Have I mentioned my current favorite devotional?
https://skyejethani.com/with-god-daily-devotional/
My small group of women are each on a journey. We have very different lives and seemingly different issues. As we meet weekly to share and study a book we picked up; we've been (I've been) dissatisfied with the depth of the study we chose. After 3 weeks, I found myself convicted of my complaining. If I wanted more depth, my Bible is right there in front of me. I can always ask God to reveal more to me. Or... perhaps God wants me to focus on just what is before me. Am I seeking to feed my pride through some great revelation or understanding I've not had before? Because pride is a constant companion in my life.
So I slowed down and looked at what I could glean from the study. In Acts, comparing Peter and Paul's lives. My first thought is yada yada yada, been here, done that. I went through the homework actually being sarcastic at some of the questions asked in the book. "Really? That is what you're asking me?" So I went back over my answers and saw something ... surrender. They surrendered their lives to the will of God. LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE IT MADE IN THE WORLD! Not just in their own lives, but the world. Jesus built His church on their lives, their witness, their teaching. How amazing the idea of surrender is.
Am I brave enough to truly surrender?
So I shared with our little group.
The next day I read my With God Daily devotional. It was on love and culture. God's people were slaves and exiles attempting to live Godly lives stuck in pagan lands. Then we look at Jesus' incarnation. The difference is He chose his engagement. He chose to come down to us and engage, to be a servant, to live with us. Even in the face of rejection, hatred and murder.
That made me think.
I need to surrender without expecting the other people in my life to behave properly. My surrendering isn't the ticket to getting what I want or having my problems solved. Surrender is the role Christ had and it's the role I have.
It's hard. I'm a fighter. I think sometimes the greatest battles are won by not fighting back. God is bigger than these issues. If we need to rest and recuperate I believe God makes space for that in our lives. Yet we are called to love, regardless of where we are.
Where is God calling me to surrender? Where might God be calling you to surrender?
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
cough...sputter... surrender
My new favorite devotional is With God by Skye Jethani.
https://skyejethani.com/with-god-daily-devotional/
It's short, he links to scripture, even includes a prayer at the end (though with my current life I don't always have time to get down that far).
More importantly, it's deep. He builds day to day on the same topic and I find that is really powerful in my life. Do you ever notice how God speaks to you in multiple ways when He's trying to get your attention?
You hear a sermon at church. You hear the same message in a clip on the radio. A similar issue comes up in the life of a friend (and now 'magically' you have scripture to pray over them because you've heard it a few times already). A song comes on the radio and it speaks to that same message from God. Hey girl, God is speaking to you! Do you hear His voice? I hear Him all the time. I have a friend who like really hears Him. She's so close to God He practically directs her day. It's beautiful.
My message of late is (cough, sputter) surrender.
Can I share that I hate that word? It makes me afraid and fear is not something I suffer from. I'm not a worrier, I don't ring my hands over issues generally. I'm far too pragmatic for such behavior. Yet, if you enter the word surrender into my life, suddenly I worry, "Oh no, what is God going to ask me for?" "Do I have to give up everything and go work on a missionary field without access to a good manicurist and my daily cup of oh so carefully made coffee?"* or worse, will He take me somewhere away from daily access to a computer? Egaads what would I do?
The answer to that is... I would, nay -- I will -- do what God calls me to do.
My fear of surrender involves several things.
1. Giving up my belief that I'm in control.
2. Giving up my belief that there is control to be had.
3. Realizing God has the BEST plan for me.
4. Realizing all my plans are for not without His blessing and guidance.
When I fear being homeless due to some catastrophic event... I hear the Holy Spirit whisper in my ear, I'll be with you should that happen. Then I think, of the people we are most inspired by, who among them hasn't endured some kind of tragedy? Who hasn't walked through a fire holding fiercely to Jesus as their endurance?
And I think... OK, surrender.
God's will for my life.
How courageous am I?
*Some could say I don't even drink coffee. I drink Folgers instant in very specific measure with creamer and sugar. I don't even let others make it for me. But still, I love my coffee.
https://skyejethani.com/with-god-daily-devotional/
It's short, he links to scripture, even includes a prayer at the end (though with my current life I don't always have time to get down that far).
More importantly, it's deep. He builds day to day on the same topic and I find that is really powerful in my life. Do you ever notice how God speaks to you in multiple ways when He's trying to get your attention?
You hear a sermon at church. You hear the same message in a clip on the radio. A similar issue comes up in the life of a friend (and now 'magically' you have scripture to pray over them because you've heard it a few times already). A song comes on the radio and it speaks to that same message from God. Hey girl, God is speaking to you! Do you hear His voice? I hear Him all the time. I have a friend who like really hears Him. She's so close to God He practically directs her day. It's beautiful.
My message of late is (cough, sputter) surrender.
Can I share that I hate that word? It makes me afraid and fear is not something I suffer from. I'm not a worrier, I don't ring my hands over issues generally. I'm far too pragmatic for such behavior. Yet, if you enter the word surrender into my life, suddenly I worry, "Oh no, what is God going to ask me for?" "Do I have to give up everything and go work on a missionary field without access to a good manicurist and my daily cup of oh so carefully made coffee?"* or worse, will He take me somewhere away from daily access to a computer? Egaads what would I do?
The answer to that is... I would, nay -- I will -- do what God calls me to do.
My fear of surrender involves several things.
1. Giving up my belief that I'm in control.
2. Giving up my belief that there is control to be had.
3. Realizing God has the BEST plan for me.
4. Realizing all my plans are for not without His blessing and guidance.
When I fear being homeless due to some catastrophic event... I hear the Holy Spirit whisper in my ear, I'll be with you should that happen. Then I think, of the people we are most inspired by, who among them hasn't endured some kind of tragedy? Who hasn't walked through a fire holding fiercely to Jesus as their endurance?
And I think... OK, surrender.
God's will for my life.
How courageous am I?
*Some could say I don't even drink coffee. I drink Folgers instant in very specific measure with creamer and sugar. I don't even let others make it for me. But still, I love my coffee.
Friday, August 14, 2015
thoughts on the business of work
i so love reading. One of the reasons I'm in love with the internet is the ability to find so many ideas and opinions. What's especially exciting is finding sites where the writing and ideas are well thought out, intelligent and even witty. That, my friend, is a gold mine.
The newest site to thus far fall under that category is medium.
My first post from this site was sent by a lovely friend.
I'm nice, so I'll share it below. it does help if you have already been following the 'tiny house' world and even better if you've found yourself imagining living in one. Perhaps a small commune of tiny houses (that's a particular favorite idea of mine with maybe a little club house to fulfill the larger gatherings we sometimes choose to be a part of. And of course, a craft room because there ain't no way all my craft stuff will fit in a tiny house.)
Tiny House Humor here (note language involved)
So having worked in various sized companies in corporate America and smaller companies, and working for myself... I have perhaps a different view (or perhaps the same view as everyone else... it's not something I've had much opportunity to discuss yet).
I read the following article.
Grilling the Government about the On-Demand Economy
I have thought about the 'on demand' economy and now have a term for it. Thank you. I tend to lean towards the opportunity for people to work for themselves and yet totally see the importance of protecting people/employees/contractors on the lower rungs of the workforce. Not everyone is in a position to protect themselves.
I appreciate the tension between contractors and employees and am frustrated by the lack of morality that allows people to pursue the almighty $$$ over being fair and taking appropriate care of your people (contractors or employees). I thought the laws on the definition were reasonably clear. I don't personally think Uber drivers are employees. However, I can see a housekeeper, who has hours and a set schedule, who comes daily/weekly could be one. We just need to do the right thing.
Perhaps the problem is that nobody asked ME! :)
I also learned a new word. It is an attitude I'm sad to say I have seen run rampant at many companies.
fungible
adjective
(of good contracted for without an individual specimen being specified) able to replace or be replaced by another identical item; mutually interchangeable.
"money is fungible--money that is raised for one purpose can easily be used for another"
People really aren't fungible. There should be some of this, cross training, ability to switch roles and learn new things, but you can't swap out a 20 year veteran at a company for a 20 year old on his first job. That experience and knowledge have value.
Upon further thought, our governments do this with earmarked funds all the time. Remember when California voted to allow the lottery with the understanding that it would "fund education" and thus would be this boon to our state? Well, the government just took money out of the education budget in other ways leaving education without this anticipated financial benefit. Way to go California. (note sarcasm if it isn't one of your languages)
The newest site to thus far fall under that category is medium.
My first post from this site was sent by a lovely friend.
I'm nice, so I'll share it below. it does help if you have already been following the 'tiny house' world and even better if you've found yourself imagining living in one. Perhaps a small commune of tiny houses (that's a particular favorite idea of mine with maybe a little club house to fulfill the larger gatherings we sometimes choose to be a part of. And of course, a craft room because there ain't no way all my craft stuff will fit in a tiny house.)
Tiny House Humor here (note language involved)
So having worked in various sized companies in corporate America and smaller companies, and working for myself... I have perhaps a different view (or perhaps the same view as everyone else... it's not something I've had much opportunity to discuss yet).
I read the following article.
Grilling the Government about the On-Demand Economy
I have thought about the 'on demand' economy and now have a term for it. Thank you. I tend to lean towards the opportunity for people to work for themselves and yet totally see the importance of protecting people/employees/contractors on the lower rungs of the workforce. Not everyone is in a position to protect themselves.
I appreciate the tension between contractors and employees and am frustrated by the lack of morality that allows people to pursue the almighty $$$ over being fair and taking appropriate care of your people (contractors or employees). I thought the laws on the definition were reasonably clear. I don't personally think Uber drivers are employees. However, I can see a housekeeper, who has hours and a set schedule, who comes daily/weekly could be one. We just need to do the right thing.
Perhaps the problem is that nobody asked ME! :)
I also learned a new word. It is an attitude I'm sad to say I have seen run rampant at many companies.
fungible
adjective
(of good contracted for without an individual specimen being specified) able to replace or be replaced by another identical item; mutually interchangeable.
"money is fungible--money that is raised for one purpose can easily be used for another"
People really aren't fungible. There should be some of this, cross training, ability to switch roles and learn new things, but you can't swap out a 20 year veteran at a company for a 20 year old on his first job. That experience and knowledge have value.
Upon further thought, our governments do this with earmarked funds all the time. Remember when California voted to allow the lottery with the understanding that it would "fund education" and thus would be this boon to our state? Well, the government just took money out of the education budget in other ways leaving education without this anticipated financial benefit. Way to go California. (note sarcasm if it isn't one of your languages)
Thursday, August 13, 2015
things that make me smile
Looking to purchase a set of clippers for my dog, so of course I went on Amazon and read reviews and questions. Always nice when other people do the work for you.
This question made me laugh:
So the gel lubricant for these clippers. Can I buy it somewhere. My dog ate the bottle before I could use it.
Gotta love our puppies.
This question made me laugh:
So the gel lubricant for these clippers. Can I buy it somewhere. My dog ate the bottle before I could use it.
Gotta love our puppies.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
does God want us to enjoy life?
I know many of us enjoy Joyce Meyer’s teaching. I’m not suggesting you stop listening, but I
recently signed up for one of her weekly teachings with a bible study attached
and was going through it when I hit the stop button.
I have to point out that when listening to ANYONE you really need to let the Holy Spirit be a filter of wisdom to what you are hearing. We are encouraged in Acts 17:11Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
To listen and then reason to see if what we are being taught is true.
If you aren’t already aware, there is a lot of concern over some of the things Joyce teaches. I would be wary of any “name it and claim it”* or “prosperity”* teaching she shares. *(hereinafter called Gimme Teachers J)
So, what I saw.. FAITH 101: New Life in Christ “Joyce
University”God wants you to enjoy your life , and the only way you
can do that is to discover and experience the abundant life Jesus gives.
JOHN 10:10 says: The thief comes
only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life , and have it in
abundance (to the full, till it overflows).
The bible does NOT SAY God
wants us to enjoy life. Joyce added this
and she added it to scripture without a disclaimer that she was doing so (a
rule of thumb I use when listening to teachers)
I did a quick word study** on this to see what the original language was
and enjoy is not in the list.
What concerns me is this
is a false teaching by others Joyce is associated with. Why is this an issue you may
ask?
The idea that God is
primarily concerned with our ENJOYMENT or WEALTH or HAPPINESS is just not true. Look at the fruit of the
spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
gentleness, faithfulness, goodness and self-control (I always get a tickle in
my throat on the self-control…)
If this is what God seeks to
build in our lives, if this is the product of our loving Him and showing others
who He is in our lives… I don’t see enjoyment on the list.
Is enjoyment possible? ABSOLUTELY… but it’s not a biblical
directive, it’s a potential side effect of living for God. My argument with such teaching (and I’m
referring to the Gimme Teaching as a whole here, not just Joyce) is that they
treat God like a genie or ATM who wants to give us all good things and we just
have to ask.
Moms… do we want to give our
kids all good things? Yes.
Is this all we give our
kids? No.
Are some of the good things
we give our kids not considered good by our kids?
As parents we must look ahead
to the ramifications of behavior. We are
training our children to be good, decent, contributing members of society and
yes, we want them to enjoy life and we want to bless them in any way we can…
but that desire to bless them is tempered with not spoiling them by giving them
everything they ask for.
God identifies himself as our
Father and uses this language repeatedly in talking to us about who He is.
I don’t actually put Joyce in
the same camp as the other “name it and claim it” or “prosperity”
teachers. She is more biblically correct
than they are. I also think that she
speaks really strongly to people with anxiety and fear issues and teaches
boldly about these. That’s why I don’t
just cross her off my list of teachers.
I still think we need to “be Bereans” and be wise, checking what we hear
with God’s word.
p.s.
** sources for easy word
study online (images of examples below:
- Read NASB version of bible (I usually pull up paralell versions with NIV and NASB to ensure I understand what I’m reading.)
- (I also like AMP Amplified Bible which is the KJV with a commentary kind of built in to the verses.)
- www.biblegateway.com
- John 10:10 – paralell
- https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2010%3A10&version=NIV;NASB
- Read the whole
paragraph and if necessary the whole chapter.
Remember context is king.
- Look up Greek word in Strong's Concordance (and don’t you just love technology?!! You can do that online with a few clicks HERE!)
- Life:
- abundantly
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
sad chickens?
I sent a friend at work this...
me:
me:
friend: has feathers
me: how does one know the chicken is unhappy?
friend: 
he looks sad
he looks sad
me: ha ha ha
friend: cluuuuuck....sniff... cluuuuuck
I love my friends!!!
Friday, May 16, 2014
"overheard" office humor
T: haha yes well
T: I think you should make me a meal plan with recipes
T: hahaha
E: haha
T: you laugh
T: but I'm serious
E: I think you confuse our friendship with indentured servitude
T: I think you should make me a meal plan with recipes
T: hahaha
E: haha
T: you laugh
T: but I'm serious
E: I think you confuse our friendship with indentured servitude
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