Dreams

I wonder what most people think of dreams. What do you think of dreams? And what sort of dreams do you have? My parents usually dream in the strictly boring ways, (one time, my dad dreamt of putting a video into the VCR—very boring!) or if they don't dream about something like that, it’s a nightmare. But for a long time, my siblings and I have dreamt in what they call epic style dreams—essentially, we dream a novel style dream with characters, story lines, morals, villains, and countless other things. It sometimes ends up as a complete story, and we are able to write them down and make them into book. In fact, I have strung several dreams together and made a short novel out of it, and it didn’t turn out so bad! Although, they wouldn’t have meant much to me, had I left them alone—but I think the Lord had other plans.

But more recently, I have dreamt about some very—how do I say it?—intriguing, amazing, more than normally epic dreams. One of them, which I dreamt about a month ago, would take a rather long time to write, so I’ll have to figure out how to tell it to you, but I had another dream just this morning that was shorter. I still don’t know if I want to write it all down here but I would like to talk about dreams a little.

Have you ever had a supernatural feeling of awe after dreaming, or after a prayer, or while singing praise to God? I hope you have. It is the most awesome, most fearful and glorious feeling that one can ever experience, and I know that those are the times that God draws me closer to Him. I went to a concert by MercyMe and a couple other bands a while ago. But I remember something that the main singer (I think his name is Bart Millard) in the MercyMe band said. He said that those moments of bliss, of awe, of joyful gloriousness—they happen only every once in a while, and you can’t hope to be constantly living in them, that they are but the “Mount of Configuration” moments. I thought that this didn’t sound quite right, but I have to confess that that it true. I mean, look at the Apostles of Christ—they didn’t live in a constant “Mount of Configuration” moment! They had countless times where they were talking about how hungry they were, or times when they were fighting over their positions in Heaven, or times when they are turning away children or so many other things. Even if they had direct contact with the Son of God, they were always wasting time with little quibbles and complaints. The truth is, we are faulty, messed up human beings who still live in a fallen world. We won’t be living in those moments of great delight and joy, but we can still take those moments—the memory of them—with us, throughout all of our lives. I pray that you never, never forget those times, because they are precious gifts of God.

I believe that sometimes, God chooses to come to us in our dreams, uses our dreams as tiny Mounts of Configuration. I know that that dream I had a little while ago—I know that God spoke to me through it. The glory of it still lingers with me, like the fading colors of a serene sunset. And someday, I hope very soon, I want to tell you about it. But my next post I want to write about the dream I had last night.

I hope to hear from you, my dear readers, to hear about your thoughts of dreams. Have you ever dreamt about something like what I’m talking about? I know that dreams are very personal, but for me at least, I know that sometimes things need to be told, even if they are embarrassing or something like that. Sometimes God gives us things that are not meant to be kept to ourselves.

Well, this post was much longer than I expected it to be—and I’m not even writing my dream! I’ll be working on that nest post, and I’ll try to get it out. In the mean time,

 

Shalom

In the Presence of the LORD

“Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You,
who walk in the light of Your presence, LORD.” –Psalm 89:15

I was just reading—actually I was listening to the Bible read aloud on DAB—and I was listening to the end of Luke, chapter 24. It’s that part when Cleopas and the other (or is it others?) walking along the road to Emmaus, and Jesus joins them and starts talking to them. It says in verse 16, “but they were kept from recognizing Him.”

When I heard it this time, I was struck by an idea about the end of that part,

“When He was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, and He disappeared from their sight.”

I was listening to this video that Claudia from “Sowers of Hope” posted the other day—actually a few months ago. It was a guy who was talking about modesty and about headcoverings. I can’t remember exactly how he said it, but he said something about how, when we pray, we are going into the presence of God, going into His throne room; it is important, therefore, to show our complete respect for Him. We are in the company of the Most High, in the presence of the Creator of the Universe. And one way we can show our respect, show that we put Him first in our lives is by uncovering our heads, if we are men, or covering them, if we are women.

What he said about how we are going into the presence of the Most High, it really has stuck with me quite a lot! I think I’ve known about that for a long time, but its funny how it takes just one time, one person to say it, and then suddenly it just kicks in. It’s like, yeah! We really are in God’s throne room—we really are talking one on One with Him! And, although I don’t always act like it, I try to respect that, I try to think in terms of, my spirit is talking to the Holy Spirit. And that thinking has opened up ideas for me.

I’m an artist, so I usually think in images. (I don’t know how the rest of you do it, but that’s how it happens for me) I imagine the Throne room of God, in His Heavenly Realms, and then, I imagine that suddenly, my Heavenly body appears before God, and before His angels and saints. Since I am in the presence of God, His Holy Spirit has already purified my soul and made me fit to be in His presence. That person, my soul, she is perfected, glorified by His redeeming blood, by Jesus taking my sins away. And that thought got me thinking… what if, while we are in His presence, we are sort of glorified, sort of show God’s Spirit a little more? What if?

So when I heard that section read the other day in Luke, I realized something. When did Jesus become visible as Jesus to those people? He became visible when He prayed, when He went specifically before the Throne of His Father. I don’t think that we are always in a more glorified state when we pray, but isn't it awesome that He chose that moment, when He was talking to His Father, having a One on One conversation with Him, it was then that He became visible to them? It makes you think, doesn’t it?

I just love that Psalm that I quoted at the beginning, and I also liked another translation so I’ll end with that. Psalms 89:14-18,

“Righteousness and judgment [Are] the fixed place of Thy throne, Kindness and truth go before Thy face.

O the happiness of the people knowing the shout, O Jehovah, in the light of Thy face they walk habitually.

In Thy name they rejoice all the day, And in Thy righteousness they are exalted,

For the beauty of their strength [art] Thou, And in Thy good will is our horn exalted,

For of Jehovah [is] our shield, And of the Holy One of Israel our king.”

 

Shalom

Authority

What makes all humans so rebellious? Just the thought of someone unusual being in authority over me makes my defenses get up! I hate to have anyone but me tell me what to do. I might sometimes beneficently allow someone else to give me orders, but even then most of the time I’m inwardly rebelling.

Sometimes I cry out to God in a self-dissatisfied, anguished voice, “I don’t know why I’m so rebellious?”

And He always answers right away, “Why are you asking this when you already know the answer.”

I’ve asked this question so many times before, like somehow the answer will change, as if I was some perfect creature with only momentary slips of behavior. But I’m not. I’m always rebellious, and my humanity will always want to fight against the authority that is over me. But God said in His Word that there is no power or authority that exists that God does not want there.

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” –Romans 13:1-2

I keep on forgetting that, and think that these authorities that are over me are wrong, that they should be rebelled against. But I keep on forgetting that if God does not like the people who are in power—whether its your government or your boss or your parent—God will take care of the situation. And that, almost always, has nothing to do with me… and I thank God for that! In fact, God wants us to do anything and everything to prayerfully keep the authorities in godly, just power.

The next verse in Romans, like so many parts in Scripture, is very encouraging, and I think it’s great to end on.

“For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.”

 

Shalom

An Update

Hello everyone! I’m so sorry that I haven’t posted as much as I should! I have been wanting to post—almost all of the time, when I think of it, I want to post! But I feel like I don’t have anything to say. So if you don’t mind, I’ll try to be sending out post of random thoughts and disconnected ideas… also, I can’t really make this too long!

I have been on several “vacations” this summer—actually they were all in the last couple of weeks. We went to the Botanical gardens that are in town, and we went to this lake place that was pretty close to us, and then we went to Taos, New Mexico (I live in New Mexico, by the way) and from there we went to see the Gorge that’s really close to it, and then today, we went to Santa Fe and the farmers market there. And something I saw in each place was more and more evidence of how marvelous God’s Creation is! I wish I could have stayed in each place so much long then I did, but we could all see God’s handiwork so very prevalent in these places. I’ll put a few photos on to show you some of what I saw…

The photo above is the lovely lake that my family went to… it was truly beautiful and very relaxing to just sit and watch the dragonflies and and water lilies and the rippling water…

This picture is one I took of a beautiful stream in the Japanese section in the Botanical Gardens…

And this is a sweet butterfly in another part of the Botanical Gardens. I especially loved going in this section, because it has an enormous amount of peace inside of the Butterfly Pavilion. It is absolutely necessary to slow down and pause for breath when you are in there. And most of the time, I feel like talking in a whisper too.

And this is the Gorge. This picture (and every other picture I took) does not do justice to the splendor and beauty of this amazing sight. The river that is running down it is the Rio Grande, and when I took this picture we were standing on a bridge that is far above the river bed. The whole sight is grand, magnificent and frightening; when you look down from the bridge, your eyes can’t at first take it all in. You sort of have to look at one section, and then let your eyes rove across from cliff edge to running river to another cliff.

 

 

 

Well, I have to go in a moment, but I just wanted to say a few things about these marvelous places that I went to.

Have you ever been to a place like that Butterfly Pavilion or the lake? A place where you have to stop and think and look around and simply have to pay attention to God’s world? I find that these places are so rare that one has to make the best of them when you are there. I encourage you to find such a place, to find a place which you can hear God’s voice just a little bit clearer. And stay there for a little while. Listen to Him. He really wants to talk to you. And, just the other day, someone on the “Daily Audio Bible” that I listen to said something about how God loves His people through His creation, such as animals or through the very peace of a lovely landscape. I’m saying it in a kind of weird way, but I think I agree with the man who said it. I think God really does love us through His creation.

But I really have to go now. I’ll try to post more, because I really want to. I just really need to find more moments of peace in which to write.

 

Shalom

In the Morning

I just read Jamie’s latest post on her blog, http://jamiesbloggerblog.blogspot.com/, and it has shamed me—or at least, it has woken me up a little. So often, I feel a conviction from God, where He tells me to do this or that, to say this or that, and I find out later that when God asked me to say it, He meant it, and in fact that time was the best time to do it. But usually, I bat the idea around in my head, talk about it a little, think it over, and then most of the time I forget what I was going to do. Sometimes, it’s a prayer, and other times, it’s something that I need to say to someone or some people. This time, on Saturday last, it was something that I was feeling that I should say on this blog. And, as I have done so many times before, I waited too long to say it, and—meaning no rudeness to Jamie—she got to it first.

A little while ago, my pastor talked about the power of prayer, and encouraged us to strive to have a better relationship with our God, and to better know His wishes. He told us, on a different sermon, about a friend of his who would always start his day off with asking God what He wanted him to do that day. The answer wasn’t always an easy one. Once He told him to go to a hospital and to pray with all of, or as many as he could get to, of the patients. The man was not pleased with this at first, but he went anyway—and when he got there, many, many of the people there really wanted the prayer that he could give. He found that it was very rewarding. That story really encouraged me, and when our pastor mentioned again asking God in the mornings what He wants us to do, I decided that I would try to do this, knowing that it was much more pleasing to God to do what He wanted me to do, instead of what I thought He might like—that never works out well!

I did it for a little while, and then a few days ago, I felt that I should share this with more people. And so, although it might be a little late in coming, I’d like to challenge you to pray every morning, asking God what He wants you to do that day, and—this is the important part!—listen to what He says. I have tried many times to do this without the last part, and it invariably ends up the same way—I do not do His will, and my day is filled with dissatisfaction. I still haven’t got the hang of it, but I know that the more I am with Him, talking to Him, telling Him all that’s going wrong in my life, listening to Him, praising Him, the more I will be able to hear His voice when He calls me.

But please, and not for my sake, but for you and your most precious relationship with the Most High, take the time in the morning to ask Him what His will is. You will be rewarded in His good timing.

 

Shalom

Just a short little post—maybe!

My “short posts” always end up being a little longer than that! But I just wanted to make a quick little observation as a post—we’ll see if it’ll be quick!

Recently I’ve been doing a babysitting job with this young gal who is kind of more fashion savvy then myself. Well, I don’t know how much more “fashionable” she is—but she is the type of person who will always be “cooler” than me. I have never been as “cool” as I have wanted to be, but recently—and I can only say that it was from the Lord’s prompting!—I have been a little less anxious to fulfill the “fashionable” ideal.

But nonetheless, around certain people, like my coworker at babysitting, I still wish to look a certain way—a little bit less weird and over-extravagant like I usually am. And so it was that for the last few Tuesdays, I have been looking for headcoverings that looked either not too extravagant and a little more headcovering-y, or headcoverings that were more like hats that anyone might wear. But, ironically, after getting out the door a little too late, I found that they were not babysitting there at all and that I wouldn’t be meeting her anyway! When later I put everything together in my mind, I had to laugh! I think it was one of those times that God uses to point out bad little habits that I get into. It just makes me wonder why, if I make such an effort for one person, then why don’t I do it for all the people I’m around? God’s really showing me that I need to treat everyone with equal rights—if I can borrow that phrase—for everyone I come in contact with. And if I’m dissatisfied with one style, then perhaps there’s a reason why, and I should address it. I’m not good at weeding out  the ugliness in the soil of my soul, but the Gardener is telling me that there are things that are chocking me and things that need to go, like my attitude to different people. I need to be a mirror image of Christ to these people, acquaintance, friend and family alike.

Well, as usual I’ve gotten a little carried away! But I know that this is not always a bad thing. As always, I would love to hear back from my readers! I am, unfortunately, one of those people who loves to know and hear from other people. I would love feedback on my posts! I love all of you, and I pray that you may get wisdom from all that I can write to you!

 

Shalom

Learning to wait…

Well, on my last post, I said I was going to try the Messianic church that’s really close to us, and I said that I’d post soon concerning it… sorry! Well, I’m here now for a new post—but I’m afraid it’ll have to be a short one.

I didn’t go. First couple of weeks after I decided to go, I had other things, like Mother’s day and a birthday going on. But the last time, last week, I didn’t go again. I had made up my mind, although I was rather nervous about it too, to go. But, after a discussion with my parents, we decided that we should look around a little more, and that we would think about it. I was a little uncomfortable about the decision, but I feel like I made a good decision. Still, I would love if anyone out there reading this would pray for me, I would greatly appreciate it. I really desire to meet in congregation with people who are a little closer to my beliefs—and I don’t mean that the church that I go to don’t believe in the good an great essentials of God’s plan for us. But what I mean is that my church doesn’t wear nicer clothes to service, and they don’t believe in the women covering their heads, and they don’t care for some of the more traditional things. I desire these things. So please remember me in your prayers. I seek wisdom in this matter.

Also, I would ask for prayer for my family. I wont go into details, but basically, we’re going through some of the same problems that a lot of other people in America are going through. I hope I’m not being to vague! I just ask that you remember us and the other problems that America is going through! Thank you so much!

 

Shalom

Something New…

Recently, I’ve been wanting to go to a body of Believers with women who cover their heads. I didn’t know—and still don’t exactly know—if this desire was only a selfish one or a good one. I mean, it could be just because I wanted to be around people who weren’t going to challenge me. Or it could be because of different reasons… Well, whatever happens, I’ve decided that I want to go to this Messianic congregation that is really close to where I live, and I hope to go to it on this next Saturday. There was apparently a Wednesday women’s meeting, but I’ve just discovered that I’m going to be doing something pretty much at the same time. It’s kind of funny! I was hoping to go to the Wednesday thing so that I might be able to blend in with the scenery—but no! I don’t think God really wants me disappearing anytime soon! It’s funny how He works sometimes! I mean, I’m thinking that I don’t even know if this is going to be any good, and their He goes, making it that much harder to get out of going. (I’ll just mention here that this church is a rather small church, and last time I went—and went with four members of my family—we stuck out like a sore thumb!)

But I’m saying all this, and it’s making me sound like I don’t want to go! But I really do want to go! I want to see other women who cover (if there are any). I want to talk to other Messianic Christens about their beliefs. I want to get back to the roots of the things I believe in. I want to be able to say YHWH’s Name in Hebrew without being looked at weird. I don’t mind all of these things so much—but I want to get to somewhere sometimes where it’s normal to do all these things.

I’ll go to the service on Saturday and see how it goes. I’d like to ask for some prayer about this whole thing. I don’t know if it’s normal for people on blogs to ask for prayer, but it’s normal for Christens to do that. I need the Lord’s wisdom, and I need to have the strength to actually go there, and I thank you for your prayers.

 

Shalom

Prayer… again… :)

Hello everyone! I’m so sorry that I haven’t been updating recently! I have been busy for a while now, but that’s not exactly the reason why I haven't been posting. For one thing, I have been trying to balance my time a little better, and also for another thing, and this one is the bigger one, I just haven’t been that inspired. But the other day, inspiration finally struck!

About at the same time I wrote the last post, one of my friends, who moved out of state a little while ago, talked to me on the Facebook chat thing (I’m not sure what to call it! I don’t do it very much.). She told me that was engaged. That was a total shocker to me! I mean, I’d seen pictures of her and this guy, but I didn’t know how far things were going. But whatever happens, I was very happy for her, and knew that I had something special to pray for now.

But as I thought about the whole situation, and later I hear that she and her family had called a few days before she told me, I realized that God had been giving me little hints to pray for the two of them. I can’t remember the precise moment or the exact way it came up, but I remember thinking of her several times over the last few weeks for no reason whatsoever. And on one occasion, about a month or two previously, I had actually dreamed about her getting married.

I know all of this sounds a little odd, but what I mean by it is that God uses our scatterbrained thoughts to remind us of the people we need to pray for. I don’t know all the details about my friend’s engagement, but I do know that all marriages, new or old, need God’s blessing to be successful. He decided to tell me that I should pray for them threw my unclear, scattered thoughts and even through a dream. And unfortunately, I only prayed for her a few times, since I thought that it was only my mind being a little silly again. But, readers, please remember that God speaks in a still, small voice. Even if it seems like you don’t have the time, just shoot up a quick prayer every time you remember that co-worker, or that cousin, or that old friend or acquaintance, or even those people that you look at particularly in the store the other day. That’s how God works sometimes. And it’s up to us to follow Him in His mysterious ways.

 

Shalom

A letter….

Ok, so this is going to be a slightly unusual post for me… I guess I don’t know what a usual one is, so never mind.

A little while ago, some friends of mine went to a purity conference and they said that they really enjoyed it. I really wanted to go, but due to some complications I ended up not going. But they brought back a letter that I felt I should show to my readers. It’s a letter that an unknown young man wrote to his future wife. It is a good challenge, and reinforces some godly principles that need to be heard in this world of ours.

To my future wife,

This may seem a little weird. I don't know who you are, what you look like, or even your name. I don't know if I've met you yet, or if you are someone I'll meet in the future. I do know this, you are God's gift to me; you are a treasure and you will be the love of my life. You are my future wife. Because of everything that I know you will mean to me, there are some things that I want to talk to you about right now. First, is that I love God with all my heart and I'm keeping myself sexually pure for you, despite the very real temptations that are there. The things I want to discuss with you are your purity, your modesty, and your self-worth.

I want you always to remember that you are God's. You are God's before you are mine, and you are God's even before you are your own. Because you are His, everything in your life is a GIFT from God, including your purity. I have been keeping myself for you. I want to be the man that God has for you: His gift for your patience, and I know that you will be that same gift for me. The value of that gift lies in its completeness. Your purity is so much more precious the more that lies untouched. It may be easy and even somewhat fulfilling to give yourself to the boys around you for a temporary love, but God will bless you for keeping your gift of purity for me because of your unconditional love for Him.

Next is your modesty. Boys can be taken away so easily by the lusts of their eyes. The more of your body you show, the more lust you draw to yourself. My desire for you is that you keep your body as a temple and treat it as a temple. Tight clothes, low cut shirts, and short shorts just give other boys a preview of what God intends to be mine and mine alone. Your worth comes not from your body, but from you character and your relationship with God. If you have to show yourself to boys to attract them, then you will not be attracting the right man. The man I am, and the man I desire to be, will be attracted to you because of your love for God, because of your character, and not by how much of yourself you are willing to show.

The last thing I want to talk to you about is your self-worth. You are a treasure and you are a gem. You are a gift from God. That is where your self-worth lies; in knowing that you are God's. Your worth doesn't come from love that I or any other person can give you, but your worth comes from delighting in God. I can tell you that your worth comes from God, but you have to feel and know that for yourself. That is the big deal about your purity and your modesty. I want you to not be ashamed when you give yourself to me. I want you to be able to proudly give yourself to me after our wedding day. Knowing that you kept yourself pure, as I have, and that because of your love for God and your love for me, we can give each other the gift of our purity; wholly intact. I want you to know that you are my love, you are my treasure, you are my gift from God, and I can't wait for the day that I can see you face to face and say "I do."

With Love,

Your Future Husband

There it is! I hope it encouraged you and challenged you the way it did for me! God may or may not intend all of you singles to marry, but this is a good letter to keep in mind, because you never know what God might have planned for you! It’s an exciting adventure, this life of ours, but it will be all the more exhilarating if you hold on tight to the hand of God.

Shalom

Wind and Thorns

How hard it is to keep a firm ground on something! Like headcoverings… or modest clothes… or generally trying to live better. Unless you really hold on tight to the things God tells you, then it is the most impossible thing in the world to stick to. It’s just not in us to be able to stand the winds and thorns of sin.

Yesterday, I went on a morning walk with my sister and rambunctious dog. I did not want to go on the walk, and only went on it because I like hanging out on Sundays with my sister, who is two years younger and who has always been very close to me. On the way out and to the park that we walked to, I complained and griped, getting more and more frustrated at Annie, since she was pulling extra hard at the leash and making it very difficult to walk. I was so mad. Everything seemed to be going wrong; I wanted to wear another dress, but had to change into walking clothes; I had to put on my hat (the one in the picture); it was extremely winding outside; it was Sunday, and I wanted a laid-back day! Everything was against me. I got a little happier when I got there… until I sat in a patch of stickers and a huge thorny thing. I was about fed up then… And then my hat blew off in the wind, and got several stickers in it too. As I pulled them out of my hat, it made me think (or should I say, God made me think) that it was sort of like me and my headcoverings. When I took headcoverings on in my life, I took a few thorns on too. And like yesterday’s stickers, some of them wont go away so easily. I have to deal with them in a real and painful way.

And there are many other times in my life that I need to take care of the spiritual thorns. And other times when the spiritual winds hit me like they did yesterday, with grains of sand ramming into me like tiny bullets. But I can’t do this alone. I’m not saying that, after the Lord brought that thought to me yesterday, that immediately afterwards I was all better, but I did feel a little less eager to loose my temper.

I’ve recently been going through some struggles, some spiritual thorns. But you know what really helped me—just to go to a good ol’ fashioned worship service. I went to one on Saturday instead of on Sunday this time, but it was great! It was a good sermon too, all about marriage in the way God intended it to be. But the worship was what really woke me up… and I needed it! I really just needed to talk to God. And I haven't been doing that as much recently as I should. Sometimes its good to just be forced into something like that. And even if that sounds a bit strange, I would suggest doing the same—see what happens next. You might be surprised!

 

Shalom

Things I’ve learned from my dog…

That sounds like a very odd post name… but never mind.

This is my dog, Annie. She is a big Lab/something mix (we’re not sure what else she is.). We used to have a beautiful Golden Retriever dog named Molly, but a few years ago we had to put her down. I was so sad for such a long time, because I love, love, LOVE dogs! But then, last summer, we got Annie, and practically haven’t had a dull moment since! She is a highly energized, codependent, fun-loving dog who keeps us on our toes—sometimes even in the middle of the night!

But she has made me realize so many things. Our previous dog had been a beautiful dog—and she knew it. She would never get into any unnecessary excitement if she could avoid it. But Annie will get into whatever excitement she can. And one thing that I’ve realized from her is that I don’t take enough chances. In the summer time, Annie loves to hunt. She will hunt anything that moves on the ground and that is reasonably small, but mainly she hunts lizards, the poor things! But she would do anything to get at one of those things! Sometimes the lizards would go into prickly bushes or sticker bushes or even into cactus, but that wouldn’t stop her. She would pounce right into it! And only when we got her out of it, would she show her pain. She is truly amazing, and physically brave.

There are more things that I could say—countless things. Like the fact that right now she has her foot all bandaged up because of a nasty cut she got, but she doesn’t let it stop her from playing around, exploring, hunting and anything else that might take her fancy. She is not a lazy dog. And I can learn so much from her. Like one of her more irritating traits is when she gets all depressed when we are all from home. I hate that normally, but actually it’s the sort of thing I should be doing when I’m not talking to God. I should be longing for His company, and pining for His refuge, and not be satisfied until I am once more in His safe arms again. And I should be like Annie when she goes fearlessly into danger all for the love of her fellow hunter and for the hunt. I should be like that, fearlessly stepping into dangerous situations, just because God asks me to, and just because I love to do it and I love the person I’m helping.

I think I can learn a lot from my dog, and I hope you too can look around you and find ways you can learn from nature, or from books or from the people you know or work with. God put us on this earth so that we could be His, and so that we can be more like Him, and for that, we need to learn more. And Jesus took examples from nature too, talking about the fig tree, the mustard seed, and how we are like sheep among wolves. We can learn from these things, and if we couldn’t, God wouldn’t have put them there. So I say, look for something today, try to apply it, and find out what comes of it! And I would love to hear what wisdom God can show you through unusual means!

 

Shalom

Read your Bible, pray every day…

Well, hello everyone! Sorry I haven’t been as consistent on writing as I wanted to be! I’ll try to work on it, even if it might end up being kind of short.

Well, today, I want to say something about that thing that I started at the beginning of the year, reading through the Bible in a year. I have again become inconsistent in going through it. But I mean to remedy that, through God’s strength. (And that little addition to that sentence, “through God’s strength”, I think it absolutely necessary. I have been finding that I cannot do anything without my God! He is my strength and He makes me braver than the bravest of beasts, and mightier than I had ever thought possible!) I mentioned at the beginning of the year that I was going through the Bible by means of a podcast called the Daily Audio Bible, or their simplified version of DAB. I have LOVED it so far! I don’t always agree with what the reader says, but I think he has grown a great deal, having read through the Bible I think it was eight years. I mean, what’s wrong with your philosophy will most likely get fixed by reading through God’s Word. I know I’ve learned some things that I didn’t know just by what I’ve gone through already, even though I have only gone through books that I’ve already gone through. The reader, Brian Hardin, sometimes talks about the reading afterwards, and then finishes it all off with a prayer.

And the prayer has been the most amazing part. God has talked to me through His Word, but He I’m getting so much out of just talking to Him. I’m more patient during the day, I talk to Him more throughout the day and I am able to deal with a lot more hardship that each day brings. I just have to realize that, the day I don’t listen to God’s Word and I don’t have a regulated praying time, I am more irritable, less wise, and I almost want to avoid God’s company.

Readers, I would strongly encourage you to make a specific time to read the Bible, and to pray. I’ve said this before, but I don’t mind saying it again. You need it. God wants it. And in the end, you wont want to stop doing it. It seems so obvious that it doesn’t need to be taken into consideration, but it does. God always speaks through His Word, and even if it was made ages and ages ago, it isn’t insignificant today. He says things in it that are surprisingly applicable to what is happening around us today. And even those things that seems like they don’t apply to us, like the stuff in the Old Testament—they need to be read. They do apply! Just let the Lord show you how to apply them, and you wont stop being amazed!

Well, I’ve got to go! But please readers, thinking about picking up that old Bible that’s sitting on your shelf, and read it, study it, and listen to God’s wisdom! And please think about getting on your knees—or even just sitting down for a moment—and praying to the God who listens. He is there, and He loves you, no matter how much you might have neglected Him!

 

Shalom

New Life

Yesterday, my sisters and I had a blast planting seeds. Since the prices on food are getting kind of atrocious, we decided a couple of years ago that we would do some gardening. My elder sister has gone into it really enthusiastically, and I always started with my sisters early in the year just about as enthusiastic, and ended up almost not caring. But, as a present for my birthday, my brother gave me some seeds. So now I have a reason to be interested in them!

I thought that I’d put up some pictures of them… although their not very interesting right now! But it’s the first stage, and soon I hope to show you the next and the next and the next!

That’s my thyme… it’s sitting right next to me, on the sill. Soon I’ll have all of my plants next to me.

That’s the lovely peppers. I love peppers! I hope mine will turn out well! (Sorry about the mess on the table! I was making cookies.)

Those are going to be snapdragons and petunias. I hope they come up too, because I love flowers!

And this is my wonderful basil! It’s actually called dark opal purple basil! I’d like to see how they come up, because last year we had a huge batch of the regular kind, and it was lovely; we could just go out any time and pick some off of the plant!

I hope you liked the pictures! It’s was great fun to be able to plant something, and know that, most likely, something very soon will come out of the ground. But it did remind me that I have very little to do in the whole job of their growth. All I have to do is make sure they have enough and not too much light, and keep them well watered. Once they get to a certain point, I will have to do more, but if you think about it, I don’t really have to do anything extra hard, or extra ordinary.

I just looked up in the Bible something to go along with this whole post. I looked up the word “seed”… there are a lot of times that word comes up! I’ll quote a few of them. Genesis 1:11:

“Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.”

1 Corinthians 15:37-38:

“When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.”

Ecclesiastes 11:6:

“Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.”

1 John 3:9:

“No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.”

By all these things, we can not only see that God is the God of the Creation that He made ages ago, but also He is still in the same business of creating. Since we are born again, we too belong to the ideal of creation. Our creed is Life. We don’t go about in a dead world anymore, but walk on a shining mountain of life! And we are like the little seeds that I planted yesterday, who have newly found that wonderful, powerful breath of Life. Some of us are farther along, and others are still just beginning, but let us not forget to grow. Ask God for His water, for the Son-light that He gives to us so freely. Sometimes, He gives it to us, and we don’t take it in. But look at the seeds, and the roots of the plants and the leaves—they take it up without question or hesitation. And why should we be so different? Let Him in, and let the growing begin!

 

Shalom

Odd Post…

This is going to be a kind of odd post. I know that most people don’t really think much about their dreams, but dreams have always been something that I like to hear about. I have already said that my sister wants to go into writing, and I think it is partially this reason that our family is so interested in dreams; She dreams in epic stories, with fascinating characters, strange and amazing story lines, and tantalizing cliffhangers. I mean, it’s really amazing to hear some of her dreams—like listening to the plots blockbuster movies. Sometimes—just sometimes—I dream in the same way. But last night it was a nightmare.

I won’t say all of it here—mainly because it would be too tedious!—but also because some of it didn’t make since. But the dream was about the End Times. Things were going seriously wrong, but it was kind of different then I had imagined the End Times to be like. I guess I pretty much thought it would be like it was in “Left Behind”.  But it wasn’t. It was serious, it was scary, and it was strangely dangerous. I guess I had always thought that I would be strong enough in the last days, but that wasn’t true in my dream.

There were really frightening demonic attacks going on, where people just seemed to vanish from everyday life. We wanted to know what was happening, so we looked up people who knew stuff about demons. Well, we found someone. I thought she would be ok, because she was just about as scared as we were. But once we started, I realized that she was a medium. She sat us all down around a table, and waited until someone would talk to her… and someone did. And that someone—or something—told us that people we knew were going to go, to vanish like the rest had done.

It was really frightening. But somehow, I wanted to say it was ok, what we were doing. But waking up makes me realize again the importance of standing firm in our faith. In those last days, we’re going to need all the power from God that we can get, and if we start going through other means—like mediums or other things like that—He can’t really talk to us. And it’s so amazing what one wants to forgive, when one starts going our own way. “Oh, she’s ok. It’s not really magic. And anyway, we’ve all got to get to God in our own way.” NOT!!! That just simply is not true! I mean, yes, we all have different lifestyles, and we can come to God from whatever angle we are in, here on earth. But that gal in my dream wasn’t coming to God. I mean, she said she was, but she really didn’t act like it! All she wanted to do was scare us.

But in the end, that dream teaches me that I need to keep guard. I need to make God first in my life, and not worry about the End Times. And I, for one, believe those times are upon us even now. Lets not worry or be scared. We don’t need to look for ways to frighten ourselves about the future—for we know what is yet to some. God rules! And He is going to rule! And looking away at those waves is making me forget that He is Sovereign! He loves us so much! And He is more powerful than any medium or demon!

But please pray for me! I am so weak, and I need to feel His strength! And I will pray for you, my readers. It is my honor and my joy to do so!

 

Shalom

Gifts

I think I’ve already mentioned this before, but I’ll just say a little more here; I think I’ve always wanted to be an artist. It must have started off in the same place as every child does, with a crayon and a piece of paper. But for me, I didn’t want to stop there. I just kept going. I remember standing one day in my hallway, feeling excited about a new drawing I had done. I must have been around six, and I had felt like I just had made a master piece, my best piece yet! I looked it over, feeling great, and then I asked my family what I needed to make it better. They looked it over, and then pointed out that the hands and feet needed some help. They were scribbled, round balls. I think I remember being offended that my near perfect drawing had been found faulty. But I think that was the time that I decided that I would always look for ways to improve my drawings, starting with how I did the hands and the feet. And then in more recent years, I have realized that drawing and painting is something that I enjoy above most other things, although it is under my love for God.

I really, really love to do art. Since I have decided to stay at home with my family, art has been a pretty good fit for me; I want to make a home business off it, selling it from my father’s house, and, Lord willing, from my husbands house.

I was reading just the other day a book about how to write and sell Christian novels (my sister got the book from the library, since she wants to go into novel writing) and the author began a chapter with Psalms 119:105 which is, of course, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” And I love what she said about it. Gods word isn’t a floodlight that lights up the whole road ahead of us, but it is a lamp. It lights up a little space around us for us to walk in. And the author said that writers should do the same thing. We as writers (and I say as artists too) should not force our “truths” on the reader, force-feeding them our own opinions. But we should gently and firmly point to the truth that God points us to. If people once realize that they are having a foreign idea put into their heads, they tend to rebel. We need to point to the truth not push them into it! After all, Jesus did say, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”

I’ll try not to make this post terribly long—although I have already made it rather long—I wanted to open the subject. I love art. I believe it is a gift given to me by God. I believe He wants me to use it in worship of Him, and also, if I can, to help the lost sheep of His flock. I don’t entirely know how I’m going to do it, but I know that my Lord wants me to do it anyway. Please keep me in prayer about it. I certainly need it.

 

Shalom

Just a short post…

It’s really amazing the power of prayer!

I won’t make this long… I don’t have time. But I just wanted to encourage you all to pray, to talk to God. For me, I have noticed how much better I feel and how much easier it is to just—live. I mean, I had a blast at the thing I did a couple of days ago, but I wasn’t exactly in the most godly of moods. But every I got a chance to talk to God, I felt immediately better. I was able to be cheerful and I could have more fun. But I didn’t talk to Him as much as I should have—and that made me have the problems I did have.

But just think of the things we could do if we only just talked to our Father in Heaven? He loves us so much, and wants to hear from us all the time. In fact you could think of Him as being one of those people who loves to get texts from all their friends. And I want to be always sending Him random updates of what I’m doing. “Oh, look at those flowers, or that sunset! It’s so beautiful, God!”; “I’m feeling really tired tonight. Maybe it’s because I stayed up to late the other night!”; “That person’s being really annoying! But then again so am I…”. And the list goes on. I’m finding myself saying all sorts of things to Him, and not talking as much to everyone else… and that is definitely a very good thing; I have always talked too much! But I’m finding out that God is the only one who doesn’t mind listening to me.

And also another thing. I can’t seem to say as many rude, mean or unjust things as much as I usually do. He just doesn’t like to hear it. And if He doesn’t want to hear it, then it’s really hard to talk to Him. Conclusion: I don’t say those things as much any more.

I hope you guys can get something from this. God wants to hear from you, and after a while, you wont want to stop talking to Him! So get praying. And please tell me if there’s anything AT ALL that I can pray for you!

 

Shalom

“With all your heart…”

I won’t make this too long—mainly because I couldn’t think what to write—but I thought I’d do something anyway. I don’t think I’ll be able to tomorrow since I will be away from home.

Anyway, I thought I’d say something about a big problem that I had, and have, and probably will always have. I like to worry. Actually, “like” sounds like the wrong word, but it isn’t. I’m addicted. I love to worry. I guess it gives me the false idea that I’m in control of my situation.

I was talking over something with my mum, and then a past remembrance came up, and it was a past worry (as most of them seem to be!). I started to explain to her, but I just couldn’t keep out the fact that I was in the wrong in the situation. I felt that what she did then had made this situation horrible and embarrassing, but the truth is, I was only embarrassed because I wanted to be embarrassed. And that happens so much with me! I see a situation that is already a little awkward, and then I feel that everything is horrible and I make it worse. Have you ever noticed that when everything is going wrong, you tend to loose your temper, or get grumpy, or make things even more awkward? It’s horrible feeling, and the memory of the occasion it ten times worse because of one’s bad attitude. I hate doing that, but I always do it anyway!

But I’ve found that if I just realize that it doesn’t really matter in the end, everything seems to become lighter and less horrible. And although you’re the only one finding it not a stupid, embarrassing or awkward event, it doesn’t much matter… and often, people follow your example. I mean, just look at the time when Paul and Silas were freed from jail. I mean, they were actually singing in there! But they were the only ones who were cheerful there. But afterwards, through sharing the joy by their behavior, everyone was having a blast by the end of the day!

And the situations that I live in—that I think are hard and embarrassing—are hardly as horrible as being put in jail. But even when the worst it happening in our lives, God tells us to do our job with all our hearts, and with a joyful attitude. “Since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:24

 

Shalom

Procrastination—or should I say anti-crastination?

Oh, boy! I hate this subject! And yet, it seems to be my middle name. Yesterday, I was planning on doing some painting (I want to go into art) and I put it off so much that I never got around to it! Right now, I’ve just been asked to work on my dishes, and all I want to do is sit around writing blog posts… perhaps I shouldn’t say that, because sometimes I know that I need to write here, but right now, I should be working on my job… I’ll be back in a little bit!

Proverbs 6:6-11

“Go to the ant, you sluggard;
   consider its ways and be wise!

It has no commander,
   no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
   and gathers its food at harvest.

How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
   When will you get up from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
   a little folding of the hands to rest—
and poverty will come on you like a thief
   and scarcity like an armed man.”

I love that whole section! It first got my attention because of that part, “a little sleep a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest.” It just sounds so deceptively relaxed sounding… and then it hits you with that last part! Wow!

I just came to that section where the disciples are waiting for Jesus, and then they go to sleep. You know, I think they wouldn’t have woken up unless Jesus had actually woken them up as He did. And why did they go to sleep in the first place? I mean, they sort of had the opportunity to know what was happening, and that they should be praying! But admittedly, they did not know to what extent Jesus was willing to go.

But we know. We know how far He is willing to go for the sake of our lives. So how long will we lie down? How long will we stay asleep? The ants may have no commander, overseer or ruler, but we have a King who has told us where to go. We have a commander to tell us what to say, what to do, how to live. We have no reason to stay asleep! So lets rise up from our laziness and fear, and do the good work the Lord has given us.

 

Shalom

Humility

Ok, so I was thinking that I need to write more on this blog… I mean, I practically never write here. But the truth is, I find it kind of hard to write here quite as easily as other places. But I want to be able to talk more on here, and so I’m going to try to write something—even if it may end up being a little short post—every day—or nearly every day.

I thought I’d do for this post something about humility. I feel sort of inadequate to talking about it, but I feel like I should say something anyway.

There are so many ways we can show humility in our lives. One of them is through the headcoverings that we wear. Another way is to help out by working somewhere no one else want to work in. Another way is by listening to someone, instead of talking to someone.

I just looked up the word in my Noah Webster 1828 dictionary. (I love old dictionaries! Back when theology was common knowledge!)

“In ethics, freedom from pride and arrogance; humbleness of mind; a modest estimate of ones own worth. In theology, humility consists in lowliness of mind, a deep sense of one’s own unworthiness in the sight of God, self abasement, penitence for sin, and submission to the divine will.”

I’m not sure if I would agree with all that, but a lot of it is right on! I love that part, “freedom from pride and arrogance.” I don’t know what it means in ethics, but we can apply it in our own lives. Think about it—Christ, when He came and saved us from our sins, set us free from our sins. And what is sin, but a very horrible kind of pride, thinking that we ourselves can have the right to do anything we want, because we want to. That is pride, that is thinking of ourselves before we think of God and others. But once Jesus set us free from our sins, He set us free from our pride. We no longer need to do it, pride is no longer our master.

And humility, once you really get into it, once you really have that feel of “unworthiness in the sight of God”, then is when you can actually begin to do something. God can still use you, even if your pride is taller than the Tower of Babel. But God doesn’t want it to be that way! He wants to use a humble heart. I can’t remember how he said it, but C. S. Lewis talked about this in “Screwtape Letters”. He says that once the Christian is at the point where he so continually sacrifices himself, and loves others, then he can finally start to love himself for the human that God made. That sounded absolutely ridiculous when I first heard it, but I think I know what he meant. I think he’s talking about the gifts that God gives us, the ability He gives us, and the individuality. Each of these are so precious, that God gave them only once, and to only one person each. It is only our selfish nature that dictates that we horde these gifts to ourselves. But God asks us to take our gifts, still remaining the one who holds that gift, and bestow the benefits of it to the world.

I feel like this post should be much, much longer—there is so much to say about humility that truly needs to be said. But I said this post would be small—although it really is not very small at all!—and so I’ll stop here. Please leave comments! I’d love to here your thoughts on humility, the forgotten Christian virtue, or anything else you might want to talk about!

 

Shalom

“And do not give the devil a foothold…”

I just read through that chapter, and, wow! it’s chock full of wonderful advice and wise words! I would really suggest reading it, all the way from Ephesians 4:17 to 5:21. It’s all good, and stuff that we really need to hear!

But that’s not why I wanted to post. I just wanted to say something about the title I used. “And do not give the devil a foothold.” I don’t know if it was the devil trying to sneak in the back door, but I definitely think I need to keep on my game.

Recently, I’ve been really getting pretty comfortable about wearing a headcovering—just generally, in the house and out of it. I said as much to my family, and then, as those sort of things happen, I suddenly started feeling that itch on my scalp that I had when I first started to cover. (I hadn't felt it for a while now.) I complained about that, in a sort of way that meant I mostly thought it was funny. But I guess that has stuck in my family’s heads. So today, while we were eating family dinner, my headcovering was coming down, and so I completely rearranged it, so that I could be a little more comfortable. But anyway, my sister and mum said, “Why don’t you just take it off for right now?” I did not want to do this—for one reason, because (ironically!) I seem to want to pray more often when I happen to not have my head covered.

But what my point in all this, is that, even if that wouldn’t have been the worst thing to do right then, to just take off my headcovering while I was eating, but it had been made a bad situation because it was brought on by my silly complaint previous to that. I didn’t need to complain! And they don’t know what a blessing and how joyful it is to cover—unless I show them. My mom has told me that she has seen a difference in me. So I’m not doing it for nothing, in that concern.

So all you women out there who cover, don’t let the devil have a foothold. Always be a good example of how wonderful it is to cover. Let us not be like the Pharisees who, when fasting, would put on sackcloth and ashes and moaned and groaned, just to get attention. It’s not a curse to wear a headcovering, but a blessing, to ourselves and to others. So let’s show them that!

 

Shalom

“Therefore keep watch…”

Recently, I came to Matthew 24 in my listening on the “Daily Audio Bible”. I have been feeling, ever increasingly, that this is one of the most important things for we as Christians to keep in mind. I’m sure you all know the chapter, but read it again! We need it. I know my last post was kind of on the same lines, but I’m beginning to feel that that doesn’t really matter! Readers, this is important! Our Lord and Messiah is coming. Don’t be like the wicked servant in this chapter who is impatient and is happy that his master is not yet back.

I have caught myself countless times doing the same thing when I’m left at home alone. Before they go, I tell myself what wonderful and good things I will do, and then by the time they go, I don’t do that and I waist my time and I do things that are not good!

How worse would it be if I did the same thing with my Heavenly Father? What if He found me staring at my computer screen, fooling off? Or what if He found me yelling and getting mad at someone or complaining about how awful this person or that person is? Or what if He found me whining with a crowd of whiners, just because its what everyone else does? Do any one of these apply to you? What if he found you doing something like that? Or something else. Perhaps thinking about how much you hate someone, or thinking about how to slip around something the Lord wants you to do, or avoiding doing a job or even avoiding talking to God about something. I encourage you to leave these things behind. You’ll probably think, “oh, that’s easier to say than to do!” But really, how hard is it? Just think about that one little thing that’s been kind of uncomfortable recently. How hard would it be to step away from it? Do you remember that time when you just left a situation up to God, and let Him tell you what to do? And that time, you just did it. You followed Him. Was that hard? No, it wasn’t! It was like getting a hug by someone you really love. It’s like soaring on the wind or a bright, sweet sunrise. It takes your breath away, and makes you feel that you were and are and will be loved, no matter what stupid things you do. So why can’t you do that again? What’s stopping you from just not letting that complaint out, or stop thinking about that “Christian thing” you can do, or why can’t you stop that little time waster, or stop that insult before you say it? Instead of complaining, consider thinking of how blessed you are, and actually thanking God for that little thing He just did for you. Or instead of doing things for God because you’re just so good at it, consider asking God how you can help in this or that situation. Or instead of wasting you time, try looking for the joy in every job. Or instead of insulting, try thinking of why that person said that thing, and realize that that person doesn’t hate you and probably didn’t mean what they said to be as mean as it sounded.

You can manage to be on your best behavior when you’re out in public, but when you’re at home you just don’t bother. God love you so much that He wants to watch you all day long. He doesn’t just look away when He sees you doing something bad. You’re not a TV channel that He’ll shut off if He doesn’t like. So why not give Him something wonderful to watch, until that time when the Program ends. And readers, we’re coming to the climax of the Show, so lets make this one beautiful finale!

 

Shalom

Safe?

Tell me what your idea of safe is? My parents told me once that, instead of out of love that they became Christians, they said that they were scared out of Hell. When I heard that, I told myself that of course I wasn’t scared out of Hell! That was several years ago, and, like so many other questions in my life, I only left it off at the question part, “Was I scared out of Hell?”, and didn’t look for an answer. I was too scared to find one.

But more recently, I’ve been thinking of that question and wondering why it made me so uncomfortable. Was it because I should have been saved by my oh-so-wonderful love for Jesus? But thinking it over, I don’t think so. I think “scared out of Hell” isn’t a bad thing. My problem was that I wasn’t going very much farther then that sentiment. I was scared out of Hell, but I was only on the border of Heaven.

How many of us live like this—just on the border of Heaven? I don’t know how many people have played the game of “Sorry”, but there’s this part in the game where there are five spaces which are called the “safety zone”, and then if you moved to the next space in, you were “home”. When I was very little, and this game was practically the only game I knew, my siblings and I would call that “safety zone” the dying place or (something like that), and “home” we would call “Heaven”. If you went into the safe zone, you would be safe from any traitorous opponents who wanted to send you back to the beginning, and therefore lessening your chances of wining. But that safety zone is a lot like our lives, isn’t it? We’re just barley safe, but still close enough to be moved backwards by a ruthless card.

And that’s why I felt so uncomfortable about when I thought of that question, “Was I scared out of Hell?” My motivations weren’t wrong at the beginning, but they were wrong immediately afterwards. I needed to then, and still ever increasingly need to change my motivations. My first motives were selfish, but now I need to make my motives into selfless ones. I need to run into the arms of Christ, and I need to run farther and farther into His Kingdom. I need to become more and more His, and less and less that person who was scared out of Hell!

Friends, please push on! Get farther into the “safety zone” of God’s love. Don’t stay on the outskirts, just barley saved. And go out to those people out there—those people who are, so far, on the outside, already starting to feel the clawing grip of Hell. Tell them about how wonderfully safe they can be in the arms of our Savior! We have very little time, because the game is coming to a close, and some of the pieces are left sitting out in the open. They need to know, and we are the only ones who can tell them.

 

Shalom

The Joy of the Lord

Joy is mentioned in the Bible so many times! Many times in Psalms, and so many times elsewhere. Psalm 28:6-7,

“Praise be to the LORD,
   for He has heard my cry for mercy.
The LORD is my strength and my shield;
   my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
   and with my song I praise Him.”

Isaiah 26:19,

“But your dead will live, LORD;
   their bodies will rise—
let those who dwell in the dust
   wake up and shout for joy—
your dew is like the dew of the morning;
   the earth will give birth to her dead.”

Psalm 33:1,

“Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
   it is fitting for the upright to praise Him.”

Habakkuk 3:17-19,

“Though the fig tree does not bud
   and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
   and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
   and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
   I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
   He makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
   He enables me to tread on the heights.”

Thessalonians 1:5-7,

“Because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.”

If there are so many times when the Bible talks about joy, then why is there so little of it in the church? So often, the only time we can be joyful and happy is during certain praise songs. Yet the second fruit of the Spirit is joy! “The only sin passion can commit is to be joyless.” That’s a quote from a Dorothy L. Sayers book. I don’t think I entirely agree with it, but I think it’s a good point. Passion—the passion we should have for God and Christ—should be a joyful passion. I know that it should also be a many faceted passion, but I think that joy should be a huge part of it. Why, then, is it so lost. And you might ask me what I mean by lost; there are many people in the church today who are happy and “spirit filled” and praise God, but I am trying to make a distinction between happiness and joyfulness. Happiness is ephemeral—lasting only a short time and only runs shallowly. But joy—it lasts for a lifetime and beyond and it fills a heart! I believe God created both, but I also think that He meant for one—joy—to be ultimately dominant. I like the way, when talking about joy, a dictionary puts it—“keep pleasure”. Whereas, the best you can get as a description for happiness is “delighted, pleased, or glad”. Those are all good, but the other, I think, is better. Have you ever had that feeling, when you talk about something the Lord has done which is wonderful and gives you awe at the thought of it… and right at that moment, there’s a sort of dancing feeling in your body, almost like a pain, but so mixed up with goodness that it isn’t a bad thing? I believe that that is joy—the joy of the Lord! A keep pleasure. And a pleasure that will go a long way before being used up.

So lets apply that meaning to some of those verses. In the first one, David’s heart leaps for joy, because God is good and has saved him. He writes a song to express that joy.

And in the second verse that I used, the dead rise up and shout for joy. That is what all the Christians will do, one day. And that day will be such a joy for us all, something to shout about!

And in the next one the writer tells the righteous to sing with joy. Imagine how horrible it would be if we all sang songs of praise and love songs to God, but without interest, in a bored manor, or out of duty. There are songs which should be sung with sadness or with mourning or with excitement or other things, but we should never do it without feeling! I do that all too often, and I find myself hating to go to worship. Sing with real, heartfelt joy to the Lord, and you will never get tired of it!

The next one is rather difficult. Most people don’t like to be joyful when nothing is going right in their house, but right here, Habakkuk is joyful. He gives the reason in the next paragraph. “The Sovereign LORD is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights.” That is so awesome! And so true! If you don’t feel like being joyful about something, especially when everything is going wrong, you can know that the strength of the Lord will enable you to get through, and will help you to be filled with joy.

And the next verse that I used talks about the same thing; joy through suffering. It reminds me of when Paul and Silas were in prison and they start to sing. I mean, that time, most people—most Christians—would prefer to moan and groan. They didn’t. They sang. And Paul encourages in this verse the fact that, when you are filled with the joy from the Holy Spirit, you are an excellent example to others. It’s one of the best ways to show that we are Christians. To be joyful.

So many times, when Christians encourage each other, they forget to be joyful. They state what is wrong, they condemn, and they tell how to fix it. But they don’t tell you how wonderful it is to follow in the ways of the Lord. (Now I’m being too condemning! hehe!) I hope I’m saying this the right way. What I mean is that so often when I learn from other Christians, I get so much good knowledge, but I feel very weighed down by the end of it. Some knowledge, I know, will be and should be a burden, but we as Christians have a duty to encourage, to tell the world of the Lord’s wonders. And His wonders, when properly understood, are truly a joy to the heart! I encourage all of you to be joyful when talking about the Lord, when doing your job, when your not doing anything but sitting around. He has saved us from our sins—that is something worthy of praise!

 

Shalom

A New Adventure

This year, I want to get all the way through the Bible. For the last few years I have tried to do just that—I’ve started, gotten through a few books, and then every time, I’ve given up. It’s depressing for me to think about it, but that’s just how I’m made. I’m a very lazy person who would prefer to do as little as possible. But through the last few years, I have felt that I need to get over that, and this last year I’ve found numerous reasons to do so.

Last year, my mother found this podcast that goes all the way through the Bible. I almost did it with her then, but I chickened out. She really has been extremely blessed by it, and encouraged my father and brother to go through it with her. My dad was behind by a few months I think, but that didn’t matter to him; he just got to be able to listen to it on a daily bases.

The podcast can be found here. I’m not exactly sure how to work it (I’m kind of new to podcasts) or you can listen to it on their player.

So far I have really enjoyed listening to it. The guy who reads the Bible there, Brian, he first reads, then he sometimes talks about what he just read then he prays, and then people call in for prayer requests. This is really good for me, including this last part because I’ve really been feeling like I need to hear new prayer requests from people. I’ve always felt that that was a job that I wanted to do in my life. My mom once called me when I was really little a “little prayer warrior”. I had to ask what that meant, but when I understood, I really liked that name for me. It meant that I could make a difference in this world, and that difference just by praying. I have since forsaken that title, but I want to take it up again. And I hope that many of you out there would want to do the same thing. There really isn’t enough prayer in this world. I say that we should always be listening, talking to, asking of and praising our God. He wants to hear us, and not just when we want something of Him. That is one reason why I wanted to listen to this podcast. Because I can hear about all those people who need God, and I can pray for them! And I encourage all of you to pray for our brothers and sisters in the Lord, and for us all to praise God as He should be praised! I also would like to ask for all of you to pray for me as I try to make it through the Bible once again. Are you going to do the same thing? I would love to pray for you too in this or any other thing that you need prayer for!

 

Shalom