A Story About Mother’s Day
When my husband told me that he was taking care of Mother’s Day dinner, I felt like I was in heaven! I think most women enjoy a day off from cooking and this was going to be my lucky day! In my mind I was planning all of the ways I would be relaxing while my husband slaved away in the kitchen. It was going to be great!
We traveled to Barry’s brother’s house on Saturday and I was already salivating in anticipation of the food that would be prepared the next day. I was picturing the dinner table in my mind. However, when I closed my eyes, all I could see was grilled chicken and potato chips. I imagined a beautiful table set with placemats, nice dishes, chicken and chips.
Why did this picture keep coming to mind? Maybe it’s because reality had sunk in. It’s a known fact that my husband doesn’t like to cook. He is great at grilling, but he doesn’t cook. The only things I’ve seen him make are frozen pizza’s and grilled cheese.
I started to panic. Maybe I wasn’t going to have my lavish Mother’s Day dinner after all.
My fears were confirmed on Saturday night as my husband and brother-in-law prepared the grocery list. My sister-in-law and I were telling them we’d like to have grilled chicken and baked potatoes. We suggested they should buy a five-pound bag of white potatoes. “Do you know where to find them?” she asked. “Yeah, we’ll just buy baked potatoes,” answered my husband (who only bakes frozen pizzas).
This is where the panic really set in.
After a trip to two grocery stores and the Dairy Queen (to get me a Blizzard), they returned home.
Before we turned in for bed, we asked my brother-in-law how he was going to prepare the baked potatoes. “We’re going to grill them,” he replied. My sister-in-law explained there wouldn’t be room on the grill with all the chicken. “Then we’ll put them in the microwave,” he said.
More panic.
Just then Barry walked in the room and we asked him if he knew how to cook a baked potato. He seemed very sure of himself as he answered, “You chop them up and cook them in a pot.” Hilarious laughter ensued as we asked them what part of baked potato they weren’t understanding! So far they were going to grill, microwave and boil our baked potatoes! When Barry asked if he should peel the potatoes before he boiled them, I was laughing so hard I almost lost it.
I’m not a fortune teller, but I could see a trip to McDonald’s in our future!
In the end we didn’t make a fast food run, and our meal was great. Barry cleaned the potatoes and my sister-in-law wrapped them in foil and baked them.
After dinner it was time for a dessert of angel food cake topped with strawberries and whipped cream. We snuck in the kitchen to find Barry frosting the angel food cake with the whipped cream. He had the whole cake almost covered by the time we got there. I guess it all gets mixed up in your stomach regardless of how it’s presented!
As I thought about the events of this weekend, the words of Ephesians 5:25 came to mind. It says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” My husband showed he loved me by making an effort to do something that’s out of his comfort zone. The man who only cooks pizza and grilled cheese did his best to make me a special Mother’s Day lunch.
We dined on grilled chicken, baked potatoes, dill pickle chips and Cool Whip-frosted angel food cake. My husband set the table with the good dishes (and some dusty water glasses he didn’t know he was supposed to rinse out). The point is that he tried very hard to make it a special day.
When I close my eyes I can still picture the beautifully-set table. I can still taste the lemon-pepper chicken. I can hear the unmistakable laughter of family. The memories of this Mother’s Day will last forever, thanks to my husband, the stud who dared to cook a spud!
If you want to know more, read Ephesians 5.
Questions: What have you done lately to bless someone else? Is there something the Holy Spirit is telling you to do that you know will stretch your faith? Pray that the Lord will give you strength and courage to follow His will.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
24-Hour Prayer Power
What a difference a day makes! I’ve heard this saying before, but this weekend I realized just how true it is. Although the saying should be, “what a difference a day of prayer makes!” From Saturday morning to Sunday morning God showed me just how much power there is in prayer.
The reason behind my fervent prayer was the fact that I was playing the drums on the worship team at church on Sunday. We’d had worship team practice on Thursday night and to say that it hadn’t gone well would be an understatement. I had messed up many times and couldn’t seem to get some of the song endings right. My negative thoughts convinced me I’d ruin worship and make a fool of myself in the process.
To top it off, my seasonal allergies kicked into high gear. I felt miserable! By Saturday the need for prayer was undeniably evident. During these types of situations, the only thing that calms me down is talking to God by writing in my prayer journal. As I settled down before the Lord, I wrote Him a desperate prayer.
4.24.10
Lord, my throat hurts, my head hurts, my eyes are watering and I can’t sleep. Please help my body to function! Lord, I want to glorify You on the drums tomorrow. I need You to take my meager ability and multiply it! I can only do this though Your strength. I am claiming Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”
Writing that prayer helped calm my fears and get me through the day. There was only a little time for practicing on Saturday, so I needed to trust God for musical ability that could only come from Him! Judging from Thursday’s practice, He’d have to pull off a miracle! I woke up early Sunday morning and decided that time would be best spent in prayer. I remembered the encouraging words of Psalm 33 and decided to read it again. Then I wrote another prayer in my journal.
4.25.10 (a.m.)
Psalm 33 says to “Sing joyfully to the Lord … Praise Him, Praise the Lord with the harp (I inserted the drums), make music to Him on the ten-stringed lyre (again, drums), sing to Him a new song, play skillfully and shout for joy.”
Lord, I don’t feel well today. I really need You! I want to honor You on the drums today. Please guide my hands and feet so that others may worship You. Please help me to play skillfully. I don’t want my mistakes to distract others. I will give You all the honor and glory.
The only way I was going to play skillfully was if God took over. There was absolutely no way anyone was going to “shout for joy” if I played like I did in practice. I was depending on God to take my drumsticks and use them for His glory.
He answered my prayer in a big way! On Sunday evening I took a few minutes to think about how God had made His presence known in my life that day and I made another prayer journal entry.
4.25.10 (p.m.)
Lord, thank you for being my hands and feet today. Worship time was awesome! I could feel Your presence. Thank you for answering my prayers. You showed Yourself through the music, communion and through Pastor’s message. You are an amazing and awesome God!
Sometimes I try to live my life in my own strength and I don’t rely on God. Then things start going wrong and I wonder why my life is a mess. This weekend’s 24-hour prayer power experience has helped me realize that God deserves to take charge of everything in my life. Why am I still holding on to things, thinking that I can do a better job handling my life than He can?
Playing the drums is one of my steps of faith. On my own I cannot make a joyful noise, but He has the power to make a joyful noise through me. I’d rather have my life planned out and scheduled so that there are no surprises or unknowns, but the Lord knows that I need experiences like playing the drums so I’ll depend on Him.
What drumsticks (areas of your life) to you need to hand over to God? Let Him take over those areas and use them to play skillfully.
If you want to know more, read Psalm 33.
The reason behind my fervent prayer was the fact that I was playing the drums on the worship team at church on Sunday. We’d had worship team practice on Thursday night and to say that it hadn’t gone well would be an understatement. I had messed up many times and couldn’t seem to get some of the song endings right. My negative thoughts convinced me I’d ruin worship and make a fool of myself in the process.
To top it off, my seasonal allergies kicked into high gear. I felt miserable! By Saturday the need for prayer was undeniably evident. During these types of situations, the only thing that calms me down is talking to God by writing in my prayer journal. As I settled down before the Lord, I wrote Him a desperate prayer.
4.24.10
Lord, my throat hurts, my head hurts, my eyes are watering and I can’t sleep. Please help my body to function! Lord, I want to glorify You on the drums tomorrow. I need You to take my meager ability and multiply it! I can only do this though Your strength. I am claiming Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”
Writing that prayer helped calm my fears and get me through the day. There was only a little time for practicing on Saturday, so I needed to trust God for musical ability that could only come from Him! Judging from Thursday’s practice, He’d have to pull off a miracle! I woke up early Sunday morning and decided that time would be best spent in prayer. I remembered the encouraging words of Psalm 33 and decided to read it again. Then I wrote another prayer in my journal.
4.25.10 (a.m.)
Psalm 33 says to “Sing joyfully to the Lord … Praise Him, Praise the Lord with the harp (I inserted the drums), make music to Him on the ten-stringed lyre (again, drums), sing to Him a new song, play skillfully and shout for joy.”
Lord, I don’t feel well today. I really need You! I want to honor You on the drums today. Please guide my hands and feet so that others may worship You. Please help me to play skillfully. I don’t want my mistakes to distract others. I will give You all the honor and glory.
The only way I was going to play skillfully was if God took over. There was absolutely no way anyone was going to “shout for joy” if I played like I did in practice. I was depending on God to take my drumsticks and use them for His glory.
He answered my prayer in a big way! On Sunday evening I took a few minutes to think about how God had made His presence known in my life that day and I made another prayer journal entry.
4.25.10 (p.m.)
Lord, thank you for being my hands and feet today. Worship time was awesome! I could feel Your presence. Thank you for answering my prayers. You showed Yourself through the music, communion and through Pastor’s message. You are an amazing and awesome God!
Sometimes I try to live my life in my own strength and I don’t rely on God. Then things start going wrong and I wonder why my life is a mess. This weekend’s 24-hour prayer power experience has helped me realize that God deserves to take charge of everything in my life. Why am I still holding on to things, thinking that I can do a better job handling my life than He can?
Playing the drums is one of my steps of faith. On my own I cannot make a joyful noise, but He has the power to make a joyful noise through me. I’d rather have my life planned out and scheduled so that there are no surprises or unknowns, but the Lord knows that I need experiences like playing the drums so I’ll depend on Him.
What drumsticks (areas of your life) to you need to hand over to God? Let Him take over those areas and use them to play skillfully.
If you want to know more, read Psalm 33.
Monday, April 12, 2010
What Do You Expect?
My husband once told me that I expect too much out of people. When he said this to me, it was one of those comments I didn’t want to hear because it was painfully true. I am definitely guilty of putting unrealistic expectations on my friends, my family and even my husband.
Some expectations are fine. I expect my kids to work hard in school, do their chores at home and show respect to others. However, I can’t expect them to be perfect. They are going to fight with each other. They are going to fail. They are going to do things that make me want to crawl into a hole. I cannot have unrealistic expectations for them and I need to love them even when they let me down.
When we were first married, I had lofty expectations of my husband. He needed to have a good job, treat me like a queen, be frugal with money and spend all of his free time with me. How hard could that be? I wanted him to give me the world on a silver platter, and when that didn’t happen (imagine that!), I was disappointed.
When I raised my expectations of him to such a high level, there was no way he could reach them. Not even with an extension ladder or a ten-foot pole. It caused a lot of tension in our marriage when he wanted to golf on Saturdays instead of spending time with me. What I didn’t realize was that since he excelled at golf, playing 18 holes was a way for him to do something he was good at and to blow off steam. Steam that may have come from the weight of my expectations!
In the end, I decided to take up golf myself so we could play together. Now our whole family can golf and it’s a fun way to spend time together. It still gets a little tense when golf season rolls around, but I’m working on being supportive – or at least tolerant of the time spent golfing. I’m trying to accept my husband and encourage him, even if it includes golf!
In the book “One Month to Live” by Kerry & Chris Shook, there’s a section about accepting others. They say, “One of our greatest problems in relationships is that we’re always trying to change the people we’re relating to. To accept others means that we stop trying to change them and we start trying to understand them.” They cite Romans 15:7 which says, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”
My daughter and I recently saw the movie, “Tooth Fairy” starring Dwayne Johnson (previously known as “The Rock”), who plays a washed-up professional hockey player. After one hockey game, Johnson meets a little boy who idolizes him. The little boy looks at his idol and says, “One day I’m going to play in the big leagues just like you!” However, instead of encouraging the kid, Johnson tells him how hard life is as a hockey player and that only a small percentage of kids who play hockey ever end up playing it professionally. He goes on and on with his tirade and then ends by saying, “Lower your expectations.” I’m pretty sure that’s not what the boy wanted to hear from his hero.
However, it may actually be a good concept for relationships. Maybe if we could lower our unrealistic expectations of others, we would enjoy our relationships more. There are some things like honesty, trust & loyalty that are essential to relationships, but there are other things that are not. If we’re looking to others to meet needs that only God can meet, then our expectations will always fall short.
Prayer: Lord, I want to look at others through Your eyes. I don’t want to judge others or put urealistic expectations on them. Just as You accept me as I am, please help me to accept others. I want to bring You praise by accepting others as a beautiful creation You made.
If you want to know more, read Matthew 7:1-5 and Romans 15:7-13.
Some expectations are fine. I expect my kids to work hard in school, do their chores at home and show respect to others. However, I can’t expect them to be perfect. They are going to fight with each other. They are going to fail. They are going to do things that make me want to crawl into a hole. I cannot have unrealistic expectations for them and I need to love them even when they let me down.
When we were first married, I had lofty expectations of my husband. He needed to have a good job, treat me like a queen, be frugal with money and spend all of his free time with me. How hard could that be? I wanted him to give me the world on a silver platter, and when that didn’t happen (imagine that!), I was disappointed.
When I raised my expectations of him to such a high level, there was no way he could reach them. Not even with an extension ladder or a ten-foot pole. It caused a lot of tension in our marriage when he wanted to golf on Saturdays instead of spending time with me. What I didn’t realize was that since he excelled at golf, playing 18 holes was a way for him to do something he was good at and to blow off steam. Steam that may have come from the weight of my expectations!
In the end, I decided to take up golf myself so we could play together. Now our whole family can golf and it’s a fun way to spend time together. It still gets a little tense when golf season rolls around, but I’m working on being supportive – or at least tolerant of the time spent golfing. I’m trying to accept my husband and encourage him, even if it includes golf!
In the book “One Month to Live” by Kerry & Chris Shook, there’s a section about accepting others. They say, “One of our greatest problems in relationships is that we’re always trying to change the people we’re relating to. To accept others means that we stop trying to change them and we start trying to understand them.” They cite Romans 15:7 which says, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”
My daughter and I recently saw the movie, “Tooth Fairy” starring Dwayne Johnson (previously known as “The Rock”), who plays a washed-up professional hockey player. After one hockey game, Johnson meets a little boy who idolizes him. The little boy looks at his idol and says, “One day I’m going to play in the big leagues just like you!” However, instead of encouraging the kid, Johnson tells him how hard life is as a hockey player and that only a small percentage of kids who play hockey ever end up playing it professionally. He goes on and on with his tirade and then ends by saying, “Lower your expectations.” I’m pretty sure that’s not what the boy wanted to hear from his hero.
However, it may actually be a good concept for relationships. Maybe if we could lower our unrealistic expectations of others, we would enjoy our relationships more. There are some things like honesty, trust & loyalty that are essential to relationships, but there are other things that are not. If we’re looking to others to meet needs that only God can meet, then our expectations will always fall short.
Prayer: Lord, I want to look at others through Your eyes. I don’t want to judge others or put urealistic expectations on them. Just as You accept me as I am, please help me to accept others. I want to bring You praise by accepting others as a beautiful creation You made.
If you want to know more, read Matthew 7:1-5 and Romans 15:7-13.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Easter Fortune Cookie
Have you ever sung a song over and over in your head and then later realized you’d been singing the wrong lyrics? It’s happened to me before, and it’s also happened to my daughter. Once, she was convinced Taylor Swift’s lyrics “Didn’t kiss him and I should have” were “Didn’t kiss him on the shoe head.” No matter what we said, we couldn’t convince her otherwise.
We sang a song at church last Sunday called “Lead Me to the Cross.” I’ll list some of the real lyrics and then I’ll explain how I was singing them wrong. The song begins:
Savior I come, quiet my soul, remember
Redemption’s hill, where Your blood was spilled
For my ransom
Everything I once held dear, I count it all as lost.
Lead me to the cross, where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees, Lord I lay me down
Bring me to my knees, I belong to You
Oh lead me, lead me to the cross.
I realized I had always sung the wrong lyrics to this song. I was singing, “lead me to the cross, where your blood poured out” instead of “where your love poured out.” Literally, Jesus’ blood poured out, but in reality, it was His love that was pouring out for us. As we sang that song, I pictured Jesus on the cross, blood spilling down, love flowing out. Love for a human race that he chose to die for, regardless of whether we loved Him back or not.
Philippians 2:7-11 explains how Jesus took the nature of a servant in human likeness, humbling Himself to die on a cross. He was the perfect sacrificial lamb, and He took on our sin when he died. Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” All we have to do is receive the gift He’s offering.
As I was thinking about Easter and the significance of celebrating this holiday, a funny thing happened. I was eating at my favorite Chinese restaurant with my mom and I opened my fortune cookie at the end of our meal. It read, “You will soon receive an unusual gift freely given. Accept!” If that isn’t a good fortune for Easter, I don’t know what is! Who knew the fortune in a cookie could hit the mark so perfectly?
What about you? Have you accepted? Will you accept? It’s a gift freely given, and it’s yours for the taking. Thank goodness the gift of eternal life God gave us by sending His Son is not just a fortune; it’s a reality.
If you want to know more, read John 19:16-30.
We sang a song at church last Sunday called “Lead Me to the Cross.” I’ll list some of the real lyrics and then I’ll explain how I was singing them wrong. The song begins:
Savior I come, quiet my soul, remember
Redemption’s hill, where Your blood was spilled
For my ransom
Everything I once held dear, I count it all as lost.
Lead me to the cross, where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees, Lord I lay me down
Bring me to my knees, I belong to You
Oh lead me, lead me to the cross.
I realized I had always sung the wrong lyrics to this song. I was singing, “lead me to the cross, where your blood poured out” instead of “where your love poured out.” Literally, Jesus’ blood poured out, but in reality, it was His love that was pouring out for us. As we sang that song, I pictured Jesus on the cross, blood spilling down, love flowing out. Love for a human race that he chose to die for, regardless of whether we loved Him back or not.
Philippians 2:7-11 explains how Jesus took the nature of a servant in human likeness, humbling Himself to die on a cross. He was the perfect sacrificial lamb, and He took on our sin when he died. Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” All we have to do is receive the gift He’s offering.
As I was thinking about Easter and the significance of celebrating this holiday, a funny thing happened. I was eating at my favorite Chinese restaurant with my mom and I opened my fortune cookie at the end of our meal. It read, “You will soon receive an unusual gift freely given. Accept!” If that isn’t a good fortune for Easter, I don’t know what is! Who knew the fortune in a cookie could hit the mark so perfectly?
What about you? Have you accepted? Will you accept? It’s a gift freely given, and it’s yours for the taking. Thank goodness the gift of eternal life God gave us by sending His Son is not just a fortune; it’s a reality.
If you want to know more, read John 19:16-30.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
50 First Dates
I’m pretty out of it in the morning, but I must have been especially tired last Tuesday. On Tuesday morning, I read through a Psalm as I usually do and then I prayed. On Wednesday I went back and read the same Psalm over again by accident. I didn’t even remember that I’d read it the day before! On Tuesday I hadn’t underlined or highlighted anything, but on Wednesday the words of that Psalm gave me the encouragement I needed for that day.
At first I felt a little embarrassed because of my mistake. How could I have read a whole Psalm the previous morning and not remembered it? Not only that, but how could I get so much out of the Psalm on Wednesday when the previous day I hadn’t highlighted anything?
This scenario reminded me of the movie “50 First Dates” starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Let me clarify something – I am by no means recommending this movie! I guess I’ll claim the adage, “Do as I say and not as I do!” However, the premise of this movie does have some value. In the movie, Adam meets Drew who has amnesia and never remembers the previous day. Adam spends every day wooing Drew, spending time with her and making her fall in love with him. Then he wakes up the next morning and starts from square one. He loves her so much that he is willing have 50 first dates with her.
In the movie, Drew Barrymore’s character began each day with a fresh, new perspective on life. Wouldn’t it be nice sometimes to not remember what happened yesterday? In real life, we can get a positive outlook for the day by spending time with God. We can have 50 first dates (or more) with God.
It doesn’t even matter if we get up and read the same Scripture passage every day (although at some point we’ll have to move on – there’s a lot of Scripture to cover). Sometimes one Scripture will affect us differently than it did the last time we read it. The important thing is that we’re spending time in God’s Word each day. We shouldn’t get frustrated if we don’t remember everything we’ve read, because maybe what we read was just enough to get us through one day.
If you’ve read my previous two blog entries, then you’ll know that I’m getting up every morning to spend the first minutes of my day with God. It’s been an adjustment since I’m “crabbier” in the morning, but it’s been a great change in my life. Now I am going to bump my First Fruits Challenge up to 50 First Dates with God. To meet this goal I get to spend 27 more dates with God. That will equal fifty mornings spent with the only One who can tolerate me at that time of the day. Do you think maybe I could become a morning person? I guess only God can do miracles!
If you want to know more, read Psalm 12 (but try not to forget you read it!).
At first I felt a little embarrassed because of my mistake. How could I have read a whole Psalm the previous morning and not remembered it? Not only that, but how could I get so much out of the Psalm on Wednesday when the previous day I hadn’t highlighted anything?
This scenario reminded me of the movie “50 First Dates” starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Let me clarify something – I am by no means recommending this movie! I guess I’ll claim the adage, “Do as I say and not as I do!” However, the premise of this movie does have some value. In the movie, Adam meets Drew who has amnesia and never remembers the previous day. Adam spends every day wooing Drew, spending time with her and making her fall in love with him. Then he wakes up the next morning and starts from square one. He loves her so much that he is willing have 50 first dates with her.
In the movie, Drew Barrymore’s character began each day with a fresh, new perspective on life. Wouldn’t it be nice sometimes to not remember what happened yesterday? In real life, we can get a positive outlook for the day by spending time with God. We can have 50 first dates (or more) with God.
It doesn’t even matter if we get up and read the same Scripture passage every day (although at some point we’ll have to move on – there’s a lot of Scripture to cover). Sometimes one Scripture will affect us differently than it did the last time we read it. The important thing is that we’re spending time in God’s Word each day. We shouldn’t get frustrated if we don’t remember everything we’ve read, because maybe what we read was just enough to get us through one day.
If you’ve read my previous two blog entries, then you’ll know that I’m getting up every morning to spend the first minutes of my day with God. It’s been an adjustment since I’m “crabbier” in the morning, but it’s been a great change in my life. Now I am going to bump my First Fruits Challenge up to 50 First Dates with God. To meet this goal I get to spend 27 more dates with God. That will equal fifty mornings spent with the only One who can tolerate me at that time of the day. Do you think maybe I could become a morning person? I guess only God can do miracles!
If you want to know more, read Psalm 12 (but try not to forget you read it!).
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Fruit of the Firstfruits Challenge
Two weeks have passed since I began the Firstfruits Challenge. When I began this challenge to wake up every morning and spend my first ten minutes with God, I didn’t even know what that looked like. Should I pray? Should I read Scripture? Which book of the Bible should I choose?
I decided to open up the book of Psalms and start reading. Some days I would read a chapter and then meditate on the words. Other days I would read a few verses and then spend time in prayer. Most days it was difficult to get up and get going, but I always felt good about the day after spending the first few minutes with God.
Overall, what I’m learning through this experience is that I feel grounded. After my quiet time with God, I stand on solid footing for the day ahead. When trials and difficult situations pop up, I am better equipped to handle them knowing that I’ve started my day with the One who gives me strength to handle each situation.
My daughter and I love to tackle the rock climbing wall at our local community center. It’s an amazing experience to climb the wall and feel the satisfaction of ringing the bell at the top. In order to ring the bell, we have to watch our footing and grab on to the solid rocks. If we didn’t have these rocks to use for leverage, we would never be able to scale that wall.
It’s the same way with our relationship with God. We need the firm foundation of His Word to use as footing while we scale the wall called “life.”
When I started this challenge, I expected my life to be turned upside down. I thought something radical might happen. Instead, I found stability. I found the firm footing on which I could start my day. I found that God is a God of consistency and strength.
There was one day when I did have a “light bulb moment.” This particular morning I was especially tired after a night of restless sleep. I decided I “deserved” to pray about my lack of sleep before I read the Bible. It was after I presented my request to God that I opened my Bible to Psalm 5 and read verses 1-3. Here’s what they said …
“Give ear to my words, O LORD,
consider my sighing.
Listen to my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.”
I was so excited that the Lord would hear my voice and listen to my requests in the morning! I was crying out to Him for help and I could wait with expectation. I felt like God was telling me it was okay to lay my requests before Him because He wants to help me. These verses showed me that He is a God of compassion. I’d be crazy not to spend the first minutes of my day with a God like that!
The Firstfruits Challenge continues. I figure if Someone wants to spend time with me in the morning, I’d better take advantage of it. I can use all the stable footing I can get!
If you want to know more, read Psalm 5.
I decided to open up the book of Psalms and start reading. Some days I would read a chapter and then meditate on the words. Other days I would read a few verses and then spend time in prayer. Most days it was difficult to get up and get going, but I always felt good about the day after spending the first few minutes with God.
Overall, what I’m learning through this experience is that I feel grounded. After my quiet time with God, I stand on solid footing for the day ahead. When trials and difficult situations pop up, I am better equipped to handle them knowing that I’ve started my day with the One who gives me strength to handle each situation.
My daughter and I love to tackle the rock climbing wall at our local community center. It’s an amazing experience to climb the wall and feel the satisfaction of ringing the bell at the top. In order to ring the bell, we have to watch our footing and grab on to the solid rocks. If we didn’t have these rocks to use for leverage, we would never be able to scale that wall.
It’s the same way with our relationship with God. We need the firm foundation of His Word to use as footing while we scale the wall called “life.”
When I started this challenge, I expected my life to be turned upside down. I thought something radical might happen. Instead, I found stability. I found the firm footing on which I could start my day. I found that God is a God of consistency and strength.
There was one day when I did have a “light bulb moment.” This particular morning I was especially tired after a night of restless sleep. I decided I “deserved” to pray about my lack of sleep before I read the Bible. It was after I presented my request to God that I opened my Bible to Psalm 5 and read verses 1-3. Here’s what they said …
“Give ear to my words, O LORD,
consider my sighing.
Listen to my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.”
I was so excited that the Lord would hear my voice and listen to my requests in the morning! I was crying out to Him for help and I could wait with expectation. I felt like God was telling me it was okay to lay my requests before Him because He wants to help me. These verses showed me that He is a God of compassion. I’d be crazy not to spend the first minutes of my day with a God like that!
The Firstfruits Challenge continues. I figure if Someone wants to spend time with me in the morning, I’d better take advantage of it. I can use all the stable footing I can get!
If you want to know more, read Psalm 5.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Firstfruits Challenge
If you know me, then you know I am not a morning person. When my alarm goes off my first reaction is to shut it off and go back to sleep. I don’t like to talk to people (including my poor husband) and I’m not friendly in the morning. I really don’t like mornings. Have I stressed that enough? Knowing this about me will make what I’m about to say all the more ironic.
In my weekly women’s Bible study, I felt challenged to spend more time alone with God. I realized if I really want to hear from Him, I need to spend more time in the Word and in prayer. I also know that God wants our best – whether that involves time, financial giving or whatever He might ask of us.
As I was thinking about this, the term “firstfruits” popped into my head. I knew I’d heard it somewhere in the Bible, so I looked it up. It turns out the word was used in Leviticus 23:9-14, where the Feast of Firstfruits required that the first crops harvested be offered to God. The Israelites could not eat the food from their harvest until they had made this offering.
Personally, I felt like God wanted me to give Him the firstfruits of my day. It made me laugh, because if God really wants to spend the first part of my day with me, then good for Him! Not many people do! However, if anyone can handle me in the morning, it's God. Actually, He’s probably the only One who can handle me in the morning!
I decided to spend 10 minutes with God each morning as the first thing I do. It may not seem like a lot, but to a non-morning person, it’s a start! I’m calling it the “Firstfruits Challenge.”
Today was the second day of my self-imposed challenge and it went well. I woke up, shut off my alarm and pumped myself up by chanting, “firstfruits, firstfruits, firstfruits,” over and over again in my head. (Yes, I am officially a dork.) I got out of bed and spent time with the only One (understandably) who wants to spend time with me in the morning.
I’m excited to see how my days are changed because of this. Whether you’re a morning person or not, will you consider joining me in the Firstfruits Challenge? Let’s find out what God has in store for us even before our morning coffee. Don’t worry … the firstfruits chant is optional!
If you want to know more, read Leviticus 23:9-14
In my weekly women’s Bible study, I felt challenged to spend more time alone with God. I realized if I really want to hear from Him, I need to spend more time in the Word and in prayer. I also know that God wants our best – whether that involves time, financial giving or whatever He might ask of us.
As I was thinking about this, the term “firstfruits” popped into my head. I knew I’d heard it somewhere in the Bible, so I looked it up. It turns out the word was used in Leviticus 23:9-14, where the Feast of Firstfruits required that the first crops harvested be offered to God. The Israelites could not eat the food from their harvest until they had made this offering.
Personally, I felt like God wanted me to give Him the firstfruits of my day. It made me laugh, because if God really wants to spend the first part of my day with me, then good for Him! Not many people do! However, if anyone can handle me in the morning, it's God. Actually, He’s probably the only One who can handle me in the morning!
I decided to spend 10 minutes with God each morning as the first thing I do. It may not seem like a lot, but to a non-morning person, it’s a start! I’m calling it the “Firstfruits Challenge.”
Today was the second day of my self-imposed challenge and it went well. I woke up, shut off my alarm and pumped myself up by chanting, “firstfruits, firstfruits, firstfruits,” over and over again in my head. (Yes, I am officially a dork.) I got out of bed and spent time with the only One (understandably) who wants to spend time with me in the morning.
I’m excited to see how my days are changed because of this. Whether you’re a morning person or not, will you consider joining me in the Firstfruits Challenge? Let’s find out what God has in store for us even before our morning coffee. Don’t worry … the firstfruits chant is optional!
If you want to know more, read Leviticus 23:9-14
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