Jesus said: "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19 Ask Father today to give you the faith to take up your cross and follow Him. "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" Matthew 16:25-26a
Is He calling you deeper into Himself?
Follow me and I will make you,
Make you speak my words with power,
Make you vessels of My mercy,
Make you helpful every hour.
Follow Me and I will make you.....
Make you what you cannot be -
Make you loving, trustful, godly,
Make you even just like Me.
I used to delight in the way my daughter followed me around the house. I called her my little shadow. She desired nothing more than to stick close to me - watching me, asking questions and just being wherever I was. It's such a picture of how we are to follow Jesus - watching Him, questioning Him and sharing our thoughts, seeking His opinion and just being close to him.
Father, may each of us draw close and follow You. Increase our faith and fill us with the simple trust of a child to follow. You....to want only to walk in Your shadow.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
Multitaskaholic - an Aside
True confessions. Okay, I admit it. I am a multitasking maniac.
I work a Soduku while I'm brushing my teeth.
Talking on the phone and driving is automatic. In fact there are a great multitude of possibilities when driving. All long distance driving includes books on tape for me. Who has time to read?
Actually, I read myself to sleep every night! While listening to sleep music of course. Did I mention I have several books going at once. I never used to! I've was a one-at-a-time book reader forever. There's just so much to read!
I listen to talk radio while I'm getting dressed every morning.
And I don't know what I'd do without my Blackberry - it enables me to read and respond to email, review contracts and juggle my calendar all while enjoying a relaxing ballgame with my husband.
In fact, today's world of automation from electric toothbrushes to PDAs (personal data assistants for those of you who are blessedly unaware) screams multitask! And I gleefully hollar back YESSIREE! After all how can we expect to have our cake and eat it too unless we are juggling two or more balls at a time?
The truth is - doing just one-thing-at-a-time has come to feel like a colossal waste of time to me. How can slowing down ever become an option when I can't get it all done now despite my high level multitasking skills?
I work a Soduku while I'm brushing my teeth.
Talking on the phone and driving is automatic. In fact there are a great multitude of possibilities when driving. All long distance driving includes books on tape for me. Who has time to read?
Actually, I read myself to sleep every night! While listening to sleep music of course. Did I mention I have several books going at once. I never used to! I've was a one-at-a-time book reader forever. There's just so much to read!
I listen to talk radio while I'm getting dressed every morning.
And I don't know what I'd do without my Blackberry - it enables me to read and respond to email, review contracts and juggle my calendar all while enjoying a relaxing ballgame with my husband.
In fact, today's world of automation from electric toothbrushes to PDAs (personal data assistants for those of you who are blessedly unaware) screams multitask! And I gleefully hollar back YESSIREE! After all how can we expect to have our cake and eat it too unless we are juggling two or more balls at a time?
The truth is - doing just one-thing-at-a-time has come to feel like a colossal waste of time to me. How can slowing down ever become an option when I can't get it all done now despite my high level multitasking skills?
Rest
Jesus said: "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." Mark 2:27.
It's so easy in this fast pace, multi-tasking world to get caught up in the busy-ness of life. In an age of two-income families, it's nearly impossible to set aside an entire day of rest. And yet God commanded it and He did so for our own benefit! On our day off - we find ourselves doing housecleaning, yard work, running the kids around, catching up on email or any of a myriad of activities. When is the last time you took a whole day and did nothing?
The Pharisees went too far so that cooking(though even the cook deserves a break) or even picking an apple off a tree was considered work. But we have taken it too far the other way. We are consumed with guilt when we do find that rare time with nothing scheduled. God Himself ordained it! One day of guilt-free rest! Take a nap, take a walk, read a book, go on a pic-nic. One day of rest to do......absolutely......nothing!
God made the Sabbath - a day of rest - just for you, His beloved. One day to stop and smell the roses!
It's so easy in this fast pace, multi-tasking world to get caught up in the busy-ness of life. In an age of two-income families, it's nearly impossible to set aside an entire day of rest. And yet God commanded it and He did so for our own benefit! On our day off - we find ourselves doing housecleaning, yard work, running the kids around, catching up on email or any of a myriad of activities. When is the last time you took a whole day and did nothing?
The Pharisees went too far so that cooking(though even the cook deserves a break) or even picking an apple off a tree was considered work. But we have taken it too far the other way. We are consumed with guilt when we do find that rare time with nothing scheduled. God Himself ordained it! One day of guilt-free rest! Take a nap, take a walk, read a book, go on a pic-nic. One day of rest to do......absolutely......nothing!
God made the Sabbath - a day of rest - just for you, His beloved. One day to stop and smell the roses!
Worry
Don't Worry
As problems piled up like mountains around us this week, my husband and I talked, planned and projected how to deal with one in particular. It's interesting because this one problem was only a potential problem. Indeed, it was very likely that nothing would come of our concerns. Yet we devoted hours to strategizing over this "what if".
There were numerous other things that required our attention but we'd become so consumed with this one - fretting, planning and rethinking our plan. In effect, not only did we waste our time, we were completely robbed of our peace. I found this verse calling to me: Jesus said "Do not borrow trouble from tomorrow for tomorrow will take care of itself. Today has enough trouble of it's own." Matthew 6:34
Do you ever find yourself worrying over things that have not yet happened? I'm not speaking of things that may require advance preparation but something that is not yet an issue. Anyone who has stayed up waiting for their teenager to come home and played out all their deepest fears will know what I mean. Or perhaps you've waited for test results and worried what they might bring. Whatever the outcome, what good did your worrying add? Not one iota.
Worry is a stumbling block to peace. When we learn to trust all our tomorrows to Him, the result is a deep secure peace. He alone knows what our future will bring and He will be there with us whatever comes. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways ackowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."
God Bless You this week!
As problems piled up like mountains around us this week, my husband and I talked, planned and projected how to deal with one in particular. It's interesting because this one problem was only a potential problem. Indeed, it was very likely that nothing would come of our concerns. Yet we devoted hours to strategizing over this "what if".
There were numerous other things that required our attention but we'd become so consumed with this one - fretting, planning and rethinking our plan. In effect, not only did we waste our time, we were completely robbed of our peace. I found this verse calling to me: Jesus said "Do not borrow trouble from tomorrow for tomorrow will take care of itself. Today has enough trouble of it's own." Matthew 6:34
Do you ever find yourself worrying over things that have not yet happened? I'm not speaking of things that may require advance preparation but something that is not yet an issue. Anyone who has stayed up waiting for their teenager to come home and played out all their deepest fears will know what I mean. Or perhaps you've waited for test results and worried what they might bring. Whatever the outcome, what good did your worrying add? Not one iota.
Worry is a stumbling block to peace. When we learn to trust all our tomorrows to Him, the result is a deep secure peace. He alone knows what our future will bring and He will be there with us whatever comes. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways ackowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."
God Bless You this week!
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