One Thing is Needful

So many times everything that has to be done just presses around me, screaming for attention. So I get busy. In fact my day stays busy as I think, "I've got to do this, and this, and this..." I try to do what needs to be done, but I forget to put the most important thing (or person) first.

Martha also had this problem. Jesus had to stop her and tell her, "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled with many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:41-42)

One thing is needful. Just one. Sitting at the feet of Jesus and learning from Him. Nothing else really matters. All those things that seem to be important pale in comparison to this. Those things will be taken away, but what is learned by just sitting at the feet of Jesus will never be taken away.

Faith... When I don't understand

It is easy to trust when I know how things are going to work out and I understand what is going on. But what about when I don't understand? What about when things look impossible or senseless? Do I have faith not only when I understand, but when I do not understand? The past couple of weeks I have really been challenged by the stories of those in Hebrews 11 who had faith when they did not understand.

Noah was warned by God of a coming flood and the destruction of the earth by water. Noah had never even seen rain. But he believed God and took Him at His word, even though it did not make sense to him.

God asked Abraham to offer Him his son Isaac. This was the son that God had promised to Abraham. This was the son that God had said, "In Isaac shall thy seed be called" (Hebrews 11:18). All Abraham's hope for the future was in Isaac, yet by faith, Abraham offered him to God because he believed that God was able to raise him from the dead.

When the Israelites came to Jericho, they were told to march around the walls seven days, and that on the seventh day the walls would fall. Who has ever heard of walls falling down because an army marched around them? It did not make sense, but Joshua and the people trusted God and did it anyway.

In each of these situations, it did not humanly make sense to do what God said. Noah, Abraham, and Joshua did not let this stop them. They did not understand, but they obeyed God. As a result, God saved Noah and his family, provided a lamb in Isaac's stead, and made the walls of Jericho fall.

I want that kind of faith. I want faith that sees past reasoning and trusts God to work things out. I want faith that says, "I don't understand, but I am going to trust God and do it anyway."

Is God Ashamed?

There have been times when one of my siblings has done something that I wanted to say, "I don't know you." I did not want to be associated with them, or be known as "so-and-so's sister." I just wanted to shrink back, out of sight.

The past couple of weeks, I have been working on memorizing Hebrews 11 for Advanced Excel. This week I come across this verse:

But now they desire a better country, that is a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God:for he hath prepared for them a city.

Immediately I wondered, "Why wasn't God ashamed to be called their God? Why wasn't He afraid to be associated with them?" I looked at the context, and this is what I found:
*These people desired a better (a heavenly) country. They were not content with an earthly one.
*They sought it.
*They died in faith without receiving the promises.
*They had a vision for the future (they saw the promises afar off), and were not caught up in the "here and now."
*They were persuaded that the promises were true.
*They embraced God's promises.

Because of these things, because of their faith, God was not, and is not, ashamed to be called their God. He likes being associated with these people. But is God ashamed to be called my God? Does He want people to associate Him with me? Am I embracing His promises? Do I desire a heavenly country? Do I have faith that sees past the present? Do I have faith to step out and do what God has asked? Do I trust God?

I want God to be able to say about me, "I am not ashamed to be called her God."

Photo Scavenger Hunt

Stapler: In its happy place!

Reflections: Tree in a lake

Leap: flying leap from a tree!

Fears: Heights and falling...

Coffee: We don't drink it, so if you come to our house this is what you get!

Time: The sun high in the sky in the afternoon.

Squirrel: He was prowling around our campsite...

White Trash: This doesn't belong here!

Date: Assignment deadline.

Police: Well, Lego police - I don't get out much :)

Self Portrait: Yep, this is me!

Making a Statement: I don't like you!

A Memory: AE

Weather: Raindrops on a lake.

Broken: It used to be usable...

Green: Stay away from this green stuff!

Music

A Favorite Thing: my comforter with mountains, beach, and clouds!

A Tool: machete straight from the Dominican Republic.

Vanishing Point: Our driveway.

Funny: Just look at those faces! We were trying to figure out what John was trying to sell the other boys that got such a response.

Divorce and Remarriage - What Does God Say About it?

“I, (Bride/Groom), take you (Groom/Bride), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.” Marriage is a covenant, a vow made before God; it is not to be made lightly or meant to be broken. God would rather people not make vows than make them and break them.

“Until death do us part,” is a commitment between a man and a woman to remain true and faithful throughout life, not “until divorce do us part.” No topic is probably quite as controversial today among Christians as that of divorce and remarriage. However, scripture is quite clear on this subject, outlining specific guidelines.

God designed marriage to be between one man and one woman for life. Genesis 2:24 says, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” In Mark 10:9 Jesus said, “What therefore God hath put together, let not man put asunder.” In many cases where divorce occurs, God’s will was not sought before the marriage, or before the divorce. God’s will should be sought every step along the way.

Besides being against God’s will, who designed lifetime commitment and oneness, divorce has bad affects. If two pieces of cardboard are glued together and then allowed to dry, you cannot pull them apart without damaging either piece. Divorce is the same way; a divorce cannot occur without both people getting hurt, and if children are involved they will be hurt as well.

God is also clear about remarriage. Jesus said, “Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she commiteth adultery.” (Mark 10:11-12) Just because other people do it does not make it right. In the Mosaic Law, a command was given permitting divorce. However, Jesus explains this in the New Testament: “Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.” Jesus continued, “And I say unto you, Whosoever [no exceptions] shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication [harlotry, adultery, or incest], and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.”

Personally, I believe that divorce and remarriage are not scriptural, even if the person who wants to remarry was not the one at fault. While I have seen families who had a divorce and then remarried blessed, I do not believe that divorce and remarriage are God’s best. God’s will, not our changeable emotions should be the basis of all our decisions. If the other person is the problem, God can handle that; He is an expert at changing people.

Every Christian who is considering divorce or remarriage should consider the following questions: What kind of example is set when I divorce or remarry? Can the world see a difference in my life if I do this? Is God glorified through it?

"All of God's people are ordinary people who have been made extraordinary by the purpose He has given them." -Oswald Chambers

Time

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted..." Ecclesiastes 3:1-2.

An appointed time (season) is set for everything. Time is very important in God's economy, and every time is as important as another. It is just as important to plant, as to pluck up that which is planted. Both have a purpose in God's plan, though one seems joyous, and the other painful.
The time for what seems "bad" in my life is just as important as the time for what seems "good."

"He hath made everything beautiful in His time..." Ecclesiastes 3:11.
Everything is made beautiful in God's time. (Note: In God's time, not in my time).

God wants me to use my time wisely, not wasting it. It is very easy to waste time on things that are not important, and that do not glorify God. God wants my goal in the way I use my time to be His glory.

Spring!

I love spring! It is my favorite time of the year. I love the new life that abounds after a dreary winter. I love the warm sunshine and gentle breezes. I love being able to leave my window open and have the fresh air blow in. Most of all, I love that God has created it all for His pleasure and our enjoyment. We have a wonderful God!








Our Welsh Pony colt, Patriot.








Beautiful blue sky and green leaves over our pasture.














Wild Cherry Tree

Should Women Work?

It is not a question of to work or not to work; it is a question of how to work and where to work. Romans 12:11 says that we should be “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 says, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” Throughout Scripture, God has given us examples of diligent women, women who worked: Ruth, the woman in Proverbs 31, the Shunammite woman, and Dorcas.

Depending on whether or not a woman is married makes a big difference in how and where she works. As a single woman, I should be able to support myself and care for my own needs. I should not be a drain on my parents, taking and never giving. One day, I will no longer have my parents to care for me; at that point, if I cannot support myself, I will be in a dilemma. While I ought to work as a single woman, some environments are not safe for me to work in.

If I ever marry, where and how I work would change. I would now have a duty to care for my husband and children (1 Corinthians 7:34). A married woman’s first responsibility is in her home; any other job should be secondary. Men are to be the providers in the family, and women are to be keepers at home (Titus 2:5). God created them for that purpose. As long as my priorities are right, I am fulfilling my God-given responsibilities at home, and I am submissive to my husband, nothing would be wrong with a part-time job.

However I choose to labor in work or ministry, God should be glorified. God wants my service to flow from a right-heart attitude. Each individual person should follow God’s leading, in submission to authorities, for her life.

Impulsiveness or Discipleship?

I read this today, and I thought it was really good.

"We do not need the grace of God to withstand crises - human nature and pride are sufficient for us to face the stress and strain magnificently. But it does require the grace of God to live twenty-four hours of every day as a saint, going through the drudgery, and living an ordinary, unnoticed, and ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus. It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God - but we do not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and holy on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people - and this is not learned in five minutes."

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

Running the Race

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Hebrews 12:1-2

We have a race before us; we don't choose it, but it is set before us as Christians. We have never seen the course before. Who can tell what lies around the next bend? Only God knows what lies ahead. The path seems to fork ahead. Which way does the course follow? I cannot tell from here, but I trust that I will hear a word behind me when the time comes, saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it..."(Isaiah 30:21)
However, right now I have silence. I have not heard that voice yet, directing me on the path. But I know Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith, has written my story and sees the outcome. Even though He has not told me what lies ahead, I can trust that He is working, even in the silence.

Living in the Everyday

Everyday. Everyday things seem so mundane. They seem so normal. They often feel like drudgery. But God has been showing me that is where He has called me to live. He has not called me to live in the great things, or in the wonderful experiences. God has just given me a time on the "mountaintop" at Advanced Excel to see Him, like He gave Peter, John, and James on the Mount of Transfiguration. But I am not called to live in the wonderful experience I had. Oswald Chambers said in My Utmost for His Highest,

After every time of exaltation, we are brought down with a sudden rush into things as they really are, where it is neither beautiful, poetic, nor thrilling. The height of the mountaintop is measured by the dismal drudgery of the valley, but it is in the valley that we have to live for the glory of God. We see His glory on the mountain, but we never live for His glory there. It is in the place of humiliation that we find our true worth to God -- that is where our faithfulness is revealed. Most of us can do things if we are at some heroic level of intensity, simply because of the natural selfishness of our own hearts. But God wants us to be at the drab everyday level, where we live in the valley according to our personal relationship with Him.

I have found this to be very true, and I have been challenged by these words of Oswald Chambers to make the most of the everyday things God has called me to. If the things I have learned and experienced on my mountaintops are not made a part of my everyday life they have not done me any good. Living in the everyday is a lot harder than being on the mountaintop, but it is the place where I am called to live. The person I truly am is revealed in the way I live my everyday.

Lisa

What's in a Necklace

A couple of weeks ago, I sat outside in the the courtyard of the Dallas Ministry Center on a date with God. As I sat in the sunlight, colored light was streaming onto the white pages of my journal. Looking for the source of the light, I discovered that it was coming from the cut bead necklace around my neck. The necklace, sparkling in the sunshine, was reflecting the light of the sun.
When the sunlight passed through the necklace, it changed. It was no longer ordinary sunlight. It became radiant beams of red, yellow, orange, green, blue, and purple.
While the sunlight was always there, the light became more noticeable when the necklace lay in its path. As it traveled through the beads, the light became the focal point. Its beauty increased, as well as that of the necklace. The necklace needed the light to be beautiful, and the sunlight needed the necklace to reveal its hidden qualities.
As I looked at the light, I realized that I am just like my necklace. When God's light shines through me, He becomes more noticeable to those around me, like the sunlight was to me. While God is always there, others see Him more clearly when I am walking with Him.
Each "beam" of light that reflects from my walk with God goes a separate direction, affecting different people. Each "beam" is a little different, portraying a distinct "color" or quality of Christ. When people see Christ's light reflected from my life, they will not say, "Wow! Look at that necklace." They will say, "Wow! Look at that light!"

Lisa Dzimianski