Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Perspectives

I am a man...............I am a man
a happy man...............a sad man
though I don't have a lot.......I don't have enough
I feel like the happiest.......I feel like the saddest
person alive. ......person alive.

I wake up every morning
pray to my God
make a yummy breakfast
of rice and fresah orange juice
.......I wake up every morning
.......too early to even

I hug my children.......hug my children
good-bye.......good-bye

At work I get paid.......At work I get paid
barely minimum wage
.......more than most
I can live on it
.......Its not enough

I try to get home.......I try to get home
as soon as I can.......as late as I can
.......Its a hellish place
its a happy place
.......I think my wife is
My wife is superb.......cheating on me
I love her.......I loved her

My children.......My children
Sally
.......Jane
Nathan
.......Allie
Noah
.......Liam
are angels.......are devils
They don't have.......They have
the best education........the best education
They never whine
.......They always whine
for new toys and.......for new toys and
clothes. ......clothes.

I get home to.......I get home to
hugs and kisses.......screaming and kicking
.......my children's faces
my children's faces.......masked with fear
glowing and happy.

Before bed.......Before bed
I check my.......I check my
finances.......finances.

I tuck my.......I walk past
children into.......my children's
bed and tell.......room and sigh
tell them a story.......thinking of old stories

I get into bed
hug my wife........I get into bed
.......feel the cold side
.......where my wife
.......should be

and think.......and think
I am the happiest.......I am the saddest
person alive........person alive.

~by Samantha D. Irvine
*To be read by two in unison.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Travel Plans

This morning I am in a thoughtful mood. I let the dog out and breathed deep the moist spring air, thankful to God for the moment. Things are quiet in the neighbourhood this morning, the vibrant magenta sunrise has been veiled from my view by dull grey clouds, and a gentle rain has begun. It fits my mood.

I was reading James 4 this good morning and as I ponder the words, I think about my trip south. I am leaving Friday. Another road trip with my Abba. I am thoroughly looking forward to it, but with all this buzz about the Swine Flu, I couldn't help but consider the final verses of James 4 as a bit of a warning:

James 4 (NIV)
Boasting About Tomorrow

13 Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."


We all make plans, it is good to make plans, but the reality is that God may redirect us as we allow His Spirit to lead us. He may also thwart our plans for our own good. Who knows the mind of God? Yet, we choose to trust Him or at least some of us do. The whole trusting thing can be quite a test and sometimes we fail for whatever reason; however, God is faithful - He knows us and loves us and has a plan for our lives. A fantastic plan that draws us into being all that He meant us to be.

If only we could see more clearly at times. Our vision skewed by distraction. We hold on to that which we cannot see, by faith, we choose to believe. We plan with and without God. Our plans are adjusted, we continue on...humbled perhaps, but better eternally for it.

So, being led, I continue to plan for my trip. I will continue to seek the Lord as I plan and we will see what will happens. If it is the Lord's will, I live and do this and that, always looking forward. And for those of you also considering travelling or relocating, I would encourage you to seek out the Lord so that your plans and His plans are in sync...You won't regret it.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Do To Others...

What does it mean...?

Own - to have power or have mastery over.
Power - possession of control, authority, or influence over others
Control - to exercise restraining or directing influence over

Love - unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another
Freedom - the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action
Peace - harmony in personal relations
Respect - high or special regard

Which do you seek in your life? with those closest to you?

I seek to ________ you.
I seek to ________ myself.
I wish you to ________ me.
I wish you to ________ yourself.

Perhaps these seem like obvious fill in the blanks, but are the answers you throw in there - are they really the way you behave?


Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:31
Luke 6:30-32 (in Context) Luke 6 (Whole Chapter)

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Saturday, April 25, 2009

the corner

finding your voice
knowing yourself
standing for truth
living for good
growing unafraid
finding your niche
wanting peace, security, and...
being true to yourself and to God

This journey is coming upon a new corner,
what I will find around the corner, I do not know.
It is in this time that I feel much struggle with all of the above
and more than that.
The physical, spiritual, and emotional battlefields are plugged full of poison arrows as I cross the plains to reach this corner.

...

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Musing this Morning

I awoke this morning with much on my mind. I am thinking about my future, my voice - how I want to speak and how I want to be heard. James 3:8 speaks about how the tongue cannot be tamed, we have tamed many things, but the tongue...well, it has a mind of its own or rather, it seems to have a more direct link to our brain, such that it can bypass consciousness and wisdom and spew out arrows with the accuracy of a veteran sniper.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can put a reign on our tongue; however, we must choose to do so. This would require self-control and submission. Two words that we often stumble over in the best of times. How much more would we stumble over these when someone insults us or humiliates us? In a situation such as that, allowing the tongue to lash out would be quite satisfying, right? Perhaps, but only for a moment. With the lashing out, we soothe the wound in our own heart with a salve that can easily and readily turn to the poison of bitterness and pride - be forewarned. Lashing out is not as clever as you would like to think it is.

This is why James wisely recommends everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:18-20

And with that, I set out about my day with this prayer: Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3 May my tongue be used to build up my brothers and sisters and to glorify God.

Shalom - Smiles and blessings to your day!
~mp:)

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

The Unseen War

The Unseen War.

It exists.
It is happening in and around you and to you.
You may not see it or sense it, but you are in a war.

David Kortje writes about this war, how it affects you, and what you can do about it.

Here, read this excerpt:


"I find it interesting that in the midst of a great battle-field such as Gettysburg or Normandy, no one would dream of finding all of the warriors escaping unscathed. Nor would one think him less of a soldier for his scars. Yest somehow, we in Christendom have adopted these strange beliefs about our fight.

I wonder if it is because of threat oft-spoken phrase that if you will just"give your life to Jesus, everything will be OK." Or maybe it is that "Jesus has already won the victory," or that "we are more than conquerors." We have already discussed the strength and intent of our enemy. I am hoping that by now you are coming to a deeper understanding of just what this battlefield that we call the Christian walk is really all about. I trust that you are recognizing the flaming arrows of the evil one being shot at your hearts of faith day and night. I know that you have been hit."


David presents his experiences, the moving of the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God in such a way that, after reading this book, you walk away strengthened, encouraged, and determined to fight the good fight, finish the race, and kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4


Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Do Good

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. ~Proverbs 3:27

...Wise words of advice, yet it doesn't stop there...

Do not say to your neighbour, "Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow" - when you have it with you. ~28...it goes on... Proverbs 3

The long and short of it is this: When you can do something good for someone, do it.

If you see someone in need, don't be so selfish or afraid to reach out. Speaking a kind word, taking the elderly neighbour's empty recycling bins back up to their house, purchasing some food for those without, returning something you borrowed, donating your time to hold the door for the mother with her arms and hands full...Even these simple acts of good can make a huge difference in the lives of others. And remember: doing good is not just about helping those "less fortunate" than you, rather, your behaviour - doing good - is unconfined to age, status, or otherwise!

Take courage and time to do good today - and everyday!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Why?

One would wonder why? Why all the fuss over this or over that but the necessity of either is to live and breathe and exist. For without fuss, there is nothing and death. I live on by fuss, excited and challenged. My days pass with hills, peaks, cliffs, and valleys. To what end. To know, to grow, to be. Without which I am dead. Life breathes in me allowing fuss. Without Life there is death, nothing to be gained, nothing to be known, just without - dead. Why? There is no other way. If there were, it would be, but it is not. Accept this...or not.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Thirst For God

This morning I was doing a devotional with the girls from Michael Warden's Alone with God. The passage we studied was Isaiah 55:1-3a

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live."

This passage was a little more difficult to unravel and apply for my girls; however, we decided that one of the ways they could pursue God and quench their thirst for God is to greet Him and seek Him first thing in the morning, even before they get out of bed and to also document what they were thinking and what they felt the Holy Spirit was saying to them. At the end of the week they are to go over their journal and reflect on what they learned about God and about themselves.

This, I pray, will help them develop a habit of seeking out God first. Not just in the morning, but throughout the day in every circumstance - to give thanks, to ask for help, or to simply commune with Jesus. I am also praying this will help them develop the art of keeping a regular journal.

This morning, the Holy Spirit led my family to commit to the above, I challenge you to read the following devotion that Mr. Warden scribed and see where the Holy Spirit leads you as you thirst for God...

"God has created within us a hunger we cannot easily name. It is a tickling thirst at the back of our souls, ever building through the years the longer it goes unquenched. We know it is there, though we cannot name it, and we spend our years doing everything we can imagine to try to fill it. It is God's homing beacon, set right in the core of our hearts. And it is one of the greatest evidences on earth that God is real.

Watch any person long enough and you will begin to see the hunger and thirst of his or her soul expressed. Perhaps he is caught up in the pursuit of worldly success - but why? Because he hopes it will bring him Life. Or perhaps she is killing herself in order to be beautiful - but why? For the same reason. We all crave Life - which is to say we all crave God - so much that we will try nearly anything to get it. Of course, we do not want to believe that it is God we crave. We'd much rather believe that we crave something smaller, something we can control. And Satan is there, ready to offer a whole cafeteria of counterfeit nourishment for our souls.

But it is God we crave, and nothing less will satisfy. All of the counterfeits that Satan offers have one common trait - they lose their appeal over time. But not so with God. The more of Him we taste, the more we desire.

Where are you getting the food for your soul? Your job? Your friends? Your romantic relationships? Ultimately, they will all run dry. They can never quench the hunger deep inside.

You thirst for God."

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Prepare Your Minds...

13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;
16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."[
a]
17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.
18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.[
b]
23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
24 For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25 but the word of the Lord stands forever."[
c] And this is the word that was preached to you.

1 Peter 1:13 caught my eye this morning. I included the rest of the passage for context, but it was this particular verse that stood out to me as I pondered God's Word. "Prepare your minds for action..." Not your body. Your mind. We know that the battlefield for our salvation is in our mind. It is constantly under attack from the enemy of our soul. If the enemy can control your mind, then the battle becomes easy for him and near non-existent for us, except that God will not let us go. Something draws us closer and nearer to something wonderful, satisfying, liberating...something that we come to realize is God. As we draw nearer to God, the enemy (the devil - Satan) works harder to distract us and delude us from believing the Truth. The distractions and assaults on our mind are sometimes subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle...work, sex, self, legalism, pride...the list goes on...Anything that takes our focus off of God - Jesus Christ - the Holy Spirit, the Truth of our salvation in Him and the assurance of eternal Life with Him.

We believe in the Truth. The enemy of our souls assaults our belief. We must be vigilant - our minds prepared for action to battle against the assault. And to do this, we must read the Word, breathe the Word, live the Word - exercise the Word of God to be ready, and stand firm in the Truth.

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. ~1 Peter 1:13

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

So...You Want to be Wise?

Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. It's the furthest thing from wisdom—it's animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats.

Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.
~ James 3:13-18

Monday, April 13, 2009

Why Waste a Moment?


LIVE IN THE MOMENT
You can do it, don't let it pass you by...
"Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem to be more afraid of life than death." ~James F. Bymes

Sunday, April 12, 2009

God Working In Us and Through Us

Easter. Jesus is risen! Hallelujah!

Well, I pray all have had a wonderful Easter holiday! This Easter, for me, was filled with much reflection - especially around the Risen Lord. This entire day I was drawn into His presence over and over - words of prayer and songs of joy could not contain themselves and flowed forth from my mouth. It was one of those days, that I could have lost myself completely in the Presence of the Lord, but when there are people around, losing yourself completely gets hindered. That being said, it was not a bad thing by any means, perhaps others were blessed by my behaviour.(?)

We never know who is watching us. This is not something that we should be paranoid about, rather, if our eyes are fixed on Jesus, our heart beating with His, our steps in pace with His (or at least we are attempting to keep focused and paced with our King), others observing us, should see Him in and through our words and actions.

And though we may never really know the impact of our behaviour and prayers on others - in the natural or in the spiritual realms; we trust that God will work in us and though us to His Glory.

Don't hide your love and praise of our God and King. Be filled with the Spirit to His glory -whether in private, in your work, or in community...focus on Jesus and trust Him to work in us and through us.

~


May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. ~Hebrews 13:20-21

Thursday, April 9, 2009

What is Beauty?

This is a Leafy Sea Horse. It, to me, is very beautiful, fascinating in fact.

"Everything has beauty,but not everyone sees it." ~Confucius


"Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old." ~Franz Kafka


"Beauty comes as much from the mind as from the eye." ~Grey Livingston


"He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him." ~Isaiah 53:2


"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." ~Proverbs 31:30

"Life is beauty, admire it." ~Mother Theresa, from LIFE IS....

This is an image of Jesus on the cross. This, as gruesome as it may appear, is beautiful. Beautiful because this was the ultimate and final sacrifice for all mankind. The beauty is in the action, not the image.

What is beauty, but the glory of God manifested in His creation - you see it,

the Love He pours forth in us and through us - you experience it,

the sacrifice that He made for us - you believe it...

...What is beauty, but God?

None can compare.



For those on the feed, come to the blog site to see the video... :)

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Made Alive in Christ

Made Alive in Christ

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
~Ephesians 2:1-10


As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. You were under the influence of Satan.

All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Not just you, but everyone...including the people who sit in the pews.

Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. Yep, even the ones who sit in their pews/auditoriums/stadiums of organized/disorganized religion.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. God loves us, God loves you. God is merciful. He saved you.

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, Metaphysics 101 - you, saved, are with Him in heaven - connected. Now. In heaven. You.

in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. We have Jesus to thank.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. It was NOTHING you did, no acts of kindness, no good behaviour, no ritual, or otherwise saved your sinning butt from spending all of eternity separated from God (a state of existence otherwise known as "hell"). God gave you this gift and you received it - you believed. (You have Jesus to thank.)

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. God made us, shaped us, and has a purpose for us. He knows what we desire and what we need better than we do and now He wants us to listen to Him and follow His lead. This does require some work, some effort on our behalf. He is in control though - He has brought you this far when you were unaware of Him, and now He is going to take you somewhere where you have longed to go...for sooo long. He has this plan for you. You need to work with Him to see, for yourself, this plan manifested.

Did you get that from the above scripture too? Let me know if you didn't.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

A Dedicated Metaphysical Thought Flow...

A gentle word,
do not go far from me,
you inspire,
you challenge,
with your heart -
Transformation is inevitable
A picture of hope...

An experience of Life,
my breath is taken,
the strength,
the majesty,
your humbleness -
Transformation is inevitable
A hope renewed...

A gentle word,
An experience of Life,
Transformation
Hope
Living in the present, looking forward to the future.

Remain who you are and be transformed.
Realize what you have been all along.
For there is no time - the present is now and gone.
It never was and it always will be.
For reality is in the moment, which is eternal.
No beginning, no end.
No time like the present, the Gift that Is.
Remain or go, either way you will be transformed.
You are already, live the moment. Live.

When You Open Your Mouth

Consider:

James 3 (The Message)

When You Open Your Mouth

1-2 Don't be in any rush to become a teacher, my friends. Teaching is highly responsible work. Teachers are held to the strictest standards. And none of us is perfectly qualified. We get it wrong nearly every time we open our mouths. If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you'd have a perfect person, in perfect control of life.

3-5 A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!

5-6 It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.

7-10 This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue—it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!

10-12 My friends, this can't go on. A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don't bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don't bear apples, do they? You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you?

Live Well, Live Wisely

13-16 Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. It's the furthest thing from wisdom—it's animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats.

17-18 Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.

Monday, April 6, 2009

A Still Spring Morning

Looking out my window today, you would not know that it is spring - then again, this is Canada and perhaps this is what you would expect spring to look like - snow. Outside it is snowing, huge, fluffy snowflakes, dancing in a wind that seems to want to shake the snow from its grasp and rid itself of these final remnants of winter. Oddly, I do not mind this final hurrah. There is a peace that fills my heart this morning. My time spent with God has been reassuring. He knows exactly what I need.



That is one of the blessings of spending time communing with our Lord. He knows what we need and He does not hold back from us what is best for us. It is quieting our mind and heart (and our external environment) that may be necessary to hear what God has to say to us. Just to press into His Presence and praise Him, and otherwise be quiet - be still.



Be still and know that I AM God. Psalm 46:10a There is great comfort in that verse. I do not have to do anything...no striving...no ritual...no special formula with to appease God...Just be still and know...



To be still in His presence and to know His presence is a privilege. The God of all allows us to be in His presence. If you haven't taken the time today to be in the presence of our God, I would encourage you to find a quiet place, quiet yourself, and be still and know our God.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Did You Hear?

Have you asked yourself today, "What is God saying to me?"?

Have you?

And then, did you listen?

"So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ~Matthew 10:26-28 (NIV)

Did you hear, not just listen, to God? Did you hear Him?

And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, "Jacob! Jacob!" "Here I am," he replied. Genesis 46:2 Genesis 46:1-3 (in Context) Genesis 46 (Whole Chapter)

The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. John 10:3 John 10:2-4 (in Context) John 10 (Whole Chapter)

Listen and hear - our God has something to say...to you!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Fear Has No Place Here

For this day to be - I AM
Looking and wanting
Waiting and walking
Go forth.

Fear has no place here.

The heart breathes - I AM
Beating and striving
Pulsating and irregular
Still go.

Perfect love casts out all fear.

One - I AM
In pace
Connected
Powerful
Complete.

Fear has no place here.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Words to Ponder this A.M.

The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Who ever knows what you're thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he's thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions. We didn't learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we're passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way.

The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can't receive the gifts of God's Spirit. There's no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit—God's Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God's Spirit is doing, and can't be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah's question, "Is there anyone around who knows God's Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?" has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ's Spirit. ~1Cor 2 :10-16 (The Message)

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Focus...Focus...

Over the past few years, my attention has primarily been on completing my degree. With this adjustment of focus, I have neglected other areas of my life that I am finding that I must now contend with - and a large portion of that is establishing myself in a productive routine of sorts.

I have been so focused, that I have lost focus. And now, discouraged that I have allowed this to go on, I must correct my thinking to overcome my predicament.

I have a book called "The Power of Focus" by Canfield, Hansen, & Hewitt, but I got distracted a while back and I didn't finish reading it...(There's a heads up moment...duh)

What was I saying...right...focus...

So, now I am realigning my thinking, seeking out the Lord for direction, and taking positive steps forward - not dwelling on the past - but consciously choosing to move forward to where I want to be. To what I want to become.

Read and consider:

Romans 8:5 Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn't pleased at being ignored.Romans 8:4-6 (in Context) Romans 8 (Whole Chapter)

Romans 3:31 But by shifting our focus from what we do to what God does, don't we cancel out all our careful keeping of the rules and ways God commanded? Not at all. What happens, in fact, is that by putting that entire way of life in its proper place, we confirm it. Romans 3:30-31 (in Context) Romans 3 (Whole Chapter)

Colossians 2:2 I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ, God's great mystery. All the richest treasures of wisdom and knowledge are embedded in that mystery and nowhere else. And we've been shown the mystery! I'm telling you this because I don't want anyone leading you off on some wild-goose chase, after other so-called mysteries, or "the Secret." Colossians 2:1-3 (in Context) Colossians 2 (Whole Chapter)
Excerpts taken from The Message

What are you focused on these days?

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They Did Not Realize

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. ~John 21:4