The local Christian radio station started a new campaign for 2012. Last year they took a different verse each week and encouraged listeners to memorize it. This year, they are encouraging listeners to spend daily time in the Word. Something most Christians know they should do, but maybe don't always find the time or motivation to be consistent.
After a great message from my friend and pastor, Ryan Ashley, about looking to the Bible not as a tool to use in study, but as a means for learning about who God is and truly getting to know Him through what He has written, I began to realize I needed to grow in that this year. And then I heard the radio's promotion of daily time in the Word and realized God times those events in my life to get my attention.
Yesterday I heard a conversation on the radio about how we should view our time in the Word as our daily meal. We would never think of eating lunch on Sunday and then fasting the rest of the week. We wouldn't make it through the week! We'd be hungry, cranky, tired, etc. We have to feed our bodies on reglular basis in order to maintain our health.
But that is what so many Christians do. They eat the meal of a Sunday service and then fast the rest of the week. And then wonder why we don't grow or find freedom or overcome obstacles in our life. We are not giving our spiritual lives what they need to maintian health or beat sickness. We get caught in the rut of starting off strong on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. But by the middle of the week we are tired, cranky, depressed, and falling back into old habits once again.
So that is my challenge. In a few weeks I start co-leading an online Bible Study through my church. I look forward to this because I will be held accountable to daily read the assigned verses and log-in to post questions about the verses we read. Daily in the word - and I'm the leader - so I better not drop the ball! I pray that by the end of the study, it will be a habit for me that will carry me through long after.
Showing posts with label God's Goodness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's Goodness. Show all posts
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Monday, November 21, 2011
God's Goodness and Generosity Amazes Me
There are times when I feel awash with God's goodness. He is always good. He is always faithful. Even when I don't stop and see it. His character never changes. And then there are nights like last night that just blow you away when you realize just how faithful and good He really is.
The church I have been attending here in Kearney since moving here in July hosts an annual celebration dinner each Thanksgiving. They serve a traditional Thanksgiving meal, hold a worship service, and have a baptism celebration. Last night went above and beyond anything I could have dreamed God would do.
Over 800 people ate dinner and then found their way into the auditorium for the worship and baptism service. What a precious time that was. About 35 people came forward and shared their story of how God had changed their life. An entire family (father, mother, and child) were all baptized together. On more than one occasion a father was able to baptize his own child. Tears regularly fell from my eyes as I heard story after story of life change, and witnessed life after life boldly proclaim their faith and identify with Christ! What a beautiful scene.
But the thing that really amazed me came at the end of the night. For months our church has been praying about providing a well for the people of Koat, Sudan. This village has 4500 people who right now walk a half mile to the Nile River to get their drinking water. The Nile River is not clean and many people continue to get sick from no clean drinking water. Through a course of events, we learned about this village through a man who spent time with our church family over the past year. He is now home in the Sudan with his wife and daughter.
With Aid Sudan it costs $17,500 to drill a well for clean drinking water. The village of Koat needs two wells. We were praying we could provide them with enough money for one well. The campaign will last for four weeks. Just last night alone, the church gave $39,000 for the wells! PRAISE BE TO GOD! Amazing. Enough for both wells, and to send someone over to Koat and document the process for those of us back here in the States. What an amazing night.
As we were driving home, my husband called to tell his kids the good news about the money raised. He said "God really came through!" It was then that it hit me, GOD ALWAYS COMES THROUGH! This should be no surprise to us. It was His will and desire to bless Koat through our church. God is always faithful. I'm proud to be in a church where His people were also faithful and obedient and joined God in the work He is doing in Koat.
The church I have been attending here in Kearney since moving here in July hosts an annual celebration dinner each Thanksgiving. They serve a traditional Thanksgiving meal, hold a worship service, and have a baptism celebration. Last night went above and beyond anything I could have dreamed God would do.
Over 800 people ate dinner and then found their way into the auditorium for the worship and baptism service. What a precious time that was. About 35 people came forward and shared their story of how God had changed their life. An entire family (father, mother, and child) were all baptized together. On more than one occasion a father was able to baptize his own child. Tears regularly fell from my eyes as I heard story after story of life change, and witnessed life after life boldly proclaim their faith and identify with Christ! What a beautiful scene.
But the thing that really amazed me came at the end of the night. For months our church has been praying about providing a well for the people of Koat, Sudan. This village has 4500 people who right now walk a half mile to the Nile River to get their drinking water. The Nile River is not clean and many people continue to get sick from no clean drinking water. Through a course of events, we learned about this village through a man who spent time with our church family over the past year. He is now home in the Sudan with his wife and daughter.
With Aid Sudan it costs $17,500 to drill a well for clean drinking water. The village of Koat needs two wells. We were praying we could provide them with enough money for one well. The campaign will last for four weeks. Just last night alone, the church gave $39,000 for the wells! PRAISE BE TO GOD! Amazing. Enough for both wells, and to send someone over to Koat and document the process for those of us back here in the States. What an amazing night.
As we were driving home, my husband called to tell his kids the good news about the money raised. He said "God really came through!" It was then that it hit me, GOD ALWAYS COMES THROUGH! This should be no surprise to us. It was His will and desire to bless Koat through our church. God is always faithful. I'm proud to be in a church where His people were also faithful and obedient and joined God in the work He is doing in Koat.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Thankful for a year full of adventures
My husband is one of the most spontaneous and adventurous people I know. He is always up for trying something new and going somewhere new. We have a new goal to reach with the kids. We want to hit all the high points of each of the 50 states. This summer we hit four. Three are listed below. Very pumped about working on getting this goal reached. Each time is a new great adventure!
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| Iowa High Point |
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| Nebraska High Point |
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| Kansas High Point |
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
More than enough
At work I have the privilege of answering phones when our receptionist is not available. Many of the phone calls are transfers back to someone else in the office. More and more lately the phone calls are of a nature that truly humbles me. There are so many hurting and struggling people in our community.
Our church hosts a food pantry. It is just about a daily occurrence that someone will walk through our front doors needing food for their children. And many more phone calls come from someone needing help paying their bill so the electricity isn't turned off or they can get gas in their car to go to work. I am thankful that I'm not the one who has to determine how we help each individual that comes through our doors. But I am also thankful that our church does everything within it's power to aid those in need, while still being concerned with where they are at spiritually, and working with them to help long-term. Our goal is not to enable them, but to show them the love of Christ and walk along side them through whatever struggles in which they find themselves. However they ended up there, our place is not to judge, but to show them the love of Christ.
It is also humbling to me that despite our tightened budget, we are blessed beyond measure. Our bills are paid. There is food in the pantry (when I make time to grocery shop, that is). We enjoy the support and company of each other and our family and friends. Our home is a place of refuge. And every day we are blessed to be paid to work in full-time ministry.
I praise God for His faithfulness and His provision. He has NEVER failed us and He will ALWAYS take care of us. For that fact alone, I am beyond blessed and thankful.
Our church hosts a food pantry. It is just about a daily occurrence that someone will walk through our front doors needing food for their children. And many more phone calls come from someone needing help paying their bill so the electricity isn't turned off or they can get gas in their car to go to work. I am thankful that I'm not the one who has to determine how we help each individual that comes through our doors. But I am also thankful that our church does everything within it's power to aid those in need, while still being concerned with where they are at spiritually, and working with them to help long-term. Our goal is not to enable them, but to show them the love of Christ and walk along side them through whatever struggles in which they find themselves. However they ended up there, our place is not to judge, but to show them the love of Christ.
It is also humbling to me that despite our tightened budget, we are blessed beyond measure. Our bills are paid. There is food in the pantry (when I make time to grocery shop, that is). We enjoy the support and company of each other and our family and friends. Our home is a place of refuge. And every day we are blessed to be paid to work in full-time ministry.
I praise God for His faithfulness and His provision. He has NEVER failed us and He will ALWAYS take care of us. For that fact alone, I am beyond blessed and thankful.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
A Month to be Thankful
I think November is one of my favorite months. There is a bit of a chill in the air, and tonight we will get our first snow fall of the season. But more than all of that, I think Thanksgiving is an under-rated holiday. Just this morning I was in Wal-Mart returning something before work. I heard Christmas music over the loud speakers. We went from Halloween to Christmas overnight. You may find some "fall" decor still stuck between the clearance costumes and the newly opened boxes of Christmas mugs and place mats.
I've been thinking about, and studying more, on the idea of being thankful. The Bible calls us to pray with thanksgiving. I have even read lately that it is impossible to focus on worry and be thankful at the same time. It is physiologically impossible for our brain to do that. So I have been making a concerted effort to be thankful in all things and with thanksgiving, present my requests to God.
This month, I want to share things for which I am thankful. Through word, and picture, to remind myself of all that I have been given and all the ways the Lord has taken care of me this past year.
Let me start off with two pictures showing great fun we had one weekend at a hotel. I love that Madi and Abe are adventurous, and I am thankful for opportunities to allow them to enjoy being a kid.
I've been thinking about, and studying more, on the idea of being thankful. The Bible calls us to pray with thanksgiving. I have even read lately that it is impossible to focus on worry and be thankful at the same time. It is physiologically impossible for our brain to do that. So I have been making a concerted effort to be thankful in all things and with thanksgiving, present my requests to God.
This month, I want to share things for which I am thankful. Through word, and picture, to remind myself of all that I have been given and all the ways the Lord has taken care of me this past year.
Let me start off with two pictures showing great fun we had one weekend at a hotel. I love that Madi and Abe are adventurous, and I am thankful for opportunities to allow them to enjoy being a kid.
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| Madi & Abe leaping from bed to bed during a weekend adventure! |
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| Tired and happy after a massive pillow fight! |
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