Monday, March 14, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
For the most part...
... I pretty much know that God has something in store for me. For CC. Well, for all of us, for that matter.
I just don't think that I'm LIVING like I'm EXPECTING anything from God.
Ok, I'm NOT living like I KNOW that God has something in store for me. For us. I just go from day to day, living in complacency; doing normal things that most mothers would be doing.. taking care of the kids, doing school, playing with the kids, dishes, food, laundry, cleaning, shopping for groceries. And when I can, I squeeze in a few minutes of quiet time reading a couple of chapters and saying a few quick words in prayer. Basically just enough to keep my inner spiritual man alive.
Then the other day I read something that really pricked my heart and challenged me. I'll write it out for you...
"In imagination I want you to come with me to a ward in one of our big hospitals, and here before us we see a man. He has been seriously ill for months; in fact as we approach his bed we are hardly sure whether he is alive or dead. But, as we watch him closely, we see that his chest moves slightly, and, on feeling his pulse, we find that it still beats feebly. True, his is alive, but should the ward catch fire he is too weak to save himself, and it is quite certain that he is not strong enough to rescue anybody else. But he is alive. He has Life.
"Now come with me again in imagination to Putney Bridge. Today is the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, and as we look over the bridge, there, almost at our feet, we see the two boats with their eight oarsmen in each. These men have been training for weeks, some for months, and today they are to go through one of the greatest ordeals that any athlete is ever asked to undergo - a race of four-and-a-quarter miles, from Putney to Mortlake, and as we watch them start we realize that their bodies are just tingling with Life. They have Life Abundant.
"There is a vast difference between the sick man in the hospital ward and these training athletes. The one has Life, the others Life in Abundance. There is all the difference also in the spiritual world. Some Christians have life, i.e., they are really converted people, but they know nothing of the Abundant Life which Jesus Christ came to give His people. "I am come that they might have Life, and that they might have it more abundantly." - George S. Ingram
I knew that I was that guy in the hospital. Barely alive and just enough to know it. That's not what I'm supposed to be like. I can't be ready for whatever God has for me or my little family if I'm just staying afloat in my little world. There's a song called "Traveling Shoes".. and its saying that whenever death comes knocking on the doors of the sinner, the liar, gambler's door, and they weren't ready because they didn't have on their "Traveling Shoes".. then he goes knocking on the Christian's door and asked if he was ready, and he shouts "YES!" He had on his "Traveling Shoes". He was ready at the call. And I'm not necessarily talking about death, I just mean in general. If God comes calling and has some job for me, special or not, will I be ready? Or will I be saying "Naw, Lord; You didn't give me enough time or notice so I gotta get myself ready, and then I'll let You know when I have myself together for You." I'm not doing that. And I have made a decision to be sure that I am ready for whatever God has for me. I don't want to come across a trial in my path and be like, "God, You didn't prepare me for this!"
So let's go! Full of Life and ready to GO!
I just don't think that I'm LIVING like I'm EXPECTING anything from God.
Ok, I'm NOT living like I KNOW that God has something in store for me. For us. I just go from day to day, living in complacency; doing normal things that most mothers would be doing.. taking care of the kids, doing school, playing with the kids, dishes, food, laundry, cleaning, shopping for groceries. And when I can, I squeeze in a few minutes of quiet time reading a couple of chapters and saying a few quick words in prayer. Basically just enough to keep my inner spiritual man alive.
Then the other day I read something that really pricked my heart and challenged me. I'll write it out for you...
"In imagination I want you to come with me to a ward in one of our big hospitals, and here before us we see a man. He has been seriously ill for months; in fact as we approach his bed we are hardly sure whether he is alive or dead. But, as we watch him closely, we see that his chest moves slightly, and, on feeling his pulse, we find that it still beats feebly. True, his is alive, but should the ward catch fire he is too weak to save himself, and it is quite certain that he is not strong enough to rescue anybody else. But he is alive. He has Life.
"Now come with me again in imagination to Putney Bridge. Today is the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, and as we look over the bridge, there, almost at our feet, we see the two boats with their eight oarsmen in each. These men have been training for weeks, some for months, and today they are to go through one of the greatest ordeals that any athlete is ever asked to undergo - a race of four-and-a-quarter miles, from Putney to Mortlake, and as we watch them start we realize that their bodies are just tingling with Life. They have Life Abundant.
"There is a vast difference between the sick man in the hospital ward and these training athletes. The one has Life, the others Life in Abundance. There is all the difference also in the spiritual world. Some Christians have life, i.e., they are really converted people, but they know nothing of the Abundant Life which Jesus Christ came to give His people. "I am come that they might have Life, and that they might have it more abundantly." - George S. Ingram
I knew that I was that guy in the hospital. Barely alive and just enough to know it. That's not what I'm supposed to be like. I can't be ready for whatever God has for me or my little family if I'm just staying afloat in my little world. There's a song called "Traveling Shoes".. and its saying that whenever death comes knocking on the doors of the sinner, the liar, gambler's door, and they weren't ready because they didn't have on their "Traveling Shoes".. then he goes knocking on the Christian's door and asked if he was ready, and he shouts "YES!" He had on his "Traveling Shoes". He was ready at the call. And I'm not necessarily talking about death, I just mean in general. If God comes calling and has some job for me, special or not, will I be ready? Or will I be saying "Naw, Lord; You didn't give me enough time or notice so I gotta get myself ready, and then I'll let You know when I have myself together for You." I'm not doing that. And I have made a decision to be sure that I am ready for whatever God has for me. I don't want to come across a trial in my path and be like, "God, You didn't prepare me for this!"
So let's go! Full of Life and ready to GO!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Here's the children today..
I love this picture of Cherish...
My boy is getting so big on me...
He loves Cars. :)
My little beauty. :)
My life has been very busy, and full of life and little things that make our home interesting and fun. Our church just had a Bible School here, and we hosted 9 girls, and also had extra company every night for that week. After that, people just kept dropping in, to visit or for meals, and this week I begged my family to let me have one week to myself. They agreed, and this week has been much quieter, for which I am very grateful.
This weekend CC goes to preach at a small church in Maryland, so our weekend will be a quiet one too. But next weekend we go to PA for Mission's Conference! Fun times! :)
I will be blogging more, though I will probably spend more time on my other blog than this one.. I don't know if many people read this one. If you do, and you want me to keep this one up, please comment! Thanks, and have richly blessed day. :)
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