Lions, and tigers, and bears - OH MY!

Last week Daryl and I got the chance to go to Hovatter's Zoo in Kingwood. If you haven't been there, I would highly suggest it. It brings me much joy, and fortunately, Daryl loved it too!



Told yah...

Anyways, last week a bunch of us were talking about memorizing Scripture and how Ephesians 6 lists "the sword of the Spirit" (the Bible) as our one offensive weapon. In youth group that night I shared a story about a man who killed a lion that had attacked him with his sheath knife. Had he not had the knife, or had the knife not been sharp, it would have been all over for him.

In the same way, when I don't have the word of God in an attack, ready to fire, I can get mauled, or tangled up in the devils claws and teeth. 1 Peter 5:8 calls the devil a "roaring lion seeking whom he may devour."

It was cool to go to the zoo the next day and watch these lions. They are so massive and muscular and scary. They are not nice. They are not house cats. They are mean and they will eat you.



Satan is looking for who he can devour. We don't want to just scare him off, we want to wound him. Have your sword ready.

Keyless

Daryl went out of town this week for a conference and oddly enough both sets of my car keys are with him, under the passengers seat of his car.

Who does that?

This just serves as another obvious sign that I need to do better at keeping order in my life, which requires some slowing down.

I didn't know that they they were in his car until yesterday so I spent Sunday night into early Monday morning searching. When I realized that all hopes of finding them in my home were gone, I decided to sleep in, cancel my 11am meeting that I had scheduled on my day off and...continue to sleep.

I got up around 12:30 which is craziness for me, watched Family Feud, prayed, journaled, read, and prayed some more...

I haven't felt so good in months!

Some times less stuff means less stress. It was one of the most relaxing days I have ever spent.

Oh how I appreciate the sovereignty of God. Truely.

Back from the dead

Okay, so I most certainly haven't been dead, but maybe that got your attention!

This morning I was up working fairly early for me. There was a CD playing in the background and the singers were singing about being all happy in love with God.

I wasn't necessarily all "happy in love," but I was extremely delighted when God reminded me that love isn't "a feeling of ecstacy" or "overwhelming excitement about someone" (although these feelings are often associated with love).

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

The two greatest commandest are to love God and love others. I wish I always had the ooey gooey feeling towards God and others, but the truth is sometimes I don't have that ooey gooey feeling. Sometimes I just have to choose to love the way 1 Corinthians says to and that's okay. Sometimes I have to choose to tell Him that I love Him. Choose to hug a friend. Choose to sit and read His Word. Choose to listen to others. Choose to sing. Choose to smile. Choose to raise my hands and delight in Him. Choose to serve the desires of others rather than my own. Choose to obey. Choose to submit.

I choose because "the law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them is GREAT reward." Prsalm 19:7-11.

Organic Milk Tastes...

Different.

That's what we discovered today around the lunch table. How organic milk is different from regular milk, I'm unsure, but it must be, because it tasted so.

Such a difference reminded me of the difference that is supposed to be seen in my life. If I'm living out of my intimate relationship with God through Christ, there should be a noticeable difference in me, just like there was a noticeable difference in my milk today.

And that difference should be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.

I'll have to be more careful not to dilute myself with busy-ness and to do lists, but rather to sit and know God. I want to taste different too, and I can, by His power.

The Ultimate

My last post was from March 2006, so to state the obvious, perhaps I'm not so great at blogging!

But this morning as I was studying to teach some middle school students what it means to have eternal life, I was overwhelmed at what God so kindly revealed to me, and I have to share it.

John 17:3 says, "This is eternal life, that they may know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

The word "know" means "to associate oneself in an intimate relationship."

Knowing God doesn't mean knowing all about Him or even doing the things we think or know He would like us to do. Knowing God means being in an intimate, personal relationship with Him - pouring out our hearts to Him and living life with Him.

How do we get there?

God out of His kindness draws us to Himself through Christ Jesus and overcomes our natural desire to hate and deny Him. He removes blinders from our eyes to see Him as He really is, and when that happens, whether it's through His Word or a person, we are overwhelmed with how wonderful He is, and how much He loves us, and cannot help but desire to submit to His goodness.

Our motive for this eternal life is not to avoid Hell (which we hear is bad), or to get to enjoy certain pleasures. Our motive for eternal life is to enjoy God.

In eternal life (which begins the moment we believe God) we do receive blessing upon blessing - gifts and wonderful relationships with others. But the things those who know God and have eternal life love about those gifts and relationships is what we see of God in them.

How I pray He will open my eyes to His glory and goodness more and more and that I will know and therefore love Him above all else.

"Continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 3:18

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."