the last couple days have included verses from hebrews 5 so i took time to meditate on the scriptures and also on what henry blackaby was saying.
first of all, before Jesus went to the cross, He had a great need. He was burdened. Helloooo, He was about to suffer and die for all humanity! verse 7 says: "In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence." the Father heard the prayers of His Son, but He didn't remove the cup. God repeatedly said that He was well pleased with His Son, but He didn't remove the cup. we know that Jesus was and is the perfect, spotless Lamb, so sin did not keep Him from being heard. God was able to save Him from death, but He had to look at the big picture and do what was necessary for the salvation of man.
verses 8 and 9 continue, "Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him." Jesus' perfection came through His suffering. lately i've been hearing about perfection and have learned that it means completion or maturity. if Jesus was made complete/mature/perfect through suffering, how much more so will we. there are some areas in our lives that mature only when we face trials. i know i do everything i can to avoid trouble/tribulation/suffering...but sometimes it is required. I'm so thankful that my Savior "can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness" (v2).
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
accountability needed
i'm striving to memorize psalm 119 (nkjv) with one of my students.
it was going great for the first 24 verses, but little progress has since been made.
(that was before Christmas)
let's see how i do...
blessed are the undefiled in the way
who walk in the law of the Lord
blessed are those who keep His testimonies
who seek Him with the whole heart
they also do no iniquity,
they walk in His ways.
You have commanded us to keep your precepts diligently.
o that my ways were directed
to keep your statues
then i would not be ashamed
when i look into all your commandments
i will praise you with uprightness of heart
when i learn your righteous judgments.
i ... can't remember verse 8
yeah, so it needs a little reviewing and continued memorization.
feel free to ask me about it.
it was going great for the first 24 verses, but little progress has since been made.
(that was before Christmas)
let's see how i do...
blessed are the undefiled in the way
who walk in the law of the Lord
blessed are those who keep His testimonies
who seek Him with the whole heart
they also do no iniquity,
they walk in His ways.
You have commanded us to keep your precepts diligently.
o that my ways were directed
to keep your statues
then i would not be ashamed
when i look into all your commandments
i will praise you with uprightness of heart
when i learn your righteous judgments.
i ... can't remember verse 8
yeah, so it needs a little reviewing and continued memorization.
feel free to ask me about it.
Monday, January 12, 2009
this just in...
i think i'm going to be living with my parents the rest of my life
i've crunched the numbers
it's just not looking good for financial freedom AND a home sweet home of my own
but the Lord knows what's up
just gotta trust His plan
i've crunched the numbers
it's just not looking good for financial freedom AND a home sweet home of my own
but the Lord knows what's up
just gotta trust His plan
Saturday, December 20, 2008
tagged by sarah
8 shows I love to watch
i don't watch these shows faithfully, just if i have time, if they're not too scary or if the fam is watching
1. 24 (only on dvd)
2. lost
3. criminal minds
4. ncis
5. bones
6. golden girls
7. 7th heaven
8. college football (should really be #1)
8 things I look forward to
1. Christmas
2. my b-day (what can i say, i like presents. it's terrible i know)
3. hearing from Jesus
4. real relationships
5. saturdays
6. flip-flop weather
7. seeing friends
8. returning to Romania
8 things that happened today
1. a word from the Lord
2. drank coffee
3. ate a cookie
4. blogged
5. took out frozen bananas and butter to make banana bread
i plan to:
6. balance my checkbook
7. do laundry
8. watch a Christmas movie
8 favorite restaurants
1. bubba gump (the best coconut shrimp ever)
2. cheesecake factory
3. that really good mexican food place in ft. worth
4. pretty much any mexican food place
5. barbara jeans (good shrimp and "chocolate stuff" basically a gooey brownie with real whipped cream on top)
6. cracker barrel (blackberry pancakes)
7. huricanne's wings
8. chili's
8 things on my wish list
1. itunes $ (i love music)
2. a plane ticket to romania
3. a plane ticket to ireland
4. clothes
5. crocs
6. church with my fam
7. friends in florida
8. peace on earth
8 people to tag
i don't tag, or pass on forwards...sorry
i don't watch these shows faithfully, just if i have time, if they're not too scary or if the fam is watching
1. 24 (only on dvd)
2. lost
3. criminal minds
4. ncis
5. bones
6. golden girls
7. 7th heaven
8. college football (should really be #1)
8 things I look forward to
1. Christmas
2. my b-day (what can i say, i like presents. it's terrible i know)
3. hearing from Jesus
4. real relationships
5. saturdays
6. flip-flop weather
7. seeing friends
8. returning to Romania
8 things that happened today
1. a word from the Lord
2. drank coffee
3. ate a cookie
4. blogged
5. took out frozen bananas and butter to make banana bread
i plan to:
6. balance my checkbook
7. do laundry
8. watch a Christmas movie
8 favorite restaurants
1. bubba gump (the best coconut shrimp ever)
2. cheesecake factory
3. that really good mexican food place in ft. worth
4. pretty much any mexican food place
5. barbara jeans (good shrimp and "chocolate stuff" basically a gooey brownie with real whipped cream on top)
6. cracker barrel (blackberry pancakes)
7. huricanne's wings
8. chili's
8 things on my wish list
1. itunes $ (i love music)
2. a plane ticket to romania
3. a plane ticket to ireland
4. clothes
5. crocs
6. church with my fam
7. friends in florida
8. peace on earth
8 people to tag
i don't tag, or pass on forwards...sorry
the truth
it's been a while since i've given a real post. i think mostly because i've been dealing with hard/heart issues and haven't really known what to say or how to say it. i guess i'll start from the beginning...
part 1-church fellowship and reasons for going to church
even as i'm writing this i have to remind myself, "church isn't about friends." you don't go to church to be with friends, make friends, etc. we go to church to worship the Lord, to be trained in the Word and to have fellowship with other believers. we're also a part of a local church to use our gifts that the Lord has given us, that the body of Christ may become mature. fellowship is just one facet. but God created us for relationships, not only with Him, but with other people as well. so it makes sense to desire realness and depth. i always go back to Romans 1:11-12 "i long to see you that i may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong, that is that you and i may be mutually encouraged by one another." paul wrote several times that he longed or desired to be with a certain body of believers. so i know that fellowship/community is supposed to be a part of the church.
however, it's not been that way for me since march. i've gone to church to hear the word and to worship the Lord. but many Sundays i've gone because it was the right thing to do. UGH!!!! i can't believe i've been one of those people!!!!
part 2-a burden for truth and unity
my mom found out some hard things about her church and it's liberalness. a few months ago she was distraught on a Sunday morning not knowing what to do. i also had just been feeling a burden that our family should be in church together. so we prayed that God would just give us direction.
part 3-visions
i always have these really weird and vivid dreams. and sometimes they come true. i know it's silly. like deja vu. but there are moments when i know i've had a conversation before and i know it's because i've dreamt it. so i've been praying that God would given me a real vision, not just something silly like one of my students asking for help in math.
and i think He did. a few weeks ago i dreamt that my whole family was in church together.
part 4-frustrations
so i've been dealing with this burden and vision of being in church with my family and not having fellowship in my own church. and i haven't been to church in 3 weeks. (1 week doesn't count because i was out of town.) every Sunday morning my mom and i meet in the living room and say, "what are we going to do? where are we going to church?" and we don't know. and we pray. and i cry. and we get on the internet and look up churches in the area. and i get frustrated because there's so much i don't understand about the Word and what God really cares about when it comes to church and the fact that my family won't go to a southern baptist church and how am i supposed to cross denominational lines and are there other churches that teach what i believe to be true and where are they and if i don't go to a southern baptist church how will i go to golden gate seminary and why did i think i was supposed to join my church and how can i just leave? so that's a lot of frustration and stuff to deal with. and i've just been carrying it. and it's affected my relationship with Jesus. and HELLO, i haven't been to church in three weeks. and what made me the saddest about not going to "my church" is that i didn't care that i wasn't going to "my church."
part 4-the decision
so we're going to try a church on Sunday called Celebration Church. it's come up in some random conversations with coworkers and acquaintances. it's different and it's a stretch, but i feel like it's the right step.
part 5-confirmation
i was still thinking about it yesterday and this morning as i was lying in bed, i feel like God said, "church membership is a man-made law." and right after that i was reminded about something i read this week in My Utmost about being loyal to Jesus and nothing and no one else. i'm NOT saying that we shouldn't join churches. but i do need to be loyal to Christ. not to "my" convictions, denomination, church, ministry, etc. (mmmm...even as i'm writing this i'm reminded of Jesus asking Peter, "do you love Me more than these?") i don't want to be like the pharisees, who were so set in their ways and laws that A) they didn't recognize the Savior when He was staring them in the face and B) they weren't willing to budge from they way things had always legalistically been done.
part 6-call for prayer
without faith it is impossible to please God. so if we take the flip of that...faith pleases God.
but it's still scary.
i know my readers pretty well...i can guess that you're thinking one of two things
1. stop being such a baby!
2. oh my gosh, are you sure about stepping away from a southern baptist church?
well, that's what i'm thinking and that's probably what i'd say to one of you if you were in my situation.
just if you read this, pray that I'd be loyal to Jesus. pray the fulfillment of the vision-the Hastings family in church...and not just in church, but loving Jesus. pray that we'd be directed to the church God wants us to be a part of. pray for my old church/sunday school to continue to grow in depth and breadth.
part 1-church fellowship and reasons for going to church
even as i'm writing this i have to remind myself, "church isn't about friends." you don't go to church to be with friends, make friends, etc. we go to church to worship the Lord, to be trained in the Word and to have fellowship with other believers. we're also a part of a local church to use our gifts that the Lord has given us, that the body of Christ may become mature. fellowship is just one facet. but God created us for relationships, not only with Him, but with other people as well. so it makes sense to desire realness and depth. i always go back to Romans 1:11-12 "i long to see you that i may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong, that is that you and i may be mutually encouraged by one another." paul wrote several times that he longed or desired to be with a certain body of believers. so i know that fellowship/community is supposed to be a part of the church.
however, it's not been that way for me since march. i've gone to church to hear the word and to worship the Lord. but many Sundays i've gone because it was the right thing to do. UGH!!!! i can't believe i've been one of those people!!!!
part 2-a burden for truth and unity
my mom found out some hard things about her church and it's liberalness. a few months ago she was distraught on a Sunday morning not knowing what to do. i also had just been feeling a burden that our family should be in church together. so we prayed that God would just give us direction.
part 3-visions
i always have these really weird and vivid dreams. and sometimes they come true. i know it's silly. like deja vu. but there are moments when i know i've had a conversation before and i know it's because i've dreamt it. so i've been praying that God would given me a real vision, not just something silly like one of my students asking for help in math.
and i think He did. a few weeks ago i dreamt that my whole family was in church together.
part 4-frustrations
so i've been dealing with this burden and vision of being in church with my family and not having fellowship in my own church. and i haven't been to church in 3 weeks. (1 week doesn't count because i was out of town.) every Sunday morning my mom and i meet in the living room and say, "what are we going to do? where are we going to church?" and we don't know. and we pray. and i cry. and we get on the internet and look up churches in the area. and i get frustrated because there's so much i don't understand about the Word and what God really cares about when it comes to church and the fact that my family won't go to a southern baptist church and how am i supposed to cross denominational lines and are there other churches that teach what i believe to be true and where are they and if i don't go to a southern baptist church how will i go to golden gate seminary and why did i think i was supposed to join my church and how can i just leave? so that's a lot of frustration and stuff to deal with. and i've just been carrying it. and it's affected my relationship with Jesus. and HELLO, i haven't been to church in three weeks. and what made me the saddest about not going to "my church" is that i didn't care that i wasn't going to "my church."
part 4-the decision
so we're going to try a church on Sunday called Celebration Church. it's come up in some random conversations with coworkers and acquaintances. it's different and it's a stretch, but i feel like it's the right step.
part 5-confirmation
i was still thinking about it yesterday and this morning as i was lying in bed, i feel like God said, "church membership is a man-made law." and right after that i was reminded about something i read this week in My Utmost about being loyal to Jesus and nothing and no one else. i'm NOT saying that we shouldn't join churches. but i do need to be loyal to Christ. not to "my" convictions, denomination, church, ministry, etc. (mmmm...even as i'm writing this i'm reminded of Jesus asking Peter, "do you love Me more than these?") i don't want to be like the pharisees, who were so set in their ways and laws that A) they didn't recognize the Savior when He was staring them in the face and B) they weren't willing to budge from they way things had always legalistically been done.
part 6-call for prayer
without faith it is impossible to please God. so if we take the flip of that...faith pleases God.
but it's still scary.
i know my readers pretty well...i can guess that you're thinking one of two things
1. stop being such a baby!
2. oh my gosh, are you sure about stepping away from a southern baptist church?
well, that's what i'm thinking and that's probably what i'd say to one of you if you were in my situation.
just if you read this, pray that I'd be loyal to Jesus. pray the fulfillment of the vision-the Hastings family in church...and not just in church, but loving Jesus. pray that we'd be directed to the church God wants us to be a part of. pray for my old church/sunday school to continue to grow in depth and breadth.
Friday, December 12, 2008
"While you were sleeping"
This is an intense song off the Casting Crowns Christmas CD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rqhG2yT-58
The CD in its entirety is great, a true blessing and worshipful. I was blown away by these lyrics though. So many people are "asleep" in their faith and will not be ready when the Bridegroom returns.
Blessings to you this Christmas season. Praying that it will be about Jesus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rqhG2yT-58
The CD in its entirety is great, a true blessing and worshipful. I was blown away by these lyrics though. So many people are "asleep" in their faith and will not be ready when the Bridegroom returns.
Blessings to you this Christmas season. Praying that it will be about Jesus.
Friday, October 24, 2008
excellent in the ordinary
this just keeps coming up in my life so it must be something i need to learn and share with you.
10/21 my utmost said, "it is inbred in us that we have to do exceptional things for God; but we have not. we have to be exceptional in the ordinary things, to be holy in mean streets, among mean people..." (mean means average here, not unpleasant)
10/22 streams in the desert the angel of the Lord came to Moses while he was involved in his every day work (tending the sheep). He seeks a man traveling an ordinary road.
there's so much truth in that. we do think that we have to do something different, extraordinary, earth-shattering. even when we know God's told us, "I'm going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if you were told." what if the utterly amazing was that we walked with Jesus every day of our lives? what if we loved our students and their parents and they saw Jesus in us (even though they don't know it's Jesus right now)? what if we loved our neighbor as ourself (for me today, that means letting everyone in front of me in traffic and not calling them jerks)? what if we really did everything for the glory of the Lord? what if we made disciples within our families and neighborhoods?
i keep telling my girls that God wants to do something amazing in their lives, that He wants us to live abundantly. and that's truth. but that amazingness (new word) starts now. as we're walking this road. as we're tending these sheep. as we abide in His word and become conformed to the image of His Son. in the day in, day out ordinary life He's set before us.
live excellently
10/21 my utmost said, "it is inbred in us that we have to do exceptional things for God; but we have not. we have to be exceptional in the ordinary things, to be holy in mean streets, among mean people..." (mean means average here, not unpleasant)
10/22 streams in the desert the angel of the Lord came to Moses while he was involved in his every day work (tending the sheep). He seeks a man traveling an ordinary road.
there's so much truth in that. we do think that we have to do something different, extraordinary, earth-shattering. even when we know God's told us, "I'm going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if you were told." what if the utterly amazing was that we walked with Jesus every day of our lives? what if we loved our students and their parents and they saw Jesus in us (even though they don't know it's Jesus right now)? what if we loved our neighbor as ourself (for me today, that means letting everyone in front of me in traffic and not calling them jerks)? what if we really did everything for the glory of the Lord? what if we made disciples within our families and neighborhoods?
i keep telling my girls that God wants to do something amazing in their lives, that He wants us to live abundantly. and that's truth. but that amazingness (new word) starts now. as we're walking this road. as we're tending these sheep. as we abide in His word and become conformed to the image of His Son. in the day in, day out ordinary life He's set before us.
live excellently
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