Haden's has a new saying when I ask him to do something, like eat this or that,go to bed early, or brush his teeth, all things that are good for him, he says, "It's my life." He doesn't say it hateful or disrespectful, just matter of fact. I thought that I wouldn't hear that from him until at least 13 or so.
This has got to me to thinking that yes, it is our life to live, God given, saved by grace, yet we have a free will to make our own choices. I have started to think about some of the choices I make every day, why I make them, and if I give the same thought to my spiritual life as I do to other things.
First of all, as I mentioned in the last post, I have stepped up my exercising. Pushing 40 in a few years, and metabolism basically taking a permanent vacation, I have felt the need to get in shape. I try hard to do my best and push myself. I try to go a little farther each night.
I should do the same with my spiritual life in the way I study the Word. I should push myself to dive deeper into God's Word. Make myself a stronger Christian through daily spiritual exercise.
2 Timothy 2:15
"Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
I try to watch my I put into my mouth so that I do not undo all of the nights of running. I should watch what comes out of my mouth so that I do not "undo" my growth as a Christian or lead someone astray.
Psalm 34:13
"keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies"
I use a whitening toothpaste in hopes of making my teeth nice pearly whites. Thankfully God sent his son Jesus to cleanse my life of sin and make it white as snow. I need to remember to thank him, and strive to learn from mistakes and sin that I fall into each day, but it is great to know that I have a loving Savior who will forgive me time and again, and pick me up when I fall.
Isaiah 1:18
Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool”
God has blessed me with a great family, health, and happiness. I need to take care of everything he has given to me, and work hard in every way to strength my spiritual walk every day. It's my life and it is the only one that I will get.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Steady Me
I have always walked as my source of exercise. Recently I started what I call, "The old lady power walking". I race walk around the neighborhood while holding weights. I remind myself of the "older ladies" I used to see walking around the mall. To make myself feel a little younger, or older depending on how this turns out, I have started running. Since Haden is now very proud of himself for finally learning how to ride without his training wheels, he rides around while I run. Yesterday while on our run/ride Haden kept getting too far ahead of me (that probably says a lot about how fast I am running). When we stopped I told him that he can't get that far ahead of me because it is hard for me to protect him and tell him when there are cars coming. He really did not see the need for any help from me until he got to the hill. He stopped and said, "Mom, the hills are really hard. I need you to help because I fall off a lot on the hills. Could you hold my bike while I climb back on?"
I thought about Haden and how he did not see the need for my help when it was easy for him, but on the hill he wanted me to steady him. How many times do I get ahead of God when I feel like everything is going well? I get so far away that I cannot hear his voice warning me of dangers ahead. However, when those big trials in my life come up, I am quick to ask for his help to hold me and steady me. Even though I do this over and over, my Lord and Savior holds me each and every time and encourages me to make it up the hill with Him beside me.
Thank you Jesus for loving me unconditionally.
I thought about Haden and how he did not see the need for my help when it was easy for him, but on the hill he wanted me to steady him. How many times do I get ahead of God when I feel like everything is going well? I get so far away that I cannot hear his voice warning me of dangers ahead. However, when those big trials in my life come up, I am quick to ask for his help to hold me and steady me. Even though I do this over and over, my Lord and Savior holds me each and every time and encourages me to make it up the hill with Him beside me.
Thank you Jesus for loving me unconditionally.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Awaiting
Wow. Busy weekend, and because of my busy weekend I have neglected diving into a scripture (yes, I am taking baby steps with a scripture or two) and letting it embed itself into my life. All day today I kept thinking about my blog, and if I am already backsliding into my same ole' pattern when it comes to Bible study, "Start strong, give up quickly." Many things ran through my mind today dealing with scripture. Since it is Mother's Day, Proverbs 31 kept coming to mind, and also verses about free will were also on my mind. These things may work into a post later, but I really feel as if God put this scripture upon my heart this evening.
Hebrews 12:2
"Keeping our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
This was the verse of the day on my Bible app. I read it this morning and first thought, "Oh, I have read that before." Then I took another look and broke the verse apart. I understood each part of its meaning except the part "for the joy that was set before him". I kept thinking about Jesus' journey to the cross and "enduring the cross" for us and thought to myself, "How was what before him joyful?" It was not until I read the previous scripture, which I also have read before, but never deeply.
Hebrews 12:1
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."
That I was hung up on the part "the joy that was set before him", speak volumes about me. "Before him", made me think, before him right now, and what was before him was the cross. My simple easily confused mind liked the NLT version,
"Because of the joy awaiting him." I was not thinking that the scripture was referring to what was in store for Jesus in the future, a heavenly home, but I was stuck in the present.
How many times do I get stuck with the current circumstances that surround me, and never focus of the outcome or the future? I simply look at what is before me now, not what is awaiting. How I act and the choices I make while "enduring my cross" will determine my future, and that future is bright, a heavenly home with my Lord and Savior.
Hebrews 12:2
"Keeping our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
This was the verse of the day on my Bible app. I read it this morning and first thought, "Oh, I have read that before." Then I took another look and broke the verse apart. I understood each part of its meaning except the part "for the joy that was set before him". I kept thinking about Jesus' journey to the cross and "enduring the cross" for us and thought to myself, "How was what before him joyful?" It was not until I read the previous scripture, which I also have read before, but never deeply.
Hebrews 12:1
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."
That I was hung up on the part "the joy that was set before him", speak volumes about me. "Before him", made me think, before him right now, and what was before him was the cross. My simple easily confused mind liked the NLT version,
"Because of the joy awaiting him." I was not thinking that the scripture was referring to what was in store for Jesus in the future, a heavenly home, but I was stuck in the present.
How many times do I get stuck with the current circumstances that surround me, and never focus of the outcome or the future? I simply look at what is before me now, not what is awaiting. How I act and the choices I make while "enduring my cross" will determine my future, and that future is bright, a heavenly home with my Lord and Savior.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Responsibility
Each month at church Haden has a virtue and a verse to memorize. We practice this every night before he goes to sleep. I have to say that since he has learned to read this process has gotten a lot easier. He just says, "Here Mom" and takes it from me and reads it. He seems to even memorize it faster this way.
His virtue for the month of May is Responsibility, and the verse is Luke 16:10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much" It is so sweet to hear his little innocent voice repeat this every night. The last few nights we have been talking about what the verse actually means. This is good timing for us, because we have been adding new chores to his list of things to do to help around the house. We talked about how he takes care of his smaller bike will determine when he gets a bigger one. This seems to make sense to him.
Today at work the word responsibility kept coming through my mind. I work at a high school so all day long I hear from teenagers who take no responsibility for their actions. My favorite is, "This computer locked me out, and will not let me on!", not "I forgot my password and entered the wrong one too many times and now I locked myself out."
This got me to thinking about Luke 16:10, "trusted with little, then trusted with much". Maybe sometimes that I get frustrated with things I do not have or things I have not accomplished it is because God is waiting on me to be trusted with the little things. In my new position this year I felt like I should be doing "more important things". It bothered me to do the menial taks of resetting a password, or helping a student find a printer. I think that I should just be happy with the smaller things as God prepares me for the bigger things.
His virtue for the month of May is Responsibility, and the verse is Luke 16:10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much" It is so sweet to hear his little innocent voice repeat this every night. The last few nights we have been talking about what the verse actually means. This is good timing for us, because we have been adding new chores to his list of things to do to help around the house. We talked about how he takes care of his smaller bike will determine when he gets a bigger one. This seems to make sense to him.
Today at work the word responsibility kept coming through my mind. I work at a high school so all day long I hear from teenagers who take no responsibility for their actions. My favorite is, "This computer locked me out, and will not let me on!", not "I forgot my password and entered the wrong one too many times and now I locked myself out."
This got me to thinking about Luke 16:10, "trusted with little, then trusted with much". Maybe sometimes that I get frustrated with things I do not have or things I have not accomplished it is because God is waiting on me to be trusted with the little things. In my new position this year I felt like I should be doing "more important things". It bothered me to do the menial taks of resetting a password, or helping a student find a printer. I think that I should just be happy with the smaller things as God prepares me for the bigger things.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Enemy Attacking Already
Last night not long after I made my second post on this blog, the enemy started to attack me. Initially I was feeling very good. I could make a difference maybe not only in my spiritual life, but others as well. This is when I started hearing a voice saying,
"Who are you that you think you know so much that you can share with others? All you are going to do is ramble on about your day, your family, or books you have read. You are going to embarrass yourself. People already know the things you are going to post. What if you offend someone? No one is actually going to read this. You are just wasting your time."
Wow. Talk about knocking all of the wind out of your sails. Needless to say I tossed and turned for awhile. A few years ago I would have really been stuck here. Mulling over the negative thoughts in my head until I started to believe them. Adam has taught me to really identify the enemy speaking into my life, and call it for what it is.
James 4:7, "Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
So it takes more than words. I needed to first submit myself to God before the devil will flee from me.
I submit that I will probably talk about my day and my family because what better way to see God working in my life. Jesus taught using parables. People may know and already have some of the spiritual revelations I am having but if that is the case Praise the Lord for me and with me that I get it! If you had a spiritual revelation because of something I said, then Praise the Lord for you!
Today, and my hope for every day is to submit myself to the Lord God Almighty so through His strength I can combat the enemy!
"Who are you that you think you know so much that you can share with others? All you are going to do is ramble on about your day, your family, or books you have read. You are going to embarrass yourself. People already know the things you are going to post. What if you offend someone? No one is actually going to read this. You are just wasting your time."
Wow. Talk about knocking all of the wind out of your sails. Needless to say I tossed and turned for awhile. A few years ago I would have really been stuck here. Mulling over the negative thoughts in my head until I started to believe them. Adam has taught me to really identify the enemy speaking into my life, and call it for what it is.
James 4:7, "Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
So it takes more than words. I needed to first submit myself to God before the devil will flee from me.
I submit that I will probably talk about my day and my family because what better way to see God working in my life. Jesus taught using parables. People may know and already have some of the spiritual revelations I am having but if that is the case Praise the Lord for me and with me that I get it! If you had a spiritual revelation because of something I said, then Praise the Lord for you!
Today, and my hope for every day is to submit myself to the Lord God Almighty so through His strength I can combat the enemy!
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Reminders to Draw Near to God
I just finished reading a great book, Becoming More Than Just a Good Bible Study Girl. There are many, many things I learned from this book, but one thing I read just today was put to the test this evening.
Lysa, the author, says that "most times it's not the big things along my spiritual journey that tempt me to get off track. It's a culmination of small daily aggravations I know God could fix but doesn't" She goes on to say that, "What if instead of seeing aggravations as inconveniences, we see them as reminders to draw near to God."
I loved this when I read it, but an hour or so later I was able to put it to the test. I was starting to get overwhelmed tonight with all of the "Sunday evening get ready for the week" chores. I was cleaning the kitchen for the second time, finishing up laundry, steaming clothes for tomorrow, putting the sheets back on the bed, swiffering the cat hair, cleaning out the litter box (okay I do that daily, not just once a week, eewwww) Haden was tired and so what he does when he is tried is run around like he is a crazy man and be extremely loud. I also had promised him that I would play Candyland before he went to bed, but as 8:00 (bedtime) started approaching I started to get very irritated and overwhelmed. But just then my reading from today crept or actually slammed into my mind. I paused and thanked God for these things:
*I have a child who is healthly and strong and is able to run around and speak and play.
*We both have jobs that we love and are able to get up and go to in the morning.
*We have had plenty of food to eat, and a nice kitchen to eat it in.
*Haden wants to actually spend time with his mom and play a game.
*We have a nice warm bed to sleep in every night.
*It took me a minute to think of being thankful for the cat hair and litter box...... they are nice pets and make Haden happy. ;)
Once I turned this all around and thanked God for all of the things I thought were irritating me, I felt much better. If I can just apply that to the bigger things as well.
"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" James 4:8
Lysa, the author, says that "most times it's not the big things along my spiritual journey that tempt me to get off track. It's a culmination of small daily aggravations I know God could fix but doesn't" She goes on to say that, "What if instead of seeing aggravations as inconveniences, we see them as reminders to draw near to God."
I loved this when I read it, but an hour or so later I was able to put it to the test. I was starting to get overwhelmed tonight with all of the "Sunday evening get ready for the week" chores. I was cleaning the kitchen for the second time, finishing up laundry, steaming clothes for tomorrow, putting the sheets back on the bed, swiffering the cat hair, cleaning out the litter box (okay I do that daily, not just once a week, eewwww) Haden was tired and so what he does when he is tried is run around like he is a crazy man and be extremely loud. I also had promised him that I would play Candyland before he went to bed, but as 8:00 (bedtime) started approaching I started to get very irritated and overwhelmed. But just then my reading from today crept or actually slammed into my mind. I paused and thanked God for these things:
*I have a child who is healthly and strong and is able to run around and speak and play.
*We both have jobs that we love and are able to get up and go to in the morning.
*We have had plenty of food to eat, and a nice kitchen to eat it in.
*Haden wants to actually spend time with his mom and play a game.
*We have a nice warm bed to sleep in every night.
*It took me a minute to think of being thankful for the cat hair and litter box...... they are nice pets and make Haden happy. ;)
Once I turned this all around and thanked God for all of the things I thought were irritating me, I felt much better. If I can just apply that to the bigger things as well.
"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" James 4:8
Friday, May 4, 2012
The Beginning
Welcome to my new blog. I started this for several reasons, but before I go into those, I have a confession. Although I grew up in church and was saved at the tender age of eight, I have never been good at Bible study. I have about every book on the market on how to study The Word, and have a quiet time with God. I start plans and stop them. I read from a legalistic point of view of getting it checked off my list of "good Christian" things to do. I want more. I desperately need more. Throughout my life my walk with the Lord has grown, but I can't imagine what I am missing in not getting into His Word more.
So, back to the reasons for the blog. The main reason was for another way for me to have my Bible study and quiet time. Here is my thinking. Part of my job at the high school requires me to read blog posts, rss feeds, and list serves to find the latest in educational technology. I then post my findings to a blog I have for the teachers and students. Teachers check this blog on a regular basis, and I update them weekly on new posts that I think would be beneficial to their teaching. Accountability. I have it at work, now I want to have it in my spiritual life as well. Enter social media.
My hopes for this blog is to share some of the things God teaches me everyday through His Word and interaction with others. Thus, the name, Grain from Heaven. As I was thinking of what to name this blog, I kept thinking of all of the things that God "speaks" to us all throughout the day and with things that happen to us in our daily lives. It is like He is raining down these moments for us from heaven.
"He rained down manna for the people to eat, and gave them grain from heaven."
I hope to share the grain from heaven that I receive and pray that we all get full, spiritually speaking.
Please follow and comment. I would love to know that someone out there is reading and making me accountable everyday.
God Bless.
So, back to the reasons for the blog. The main reason was for another way for me to have my Bible study and quiet time. Here is my thinking. Part of my job at the high school requires me to read blog posts, rss feeds, and list serves to find the latest in educational technology. I then post my findings to a blog I have for the teachers and students. Teachers check this blog on a regular basis, and I update them weekly on new posts that I think would be beneficial to their teaching. Accountability. I have it at work, now I want to have it in my spiritual life as well. Enter social media.
My hopes for this blog is to share some of the things God teaches me everyday through His Word and interaction with others. Thus, the name, Grain from Heaven. As I was thinking of what to name this blog, I kept thinking of all of the things that God "speaks" to us all throughout the day and with things that happen to us in our daily lives. It is like He is raining down these moments for us from heaven.
"He rained down manna for the people to eat, and gave them grain from heaven."
I hope to share the grain from heaven that I receive and pray that we all get full, spiritually speaking.
Please follow and comment. I would love to know that someone out there is reading and making me accountable everyday.
God Bless.
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