I stared this morning with my through the Bible readings.
I started this morning with several blogs that I have to write.
I started this morning with some concerns for my focus with my life.
I started this morning with my facebook to check up on a few of my prayer concerns(as in, people that I pray for).
What I got was a dear friend, Vicki Small’s status saying this:
“I wish I didn’t understand this post so well, that I had always “walked the walk” and spoken, as Dave says, when the Holy Spirit gave me the opportunity. Too often have I quenched the Spirit out of fear of rejection or ridicule. Not since the 9th grade, the end of my “zeal without knowledge,” have I been one to push my faith on those who weren’t interested. Ugh. In my 20’s, there were times when I tried, in fear and in trembling, to pull of some evangelistic strategy promoted by my church. The last time was such a bomb that I swore, “Never again.” The result has been most of a lifetime of NOT speaking up; on the other hand, if you’re not walking the walk, it’s best not to talk, isn’t it?
Sorry. That is not the direction of Dave’s post, and I encourage my friends who love and follow Christ Jesus to read it. It’s good for chills up your spine.
Her status shocked me.
Her words unnerved me.
Vicki is one of the ones that inspires me to be better, to be more compassionate, to be more Christ like…and she’s confessing that she doesn’t think she quenches the Holy Spirit? This blog sent chills up her spine? What does this guy say?
This not only sent chills up my spine, it set a fire under my bum.
Thanks for joining me in this journey, In His hands and under His wings, ~Christi Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear. If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest
I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!
A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. ~Lao-tzu
The quotation page suggests this quote be translated more like this:
Although this is the popular form of this quotation, a more correct translation from the original Chinese would be
“The journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one’s feet.” Rather than emphasizing the first step, Lau Tzu regarded action as something that arises naturally from stillness. Another potential phrasing would be “Even the longest journey must begin where you stand.” [note by Michael Moncur, September 01, 2004]
This saying is so enlightened, so ethereal, and so useless! Every year I take the first steps to do something new! Yea! I’ve started a journey of a thousand miles…but I never get out my front door! Starting is great..but it doesn’t amount to much unless each day, each morning, I get up, and take that next step.
Elisabeth Elliott Gren often said “When you don’t know what to do, just do the next right thing.”
AA uses this quote.
What steps are there? What would be the next right step?
Phil 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Press on….
International Standard Version says it this way:
I keep pursuing the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly call in the Messiah Jesus.
Many translate it run towards.
Later, I’m going to write about taking steps…but right now, I am dealing with my difficulty with being consistent in taking steps, no matter how small or how large.
Philipians 3:14 is a forward moving, active concept. It is NOT static. It is NOT waiting for the next step, it is MOVING toward that next step…even if there is a question.
WHAT DO I DO NEXT?
The next right thing.
WHAT IS THE NEXT RIGHT THING?
That which would glorify God at this time.
WHAT WOULD GLORIFY GOD AT THIS TIME?
For that answer, one needs to spend time with the Lord, hearing HIS voice, and following HIM.
For me – right now it is writing, and I believe that soon, it will be painting again.
For me – it is praying.
For me – it is reading my Bible through and through.
WHEN CAN I NOT DO THOSE THINGS?
With an Android phone – I can always read my Bible – no excuses.
With the tablet Jim provided by God’s grace – I can always write.
With my easel, and my supplies, soon, I can always do some art.
WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD IN ME – I CAN ALWAYS PRAY!!!
I want to consistently decide to do the NEXT RIGHT THING.
So, this year, I am combating procrastination, distraction, and even laziness.
Prov 6:10 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—
:11 then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.(Pr 24:33-34)
Psalm 90 is the song of Moses – and he is talking about the brevity of life. We are but dust – and days of our lives are nothing in comparison to the eternity of God. Our years are filled with trouble, and they end with a sigh. But, Moses prays:
Ps 90:12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Dear Lord – TEACH US TO MAKE OUR DAYS COUNT!!! FOR ETERNITY!!!
WISDOM?
Ps 111:10 The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do [his commandments]: his praise endureth for ever.
Ecclesiastes 12:1Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
BECAUSE
Eccl 12:6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
AND SOLOMON SAYS:
Eccl 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man.
:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil.
After my 51st birthday, I started sensing an urgency of time. I am past 1/2 way to 100. As Moses said:
Psalm 90:10The length of our days is seventy years–or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span [fn] is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
75 is between the two – and is only 24 years away.
My first 50 years has so many starts without finishes that, even if I tried to get everything I started done, I would NOT finish them by the time I was 75!
Starting, without finishing is the lack of consistency.
For me, I think my lack of consistency has always been about “I will have time later” or “I’ll do it tomorrow.” or distraction.
Luke 9:62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.
2008 – Jim and I participated in The Biggest Loser Million Pound Matchup – and I lost almost 40 pounds in 4 months, and completed many 5k’s. I didn’t keep it up.
2009 – after Physical Therapy, I completed a modified mini triathlon. I had lost the weight, again. I didn’t keep it up.
2010 – many surgeries…but I didn’t keep up the eating plan.
AND NOT ONCE DID I READ THROUGH THE ENTIRE BIBLE!
NOT ONCE DID I KEEP MY PRAYER JOURNAL!
I still have many unfinished projects – though I did donate many of them to worthy causes. Does that count? Of course not! I didn’t finish those projects! I want to be fit for the Kingdom of Heaven!
So – why did I fail?
Lack of consistency…I didn’t do the next right step moving towards a goal…I stood still. I stood still so long that time moved past me, and those projects became impossible to complete.
Lack of diligence…I got distracted by other projects, people and events.
Laziness…no sense of urgency. I didn’t number my days.
In 2012 – I have some goals to press on towards.
Bible Reading –
Prayer
Writing
Painting
In that order.
While doing this – I feel that I have some responsibilities.
Health
Relationships
Home
What is my responsibility, really?
To fear God, and keep His commandments. ~Solomon
Micah 6:8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
It’s simple really:
John 10: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Just listen and follow! It only costs everything!
Just be consistent!
Day By Day!
Thanks for joining me in this journey, In His hands and under His wings, ~Christi Ps 63:7Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest
I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!
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Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Peter and John – UNLEARNED AND IGNORANT
with the help of the online parallel bible
NLT says this:
The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.
ESV says uneducated, common
NIV says unschooled, ordinary
many versions agree with KJV, NIV, NLT and ESV
– these guys were NOT the elite members of society.
But, they were BOLD!
Bold is also translated COURAGE in the NIV:
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
NASB translates it as confidence.
I’m going to have to deal with that word later – courage.
Confidence is another good word!
Right now, I’m dealing with boldness – HOW DID THEY GET IT?
The key is in the last part of the verse….
They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.
KJV says
and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
ISV says
they were amazed and realized that they had been with Jesus.
I have learned the circle of joy –
I have learned the circle of peace –
Here is a circle of boldness – be with Jesus = boldness -> come boldly before the throne of God = be with Jesus -> obtain mercy and grace in time of need = face time of need with boldness!
I know there are many other verses that will come up…and this circle may get wider… but, God provides a way for us to be bold because HE is the one that gives us the ability to have courage in HIM. This is just the beginning of my journey toward boldness, courage and confidence.
Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Each one of us is given a gift – and each one of us needs to boldly walk in that gift…
1 Tim 4:14Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
:15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
… and not let the enemy deny us the fruit of that gift by filling us with negative thoughts.
2 Cor 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
My leading for this year is to BOLDLY practice the GIFTS THAT ARE WITHIN ME! This is my NEW beginnings for this year!
Thanks for joining me in this journey, In His hands and under His wings, ~Christi Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear. If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest
I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!
I am disabled right now, because I cannot get up and move around and make my own food for the Daniel Fast.
Most folks that are doing the fast are starting this coming Sunday – and are preparing this week. I didn’t get preparations made, because I was preparing for surgery. So, if I am ‘sacrificing’ food, shouldn’t I be the one sacrificing the time to prepare this special allowed food? Is it really a fair fast if I CAN’T choose to eat anything other than what I’m given?
I don’t know about that, but what I do know is that I am sitting here craving ice cream, wanting to make excuses for Jim to buy me some Wendy’s burgers so my leg will heal, and saying I’ve been through so much, I really should treat myself.
WAIT!!!
That is how I got to be 250 pounds…with weight bearing damage to my malformed ankles and knees.
That is how this temple of the Lord became inefficient in doing things FOR the Lord.
That is how my energy levels dropped, and diabetes took over, and blood work messed up.
Maybe the first part of this fast is to NOT mention my cravings…but to REALLY take them down, alone, me and GOD.
Maybe the first part of this fast is to SET THIS PERSON FREE from the bondage of all the cravings, so that I can be focused to pray for the freedom of others.
It’s worth thinking about!
Thanks for joining me in this journey, In His hands and under His wings, ~Christi Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear. If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest
I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!
The story of Joseph takes up a rather large part of Geneses.
If you include the whole story about how his father ended up with the wrong wife…and had to work for 7 more years to get to marry Rachel, Joseph’s story is HUGE!
Sister Wives – the original series! Rachel and Leah used their children to win favors with Israel/Jacob. Trading mandrakes from one’s son to win time in Israel’s tent just seems wrong.
Israel loved Rachel more than Leah, and loved Joseph more than the other sons. To prove it, he set Joseph up with a very colorful coat. One that could be seen a long way off! Distance that enabled a bun ch of jealous boys to plan a way to rid themselves from this favoritism!
Everyone assumes that Joseph shared his dreams in an arrogant fashion. I don’t read it that way in the Bible. I think that is an added, personal projection by the reader upon Joseph’s actions.
“what do these dreams mean?”
Apparently, his brothers and his father KNEW what those dreams meant…and they reprimanded him FOR HAVING THOSE DREAMS! The poor boy, he’s lost his mom, he’s got funky dreams going on, and no one to share them.
With all that going on, and actually listening to your brothers discuss whether they are going to kill you or sell you, I’m thinking that those dreams didn’t seem very real right then.
Did Joseph lose hope? He was raised up in Potipher’s house, in the Jail, and eventually in Pharoah’s house. The dreams indicated that his family would be bowing down…and his family is no where to be around.
I have dreams and visions that I believe that God has given me. When they haven’t come to pass as I think they should, I start to second guess myself…”did I hear that right? ” “did I make that up?” “did I just want something bigger to happen?”
And, then, “who do I think I am that God could use me?”
Joseph went to jail – falsely accused. Everything, except this woman’s lies, acknowledged that Joseph was an outstanding slave. This powerful person’s lies ‘destroys’ Joseph’s life.
I’ve been falsely accused by people that know the truth. The lies are so interwoven into the fabric of our lives that without God’s divine intervention, there is no way to clean up the mess. The lies can, and probably will effect some effectiveness of God’s ability to use me. Then again, God put Joseph in the prison for a time, and in order to get him set up for the real placement – at Pharoah’s right hand.
The last two years of foot and ankle and elbow surgeries have left me feeling like I’ve been in jail. I have not handled myself like Joseph – and I have not been put in charge of my ‘prison’, but that will end today. Is 58 talks about a fast that God can get behind…and part of the reason for that fast is to set the captives free.
Many people that were in concentration camps, death camps, held captive for one reason or another have said that the victory came when they realized that no one can jail their spirits! I have allowed the physical ailments to jail my spirit – to hold me back – to hold me down. I am allowing these things to keep me in a box, and I am not someone that fits into a preconceived box!
When Joseph settled in to his new life, married, two kids, then God brought about the fulfillment of the dreams. Then his brothers came and bowed down before him – like bundles of grain bowing to the one that would prevent their starvation.
I don’t know what will come about with the dreams and visions that I have had, but I know that I have to keep my eyes on the prize.
Ultimately, God used Joseph, and a famine, to bring the Israelites into the land of Goshen…setting them up for a prison of slavery…so that HE could set them free in a mighty way.
I can’t see
what God is doing with me.
I can only choose to be
everything God created in me
flowing, growing and yeildedly free.
Thanks for joining me in this journey, In His hands and under His wings, ~Christi Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear. If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest
I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!
Today is a new day.
Today is the first day of the rest of my life.
Today I start the Daniel Fast.
Isaiah 58 – this is the fast
:6 [Is] not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
:7 [Is it] not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
:8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
There is so much in this chapter….
I want to lose the bands of wickedness from off of my family…Jim, myself, and my children.
I want to undo the heavy burdens of familial sickness and wounds, and set the captives free!
And I want my light to break forth as the morning(by the morning star – Jesus), and my health to spring forth…and I want to walk in righteousness, and be rewarded by God’s glory!
I want this chapter of scripture to be released into my family and my life.
I need to review what came out of last year’s time of fasting…and seek the Lord to continue to move towards Christ likeness.
Strengthen me, O Lord, to glorify You in my body – to make this temple a place for You to dwell within.
Make me, a sanctuary
Thanks for joining me in this journey, In His hands and under His wings, ~Christi Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear. If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest
I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!
