Friday, February 19, 2010
Today...
What you do today is important because you are exchanging a whole day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; and in its place will be something that you had left behind... let it be something good.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
I want it all by Shane & Shane (Beautiful song lyrics)
use me, break me, waste me on You, Lord
ruin me, take me, waste me on You
for to die is to live...
to starve is to feast
and less of me is more of Jesus
Lord, i want it all
Lord, i want it all
if i lose my life
i gain everything
and at the cross
away with all death's sting
Lord, i want it all
Lord, i want it all
there is power in the blood
there is victory in Jesus
come in power, wash me clean
overwhelm me with Your presence
there is power in the blood
there is victory in Jesus
help me glory in the cross
help me find my gain in loss
(philippians 1:21-23; 3:7-11)
ruin me, take me, waste me on You
for to die is to live...
to starve is to feast
and less of me is more of Jesus
Lord, i want it all
Lord, i want it all
if i lose my life
i gain everything
and at the cross
away with all death's sting
Lord, i want it all
Lord, i want it all
there is power in the blood
there is victory in Jesus
come in power, wash me clean
overwhelm me with Your presence
there is power in the blood
there is victory in Jesus
help me glory in the cross
help me find my gain in loss
(philippians 1:21-23; 3:7-11)
Snapshots of Angry People (a reflection from A/G)
Moses is not the only person in Scripture who dealt with anger. While we read of his anger on several occasions, we only have short descriptions of others. Thankfully the Scriptures were written before iPhones© were invented, or we might have some very surprising snapshots of famous people. Looking at them in their moments of anger may help us understand ourselves in similar circumstances.
An Angry King
Saul, in my opinion, is one of the tragic figures in Scripture. He started out well but came to an ignominious end.
Great celebration accompanied the coronation of handsome young Saul. But something happened to the man so humble that he hid from those who wanted him to be king. Almost immediately he assumed more authority than he had, and offered sacrifices inappropriately. His later disobedience cost him the throne, according to the prophet Samuel.
The stinging rebuke of Samuel was probably still in his ears when he heard women exalting David in song:
Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?”(1 Samuel 18:8, NIV).
It is easy to see that Saul’s insecurity and jealousy spawned his anger at David. His wrath was so vehement he threw a javelin at David, who escaped by the mercy of the Lord. This is not a pretty picture of a king, but one important to us in our desire to understand anger.
An Angry Prophet
Jonah’s anger was not directed at another person but at God. He reluctantly but obediently prophesied against Nineveh, and had seen great results as the city repented. But Jonah didn’t like it:
But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish” . . . But the Lord replied, “Have you any right to be angry?” (Jonah 4:1,2,4, NIV).
Saul was angry because he was jealous of someone else’s success. By contrast, Jonah was angry when he himself had been successful, but not in his own eyes. He had prophesied judgment, and it did not come because the people repented. The egocentric Jonah thought he looked like a false prophet, and he was mad.
This is not a pretty picture of a God-fearing prophet, but it shows us the consequences of having wrong motives while doing the right thing. What we get angry about has a way of revealing what is in our hearts.
Some Angry Disciples
Jesus and the disciples were walking to Jerusalem, the last trip before the crucifixion. The rich young ruler questioned Jesus and had the surprising assignment to give away his wealth. When Jesus continues his teaching about his Kingdom, the disciples were amazed and then more amazed and then astonished, according to Mark 10.
In this state of mental confusion, one thing came through to James and John. Jesus was going to set up a Kingdom, and they asked for a prominent place in it. The other disciples were angry at their request:
When the ten other disciples heard this, they were angry with James and John (Mark 10:41, CEV).
Some translations use softer language, like became indignant, but the Contemporary English Versionstates bluntly that they were angry.
What spawned the anger this time? The Bible does not say specifically, but we know from other passages that the disciples regularly discussed who would be the greatest. Apparently the others were now angry with James and John for assuming they would fill those positions. This is not a picture of the disciples we like to keep in our mental scrapbook.
These pictures of the angry king, the angry prophet and the angry disciples can be mirrors to reflect our own anger which may flare at times. All three became angry when they perceived something as personally threatening. Saul’s subsequent behavior brought his kingdom to an end. God in His mercy and Jesus in grace helped Jonah and the disciples confront their anger, which gives us hope for mercy and grace if we need it.
An Angry King
Saul, in my opinion, is one of the tragic figures in Scripture. He started out well but came to an ignominious end.
Great celebration accompanied the coronation of handsome young Saul. But something happened to the man so humble that he hid from those who wanted him to be king. Almost immediately he assumed more authority than he had, and offered sacrifices inappropriately. His later disobedience cost him the throne, according to the prophet Samuel.
The stinging rebuke of Samuel was probably still in his ears when he heard women exalting David in song:
Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?”(1 Samuel 18:8, NIV).
It is easy to see that Saul’s insecurity and jealousy spawned his anger at David. His wrath was so vehement he threw a javelin at David, who escaped by the mercy of the Lord. This is not a pretty picture of a king, but one important to us in our desire to understand anger.
An Angry Prophet
Jonah’s anger was not directed at another person but at God. He reluctantly but obediently prophesied against Nineveh, and had seen great results as the city repented. But Jonah didn’t like it:
But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish” . . . But the Lord replied, “Have you any right to be angry?” (Jonah 4:1,2,4, NIV).
Saul was angry because he was jealous of someone else’s success. By contrast, Jonah was angry when he himself had been successful, but not in his own eyes. He had prophesied judgment, and it did not come because the people repented. The egocentric Jonah thought he looked like a false prophet, and he was mad.
This is not a pretty picture of a God-fearing prophet, but it shows us the consequences of having wrong motives while doing the right thing. What we get angry about has a way of revealing what is in our hearts.
Some Angry Disciples
Jesus and the disciples were walking to Jerusalem, the last trip before the crucifixion. The rich young ruler questioned Jesus and had the surprising assignment to give away his wealth. When Jesus continues his teaching about his Kingdom, the disciples were amazed and then more amazed and then astonished, according to Mark 10.
In this state of mental confusion, one thing came through to James and John. Jesus was going to set up a Kingdom, and they asked for a prominent place in it. The other disciples were angry at their request:
When the ten other disciples heard this, they were angry with James and John (Mark 10:41, CEV).
Some translations use softer language, like became indignant, but the Contemporary English Versionstates bluntly that they were angry.
What spawned the anger this time? The Bible does not say specifically, but we know from other passages that the disciples regularly discussed who would be the greatest. Apparently the others were now angry with James and John for assuming they would fill those positions. This is not a picture of the disciples we like to keep in our mental scrapbook.
These pictures of the angry king, the angry prophet and the angry disciples can be mirrors to reflect our own anger which may flare at times. All three became angry when they perceived something as personally threatening. Saul’s subsequent behavior brought his kingdom to an end. God in His mercy and Jesus in grace helped Jonah and the disciples confront their anger, which gives us hope for mercy and grace if we need it.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Some inspiration for TODAY!
Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.
Thomas Jefferson
To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first.
Shakespeare
Try not to become a man of success but a man of value.
Albert Einstein
The man who makes a success of an important venture never wails for the crowd. He strikes out for himself. It takes nerve, it takes a great lot of grit; but the man that succeeds has both. Anyone can fail. The public admires the man who has enough confidence in himself to take a chance. These chances are the main things after all. The man who tries to succeed must expect to be criticized. Nothing important was ever done but the greater number consulted previously doubted the possibility. Success is the accomplishment of that which most people think can't be done.
C. V. White
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.
Helen Keller
Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determinism; the way you play it is free will.
Jawaharal Nehru
Our life's a stage, a comedy: either learn to play and take it lightly, or bear its troubles patiently.
Palladas
Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
There are no classes in life for beginners: right away you are always asked to deal with what is most difficult.
Rainer Maria Rilke
To live is like to love--all reason is against it, and all healthy instinct for it.
Samuel Butler
One life - a little gleam of time between two eternities.
Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Jefferson
To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first.
Shakespeare
Try not to become a man of success but a man of value.
Albert Einstein
The man who makes a success of an important venture never wails for the crowd. He strikes out for himself. It takes nerve, it takes a great lot of grit; but the man that succeeds has both. Anyone can fail. The public admires the man who has enough confidence in himself to take a chance. These chances are the main things after all. The man who tries to succeed must expect to be criticized. Nothing important was ever done but the greater number consulted previously doubted the possibility. Success is the accomplishment of that which most people think can't be done.
C. V. White
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.
Helen Keller
Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determinism; the way you play it is free will.
Jawaharal Nehru
Our life's a stage, a comedy: either learn to play and take it lightly, or bear its troubles patiently.
Palladas
Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
There are no classes in life for beginners: right away you are always asked to deal with what is most difficult.
Rainer Maria Rilke
To live is like to love--all reason is against it, and all healthy instinct for it.
Samuel Butler
One life - a little gleam of time between two eternities.
Thomas Carlyle
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Be Careful!!
Food for thought!!!
Watch your thoughts;
they become words.
Watch your words;
they become actions.
Watch your actions;
they become habits.
Watch your habits;
they become character.
Watch your character;
It becomes your destiny.
Watch your thoughts;
they become words.
Watch your words;
they become actions.
Watch your actions;
they become habits.
Watch your habits;
they become character.
Watch your character;
It becomes your destiny.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Pocahontas- Movie moments!!
Ok so latley I have had a lot of movie moments and I don't know why but...I love this song in Pocahontas and it has such a deeper meaning than what we already know... it's about being selfless and finding worth and beauty in everything that surrounds us!!
COLORS OF THE WIND
You think I'm an ignorant savage
And you've been so many places
I guess it must be so
But still I cannot see
If the savage one is me
Now can there be so much that you don't know?
You don't know ...
You think you own whatever land you land on
The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim
But I know every rock and tree and creature
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name
You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger
You'll learn things you never knew you never knew
Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?
Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest
Come taste the sunsweet berries of the Earth
Come roll in all the riches all around you
And for once, never wonder what they're worth
The rainstorm and the river are my brothers
The heron and the otter are my friends
And we are all connected to each other
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends
How high will the sycamore grow?
If you cut it down, then you'll never know
And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
For whether we are white or copper skinned
We need to sing with all the voices of the mountains
We need to paint with all the colors of the wind
You can own the Earth and still
All you'll own is Earth until
You can paint with all the colors of the wind
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Mr. Deeds Hallmark card!!! LOL!
So I randomly thought of this poem today and was determined to find it on the internet and I did!!
"Hard to breathe, feels like floating,
So full of love my heart's exploding.
Mouth is dry, hands are shaking,
My heart is yours for the taking.
Acting weird, not myself,
Dancing around like the Keebler elf.
Finally time for this poor schlub,
To know how it feels to fall in lub."
I just had to look it up for a good laugh today!! LOL!
"Hard to breathe, feels like floating,
So full of love my heart's exploding.
Mouth is dry, hands are shaking,
My heart is yours for the taking.
Acting weird, not myself,
Dancing around like the Keebler elf.
Finally time for this poor schlub,
To know how it feels to fall in lub."
I just had to look it up for a good laugh today!! LOL!
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