Siesta Memory Challenge - May 15

Siesta Memory Challenge,
Here is my new verse. I had another one picked out, but I decided that it would be nice to memorize something that Jesus said. So after reading several of my favorite passages I decided on this one. In some ways it is Jesus promise of the same thing that God told Jeremiah in my last memory verse.

John 17: 25-26, TNIV
Righteous father, though the world does not know you, I know you and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love that you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.

Since my verse list is getting long now and I have posted the full text in previous posts, I will just put links to the verses that I am memorizing this year.
Jeremiah 24:7, TNIV
Psalm 16:11
2 Peter 1: 5-8
2 Timothy 2:24
1 Corinthians 10:31
Ephesians 5: 19-20
James 4: 7-8
Isaiah 43: 18-19
Philippians 3:12-14

Thoughts on Holiness

I have started a new book by Mark Buchanan, The Holy Wild. The chapter that I just finished was about the Holiness of God. I just wanted to share what I have learned, and since no one really reads my blog, this is really more for myself.

In our moments of greatest need our greatest need is to simply see the Lord. "This is our greatest need in times of greatest need: to have our lives redefined for us - ruined and remade- by a terrible, wonderful encounter with the King of glory. To see God as He really is." page 145.

Worship is where we have our lives redefined.

Like Isaiah, before we can rest in the holiness of God we must be undone by his holiness. (Isaiah 6). "That's what God does. The holiness of God at first consumes us, ruins us. But if we submit, it cuts the burden, burns the sin, and sets us free." page 158

Be holy because I am holy.

Happy Mother's Day

I think the best thing about Mother's Day is that it always happens on Sunday. Dr. Wilder's sermon this morning was wonderful. He talked about how it important it is for us to build a foundation for our children. My parents build an unbelievably strong foundation for me. Actually I have a strong foundation back as many generations as I know. I love you, mom.

The scripture for the sermon was from Paul's letter to the Corinthians. It is about the foundation he built for the church at Corinth, but as Dr. Wilder said, I think it also applies to families.

I am grateful for a wonderful husband and I pray that we together have built a strong foundation for our children that they will build on with gold and silver and costly stones rather than wood, or hay, or straw. And to my children, you are both so wonderful and have brought me such indescrible joy.

1 Cor. 3:10-15 - By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³ their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work. ¹⁴ If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

And here is my benediction for today - 3 John 1: 2-4
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. ³ It gave me great joy to have some believers come and testify to your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. ⁴ I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Prayer from "The Valley of Vision

Several years ago my son gave me a book for Mother's day called The Valley of Vision. It is a book of puritan prayers. I found these wonderful words today in my quiet time.

My soul is often a chariot without wheels
clogged and hindered in sin's miry clay;
Mount it on eagle's wings and cause it to soar upward to thyself.

May 1 Bible Memory Challenge

Siesta Memory Challenge,

Here is my new memory verse for May 1st. I chose it because I have come to want a heart to know God more and more. I want it to always be my greatest desire. This verse tells us it is God who gives us that desire.

Jeremiah 24:7, TNIV
I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

Since my verse list is getting long now and I have posted the full text in previous posts, I will just put links to the verses that I am memorizing this year.
Psalm 16:11
2 Peter 1: 5-8
2 Timothy 2:24
1 Corinthians 10:31
Ephesians 5: 19-20
James 4: 7-8
Isaiah 43: 18-19
Philippians 3:12-14

Jethro, Moses and the Burning, Not Burned Up, Bush

Moses was called by God from a burning bush that burned but was not consumed. God is the only one who can burn and not be consumed. In the lesson I read today from Dr. Swindoll I learned that without the advice of his father-in-law, Jethro, Moses would have been consumed. The story is in Exodus 18.

After Jethro had heard about Moses' experiences in Egypt, he came to find Moses. He was excited about Moses' work and did not begin with criticism but with excitement and praise. After a good party he watched Moses at work and ask him two questions: What are you doing and Why are you doing it alone? For this is what he noticed "¹⁷ Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. ¹⁸ You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone."

The Hebrew word used for wear yourselves out is one used to mean wither. The first thing that happens to us when we do too much is that we loose our distinction. When we try to add additional elements to our work we weaken what we are best at doing, the gift God gave us to do. This idea is powerful and has made me stop and take a close look at my life. What are the essential elements in my life? What is it that God has gifted me to do?

Another thing about withering away is that you see it in someone's face. You see people fade away. Withering is a gradual thing. Gradually your eyes become dim and you look becomes grim. No one is attracted to an always grim looking individual. I think that I have learned that you can only hide withering away for awhile. So for a teacher you can't build relationships with students if you look is dim and there is no brightness in your eyes. If you are always tired then that look is seen by students as anger and critical judgment. They see you as putting them down and you no longer can be the encourager that you must be as a teacher.

It is the wise man that can see withering away in himself, but it is the even wiser man who asksto his friends and family if they see withering. Moses didn't see it in himself. It was Jethro who saw it. No one is so great or so gifted that he or she can't learning from someone who has their good at heart.

Here is the counsel that Jethro gave to Moses and God gives to us. (And God has given to me through Dr. Swindoll with the Beautiful Music playing on my iPod)

• Separate the essential from the additional - every job has these two elements. The essential are the things that God has called you and gifted you to do. But there are things that are additional. They are good things, things that have to be done. The danger is in adding so many of these that we reach the breaking point. "Our real problems tend to occur not in our essential area, but in those additional areas that we take on and attempt to maintain.
• Restrain yourself more, involve yourself less. " The body needs so much work, so much rest, so much relief, and can handle only so much strain. Disregard that, and something snaps."
• Efficiency increases as we relinquish. Doing more does not guarantee effectiveness.
• When a Jethro shows up in your life, listen to what he has to say. It is hard to say no when you love everything, but if you don't listen to the Jethros in your life you will pay a terrible price.

My God and Loving Father,
Thank you for this wonderful lesson. Thank you for sending a Jethro in my life. Thank you for giving me this sabbatical. Let me keep the lessons I have learned here and always keep times of sabbatical in work. While they won't be a whole semester, teach me to take daily ones. Teach me what is essential in my life and my work. Teach me how to say no to the additional. Keep my from fading away. Restore the light in my eyes. Help me to see when other people are fading and be a Jethro.

Beautiful Music - Twice in the Same Day

Wow! - what a wonderful Lord we have. Twice in the same day he has spoken to me.

Right after I finished my last post, I hurriedly got ready to go to chapel at my school. The Tennessee Baptist Choral was going to be the chapel service. This has been on my calendar for a long time so I have been looking forward to it.

These are things that I learned during the worship.

• We are never alone! The service began with the men quietly singing we are not alone as they entered the sanctuary. We were surrounded by these words. It is like God to wrap us in his presence just like the choir wrapped us in sound. We need to hear those words right now during these very difficult days.
  
• The men in the choir have all given their lives to serve our God. There were old ones - I saw my very first children's choir leader - and young ones - students that have just recently graduated - and ones in the middle like my current minister of music. It was wonderful to see all these faithful ones. I want to be like that, a faithful one who serves my God all my life.
  
• They sang a song that reminded me of the old Baptist tradition of revivals. We don't have them too much any more and some times for some very good reasons. They were not always perfect, but it made be think about my childhood. I thank my wonderful parents for making church a part of my life from my earliest memory. They never made me go to church, we just went, all of us, all the time. It was great fun. I always loved it. You see they didn't go because they had to either, they went because they wanted to. And they gave that to me. They gave me a discipline of being in the Lord's house on a regular basis. So now I go and I love it and it is not ever something that I think about doing. I go and I meet my Lord there and he gives me wonderful gifts. I pray that I have given my children the same thing and they will give the same thing to their children - when they have them. Thank you Lord for parents who taught me about you through everything they did and not just what they said.
• Thank you for the pure joy that I saw in the faces of the choir and in Mary McDonald, the accompanist. It was just fun. There is only one way that we can have that kind of joy - it is your gift. Thank you for the pure joy that you gave me to today.
• Thank you for the reminder that, as my friend Stan says, "In the end it is simple - God wins." Thank you for the hope that one day you will call us home, that You will reign in victory forever.

Amen