I was just thinking about a couple things. Actually, it's more like four.
First of all, I mentioned that song lyrics have been taking on new meaning for me. I heard MercyMe's "Word of God Speak" this morning and it touched me in a way it hasn't before. Here are the lyrics or just listen to it:
Second, I changed my picture for this blog to an action shot of my baptism (it's kind of small so I thought I should clarify what is happening).
I keep realizing that God has been providing me things that I have wanted for so long, but was too busy trying to gain everything on my own to bother asking Him. "You do not have, because you do not ask." James was definitely talking about my life in that passage. There are such amazing opportunities to explore and relationships to develop here for me! How different life would be if I were doing TFA. . . but God knew exactly what I needed, and that was to be where I am currently at. I'm actually thankful that I didn't get accepted to TFA! Originally (far befor Florida was part of my picture) I thought I would re-apply ASAP. . .now I don't know that I'll ever bother applying again. I have exactly what I need right here, and I believe I'll be here for a while.
The fourth thing I was thinking about was what it'll be like after the Second Coming (or when I die, whichever comes first). I don't really know why it popped into my head (I'm sure I could figure out the sequence of events but it won't be that interesting, at least not as some of my six degrees of separation can be), but think about it: we'll all know everything we are supposed to know, and there won't be any more guesses (meaning there won't be any denominations!). To be part of the Church and be serving and worshiping with generations of brothers and sisters. . . will we get to go have lunch with Moses? Or catch a cup of coffee with David and Solomon? Go fishing with Peter and James and John? Will we be able to view the whole universe with our own eyes? Will there be gigantic concerts with 100,000,000 singers and an orchestra to match? It's mind blowing!!
I don't know. It just makes me want to do my best down here so that I'm prepared to do my best up there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I enjoyed the proverb at the beginning of this chapter: What you are is God's gift to you; what you do with yourself is your gift to God.
The past couple days told us what parts make up our shape (or SHAPE if you prefer). This chapter is about how we figure out what it is for us personally. First, we have to assess our gifts and abilities. We need to think hard about what we are actually good at (see here) and then compare our notes with people's observation with us. We might be surprised to find that there are things we think we are great at that other people give us sideways looks for (like 80% of the time that I try to be funny). There are also things that we do that people want us to do more of (I've never thought of myself as a singer, but before I joined SBC's choir I had many people come up to me and tell me I should join). Another cool challenge in here is that we should be experimenting with our ministry rather than just trying to find the exact niche we fill and then go do it. If we have a general idea of what we like and don't like, we are more likely to avoid circumstances that don't mesh with us, and also more likely to end up in a service that brings unexpected joy. And we don't always know what we can do and what we'll end up liking; I didn't start piano lessons thinking I would become a reader (read: put music in front of me and I will probably be able to sightread it cold with pretty fair accuracy and musicality; such a wonderful gift God has given me, and it is used a lot: I'm playing for 11 students for S&E this weekend, and only got some of the music last Friday! "My" ability to learn those pieces has nothing to do with me).
Second, we should consider our heart and personality. What is it that we enjoy? What keeps us going through the day? What makes us jump up and down, or shout in excitement, or just shake our arms and freak out?!?!? Do we do best alone, with a small group, or with a large group? Are we leaders or followers? Do-ers or thinkers? Do we prefer to compete or cooperate? These are things that I have been thinking a lot about lately. I know the answer to some questions, and am still finding out where on the spectrum I lie with others.
Third, we should examine the lessons we've learned from our experiences. I've talked about hindsight before; it seems logical that, if we know we will see the reason for hard times after we get through them, we shouldn't have so much emotional turmoil as they are happening. Unfortunately emotions and rationality do not always line up. We forget way too easily. If we take the time to examine all the things that have happened (and not just once, but on a regular basis), there's no real reason to keep making the same mistakes and learning the same lesson. We still won't be perfect, but at the very least we shouldn't be surprised by the same traps twice. The book recommends doing a "life review retreat." That sounds amazing to me right now. I want to go to Camp Barakel.
We should also accept and enjoy our shape. Bottom line: God made us this way FOR A REASON. Who are we to tell Him that He did something wrong? A great verse from my favorite book that echoes that statement.
(that wasn't a sentence. . . bad teacher! I'm too tired to go fix it)
God made us especially for something. We need to find that place and give it our all. The secret behind that, though, is that the place we can give it our all is the place where it doesn't feel like work! If you've never experienced that in your life, I hope that you find it. I have found it in music, but I have found it in other things too (I just get paid for the music stuff, which is so awesome!). We have to resist the temptations to compare or to conform our service to others. They have their own ways to serve, and THEY ARE NOT WRONG. We have our place, and WE ARE NOT WRONG. Besides, everyone is working towards the same goal! The means and methods are NOT as important as the vision and the result! Ignore the critics!
Finally, we have to keep developing our shape. Our talents shouldn't beburied. It's like what I was saying earlier; I want to do my best here so that I'm in prime condition when I get to Heaven! I can't imagine that everyone all of the sudden loses their abilities and interests when they die; with all the variety in our lives, Heaven must be filled with a plethora of personalities and "SHAPE's"!
Point to Ponder: God deserves my best.
And He created my best! Think about it. . .
Verse to Remember: 2 Timothy 2:15 "Do your best to present yourself to God as one aproved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." New International Version
This is the slogan verse of AWANA (Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed). I've known this verse since I was a 9th grader. . . but only now am I seeing its life application. Also, the NKJV says "rightly dividing the word of truth." For a long time I thought that meant knowing where the Old Testament ended and the New Testament began.
Question to Consider: How can I make the best use of what God has given me?
Still working it out. . . I'll get back to you later.
(. . . . who exactly I am getting back to I am not entirely sure. . .)
2/03/2010
2/02/2010
Day 31: Understanding Your Shape
What a crazy day. I went to bed at normal time last night but I was exhausted this morning. Then, the power went out at school around 4th period for most of the hour, so they announced that students would be released early. Then about 5 minutes before 5th period, the power came back on (I prayed that it would. . . sorry students) and stayed on the rest of the day. Then I found out that a student from my school was killed in a motorcycle/car accident that morning. I didn't know him, but still, it's always a tough thing (also, please pray for his family, friends, and everyone affected by his death). I left school early so that I could get to DeLand HS for S&E rehearsal, which went for three hours (6 students). And now I'm home, and I haven't worked out (!!!! I just realized it) and I have to write something up for my HS students to work on, because what we're currently doing is not working.
On the plus side, I still have a couple loaves of challah left.
(also, I pick things up with my toes more often than I probably should. . . what am I, a monkey??? "Things that I do that make me shake my head" for $400, Alex. . .)
And I have to say that I love the people at my church. I'm facebook friends with quite a few of them now, and some of the "dialogue" that goes on. . . simply priceless. I have gotten a few good chuckles, to say the least.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I keep finding songs that I want people to listen to. This one relates to the chapter, rather than my pre-post ramblings. Remember, this talks about the APE of SHAPE (Spiritual Gifts and Heart from yesterday). So, the A is for Abilities. Ability=natural talent (if you couldn't tell, I like it when things are defined/explained. There are far too many words we throw around, not just in the Christian circle but in the world in general, and don't really bother to know what they really mean). God has given us all of our abilities, and we can use them all for God's glory (see here). That means that not only is it OK to have a career that isn't "spiritual," but God WANTS us to! We SHOULD do what we want to do. He just wants us to do it in a way that pleases Him and furthers His purpose, and if we are constantly aware of Him, this eventually becomes our natural way of working.
I love the facts in this chapter-
-we have between 500 and 700 skills and abilities
-we can store 100 trillion (that's 100,000,000,000,000) facts
-we handle about 15,000 decisions/second
-we can smell up to 10,000 different smells
-we can feel an item 1/25,000 (that's 0.00004) of an inch think
Pretty amazing.
The book makes a good point that sin is often the misuse or abuse of our God given abilities. That thought is something that might make us reconsider the motivation behind some of our temptations or sin patterns. What is it about me that makes me want to ______? Maybe we need a refocus of energy, or we need to find a different outlet/way to express what we want. Also, what we are able to do is what God wants us to do. I am able to serve in the music ministry, and I think God wants me to. I am exploring what else I am able to do to be able to serve, and once I figure that out, I will do it. I need to figure out what I'm good at, which seems simple enough, but really requires me to spend time undistracted, and that is a rarity in my life currently. Even with this blog I'm often "multi-tasking" (in quotes because of this article). I have set aside time for it, yes, and especially for getting through PDL, but I generally do it at the end of the day, when the wear and tear of the day is still filtering through my emotions and my brain is already planning for tomorrow.
The P is Personality. Another amazing fact: DNA can unite in 10▲2,400,000,000 different ways. That means 10 with 2.4 BILLION zeros after that. I was going to type the number out, and then I used my brain and thought about it. "Your uniqueness is a scientific fact of life." That's an understatement.
I am (apparently) an ISTJ, and actually the I and J are strong (which makes sense to me: introvert v. extrovert and judging v. perceiving) and the S and T were weak correlations (S is sensing v. intuition, and T is thinking v. feeling; I am a musician after all) (I remember doing that test in 8th grade and I was INTJ, so I guess not much has changed? Of couse I could take it again tomorrow and get INFJ!). There isn't a "right" or "wrong" personality for ministry. It's like what I tell my students about timbre- if there weren't different tone colors, music would get very boring. Life on earth would also get boring if everyone had the same personality and served God in the same way! Just look at how different each of the 12 disciples were. And it feels good to serve Him in a way that fits our personality; just ask me about this past Sunday morning (which already feels like it was a week ago).
Finally, the E stands for Experience. How many experiences are really in our complete control? When we sit down and analyze it, there really aren't that many, and even things we choose, like classes we take or musicians we accompany, a lot of times new and interesting things come up that we weren't planning on. The book lists 6 different types of experience: family, educational, vocational, spiritual, ministry, and painful. We often wonder why bad things happen to us. "What did I do to deserve this?" is usually what we ask. I know that I have, and the answer is generally unsatisfying, but that's because we are asking the wrong question. Everything happens for a reason, so we should ask "What should I take away from this experience?" That's so tough. So tough.
Point to Ponder: Nobody else can be me.
I don't think anyone else wants to be me! :)
Verse to Remember: 1 Peter 4:10- "God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God's many kinds of blessings." Living Bible
Hmmm. . . maybe I'll check out 1 Peter tonight. I went back to Ephesians last night, but I read just a small portion and reflected rather than trying to consume mass amounts (as I am prone to do, since I'm still trying to get through the whole Bible once through).
Question to Consider: What God-given ability or personal experience can I offer to my church?
I'm working on figuring that out! :-p But in all seriousness, these chapters are falling at a perfect time for me, because this is something I have been searching for within me before I even picked up this book.
My brain is most definitely an antelope tonight. I think I'm going to go to bed early (meaning now: it's 8:30).
On the plus side, I still have a couple loaves of challah left.
(also, I pick things up with my toes more often than I probably should. . . what am I, a monkey??? "Things that I do that make me shake my head" for $400, Alex. . .)
And I have to say that I love the people at my church. I'm facebook friends with quite a few of them now, and some of the "dialogue" that goes on. . . simply priceless. I have gotten a few good chuckles, to say the least.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I keep finding songs that I want people to listen to. This one relates to the chapter, rather than my pre-post ramblings. Remember, this talks about the APE of SHAPE (Spiritual Gifts and Heart from yesterday). So, the A is for Abilities. Ability=natural talent (if you couldn't tell, I like it when things are defined/explained. There are far too many words we throw around, not just in the Christian circle but in the world in general, and don't really bother to know what they really mean). God has given us all of our abilities, and we can use them all for God's glory (see here). That means that not only is it OK to have a career that isn't "spiritual," but God WANTS us to! We SHOULD do what we want to do. He just wants us to do it in a way that pleases Him and furthers His purpose, and if we are constantly aware of Him, this eventually becomes our natural way of working.
I love the facts in this chapter-
-we have between 500 and 700 skills and abilities
-we can store 100 trillion (that's 100,000,000,000,000) facts
-we handle about 15,000 decisions/second
-we can smell up to 10,000 different smells
-we can feel an item 1/25,000 (that's 0.00004) of an inch think
Pretty amazing.
The book makes a good point that sin is often the misuse or abuse of our God given abilities. That thought is something that might make us reconsider the motivation behind some of our temptations or sin patterns. What is it about me that makes me want to ______? Maybe we need a refocus of energy, or we need to find a different outlet/way to express what we want. Also, what we are able to do is what God wants us to do. I am able to serve in the music ministry, and I think God wants me to. I am exploring what else I am able to do to be able to serve, and once I figure that out, I will do it. I need to figure out what I'm good at, which seems simple enough, but really requires me to spend time undistracted, and that is a rarity in my life currently. Even with this blog I'm often "multi-tasking" (in quotes because of this article). I have set aside time for it, yes, and especially for getting through PDL, but I generally do it at the end of the day, when the wear and tear of the day is still filtering through my emotions and my brain is already planning for tomorrow.
The P is Personality. Another amazing fact: DNA can unite in 10▲2,400,000,000 different ways. That means 10 with 2.4 BILLION zeros after that. I was going to type the number out, and then I used my brain and thought about it. "Your uniqueness is a scientific fact of life." That's an understatement.
I am (apparently) an ISTJ, and actually the I and J are strong (which makes sense to me: introvert v. extrovert and judging v. perceiving) and the S and T were weak correlations (S is sensing v. intuition, and T is thinking v. feeling; I am a musician after all) (I remember doing that test in 8th grade and I was INTJ, so I guess not much has changed? Of couse I could take it again tomorrow and get INFJ!). There isn't a "right" or "wrong" personality for ministry. It's like what I tell my students about timbre- if there weren't different tone colors, music would get very boring. Life on earth would also get boring if everyone had the same personality and served God in the same way! Just look at how different each of the 12 disciples were. And it feels good to serve Him in a way that fits our personality; just ask me about this past Sunday morning (which already feels like it was a week ago).
Finally, the E stands for Experience. How many experiences are really in our complete control? When we sit down and analyze it, there really aren't that many, and even things we choose, like classes we take or musicians we accompany, a lot of times new and interesting things come up that we weren't planning on. The book lists 6 different types of experience: family, educational, vocational, spiritual, ministry, and painful. We often wonder why bad things happen to us. "What did I do to deserve this?" is usually what we ask. I know that I have, and the answer is generally unsatisfying, but that's because we are asking the wrong question. Everything happens for a reason, so we should ask "What should I take away from this experience?" That's so tough. So tough.
Point to Ponder: Nobody else can be me.
I don't think anyone else wants to be me! :)
Verse to Remember: 1 Peter 4:10- "God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God's many kinds of blessings." Living Bible
Hmmm. . . maybe I'll check out 1 Peter tonight. I went back to Ephesians last night, but I read just a small portion and reflected rather than trying to consume mass amounts (as I am prone to do, since I'm still trying to get through the whole Bible once through).
Question to Consider: What God-given ability or personal experience can I offer to my church?
I'm working on figuring that out! :-p But in all seriousness, these chapters are falling at a perfect time for me, because this is something I have been searching for within me before I even picked up this book.
My brain is most definitely an antelope tonight. I think I'm going to go to bed early (meaning now: it's 8:30).
2/01/2010
Day 30: Shaped for Serving God
I have fallen in love with this song.
I'm glad I came to school today (I have again been contemplating a mental health day, but Feb. 15th is just around the corner. . .) but I hope the full moon effects wear off by tomorrow; I love my kids most of the time, but full moons are always tough (and this was the biggest one, which might mean the longest affect. . . I'm sure by Wednesday everything will clear up).
I had some weird heart/chest thing going on last night as I laid down for bed. . . but I think I'll attribute it to the fact that I ate an entire frozen pizza for dinner at 8:30 at night.
And in other news, my left shoe has a squeak in it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This has been one of my favorite chapters so far. All of them have had some kind of impact on me, but this week's theme is exactly what I've been wondering about for the past month or so.
The analogy of an architect making a building is perfect, because what the building will be used for determines how it is constructed. It is definitely an issue of function over form. But we have to take it backwards. We and our desires, emotions, skills, and interests are the form we have been given. So where then do we find the purpose that fits those attributes? The book uses SHAPE as an acrostic (SH today, APE tomorrow ) (hahaha).
First is Spiritual gifts. The passages from Romans, 1 Corinthians, and Ephesians deal with this topic. We have to remember these are gifts, and aren't about what we earn or deserve but what is given to us. Also, if you look, none of these gifts are self-serving. We don't get spiritual mind control powers or telekenesis or laser eyes (I had to say it). No, we might be teachers, leaders, encouragers, interpreters of tongues, etc. (go read the verses if you didn't already!). Also, this is only 1/5 of the total picture.
Second is Heart. Our heart is the source of all motivation; anything that we want to do comes from there. Sometimes we are forced to do things we don't want to, and guess what? Our heart is not in it. The things that we instinctively care about are our God-given "emotional heartbeats." God wants me to feel passionately about music! That is such an exciting statement. We shouldn't ignore those interests, but figure out how we can use them to serve He that gave them to us! The two signs of heart (enthusiasm and effectiveness) are pretty good gauges for us to be able to tell if we are really following our heart. "When you are doing what you love to do, no one has to motivate you or challenge you or check up on you. You do it for the sheer enjoyment. You don't need rewards or applause or payment, because you love serving in this way. . . . . Passion drives perfection. If you don't care about a task, it is unlikely that you will excel at it. In contrast, the highest achievers in any field are those who do it because of passion, not duty or profit. . . Meaning is far more important than money." Such wise words. . . I know my heart is not always in my job, but it is in what it will become. Yeah, there's going to be a tough couple of years, but soon, I'll be doing what I LOVE. The All County rehearsals proved that I still love it, besides the fact that playing the piano is one of the most exciting things that I ever do (I was sightreading accompaniments earlier and getting pretty geeky about them; rehearsal tomorrow!). And I get paid to do it at school! And with the music ministry at SBC, yesterday morning was one of the greatest performances I have ever done, not because it was techincally great or even musically fantastic (I am not a real singer), but because I got to do it for God and serve His people. I know how excited I felt, so hopefully someone in the audience picked up that spirit from me, and even if they didn't, I know that God knows my heart. At one point I realized how many times I said the words "alive", "worthy", "holy," and "hallelujah", but you know what? They don't get old, no matter how many times I say/sing it.
Point to Ponder: I was shaped for serving God.
I think I've said something like this before, but I didn't seek out the passion I have for music and for passing music onto others via teaching. In fact, based on this chapter, it is not really about our desires as it is the affinity that God gives us for different things. I know I am blessed to have the talent and love for music that I have, because I know so many people that do not have seem to have that zeal for anything. The issue isn't that they don't have it, but they have not yet found it. I think that sometimes God reveals Himself to us through that journey, and other times He wants us to take steps of faith in Him before He reveals what gets us excited about life.
Verse to Remember: 1 Corinthians 12:6- "God works through different men in different ways, but it is the same God who achieves his purposes through them all." J. B. Phillips New Testament in Modern English
Everyone is important, and no one is more important or more "necessary" than anyone else. The "less humble" the position, the more humble we should be in to be serving in that way. And all of it leads to the glorification of God anyway!
Question to Consider: In what way can I see myself passionately serving others and loving it?
MUSIC, which I am already doing. But is that the whole picture for me? I'm not entirely sure. This is what I have been exploring, and what I'll continue to explore.
I'm glad I came to school today (I have again been contemplating a mental health day, but Feb. 15th is just around the corner. . .) but I hope the full moon effects wear off by tomorrow; I love my kids most of the time, but full moons are always tough (and this was the biggest one, which might mean the longest affect. . . I'm sure by Wednesday everything will clear up).
I had some weird heart/chest thing going on last night as I laid down for bed. . . but I think I'll attribute it to the fact that I ate an entire frozen pizza for dinner at 8:30 at night.
And in other news, my left shoe has a squeak in it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This has been one of my favorite chapters so far. All of them have had some kind of impact on me, but this week's theme is exactly what I've been wondering about for the past month or so.
The analogy of an architect making a building is perfect, because what the building will be used for determines how it is constructed. It is definitely an issue of function over form. But we have to take it backwards. We and our desires, emotions, skills, and interests are the form we have been given. So where then do we find the purpose that fits those attributes? The book uses SHAPE as an acrostic (SH today, APE tomorrow ) (hahaha).
First is Spiritual gifts. The passages from Romans, 1 Corinthians, and Ephesians deal with this topic. We have to remember these are gifts, and aren't about what we earn or deserve but what is given to us. Also, if you look, none of these gifts are self-serving. We don't get spiritual mind control powers or telekenesis or laser eyes (I had to say it). No, we might be teachers, leaders, encouragers, interpreters of tongues, etc. (go read the verses if you didn't already!). Also, this is only 1/5 of the total picture.
Second is Heart. Our heart is the source of all motivation; anything that we want to do comes from there. Sometimes we are forced to do things we don't want to, and guess what? Our heart is not in it. The things that we instinctively care about are our God-given "emotional heartbeats." God wants me to feel passionately about music! That is such an exciting statement. We shouldn't ignore those interests, but figure out how we can use them to serve He that gave them to us! The two signs of heart (enthusiasm and effectiveness) are pretty good gauges for us to be able to tell if we are really following our heart. "When you are doing what you love to do, no one has to motivate you or challenge you or check up on you. You do it for the sheer enjoyment. You don't need rewards or applause or payment, because you love serving in this way. . . . . Passion drives perfection. If you don't care about a task, it is unlikely that you will excel at it. In contrast, the highest achievers in any field are those who do it because of passion, not duty or profit. . . Meaning is far more important than money." Such wise words. . . I know my heart is not always in my job, but it is in what it will become. Yeah, there's going to be a tough couple of years, but soon, I'll be doing what I LOVE. The All County rehearsals proved that I still love it, besides the fact that playing the piano is one of the most exciting things that I ever do (I was sightreading accompaniments earlier and getting pretty geeky about them; rehearsal tomorrow!). And I get paid to do it at school! And with the music ministry at SBC, yesterday morning was one of the greatest performances I have ever done, not because it was techincally great or even musically fantastic (I am not a real singer), but because I got to do it for God and serve His people. I know how excited I felt, so hopefully someone in the audience picked up that spirit from me, and even if they didn't, I know that God knows my heart. At one point I realized how many times I said the words "alive", "worthy", "holy," and "hallelujah", but you know what? They don't get old, no matter how many times I say/sing it.
Point to Ponder: I was shaped for serving God.
I think I've said something like this before, but I didn't seek out the passion I have for music and for passing music onto others via teaching. In fact, based on this chapter, it is not really about our desires as it is the affinity that God gives us for different things. I know I am blessed to have the talent and love for music that I have, because I know so many people that do not have seem to have that zeal for anything. The issue isn't that they don't have it, but they have not yet found it. I think that sometimes God reveals Himself to us through that journey, and other times He wants us to take steps of faith in Him before He reveals what gets us excited about life.
Verse to Remember: 1 Corinthians 12:6- "God works through different men in different ways, but it is the same God who achieves his purposes through them all." J. B. Phillips New Testament in Modern English
Everyone is important, and no one is more important or more "necessary" than anyone else. The "less humble" the position, the more humble we should be in to be serving in that way. And all of it leads to the glorification of God anyway!
Question to Consider: In what way can I see myself passionately serving others and loving it?
MUSIC, which I am already doing. But is that the whole picture for me? I'm not entirely sure. This is what I have been exploring, and what I'll continue to explore.
Day 29: Accepting Your Assignment
LONG DAY.
Not bad. Just long. Very long. I don't like to not eat much (my own fault) and be out of my apartment for my entire Sunday.
BUT.
One Lord, One Faith this morning was amazing. Amazing. I'm so thankful I have that opportunity to participate in my church's worship service that way (and so bummed that I can't do it Friday night!) and especially thankful for the quality and, more important, the heart that Reggie brings to all parts of the music ministry at SBC. It's a lot of work, and he does a phenomenal job. It's because he allows himself to be used by Him (if you catch my drift), and what a benefit we receive from his sacrifice.
And then there was Rigoletto. . . not so good. I mean, the singers were good, but they were a little too German (read: technical) for me, and come on, it's Verdi! Even worse were the violins and their inability to tune (and the oboe too; it was sharp), and then at the curtain call, Glinda (that's not right. . . Gilda! not Glinda. . . Wicked would have been WAY better haha) was a TOTAL diva (and completely undeserved, although she had a pretty voice) and kept forcing applause out of the audience. I half expected her to do the Hulk Hogan "I can't hear you" motion. My students were generally unimpressed and bored with it, and I can't blame them. It makes me sad that I missed the next installment of the Nehemiah series and the business meeting for that, but you do what you gotta do as a music teacher I suppose.
Alright, enough rambling. I need to get to PDL or I will never get to bed (and I really want to get to bed), because I still have to make lunches and pick out clothes for this upcoming week.
New week, new theme! I can't believe I'm in week 4 already. I'll be exploring "You Were Shaped for Serving God."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So much greatness in this simple statement: While many best-selling books offer advice on how to "get" the most out of life, that's not the reason God made you. You were created to add to life on earth, not just take from it. I'm still working out this idea in my life. For example, when I was first seeking out a church here (and even the time I tried to find a church in Kalamazoo) I was looking for a place that would serve my needs and wants. While that's not a bad thing (because going to a church that you don't agree with is not the greatest idea), I didn't really give thought about finding a place I could serve. In fact, the thought never really crossed my mind (except "I could probably play offertory once in a while"). But after God lead me to SBC, He started working on me. And now I'm putting Him in a place priorty (actually, I had a thought this morning about how I would spend 1st period. . . and this is what I'm doing instead of practicing the piano) and doing what I can to be involved in my church (although it's tough sometimes with my unpredictable schedule, which is why I'm excited to see what kinds of things I might be able to do that I don't know about yet).
The book gives us (guess how many?) four things to think about concerning our personal ministry. First, we were created to serve God. There's a song from Avenue Q that says "When you help others, you can’t help helping yourself." While there is some truth in that, the attitude and spirit meant by it is not correct. When we help others, we are serving God directly. Ultimately this is storing up treasures in Heaven, and that might seem greedy in our capitalist society (i.e. "you are only serving because you know you're going to be rewarded in Heaven"). . . well, it really isn't that way. Where your treasure is, your heart is there also;the spirit of serving is love, not reward.
Second, we were saved to serve. The book says it best: "Read this verse. We don't serve God out of guilt or fear or even duty, but out of joy, and deep gratitude for what he's done for us. We owe him our lives." I don't know what to add to that except to say that it is very humbling to be a servant of God.
We are also called to serve God. That doesn't mean we will all work in our church and be paid money for it! There are so many places to serve (VBS, choir, clean up crew, being a greeter, just to name a few). The book says that a non-serving Christian is an oxymoron. I would have agreed with this statement before, but not in the way that I see life now. Christians do not serve just because God asks them to (out of duty, as said above), but that's what I used to think. Now I am seeing that serving is a pleasure, a little piece of Heaven on Earth. And because everyone has different strengths, everyone has to be involved in the church. The analogy of the human body becoming sick when just one part doesn't work is potent, and certainly something I am taking into consideration as I continue to seek out my place at SBC.
Finally, we are commanded to serve God. I feel like a lot of people enjoy going to church, hearing God's word and singing the songs, and going to Bible studies, and special events, and thinking that that is being involved with chruch. While all that is great and helps us to grow, if we aren't serving, we are missing the point of it all (that whole spiritual obesity thing). What good does it do us to have all this knowledge if we aren't doing anything with it? One of my favorite quotes I got from my internship is "Knowing what to do and doing it are not the same thing." The first is a sign of immaturity, spiritual or not; little kids break rules they know because they aren't yet old enough to make themselves behave 100% of the time (adults can be this way too).
I have to put this list from the book, and it pretty much speaks for itself: "If you're not involved in any service or ministry, what excuse have you been using? Abraham was old, Jacob was insecure, Leah was unattractive, Loseph was abused, Moses stuttered, Gideon was poor, Samson was codependent, Rahab was immoral, David had an affair and all kinds of family problems, Elijah was suicidal, Jeremiah was depressed, Jonah was reluctant, Naomi was a wido, John the Baptist was eccentric to say the least, Peter was implusive and hot-tempered, Marth worried a lot, the Samaritan woman had several failed marriages, Zacchaeus was unpopular, Thomas had doubts, Paul had poor health, and Timothy was timid."
Point to Ponder: Service is not optional.
Amen!
Verse to Remember: Ephesians 2:10- "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." New International Version
"We are God's workmanship". . . . and not just created on a whim, but created for love and by love. We're going to face our Creator someday, and He's going to ask what we were doing with the time given us on Earth. What a day that will be indeed!
Question to Consider: What is holding me back from accepting God's call to serve him?
Well, right now it's just waiting to see what positions are available in my church and figuring out what God wants me to do. I've been pointed to Scripture about spiritual gifts and serving the church, but still haven't found any answers yet. In a few weeks there's going to be a special morning service about, well, service in the church. I am anxious to get there, but I need to be patient and continue to seek out His will. Maybe the answer to my question will come in the weeks between now and that Sunday (whenever it be).
Not bad. Just long. Very long. I don't like to not eat much (my own fault) and be out of my apartment for my entire Sunday.
BUT.
One Lord, One Faith this morning was amazing. Amazing. I'm so thankful I have that opportunity to participate in my church's worship service that way (and so bummed that I can't do it Friday night!) and especially thankful for the quality and, more important, the heart that Reggie brings to all parts of the music ministry at SBC. It's a lot of work, and he does a phenomenal job. It's because he allows himself to be used by Him (if you catch my drift), and what a benefit we receive from his sacrifice.
And then there was Rigoletto. . . not so good. I mean, the singers were good, but they were a little too German (read: technical) for me, and come on, it's Verdi! Even worse were the violins and their inability to tune (and the oboe too; it was sharp), and then at the curtain call, Glinda (that's not right. . . Gilda! not Glinda. . . Wicked would have been WAY better haha) was a TOTAL diva (and completely undeserved, although she had a pretty voice) and kept forcing applause out of the audience. I half expected her to do the Hulk Hogan "I can't hear you" motion. My students were generally unimpressed and bored with it, and I can't blame them. It makes me sad that I missed the next installment of the Nehemiah series and the business meeting for that, but you do what you gotta do as a music teacher I suppose.
Alright, enough rambling. I need to get to PDL or I will never get to bed (and I really want to get to bed), because I still have to make lunches and pick out clothes for this upcoming week.
New week, new theme! I can't believe I'm in week 4 already. I'll be exploring "You Were Shaped for Serving God."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So much greatness in this simple statement: While many best-selling books offer advice on how to "get" the most out of life, that's not the reason God made you. You were created to add to life on earth, not just take from it. I'm still working out this idea in my life. For example, when I was first seeking out a church here (and even the time I tried to find a church in Kalamazoo) I was looking for a place that would serve my needs and wants. While that's not a bad thing (because going to a church that you don't agree with is not the greatest idea), I didn't really give thought about finding a place I could serve. In fact, the thought never really crossed my mind (except "I could probably play offertory once in a while"). But after God lead me to SBC, He started working on me. And now I'm putting Him in a place priorty (actually, I had a thought this morning about how I would spend 1st period. . . and this is what I'm doing instead of practicing the piano) and doing what I can to be involved in my church (although it's tough sometimes with my unpredictable schedule, which is why I'm excited to see what kinds of things I might be able to do that I don't know about yet).
The book gives us (guess how many?) four things to think about concerning our personal ministry. First, we were created to serve God. There's a song from Avenue Q that says "When you help others, you can’t help helping yourself." While there is some truth in that, the attitude and spirit meant by it is not correct. When we help others, we are serving God directly. Ultimately this is storing up treasures in Heaven, and that might seem greedy in our capitalist society (i.e. "you are only serving because you know you're going to be rewarded in Heaven"). . . well, it really isn't that way. Where your treasure is, your heart is there also;the spirit of serving is love, not reward.
Second, we were saved to serve. The book says it best: "Read this verse. We don't serve God out of guilt or fear or even duty, but out of joy, and deep gratitude for what he's done for us. We owe him our lives." I don't know what to add to that except to say that it is very humbling to be a servant of God.
We are also called to serve God. That doesn't mean we will all work in our church and be paid money for it! There are so many places to serve (VBS, choir, clean up crew, being a greeter, just to name a few). The book says that a non-serving Christian is an oxymoron. I would have agreed with this statement before, but not in the way that I see life now. Christians do not serve just because God asks them to (out of duty, as said above), but that's what I used to think. Now I am seeing that serving is a pleasure, a little piece of Heaven on Earth. And because everyone has different strengths, everyone has to be involved in the church. The analogy of the human body becoming sick when just one part doesn't work is potent, and certainly something I am taking into consideration as I continue to seek out my place at SBC.
Finally, we are commanded to serve God. I feel like a lot of people enjoy going to church, hearing God's word and singing the songs, and going to Bible studies, and special events, and thinking that that is being involved with chruch. While all that is great and helps us to grow, if we aren't serving, we are missing the point of it all (that whole spiritual obesity thing). What good does it do us to have all this knowledge if we aren't doing anything with it? One of my favorite quotes I got from my internship is "Knowing what to do and doing it are not the same thing." The first is a sign of immaturity, spiritual or not; little kids break rules they know because they aren't yet old enough to make themselves behave 100% of the time (adults can be this way too).
I have to put this list from the book, and it pretty much speaks for itself: "If you're not involved in any service or ministry, what excuse have you been using? Abraham was old, Jacob was insecure, Leah was unattractive, Loseph was abused, Moses stuttered, Gideon was poor, Samson was codependent, Rahab was immoral, David had an affair and all kinds of family problems, Elijah was suicidal, Jeremiah was depressed, Jonah was reluctant, Naomi was a wido, John the Baptist was eccentric to say the least, Peter was implusive and hot-tempered, Marth worried a lot, the Samaritan woman had several failed marriages, Zacchaeus was unpopular, Thomas had doubts, Paul had poor health, and Timothy was timid."
Point to Ponder: Service is not optional.
Amen!
Verse to Remember: Ephesians 2:10- "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." New International Version
"We are God's workmanship". . . . and not just created on a whim, but created for love and by love. We're going to face our Creator someday, and He's going to ask what we were doing with the time given us on Earth. What a day that will be indeed!
Question to Consider: What is holding me back from accepting God's call to serve him?
Well, right now it's just waiting to see what positions are available in my church and figuring out what God wants me to do. I've been pointed to Scripture about spiritual gifts and serving the church, but still haven't found any answers yet. In a few weeks there's going to be a special morning service about, well, service in the church. I am anxious to get there, but I need to be patient and continue to seek out His will. Maybe the answer to my question will come in the weeks between now and that Sunday (whenever it be).
1/31/2010
Week 3 in Review
Oops. I should have done this Saturday evening or Sunday, but I was so busy, I forgot it. Thankfully I'm OCD so this is chronologically correct in the blog, even though I'm writing it after Day 30.
The theme was "You Were Created to Become Like Christ."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How is "becoming like Jesus Christ" different from the way most people understand "discipleship"?
I think most people's connotation of "disciple" is someone either of higher, status ("special" people like pastors) or very "religious", mysterious people ("special" people in an entirely different way). But the truth is that anyone can be a disciple, but they have to choose to accept Jesus' sacrifice into their lives and live their lives knowing that He came to save them. That's not necessarily an easy thing to grasp right away, but once you see it. . . man. This article is quite good (and quite long) if you're interested in a very fleshed out definition of discipleship. There's some really great stuff in it. Challenging stuff.
What are some of the changes you have seen in your life since you became a believer? What have others noticed?
I think the biggest thing (that answers both questions in a way) is my (recently revived) desire to share the Good News with others. I'm not on the street corners passing out flyers, and I generally don't push people into conversations, but I have always open to a discussion about religion and my beliefs. I hope that people have found this blog and have gained some insight about being a Christian. I originally considered exporting it to facebook notes, but instead I've just been putting links to it in my status and info (mostly because having a daily note from me on people's Livefeed is a great way for them to block posts from me or simply ignore it).
A year from now, how would you like to be more Christlike? What can you do today to move toward that goal?
I want to be less afraid of my emotions. Jesus went through everything, from anger (remember: flipping tables over in the temple) to great joy to sadness to suffering, and everything in between. More importantly, I need to make sure my emotions are matching the situation, and then I am reacting the appropriate way to said situation. For example, if something clearly unBiblical is going on and I'm not offended and speaking up about it (when appropriate), I need to check my thoughts (and in some cases, not be afraid). I think the biggest thing I can do now is just be more open with people and not put on the "everything is always in control" face. That doesn't mean I'm going to start moping around and sharing all my troubles, but I need to be sure that I'm having true joy when things aren't going right, since I know that those times and situations are meant to help me grow, and I should be thankful that He wants to make me stronger (and excited to become stronger so that I can continue to serve Him better!).
Where in your spiritual growth are you having to be patient because there seems to be little progress?
I'm not sure. I don't know if I even know all the areas I need to work on yet. I'm still working on giving my job over to God and always doing it with the right attitude.
How has God used pain or trouble to help you grow?
This past summer (and by summer it was really like late March until mid-October) was probably the toughest time I've faced so far. God's message to me? "STOP RELYING ON THE WORLD AND TRUST IN ME."
When are you most vulnerable to temptation? Which of the steps to defeating temptation could help you most?
Generally frustration/stress/anger is what gets me into the most trouble. What I've been doing lately (and successfully, at least so far) is changing my attention to something else. Instead of fighting the mental battle and making it worse, I just turn away from it and towards something else, often Scripture (I've been recommitting 1 Corinthians 13 to memory) or a song.
The theme was "You Were Created to Become Like Christ."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How is "becoming like Jesus Christ" different from the way most people understand "discipleship"?
I think most people's connotation of "disciple" is someone either of higher, status ("special" people like pastors) or very "religious", mysterious people ("special" people in an entirely different way). But the truth is that anyone can be a disciple, but they have to choose to accept Jesus' sacrifice into their lives and live their lives knowing that He came to save them. That's not necessarily an easy thing to grasp right away, but once you see it. . . man. This article is quite good (and quite long) if you're interested in a very fleshed out definition of discipleship. There's some really great stuff in it. Challenging stuff.
What are some of the changes you have seen in your life since you became a believer? What have others noticed?
I think the biggest thing (that answers both questions in a way) is my (recently revived) desire to share the Good News with others. I'm not on the street corners passing out flyers, and I generally don't push people into conversations, but I have always open to a discussion about religion and my beliefs. I hope that people have found this blog and have gained some insight about being a Christian. I originally considered exporting it to facebook notes, but instead I've just been putting links to it in my status and info (mostly because having a daily note from me on people's Livefeed is a great way for them to block posts from me or simply ignore it).
A year from now, how would you like to be more Christlike? What can you do today to move toward that goal?
I want to be less afraid of my emotions. Jesus went through everything, from anger (remember: flipping tables over in the temple) to great joy to sadness to suffering, and everything in between. More importantly, I need to make sure my emotions are matching the situation, and then I am reacting the appropriate way to said situation. For example, if something clearly unBiblical is going on and I'm not offended and speaking up about it (when appropriate), I need to check my thoughts (and in some cases, not be afraid). I think the biggest thing I can do now is just be more open with people and not put on the "everything is always in control" face. That doesn't mean I'm going to start moping around and sharing all my troubles, but I need to be sure that I'm having true joy when things aren't going right, since I know that those times and situations are meant to help me grow, and I should be thankful that He wants to make me stronger (and excited to become stronger so that I can continue to serve Him better!).
Where in your spiritual growth are you having to be patient because there seems to be little progress?
I'm not sure. I don't know if I even know all the areas I need to work on yet. I'm still working on giving my job over to God and always doing it with the right attitude.
How has God used pain or trouble to help you grow?
This past summer (and by summer it was really like late March until mid-October) was probably the toughest time I've faced so far. God's message to me? "STOP RELYING ON THE WORLD AND TRUST IN ME."
When are you most vulnerable to temptation? Which of the steps to defeating temptation could help you most?
Generally frustration/stress/anger is what gets me into the most trouble. What I've been doing lately (and successfully, at least so far) is changing my attention to something else. Instead of fighting the mental battle and making it worse, I just turn away from it and towards something else, often Scripture (I've been recommitting 1 Corinthians 13 to memory) or a song.
1/30/2010
Day 28: It Takes Time
I really wanted to put "Time" in all caps, for myself mostly.
In the meanwhile, best to get on my way of catching up. I don't want to fall behind now, especially since my next week is pretty crazy (OLOF and YES tomorrow, Monday ASB (After School Band) and choir rehearsal (I don't have to go since I can't do Friday night's performance, but that's all the more reason I want to go!), Tuesday S&E rehearsal at DeLand HS, Wednesday SBC orchestra, Thursday S&E rehearsal at Mainland HS, Friday ASB and S&E at Deltona MS (the actual event), Saturday rehearsal with Ginny in the morning sometime and 1 event (I think only one anyway) for S&E, and then it'll be a normal Sunday I think. A three day weekend is in my near future (President's Day) but it looks like I'll be earning it again).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Great statement from the beginning of this chapter: we are concerned with how fast we grow, whild God is concerned with how strong we grow. We are so concerned with the fastest way, but it is not always the best way. If we were to keep His view of eternity in our minds, we would probably change a lot of how we act and think. I really enjoy the war analogy used for how Christ works in us: He might start out bombing us to soften us up, and establishing beach heads, and eventually taking over all territory.
The book lists a few reasons why it takes a long time to change, and also gives us ways to help us see and continue progress towards God's ultimate goal. As a race, we are slow learners. Just look at the Israelites. Second, we have to unlearn a lot. We don't develop bad habits overnight; why do we expect to conquer them in a day? After all, habits take time to develop. I didn't become an excellent sightreader by just willing it to happen and working on it once. I became a sight-reading maniac: musicals, accompanying, using it as a warm-up, filling in for rehearsals. . . really the biggest way I became a great reader was when I started musical theater, and from then (my first show I played piano in was junior year of HS; I was 16 I think. . . Guys and Dolls) I got way better (and now I'm on like show 12 or 13. . . and I can still improve!). One great thing about being a musician is that I have seen what time and practice can do (and have a great appreciation for delayed gratification. . . like starting music in June for a recital in February). Another problem is that we are afraid to humbly face the truth. We don't like to feel bad about ourselves, so instead of facing our problems, we ignore them or shove them aside. We cannot get better at something we are not working actively to fix! Finally, growth can be painful and scary. This is all the more reason to get hooked up with a group of believers who will support you. We don't like change because it is uncomfortable and unfamiliar. Even if it's changing something we don't like, it's still tough, and we end up falling back to old habits because we know them so well. Also, sometimes our problems is how we have aligned our identity. But, when we accepted Christ into our lives, we put on a new self.
So what can we do to help our maturity? First, we believe God is working in our lives, even when we can't see it. It's kind of like weight loss; you have to wait a little bit to see results. Working out for a week doesn't make us start shedding pounds, but if we keep with it, we see progress over time. That's one thing I like about WiiFit; you can look at a graph of your progress. Although I'm still trying to get back to where I was before Christmas break (sadness. . . haha) I'm still a considerable amount less than when I first bought the game, so I know that my 153 days of working out have not been in vain.
Second, we can keep a notebook of lessons learned. As I mentioned above, a visual representation is something that can be used as a reference and see that what we are doing is actually progressing us somewhere. It's the reason we record practice times and rehearsals; it allows us to see where we've come from and where we are going.
Third, we have to be patient, both with God and ourselves. Our timetables and God's generally do not line up very well. Another song from my childhood comes to mind: if we stay focused on Him, we will remember He is in total control. I love this: "When God wants to make a mushroom, he does it overnight, but when he wants to make a giant oak, he takes a hundred years." I know I don't want to be a mushroom!
Finally, we must not get discouraged. After all, although we might not be where we want to be, we have probably come quite far from where we used to be. For me, I know the past few months (and even really the past few weeks) have been a spiritual springtime; lots of growth, blossoming, and ripening of things long since frozen in the winter of my college and even somewhat my HS years. It's very exciting for me to be experiencing these changes, and I keep seeking more and more information as each day passes. But I also know that soon, my resolve will be tested, and for a while I won't be in the process of discovering and starting change but establishing the changes I've been making, digging my roots deeper and deeper into Him.
Point to Ponder: There are no shortcuts to maturity.
I know I can be impatient, but I think a lot of it is fueled from finally seeking and knowing something that I want in my life. It's not bad for me to throw myself completely into it, but I need to remember that I only know a small portion of the picture right now.
Verse to Remember: Philippians 1:6- "God began doing a great work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again." New Century Version
I could argue that this began all the way back to me being a 3 or 4 year old at MGBC. And a few years after that, God made His beachhead in my life when I was in Sparks (AWANA), and never left me alone, even through all I went through with the break-up of MGBC and the whole craziness that is a 4-year college degree at a public institution (and a music degree no less).
Question to Consider: In what area of my spiritual growth do I need to be more patient and persistent?
I don't know if this is stupid to say, but I need to patiently work out being patient! The best teacher is experience, after all. . .
In the meanwhile, best to get on my way of catching up. I don't want to fall behind now, especially since my next week is pretty crazy (OLOF and YES tomorrow, Monday ASB (After School Band) and choir rehearsal (I don't have to go since I can't do Friday night's performance, but that's all the more reason I want to go!), Tuesday S&E rehearsal at DeLand HS, Wednesday SBC orchestra, Thursday S&E rehearsal at Mainland HS, Friday ASB and S&E at Deltona MS (the actual event), Saturday rehearsal with Ginny in the morning sometime and 1 event (I think only one anyway) for S&E, and then it'll be a normal Sunday I think. A three day weekend is in my near future (President's Day) but it looks like I'll be earning it again).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Great statement from the beginning of this chapter: we are concerned with how fast we grow, whild God is concerned with how strong we grow. We are so concerned with the fastest way, but it is not always the best way. If we were to keep His view of eternity in our minds, we would probably change a lot of how we act and think. I really enjoy the war analogy used for how Christ works in us: He might start out bombing us to soften us up, and establishing beach heads, and eventually taking over all territory.
The book lists a few reasons why it takes a long time to change, and also gives us ways to help us see and continue progress towards God's ultimate goal. As a race, we are slow learners. Just look at the Israelites. Second, we have to unlearn a lot. We don't develop bad habits overnight; why do we expect to conquer them in a day? After all, habits take time to develop. I didn't become an excellent sightreader by just willing it to happen and working on it once. I became a sight-reading maniac: musicals, accompanying, using it as a warm-up, filling in for rehearsals. . . really the biggest way I became a great reader was when I started musical theater, and from then (my first show I played piano in was junior year of HS; I was 16 I think. . . Guys and Dolls) I got way better (and now I'm on like show 12 or 13. . . and I can still improve!). One great thing about being a musician is that I have seen what time and practice can do (and have a great appreciation for delayed gratification. . . like starting music in June for a recital in February). Another problem is that we are afraid to humbly face the truth. We don't like to feel bad about ourselves, so instead of facing our problems, we ignore them or shove them aside. We cannot get better at something we are not working actively to fix! Finally, growth can be painful and scary. This is all the more reason to get hooked up with a group of believers who will support you. We don't like change because it is uncomfortable and unfamiliar. Even if it's changing something we don't like, it's still tough, and we end up falling back to old habits because we know them so well. Also, sometimes our problems is how we have aligned our identity. But, when we accepted Christ into our lives, we put on a new self.
So what can we do to help our maturity? First, we believe God is working in our lives, even when we can't see it. It's kind of like weight loss; you have to wait a little bit to see results. Working out for a week doesn't make us start shedding pounds, but if we keep with it, we see progress over time. That's one thing I like about WiiFit; you can look at a graph of your progress. Although I'm still trying to get back to where I was before Christmas break (sadness. . . haha) I'm still a considerable amount less than when I first bought the game, so I know that my 153 days of working out have not been in vain.
Second, we can keep a notebook of lessons learned. As I mentioned above, a visual representation is something that can be used as a reference and see that what we are doing is actually progressing us somewhere. It's the reason we record practice times and rehearsals; it allows us to see where we've come from and where we are going.
Third, we have to be patient, both with God and ourselves. Our timetables and God's generally do not line up very well. Another song from my childhood comes to mind: if we stay focused on Him, we will remember He is in total control. I love this: "When God wants to make a mushroom, he does it overnight, but when he wants to make a giant oak, he takes a hundred years." I know I don't want to be a mushroom!
Finally, we must not get discouraged. After all, although we might not be where we want to be, we have probably come quite far from where we used to be. For me, I know the past few months (and even really the past few weeks) have been a spiritual springtime; lots of growth, blossoming, and ripening of things long since frozen in the winter of my college and even somewhat my HS years. It's very exciting for me to be experiencing these changes, and I keep seeking more and more information as each day passes. But I also know that soon, my resolve will be tested, and for a while I won't be in the process of discovering and starting change but establishing the changes I've been making, digging my roots deeper and deeper into Him.
Point to Ponder: There are no shortcuts to maturity.
I know I can be impatient, but I think a lot of it is fueled from finally seeking and knowing something that I want in my life. It's not bad for me to throw myself completely into it, but I need to remember that I only know a small portion of the picture right now.
Verse to Remember: Philippians 1:6- "God began doing a great work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again." New Century Version
I could argue that this began all the way back to me being a 3 or 4 year old at MGBC. And a few years after that, God made His beachhead in my life when I was in Sparks (AWANA), and never left me alone, even through all I went through with the break-up of MGBC and the whole craziness that is a 4-year college degree at a public institution (and a music degree no less).
Question to Consider: In what area of my spiritual growth do I need to be more patient and persistent?
I don't know if this is stupid to say, but I need to patiently work out being patient! The best teacher is experience, after all. . .
1/29/2010
Day 27: Defeating Temptation
WHERE DID JANUARY GO??
My school day was kind of a blah teaching day (which is sad, since we were playing the Rhythm Game. It would be more fun with pretzels and candy, but I'm not allowed to do that, and because I have carpet, I would be hesitant to do it even if I could), but when I got home, I looked up the full moon schedule; biggest full moon is tonight. It always makes me feel a little better when it's not my fault that teaching goes poorly (seriously, middle schooler's brains get sucked away by the full moon. I don't know why, but it's true).
I am truly exhausted (but 17 hours awake and mostly being active will do that to you). I want to reflect a little on this evening before going to bed. After finally getting back to my apartment at 5 (I had after school band, and then stopped by to see Ted Shistle. I am now playing for like. . . 12 students next weekend for S&E. It's just like college. . . but I'm glad that I can help out. Not every pianist is a good reader/accompanist, but I will say that role is definitely my strength). Then I walked back to Deland HS and got picked up by Nicki, our pastor's wife, so that we could ride together to what turned out to be a 2 hour concert put on by the Florida Worship Choir. It was really really good (and I was a little geeked about the pipe organ, although it didn't really get used since they had 380 MUSICIANS ON STAGE. Mostly singers, but a filled-out orchestra as well. I'm going to see if I can't put Gordon in touch with the people involved with this group (namely Reggie) and see if any of them are interested in publishing his Mass; I think that'd be amazing), and to me it didn't feel like 2 hours. I had a good time chatting on the ride up there, and afterwards the group of us went to Cracker Barrel (only my second experience there, both in the south; it's amazing the things you end up doing when you move halfway across the country). Good food, but I'm stuffed (which is contributing to the wanting to go to sleep). I had a nice talk with Dan on the way back too.
What I want to leave you with is this:
I had never heard it before tonight's concert. . . and Mandisa is great. The lyrics. . . oh, the lyrics. . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I started this entry with every intent of finishing it tonight, but it's 11 PM, and I've been up since 5 AM (I woke up twice this week before my alarm! I don't like it when I do that, because I can never fall back asleep very easily). I did read the chapter, and started my reflection on the three things at the end, so that'll have to do until tomorrow morning.
EDIT (the next day): So, I suppose I should actually start talking about the book rather than rambling.
PDL gives us four keys to defeating temptation. FIrst, we should refocus our attention on something else. It doesn't do us any good to fight the thought away; it's the same problem with telling someone "Don't think of a polar bear." By even naming the problem, we are bringing it back to our mind. Instead, we have to put our attention to something else; I think that's why Paul tells us to always think on "good things." Same idea here. It's also a great reason to memorize Bible verses; we can recall them when we need to shift our attention away from the world. "[R]epeating 'I must stop _____' is a self-defeating strategy. It keeps you focused on what you don't want." We need to move our minds away from things that get us into trouble. Go listen to this song.
Second, we should reveal our struggle to a godly friend/support group. That can be so tough, and the book says exactly why. We are either so shamed by our problem that we want to hide it, or we want people to think everything is under control, and that we don't need help. If you've ever been in the "repeating cycle of good intention->failure->guilt" then you know you can't do it alone. But guess what? All have sinned. If you find a supportive group of Christians, they will be able to relate (maybe not to the thing you're dealing with, but who knows? You won't until you open up).
Third, we have to resist the Devil. We all know the verse from James that this phrase comes from, and Paul gave us a list of the Armor of God. Our spiritual regalia is made up of truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, salvation, and the Word. I won't go into a whole discussion of this passage (being that I am not a theologian), but I think it's interesting that our salvation (helmet) protects our heads/minds, our faith (shield) extinguishes the Devil's arrows (and is a mobile thing; it goes with us, and we can put it in front of us when in battle), and the Word of God (sword) is our way to fight back! I love the whole warrior aspect of being a believer (if you haven't picked up on that yet). I imagine that is because I am only 21, and maybe don't always realize the seriousness of the attacks being made, but at the same time, I serve this guy, and it's hard not to be honored and excited to be part of His army on Earth!
Lastly, we must realize our vulnerability. We are good at fooling ourselves; "we lie best when we lie to ourselves." There is no reason for us to get ourselves into tempting situations. And we will never be beyond temptation (remember, temptations are used in the process of developing fruit of the Spirit- see the entry previous). Remember these verses.
Point to Ponder: There is always a way out.
I have found this true in my personal life. Everything from the phone ringing unexpectedly to a certain song coming on to just having someone's face pop up into view of my mental eye have all been doors for me to escape the clutches of temptation. Only recently have I realized that that's what all those things are and have been, and now being aware of them, I have been doing better. But I should also be careful, because if I'm getting better at resisting temptation, then the Devil will just try harder or new ways. As God builds strength in me, He will also allow more difficult trials.
Verse to Remember: 1 Corinthians 10:13b- "God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it." New Living Translation
What I've said above is not just conjecture; it's Biblical. What a comforting verse! It implies action and choice on our part we have to stand up against it and follow the way out. God never says that He will do everything for us. Going back to yesterday, the teacher can only show the student the truth and give him tools to work with; eventually the student has to put effort in and do the homework.
Question to Consider: Who could I ask to be a spiritual partner to help me defeat a persistent temptation by praying for me?
This is something I have been thinking about for a little while now (maybe a couple months). Unfortunately (fortunately? it's hard to say) I won't really see my SS class tomorrow morning (One Lord, One Faith is being sung for both morning services, and then I have the YES concert so no evening church for me), but. . . well, we'll see what comes from this in the near future.
My school day was kind of a blah teaching day (which is sad, since we were playing the Rhythm Game. It would be more fun with pretzels and candy, but I'm not allowed to do that, and because I have carpet, I would be hesitant to do it even if I could), but when I got home, I looked up the full moon schedule; biggest full moon is tonight. It always makes me feel a little better when it's not my fault that teaching goes poorly (seriously, middle schooler's brains get sucked away by the full moon. I don't know why, but it's true).
I am truly exhausted (but 17 hours awake and mostly being active will do that to you). I want to reflect a little on this evening before going to bed. After finally getting back to my apartment at 5 (I had after school band, and then stopped by to see Ted Shistle. I am now playing for like. . . 12 students next weekend for S&E. It's just like college. . . but I'm glad that I can help out. Not every pianist is a good reader/accompanist, but I will say that role is definitely my strength). Then I walked back to Deland HS and got picked up by Nicki, our pastor's wife, so that we could ride together to what turned out to be a 2 hour concert put on by the Florida Worship Choir. It was really really good (and I was a little geeked about the pipe organ, although it didn't really get used since they had 380 MUSICIANS ON STAGE. Mostly singers, but a filled-out orchestra as well. I'm going to see if I can't put Gordon in touch with the people involved with this group (namely Reggie) and see if any of them are interested in publishing his Mass; I think that'd be amazing), and to me it didn't feel like 2 hours. I had a good time chatting on the ride up there, and afterwards the group of us went to Cracker Barrel (only my second experience there, both in the south; it's amazing the things you end up doing when you move halfway across the country). Good food, but I'm stuffed (which is contributing to the wanting to go to sleep). I had a nice talk with Dan on the way back too.
What I want to leave you with is this:
I had never heard it before tonight's concert. . . and Mandisa is great. The lyrics. . . oh, the lyrics. . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I started this entry with every intent of finishing it tonight, but it's 11 PM, and I've been up since 5 AM (I woke up twice this week before my alarm! I don't like it when I do that, because I can never fall back asleep very easily). I did read the chapter, and started my reflection on the three things at the end, so that'll have to do until tomorrow morning.
EDIT (the next day): So, I suppose I should actually start talking about the book rather than rambling.
PDL gives us four keys to defeating temptation. FIrst, we should refocus our attention on something else. It doesn't do us any good to fight the thought away; it's the same problem with telling someone "Don't think of a polar bear." By even naming the problem, we are bringing it back to our mind. Instead, we have to put our attention to something else; I think that's why Paul tells us to always think on "good things." Same idea here. It's also a great reason to memorize Bible verses; we can recall them when we need to shift our attention away from the world. "[R]epeating 'I must stop _____' is a self-defeating strategy. It keeps you focused on what you don't want." We need to move our minds away from things that get us into trouble. Go listen to this song.
Second, we should reveal our struggle to a godly friend/support group. That can be so tough, and the book says exactly why. We are either so shamed by our problem that we want to hide it, or we want people to think everything is under control, and that we don't need help. If you've ever been in the "repeating cycle of good intention->failure->guilt" then you know you can't do it alone. But guess what? All have sinned. If you find a supportive group of Christians, they will be able to relate (maybe not to the thing you're dealing with, but who knows? You won't until you open up).
Third, we have to resist the Devil. We all know the verse from James that this phrase comes from, and Paul gave us a list of the Armor of God. Our spiritual regalia is made up of truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, salvation, and the Word. I won't go into a whole discussion of this passage (being that I am not a theologian), but I think it's interesting that our salvation (helmet) protects our heads/minds, our faith (shield) extinguishes the Devil's arrows (and is a mobile thing; it goes with us, and we can put it in front of us when in battle), and the Word of God (sword) is our way to fight back! I love the whole warrior aspect of being a believer (if you haven't picked up on that yet). I imagine that is because I am only 21, and maybe don't always realize the seriousness of the attacks being made, but at the same time, I serve this guy, and it's hard not to be honored and excited to be part of His army on Earth!
Lastly, we must realize our vulnerability. We are good at fooling ourselves; "we lie best when we lie to ourselves." There is no reason for us to get ourselves into tempting situations. And we will never be beyond temptation (remember, temptations are used in the process of developing fruit of the Spirit- see the entry previous). Remember these verses.
Point to Ponder: There is always a way out.
I have found this true in my personal life. Everything from the phone ringing unexpectedly to a certain song coming on to just having someone's face pop up into view of my mental eye have all been doors for me to escape the clutches of temptation. Only recently have I realized that that's what all those things are and have been, and now being aware of them, I have been doing better. But I should also be careful, because if I'm getting better at resisting temptation, then the Devil will just try harder or new ways. As God builds strength in me, He will also allow more difficult trials.
Verse to Remember: 1 Corinthians 10:13b- "God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it." New Living Translation
What I've said above is not just conjecture; it's Biblical. What a comforting verse! It implies action and choice on our part we have to stand up against it and follow the way out. God never says that He will do everything for us. Going back to yesterday, the teacher can only show the student the truth and give him tools to work with; eventually the student has to put effort in and do the homework.
Question to Consider: Who could I ask to be a spiritual partner to help me defeat a persistent temptation by praying for me?
This is something I have been thinking about for a little while now (maybe a couple months). Unfortunately (fortunately? it's hard to say) I won't really see my SS class tomorrow morning (One Lord, One Faith is being sung for both morning services, and then I have the YES concert so no evening church for me), but. . . well, we'll see what comes from this in the near future.
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