Tonight, I got a flat tire on my car and I am now staying the night in Bloomington. This whole situation has been a reminder to me that even with the little things you have trust God. After I stopped at six gas stations that charged .75 cents for air, I was not very happy because I did not have .75 cents to fill up my tire with air. Soon after while I was still drivning on my tire that was going flat, I prayed God, " I am sorry for my attitude, please help me find some nice guy who can help me fix my tire". I prayed this all the way to the next gas station, and sure enough at the next gas station I was sitting in my car waiting for the guy in the SUV next to me to finish putting air in his tire at the FREE air pump! Having free air for my tire was a blessing!
Then there was a knock at my side window, I rolled down the window and saw what I thought was a homeless man warning me that my tire was flat. I got out of my car and started asking him about my tire and then he asked the other man (with the SUV) to come and check out my tire. The man with the SUV stayed helped me for an hour trying to fix my tire and replace it with a donout. Those two men at the gas station were a huge blessing!
Somtimes, I think that we can forget to give even the little things in life over to God and trust that He will provide. God does come through even if it is not in the way that we expect. God can use the most unlikely people to accomplish His task. Take for example the "homeless" man that helped me tonight. If it wasn't for him I probably would not have talked to the guy in the SUV.
"The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him," (Nahum 1:7).
January 17, 2010
January 16, 2010
Awkward Moments...
Everyone has awkward moments, you know those moments when you are just not quite sure what is going on. You know those moments when you are completely caught off guard and you don't know what to say. I have learned over the years that when you follow God and when you are trying to do the right thing there will be awkward moments. Lately, I have been thinking about about these passages from Philippians, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should not look only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others" (2:3-4).
When I look at that passage two words come to my mind: consideration and love. When you love someone you are considerate towards them. When doing something you are considerate of your love one's feelings, time, interest, and well being. But what if someone doesn't know that you love them? What if you love them just because God made them? What if you love just because God told you to? Well, let me just say things can get pretty awkward. Think about it. You see that someone is not talking to anyone at church or see that someone is having a bad day and you go over to try to start a conversation. The beginning of a conversation with someone new can be pretty awkward. I am beginning to think that awkward moments are not bad, but rather should be embraced. Just think about it.
When I look at that passage two words come to my mind: consideration and love. When you love someone you are considerate towards them. When doing something you are considerate of your love one's feelings, time, interest, and well being. But what if someone doesn't know that you love them? What if you love them just because God made them? What if you love just because God told you to? Well, let me just say things can get pretty awkward. Think about it. You see that someone is not talking to anyone at church or see that someone is having a bad day and you go over to try to start a conversation. The beginning of a conversation with someone new can be pretty awkward. I am beginning to think that awkward moments are not bad, but rather should be embraced. Just think about it.
January 14, 2010
Haiti
For today, I thought I would share some of the ways that you can help out with the relief efforts that are taking place in Haiti. Please pray for the relief efforts in Haiti and for the country, thank you.
I became aware today that International Disaster Emergency Services is packing food to send to Haiti (http://www.ides.org/haitifood..html). They have space available for a group on Monday, January 18. Anyone 8yrs and older is welcome to help. Under 8yrs must have an adult with them. According to Mapquest, it takes about 3.5 hours to drive to Kempton, IN and IDES indicates it takes about 2 hours to pack a food container. I will be going with some students from Lincoln and I wanted to make sure that others knew about this awesome opportunity to serve.
In addition, if you would like to make donations to the Haitian Christian Outreach to help in the relief click this link haitianchristian.org .
Finally this is a portion of an e-mail I received from a professor that I would like share with you and please pray for this family, "I know that you all continue to pray for the unfolding tragedy in Haiti. Would your pray specifically for two dear co-workers of mine, Wilby and Romano Romain. They both live and minister with G.O. Ministries in Santiago, DR and are safe, but they have received no word from their families in the Port-au-Prince area. They are planning to leave either today or tomorrow to search for their families. Would you pray for their safety and that they may find their families safe?"
I became aware today that International Disaster Emergency Services is packing food to send to Haiti (http://www.ides.org/haitifood..html). They have space available for a group on Monday, January 18. Anyone 8yrs and older is welcome to help. Under 8yrs must have an adult with them. According to Mapquest, it takes about 3.5 hours to drive to Kempton, IN and IDES indicates it takes about 2 hours to pack a food container. I will be going with some students from Lincoln and I wanted to make sure that others knew about this awesome opportunity to serve.
In addition, if you would like to make donations to the Haitian Christian Outreach to help in the relief click this link haitianchristian.org .
Finally this is a portion of an e-mail I received from a professor that I would like share with you and please pray for this family, "I know that you all continue to pray for the unfolding tragedy in Haiti. Would your pray specifically for two dear co-workers of mine, Wilby and Romano Romain. They both live and minister with G.O. Ministries in Santiago, DR and are safe, but they have received no word from their families in the Port-au-Prince area. They are planning to leave either today or tomorrow to search for their families. Would you pray for their safety and that they may find their families safe?"
January 13, 2010
Everything is Urgent...
On Tuesday, there was a 7.0 earthquake in Haiti. To learn more about what happened and the magnitude of this earthquake read this link http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122545946
I don't want to be too repetitive in my writings but I feel like I need to address this topic of urgency. When reading that article I was broken. Have you ever been so broken or so sad that you just have to sit in silence for a while? Well that is what I had to do after reading that article.
"Everything is urgent," that is what the author wrote at the bottom of the article. Saving the people from the rubble, getting medicine to those who are injured, providing food and shelter for the homeless, and the list goes on. "Everything is urgent". Do you really believe that? If so, what are you doing right now to make a difference? Of course caring for the people in Haiti is urgent but do you feel that it should concern you? Of course it should! We are called to love others and love the Lord, our God with all our being.
Loving people and God does not mean that only at Christmas or during a tragedy I am going to give a little extra money or give an hour out of my week to help people in need. No, that is not the point. True love means that we put ourselves aside and put others first. If we really believe that everything is urgent then in our lives there should an urgency to help others and follow God to where ever He leads. However, this sense of urgency out love needs to be show through our actions. Take for example the blog from the other day with the two sons, one son did what he was suppose to do after some hesitation but the other son, said, "I will go" and then never did. Just think about that and I will end this blog on this note for meditation, "In the same way, faith by itself, if it s not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:17). Faith with out works, is no faith at all.
I don't want to be too repetitive in my writings but I feel like I need to address this topic of urgency. When reading that article I was broken. Have you ever been so broken or so sad that you just have to sit in silence for a while? Well that is what I had to do after reading that article.
"Everything is urgent," that is what the author wrote at the bottom of the article. Saving the people from the rubble, getting medicine to those who are injured, providing food and shelter for the homeless, and the list goes on. "Everything is urgent". Do you really believe that? If so, what are you doing right now to make a difference? Of course caring for the people in Haiti is urgent but do you feel that it should concern you? Of course it should! We are called to love others and love the Lord, our God with all our being.
Loving people and God does not mean that only at Christmas or during a tragedy I am going to give a little extra money or give an hour out of my week to help people in need. No, that is not the point. True love means that we put ourselves aside and put others first. If we really believe that everything is urgent then in our lives there should an urgency to help others and follow God to where ever He leads. However, this sense of urgency out love needs to be show through our actions. Take for example the blog from the other day with the two sons, one son did what he was suppose to do after some hesitation but the other son, said, "I will go" and then never did. Just think about that and I will end this blog on this note for meditation, "In the same way, faith by itself, if it s not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:17). Faith with out works, is no faith at all.
January 11, 2010
The Two Sons
Today, I was reading the parable of the two sons in Matthew 21:28-32. In this story, there is a man who has two sons. He ask the first son, "Go and work today in the vineyard." The son replied, "I will not," and then later on changed his mind and went. The same man asked his second son, "Go and work today in the vineyard." The second son replied, "I will," but then he did not go. As we know from Scripture, the first one did want his father wanted, but I want to know what took him so long?
Was the son just lazy? Was he afraid to go work in the vineyard? What kept him from doing what his father asked of him? What did he have to sacrifice to go work in the vineyard? I will be the first to admit I don't always do what I'm told, but I have this inner voice that usually kicks me inside and says, "Go, just do it". Do you ever have that inner voice that you feel is telling you to do something when don't really want to do it? Well, most of the time if you are really listening that voice is right and you are wrong, so what keep us from doing what we know we are suppose to do? Pride. Fear. Rejection. Confrontation. You name it.
Through my experience, I have found that when I do what I am suppose to do and what I feel God wants me to do, I am happier and I have peace. I am deeply sadden inside when I see people who have these great God given gifts and talents, but are too afraid to go out and use them or refuse to acknowledge God. Being in a relationship with God and saying, " I will go out into the vineyard" is a lot easier said then done. This commitment to God and to what is right is not so that we can have someone control our every step, but it is instead to give us life to the fullest. Life that can be and should be lived out loud. So what is holding you back in life? What is holding you back from doing the things you feel and know that you should be doing?
January 10, 2010
Blessings...
I was talking to a couple of people today about blessings. We talked about the blessings that God has given us and how with what God blesses us we can bless others. Even in hard financial times, we can still bless others. Everything has a season, we all have our ups and downs, but if we, as Christians, are able to help those around us we should. There would be no reason for anyone to be in need if, as community, we acted like the people in Acts and shared everything we had to offer (Acts 4:32).
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew7:7). Although at the same time, we have to be willing to ask for help. No one is perfect and we all struggle in life, but how many of us are willing to share our struggles with others and ask for help? I use to have a hard time asking others for help but you know what? Once I opened up to others and shared my feelings and my need, people responded! You would be amazed to see how many people are willing to help if you just ask. Be humble. Be honest. And see how God works through others.
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew7:7). Although at the same time, we have to be willing to ask for help. No one is perfect and we all struggle in life, but how many of us are willing to share our struggles with others and ask for help? I use to have a hard time asking others for help but you know what? Once I opened up to others and shared my feelings and my need, people responded! You would be amazed to see how many people are willing to help if you just ask. Be humble. Be honest. And see how God works through others.
January 09, 2010
24 Hours
Will it matter 24 hours from now? I want you to think about that question for a moment. I remember the first time I was asked that question, I was on a weekend field trip to Chicago. I was sitting in a Sunday School room and the teacher passed around index cards and a marker and asked us to write, "Will it matter 24 hours from now?" on the cards.
Well, that was 2 years ago and I still have that card and think about that question all time. Will it matter 24 hours from now? Is what I'm doing right now going to matter tomorrow? Is this situation worth getting upset about? Is what I am doing right now glorifying God? Those are the questions that I think about when I am doing something.
You know there are some days when I go to bed at night and think, "Where did the time go? Did anything I do today matter?" It is easy to let time get away from us by letting Satan distract us from fully living our lives for God. There is a saying that goes, if Satan can't make you bad, then he will make you busy. Don't get so busy today that you miss out on the important things in life. Think to yourself, will it matter 24 hours from now? If the answer is no then I believe that there is something better you can be doing with the time the Lord has given to you.
This doesn't mean spending every minute of every day reading the Bible, although reading God's Word for a while wouldn't hurt. It just means making the time we have here on earth count for something more, make what your doing bring glory to God. One way that I love to glorify God is through loving and caring for my family and friends. I also love working with children and helping them come to know the Lord. I love travelling to different parts of the world and sharing God's Word with others. It is in those moments that I know I am right where God wants me to be, and it is those moments that will matter in eternity. So ask yourself today, "will it matter 24 hours from now?"
Well, that was 2 years ago and I still have that card and think about that question all time. Will it matter 24 hours from now? Is what I'm doing right now going to matter tomorrow? Is this situation worth getting upset about? Is what I am doing right now glorifying God? Those are the questions that I think about when I am doing something.
You know there are some days when I go to bed at night and think, "Where did the time go? Did anything I do today matter?" It is easy to let time get away from us by letting Satan distract us from fully living our lives for God. There is a saying that goes, if Satan can't make you bad, then he will make you busy. Don't get so busy today that you miss out on the important things in life. Think to yourself, will it matter 24 hours from now? If the answer is no then I believe that there is something better you can be doing with the time the Lord has given to you.
This doesn't mean spending every minute of every day reading the Bible, although reading God's Word for a while wouldn't hurt. It just means making the time we have here on earth count for something more, make what your doing bring glory to God. One way that I love to glorify God is through loving and caring for my family and friends. I also love working with children and helping them come to know the Lord. I love travelling to different parts of the world and sharing God's Word with others. It is in those moments that I know I am right where God wants me to be, and it is those moments that will matter in eternity. So ask yourself today, "will it matter 24 hours from now?"
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