12/21/2010
eclipse
Just a jumble of thoughts before I go to bed again (I slept from 11:30-2 and woke up to go watch the eclipse- many layers and two blankets later, I'm back inside my warm apartment). I think the most amazing part of the eclipse is realizing that the thing that is causing the eclipse is the very planet that you are standing on. I don't know what else you need to know to make you realize how small you are in comparison to the whole universe. And down here, in C. Fla, the air was quite clear, so you could see ALL the stars as well. Just. . . amazing. Amazing. More amazing is the fact that God cares about each one of us, no matter how small we may feel. He is big enough for everyone.
12/13/2010
weary
Lord, I'm tired of fighting. It seems like at every turn, there's yet another wall, another obstacle, and I don't see how things are ever going to work out.
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." -Galatians 6:9
I barely even made it through today. I don't see how I will be able to get back at it again tomorrow; I am exhausted, Lord. . .
"O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress." -Isaiah 33:2
But there's so much to be done! No matter how many things get planned or accomplished, it seems like it all crumbles down the next day.
"Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." -Matthew 6:34.
What's the point of it all then?
"So that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light." -Colossians 1:10-12
Can you really use me to do this?
"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." -Philippians 4:13.
I will trust You, Lord. You have done nothing to make me doubt you.
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" -Jeremiah 29:11.
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." -Galatians 6:9
I barely even made it through today. I don't see how I will be able to get back at it again tomorrow; I am exhausted, Lord. . .
"O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress." -Isaiah 33:2
But there's so much to be done! No matter how many things get planned or accomplished, it seems like it all crumbles down the next day.
"Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." -Matthew 6:34.
What's the point of it all then?
"So that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light." -Colossians 1:10-12
Can you really use me to do this?
"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." -Philippians 4:13.
I will trust You, Lord. You have done nothing to make me doubt you.
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" -Jeremiah 29:11.
12/05/2010
whew
We made it through the first weekend of "A Christmas Carol"! At some point, when I have a little free time (hah!) I'll do a big update on that, but for now I want to leave you with something small and encouraging.
Hebrews 11:1 gives us a pretty good definition of faith, and it's very simple (which is great)- we should have confidence in our hope and assurance in the unseen. The first part seems easy, because if we can believe in the vast greatness of God and in the truth of His word, then there's absolutely no room to doubt where we will eventually end up, no matter what happens in this life. It's the second part that gets a little crazy (at least for me. . . probably the Type-A part of me). Assurance in the unseen? How can I be sure of something that when I don't know that it's going on? I have a hard enough time believing the things I see! OK, not really, but I have to say that God's unseen hand movements have blown my mind (when seen in retrospect). I moved out to Florida about 16 months ago, and. . . just wow. How perfectly He had been setting up this area for me (yes, even my job. . . if you keep up with my facebook, then you know some of what has been going on)(I mean, I'm a teacher, I clearly do not have a facebook. . . .). The thing that has hit me the most is in the people that He brought into my life within the first month of the move. I will never forget the first time I walked into my Sunday School class. Although at the time I wasn't quite able to put it into these words, God had prepared all of them for me, and I for them. It just felt so. . . right. And now, a year and a half later, these are still the closest friends I have down here. I've met a ton more people of course, and found a lot of friends and colleagues, and I still know a lot of people up north and/or spread across the nation as music educators, but I am still in awe of the people in that class. And even thinking about where I was in those first couple months to where I am now, I never would have guessed at the way things have turned out (all great). I've gotten hooked into the local music community, and people that I don't even know are starting to recognize me because of it. I love my church choir family (and have missed them! I haven't been in a month :( but we have rehearsal Tuesday!), and have gotten plugged into a lot of cool thing via my church.
OK. . . I feel like I'm just rambling, so my point is this: if you are in a place where it seems like nothing is going right, where you can't seem to see how anything good will ever come of your situation, have faith. God works in all things for the good of those who love Him. Even if your love starts out small, He will fill you in ways you have never imagined. Will life be perfect? Not until you're really living in Heaven. But even in those tough times, realize that you have a hope for a better future (an AMAZING future) and that you can be sure God is working for you AND through you. Don't tire of doing good works, and God will reward your faithfulness.
And if you don't have that hope. . . if you don't have that faith. . . will you open your ears and your heart to hear about it?
Hebrews 11:1 gives us a pretty good definition of faith, and it's very simple (which is great)- we should have confidence in our hope and assurance in the unseen. The first part seems easy, because if we can believe in the vast greatness of God and in the truth of His word, then there's absolutely no room to doubt where we will eventually end up, no matter what happens in this life. It's the second part that gets a little crazy (at least for me. . . probably the Type-A part of me). Assurance in the unseen? How can I be sure of something that when I don't know that it's going on? I have a hard enough time believing the things I see! OK, not really, but I have to say that God's unseen hand movements have blown my mind (when seen in retrospect). I moved out to Florida about 16 months ago, and. . . just wow. How perfectly He had been setting up this area for me (yes, even my job. . . if you keep up with my facebook, then you know some of what has been going on)(I mean, I'm a teacher, I clearly do not have a facebook. . . .). The thing that has hit me the most is in the people that He brought into my life within the first month of the move. I will never forget the first time I walked into my Sunday School class. Although at the time I wasn't quite able to put it into these words, God had prepared all of them for me, and I for them. It just felt so. . . right. And now, a year and a half later, these are still the closest friends I have down here. I've met a ton more people of course, and found a lot of friends and colleagues, and I still know a lot of people up north and/or spread across the nation as music educators, but I am still in awe of the people in that class. And even thinking about where I was in those first couple months to where I am now, I never would have guessed at the way things have turned out (all great). I've gotten hooked into the local music community, and people that I don't even know are starting to recognize me because of it. I love my church choir family (and have missed them! I haven't been in a month :( but we have rehearsal Tuesday!), and have gotten plugged into a lot of cool thing via my church.
OK. . . I feel like I'm just rambling, so my point is this: if you are in a place where it seems like nothing is going right, where you can't seem to see how anything good will ever come of your situation, have faith. God works in all things for the good of those who love Him. Even if your love starts out small, He will fill you in ways you have never imagined. Will life be perfect? Not until you're really living in Heaven. But even in those tough times, realize that you have a hope for a better future (an AMAZING future) and that you can be sure God is working for you AND through you. Don't tire of doing good works, and God will reward your faithfulness.
And if you don't have that hope. . . if you don't have that faith. . . will you open your ears and your heart to hear about it?
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