We are slaves God.
I will set you free.
We are thirsty God.
I will give you water.
We are hungry God.
I will give you manna.
We want meat God.
I will give you meat.
Why did you bring us here God?
Fine. I'm done. You're not getting all the blessings I had in store for you.
Ok, I'm paraphrasing here. But seriously, when you read about how much the Israelites complained after God freed them from slavery you think it's ridiculous.
Until I start comparing it to me.
It's too cold God. It's too hard God. Everything's not perfect God.
God also saved me from slavery, slavery to my sinful nature. Yet I complain all the time. And if I was in the Israelites' place I would have complained then too. When are we gonna get there? Why do we have all these rules?
I have it a lot better off than they do. I shouldn't ever have to complain.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
It's not all about me
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=ouNmyx1K-4E
I really suggest going to this link to watch the clip.
Remember it's not all about us.
I really suggest going to this link to watch the clip.
Remember it's not all about us.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Leviticus and numbers...
I have been reading chronologically through the Bible. When you get to Leviticus and Numbers, you sometimes start to question why those books are in there.
All those censuses and laws don't really apply to us today. However God obviously wanted them in there for a reason.
When reading Leviticus, the thing I thought about most was how thankful we should be for Jesus that we don't have to make such sacrifices to take care of our sins. We are so blessed to have the Lamb that too away all our sin and made it so we can approach the God of the universe.
Numbers shows us some history, and I'm sure it has been used a lot to prove the legitimacy of the Bible through the years. I should be appreciative that this book is in the Bible even if it's not as interesting to read.
The Bible is so much fuller than we can imagine. I try to look for new things every time. What do you notice each time you read the Bible?
All those censuses and laws don't really apply to us today. However God obviously wanted them in there for a reason.
When reading Leviticus, the thing I thought about most was how thankful we should be for Jesus that we don't have to make such sacrifices to take care of our sins. We are so blessed to have the Lamb that too away all our sin and made it so we can approach the God of the universe.
Numbers shows us some history, and I'm sure it has been used a lot to prove the legitimacy of the Bible through the years. I should be appreciative that this book is in the Bible even if it's not as interesting to read.
The Bible is so much fuller than we can imagine. I try to look for new things every time. What do you notice each time you read the Bible?
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Priorities
As Nate and I start to go through this time of planning - I have 14 of 184 tasks completed in the wedding planning according to The Knot - I know that weddings are going to be on my mind a lot.
When I got my iPhone a couple of months ago, I downloaded a Bible-reading app and started a plan to read through the Bible chronologically through the next year. I was doing really great - until the weekend we got engaged. I have to admit I'm about a week and a half behind now.
Through this time of planning, I have to remember to keep my priorities, just like we have to remember priorities during all chaotic times in our lives - both good and bad.
God needs to be honored in Nate and my engagement and in our marriage, so that means we can't neglect spending time with God during this time. In fact, we should be focusing even more on God as we look to the future and seek his will for our lives as times begin to change.
Relationships, faith, cleaning - things seem to get put on hold when other tasks demand our attention. Sometimes we have to really make a concerted effort to make sure that our priorities are in the correct order at all times.
When I got my iPhone a couple of months ago, I downloaded a Bible-reading app and started a plan to read through the Bible chronologically through the next year. I was doing really great - until the weekend we got engaged. I have to admit I'm about a week and a half behind now.
Through this time of planning, I have to remember to keep my priorities, just like we have to remember priorities during all chaotic times in our lives - both good and bad.
God needs to be honored in Nate and my engagement and in our marriage, so that means we can't neglect spending time with God during this time. In fact, we should be focusing even more on God as we look to the future and seek his will for our lives as times begin to change.
Relationships, faith, cleaning - things seem to get put on hold when other tasks demand our attention. Sometimes we have to really make a concerted effort to make sure that our priorities are in the correct order at all times.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Lessons to learn
I think I'm a bit spoiled.
OK, well maybe a lot spoiled.
I haven't had too many things go wrong in my life - from all of my grandparents still living to only ever having had one boyfriend to finding a job straight out of college.
Well now that I'm engaged, I kind of just thought that my planning nature would take over and everything would go perfectly smoothly. It seemed like it was going well, even with us getting our dream reception venue. Until that venue backed out yesterday and told us it couldn't happen.
I had a minor freak-out while Nate was sleeping and tried to figure out where else we could hold the reception.
I told Nate we were back to square one, but he said we were farther than that. It just took him to tell me that as I started to realize that we had done a lot in the past week - made plenty of decisions. We were not back at square one, we just had to take a different route.
It looks like there will be lots of room to grow when planning a big event, and I'm open to those lessons and whatever God wants to teach me during this time. Even if it means not everything being quite as perfect as I hope every moment.
I should say though that everything is perfect, because I get to marry the man that has exceeded all my dreams!
OK, well maybe a lot spoiled.
I haven't had too many things go wrong in my life - from all of my grandparents still living to only ever having had one boyfriend to finding a job straight out of college.
Well now that I'm engaged, I kind of just thought that my planning nature would take over and everything would go perfectly smoothly. It seemed like it was going well, even with us getting our dream reception venue. Until that venue backed out yesterday and told us it couldn't happen.
I had a minor freak-out while Nate was sleeping and tried to figure out where else we could hold the reception.
I told Nate we were back to square one, but he said we were farther than that. It just took him to tell me that as I started to realize that we had done a lot in the past week - made plenty of decisions. We were not back at square one, we just had to take a different route.
It looks like there will be lots of room to grow when planning a big event, and I'm open to those lessons and whatever God wants to teach me during this time. Even if it means not everything being quite as perfect as I hope every moment.
I should say though that everything is perfect, because I get to marry the man that has exceeded all my dreams!
Friday, February 17, 2012
What I need, not what I want
I want answers when I want answers. I want situations to work out the way I want them to work out. I want certain things to happen at certain times.
However, sometimes God, and other people, know what I need rather than what I want.
Today, I was talking to Nate about how many people to invite to our wedding. I won't go into the boring details, but I wanted something and Nate wanted to look into it. Like much of our relationship, I wanted an answer right then and there and he wanted to check and see and go with the flow.
I just wanted him to agree with me. I just wanted a firm answer so I could have a firm budget to work off of. He wanted to go to the venue and measure and go from there.
Finally, he let me calm down for a second and said that something is going to go wrong with this wedding. Something always goes wrong, and we can't plan for everything.
Ugh. I hate that. I want to plan for each and every scenario. I want everything to go just as planned, because otherwise why plan?
But I knew he was right. I know we have to deal with things as they come. I should take one victory at a time - finding a reception place - and keep going from there. It will all get done.
What I think I want - an exact answer - is not always what I need - a realistic view and some support through it. That's what I appreciate about Nate. He's not a pushover who caves to my every whim, even when I want him to. (I'm not saying he won't give me what I want if I really want it, he will. However, he often shows me what I need isn't the first thing I think it is.) He is a strong man with a realistic view on life. I often need that to look to.
Oh dear. This wedding planning is really going to be a test on my worrying and trusting. I have gotten so much better at that. Let's see if I slip when tested!
However, sometimes God, and other people, know what I need rather than what I want.
Today, I was talking to Nate about how many people to invite to our wedding. I won't go into the boring details, but I wanted something and Nate wanted to look into it. Like much of our relationship, I wanted an answer right then and there and he wanted to check and see and go with the flow.
I just wanted him to agree with me. I just wanted a firm answer so I could have a firm budget to work off of. He wanted to go to the venue and measure and go from there.
Finally, he let me calm down for a second and said that something is going to go wrong with this wedding. Something always goes wrong, and we can't plan for everything.
Ugh. I hate that. I want to plan for each and every scenario. I want everything to go just as planned, because otherwise why plan?
But I knew he was right. I know we have to deal with things as they come. I should take one victory at a time - finding a reception place - and keep going from there. It will all get done.
What I think I want - an exact answer - is not always what I need - a realistic view and some support through it. That's what I appreciate about Nate. He's not a pushover who caves to my every whim, even when I want him to. (I'm not saying he won't give me what I want if I really want it, he will. However, he often shows me what I need isn't the first thing I think it is.) He is a strong man with a realistic view on life. I often need that to look to.
Oh dear. This wedding planning is really going to be a test on my worrying and trusting. I have gotten so much better at that. Let's see if I slip when tested!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
What do you say?
When adults give kids something, their parents almost always have to remind them.
"What do you say?"
"Thank you."
I know that I pray about an awful lot of things, and I am always appreciative when the answers to my prayers are "Yes." (I know I should be appreciative when the answers are "No" as well, but I guess that's a different post for a different time.) However, I don't always remember to thank God for answering those prayers. I'm happy with life, and I just leave it at that.
When Nate and I got engaged, I was watching the band and realized that I needed to stop right then and there and say "Thank you God."
Not only did my prayers of getting engaged get answered, but more importantly my prayers from many years and my parents prayers from the time I was a little girl have been answered. God brought into my life a man who is honest, faithful, loving, generous, funny, carefree, fun, a leader and so much more. Best of all, we have been together so long that he knows exactly what he is getting into by marrying me, and he still wants to. What a man!
So thank you God for bringing the most wonderful man into my life. A man who has qualities that I didn't even know that I wanted in a man but that I now know that I couldn't live without. Thank you for parents who raised him right and for parents who encouraged us throughout our lives.
While we're on the subject, you know what else I'm thankful for? Two sets of parents in our lives who are not only still married after 30 years but who are still crazy about each other. We have two beautiful examples of loving relationships - relationships that have had ups and downs but have stayed strong through the years. We have examples of two marriages that work differently and have different dynamics but most importantly they are filled with love and passion. I can't express how thankful we are for that.
So what do I say?
"Thank you!"
"What do you say?"
"Thank you."
I know that I pray about an awful lot of things, and I am always appreciative when the answers to my prayers are "Yes." (I know I should be appreciative when the answers are "No" as well, but I guess that's a different post for a different time.) However, I don't always remember to thank God for answering those prayers. I'm happy with life, and I just leave it at that.
When Nate and I got engaged, I was watching the band and realized that I needed to stop right then and there and say "Thank you God."
Not only did my prayers of getting engaged get answered, but more importantly my prayers from many years and my parents prayers from the time I was a little girl have been answered. God brought into my life a man who is honest, faithful, loving, generous, funny, carefree, fun, a leader and so much more. Best of all, we have been together so long that he knows exactly what he is getting into by marrying me, and he still wants to. What a man!
So thank you God for bringing the most wonderful man into my life. A man who has qualities that I didn't even know that I wanted in a man but that I now know that I couldn't live without. Thank you for parents who raised him right and for parents who encouraged us throughout our lives.
While we're on the subject, you know what else I'm thankful for? Two sets of parents in our lives who are not only still married after 30 years but who are still crazy about each other. We have two beautiful examples of loving relationships - relationships that have had ups and downs but have stayed strong through the years. We have examples of two marriages that work differently and have different dynamics but most importantly they are filled with love and passion. I can't express how thankful we are for that.
So what do I say?
"Thank you!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)