Sometimes I think God delays us to be in a certain spot to hear just what we need to hear just when we need to hear it. I have had this happen often: usually with songs, sometimes with Dr. Laura, and many times with Focus on the Family.
I heard the first part of this yesterday and was moved to tears many times in a 1/2 hour! There are times when we think things couldn't get worse. Then, through God's grace, we hear or see something that puts our lives and problems in perspective.
http://www.oneplace.com/Ministries/Focus_on_the_Family/Default.asp If you look soon, it is listed under Daily Broadcasts. If you have to, search under David Ring or Victorious Living. David Ring has cerebral palsy. His 1st saying was: I've got Cerebral Palsy, what's your problem? Now he uses, I have Cerebral Palsy, but Cerebral Palsy doesn't have me. It takes some concentration to listen, but what a message!
I'm listening to the 2nd part now. Tears flow and life is in perspective for today.
Hang in there and keep looking up! God loves us...what else do we need?
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Media....and what if......
I had some other thoughts I wanted to write about, but this seemed pretty timely.
As I'm writing, I'm listening on the news about ANOTHER shooting...this time at a mall. Makes me sad...and rather angry. It seems the more coverage these incidents receive the more people seem to think they'll be made famous after their death if they go out with a bang (no pun intended). The media neglects the fact that their response to these incidents is very important. Yes, we need to know, but focus more on the lives of the victims that have needlessly been taken and cut short and less focus on the shooter(s) and why they made the decision they did.
AND the "famous" people that are covered so much they can't even live their lives OR rest in peace...Brittney Spears, Paris Hilton, Tom Cruise and his family, Anna Nicole Smith, Elvis, etc. They get noticed for EVERY little everyday thing they do. It amazes me that people WANT to be famous. Why live life under a microscope?!?!? If we as a society spent as much time reading the Bible as we do watching the TV and reading news about stuff that in the whole eternity of things does not matter, what a change we might see! (I step off my soapbox)
SO, what if the media covered some of the more important news and what if there had been television back when Jesus was born? How much coverage would His birth have received? Some friends and I took this thought upon ourselves as a Christmas program for Sunday School one year. It actually turned out pretty good and I'm wishing I had a copy of it (come to think of it, I probably do somewhere as I keep WAY too much paper). SO, ponder on that for awhile and if I get a chance, I'll try and remember some of it as finding it (before Christmas) ain't gonna happen.....
As I'm writing, I'm listening on the news about ANOTHER shooting...this time at a mall. Makes me sad...and rather angry. It seems the more coverage these incidents receive the more people seem to think they'll be made famous after their death if they go out with a bang (no pun intended). The media neglects the fact that their response to these incidents is very important. Yes, we need to know, but focus more on the lives of the victims that have needlessly been taken and cut short and less focus on the shooter(s) and why they made the decision they did.
AND the "famous" people that are covered so much they can't even live their lives OR rest in peace...Brittney Spears, Paris Hilton, Tom Cruise and his family, Anna Nicole Smith, Elvis, etc. They get noticed for EVERY little everyday thing they do. It amazes me that people WANT to be famous. Why live life under a microscope?!?!? If we as a society spent as much time reading the Bible as we do watching the TV and reading news about stuff that in the whole eternity of things does not matter, what a change we might see! (I step off my soapbox)
SO, what if the media covered some of the more important news and what if there had been television back when Jesus was born? How much coverage would His birth have received? Some friends and I took this thought upon ourselves as a Christmas program for Sunday School one year. It actually turned out pretty good and I'm wishing I had a copy of it (come to think of it, I probably do somewhere as I keep WAY too much paper). SO, ponder on that for awhile and if I get a chance, I'll try and remember some of it as finding it (before Christmas) ain't gonna happen.....
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Point of Grace - How You Live
Excellent song with a great point. It's not who you knew, not what you did, it's how you lived.....
http://www.brickmanmedia.com/pog/how/
http://www.brickmanmedia.com/pog/how/
Do You Have Room? Prepare for the Gift and pass it on!
Matthew 7:11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. (NLT)
Do you ever picture God as the Ultimate Father? Sometimes that may be hard to do, especially if your father here on earth let you down, or isn't in the picture of your life, or is just plain human. ;) As parents, we strive to do the best for our kids. We may try to meet their needs before they even ask or to anticipate the desires of their heart. God prepared a gift for us that we weren't even aware we needed. We don't always show appreciation for what we've been given and what we can be saved from.
Can you imagine taking the time and effort to prepare the greatest gift ever and have it rejected time and time again?
Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. (NLT)
God did that for us when He willingly laid aside his kingly robes and came from heaven in the form of a helpless baby. There was no room for Him in a comfortable place in an inn. He was born in a barn where animals were kept out of the way. He was wrapped in "swaddling cloths", basically rags...leftovers. He gave us a gift by going through trials and temptations here on earth so He can truly understand when we cry out in desperation when the going gets too hard.
What do you do when you receive a gift that you can never even imagine how much it cost the giver to give it? The word sacrifice comes to mind. I looked it up and my favorite definition is: a: destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else b: something given up or lost. In this case, Jesus became someone given up FOR the lost. Us! How do we not let that precious gift stop with us but be a gift that keeps on giving?
Matthew 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ (NLT)
Like Mary when she was visited by the angel and found out she would become the mother of the Savior, ponder and treasure in your heart the sights and sounds of Christmas this year. Recognize the fact that because of Jesus we do not travel this frustrating path of life alone. We are made for better times and a better place. What a gift and God is willing to keep giving and giving! Are we prepared to make room and receive it and pass it on?
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Do you ever picture God as the Ultimate Father? Sometimes that may be hard to do, especially if your father here on earth let you down, or isn't in the picture of your life, or is just plain human. ;) As parents, we strive to do the best for our kids. We may try to meet their needs before they even ask or to anticipate the desires of their heart. God prepared a gift for us that we weren't even aware we needed. We don't always show appreciation for what we've been given and what we can be saved from.
Can you imagine taking the time and effort to prepare the greatest gift ever and have it rejected time and time again?
Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. (NLT)
God did that for us when He willingly laid aside his kingly robes and came from heaven in the form of a helpless baby. There was no room for Him in a comfortable place in an inn. He was born in a barn where animals were kept out of the way. He was wrapped in "swaddling cloths", basically rags...leftovers. He gave us a gift by going through trials and temptations here on earth so He can truly understand when we cry out in desperation when the going gets too hard.
What do you do when you receive a gift that you can never even imagine how much it cost the giver to give it? The word sacrifice comes to mind. I looked it up and my favorite definition is: a: destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else b: something given up or lost
Matthew 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ (NLT)
Like Mary when she was visited by the angel and found out she would become the mother of the Savior, ponder and treasure in your heart the sights and sounds of Christmas this year. Recognize the fact that because of Jesus we do not travel this frustrating path of life alone. We are made for better times and a better place. What a gift and God is willing to keep giving and giving! Are we prepared to make room and receive it and pass it on?
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Absence of Light Devotional
I wrote the following for a devotional website so I thought I'd share:
ABSENCE OF LIGHT
Isaiah 9:2 - The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. (NIV)
As my daughter and I wait for her bus in the morning before school, we often play with shadows. She tries to make her shadow look taller than mine. We step on each other's shadows. Our shadows do what we do. If we dance, our shadows dance.
A shadow is an area that is darkened because the light is blocked. It is the absence of light in the shape of the object blocking the light. Shadows can look big and overwhelming, depending on how close or far away the object is from the source of the light.
Job 12:22 - He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light. (NIV)
Our world today can seem dark and scary. The shadows of our problems can feel like they are ready to overtake us. Maybe darkness feels like it is trying to move into our life. We don't have to stay there.
Psalm 23:4 - Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (NIV)
There are many who still need to meet the source of our light. Will we be someone's shadow, or will we help project the light that they need to make it through that next tough step?
Prayer: God, thank You so much for being the light that keeps even our darkest days from overwhelming us. Please put people in our path who need Your light. Help us to project that light and chase away the lingering darkness. Amen.
ABSENCE OF LIGHT
Isaiah 9:2 - The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. (NIV)
As my daughter and I wait for her bus in the morning before school, we often play with shadows. She tries to make her shadow look taller than mine. We step on each other's shadows. Our shadows do what we do. If we dance, our shadows dance.
A shadow is an area that is darkened because the light is blocked. It is the absence of light in the shape of the object blocking the light. Shadows can look big and overwhelming, depending on how close or far away the object is from the source of the light.
Job 12:22 - He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light. (NIV)
Our world today can seem dark and scary. The shadows of our problems can feel like they are ready to overtake us. Maybe darkness feels like it is trying to move into our life. We don't have to stay there.
Psalm 23:4 - Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (NIV)
There are many who still need to meet the source of our light. Will we be someone's shadow, or will we help project the light that they need to make it through that next tough step?
Prayer: God, thank You so much for being the light that keeps even our darkest days from overwhelming us. Please put people in our path who need Your light. Help us to project that light and chase away the lingering darkness. Amen.
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