And tomorrow I have a full, full day. Get to school, put out fires, grade papers, teach two classes, go to Pierson Elementary to talk to the last crop of 5th graders, back to teach another two classes, off to McInnis for two periods of 5th grade, then back to Taylor for after school band.
No complaints here, because I'm so happy I am able to visit my potential 6th grade band members. But I will be dead tired tomorrow afternoon.
Moral of the story: probably no significant update until Saturday sometime.
God is still good, though! And next week is much less busy (I think. . . I can't even get my mind past 4 PM tomorrow right now, and I don't need to).
2/18/2010
2/17/2010
Busy busy busy!
I still have an unfinished entry about "relationships" here, plus two more in my head that are buzzing to get out. Unforunately, I keep getting home at late times (like 9 and 10 at night), so they'll have to wait.
But, I won't leave you with just that. Although I'm going to copy it verbatim, here's something for you to think about tonight:
"Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshippers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become 'unity' conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship. Social religion is perfected when private religion is purified."
A fantastic concept (and not just because it uses pianos for the analogy :-p), and a challenging one. I would reflect more but I'm wiped out.
But, I won't leave you with just that. Although I'm going to copy it verbatim, here's something for you to think about tonight:
"Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshippers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become 'unity' conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship. Social religion is perfected when private religion is purified."
A fantastic concept (and not just because it uses pianos for the analogy :-p), and a challenging one. I would reflect more but I'm wiped out.
2/14/2010
Thoughts from an evening service, part 1- Peace
Seems like an appropriate topic, no? I'm going to reflect on today's message as well as the Nehemiah one from a couple weeks ago (no show on the 31st yet. . . I went to the website, saw it was up, got REAL excited, then played it to find it was only a 12 second clip. Talk about a cliffhanger!)
However, I have lunch plans now (apparently) so it won't be until later.
Go read this and think about it until I get back: what love is
LATER: Well, lunch plans turned into a trip to IKEA (not for me: no new furniture for this bachelor pad. . . c'mon, I took a stool out of the garbage, who do you think I am? haha), Lowe's, and dinner. The plus side is that now my salsa, spinach/artichoke dip, and fruit salad are mostly gone. I didn't think I would be out this late though. . . still, I want to post a few things, even if I have to come back tomorrow to finish it up.
First off, a few things from a couple weeks ago. We finally got to the completion of the wall in Nehemiah (the passage is here). The interesting part to me was that it wasn't about building the wall, but rather that other nations saw the hand of God in the process. A few quotes/paraphrases/thoughts I jotted down (in pencil!! which smears. . . poor choice):
-People should look at us and say, "I know him/her, so that's GOT to be God."
-Our imperfections prove that God is in our lives through His successes.
-When we chase after our vision, we silence opposition.
-Are we chasing after God's glorification on Earth?
Finally, there were four things mentioned that people out to see in our lives that show we have God in our lives:
1) peace
2) relationships
3) character
4) love
This is what I have been thinking about for the past couple weeks. What do other people see in my life? What have I been working on that I need to continue to do so, and what haven't I started fixing that I need to? Let's break it down.
Peace- First, here is dictionary.com's definition. I think it's interesting that the first few entries are about peace as in the opposite of war. It's not until 5/6 that we start to get into peace as in peace of mind. Most people, if not thinking about world peace and harmony, think that peace comes only from happy times (when things are going well) or with vacation times (although for some people, vacations are more of a hassle than anything else). What is it that gives peace? Some people might say music, others surroundings/environments, still others find peace through talking to or being around a particular person or group of people.
Let's compare this to some Bible verses about peace (there's quite a few, and it's not nearly all of them; just ones I found interesting). Obviously there are many OT references to peace (not-war type). And there's also this phrase that comes up a lot in the NT: "Peace be with you." Jesus says it to the disciples after the ressurection, and quite a few of the various letters begin or end with something about peace. Romans tells us that peace comes because of our justification through faith. Jesus listed peacemakers as a beatitude in the Sermon on the Mount. Pslam 85 says two important things: God promises peace to His followers (which is then followed by a plea from the Psalmist to keep the Israelites from their follies) and peace, which is directly related to righteousness, comes from above to Earth (while faithfulness comes up from Earth). Proverbs tells us that all paths of wisdom are peace (which, I'm not going to get into a discussion of wisdom). It also says that a heart of peace is not a heart of envy. Isaiah and John both tell us that peace will not leave us, and there's no reason to be afraid. We'll come back to Phillipians (not because I have my own specific insight about it, but if I remember correctly, Pastor Dan talked about this passage at the first Wed. Night prayer meeting that I attended WAY back in the fall that he just happened to be filling in for) (two prepositions. . . get used to it). Ephesians tells us to keep peace with the Body of Christ. And, of course, peace is a fruit of the Spirit.
So, from all of that, I gather the following points:
-True peace comes only from God, and comes only when we accept Christ into our lives.
-Seeking after God is one way in which we can find peace.
-We are called not only to seek for peace in our lives, but to also seek peaceful relations with others.
Phillipians offers something even more interesting (again, not originally from my mind). It says first that we should rejoice ALWAYS. It does not say that we should be happy WITH our circumstances, but that we should be happy IN our circumstances. My LASB says it well: "Our inner attitudes do not have to reflect our outer circumstances." It's a matter of perspective. God is in control; bad circumstances are meant to teach us something or strengthen something that has already been put inside of us. We should be so happy that God wants US to become more like HIM. He didn't spare His own Son difficult situations, even to the point of death! Also, rejoicing does not mean "smiling like an idiot and pretending everything is fine."
Second, our "gentleness should be evident to all." Sometimes we forget that all human beings were created in God's image, not just the people we like or want to interact with. Think about that the next time you become angry with someone, especially those who are paid to be servers (waiters, cashiers, etc). This is not to say there aren't times to become angry, but I think that you should only be angry with the sin, circumstance, or situation, and through all of that still love the PERSON. If they do not know Christ, this all the more reason to love them through whatever is going on.
Third, we should not worry, but instead pray. And we should pray with thanksgiving (just a reminder; like "wisdom," today is not the day to open the can of worms about "prayer") (and I'm still not a theologian)! And there's another part; we should pray about EVERYTHING. This to me is just a statement of being aware of God in our entire lives and not just when we go to church. If we are in constant conversation with Him, how can we not be seeking to do things that please Him?
And, finally, when these three lines are in point, we will receive the peace of God. The peace which trascends all understanding. . . sounds wonderful, doesn't it? So, if we don't have peace in our lives, what are we doing to get it? Are we just asking God for it without taking any steps to make it happen? Maybe we need to be rejoicing, gentle, and praying thankfully and constantly. Because think about it: if we are recognizing that God is strengthening us, we are not creating conflicts with others, and we are aware and thankful for His presence in our lives, what could give us more peace of mind than that?
So now I ask myself: what do I not feel peace about? The most obvious answer is my job. Sometimes things feel great. But days like last Friday wear on me. Why? Well, I can tell you that I wasn't rejoicing that there were only 5 students after school, and 3 of them left before 3:30. I wasn't happy with one of my student's attitude, and while I don't think I handled her inappropriately, I definitely could have been gentler. And I certainly wasn't trusting that God will do a great work through me (and in spite of me), nor was I really talking to Him about it. The challenge for me, then, is three-fold: I have to always find joy in my job, no matter what's going on; I need to interact with my students, parents, and administration with gentleness (probably the easiest, but again, this must be no matter what the circumstances); I must pray first out of thankfulness for the job and all the great things that came from it, and ask that God will use me, my talents, and my passions to make something great out of what often seems like an impossible task.
. . . this is becoming a bigger task than I originally thought it would. I'm gonna separate out the next three ideas, just for ease of reading. Expect part 2 to come up in a few hours.
However, I have lunch plans now (apparently) so it won't be until later.
Go read this and think about it until I get back: what love is
LATER: Well, lunch plans turned into a trip to IKEA (not for me: no new furniture for this bachelor pad. . . c'mon, I took a stool out of the garbage, who do you think I am? haha), Lowe's, and dinner. The plus side is that now my salsa, spinach/artichoke dip, and fruit salad are mostly gone. I didn't think I would be out this late though. . . still, I want to post a few things, even if I have to come back tomorrow to finish it up.
First off, a few things from a couple weeks ago. We finally got to the completion of the wall in Nehemiah (the passage is here). The interesting part to me was that it wasn't about building the wall, but rather that other nations saw the hand of God in the process. A few quotes/paraphrases/thoughts I jotted down (in pencil!! which smears. . . poor choice):
-People should look at us and say, "I know him/her, so that's GOT to be God."
-Our imperfections prove that God is in our lives through His successes.
-When we chase after our vision, we silence opposition.
-Are we chasing after God's glorification on Earth?
Finally, there were four things mentioned that people out to see in our lives that show we have God in our lives:
1) peace
2) relationships
3) character
4) love
This is what I have been thinking about for the past couple weeks. What do other people see in my life? What have I been working on that I need to continue to do so, and what haven't I started fixing that I need to? Let's break it down.
Peace- First, here is dictionary.com's definition. I think it's interesting that the first few entries are about peace as in the opposite of war. It's not until 5/6 that we start to get into peace as in peace of mind. Most people, if not thinking about world peace and harmony, think that peace comes only from happy times (when things are going well) or with vacation times (although for some people, vacations are more of a hassle than anything else). What is it that gives peace? Some people might say music, others surroundings/environments, still others find peace through talking to or being around a particular person or group of people.
Let's compare this to some Bible verses about peace (there's quite a few, and it's not nearly all of them; just ones I found interesting). Obviously there are many OT references to peace (not-war type). And there's also this phrase that comes up a lot in the NT: "Peace be with you." Jesus says it to the disciples after the ressurection, and quite a few of the various letters begin or end with something about peace. Romans tells us that peace comes because of our justification through faith. Jesus listed peacemakers as a beatitude in the Sermon on the Mount. Pslam 85 says two important things: God promises peace to His followers (which is then followed by a plea from the Psalmist to keep the Israelites from their follies) and peace, which is directly related to righteousness, comes from above to Earth (while faithfulness comes up from Earth). Proverbs tells us that all paths of wisdom are peace (which, I'm not going to get into a discussion of wisdom). It also says that a heart of peace is not a heart of envy. Isaiah and John both tell us that peace will not leave us, and there's no reason to be afraid. We'll come back to Phillipians (not because I have my own specific insight about it, but if I remember correctly, Pastor Dan talked about this passage at the first Wed. Night prayer meeting that I attended WAY back in the fall that he just happened to be filling in for) (two prepositions. . . get used to it). Ephesians tells us to keep peace with the Body of Christ. And, of course, peace is a fruit of the Spirit.
So, from all of that, I gather the following points:
-True peace comes only from God, and comes only when we accept Christ into our lives.
-Seeking after God is one way in which we can find peace.
-We are called not only to seek for peace in our lives, but to also seek peaceful relations with others.
Phillipians offers something even more interesting (again, not originally from my mind). It says first that we should rejoice ALWAYS. It does not say that we should be happy WITH our circumstances, but that we should be happy IN our circumstances. My LASB says it well: "Our inner attitudes do not have to reflect our outer circumstances." It's a matter of perspective. God is in control; bad circumstances are meant to teach us something or strengthen something that has already been put inside of us. We should be so happy that God wants US to become more like HIM. He didn't spare His own Son difficult situations, even to the point of death! Also, rejoicing does not mean "smiling like an idiot and pretending everything is fine."
Second, our "gentleness should be evident to all." Sometimes we forget that all human beings were created in God's image, not just the people we like or want to interact with. Think about that the next time you become angry with someone, especially those who are paid to be servers (waiters, cashiers, etc). This is not to say there aren't times to become angry, but I think that you should only be angry with the sin, circumstance, or situation, and through all of that still love the PERSON. If they do not know Christ, this all the more reason to love them through whatever is going on.
Third, we should not worry, but instead pray. And we should pray with thanksgiving (just a reminder; like "wisdom," today is not the day to open the can of worms about "prayer") (and I'm still not a theologian)! And there's another part; we should pray about EVERYTHING. This to me is just a statement of being aware of God in our entire lives and not just when we go to church. If we are in constant conversation with Him, how can we not be seeking to do things that please Him?
And, finally, when these three lines are in point, we will receive the peace of God. The peace which trascends all understanding. . . sounds wonderful, doesn't it? So, if we don't have peace in our lives, what are we doing to get it? Are we just asking God for it without taking any steps to make it happen? Maybe we need to be rejoicing, gentle, and praying thankfully and constantly. Because think about it: if we are recognizing that God is strengthening us, we are not creating conflicts with others, and we are aware and thankful for His presence in our lives, what could give us more peace of mind than that?
So now I ask myself: what do I not feel peace about? The most obvious answer is my job. Sometimes things feel great. But days like last Friday wear on me. Why? Well, I can tell you that I wasn't rejoicing that there were only 5 students after school, and 3 of them left before 3:30. I wasn't happy with one of my student's attitude, and while I don't think I handled her inappropriately, I definitely could have been gentler. And I certainly wasn't trusting that God will do a great work through me (and in spite of me), nor was I really talking to Him about it. The challenge for me, then, is three-fold: I have to always find joy in my job, no matter what's going on; I need to interact with my students, parents, and administration with gentleness (probably the easiest, but again, this must be no matter what the circumstances); I must pray first out of thankfulness for the job and all the great things that came from it, and ask that God will use me, my talents, and my passions to make something great out of what often seems like an impossible task.
. . . this is becoming a bigger task than I originally thought it would. I'm gonna separate out the next three ideas, just for ease of reading. Expect part 2 to come up in a few hours.
2/12/2010
A Little Night Music
No, this post is not about Sondheim's show. Sorry if you got excited (I would love to have my hands on the piano book for that show, though. . .). But I couldn't resist posting. I think I've truly developed a habit (I feel like "they" say it takes 21 days. . . so yeah). I don't think it's a bad thing though.
Teaching went well today until HS band. It was alright, but I still feel like I don't know exactly how to teach them anything. It's such a weird situation, but I feel like I'm doing my best. My after school program has been going downhill, and I'm not exactly sure why, other than the inherent (I say that word a lot) problems of having an after school program that only runs two days a week and contains 90% middle schoolers (meaning they can't drive themselves). Today was one of those days where I was my own biggest enemy. I have to fight so hard to keep focused on the vision rather than getting bogged down by the state of ruin that surrounds me there. It still blows my mind that there is NO music program there. It's one thing to build up a program that's low quality; it's something completely different to start from the ground up. I don't think it's any more or less work, but it's very different than what I was originally anticipating to do. It makes me feel so adult when I think about it (what 21 year old has an 8-year plan unless he or she is going to medical school??). But anyway, my point was that that was getting me down today on my way home from school.
Also, I am SO EXCITED for this three day weekend. I need some time to be a slug and meditate.
. . . actually, I don't know that slugs meditate.
ANYWAY.
This evening I attended our church's Valentine's Banquet and played a short piano duet with Ginny (AMAZING amazing amazing musician, pianist, organist and a fantastic person. . . I was so happy to be able to work with her, even on something simple) as part of the entertainment. I have never really understood the concept of a "church family" being like a real family, but in the, what, 5 1/2 months I've been at SBC, I finally get it. I LOVE spending time with people at my church, whether it is at worship services, random concerts/events, meal times, or encounters at Wal-Mart (which happen more often than not, actually. . . I don't think DeLand is as big as I imagined it would be when I was first moving down here. . . but still, it's bigger than South Haven). I feel like I am accepted and cared about, and (get this) I find myself caring about the people there. I am an emotional person, but I'm also very guarded, so the fact that I am open with people who are essentially strangers (not everyone: my SS class, the staff and their families, and choir people I have gotten to know somewhat at this point) is a big step. God has definitely been working on my heart, whether or not I have realized it.
Anyway, my point is that I feel much better than I did a few hours ago.
I need to get to bed so that I can get up early-ish and do laundry and listen to the Nehemiah message from the 31st (can you guess what I might write about tomorrow?).
Teaching went well today until HS band. It was alright, but I still feel like I don't know exactly how to teach them anything. It's such a weird situation, but I feel like I'm doing my best. My after school program has been going downhill, and I'm not exactly sure why, other than the inherent (I say that word a lot) problems of having an after school program that only runs two days a week and contains 90% middle schoolers (meaning they can't drive themselves). Today was one of those days where I was my own biggest enemy. I have to fight so hard to keep focused on the vision rather than getting bogged down by the state of ruin that surrounds me there. It still blows my mind that there is NO music program there. It's one thing to build up a program that's low quality; it's something completely different to start from the ground up. I don't think it's any more or less work, but it's very different than what I was originally anticipating to do. It makes me feel so adult when I think about it (what 21 year old has an 8-year plan unless he or she is going to medical school??). But anyway, my point was that that was getting me down today on my way home from school.
Also, I am SO EXCITED for this three day weekend. I need some time to be a slug and meditate.
. . . actually, I don't know that slugs meditate.
ANYWAY.
This evening I attended our church's Valentine's Banquet and played a short piano duet with Ginny (AMAZING amazing amazing musician, pianist, organist and a fantastic person. . . I was so happy to be able to work with her, even on something simple) as part of the entertainment. I have never really understood the concept of a "church family" being like a real family, but in the, what, 5 1/2 months I've been at SBC, I finally get it. I LOVE spending time with people at my church, whether it is at worship services, random concerts/events, meal times, or encounters at Wal-Mart (which happen more often than not, actually. . . I don't think DeLand is as big as I imagined it would be when I was first moving down here. . . but still, it's bigger than South Haven). I feel like I am accepted and cared about, and (get this) I find myself caring about the people there. I am an emotional person, but I'm also very guarded, so the fact that I am open with people who are essentially strangers (not everyone: my SS class, the staff and their families, and choir people I have gotten to know somewhat at this point) is a big step. God has definitely been working on my heart, whether or not I have realized it.
Anyway, my point is that I feel much better than I did a few hours ago.
I need to get to bed so that I can get up early-ish and do laundry and listen to the Nehemiah message from the 31st (can you guess what I might write about tomorrow?).
2/11/2010
Day 40: Living with Purpose
I finished the 4th week review. It's here (if you're too lazy to scroll down the page haha).
And speaking of finishing. . . TODAY IS THE LAST DAY!! Wow. I know that this book's impact on my life will go far beyond the past 40 days. I didn't mention it at the beginning, but I was adamant with myself that I would commit 40 days, no matter the cost. 40 days shows up all over the place in the Bible- Noah, Moses (Mt. Sinai), David and Goliath (Goliath gave a 40 day challenge), Elijah, Nineveh, and even Jesus went through 40 days that changed life forever (PS not my idea; the book mentions all that in the introduction, but that was all the more reason to do it this way).
So here we are: Day 40!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't know that there's a lot to discuss/reflect on this chapter, because it's basically a summation and a sending off of the whole experience. Either way, there is some good stuff. It challenges us to come up with a "Life Purpose Statement," which does the following:
-Summarizes God's purposes for your life
-Points the direction of your life
-Defines "success" for you
-Clarifies your roles
-Expresses your shape (or SHAPE)
Basically, it's our committment to God, and what it means specifically for our life situation. It also gives five questions to consider as we go to prepare this statement.
First, we have to think about what will be the center of our lives? This is the issue of worship. What are we building our whole lives around? Is it money, our family, our career, partying? None of those things are stable. You know what? They all involve a human element. There are great people on earth, but none of them are perfect. None of them come through with everything 100% of the time. And when God is in the center, our lives have peace, even if we can't make sense of it. The Bible says so .
Second, we must ask what the character of our lives will be. Also know as discipleship, we have to decide who we are going to be. As mentioned many times, it DOES NOT MATTER WHAT YOU DO, as long as (it doesn't go against His will and) you are doing it for God. There are many different lists of character qualities in the Bible, but the one that comes to my mind is this one. And remember, character is what we do when no one is watching AND when everyone is watching.
Third, what is the contribution of our lives? What service/ministry are we giving to edify the Body of Christ? We can't meet everyone's needs, but everyone meets somebody's needs. Related is the question of our life's communication. How are we sharing our testimony with non-believers? Are we accomplishing our mission not just in our community, but in the world?
Finally, what community will be present in our lives? Who are we considering family, and are we treating them as such? Do we spend time with other believers, or are we too busy riding a high horse? Do we share, grow, and encourage other parts of the Body?
And of course, all of these questions are interconnected.
The last thing it says is to make a shorter statement that we can remember and is inspiring (essentially an abstract of the Life Purpose Statement). So without further ado, here goes mine (for now- it will change when I have more time and think a little more deeply I'm sure):
My purpose is to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, strength, and mind; to love all others as I love myself; to be more like Christ each day and do everything to the best of my abilities; to serve my brothers and sisters; and to reach out to those who are not my brothers and sisters in hopes that they too will choose to be part of the everlasting family of Christ.
Point to Ponder: Living with Purpose is the only way to really live.
I'm finding this out, little by little, and man is it exciting!
Verse to Remember: Acts 13:36- "For David. . . served the purpose of God in his own generation." New American Standard
Whenever I feel like I can't be good enough to be used by God, I remember David.
Question to Consider: When will I take the time to write down my answers to life's five great questions? When will I put my purpose on paper?
I'm going to spend some time this weekend doing that, but I don't know that I have a specific timeline in mind. . . because that is pretty much what I've been thinking about the past couple months. I'm sure I'll synthesize at least a first draft before the next school year. I don't know about putting it on paper, but it'll definitely go into a digital form.
. . . so. . . what's next? Well, I'm going to take a couple days off (actually blogging every night has been enjoyable, but at the same time I have a lot of other things to think about and do). I'll do some kind up wrap-up about PDL this weekend, and then onto the next book: He Chose the Nails.
If you haven't read this book, I strongly encourage that you do, whether you are a non-believer, on the edge, new to the faith, or an old-timer. If you live in or near DeLand, I'll be glad to lend you my book. I guarentee it will challenge you.
And speaking of finishing. . . TODAY IS THE LAST DAY!! Wow. I know that this book's impact on my life will go far beyond the past 40 days. I didn't mention it at the beginning, but I was adamant with myself that I would commit 40 days, no matter the cost. 40 days shows up all over the place in the Bible- Noah, Moses (Mt. Sinai), David and Goliath (Goliath gave a 40 day challenge), Elijah, Nineveh, and even Jesus went through 40 days that changed life forever (PS not my idea; the book mentions all that in the introduction, but that was all the more reason to do it this way).
So here we are: Day 40!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't know that there's a lot to discuss/reflect on this chapter, because it's basically a summation and a sending off of the whole experience. Either way, there is some good stuff. It challenges us to come up with a "Life Purpose Statement," which does the following:
-Summarizes God's purposes for your life
-Points the direction of your life
-Defines "success" for you
-Clarifies your roles
-Expresses your shape (or SHAPE)
Basically, it's our committment to God, and what it means specifically for our life situation. It also gives five questions to consider as we go to prepare this statement.
First, we have to think about what will be the center of our lives? This is the issue of worship. What are we building our whole lives around? Is it money, our family, our career, partying? None of those things are stable. You know what? They all involve a human element. There are great people on earth, but none of them are perfect. None of them come through with everything 100% of the time. And when God is in the center, our lives have peace, even if we can't make sense of it. The Bible says so .
Second, we must ask what the character of our lives will be. Also know as discipleship, we have to decide who we are going to be. As mentioned many times, it DOES NOT MATTER WHAT YOU DO, as long as (it doesn't go against His will and) you are doing it for God. There are many different lists of character qualities in the Bible, but the one that comes to my mind is this one. And remember, character is what we do when no one is watching AND when everyone is watching.
Third, what is the contribution of our lives? What service/ministry are we giving to edify the Body of Christ? We can't meet everyone's needs, but everyone meets somebody's needs. Related is the question of our life's communication. How are we sharing our testimony with non-believers? Are we accomplishing our mission not just in our community, but in the world?
Finally, what community will be present in our lives? Who are we considering family, and are we treating them as such? Do we spend time with other believers, or are we too busy riding a high horse? Do we share, grow, and encourage other parts of the Body?
And of course, all of these questions are interconnected.
The last thing it says is to make a shorter statement that we can remember and is inspiring (essentially an abstract of the Life Purpose Statement). So without further ado, here goes mine (for now- it will change when I have more time and think a little more deeply I'm sure):
My purpose is to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, strength, and mind; to love all others as I love myself; to be more like Christ each day and do everything to the best of my abilities; to serve my brothers and sisters; and to reach out to those who are not my brothers and sisters in hopes that they too will choose to be part of the everlasting family of Christ.
Point to Ponder: Living with Purpose is the only way to really live.
I'm finding this out, little by little, and man is it exciting!
Verse to Remember: Acts 13:36- "For David. . . served the purpose of God in his own generation." New American Standard
Whenever I feel like I can't be good enough to be used by God, I remember David.
Question to Consider: When will I take the time to write down my answers to life's five great questions? When will I put my purpose on paper?
I'm going to spend some time this weekend doing that, but I don't know that I have a specific timeline in mind. . . because that is pretty much what I've been thinking about the past couple months. I'm sure I'll synthesize at least a first draft before the next school year. I don't know about putting it on paper, but it'll definitely go into a digital form.
. . . so. . . what's next? Well, I'm going to take a couple days off (actually blogging every night has been enjoyable, but at the same time I have a lot of other things to think about and do). I'll do some kind up wrap-up about PDL this weekend, and then onto the next book: He Chose the Nails.
If you haven't read this book, I strongly encourage that you do, whether you are a non-believer, on the edge, new to the faith, or an old-timer. If you live in or near DeLand, I'll be glad to lend you my book. I guarentee it will challenge you.
2/10/2010
Day 39: Balancing Your Life
A few months ago, I would have been none too happy to be getting home after 9 PM, and only having had an hour and a half at home between school and other activities.
Tonight, I couldn't be more excited about what I did with the past few hours of my life.
Time is such a precious, precious thing. I've been thinking a lot about what I spend my time doing, and realizing that "sacrificing" time that I would end up spending doing something unproductive or, worse, wrong, to go do something worthwhile isn't really much of a sacrifice, especially not on the eternal scale.
Also, when I go up to MI this summer, I don't know how long I'm going to stay. . . it's gone from a month to three weeks to two weeks, and now I'm considering a little over a week. . . I need to pray about it (and ultimately talk it over with my parents; I would love for them to come down and spend time with me here in FL, see the people I've met here at SBC, so that way I wouldn't have to have a prolonged stay in MI, and they could drive down and I could transport more stuff down here. . . everybody wins!). On the one side, God is doing some amazing things for me down here, and I don't want to miss out on anything, but on the other side, there are plenty of people up in the mitten that would love to hear my stories, and maybe some opportunities for God to plant some seeds could occur (and therefore a bigger window of time means more opportunities). . . I just don't know. Pray for me that I might be open-minded and make the decision that follows God's will.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a neat idea: the Great Commandment and the Great Commission sum up the purposes of our lives (that is, worship, ministry, evangelism, fellowship, and discipleship). This chapter talks about four different ways we can balance those things.
First, we can talk it through with a partner/small group. Talking with others always provides varied real-life examples that we do not experience ourselves. That's one really neat thing about my Sunday School class; we are all young professionals with very different personalities, backgrounds, and jobs, and we often end up with some very thought-provoking discussions. We are all aware of the hand of God in each of our lives, and sharing the things that He does for us and through us is an encouragement in itself. I take just as much life application from SS as I do from morning and evening services, and you've read what I take in from Pastor Dan, so that says a lot about both him and the SS crew, but mostly glorifies the fact that He knows how to effectively use those servants that have opened their minds to Him. And I'm so thankful God brought me to be a part of such a group of people.
Second, we should do a regular spiritual self check-up. We don't see progress if we don't bother measuring it, and we don't know what needs to be fixed if we never look at what's going on. I don't remember when and what message it came from (probably a Nehemiah message) but sometimes it's easy to just get a little off track. However, over time, that slight change in direction suddenly takes us quite far from the place we were aiming for orignally. Regularly reviewing where we're at and where we are going (and HOW we are getting there) will help us avoid that situation. Plus, if we see progress, that's always encouraging, and if we don't, we know where we need to challenge ourselves. I plan on doing this once I've finished with the book (and with the long weekend, I can take a lot of time and reflect on everything thoroughly).
Third, we can write down our progress in a journal. I thought about it, and that's basically what you're reading. I don't reveal everything in here, but I've only just begun using it, and really going back and reading entries remind me of things that have happened and serve as reference points to things I have learned. I just have to balance complete honesty with appropriate content (I don't really know that there is anything going on in my life that is particularly inappropriate though, so I don't know exactly what I mean about that). But, as the book says, sometimes writing helps us clarify thoughts. For me, I feel like I ramble, but at least I get my thoughts out. Later I can read them and go, "Oh, that's what I meant. Why didn't I say it that way and save myself 50 words?"
The last thing is to pass our knowledge to others. This blog serves that purpose to an extent, but I can't pretend that if I just continue doing this, I'll be sharing effectively with all the people in my life. I am enjoying it, and even if people aren't reading it now, it's something that I can point out when the opportunity arises. And again, how can we NOT want to share Jesus with EVERYONE? Sometimes (usually after choir rehearsal, like tonight), I just want to stop random people and tell them about how desperately they need Jesus in their lives. I don't do it because a) it would probably not be effective, b) that is WAY outside my personality and comfort zone, and c) I'm driving in my car on the way home. But I feel so empowered! And I guess it's not that I don't or can't feel that way after other things, but for me, music is such a poignant and deeply emotional thing that I have a lot of residual energy afterwards. Either way, evangelizing is something I've been thinking about too.
In the end, our lives should be about us being about God's work. For if we open our minds and lives to Him, then He will do great things through us.
Point to Ponder: Blessed are the balanced.
As long as they aren't balancing upside down pyramids. . . but I don't feel like that. In fact, for some parts of my life, I have mental clarity I thought I would never obtain. . . let's work on getting that to 100%.
Verse to Remember: Ephesians 5:15 - "Live life with a due sense of responsibility, not as those who do not know the meaning of life but as those who do." J. B. Phillips Modern Translation of the New Testament (or something like that)
WE KNOW. Knowledge truly is power; the power to impact the world for Christ! What else could we want to do with such valuable information?
Question to Consider: Which of the four activities will I begin in order to stay on track and balance God's give purposes for my life?
As I already said, in the next few days I'm going to do a personal spiritual check-up. Hopefully this becomes something I do regularly, but how often is the question. . . once a month? Once a quarter? Once a year? Or maybe just when I think I need to make sure I'm on track. . . we'll see.
Tonight, I couldn't be more excited about what I did with the past few hours of my life.
Time is such a precious, precious thing. I've been thinking a lot about what I spend my time doing, and realizing that "sacrificing" time that I would end up spending doing something unproductive or, worse, wrong, to go do something worthwhile isn't really much of a sacrifice, especially not on the eternal scale.
Also, when I go up to MI this summer, I don't know how long I'm going to stay. . . it's gone from a month to three weeks to two weeks, and now I'm considering a little over a week. . . I need to pray about it (and ultimately talk it over with my parents; I would love for them to come down and spend time with me here in FL, see the people I've met here at SBC, so that way I wouldn't have to have a prolonged stay in MI, and they could drive down and I could transport more stuff down here. . . everybody wins!). On the one side, God is doing some amazing things for me down here, and I don't want to miss out on anything, but on the other side, there are plenty of people up in the mitten that would love to hear my stories, and maybe some opportunities for God to plant some seeds could occur (and therefore a bigger window of time means more opportunities). . . I just don't know. Pray for me that I might be open-minded and make the decision that follows God's will.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a neat idea: the Great Commandment and the Great Commission sum up the purposes of our lives (that is, worship, ministry, evangelism, fellowship, and discipleship). This chapter talks about four different ways we can balance those things.
First, we can talk it through with a partner/small group. Talking with others always provides varied real-life examples that we do not experience ourselves. That's one really neat thing about my Sunday School class; we are all young professionals with very different personalities, backgrounds, and jobs, and we often end up with some very thought-provoking discussions. We are all aware of the hand of God in each of our lives, and sharing the things that He does for us and through us is an encouragement in itself. I take just as much life application from SS as I do from morning and evening services, and you've read what I take in from Pastor Dan, so that says a lot about both him and the SS crew, but mostly glorifies the fact that He knows how to effectively use those servants that have opened their minds to Him. And I'm so thankful God brought me to be a part of such a group of people.
Second, we should do a regular spiritual self check-up. We don't see progress if we don't bother measuring it, and we don't know what needs to be fixed if we never look at what's going on. I don't remember when and what message it came from (probably a Nehemiah message) but sometimes it's easy to just get a little off track. However, over time, that slight change in direction suddenly takes us quite far from the place we were aiming for orignally. Regularly reviewing where we're at and where we are going (and HOW we are getting there) will help us avoid that situation. Plus, if we see progress, that's always encouraging, and if we don't, we know where we need to challenge ourselves. I plan on doing this once I've finished with the book (and with the long weekend, I can take a lot of time and reflect on everything thoroughly).
Third, we can write down our progress in a journal. I thought about it, and that's basically what you're reading. I don't reveal everything in here, but I've only just begun using it, and really going back and reading entries remind me of things that have happened and serve as reference points to things I have learned. I just have to balance complete honesty with appropriate content (I don't really know that there is anything going on in my life that is particularly inappropriate though, so I don't know exactly what I mean about that). But, as the book says, sometimes writing helps us clarify thoughts. For me, I feel like I ramble, but at least I get my thoughts out. Later I can read them and go, "Oh, that's what I meant. Why didn't I say it that way and save myself 50 words?"
The last thing is to pass our knowledge to others. This blog serves that purpose to an extent, but I can't pretend that if I just continue doing this, I'll be sharing effectively with all the people in my life. I am enjoying it, and even if people aren't reading it now, it's something that I can point out when the opportunity arises. And again, how can we NOT want to share Jesus with EVERYONE? Sometimes (usually after choir rehearsal, like tonight), I just want to stop random people and tell them about how desperately they need Jesus in their lives. I don't do it because a) it would probably not be effective, b) that is WAY outside my personality and comfort zone, and c) I'm driving in my car on the way home. But I feel so empowered! And I guess it's not that I don't or can't feel that way after other things, but for me, music is such a poignant and deeply emotional thing that I have a lot of residual energy afterwards. Either way, evangelizing is something I've been thinking about too.
In the end, our lives should be about us being about God's work. For if we open our minds and lives to Him, then He will do great things through us.
Point to Ponder: Blessed are the balanced.
As long as they aren't balancing upside down pyramids. . . but I don't feel like that. In fact, for some parts of my life, I have mental clarity I thought I would never obtain. . . let's work on getting that to 100%.
Verse to Remember: Ephesians 5:15 - "Live life with a due sense of responsibility, not as those who do not know the meaning of life but as those who do." J. B. Phillips Modern Translation of the New Testament (or something like that)
WE KNOW. Knowledge truly is power; the power to impact the world for Christ! What else could we want to do with such valuable information?
Question to Consider: Which of the four activities will I begin in order to stay on track and balance God's give purposes for my life?
As I already said, in the next few days I'm going to do a personal spiritual check-up. Hopefully this becomes something I do regularly, but how often is the question. . . once a month? Once a quarter? Once a year? Or maybe just when I think I need to make sure I'm on track. . . we'll see.
2/09/2010
Day 38: Becoming a World-Class Christian
Three things.
(Man. . . I am conversationally anal-retentive. . . thank you Sports Night)
First, I HATE mornings. I don't know what to do to fix this. Even in college, on the mornings before Practicum or a fun filled Saturday of Broncoband, getting out of bed is the single hardest activity I do in the first hour of my day. I get to school (or wherever) and I'm so happy to be there, but taking the initiative to get out of bed. . . 94% of the time I hit the snooze or wait for the last alarm (or just lay around) before I finally force myself out of bed. Whether I got a lot of sleep, not enough sleep, or just enough sleep, I still am very averse to leaving my warm bed and actually starting my day. Any suggestions (other than not waking up at 5:30, which if I want to get a shower (and this is important, because it wakes me up and more importantly is part of my routine), I have to)? I know the issue isn't routine, because I've tried night showers, and that just makes me want to stay in bed even longer because I know I don't have to take a shower. This morning, I did not want to do anything but go to sleep, but this day of teaching is going really well; why can't I remember that when my alarm goes off?? Also, I need to figure out how to do more lessons that make the students work rather than them just listen to me talk (those can sometimes be good lessons, but I know other times it's very boring for them, but I don't have a textbook and whenever I make worksheets, they are poor quality because I don't like making them, so there's no sense trying that route again). And we have a pep rally this afternoon, and while it'll be cheesy and short, I'm excited to get the drums back out and have my students feel more successful than they have in the past couple months. Differentiated instruction does not work very well in music class, at least when it comes to actually reading music. The project we're working on now is working, but I'm literally going around the room and helping them individually. Hopefully soon we will be able to rehearse it as an ensemble (and then I have to write out more music). At least they are willing to try the things I'm asking them to do, and when they start to put it together, I think they'll like it.
EDIT: Strike an earlier comment; I'm having a GREAT day of teaching! Just what I needed. Thank you, Lord.
Second, I discovered something about myself. I don't have a problem with talking (which, if you read this blog, you see how easily I ramble on and on. . . and on. . .) UNLESS it's about myself. I'll talk about music, or art, or sports (well, tennis at least), or books, or my job (which is almost about me, but not really; I want to make a program at Taylor, but it will (well, it BETTER) outlast my tenure there; that's my goal at least), but if you want to know what's really going on inside my head, well, you'll need a crowbar and a lot of patience. Like the not-wanting-to-get-out-of-bed thing, I need to work on this.
Third, I can't believe that I'll be reading the last chapter of PDL on Thursday! I'll probably take a little time off to reflect on the whole experience, and then start a new book project (I think I already mentioned this- Max Lucado's "He Chose the Nails"). I like this whole reading/reflecting thing. I'm thinking next year I'll go through the Bible and use that as my blog-reflection, but I want to get through it all once on my own before I start that. Plus, I'm somewhat OCD and starting it in January will satisfy that aspect of my personality.
I feel like I can go conquer the world right now. Such a great feeling!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Am I a "me-first" believer? How often do I come to church, thinking "What can I get out of the service today?" Am I trying to make a difference for Christ in the world? Or am I just trying to get the best for my life? Am I willing to go where He wants me to?
To get out of the "Worldly Christian" mindset, we have to change how we think. First, we shift from self-centered thinking to other-centered thinking. This isn't the first time this idea has come up. "Children think only of themselves; grown-ups think of others." I realize that I have a long way to go, but I don't want to be a spiritual child much longer. Unfortunately I'm still toddling around and falling over, but each time, I get a little better at walking. The tempering process works only with extreme heat and hammering (oooh. . . I like that analogy, especially if the fire is the Holy Spirit and God is the blacksmith). Anyway, I digress. We should see every encounter with another person, especially non-believers, as an opportunity to be used by God to further His will, rather than thinking about what we will get out of the interaction.
Second, we have to shift from local to global thinking. There are some really easy ways to do this: PRAY!! So simple, but so easy to forget about. People are defenseless against our prayers. . . how powerful is that statement? Also, when we hear international news, we should think about what God must be trying to accomplish. Of course, actually going and being a missionary, for however long, will give us a huge change in perspective. I really really hope the Haiti thing in the fall works out in my schedule.
Third, we need to start thinking eternally. Again, not a new idea, but think about how much stuff we waste time with that we could be spending doing something for our global mission? Take that five minutes you waste on the internet while "checking e-mails" and instead pray for a specific missionary. So simple, but we have to be aware and think about it. Too often we get caught up in the everday, unimportant things, and God gets shoved to the backburner. Who am I to say "Not tonight, God, I'm too busy"?? (Who are YOU to deny the armies of the living God?? Oh GVG, how I miss thee. . .) We're changing that tonight.
Finally, we have to stop making excuses not to go. Age, experience, ability set, it doesn't matter; there are tons of different things we can do, and something fits each person's timeline and skill set. If we are waiting for God to tell us "Go do this," we are missing the point (and not reading the Bible; remember the five commissions from yesterday). Maybe we just have not been told because we have not asked?
Point to Ponder: The Great Commission is my commission.
I honestly can't say that I've ever really thought about it that much. . . at least, not at the global level that this chapter talks about.
Verse to Remember: Psalm 67:2- "Send us around the world with the news of your saving power and your eternal plan for all mankind." Living Bible
The most interesting thing to me here is that this is from the OT, and Psalms no less! The entire Psalm is worth the read; it's not very long.
Question to Consider: What steps can I take to prepare to go on a short-term missions experience in the next year?
Well, our church is planning a "short trip to Haiti in the fall." That's all the details I have so far. . . I'm hoping it works out to be before school starts in, or at least just an extended weekend that doesn't conflict with a football game. If God wants me to go, He will work out the dates in my favor; I can't really do much more than pray about it.
(Man. . . I am conversationally anal-retentive. . . thank you Sports Night)
First, I HATE mornings. I don't know what to do to fix this. Even in college, on the mornings before Practicum or a fun filled Saturday of Broncoband, getting out of bed is the single hardest activity I do in the first hour of my day. I get to school (or wherever) and I'm so happy to be there, but taking the initiative to get out of bed. . . 94% of the time I hit the snooze or wait for the last alarm (or just lay around) before I finally force myself out of bed. Whether I got a lot of sleep, not enough sleep, or just enough sleep, I still am very averse to leaving my warm bed and actually starting my day. Any suggestions (other than not waking up at 5:30, which if I want to get a shower (and this is important, because it wakes me up and more importantly is part of my routine), I have to)? I know the issue isn't routine, because I've tried night showers, and that just makes me want to stay in bed even longer because I know I don't have to take a shower. This morning, I did not want to do anything but go to sleep, but this day of teaching is going really well; why can't I remember that when my alarm goes off?? Also, I need to figure out how to do more lessons that make the students work rather than them just listen to me talk (those can sometimes be good lessons, but I know other times it's very boring for them, but I don't have a textbook and whenever I make worksheets, they are poor quality because I don't like making them, so there's no sense trying that route again). And we have a pep rally this afternoon, and while it'll be cheesy and short, I'm excited to get the drums back out and have my students feel more successful than they have in the past couple months. Differentiated instruction does not work very well in music class, at least when it comes to actually reading music. The project we're working on now is working, but I'm literally going around the room and helping them individually. Hopefully soon we will be able to rehearse it as an ensemble (and then I have to write out more music). At least they are willing to try the things I'm asking them to do, and when they start to put it together, I think they'll like it.
EDIT: Strike an earlier comment; I'm having a GREAT day of teaching! Just what I needed. Thank you, Lord.
Second, I discovered something about myself. I don't have a problem with talking (which, if you read this blog, you see how easily I ramble on and on. . . and on. . .) UNLESS it's about myself. I'll talk about music, or art, or sports (well, tennis at least), or books, or my job (which is almost about me, but not really; I want to make a program at Taylor, but it will (well, it BETTER) outlast my tenure there; that's my goal at least), but if you want to know what's really going on inside my head, well, you'll need a crowbar and a lot of patience. Like the not-wanting-to-get-out-of-bed thing, I need to work on this.
Third, I can't believe that I'll be reading the last chapter of PDL on Thursday! I'll probably take a little time off to reflect on the whole experience, and then start a new book project (I think I already mentioned this- Max Lucado's "He Chose the Nails"). I like this whole reading/reflecting thing. I'm thinking next year I'll go through the Bible and use that as my blog-reflection, but I want to get through it all once on my own before I start that. Plus, I'm somewhat OCD and starting it in January will satisfy that aspect of my personality.
I feel like I can go conquer the world right now. Such a great feeling!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Am I a "me-first" believer? How often do I come to church, thinking "What can I get out of the service today?" Am I trying to make a difference for Christ in the world? Or am I just trying to get the best for my life? Am I willing to go where He wants me to?
To get out of the "Worldly Christian" mindset, we have to change how we think. First, we shift from self-centered thinking to other-centered thinking. This isn't the first time this idea has come up. "Children think only of themselves; grown-ups think of others." I realize that I have a long way to go, but I don't want to be a spiritual child much longer. Unfortunately I'm still toddling around and falling over, but each time, I get a little better at walking. The tempering process works only with extreme heat and hammering (oooh. . . I like that analogy, especially if the fire is the Holy Spirit and God is the blacksmith). Anyway, I digress. We should see every encounter with another person, especially non-believers, as an opportunity to be used by God to further His will, rather than thinking about what we will get out of the interaction.
Second, we have to shift from local to global thinking. There are some really easy ways to do this: PRAY!! So simple, but so easy to forget about. People are defenseless against our prayers. . . how powerful is that statement? Also, when we hear international news, we should think about what God must be trying to accomplish. Of course, actually going and being a missionary, for however long, will give us a huge change in perspective. I really really hope the Haiti thing in the fall works out in my schedule.
Third, we need to start thinking eternally. Again, not a new idea, but think about how much stuff we waste time with that we could be spending doing something for our global mission? Take that five minutes you waste on the internet while "checking e-mails" and instead pray for a specific missionary. So simple, but we have to be aware and think about it. Too often we get caught up in the everday, unimportant things, and God gets shoved to the backburner. Who am I to say "Not tonight, God, I'm too busy"?? (Who are YOU to deny the armies of the living God?? Oh GVG, how I miss thee. . .) We're changing that tonight.
Finally, we have to stop making excuses not to go. Age, experience, ability set, it doesn't matter; there are tons of different things we can do, and something fits each person's timeline and skill set. If we are waiting for God to tell us "Go do this," we are missing the point (and not reading the Bible; remember the five commissions from yesterday). Maybe we just have not been told because we have not asked?
Point to Ponder: The Great Commission is my commission.
I honestly can't say that I've ever really thought about it that much. . . at least, not at the global level that this chapter talks about.
Verse to Remember: Psalm 67:2- "Send us around the world with the news of your saving power and your eternal plan for all mankind." Living Bible
The most interesting thing to me here is that this is from the OT, and Psalms no less! The entire Psalm is worth the read; it's not very long.
Question to Consider: What steps can I take to prepare to go on a short-term missions experience in the next year?
Well, our church is planning a "short trip to Haiti in the fall." That's all the details I have so far. . . I'm hoping it works out to be before school starts in, or at least just an extended weekend that doesn't conflict with a football game. If God wants me to go, He will work out the dates in my favor; I can't really do much more than pray about it.
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