God Works in Mysterious Ways...

God works in mysterious ways...

He presents Himself where query and oblivion intersect.

Do you trust Him?

Psalm 119:105[ n Nun ] Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.Psalm 119:104-106 (in Context) Psalm 119 (Whole Chapter)

FEAR

KEEP YOUR FOCUS ON GOD.

distractions, hurts, insults, fear, gossip, abuse, misunderstanding, worry, fear, hate, loneliness, war, depression, anger, fear...

KEEP YOUR FOCUS ON GOD.

fear. pride. fear. arrogance. fear. hate. fear. anxiety. fear.

~

Do not be afraid, I am with you always.

KEEP YOUR FOCUS ON GOD.

If God is for you, who can stand against you?

KEEP YOUR FOCUS ON GOD.

I did not come to judge the world, I came to save it.

KEEP YOUR FOCUS ON GOD.

Forgive me Lord and help me to

KEEP MY FOCUS ON GOD!

~

LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS,

SELF-CONTROL

KEEP YOUR FOCUS ON GOD!

Ego

The gentleness of Christ is evident in the way he treated others. As a Christ-follower, do I give honour to my King by treating others the way he did?

Jesus showed mercy when He died on the cross. As a Christ-follower, do I show mercy by putting myself aside and focus on the needs of others?

The Holy Spirit longs to guide and teach us, to help us with our walk to know God and to become all the God intended us to be. Am I allowing this to happen in my life or am I rejecting His lead?

Yeah. I am sure many of you ask these same questions. Some days the answers to these questions are much more pleasing to the ego than other days...that being said, what is "ego"?

Ego could be defined as "excessive self-esteem" or from a psychoanalytical aspect, ego could be defined as "that part of the mind that encompasses self-consciousness and memory that determines a person's behaviour in reality", or from a Freudian perspective, ego is "the part of the personality that takes rational account of external reality in the expression of instinctive sexual and aggressive urge"(-thank you Psyc 101). In Freudian theory, Ego fits between Id (desire) and Superego (morality) as it mediates between the two...but that's for another posting...

Back to "ego." I will define ego as "excessive self-esteem" in this posting. We are all prone to excessive self-esteem as some point in our lives and some more than others. Now one would think that Jesus would have full control over ego because the term "excessive" is usually determined as a negative descriptive to this phrase. No one (that I know of anyways) runs around complimenting others' "excessive self-esteem"...not without sarcasm dripping from their words. So, we could assume that Jesus struggled with controlling ego just as we do, but that He was able to exercise healthy self-esteem versus excessive self-esteem. How did He do that??

I mean, He was an exceptional child...no sin, the ideal, well behaved, model of a child...I have read stories where people try to recreate what Jesus might have been like as a child. Anne Rice, in her novel Christ the Lord Out of Egypt, creates a situation where Jesus gets frustrated with a bully and accidentally kills him, and of course raises him back to life. Now, I have trouble with that concept; however, it apparently makes for a good story. Still, if Jesus was brought up to be the model child, and (wait for it...) the model teenager...

...Oh, sorry, I was caught up in a utopian moment...where was I?

Right. Jesus, becoming an ideal model of a man...

How did he do it? How was it that He kept his ego in check? Did He surround himself with ideal family members...that must have been quite a family. And what about His friends? How is it that they had little influence on forming His personality? And what about the miracles??? Anybody else performing the miracles Jesus performed would be heading for a collision with an inflated ego at some point, surely!

But Jesus avoided that. And I am fairly confident I know how....Do you?

Judge Not

Be careful not to judge others...you never know the whole story...

Luke 6:36-38 (New International Version)

36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Trust

~

Trust and be obedient. Leave the outcome to God.

~

Os Hillman - http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/marketplace/

Where Did My Heart Go?

Gloomy, dreary, blah.

Bright, cheerful, wow.

How I long for quiet.

How I long for voices.

How I long for peace.

How I long for celebration.

Today outside is dreary.

Today in my heart is...

My heart is....

Abba? Where did my heart go?

Abba? ...Abba?

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:3-5 (in Context) Psalm 37 (Whole Chapter)

Strength

Strength:

1: the quality or state of being strong : capacity for exertion or endurance

2: power to resist force : solidity , toughness

3: power of resisting attack : impregnability

4 a: legal, logical, or moral force b: a strong attribute or inherent asset

5 a: degree of potency of effect or of concentration b: intensity of light, color, sound, or odor c: vigor of expression

6: force as measured in numbers : effective numbers of any body or organization

7: one regarded as embodying or affording force or firmness : support

8: maintenance of or a rising tendency in a price level : firmness of prices

9: basis —used in the phrase on the strength of

~Merriam-Webster Online

Strength:

Exodus 15:2The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.Exodus 15:1-3 (in Context) Exodus 15 (Whole Chapter)

Numbers 23:22God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox.Numbers 23:21-23 (in Context) Numbers 23 (Whole Chapter)

Deuteronomy 3:28But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see."Deuteronomy 3:27-29 (in Context) Deuteronomy 3 (Whole Chapter)

Deuteronomy 6:5Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.Deuteronomy 6:4-6 (in Context) Deuteronomy 6 (Whole Chapter)

1 Samuel 2:4"The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.1 Samuel 2:3-5 (in Context) 1 Samuel 2 (Whole Chapter)

1 Samuel 23:16And Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.1 Samuel 23:15-17 (in Context) 1 Samuel 23 (Whole Chapter)

Philippians 4:13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.Philippians 4:12-14 (in Context) Philippians 4 (Whole Chapter)

1 Thessalonians 3:13May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 (in Context) 1 Thessalonians 3 (Whole Chapter)

2 Timothy 4:17But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth.2 Timothy 4:16-18 (in Context) 2 Timothy 4 (Whole Chapter)

~The Bible (NIV)

Disappointment

~

We never know when our disappointment will be His appointment. ~Chuck Swindoll

[Job said,] "I know that You can do all things and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted." Job 42:2

~

Read, Reflect, and Apply

We read the Word of God and perhaps we reflect upon it momentarily, but do we take the time to really let the Holy Spirit work in us to transform our hearts and minds such that we apply what we have read to our lives daily?

It can be difficult because it challenges us to perhaps change our thinking or our behaviour. We are required to be courageous and deliberately steadfast in this endevour and at times it can be overwhelming or discouraging. But take heart! God will reward your perserverence!

You can do it!

Take time right now to read the Word, pick a verse or even a chapter, read it, and then prayerfully reflect upon it. Let the Holy Spirit minister to you and then take that treasure of transformation and apply it to your life, to the Glory of God!

Santiago 1:22 (Nueva Versión Internacional)
22 No se contenten sólo con escuchar la palabra, pues así se engañan ustedes mismos. Llévenla a la práctica.

Jacques 1:22 (La Bible du Semeur)
22 Seulement, ne vous contentez pas de l'écouter, traduisez-la en actes, sans quoi vous vous tromperiez vous-mêmes.

Yakobo 1:22 (Swahili New Testament)
22 Basi muwe watendaji wa neno na wala msiwe wasikilizaji tu, ambao wanajidanganya wenyewe.

雅 各 書 1:22 (Chinese Union Version (Simplified))
22 只 是 你 们 要 行 道 ， 不 要 单 单 听 道 ， 自 己 欺 哄 自 己 。

ﻳﻌﻘﻮﺏ 1:22 (Arabic Life Application Bible)
22 لاَ تَكْتَفُوا فَقَطْ بِسَمَاعِهَا، بَلِ اعْمَلُوا بِهَا، وَإِلاَّ كُنْتُمْ تَغُشُّونَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ.

Иакова 1:22 (Slovo Zhizny)
22 При этом будьте не только слушателями слова, но и исполнителями его, иначе вы просто обманываете себя.

Jakobus 1:22 (Hoffnung für Alle)
22 [a]Allerdings genügt es nicht, seine Botschaft nur anzuhören; ihr müsst auch danach handeln. Alles andere ist Selbstbetrug!

James 1:22 (Maori Bible)
22 Hei kaimahi ano koutou i te kupu, kaua hei kaiwhakarongo anake, kei tinihangatia koutou e koutou ano.

Santiago 1:22 (Hiligaynon Bible)
22 Indi lamang kamo magpamati sa iya mga pulong kundi dapat tumanon ninyo ang iya ginasiling sa inyo. Kay kon indi, ginadayaan ninyo ang inyo kaugalingon.

James 1:22 (New International Version)
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

The Need To Be Busy

What a past few days!!! Night shifts, day shifts, meetings, papers, family, animals (of the furry kind - not immediate relatives or friends), a conference, a birthday, the gym, basketball, music lessons, and somewhere throughout it all...God-time. Oi! I forgot this was Monday! ...And now I am winding down to prepare myself for some more research and more papers. Does it stop??? Or here is a better question, "Do I want it to stop?"

Am I addicted to busyness? Am I trying to keep busy to avoid something? ....Well, in a way, to be honest, yes. But for the most part, no.


Now it is Wednesday and I am wrapping my brain around the things yet to do...I am not caught up yet.


Day in and day out things keep moving and I am pulled in to participate, contribute where I am called or where I recognize need. We all do it, everyday...well, most of us do it everyday. There are some of us who would love to be busy. Have things to do, places to go, people to see, animals to tend to, or even just the ability to leave the premises for a walk with God. But they can't. They are prisoners of their circumstances. And I don't just mean literal "prisoners". There are others that are bound by illness who can't do as they desire. There are those bound by oppression, slaves to another. Did you know that the human slave trade is alive and well in many countries including Canada and the United States?? Children are especially vulnerable. And don't even get me started on Cambodia or the Congo!!!! Freedoms stolen from us. Our choices vetoed by others. Confinement by illness.

That being said, I want to make you aware of a few things...

1) International Justice Mission at http://www.ijm.org/ This group is doing amazing 'freedom fighting' for the oppressed in the world. Particularly around the sex slave trade. Please take some time to check it out and pray about how you can help them, even if it is spreading the word to others about what they do.

2) Heart and Stroke Foundation at http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.2796497/k.F922/Heart_Disease_Stroke_and_Healthy_Living.htm
Though this is Canadian, heart disease is international and preventative health is the BEST medicine! This site has everything from recipes and risk assessments to multicultural resources. Perhaps you want to make a healthy lifestyle change and need some help...this is a good place to start.

3) Tar Sands in Alberta at http://oilsandstruth.org/ or http://www.tarsandswatch.org/ I wanted to bring this to the attention of my readers, so you will, again, search your hearts and determine to do something to make positive change in this world.

There is so much we take for granted, including our "busy-ness". There is so much we could do for ourselves, in our community, and in the world to keep busy, but in a good and healthy way. Burning ourselves out with activity is not a good thing, but consciously choosing those activities that not only get things done that need to be done, but also make this world a better place for all to live...well, that is our choice and I would like to encourage you to exercise your choice before your ability to choose is taken away. This is a call to action...get busy.

Where there is a need, there is a choice for you to meet that need. We can not meet every need, but with God's guidance, we can meet the need He has placed before us and succeed.
Genesis 14:14-16 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=gen%2014:14-16;&version=65;
Luke 10: 25-37 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2010:%2025-37;&version=31;

I do not advocate for violence.

Wait for it....

Where Can You Help?

Look not only with your eyes - Look with your heart!

What can you do to make a world of difference? If you don't know, pray about it!

Ask Jesus to show you where you can help.

The possibilities are endless!

Don't make excuses. Time is running out!

Reach out with the Love and Truth of Jesus Christ!

In your own community, in a community afar...

Embrace a servant's heart and show the Love of God.

Here are a few places to start...

Shevet Achim - http://www.shevet.org/

Kiva - http://www.kiva.org/

Asian Outreach - http://www.asianoutreach.org/

Ryan's Well Foundation - http://www.ryanswell.ca/

Prison Fellowship - http://www.prisonfellowship.org/site_hmpg.asp

Lord, Help us to see with Your eyes, hear with Your ears, and respond with Your heart.

Test the Spirits

Can you feel it?

Feel what?

The Spirit.

Ummm, nope.

Stop, listen. God is speaking. Can you hear Him?

Ummm, that'd be a nope once again.

Oh...I hear change...

Loonies perhaps???

Seriously! I sense change.

Uh-huh...do you sense any need for medication??

Sigh.

Look, whatever you are sensing...what does that have to do with me? And don't you think that if you are having a revelationary moment with God and that if He wanted to confirm it through me or anyone or anything else, He would do it in His time?! ...And it would line up with His Word? And...

Okay...okay...I hear you! I just really felt like I sensed the Spirit.

Hold on to it and pray about it. God will confirm the Truth. Otherwise, put it on the mental shelf of 'live and learn' and move on.

Sigh...I give it to God. You are right. If God wants me to know something, He will get my attention and He will reveal it to me, and I will know it is Him because it will align with His Truth.


1 John 4:1[ Test the Spirits ] Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.1 John 4:1-3 (in Context) 1 John 4 (Whole Chapter)

I Am Drowning...Help

Today, this is me.
I am drowning and looking to Jesus to get me out of this calamity!
Peter, my brother, I feel for you! ~mp

For You

I want you to know something. No matter what happens, No matter where you are, No matter how you feel, I love you. I love you with a love that is deeper and more pure than you comprehend. I love you unconditionally. I will always love you. Know this: I love you.
~Abba

Thought for the Day

The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.

~ Frederick Beuchner

What Are You Grateful For?

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my friends, family, and my blogging community a Happy Thanksgiving!

I am grateful for the love and support over this past year, for the words of encouragement spoken and written...oi, the words! If you have read The Five Love Languages written by Gary Chapman, you would know what I mean when I say that I receive love most powerfully by words. I am the type of person that will take 5 or 10 minutes (or more) to think of the right words to sign on a get well card for someone in the office. But, I am also greatly damaged by words. Are you familiar with the rhyme, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me"? This rhyme is a lie for me. (For most, I assume.) I am affected by words spoken, and especially written, that are negative in context and/or specifically meant to malign. I have learned though, to fight words with Words. The Word is my sword. When damaging words come my way, I fight back with the Living Word...For the Word of God is alive and powerful! This is one of the top most things I am thankful for this season. God's Word.

Another thing I am grateful for is the differing perspectives in this world and the challenge, for me, to defend my beliefs and the ability in my society to be able to defend and/or speak my beliefs without persecution. Without violence, to dialogue about issues is a blessed experience. I have learned so much, and there is so much more to learn about myself, about others, about the world, about God...it is a beautiful thing. I am thankful for freedom of speech.

I am also thankful for the beauty of God's creation. This past year has been a year of reclaiming my love for the outdoors. I grew up exploring, in wonder, the great outdoors. I did not travel around the world to survey the "greatest wonders" of the world, I only had to go to my backyard to find wonders of fantastic proportions. God has spoken to me, wooing me into a deeper relationship with Him by the beauty and wonder of His creation. And I am listening with not only my ears, but with my eyes, with touch, with my heart and soul. I am thankful that the Lord calls to me out of love for me.

Thankfulness, being grateful for all that we have is the theme of Thanksgiving, it should be the theme of each day, but this day, we take time to deliberately celebrate our blessings and the provision of our God. Despite this time of economic turmoil, we can still take time to be thankful, and I thank God that we do this nationally, Christian or not, expressing thankfulness for all that has come our way.

A personal favourite verse:

Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:14-16 (in Context) Colossians 3 (Whole Chapter)

Gary Chapman - http://www.fivelovelanguages.com/

Indian Moon Moths, Lord of the Rings, and My Blog

Okay, I do not know what the deal is with Indian Moon Moths and my blog, but I figured I would provide the info that people seem to be looking for in one post...

For somewhat scholastic info on the Indian Moon Moth (Actias selene) click on the wikipedia link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actias_selene

Now, for those of you who want to go deeper into the world of fantasy, and noticed at the bottom of the wikipedia article that in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, an Indian Moon Moth serves as a messenger between Gwaihir and Gandalf and you, like me, is wondering who in the middle earth is Gwaihir....click here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwaihir#Gwaihir

Now for those of you who just want to read some light info on a caterpillar that slinked onto my property and presented itself as a mystery to a curious mind...click here:

Indian Moon Moth Caterpillar?

Oh-tee-do...I think that about covers it. If any of you have anything to add, please leave a comment.

A Prayer at Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur was yesterday, it is the day of Atonement in the Jewish calendar. A day where you humbly come before God to seek forgiveness for your sins. A friend of mine presented me with this prayer that was written to be spoken on this day. I believe the author may be Rachel Barenblat.

AL CHET SHECHATATI L’FANECHA... ...על חטא שחטאתי לפניך

I need to speak these words aloud and to know that the universe hears them.I get caught in old patterns and paradigms; I am stubborn and hard-headed.In the last year I have missed the mark more than I want to admit.Forgive me, Source of all being, for the sin I have sinned before you
By allowing my body to be an afterthought too often and too easily;
By not walking, running, leaping, climbing or dancing although I am able;
By eating in my car and at my desk, mindlessly and without blessing;
By not embracing those who needed it, and not allowing myself to be embraced;
By not praising every body's beauty, with our quirks and imperfections.
By letting my emotions run roughshod over the needs of others;
By poking at sources of hurt like a child worrying a sore tooth;
By revealing my heart before those who neither wanted nor needed to see it;
By hiding love, out of fear of rejection, instead of giving love freely;
By dwelling on what's internal when the world is desperate for healing.
By indulging in intellectual argument without humility or consideration;
By reading words of vitriol, cultivating hot indignation;
By eschewing intellectual discomfort that might prod me into growing;
By living in anticipation, and letting anxiety rule me;
By accepting defeatist thinking and the comfortable ache of despair.
By not being awake and grateful, despite uncountable blessings;
By not being sufficiently gentle, with my actions or with my language;
By being not pliant and flexible, but obstinate, stark, and unbending;
By not being generous with my time, with my words or with my being;
By not being kind to everyone who crosses my wandering path.
For all of these, eternal Source of forgiveness
Help me know myself to be pardoned
Help me feel in my bones that I'm forgiven
Remind me I'm always already at one with You.

Victory in Jesus

This morning I was thinking about the poem I wrote in my previous post and how some days victory seems like an illusion instead of a reality. For me, today was one of those days (and a horrid day it was...). As I pondered this concept of victory, this song filled my mind and I thought I would share it...perhaps like me, you will be humming this well into the evening - it is kinda hard to get out of your head once you get it in there:)

Victory in Jesus

I heard an old, old story,

How a Savior came from glory,

How He gave His life on Calvary

To save a wretch like me;

I heard about His groaning,

Of His precious blood's atoning,

Then I repented of my sins

And won the victory.


Chorus

O victory in Jesus,

My Savior, forever.

He sought me and bought me

With His redeeming blood;

He loved me ere I knew Him

And all my love is due Him,

He plunged me to victory,

Beneath the cleansing flood.


I heard about His healing,

Of His cleansing pow'r revealing.

How He made the lame to walk again

And caused the blind to see;

And then I cried,

"Dear Jesus,Come and heal my broken spirit,"

And somehow Jesus came and bro't

To me the victory.



Chorus

O victory in Jesus,

My Savior, forever.

He sought me and bought me

With His redeeming blood;

He loved me ere I knew Him

And all my love is due Him,

He plunged me to victory,

Beneath the cleansing flood.



I heard about a mansion

He has built for me in glory.

And I heard about the streets of gold

Beyond the crystal sea;

About the angels singing,

And the old redemption story,

And some sweet day I'll sing up there

The song of victory.



Chorus

O victory in Jesus,

My Savior, forever.

He sought me and bought me

With His redeeming blood;

He loved me ere I knew Him

And all my love is due Him,

He plunged me to victory,

Beneath the cleansing flood.

Victory?

Tired...Lonely...Abandoned...Scared

Looking...Waiting...Hoping

Longing...Praying

Salvation

Surprised

Doubting...Anxious

Looking...Waiting...Hoping

Perservering...Determined...Focused...Unwavering

Victory?

Victory.

Victory!

Jesus Loves You

Jesus loves you.

...Yes, you!

The God of the universe loves you...will you love Him?

1 John 4:7 [ God Is Love ] My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God.1 John 4:6-8 (in Context) 1 John 4 (Whole Chapter)

When Push Comes to Shove

As I am working my way through the book of John in The Message, I was struck by these verses:
42-43On the other hand, a considerable number from the ranks of the leaders did believe. But because of the Pharisees, they didn't come out in the open with it. They were afraid of getting kicked out of the meeting place. When push came to shove they cared more for human approval than for God's glory.
44-46Jesus summed it all up when he cried out, "Whoever believes in me, believes not just in me but in the One who sent me. Whoever looks at me is looking, in fact, at the One who sent me. I am Light that has come into the world so that all who believe in me won't have to stay any longer in the dark.
47-50"If anyone hears what I am saying and doesn't take it seriously, I don't reject him. I didn't come to reject the world; I came to save the world. But you need to know that whoever puts me off, refusing to take in what I'm saying, is willfully choosing rejection. The Word, the Word-made-flesh that I have spoken and that I am, that Word and no other is the last word. I'm not making any of this up on my own. The Father who sent me gave me orders, told me what to say and how to say it. And I know exactly what his command produces: real and eternal life. That's all I have to say. What the Father told me, I tell you." John 12 (Whole Chapter)

One of the things that jumped out to me was the part that said, "when push comes to shove." As I read the rest of the verses, these words resonated deep within. How would I respond when push comes to shove? I believe Jesus is who He says He is, I believe the Word of God, will I stand for what I know in my heart and in my mind to be true when push comes to shove? I pray God would grant me the courage and all that it takes to stand for Him, I pray that you also will have the courage to stand for Jesus when push comes to shove and not cater to the approval of man.
When push comes to shove will you stand for Jesus Christ?

No Cats Were Harmed...

Okay...let me wipe the tears...toooooo funny...someone else with a comparably twisted sense of humour... *No cats were harmed in the taking of this photograph...counselling was provided though and is on going until fur, I mean full recovery.

Which are you?

Did you ever have one of those days? Sometimes you start out as the dog and end up as the cat or somedays start like the cat and end up like the dog?...Or somedays you're the one taking the picture...(poor kitty...hey dog, get off that cat!)

1 Corinthians 16:13,14

13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 14 Do everything in love.(NIV)

or it can be read as:

13-14 Keep your eyes open, hold tight to your convictions, give it all you've got, be resolute, and love without stopping. (The Message)