Holy Trinity. One of the BEST & biggest take aways I got from this chapter is this: "If you know how to worry, you already know how to meditate! You just need to switch your attention from your problems to Bible verses." This book urges you to write down these daily verses & keep them with you & work on memorizing them. This is EXACTLY the tool I needed. This is my second time reading the book & there is only one verse that I have memorized (from the book) to where I don't have to double-check the chapter & verse number: "Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." Mark 12:30
Here's the Daily Info:
"Point to Ponder: God wants to be my best friend."
Daily Verse: "Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him." Psalm 25:14A (LB)
Daily Question: "What can I do to remind myself to think about God and talk to him more often throughout the day."
From my journal the first day of reading: I feel like this is something I learned to develop the summer between my Freshman & Sophomore year of high school & I am blessed to still do it. The one thing I NEED and want to do is learn his word. I need to get my note cards & put Bible verses on there, so I can really start letting God speak to me more often.
Buck Up Baby & Ride With Jesus!! He'll take you to GOD & do some teachin' along the way! God Bless!
Day 10: "A Heart of Worship"
Welcome back readers & WELCOME to new readers!! Today is DAY 10 on our journey through the book: A Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? by Pastor Rick Warren.
I am in COMPLETE AWE of how God works in our lives. The WORK of SURRENDER I did this morning was work that I thought I already did. It was DEEP rooted. DEEP. As I've been writing these blog posts...I tend to look forward to the next day and what the topic will be & I didn't yesterday.
Let me tell you somethin'! If you ASK the Good Lord to ENTER into your life...If you ASK Him to SHINE LIGHT on situations... If you ASK him to BLESS you...HE WILL DO IT....and you better be ready. I can't really explain it. Let me just tell you that he is REVEALING MORE to me the second time around with this book, than he did the first time. He is not only telling me now....He is MOVING me. He is MAKING me move. I mean it when I say this book is LIFE-CHANGING.
The first line in this chapter: "The heart of worship is surrender." Most of us look at a word like surrender as weakness. I feel like society as a whole goes through a kabillions (prob not a word) of BAND-AIDS to cover up the hurt and the weaknesses that we DON'T WANT TO SURRENDER. I am telling you now...there is SOMETHING (& maybe several things) you have to SURRENDER to God to get closer to Him & break the devil's hold on your life...AND that something or THINGS you probably don't want to touch, or think about, or don't want to let back in. You WANT to sweep them under the rug. ASK GOD to clean you out & take the devil's hold off of you. He will do it in a loving way & he will place the right people in you life to HELP you do it. Be prepared for potential exhaustion. Be prepared for a LIFT in SPIRIT.
He spoke a stripped down, raw & honest TRUTH to me last night & this morning he took the BURDEN I had been carrying (that I thought I had released) from me. Just like that. He just took the devil's hold & BROKE it. BROKE IT! It is GONE. He revealed a hold on me I didn't KNOW was there, made me aware, made me affirm it, & has blessed me.
As you go through this chapter & you learn about Paul & you read the words he preached to people & how he URGED them to surrender, The Spirit will start to stir. He didn't go into great detail. He just asks us to do it. The first time I read this book I didn't "GET IT." I am intrigued by Paul. I got the importance. I got the NEED to do it, but I didn't understand it at the level I NEEDED to understand it. Paul experienced God's GRACE & SUPREME VISION regularly, BUT you can't really EXPLAIN that to people in a way they will understand. What I "GET" now is: You have to have FAITH. If you have faith...INVITE GOD IN. If you invite God in he will SHOW you. He will HELP you SURRENDER & then he will cause you to continually SURRENDER. Doing work on you gives GLORY to God & SAVES you.
Warren writes: "There are three barriers that block our total surrender to God: fear, pride, and confusion."
5 areas to FOCUS on today:
1) "Can I trust God?" Pastor Warren sums this up: "You won't surrender to God unless you trust him, but you can't trust him until you know him better....The more you realize how much God loves you the easier surrender becomes." I had a conversation with someone once about how to find Jesus in some of the REALLY difficult moments: a painful disease, a rape, a beating. How do people find TRUST in God in experiences like that? We are all born with The Spirit inside us. EVEN IF YOU ARE MAD AT GOD...ASK Him to show you where he was & He will. He WILL NOT give us ANYTHING we can't handle & his PLAN for you transcends that pain.
2) "Admitting our limitations." "We don't want to admit that we're just creatures and not in charge of everything...That desire - to have complete control - is the cause of so much stress in our lives." Well put Pastor Rick! Yeah...I was wound up in all of that like a lot of others...still am in some areas. I believe now....that he wants to take care of the HARD & icky stuff. RELEASE it to him. Don't get me wrong. We have to DO WORK, but we don't need to CREATE unnecessary work.
3) "What it means to surrender." This one gets deep. EVERYONE needs to read it. I'll try and keep it short. Pastor Rick's words: "Surrendering to God is not passive resignation, fatalism, or an excuse for laziness. It is not accepting the status quo. It may mean the exact opposite: sacrificing your life or suffering in order to change what needs to be changed. God often calls surrendered people to do battle on his behalf. Surrendering is not for cowards or doormats." AMEN! It ain't easy folks & it ain't for sissies & you will NEED God's GRACE to keep you moving. The Bible says, "Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him." I KNOW I've begun this process. There is work I have to do & he is STRIPPING my EGO away from it. It is NOT ABOUT ME. It is about doing HIS work.
One more thing from the book that spoke to me was when Pastor Warren discussed the most difficult area of surrender, which is this thought: "'I want to live for God but I also want to earn enough money to live comfortably and retire someday.'" If you are SURRENDERING...NOTHING competes with God. This was TOUGH for me, but I have AMAZING FAITH that He will PROVIDE everything I need & WHEN we need it & I know that all of our solutions are right in front of us...it's just like putting a puzzle together.
4) "The blessing of surrender." Here is what you will experience: PEACE...(Don't we all want some peace.) Then...FREEDOM. He's talkin' freedom from the binding ties the devil & his army uses. Lastly, "you experience God's power in your life." & yes you do. "Surrendered people are the one's God uses." Examples would be: Mother Mary, Paul, Joseph, Noah, Joshua....
5) "The best way to live." How we live, what we do, what we allow, how we react...is ALL our responsibility. We have to OWN that & stop BLAMING everyone else. In this section we are URGED to give it ALL to The Holy Trinity. We have to PRACTICE this because we will have to continually surrender & sometimes it will be easier than others. Paul said: "I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infused inner strength into me, that is, I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency."
Today's "Point to Ponder: The heart of worship is surrender."
Daily Verse: "Surrender yoru whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes. " Romans 6:13B (TEV)
Daily Question: "What area of my life am I holding back from God?"
From my journal: I'm trying to control it and fix it and fix people and fix myself and get better and do better and make more money. I will give it all to him and even talk to Kyle (my husband) about it too. I know this will be hard and will have to be done over and over again, but I will!
Buck Up Baby & RIDE with Jesus! Nope...won't be easy, BUT will be worth it! God Bless!!
I am in COMPLETE AWE of how God works in our lives. The WORK of SURRENDER I did this morning was work that I thought I already did. It was DEEP rooted. DEEP. As I've been writing these blog posts...I tend to look forward to the next day and what the topic will be & I didn't yesterday.
Let me tell you somethin'! If you ASK the Good Lord to ENTER into your life...If you ASK Him to SHINE LIGHT on situations... If you ASK him to BLESS you...HE WILL DO IT....and you better be ready. I can't really explain it. Let me just tell you that he is REVEALING MORE to me the second time around with this book, than he did the first time. He is not only telling me now....He is MOVING me. He is MAKING me move. I mean it when I say this book is LIFE-CHANGING.
The first line in this chapter: "The heart of worship is surrender." Most of us look at a word like surrender as weakness. I feel like society as a whole goes through a kabillions (prob not a word) of BAND-AIDS to cover up the hurt and the weaknesses that we DON'T WANT TO SURRENDER. I am telling you now...there is SOMETHING (& maybe several things) you have to SURRENDER to God to get closer to Him & break the devil's hold on your life...AND that something or THINGS you probably don't want to touch, or think about, or don't want to let back in. You WANT to sweep them under the rug. ASK GOD to clean you out & take the devil's hold off of you. He will do it in a loving way & he will place the right people in you life to HELP you do it. Be prepared for potential exhaustion. Be prepared for a LIFT in SPIRIT.
He spoke a stripped down, raw & honest TRUTH to me last night & this morning he took the BURDEN I had been carrying (that I thought I had released) from me. Just like that. He just took the devil's hold & BROKE it. BROKE IT! It is GONE. He revealed a hold on me I didn't KNOW was there, made me aware, made me affirm it, & has blessed me.
As you go through this chapter & you learn about Paul & you read the words he preached to people & how he URGED them to surrender, The Spirit will start to stir. He didn't go into great detail. He just asks us to do it. The first time I read this book I didn't "GET IT." I am intrigued by Paul. I got the importance. I got the NEED to do it, but I didn't understand it at the level I NEEDED to understand it. Paul experienced God's GRACE & SUPREME VISION regularly, BUT you can't really EXPLAIN that to people in a way they will understand. What I "GET" now is: You have to have FAITH. If you have faith...INVITE GOD IN. If you invite God in he will SHOW you. He will HELP you SURRENDER & then he will cause you to continually SURRENDER. Doing work on you gives GLORY to God & SAVES you.
Warren writes: "There are three barriers that block our total surrender to God: fear, pride, and confusion."
5 areas to FOCUS on today:
1) "Can I trust God?" Pastor Warren sums this up: "You won't surrender to God unless you trust him, but you can't trust him until you know him better....The more you realize how much God loves you the easier surrender becomes." I had a conversation with someone once about how to find Jesus in some of the REALLY difficult moments: a painful disease, a rape, a beating. How do people find TRUST in God in experiences like that? We are all born with The Spirit inside us. EVEN IF YOU ARE MAD AT GOD...ASK Him to show you where he was & He will. He WILL NOT give us ANYTHING we can't handle & his PLAN for you transcends that pain.
2) "Admitting our limitations." "We don't want to admit that we're just creatures and not in charge of everything...That desire - to have complete control - is the cause of so much stress in our lives." Well put Pastor Rick! Yeah...I was wound up in all of that like a lot of others...still am in some areas. I believe now....that he wants to take care of the HARD & icky stuff. RELEASE it to him. Don't get me wrong. We have to DO WORK, but we don't need to CREATE unnecessary work.
3) "What it means to surrender." This one gets deep. EVERYONE needs to read it. I'll try and keep it short. Pastor Rick's words: "Surrendering to God is not passive resignation, fatalism, or an excuse for laziness. It is not accepting the status quo. It may mean the exact opposite: sacrificing your life or suffering in order to change what needs to be changed. God often calls surrendered people to do battle on his behalf. Surrendering is not for cowards or doormats." AMEN! It ain't easy folks & it ain't for sissies & you will NEED God's GRACE to keep you moving. The Bible says, "Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him." I KNOW I've begun this process. There is work I have to do & he is STRIPPING my EGO away from it. It is NOT ABOUT ME. It is about doing HIS work.
One more thing from the book that spoke to me was when Pastor Warren discussed the most difficult area of surrender, which is this thought: "'I want to live for God but I also want to earn enough money to live comfortably and retire someday.'" If you are SURRENDERING...NOTHING competes with God. This was TOUGH for me, but I have AMAZING FAITH that He will PROVIDE everything I need & WHEN we need it & I know that all of our solutions are right in front of us...it's just like putting a puzzle together.
4) "The blessing of surrender." Here is what you will experience: PEACE...(Don't we all want some peace.) Then...FREEDOM. He's talkin' freedom from the binding ties the devil & his army uses. Lastly, "you experience God's power in your life." & yes you do. "Surrendered people are the one's God uses." Examples would be: Mother Mary, Paul, Joseph, Noah, Joshua....
5) "The best way to live." How we live, what we do, what we allow, how we react...is ALL our responsibility. We have to OWN that & stop BLAMING everyone else. In this section we are URGED to give it ALL to The Holy Trinity. We have to PRACTICE this because we will have to continually surrender & sometimes it will be easier than others. Paul said: "I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infused inner strength into me, that is, I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency."
Today's "Point to Ponder: The heart of worship is surrender."
Daily Verse: "Surrender yoru whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes. " Romans 6:13B (TEV)
Daily Question: "What area of my life am I holding back from God?"
From my journal: I'm trying to control it and fix it and fix people and fix myself and get better and do better and make more money. I will give it all to him and even talk to Kyle (my husband) about it too. I know this will be hard and will have to be done over and over again, but I will!
Buck Up Baby & RIDE with Jesus! Nope...won't be easy, BUT will be worth it! God Bless!!
Monday, May 26, 2014
Day 9: "What Makes God Smile?"
Welcome returning & new readers. We are on Day 9 as we continue our journey through the book: The Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For? by Pastor Rick Warren .
Day 9: "What makes God smile?"
"Point to Ponder: God smiles when I trust him."
Daily Verse: "The Lord is pleased with those who worship him and trust his love." Psalm 147:11 (CEV)
Daily Question: "Since God knows what is best, in what areas of my life do I need to trust him the most?"
What I wrote in my journal after reading the first time around: Relationships with family, friends, and acquaintances. He will guide me in ways to console, love, and forgive and will condition the hearts of those in just the right way needed.
Building/Having a place to live. He will provide & shine light on everything necessary to make that happen.
This is a DEEP chapter & the person from the Bible that Pastor Warren chose to EXPLAIN this chapter is NOAH.
From the first page of this chapter: "In Noah's day, the entire world had become morally bankrupt. Everyone lived for their own pleasure, not God's. God couldn't find anyone on earth interested in pleasing him, so he was grieved and regretted making man. God became so disgusted with the human race that he considered wiping it out. But there was one man who made God smile. The bible says, 'Noah was a pleasure to the Lord.'"
From Noah's experience we ALL can learn 5 ACTS OF WORSHIP:
1) "God smiles when we love him supremely."Noah loved God more than ANYTHING else in the world. He wants a relationship with us & that kind!! I am by no means an expert at the Bible, but as I try to LEARN & wrap my head around the word It seems to me that He sent his son, the way he sent him for a VERY precise reason. Jesus walked the walk. He did the tough things. He was ridiculed, beat, cursed, shunned, or questioned his ENTIRE life here on earth...BUT the LIGHT of GOD & the LIGHT in their followers urged him onward. Even as I work through my emotions from day to day I REALize how there are SO many different KINDS of ANGER....of HAPPINESS...of LOSS...of STRUGGLE...of PAIN...of TRUST...of LOVE... I really believe that Jesus experienced ALL of it & sits at the right hand of the Father to HELP him understand our sin here on earth. Jesus was FAITHFUL & God FULLY understands the INTENSE strugGLE we all face & Jesus said to him on that cross: "Forgive them Father. They know not what they do." Luke 23:34 (KJV) & God TRUSTED him & in his FINAL dying breath...SAVED AN ENTIRE WORLD FULL OF SINNERS. That to me...is PROOF that he WANTS a relationship with us & that he loves us & he will TRUST us, if we talk to him.
2)"God smiles when you trust him completely." Noah trusted God when it didn't make sense. The book discusses the 3 main issues Noah faced:
1. "Noah had never seen rain, because prior to the Flood, God irrigated the earth from the ground up."
2. He lived in the middle of dry land hundreds of miles from ANY large body of water.
3. He had to figure out how to round up ALL the animals.
BUT...he did it...without a complaint.
3) "God smiles when we obey him wholeheartedly." Boy...do I have to work on this one & is he ever lettin' me know it! Noah followed ever single direction God gave him...down to the last detail...without question. The book says: "That means doing whatever God asks without reservation or hesitation." THIS IS HARD. HARD...I TELL YOU! This means...not taking the time to pray about it...not working it through in your head...not figuring out the right time....SIGH...INSTANTLY acting... Pastor Warren also says: "Instant obedience will teach you more about God than a lifetime of Bible discussions."
4) "God smiles when we praise and thank him continually." Noah praised God before, during, and after his journey on the Ark. I praise God CONTINUALLY in private, BUT now I am working on CONTINUALLY praising him in PUBLIC.
5) "God smiles when we use our abilities." This part of the book is SUCH a good description of this act of worship! Once Noah completed his journey God said: "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth...Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything." Genesis 9:1-3 He wanted them to LIVE. There is not a thing on earth that we can not give to him in worship....washing dishes, caring for livestock, cooking dinner, painting with our children, building a business, selling a product or service, singing a song, enjoying the view......the list could go on for the rest of our lives.
Whew! It's A LOT to take in & I have LOTS of work to do!! Buck UP Baby and Ride with Jesus! He will URGE you to ride in the rain & the hail & the EXTREME wind & ASK you to PERSEVERE through it all & TRUST that he is taking you to a MUCH greener pasture. IT IS NOT EASY, BUT DON'T BE A SISSY!!
Day 9: "What makes God smile?"
"Point to Ponder: God smiles when I trust him."
Daily Verse: "The Lord is pleased with those who worship him and trust his love." Psalm 147:11 (CEV)
Daily Question: "Since God knows what is best, in what areas of my life do I need to trust him the most?"
What I wrote in my journal after reading the first time around: Relationships with family, friends, and acquaintances. He will guide me in ways to console, love, and forgive and will condition the hearts of those in just the right way needed.
Building/Having a place to live. He will provide & shine light on everything necessary to make that happen.
This is a DEEP chapter & the person from the Bible that Pastor Warren chose to EXPLAIN this chapter is NOAH.
From the first page of this chapter: "In Noah's day, the entire world had become morally bankrupt. Everyone lived for their own pleasure, not God's. God couldn't find anyone on earth interested in pleasing him, so he was grieved and regretted making man. God became so disgusted with the human race that he considered wiping it out. But there was one man who made God smile. The bible says, 'Noah was a pleasure to the Lord.'"
From Noah's experience we ALL can learn 5 ACTS OF WORSHIP:
1) "God smiles when we love him supremely."Noah loved God more than ANYTHING else in the world. He wants a relationship with us & that kind!! I am by no means an expert at the Bible, but as I try to LEARN & wrap my head around the word It seems to me that He sent his son, the way he sent him for a VERY precise reason. Jesus walked the walk. He did the tough things. He was ridiculed, beat, cursed, shunned, or questioned his ENTIRE life here on earth...BUT the LIGHT of GOD & the LIGHT in their followers urged him onward. Even as I work through my emotions from day to day I REALize how there are SO many different KINDS of ANGER....of HAPPINESS...of LOSS...of STRUGGLE...of PAIN...of TRUST...of LOVE... I really believe that Jesus experienced ALL of it & sits at the right hand of the Father to HELP him understand our sin here on earth. Jesus was FAITHFUL & God FULLY understands the INTENSE strugGLE we all face & Jesus said to him on that cross: "Forgive them Father. They know not what they do." Luke 23:34 (KJV) & God TRUSTED him & in his FINAL dying breath...SAVED AN ENTIRE WORLD FULL OF SINNERS. That to me...is PROOF that he WANTS a relationship with us & that he loves us & he will TRUST us, if we talk to him.
2)"God smiles when you trust him completely." Noah trusted God when it didn't make sense. The book discusses the 3 main issues Noah faced:
1. "Noah had never seen rain, because prior to the Flood, God irrigated the earth from the ground up."
2. He lived in the middle of dry land hundreds of miles from ANY large body of water.
3. He had to figure out how to round up ALL the animals.
BUT...he did it...without a complaint.
3) "God smiles when we obey him wholeheartedly." Boy...do I have to work on this one & is he ever lettin' me know it! Noah followed ever single direction God gave him...down to the last detail...without question. The book says: "That means doing whatever God asks without reservation or hesitation." THIS IS HARD. HARD...I TELL YOU! This means...not taking the time to pray about it...not working it through in your head...not figuring out the right time....SIGH...INSTANTLY acting... Pastor Warren also says: "Instant obedience will teach you more about God than a lifetime of Bible discussions."
4) "God smiles when we praise and thank him continually." Noah praised God before, during, and after his journey on the Ark. I praise God CONTINUALLY in private, BUT now I am working on CONTINUALLY praising him in PUBLIC.
5) "God smiles when we use our abilities." This part of the book is SUCH a good description of this act of worship! Once Noah completed his journey God said: "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth...Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything." Genesis 9:1-3 He wanted them to LIVE. There is not a thing on earth that we can not give to him in worship....washing dishes, caring for livestock, cooking dinner, painting with our children, building a business, selling a product or service, singing a song, enjoying the view......the list could go on for the rest of our lives.
Whew! It's A LOT to take in & I have LOTS of work to do!! Buck UP Baby and Ride with Jesus! He will URGE you to ride in the rain & the hail & the EXTREME wind & ASK you to PERSEVERE through it all & TRUST that he is taking you to a MUCH greener pasture. IT IS NOT EASY, BUT DON'T BE A SISSY!!
Friday, May 23, 2014
Day 8: "Planned For God's Pleasure"
Welcome readers!! For new readers we are going through Rick Warren's: A Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For? We are going through a chapter each day. I'm laying out how I have applied, am applying, OR try to apply these principles in my life. I've read the book through once & now am spending a little time with each chapter.
Here are the topics of discussion for today:
Day 8: "Planned for God's Pleasure"
"Point to Ponder: I was planned for God's pleasure."
Daily Verse: "The Lord takes pleasure in his people." Psalm 149:4A (TEV)
Daily Question: "What common task could I start doing as if I were doing it directly for Jesus?"
What I wrote in my journal the first day of reading the chapter: Talking to Jesus when I start a new task or project. Thank him for the opportunity. Ask him to bless it. Ask him to protect me & light my path.
Common Task: Shower....I've now added washing dishes.
This is a VERY important chapter because it goes into DEEP discussion about WORSHIP: what it means to God, the different ways we can worship, how to offer our routine daily living to God as worship...and SO much more.
This may seem like an easy chapter, but let me tell you...(at least for me) the number one thing that came rising up was my EGO. This is why I told you a few chapters ago...that EGO was one of the things I struggle with the most & would venture to believe most others do to. KNOW THIS: EGO IS UNGODLY. Most of us are SO chalked full of EGO...it will probably take a LIFETIME to put it to the side. We really think we are THAT important that we have the ability to FIX everything & that OUR way of thinking is the right way & only way.
I have said it before & I will say it again. I HATE housework. I feel like I am lacking in the ability to create a system that works for me. I WILL figure it out & I have improved (although my husband may beg to differ). When the chapter asked me to choose an everyday activity...I chose shower & I LOVE showers..and (brace yourself) UNFORTUNATELY I don't get one EVERY day. SO...I thought what if I make it a daily point to do it directly for Jesus? Here's the thing...He's already got that...maybe not daily. But I pray and have Jesus time when I have shower time. So then my thoughts went to doing dishes..................I REALLY don't like doing them. I can't wait until I have a dishwasher again. I mean...I don't like them sitting there, but I don't like to do them either. (For the record...I KNOW how silly this sounds. It's gotta be done for crying out loud!!) Anyways....I thought to myself...I CAN'T GIVE THAT TO GOD! Why would I give him something I don't like? GUYS...that is my ego, trying to control & justify what is and is not good enough to give to God. HE WANTS IT ALL!!! So...long story short...if you are ever over & I'm washing dishes...you will probably here me singing "Give GLORY to God, Give GLORY to God" OR "Jesus Loves Me."
This chapter says: "Bringing enjoyment to God, living for his pleasure, is the first purpose of your life. When you FULLY understand this truth, you will never again have a problem with feeling insignificant." I can tell you I do not FULLY grasp this yet & really feel like I'm a long way from it. Here is something I want you ALL to think on. It is a lot to think about and I'm not going to discuss it within this blog post. It could get one all its own. GUILT, EGO, & PRIDE are not from God & quite frankly...I'd like them to GO TO HELL & STAY THERE. They jack with your everything. They STOP us from GRASPING exactly what this chapter says. "You are a child of God, and you bring pleasure to God like nothing else he has ever created." Read that line about five more times.
You will STRUGGLE (just like I do) once you pass this chapter & go on to apply other things. Guilt says we are not worthy & don't deserve to be THAT special. Ego says we have to accomplish these things & act this way & then I will be fit to be that special, OR it may say I am active in the community, I go to church every Sunday, & I love Jesus. I'm giving him enough glory. I'm doing my part. Pride will STOP us from HUMBLING ourselves before God & before others...& could make it really hard to give God all the glory.
I didn't even want to type the last paragraph, BUT I want everyone to understand what I understand. Now wipe that train of thinking from your thoughts, b/c it will do you NO good.
Repeat this again...as many times as you need to: "You are a child of God, and you bring pleasure to God like nothing else he has ever created." OWN that! BE that...and REMIND ME to be that too!
GOD IS SO GOOD & wants us to drop all that crap where we stand, but will LOVE us through figuring out how.
I didn't feel like writing this blog today. This book MAKES you do the work & I was feeling pretty exhausted today. God knows I'm not perfect....even though I really want to be & he wants me to use my imperfections to help others...even if I don't FEEL like it all the time. BUT...We've all gotta BUCK UP BABY & RIDE WITH JESUS! He did a lot of things he didn't feel like doing too.
God Bless!
Here are the topics of discussion for today:
Day 8: "Planned for God's Pleasure"
"Point to Ponder: I was planned for God's pleasure."
Daily Verse: "The Lord takes pleasure in his people." Psalm 149:4A (TEV)
Daily Question: "What common task could I start doing as if I were doing it directly for Jesus?"
What I wrote in my journal the first day of reading the chapter: Talking to Jesus when I start a new task or project. Thank him for the opportunity. Ask him to bless it. Ask him to protect me & light my path.
Common Task: Shower....I've now added washing dishes.
This is a VERY important chapter because it goes into DEEP discussion about WORSHIP: what it means to God, the different ways we can worship, how to offer our routine daily living to God as worship...and SO much more.
This may seem like an easy chapter, but let me tell you...(at least for me) the number one thing that came rising up was my EGO. This is why I told you a few chapters ago...that EGO was one of the things I struggle with the most & would venture to believe most others do to. KNOW THIS: EGO IS UNGODLY. Most of us are SO chalked full of EGO...it will probably take a LIFETIME to put it to the side. We really think we are THAT important that we have the ability to FIX everything & that OUR way of thinking is the right way & only way.
I have said it before & I will say it again. I HATE housework. I feel like I am lacking in the ability to create a system that works for me. I WILL figure it out & I have improved (although my husband may beg to differ). When the chapter asked me to choose an everyday activity...I chose shower & I LOVE showers..and (brace yourself) UNFORTUNATELY I don't get one EVERY day. SO...I thought what if I make it a daily point to do it directly for Jesus? Here's the thing...He's already got that...maybe not daily. But I pray and have Jesus time when I have shower time. So then my thoughts went to doing dishes..................I REALLY don't like doing them. I can't wait until I have a dishwasher again. I mean...I don't like them sitting there, but I don't like to do them either. (For the record...I KNOW how silly this sounds. It's gotta be done for crying out loud!!) Anyways....I thought to myself...I CAN'T GIVE THAT TO GOD! Why would I give him something I don't like? GUYS...that is my ego, trying to control & justify what is and is not good enough to give to God. HE WANTS IT ALL!!! So...long story short...if you are ever over & I'm washing dishes...you will probably here me singing "Give GLORY to God, Give GLORY to God" OR "Jesus Loves Me."
This chapter says: "Bringing enjoyment to God, living for his pleasure, is the first purpose of your life. When you FULLY understand this truth, you will never again have a problem with feeling insignificant." I can tell you I do not FULLY grasp this yet & really feel like I'm a long way from it. Here is something I want you ALL to think on. It is a lot to think about and I'm not going to discuss it within this blog post. It could get one all its own. GUILT, EGO, & PRIDE are not from God & quite frankly...I'd like them to GO TO HELL & STAY THERE. They jack with your everything. They STOP us from GRASPING exactly what this chapter says. "You are a child of God, and you bring pleasure to God like nothing else he has ever created." Read that line about five more times.
You will STRUGGLE (just like I do) once you pass this chapter & go on to apply other things. Guilt says we are not worthy & don't deserve to be THAT special. Ego says we have to accomplish these things & act this way & then I will be fit to be that special, OR it may say I am active in the community, I go to church every Sunday, & I love Jesus. I'm giving him enough glory. I'm doing my part. Pride will STOP us from HUMBLING ourselves before God & before others...& could make it really hard to give God all the glory.
I didn't even want to type the last paragraph, BUT I want everyone to understand what I understand. Now wipe that train of thinking from your thoughts, b/c it will do you NO good.
Repeat this again...as many times as you need to: "You are a child of God, and you bring pleasure to God like nothing else he has ever created." OWN that! BE that...and REMIND ME to be that too!
GOD IS SO GOOD & wants us to drop all that crap where we stand, but will LOVE us through figuring out how.
I didn't feel like writing this blog today. This book MAKES you do the work & I was feeling pretty exhausted today. God knows I'm not perfect....even though I really want to be & he wants me to use my imperfections to help others...even if I don't FEEL like it all the time. BUT...We've all gotta BUCK UP BABY & RIDE WITH JESUS! He did a lot of things he didn't feel like doing too.
God Bless!
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Day 7: "The Reason for Everything"
Welcome friends!! Please feel free to comment & discuss. For first-time readers: This is a daily discussion of the chapters in Pastor Rick Warren's Book: The Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For?
Day 7: "The Reason for Everything"
"Point to Ponder: It's all for him."
Daily Bible Verse: "For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory." Romans 11:36 (LB)
Daily Question: "Where in my daily routine can I become more aware of God's glory?"
What I wrote in my journal: My heart and mind went straight to the business of getting my kids off to their schools. We can wake up earlier and be less rushed and/or enjoy the moment in the journey. I googled "glory" when I started reading this chapter. Glory seems to me like the journey and perseverance on that journey that gets to the accomplishment/goal, so...instead of letting it pass by in a rush - I will try to be more present in the many moments along my journey.
The day I initially read this I went for a run. No matter how you start applying these principals there will still be things that happen to you that you don't understand OR people you don't understand. I was stressed to the hilt on this day & I had been in the presence of a person that just DRAINS me, but I know I am called to LOVE THEM, but it sure is hard to like them sometimes. So I went for a run & as I was running and the negative thoughts & anger about some of the things that come out of their mouth was causing me to run faster. I was lost in it & didn't even realize it UNTIL I became flat winded. I looked up to Heaven & smiled b/c he was using MY BODY to SHOW ME how those deep-rooted feelings were ONLY affecting me & making me tired.
Those thoughts & that anger didn't just subside, BUT I started thanking GOD for EVERYTHING along my path: the leaves, the grass, the beautiful blue sky, the gravel beneath my feet, the ponds I got to pass as I ran, the cows grazing, the shoes on my feet, my socks preventing blisters, the water to quench my thirst, the ability to run, the butterflies flying, the gift of life, the choice to choose which direction to run....EVERYTHING. Giving thanks to Him helped me to put things into perspective & NOT WORRY about someone else. It's all a diversion from what is most important. It also made me feel like all WE (the world) need to fix and cure and mend EVERYTHING is right before us. We just have to peel the crap away to see it.
On the subject of other people: This chapter tells us something Paul said:" 'Accept each other just as Christ has accepted you; then God will be glorified.' " Sigh... EVERY person is fighting their own battle & EVERY person is UNIque & EVERY person you encounter is a child of God. There are things that you might do better than me. There are things that I might do better than you, BUT that does not make any one person MORE important than the other. It takes ALL of us to ACCOMPLISH God's plan...or we wouldn't be here.
The devil & his army are ever-present & you better believe he will use whatever & whomever he can, when he can, and how he can. So we (myself included) have to remember when, that anger & negative emotion starts rising up to ASK GOD to cast the devil's ploys FAR away from you & the person you are harboring anger toward. Ask Him for EXACTLY what you want. My prayer for this particular person is: "God please shine your LIGHT on our relationship. Help condition both of our hearts to UNDERSTAND each other & MEND the broken parts of our relationship. Cause us to LOVE each other, just the way we are & APPRECIATE each other for the GOOD you put in us. Put a wall around our relationship that the devil can not enter. Let the whispers that form our thoughts ONLY come from YOU Lord God & BLESS us, so we can bless others. Amen." WE HAVE TO PRAY FOR OTHERS. People's level of understanding differs on...pretty much everything. We NEED each other to make it through. This prayer may not "fix" all my problems in this relationship, but it will STOP the devil in his tracks. We'll have to work through what hurt has already been done, BUT everything that builds from this point forward, will be God's work & not the devil's.
Another side note that I have observed since finishing this book & since typing out the prayer of protection (which I never SPOKE out loud until just a few minutes ago). We can KNOW what needs to be done, but we have to DO IT. That's it. Let me tell you the peace & the "Jesus-moment" I had on that run I will remember forever...BUT do you think I have CONSTANTLY practiced that, since.....NO. WE HAVE TO HAVE OTHERS TO CONTINUE TO URGE US ON. My close friends KNOW that I have asked them to check me, if I need checking. Straighten me out!! We have been conditioned from a young age to see & think & act certain ways. There is a lot that is subconscious.
Let me give you an example. A VERY much God-fearin' woman took her children out to eat. She studies the Bible, ministers to people, & is devoted to serving others. She sits down & says "Okay let's say the blessing." Her 3 year old says "Mom, we can't pray HERE." She's taken aback & she grabs her little one's hand & says "Well we sure can!" & they do. Her thoughts went to: What have WE done (in the past 3 years) to make my sweet baby feel like it is unacceptable to say GRACE over our food in certain places?
SOME PEOPLE DON'T KNOW! They don't know HOW. They don't know WHY. This chapter also says: "Once we know the truth he expects us to share it with others." It is our duty!! Once you know....you are held responsible. Chew on that one for a minute. It makes things mean SO MUCH MORE..I'm sure.
Buck Up Baby & Ride With Jesus!! We have to TELL it! We have to LEARN it! We have to SHARE it! We have to PRACTICE it! We have to KEEP REMINDING EACH OTHER about our obligations!!
May GOD BLESS you on your journey! JOIN our trail ride & ride along with Jesus!!
Day 7: "The Reason for Everything"
"Point to Ponder: It's all for him."
Daily Bible Verse: "For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory." Romans 11:36 (LB)
Daily Question: "Where in my daily routine can I become more aware of God's glory?"
What I wrote in my journal: My heart and mind went straight to the business of getting my kids off to their schools. We can wake up earlier and be less rushed and/or enjoy the moment in the journey. I googled "glory" when I started reading this chapter. Glory seems to me like the journey and perseverance on that journey that gets to the accomplishment/goal, so...instead of letting it pass by in a rush - I will try to be more present in the many moments along my journey.
The day I initially read this I went for a run. No matter how you start applying these principals there will still be things that happen to you that you don't understand OR people you don't understand. I was stressed to the hilt on this day & I had been in the presence of a person that just DRAINS me, but I know I am called to LOVE THEM, but it sure is hard to like them sometimes. So I went for a run & as I was running and the negative thoughts & anger about some of the things that come out of their mouth was causing me to run faster. I was lost in it & didn't even realize it UNTIL I became flat winded. I looked up to Heaven & smiled b/c he was using MY BODY to SHOW ME how those deep-rooted feelings were ONLY affecting me & making me tired.
Those thoughts & that anger didn't just subside, BUT I started thanking GOD for EVERYTHING along my path: the leaves, the grass, the beautiful blue sky, the gravel beneath my feet, the ponds I got to pass as I ran, the cows grazing, the shoes on my feet, my socks preventing blisters, the water to quench my thirst, the ability to run, the butterflies flying, the gift of life, the choice to choose which direction to run....EVERYTHING. Giving thanks to Him helped me to put things into perspective & NOT WORRY about someone else. It's all a diversion from what is most important. It also made me feel like all WE (the world) need to fix and cure and mend EVERYTHING is right before us. We just have to peel the crap away to see it.
On the subject of other people: This chapter tells us something Paul said:" 'Accept each other just as Christ has accepted you; then God will be glorified.' " Sigh... EVERY person is fighting their own battle & EVERY person is UNIque & EVERY person you encounter is a child of God. There are things that you might do better than me. There are things that I might do better than you, BUT that does not make any one person MORE important than the other. It takes ALL of us to ACCOMPLISH God's plan...or we wouldn't be here.
The devil & his army are ever-present & you better believe he will use whatever & whomever he can, when he can, and how he can. So we (myself included) have to remember when, that anger & negative emotion starts rising up to ASK GOD to cast the devil's ploys FAR away from you & the person you are harboring anger toward. Ask Him for EXACTLY what you want. My prayer for this particular person is: "God please shine your LIGHT on our relationship. Help condition both of our hearts to UNDERSTAND each other & MEND the broken parts of our relationship. Cause us to LOVE each other, just the way we are & APPRECIATE each other for the GOOD you put in us. Put a wall around our relationship that the devil can not enter. Let the whispers that form our thoughts ONLY come from YOU Lord God & BLESS us, so we can bless others. Amen." WE HAVE TO PRAY FOR OTHERS. People's level of understanding differs on...pretty much everything. We NEED each other to make it through. This prayer may not "fix" all my problems in this relationship, but it will STOP the devil in his tracks. We'll have to work through what hurt has already been done, BUT everything that builds from this point forward, will be God's work & not the devil's.
Another side note that I have observed since finishing this book & since typing out the prayer of protection (which I never SPOKE out loud until just a few minutes ago). We can KNOW what needs to be done, but we have to DO IT. That's it. Let me tell you the peace & the "Jesus-moment" I had on that run I will remember forever...BUT do you think I have CONSTANTLY practiced that, since.....NO. WE HAVE TO HAVE OTHERS TO CONTINUE TO URGE US ON. My close friends KNOW that I have asked them to check me, if I need checking. Straighten me out!! We have been conditioned from a young age to see & think & act certain ways. There is a lot that is subconscious.
Let me give you an example. A VERY much God-fearin' woman took her children out to eat. She studies the Bible, ministers to people, & is devoted to serving others. She sits down & says "Okay let's say the blessing." Her 3 year old says "Mom, we can't pray HERE." She's taken aback & she grabs her little one's hand & says "Well we sure can!" & they do. Her thoughts went to: What have WE done (in the past 3 years) to make my sweet baby feel like it is unacceptable to say GRACE over our food in certain places?
SOME PEOPLE DON'T KNOW! They don't know HOW. They don't know WHY. This chapter also says: "Once we know the truth he expects us to share it with others." It is our duty!! Once you know....you are held responsible. Chew on that one for a minute. It makes things mean SO MUCH MORE..I'm sure.
Buck Up Baby & Ride With Jesus!! We have to TELL it! We have to LEARN it! We have to SHARE it! We have to PRACTICE it! We have to KEEP REMINDING EACH OTHER about our obligations!!
May GOD BLESS you on your journey! JOIN our trail ride & ride along with Jesus!!
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