Sunday, January 25, 2009

FPU

Tonight I heard my husband explain to our table group at church, "I am like an alcoholic, I spend, spend, spend. You may have guessed it. We joined Financial Peace University tonight and at the moment it feels like anything but peace. We were, of course, at a table where just about everyone had their act together and could teach the class if they were as funny as Dave Ramsey. We were there because we are spendaholics and desperately need help. There, I said it out loud. It will be an adventure and I will probably share some of it here. Pray for Bill and I, that we will practice what we hear, and that we will trust God for what He has for us. Contentment, that will be a good thing!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Thoughts on the Inauguaration

While my dear husband and I watched President Bush board the helicopter for his trip home we had some thoughts. Bill watched and commented that he would love to be able to shake his hand and tell the President he was his hero. Many will not understand that. As President he made many questionable decisions. I understood though. How he stood up to such vile hatred and criticism I will never understand. How he did it with such graciousness should serve as an example to all of us. Grace under pressure. Kindness in return for persecution. I can imagine as he boarded that plane and flew home to Texas that he felt free. I am going to pray for our new President and try to remember the example of our former President. I will treat the office of President with respect and when I disagree, which I will, I will do it with grace. Right now he has almost unbelievable approval but a day will come when he too will face the disapproval of many. I hope that we can learn to be kinder this time around.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

This Past Week, have my actions represented Christ to my friends?

I have a card I keep in my purse. It asks simple questions that keep me on track as I walk this journey. I got it 9 years ago at youth convention. The first question asks about my actions and whether they represent Christ. This question used to convict me because I had so few Christian friends to impact. My hesitance to engage people that I would meet in my daily life filled me with regret. Who would I represent Christ to in my everyday life, besides my family that is? Well, that is still something I am working on and am happy to say making some progress in. I also see that representing Christ to my family on a weekly basis is not only vital it is incredibly hard. It take walking constantly in the Spirit to be able to do this effectively. I blow it , especially with my kids, on a regular basis, I'm afraid. Less so, since they are gone at College but I still manage to blow it once in awhile. I also see that we need to represent Christ to those who are believers. Young believers need mentors, older believers need encouragement, and every believer needs to be challenged to be their best. If we accept mediocrity from ourselves Christ loses. He has left us here as the representation of Him on this earth. He is not mediocre in the least, but the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, absolute purity and holiness is His character. Our actions speak louder than our words or our religious affiliation. What do your actions say about you? What do mine say about me? It's a good question to ask ourselves in the New Year.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Getting Older

Have you ever felt patronized or like someone was indulging you by listening to you talk? Sometimes I feel like I'm a child again and people are listening to me and in there minds patting me on the head. It comes with getting older. Somehow you get to feeling irrelevant. Lately I have been experiencing that sensation more often and realize it is something I need to fight. I may not be as young as I once was but I am not ancient either. It is the cry of this heart to be relevant. It is the longing of my whole being to serve the God I love. I realize I have been letting this feeling of irrelevance keep me from being all God wants me to be. I have not posted much lately and I think it is because I have felt a loss of voice. We are in the beginning stages of forty days of 24/7 prayer. I have to admit that I thought that was a bit ambitious but it is just what I need to begin my year. Today I had a good talk with God about life and am more sure than ever that I want to live, really live, every day that I have on this earth. No matter what age or place you are in life, that is what God wants of us. He wants our life so that we can live. Age may change what I do but it does not change what God calls me to do, follow Him. Whatever work He is doing in the valley this year I am going to jump right in.