Psalm 129:6
Let them be like grass in shallow ground that withers before the harvest. (The Message)
1 Peter 1:24-25 The old life is a grass life, its beauty as short-lived as wildflowers; Grass dries up, flowers droop, God's Word goes on and on forever. (The Message)
Somewhere up in the 4 ft range over our garage doors, we have a small beam sticking out about 3 ft and for the last few years a small tree has been growing out of it. Every year it's a little taller and gets green leaves and like all the trees now, the leaves have fallen off. And each Spring I wonder if the tree is going to be alive and how much longer it will live because there is only so much nutrient in that beam vs the deep soil.
For me Psalm 129:6 is saying without roots, grass growing in shallow ground can wither especially during times of drought and for us without God, we can wither during times of trouble.
Then 1 Peter 1:24-25 talks about grass dying and flowers drooping at the end of the summer season and how short their lives are. Again early death.
So how short are our lives on earth? Can we stay upright during storms like a tree? Can we live without water and food? Do we want to die/wither/droop like flowers and grass?
Like the roots for trees. No roots-no staying upright in storms, no nutrients or water-no life. Or a very short one. God is our roots. He can keep our feet planted squarely in the ground which gives us the opportunity to grow every day. Our lives are short on here earth, so let's not be like my little tree growing from the beam. Let's not live in such a way that we can't grow. God's Word (NIV) stands forever. So let's choose the roots that will feed and strengthen our lives. That little tree doesn't have a choice of how or where it lives, but we do.
Nancy
Monday, October 29, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Hebrews 4:12-13
Hebrews 4:12-13 God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God's Word. We can't get away from it--no matter what. (The Message)
My mother graduated from the Margaret Pillsbury School of Nursing in the late 40s and as you are going through nursing school, you spend time working in the hospital in various areas, it could be maternity, pediatrics or surgery etc. My mother really enjoyed working the OR best (operating room) and loved observing and aiding the surgeon as he used his skills to repair internal body parts on patients.
The surgeon would use a sharp scalpel and cut through skin and muscle to get to the right body part. What would happen if his scalpel wasn't sharp? Could he perform the surgery if it wasn't?
Gods Word is sharper than the surgeon's scalpel and can penetrate through anything, no doubt in the sharpness. The NIV says 'everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account' and the helps say 'God's Word goes to the depth of ones being.'
We all have deep innermost needs and may only share them with a trusted friend, but God knows those needs without us telling him. I like the words - uncovered, laid bare, depth and totality. We know 100% that God's Word is sharp. So do we let God perform surgery on our hearts and let him change us? Do we trust him enough?
Nancy
My mother graduated from the Margaret Pillsbury School of Nursing in the late 40s and as you are going through nursing school, you spend time working in the hospital in various areas, it could be maternity, pediatrics or surgery etc. My mother really enjoyed working the OR best (operating room) and loved observing and aiding the surgeon as he used his skills to repair internal body parts on patients.
The surgeon would use a sharp scalpel and cut through skin and muscle to get to the right body part. What would happen if his scalpel wasn't sharp? Could he perform the surgery if it wasn't?
Gods Word is sharper than the surgeon's scalpel and can penetrate through anything, no doubt in the sharpness. The NIV says 'everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account' and the helps say 'God's Word goes to the depth of ones being.'
We all have deep innermost needs and may only share them with a trusted friend, but God knows those needs without us telling him. I like the words - uncovered, laid bare, depth and totality. We know 100% that God's Word is sharp. So do we let God perform surgery on our hearts and let him change us? Do we trust him enough?
Nancy
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Rev 12:7, 9, 12
Rev 12: 7 & 9 & 12 War broke out in heaven. Michael and his Angels fought the Dragon. The great Dragon-ancient Serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, the one who led the whole earth astray--thrown out, and all his Angels thrown out with him, thrown down to earth. He's wild and raging with anger, he hasn't much time left and he knows it. (The Message)
What I can envision here is old Japanese monster movies. The Godzilla ones.
Godzilla was first seen in 1954 and was portrayed as a frightening, nuclear monster who represented the fears of many Japanese in a repetition of nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki In the movie, Gojira (1954), Godzilla was a 164 foot monster reptile, weighed 20,000 metric tons and had radioactive breath. He went on a mad rampage, destroying Tokyo. His rampage was not only to destroy Tokyo, but the rest of the world as well.
Godzilla has become one of the world's most recognized monsters. He is one of the most recognizable assets of Japanese popular culture and remains as important facts of Japanese films and has been considered a filmograpic metaphor for the US. (Wikipedia encyclopedia)
It's easy to picture Godzilla (in his anger) spewing his atomic fiery breath over buildings and people.
But I can also picture Satan and how mad he was over his defeat by an angel.
Think of him standing up as tall as he could and just spewing out that anger and fire, unable to control himself.
Isn't it a shame that it's Godzilla who is the most recognized monster?
Shouldn't it be Satan? Shouldn't Satan be the one we know more about? After all, Godzilla is a fictional character and Satan is not.
Read Revelation 12 in it's entirety and maybe Satan will become your most recognized monster.
Nancy
Friday, October 19, 2007
Psalm 125:2
Psalm 125:2 Mountains encircle Jerusalem, and God encircles his people--always has and always will. (The Message)
I've been to a couple of walled cities over the years and found that each one has it's own unique history, each of them differ in age and invading enemies and location. But each one was built with the same purpose - to keep the enemy out and the people safe and protected.
Quebec, Canada was built nearly 400 years ago on a bluff above the St.
Lawrence River and is one of the oldest and only fortified walled city north of Mexico. Londonderry, Northern Ireland had it's walls built in the 1600's on the River Foyle, was the last walled city built in Ireland and the only city on the island whose walls survive completely in tact.
Jerusalem, Israel is located in the Judean Mts between the Mediterranean Sea and the Northern tip of the Dead Sea and the current walls were built in 1538.
God's love encircles us like a walled city and his arms protect and keep us safe from the enemy. Like the cities, we each have a unique history, we differ in age and live in different locations. But unlike the cities, we all have the same enemy, Satan.
For me, it's comforting to know that God will protect me from Satan and has his arms around me 24/7 and it gives me a great sense of security to know God always has and always will.
Nancy
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Romans 12:2
One definition of the word conform means 'to be the same as or very similar to something or somebody or make something similar'. And to transform means 'to change people or things completely, especially improving their appearance or usefulness. (Entourage Dictionary)
Nicholas came home from school yesterday wanting to know everything about transformers. His best friend at kindergarten recently saw the transformer movie and that's all the boy is talking about. Nicholas only has one action transformer figure and knows how they can change from one thing to another just by moving the parts around. Last night, he and his dad went on line and together learned about how some transformers can change from a car to an upright human or a warrior to a concept vehicle etc.
If you think about it, we can learn something from those action figures. How they start out conformed to what the manufacturer wants and then how they can change into something their owner wants.
Sometimes our lives are like a knot on a shoe string. We know we want to get those knots out of their lives, but don't always know how. Nothing in the world is working and we've tried everything. Well maybe it's because we've been conforming to the world, so are only what the world wants us to be.
Instead, lets bring God into our lives. Give ourselves over to him and be changed.
Transformation is a process that takes time, but as long as we let God be our owner and not the world, we will be transformed from what we are to someone very different, which in turn will bring hope to others.
Nancy
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Romans 15:1-2
Romans 15:1-2 Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help?" (The Message)
Two words stick out in this verse to me - strong and falter. There are a 25 or so definitions for the word strong, some dealing with physical strength and some with emotional strength. Then the word falter which has only a couple of definitions - to become unsure & hesitant - to lose strength, power or vitality is two of them.
As a Grammie, I want to be a source of both physical and emotional strength for my grandbabies. I want to be in their lives and learn as much as I can and be able to spend one on one time making them feel special and important.
I want them to know I am here for them whenever they need me and if they falter in anything. I want to listen to their fears and questions, pray with and for them and I want to give out hugs for no reason.
I want them to be secure in the fact that I will never leave them and I want them to never be afraid of talking with me or be afraid of what I might say and I want them to know I will try to understand them and just listen and validate their thoughts and feelings.
I really think this is what Jesus wants me to be as a grandmother. But I also believe he wants me to be that way with other people. Not everyone is strong (physically or emotionally) and many of us falter in a lot of areas and we need those strong people to keep us focused and to help keep us going.
Jesus tells the strong ones to step up and help the weak. Lend a hand and ask, "How can I help?"
Nancy
Monday, October 15, 2007
2 Corinthians 3:16
When I think of a veil, I think of a cloth that covers a person's face as with Muslim woman or a bride. But in looking up the word veil in the dictionary, it also has the meaning of something that is hidden or disguised of obscuring something or separating one thing from another.
Have you ever noticed people only request prayers for others and never ask for themselves? When someone asks, 'does anyone have any prayer requests?', I will say nothing unless my request is for someone else. I can't imagine asking for me, because (1) it doesn't seem right and (2) I would end up crying. But then I end up crying anyway because I know I need their prayers but am too afraid to ask.
So I keep my personal requests inside and hidden (like a veil) from others.
I don't want people to think I'm looking for attention or whatever.
Sometimes I want people only to know me from what they see on the outside, not the inside, not the real me. It is embarrassing to have to ask for help and to do it verbally through a prayer request and remove 'my veil' is almost beyond comprehension. Talk about being afraid and vulnerable.
But most of us do want people to care about us, to love us and to pray for us, but they can't if they don't know the real us. And if we hide behind a veil and always have that smile on the outside, they will never know that we may be crying on the inside.
To me, it all makes sense, but to implement it needs prayer in itself.
Nancy
Friday, October 12, 2007
James 1:22
James 1:22 Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! (The Message)
The word listen means to concentrate on hearing somebody or something or to pay attention to something and take it into account. (Entourage Dictionary)
As I look back over my life, I ask myself these questions. Did I listen to my parents when I was growing up or to my teachers in school? Did I listen to my bosses explain what my job was about? Did I listen to what God ever tried to tell me? Probably not the way I should have and probably just enough to get by.
And I know I still am guilty of not listening. A friend may need to tell me something for my own good in order to help me get well, but I'm afraid it will hurt too much and most of the time my fears are stronger than my reasoning. Even if it's done in love, I'm afraid of hearing their words and of being hurt and so I don't want to listen.
I'm probably like that with God as well. When God speaks to us directly or through other people, we must listen and pay attention to their words and apply those words to our lives when we first hear them and not wait until it's too late. It could be like wanting to listen to the flight attendant give the safety message as the plane crashing. An emergency is not the time to listen. Better to listen to the message in the first place.
Nancy
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Psalm 27:11
Psalm 27:11 Point me down your highway, God; direct me along a well-lighted street; show my enemies whose side you're on. (The Message)
Point me down your highway - This is what people do with their Global Positioning Systems (GPS). They program in their destinations and the GPS provides them with a three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude and altitude). I read that a GPS is made up of three parts: satellites orbiting the Earth; control and monitoring stations on Earth and the GPS receivers owned by users.
Direct me along a well-lighted street - Our town has turned off most of the street lights to save money. Our road is dark and we no street lights to obscure the moon or the stars and I like it. Because our town is dark, there are a number of people who are very upset. It means they might have to drive slower, watch for stop signs or animals using just their headlights or walk
with flashlights. They feel they deserve the lights, they pay enough in taxes and the town should make cuts elsewhere.
So between the GPS and lit street lights, we shouldn't have a problem finding our way around and are safer. Right? Wrong. Even with those things, we can get lost and especially when it's dark, we are afraid for our safety.
But we don't need to rely on a radio navigational system or a street light for security in going down life's roads. If we can remember that God is our GPS and our street lights, we will never be lost and there will always be light and we will be safe.
Nancy
Point me down your highway - This is what people do with their Global Positioning Systems (GPS). They program in their destinations and the GPS provides them with a three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude and altitude). I read that a GPS is made up of three parts: satellites orbiting the Earth; control and monitoring stations on Earth and the GPS receivers owned by users.
Direct me along a well-lighted street - Our town has turned off most of the street lights to save money. Our road is dark and we no street lights to obscure the moon or the stars and I like it. Because our town is dark, there are a number of people who are very upset. It means they might have to drive slower, watch for stop signs or animals using just their headlights or walk
with flashlights. They feel they deserve the lights, they pay enough in taxes and the town should make cuts elsewhere.
So between the GPS and lit street lights, we shouldn't have a problem finding our way around and are safer. Right? Wrong. Even with those things, we can get lost and especially when it's dark, we are afraid for our safety.
But we don't need to rely on a radio navigational system or a street light for security in going down life's roads. If we can remember that God is our GPS and our street lights, we will never be lost and there will always be light and we will be safe.
Nancy
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Psalm 119:176
Psalm 119:176 And should I wander off like a lost sheep--seek me! I'll recognize the sound of your voice.
When I was growing up, I had a friend who lived down the road from me. She grew up attending the Immanuel Community Church on Concord Heights and I grew up attending the United Baptist downtown. And like my father growing up at UBC, her parents grew up at the church she attended.
When I got my driver's license, Debbie and I decided to leave our 'growing up in' churches to travel around NH, VT, ME and MA to see what else there was. And, besides, our home churches were old and boring and made up mostly of people our parents generation or older and we knew other churches had to be more exciting or more something. We just knew it.
I don't even know what we were looking for, if anything, but for three years she and I went to different churches of all kinds in various places. We also met some interesting people with interesting practices, especially at the Unitarian Church we went to.
However, after never settling anywhere and a little more mature, we came back and discovered our home churches weren't so bad. And as time went on, we both got married and went our separate ways, (her to a Navy base in SC and then on to KY) but we both have stayed active and raised our children in the church.
I don't know if I wandered away from God using 'a new church every Sunday' as an excuse to avoid commitment to him or if I was actually lost. He let me wander, but always watched me even when I acted like a foolish sheep. He kept his eye on me and never let me fall permanently into the 'non-Christian church'. He herded me back to him, to his church, where he keeps me safe.
Nancy
When I was growing up, I had a friend who lived down the road from me. She grew up attending the Immanuel Community Church on Concord Heights and I grew up attending the United Baptist downtown. And like my father growing up at UBC, her parents grew up at the church she attended.
When I got my driver's license, Debbie and I decided to leave our 'growing up in' churches to travel around NH, VT, ME and MA to see what else there was. And, besides, our home churches were old and boring and made up mostly of people our parents generation or older and we knew other churches had to be more exciting or more something. We just knew it.
I don't even know what we were looking for, if anything, but for three years she and I went to different churches of all kinds in various places. We also met some interesting people with interesting practices, especially at the Unitarian Church we went to.
However, after never settling anywhere and a little more mature, we came back and discovered our home churches weren't so bad. And as time went on, we both got married and went our separate ways, (her to a Navy base in SC and then on to KY) but we both have stayed active and raised our children in the church.
I don't know if I wandered away from God using 'a new church every Sunday' as an excuse to avoid commitment to him or if I was actually lost. He let me wander, but always watched me even when I acted like a foolish sheep. He kept his eye on me and never let me fall permanently into the 'non-Christian church'. He herded me back to him, to his church, where he keeps me safe.
Nancy
Friday, October 5, 2007
John 17:21
The NIV study notes say the unity of believers should have an effect on outsiders, to convince them of the mission of Christ. Jesus' prayer is a rebuke of the groundless and often bitter division among believers.
I understand this to mean we should be a spiritual team player and not an individual player. A team player is one who is willing to work cooperatively with others vs an individual who is a separate entity, distinct from the others in the group. A team spirit is having an enthusiastic attitude towards working productively with a team vs an individual spirit who's enthusiastic attitude is only for how well they do.
The Boston Red Sox (a team) are in the playoff season right now. News broadcasters from all over New England are stationed at Fenway, people have been camping overnight on the side walks in order to get tickets to the game against the LA Angels. Who is going to win the first series? Boston or LA?
Excitement continues to build up, fans are fired up, they can't contain themselves and are talking about these games with everyone and anyone that will listen, there is the special wave in the stadium, special cheers go around, posters are held up and red and white colors are worn. Red Sox nation is off and running with the Go, fight and win attitude and everyone is united for the common goal.
Wouldn't it be awesome if we could generate that kind of excitement for Jesus? Uniting together as a team for the common goal of delighting God?
Letting the world know that God sent his son for us?
God calls us to have an effect on outsiders by showing them how we live our lives. The outsiders watch us. They watch how we encourage those who need encouragement, how we will walk with people who need walking with and how we love each other as God loves us.
We, as Christians, have been drafted for God's team. Let's play as a team and be one, just as God is in us and we are in him.
Nancy
Thursday, October 4, 2007
John 16:33
John 16:33 I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godly world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world. (The Message)
I want to share on incident that happened to my daughter on a trip overseas to a country that has numerous problems with violence.
In 1998, Laura traveled to Northern Ireland to visit Caoimnhe, the daughter of my pen pal of 30 years. She was to stay with the family in their flat right in downtown Londonderry. The north has bombings, the British Military roam the streets with M16s and tanks and you can't tell who the IRA people are from anyone else. Each time you leave the north for the south, you have to go through checkpoints where they ask you where you are going, where you have been and if they want, they can search you and/or your vehicle.
On Sunday, August 16, 1998, the family was traveling to Omagh, No. Ireland to visit a castle (Laura loves castles) and had to make a decision where to have lunch-at the castle or in town at a local café about 1 mile away. They chose to eat at the castle, picnic style. Meanwhile, in the middle of town, the worst paramilitary bombing in 30 years happened. 28 people were killed
and 220 people injured when a 500 pound car bomb went off in the area of the café and the IRA was being blamed for carrying out the attack. Had Laura been eating at the cafe, she could have very well been one of the 28 killed.
Laura adds: "The family was to meet Caoimnhe's friends in town soon after lunch, right in the middle of where the rubble was. Her friend that arrived first ended up loosing at least one leg while she was there..there was talk that she may lose her other leg too. Laura and Caoimnhe went to visit her in the hospital in Dublin just days after the attack."
That night, I got a phone call from my friend, Philomena and the first thing said was, 'don't worry, Laura is ok, she isn't hurt'. Panic set in-what had happened? I hadn't seen the news yet. As Philomena told me the story, I remember the sense of peace come over me and I knew God would take care of her and keep her safe. I wanted to be there for Laura, but I had to put my
trust in God and let him take charge.
I'll never forget that day, but I'll also never forget that warm feeling of peace as it came over me. I was crying, but there I had no fear inside, I didn't need to rush overseas, I knew she was in good hands. What a feeling it was to go from the fear that my daughter could have died to the feeling of knowing things would be ok.
God was with me and God was with her and the Grant family that day. Peace is difficult to explain, but awesome to experience.
Nancy
I want to share on incident that happened to my daughter on a trip overseas to a country that has numerous problems with violence.
In 1998, Laura traveled to Northern Ireland to visit Caoimnhe, the daughter of my pen pal of 30 years. She was to stay with the family in their flat right in downtown Londonderry. The north has bombings, the British Military roam the streets with M16s and tanks and you can't tell who the IRA people are from anyone else. Each time you leave the north for the south, you have to go through checkpoints where they ask you where you are going, where you have been and if they want, they can search you and/or your vehicle.
On Sunday, August 16, 1998, the family was traveling to Omagh, No. Ireland to visit a castle (Laura loves castles) and had to make a decision where to have lunch-at the castle or in town at a local café about 1 mile away. They chose to eat at the castle, picnic style. Meanwhile, in the middle of town, the worst paramilitary bombing in 30 years happened. 28 people were killed
and 220 people injured when a 500 pound car bomb went off in the area of the café and the IRA was being blamed for carrying out the attack. Had Laura been eating at the cafe, she could have very well been one of the 28 killed.
Laura adds: "The family was to meet Caoimnhe's friends in town soon after lunch, right in the middle of where the rubble was. Her friend that arrived first ended up loosing at least one leg while she was there..there was talk that she may lose her other leg too. Laura and Caoimnhe went to visit her in the hospital in Dublin just days after the attack."
That night, I got a phone call from my friend, Philomena and the first thing said was, 'don't worry, Laura is ok, she isn't hurt'. Panic set in-what had happened? I hadn't seen the news yet. As Philomena told me the story, I remember the sense of peace come over me and I knew God would take care of her and keep her safe. I wanted to be there for Laura, but I had to put my
trust in God and let him take charge.
I'll never forget that day, but I'll also never forget that warm feeling of peace as it came over me. I was crying, but there I had no fear inside, I didn't need to rush overseas, I knew she was in good hands. What a feeling it was to go from the fear that my daughter could have died to the feeling of knowing things would be ok.
God was with me and God was with her and the Grant family that day. Peace is difficult to explain, but awesome to experience.
Nancy
Monday, October 1, 2007
Galatians 5:22-23
Galatians 5:22-23 But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (NIV)
Every time I read this verse in Galatians, I think of my friend, Jane, and what her immediate thoughts were when she read it. She pictured a train and each car had the individual name of a Fruit of the Spirit on it. I really liked that concept and now think of it every time I read the verse. It stuck and continues to stick.
My youngest grandson, Jacob, is really starting to play with trains and has figured out how to hitch them together and put them on the track. Thomas, Gordon, James, Henry, Edward, Bertie, Percy, Diesel and Bill are nine of the trains he plays with. Some of these are the engines that pull and the others are the ones pulled. Jacob can direct them go where ever he wants by pushing them along the tracks because Jacob is in charge.
There are nine components that make up the Fruit of the Spirit train. So visualize a train and put the Spirit as the engine and then the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control as the ones being pulled. It's moving along the tracks going somewhere. You might have questions, like where is the train coming from?
Where does God want it to go? And is it hard to get to that place? The answer is no.
As long as God is at the front of our lives (the engine), the fruits (the pulled trains) will follow naturally. Jacob's trains aren't real, but God's trains are and if we ride on God's train, everything will fall into place. We will know where we came from, where we are going and find out that it isn't hard to get there.
Nancy
Every time I read this verse in Galatians, I think of my friend, Jane, and what her immediate thoughts were when she read it. She pictured a train and each car had the individual name of a Fruit of the Spirit on it. I really liked that concept and now think of it every time I read the verse. It stuck and continues to stick.
My youngest grandson, Jacob, is really starting to play with trains and has figured out how to hitch them together and put them on the track. Thomas, Gordon, James, Henry, Edward, Bertie, Percy, Diesel and Bill are nine of the trains he plays with. Some of these are the engines that pull and the others are the ones pulled. Jacob can direct them go where ever he wants by pushing them along the tracks because Jacob is in charge.
There are nine components that make up the Fruit of the Spirit train. So visualize a train and put the Spirit as the engine and then the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control as the ones being pulled. It's moving along the tracks going somewhere. You might have questions, like where is the train coming from?
Where does God want it to go? And is it hard to get to that place? The answer is no.
As long as God is at the front of our lives (the engine), the fruits (the pulled trains) will follow naturally. Jacob's trains aren't real, but God's trains are and if we ride on God's train, everything will fall into place. We will know where we came from, where we are going and find out that it isn't hard to get there.
Nancy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)