Bumpy Monday - Pack Rat Traits (3/9/08)

On occasion, I loose sight of the penguin traits that I'd like to emulate and take on the incredible traits of a pack rat. Okay, often I do. I have many many boxes of children's school papers that I have kept. And, I've been culling the ones that have come home since 6th grade. So, I have all these boxes of papers in the attic that I should go through.

I also have just about every scrap paper on which I've written a reference to a verse. Now, some of them have other statements besides the verse address. But, many do not. Some of them are references from a sermon or lesson. I have no idea what that verse meant to me at the time I wrote it down. AUGH! It was a shiny button or trinket that caught my eye at the time. I carried it off to my nest and put it with the rest of the glittering objects.

I don't know if pack rats go back through their treasure but God calls me to do such a thing. He repeatedly tells me to remember His mighty works, to remember who He is, to remember what He has done for me. Today, I remember that He wrote my name in the book of life. He has removed my sin and remembers it no more. He has transformed my deceitful heart and given me a heart of life. God is awesome.

(Lord, thank you for saving my soul. Thank you for remembering my sin no more. Thank you for the only way to know you. Thank you for the wonderful treasure You give me through Your word. Thank you for the grace and mercy that You personally extended to me. Thank you also for the judgement. Thank you for the rules that keep me safe. Forgive me when I so bluntly ignore them. Help me to accept the necessary chastisement. Thank you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.)

Encouragement - Where does it come from?

Encouragement.  Where does it come from for you?  Where do you get that extra charge to keep going?  In what form does it present itself?  Do you need verbal encouragement or will a simple smile keep you going?  Does it matter if it's someone close to you or a complete stranger that shares it?  When do you need it the most? Do you happen to fail to notice it if it is given during good times?

I started writing this blog four years ago. (http://dailyswim.blogspot.com/2007/08/welcome-to-daily-swim.html) Sometimes it was easy to write on a regular basis.  Sometimes living life distracted me away.  I have no idea how many people read it or if anyone gets anything out of it.  I've prayed that someone would get a blessing from reading it and that it would honor God for His purpose.

Is it time to stop?  Or, is it time to be more vocal about it's existence?  I need some encouragement here.

(Father God, I leave this blog in your hands.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.)

Surround Sound

This morning I started the day by lying in bed listening to the thunder roll.  How beautiful the sound that starts way in the distance, rolls right over your head and across the horizon.  Now I sit here listening to the raindrops hit the roof and splash to the ground.  I am truly surrounded by this phenomenon known as a storm.  Have you ever considered just how amazing storms are?  How incredibly powerful lightening is?  How intense thunder happens to be?  How magnificent water is?  And, just how impressive the whole cycle is?

I am  humbled by the power of a lightening strike.  Last year I heard a woman speak who survived but lost her family to a lightening strike.  (You can check out her story at http://www.anitakscott.com.)  It's amazing.

I am so in awe of thunder.  It's the sound of the lightening.  It rumbles across the sky for miles.  I can't even see a mile in the distance.  I can barely see my computer screen sometimes.   (I guess I better go find my glasses.  After all, they do help. Ahh, that's better.)   I don't believe my kids can hear me yelling a mile away.  Mostly they aren't able to hear from the other room.  Hmm.

The rain can be gentle or pelting.  It can come down all at once and result in a flood strong enough to move a house.  It can fall over a long period of time and result in the grass growing right before your eyes.   Generally, though, it seems to fall somewhere in the middle.  It might be cold.  It might be warm.

Now, let's consider the wind.  Do you see where it comes from?  Do you see where it starts?  Do you know where it ends?  Do you know how far it has traveled?  How did it gain its strength?  It too may be soft and gentle or pelting and strong.  It is remarkable.

Today I am absorbed by the storm.  It's more than just surround sound, it's surround sight, surround feel, surround smell and surround sound all rolled up into an experience. If I weren't such a chump, I'd be out tasting the storm also.

(Father God, thank you for storms.  Thank you for the reminder of just how incredible you are.  Thank you that you hold the storms under your feet.  You are above and beyond everything the storm is.  I pray that I can be surrounded by your sound, sight, feel, taste, and smell.  In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.)

Genealogy

I've been tramping through piles of left behind papers.  I can't find all the information that I want to find.  Ugh, it's so frustrating.

There are some wonderful nuggets of information in these papers like great-grandma's marriage certificate.  Yet, there is nothing about Jephtha's personality.  How do I write about a young man that lived only 25 years?  How can I describe to you a young man that died when my mother was only a year old?  My grandmother, Jephtha's sister, has been gone for more than four years now.  Why didn't I pay more attention when she talked about her brother?  Why didn't I ask for more information while she was still here to provide it?

So, what should I do?  Should I continue this search on Jephtha's history or should I spend my time talking with the living to get their memories?  There is so much that I've lost because I was too busy with myself.  So what if the stories I hear are not specifically about Jephtha?  If I spend a few days with a World War II veteran, the stories would still be appropriate, right?

(Father God, direct me.  Place on my heart the direction that you would have for me.  Light my passion for what you have created me.  In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.)

Facebook Destroys Relationships

Recently our local news did a story on "Facebook Destroys Relationships."  It was all about how spouses were cheating using Facebook.  Every time I heard the promo for the story, I just wanted to scream.  In fact, I did find myself talking to the TV every single time.

Facebook doesn't destroy relationships.  People do.  People wound, maim, attack, pursue, frustrate, and kill relationships.  It's the people involved in the relationship that destroy it.  We were doing it without Facebook for many years.  I'm pretty sure we will keep on doing it even if Facebook goes away.

Proverbs 23:7 tell us, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, he says to you; but his heart is not with you."  Relationships are destroyed by a heart that thinks it can find something better somewhere else.  Relationships are destroyed by hearts that are unwilling to forgive.  Relationships are destroyed by hearts that are bitter and critical.  Relationships are destroyed by hearts that are not with the one they've married.  Relationships are destroyed by a heart that has placed higher importance on something or someone else.

If there are 95 things that you love about your spouse and 5 things that bug you, you've got a wonderful thing. Don't dwell on those 5 things, think on those things that are lovely, pure, right, just, honest, good.  When your heart and mind are thinking on the good things, the bad things fade into the background where they belong.  That does NOT mean that criminal offenses should be overlooked.  That means it's not important if she leaves the cap off the toothpaste.  It means that it's not important if he leaves his socks in the living room.  Don't quibble over the small stuff.

(Father God, help us to place you first in our lives so that other things may also be placed in the right order.  Thank you for the relationships you give us.  Help us to value and treasure those relationships.  In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.)

Forgiveness, Part Five

The key to forgiveness is knowing the one, true God and accepting Him as your personal Lord and Saviour.

I know a good person can forgive others.  I know that a person striving for Nirvana can forgive others.  But the complete knowledge of forgiveness can only come through the one that has complete knowledge of forgiveness because He is the author and finisher of it.  Forgiveness, like faith, originates with God.   It also finishes with God.  God completes forgiveness.  I can forgive you.  You can forgive me.  And that exchange of forgiveness is completed because God is in the beginning, middle, and end of it.  The amazing part is that even if you don't believe in God as I do, it doesn't change Him.

I accepted Christ as my Savior when I was a child.  As I grew, I tried Him.  I questioned Him.  I checked out other ideas of god.  I tried it without Him.  I tried ignoring Him.  I tried to fashion Him into something I liked.  Ultimately, I realized He does exist as defined by the Holy Scripture of the Jews and the Christians.  Scripture is His autobiography.  I don't get to take the parts I like and leave the parts I don't.  He is love.  He is just.  He is truth.  He is.

If you don't know Him, it's easy to find Him.  Many teach that you must clean yourself up or do specific things to be accepted of God.  There is nothing you can do to make yourself perfect for God.  You will always fall short.  When you recognize that, salvation is a step away.  When you reach the point that you KNOW you can't do it yourself, call out to Jesus.  One short simple prayer of belief is all it takes.

Father God, I can't do this myself.  You sent Jesus to do what I could not.  Please forgive me for trying to do it myself?  I accept what Jesus has done for me and I turn to you.  I pray this in Jesus' name.  Amen.

Finding salvation is a simple thing.  Living it out is a day by day, moment by moment adventure.  If you've just found Jesus, post a comment to let me know.  (Comments are moderated so others won't see it unless you want them to.)  I want to encourage you and help you in this adventure.

(Father God, Thank you for salvation.  I could post this prayer a million times on this blog and it would not be enough.  I am so amazed by your love for us.  I continue to learn more about you and how deep your care and love is.  Each new thing I learn makes my salvation that much more precious.  Thank you, thank you.  In the name of Jesus I pray.  Amen.)

Forgiveness, Part Four

Continuing forgiveness...  I want to live a life of continual forgiveness.  Okay, I couldn't resist the play on words there. After all, we are on part four of this series.

Still, I do desire to honor God by forgiving others.  I don't have any reason to hold a grudge.  I don't have a reason to keep a score card.  I did this for him.  He hasn't returned an equitable favor.  NOPE.  That is not how I want to live.  She did that to me.  She has a lot of making up for it.  NOPE.  That is not how I want to live.

I want each day to be filled with forgiveness.  If someone offends me I want to forgive immediately.  I don't want to have to think about it.  I want it to be so natural and normal.  And, when I offend another, I want to seek forgiveness just as quickly.

I really want to seek quick forgiveness when I've offended my Saviour and God.  I want to be so disgusted by sin that when I do - and I will - I immediately recognize it, turn from it, and ask forgiveness for it.  I've heard that counterfeit experts do not study the fake money, they study the real stuff.  They know the real thing so well that they can immediately spot a fake.  That's how I want to be.  I want to spend my time thinking on things that are right, pure, just, lovely, honest, of good report, friendly, etc.  That way when lies, gossip, and discontent work their way into my thoughts, I can recognize them and remove them.  If I take care of the issue at the root (in my mind), it doesn't show evidence on the tree (in actions and speech).

Yes, continuing forgiveness...

(Father God, I am so grateful for your continuing forgiveness.  Each day I seek to cleanse my feet from the dust of the day and you are faithful to forgive.  Thank you.  In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.)