| 30 August 2006 |
| Betrayal |
I am reading about Judas betraying Jesus in my quiet time this morning. I realized that I don't quite understand the word ‘betray’—so I looked it up in the dictionary.
betray, v.t.
1. to deliver into the hands of an enemy
2. to help the enemy
There's a whole bunch more, but that second one stopped me in my tracks. Any time I am not obeying God, I am betraying him—I am helping the enemy. In other words, I am serving satan when I am not actively serving God. When I am apathetic to the things of God, I am furthuring the work of the devil. Wow.
Lord,
Help us all to be receptive to your whispers. Help us to be obedient to your will. Help us to actively serve you in everything we do, from the the smallest task to the largest. From washing the dishes to choosing a life path. We cannot do anything without you, and we must, for our sake and yours, do everything for you. Amen.
Labels: God |
posted by Aimee @ 5:18 AM  |
|
|
|
| 28 August 2006 |
| Summed up in a sentence |
Sometimes someone says something that just sums up their whole personality in a sentence. Max did this when he was about three. He asked me, “Mommy, is big bigger than tall, or is tall taller than big?” (You'll have to read it outloud for the question to make sense.) Max is our professor/scientist—constantly exploring his world and trying to make sense of it.
Xavier asked his question yesterday while we were eating lunch at Steak and Shake on the way home from Ohio. He asked me,
“Mommy, what if everything isn't really anything?” I had to stop & think about this one! Xavie is our poet/musician/artist/actor—always pondering the big questions and allowing his imagination to take him to faraway places.
I wonder what Eli will ask....Labels: kids |
| posted by Aimee @ 3:31 PM |
|
|
|
|
| Washing Feet |
I have been reading through the Book of John and was stopped, once again, by the power of the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet.
Here are the verses:
So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron. This story, to me, is the ultimate in showing us how to serve others. It breaks down into three basic steps: feeling, thinking, & doing.
1. Feeling
There are two parts to the feeling step:
a. get up from the table
b. remove your robe. When we sit at a table we are focused on ourselves. The intent of a meal is to fill our own belly. Even when I am feeding the baby, filling my children's glasses with more milk, dishing up food onto other's plates, and doing all the things that moms do at the dinner table—my primary goal is to eat my own food. Sometimes that goal is so focused that I get upset with my children for interfering with it.
Sitting at the table, we are focused on our own needs and our own wants. That's what makes it so powerful. “Jesus got up from the supper table.” He left his own needs and wants. He decided to remove the focus from himself and put it somewhere else.
The next part of the Feeling step is to remove your robe. Jesus stripped down to what was essentially his underwear. If we are to serve others, we must become vunerable. We must open ourselves to the possibility that we may get hurt, we might feel pain. We must become vunerable to the ones whom we are called to serve.
2. Thinking
The thinking step has two parts:
a. put on an apron (other versions say towel instead of
apron.)
b. pour water into a basin.
The feeling step was essentially preparing yourself emotionally. The thinking step is preparing yourself physically. Jesus was going to wash something (feet) so he needed the right tools—water and something to dry with. To prepare yourself physically, you need to know what you're going to do and for whom you are going to do it. When Max was a toddler we would go to a local nursing home to visit the residents there. To prepare physically, I would make sure that Max was well-rested and that I had plenty of snacks in the diaper bag. (This was pretty much what I did whenever we went anywhere!) Max was the star of these visits—the nursing home residents just delighted in him. My job was to make sure he was most likely to be happy & fun for them.
There isn't anything very complicated or deep about the thinking step. But it is very necessary. Imagine dressing in your finest clothes...and then working at a homeless shelter. To be an effective servant you must think about who you are serving and what their needs are.
2. Doing The doing step has two parts: a. wash their feet b. dry their feet
This is where the rubber meets the road. This is the goal of serving others. You must deal with feet—dirty, smelly, yucky feet. The people you serve might not be excited to have you serving them. If you read further in the scripture you see that Peter gets angry with Jesus for washing his feet. He relents and lets Jesus wash his feet, but the initial reaction is a negative one. People often have the attitude that serving is rewarding. Others will be so happy that you have served them and you will have a warm, fuzzy feeling from it. That isn't always the case. Sometimes people are angry that they are in a place that requires others to serve them. Sometimes people are embarrased or unwilling to be served. (Think about how you would feel if someone else spoon-fed you your dinner. It would be akward & uncomfortable.) But, serving requires that we deal with others dirty, smelly, yucky situations and reactions. The second part of the doing step is drying the feet. This is finishing the job. If Jesus didn't dry the disciples’ feet, they would have gotten dirty again almost immediately. We have to finish the job. We have to leave the people we serve better off than when we arrived. I was at a women's bible study luncheon some time ago where part of the program was a hand washing. We didn't do feet because too many of us have issues with feet. (Tells a lot about us as a culture, no?) But, the hand washing was the most extraordinary thing for me. I was the last to get my hands washed. Wiletta Knepper washed and dried my hands. It was the most gentle touch I can remember feeling. The most startling thought was how un-gentle I am with my own children when I wash their hands. My family are the ones I serve daily. (day in and day out, day after day, on and on....) I get tired and sometimes resentful. It's so crazy. But, hopefully now, I will remember these three steps: feel, (this is the hardest step for me. I like me. I like serving me. It's easy and there is instant reward.) think, and then do. My prayer is that you, too, will remember and learn to serve with a gracious heart.
Labels: God |
| posted by Aimee @ 5:07 AM |
|
|
|
| 23 August 2006 |
| Making Ripples |
We’ve been going to Southland Christian Church for several weeks now. We’ve heard the senior pastor preach twice, the youth pastor preach once, and last week, we heard the former senior pastor, Mike Breaux preach. Mike is now at Willow Creek and just published a book, Making Ripples.
Making Ripples is all about the concept of how your life is touching other lives, and those lives are touching other lives, and how that just goes on and on—like ripples in water. It's a great, quick read.
In a chapter titled, Making a Difference—Now! Mike talks about a survey of 95-year-old men and women. Researchers asked this group the question, “If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?” They had three specific answers. (You’ve probably seen this in one of those hokey email forwards, but I like it and I want to remember it.)
- If we had to live life all over again, first of all, we would reflect more. We’d slow down, savor more sunsets eat more ice cream, and laugh more. We would enjoy life more. We would soak in more special moments. We wouldn’t work so fast and so feverishly.
- We’d risk more. We’d take more chances. We woud live life like it’s an adventure, where you can’t pick the fruit unless you’re out on a limb somewhere.
- We’d do something with our lives that would live on long after we’re dead and gone.
Mike goes on to say, “I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to wait until I’m ninety-five to think about those things. I want to reflect now. I want to risk now. I want to do something right now with my life that’s going to live on long after I’m gone.” That’s where I’m at. I want to soak in as much life as possible. I want to quit worshipping things that aren’t God. I want to live the abundant life that God calls us to. I want to quit tip-toeing, waiting for my life to get interesting. I want to start living—seriously living. I don’t know what that looks like exactly. But, I’m pretty sure that for today it’s going to involve exploring a creek with my boys, and dancing the aisles of Wild Oats, and inviting God into every moment of my day. Labels: God |
| posted by Aimee @ 5:15 AM |
|
|
|
| 19 August 2006 |
| Video Games vs. Books |
I have always been generally opposed to video games and am very uneasy with the presence of an X-Box in our house. Our boys love video and computer games. I have always been convinced video games were bad for my kids and have tried to limit their exposure. Video games are lumped into the same category as junk food in my mind. In our house we read books. We play chess. We eat whole grains. Well, earlier this week I purchased a magazine titled “Ode: For Intelligent Optimists.” I was intrigued by a featured article titled, “The future of homework: Why our children absorb more in an arcade than in a classroom—and what schools can learn from that.” Fascinating read! Here's the link to the article online. It is an impressive argument for gaming in general and the use of games in the classroom, at home, and even in hospitals. This entire article is very challenging to my current mindset. Here’s one of the sidebars that blew me away: If video games had come before books .... this is what critics would say.
“Reading books chronically understimulates the senses. Unlike the long-standing tradition of game playing—which engages the child in a vivid, three-dimensional world filled with moving images and musical soundscapes, navigated and controlled with complex muscular movements—books are simply a barren string of words on a page. Books are also tragically isolating. While games have for many years engaged the young in complex social relationships with their peers, building and exploring worlds together, books force the child to sequester him-or herself in a quiet space, shut off from interaction with other children. These new ‘libraries’ that have arisen in recent years are a frightening sight: dozens of young children, normally so vivacious and socially interactive, sitting alone in cubicles, reading silently, oblivious to their peers. But perhaps the most dangerous of these books is the fact that they follow a fixed linear path. You can’t control their narratives in any fashion—you simply sit back & have the story dictated to you. This risks instilling a general passivity in our children, making them feel as though they're powerless to change their circumstances. Reading is not an active, partcipatory process; it’s a submissive one. The book readers of the younger generation are learning to ‘follow the plot’ instead of learning to lead.”
I don’t necessarily agree with all of the quote, but it sure makes me stop and think. Maybe the X-Box isn’t entirely evil. Maybe there are benefits that I have never even imagined. Maybe, just maybe, I don’t know all the sides of the issue. I’m going to let this article percolate in my brain a bit and then revisit it. Maybe I’ll learn more. Then, maybe I’ll go shopping for some new X-Box games.Labels: interesting concepts, kids, life of a mom |
| posted by Aimee @ 2:34 PM |
|
|
|
| 18 August 2006 |
| Ode to my Husband |
In honor of our 16th anniversary today.
Ode to My Husband
first time I saw you—seventh grade mixer
cute freshman
cool stereo
singing Christmas Carols on the table
In 9-16—one of the cool kids
me? just a gangly, awkward seventh grader
High School
marching band camp
everyone is there—following the rules
you walk in and break every rule with your hawaiin shorts that don't match your hawaiin shirt that doesn't match your hawaiin hat and sandals carrying your trombone with no case
.......interesting........
I run for sophomore class treasurer
you learn my name
after you notice my red shorts
conversations
skipping school for doughnuts
talking on the stage
would you like some Christmas cookies?
you don't show up for Christmas cookies
but you do ask me out
first date—friday, january 11, 1987
.....i'm a girl—that's why I remember.....
lady & the tramp
breadsticks at noble romans
sledding
first kiss
fireworks
you dump me for Gloria
you come crawling back
(it's my poem—my version lol)
dates every weekend
love letters from college
love letters from home
engagement ring on my 18th birthday (or was it the day after...)
miami university
brunos & movies on monday nights
western campus in the rain
lunches in wells hall
the young & the restless after
study? what's that?
we're in love—we should be married now!
too young
surveying & corn dogs
arts & crafts in the park and waitressing
long summer
cold feet
rehearsal dinner at the pool
fair parade
tears
crabby bride
good champagne in the limo
fun reception
more champagne
condoms and icing on the car
galena
fighting
too young
oxford pike trailer park #307
.....burned down now.....
great sex
lots of arguing
first child trixie
too young
alaska
call to ministry
sumc
seminary—thank you helen dornetti
osu, not perry
rough times
long years
too young
new appointment
full time job
almost all falls apart
illinois
Max
a new start
a renewing
goshen
yorktown drive
drawing together more
xavier
lima—close to family
move
lucy
move
eli
move
the cement year
I love you, Bryan—with all that I am and all that I have. I'm so glad God put us together and has kept us together. You are my soulmate & my life partner. You complete me and make me whole. ALabels: love |
| posted by Aimee @ 1:19 PM |
|
|
|
| 17 August 2006 |
| Pity Party |
I planned a pity party and you were invited. I had a cake and ice cream. There were party horns that went FFFWWWEEEEEEE and fun party hats with elastic straps to keep them on our heads. I had colorful streamers to hang all over and great, big balloons.
When I was getting ready for the party I made the cake and set it out on the kitchen counter and then, wouldn't you know it—wild dogs ran through my townhouse, grabbed that cake and tore it apart in the back yard! So, I thought we would just have ice cream. I got the ice cream out and set it on the counter. (I made sure the front and back doors were closed tightly so no more wild dogs would get in.) But then Eli needed a diaper change. We went upstairs for a diaper change. By the time we got back downstairs, the ice cream had melted into a giant puddle all over the kitchen.
Well, at least we still have the hats and the party horns that go FFWWWEEEEEEEE. But, when I picked up the hats, the elastic chin straps got caught on the chair and they all broke. I tried one on, but they won't stay without the elastic. When I was trying to fix the hats, I accidentally stepped on the horns. Now, instead of going FFFWWWEEEEEEE, they go fwip, fwip, fwip.
Maybe we’ll just have streamers and balloons. I got the streamers, decided where I wanted them, then I went to get the tape. But, my tape was gone. The roving band of gypsies that was here last week must have stolen my tape! Well, at least we still have balloons. I got the balloons all blown up, and I put colorful ribbon on each. They looked so nice. But, then, I could not believe my eyes! Porcupines! Hundreds of them! Well..really there were only 7, but it may as well have been hundreds! They popped every single balloon! After I cleaned up the broken, shriveled-up, sad little balloon pieces. I decided to have my party anyway.
Except, no one came.
So I didn’t get to have my Pity Party.
Poor me. |
| posted by Aimee @ 5:25 AM |
|
|
|
| 11 August 2006 |
| Aren't there Enough Blogs in this World Already???? |
Yeah, probably. But, here I am... and here you are. So, why not?!?
The impetus for starting this blog comes from a class I'm doing with the Beeson spouses. (see Bryan's Blog for more info about Beeson & why we're here.) We (the spouses) are learning "Who Am I? And What Does God Want for Me to Do About It?" (Thank you Ginny Muse who put together this wonderful program!) The first week was a Myer's-Brigg / Keirsey personality analysis. I am an INFJ (for those of you are interested.) We're also reading Your Personality and the Spiritual Life by Reginald Johnson as part of this. Great book! I highly recommend it.
I have discovered a lot about myself. I won't write about all of it here. (It's probably quite boring to everyone, except me!) But, in Reg's book he suggests ways to nourish faith based on each personality type. One way for me to nourish my faith is through creative writing. I've kept a journal for years now, but I've never shared any of that. Another thing Reg (Ginny calls him "Reg" so I figure I can too.) says
"The fruits of your rich inner life will sometimes be a vital source of inspiration to those around you. The goodness of this gift for the community will depend not only on how much you trust and develop your intuition, but also on how much you are willing to entrust your insights to others."
So, what better way to share myself with the world than through a blog? (Yeah, I know, there are lots of better ways! LOL!) So, one of the goals of this blog is to share some of the insights I have into the meaning of life. But, there will be times when the blog will be about other stuff. (Just trying to help you figure out if you want to waste your time reading this...) Hope ya'll are having a great day! |
| posted by Aimee @ 12:10 PM |
|
|
|
| 08 August 2006 |
| Book of Haggai |
Warning: Don’t read this post. It’s too long and quite possibly very boring. You have better things to do with your time. Go away. Check woot—maybe they have something wonderful that you cannot live without today. Whatever you do, do not read this post.
There, now you’ve been warned.
I'm currently reading/studying the book of Haggai in the Bible. Very interesting stuff. Well, actually, it's pretty boring on one level. It's the story of how the people of Israel were inspired to rebuild the temple - again. yawn.... Except, (just like everything in the Bible) it can be read on multiple levels. It is the story of hearing God's voice, obeying it, being encouraged by God, and being blessed by God.
Here’s The Message version with my thoughts and some of the things I think the Holy Spirit is teaching me through this part of God's word.
1 On the first day of the sixth month of the second year in the reign of King Darius of Persia, God's Message was delivered by the prophet Haggai to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak: So, basically, this part is saying Haggai is delivering a message from God to Zerubbabel and Joshua. (I had to read this first verse about 5 times really slowly to figure out what was being said. I like the NLT version—it just gives a date: August 29 of the second year of King Darius’ reign. Much easier for me to process!)
2 A Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies: : I love the phrase, “God-of-the-Angel-Armies.” I'm a girl—I don't think about armies and battles very much, except when I'm playing with my sons or watching them play. LOL But, God is mighty and powerful beyond anything we can imagine. And there are battles and wars being fought in the spiritual realm that we have no concept of. God is the God of butterflies and kittens and God is the God-of-the-Angel-Armies. How cool is that?! “The people procrastinate. They say this isn't the right time to rebuild my Temple, the Temple of God.” When I read these two sentences I immediately thought of I Corinthians 6:19 “Or don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself.” Could my body be the temple being referred to here? (I know historically this is referring to the actual Temple of God in Israel that was in ruins. But, I'm reading Haggai and trying to understand how God is speaking to me in this day and age—and I'm pretty sure God is not telling me to hop on a plane, go to Israel and join a construction crew—but, you know, I'm trying to be open...) The idea that the temple is referring to my physical body fascinates me because I am someone who continually struggles with caring for my body in a God-honoring way. I know what I should do (I should work out, I should eat healthy all the time, I should get enough rest, I should learn to de-stress, etc...) but I just don't. I continue to choose my vices rather than my God.
3 Shortly after that, God said more and Haggai spoke it: 4 “How is it that it's the ‘right time’ for you to live in your fine new homes while the Home, God's Temple, is in ruins?”
5 And then a little later, God-of-the-Angel-Armies spoke out again:
“Take a good, hard look at your life.
Think it over.
6 You have spent a lot of money,
but you haven't much to show for it.
You keep filling your plates,
but you never get filled up.
You keep drinking and drinking and drinking,
but you’re always thirsty.
You put on layer after layer of clothes,
but you can’t get warm.
And the people who work for you,
what are they getting out of it?
Not much—
a leaky, rusted-out bucket, that’s what.
Wow. Could God be speaking any more directly to me here? I don't think so! I spend, I eat, I drink, I dress. Am I seeking God in any of these ordinary activities? Most of the time, no. I am just a leaky, rusted-out bucket. Not good for anything!
7 That’s why God-of-the-Angel-Armies said:
“Take a good, hard look at your life.
Think it over.”
Psalm 139:23-24(NLT)
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me on the path of everlasting life.
Dangerous prayer... It can be very painful to discover who you really are. But it can lead to amazing growth.
8 Then God said:
“Here's what I want you to do:
Climb into the hills and cut some timber.
Bring it down and rebuild the Temple.
Do it just for me. Honor me.”
Colossians 3:17 (niv) And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Everything we do should be for God, only for God. As my friend Josie Belton frequently says, “Let God be the only one in your grandstand.” 9 You’ve had great ambitions for yourselves,
but nothing has come of it.
The little you have brought to my Temple
I've blown away—there was nothing to it.
Cain’s offering was not accepted by God. (Genesis 4: 3-5) Why do I always assume that God will accept everything that comes from my hand. I like the image of Jesus surrounded by the children, but not the image of the angel with the flaming sword keeping Adam & Eve out of Eden.
“And why?” (This is a Message from God-of-theAngel-Armies, remember.) “Because while you’ve run around, caught up with taking care of your own houses, my Home is in ruins. 10 That’s why. Because of your stinginess. And so I’ve given you a dry summer and a skimpy crop. 11 I've matched your tight-fisted stinginess
Matthew 7:2 (niv) For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Bryan read a book of poetry for his preaching class recently.
Swift, Lord, You Are Not by Kilian McDonnell
The poem Things I Dread was a powerful commentary on this verse:
Lifting the edge of the blanket
they will see my unwashed feet.
Gid has a photographic memory.
The dragon at the gate does not sleep.
Climbing the North face of Everest.
The shadow wolves are not a mirage.
Before the end of the road just stops.
And, most of all, I fail at dying.
To be honest, all these I can manage,
though it is one damn bother.
But the ultimate terror: I will be measured
with the measure I measured out.
by decreeing a season of drought, drying up fields and hills, withering gardens and orchards, stunting vegetables and fruit. Nothing—not man or woman, not animal or crop—is going to thrive."
I know that God is unchanging, but this God—the one who sends hardship and difficulty is hard for me to understand. I know a lot of people preach “health and wealth”—if you do all the right things then God will bless you with earthly riches. And a lot of the book of Haggai would seem to support that idea. But, I just can’t believe that’s all there is to God’s blessing. Mainly because I’ve been blessed in ways that are way beyond just “health and wealth.” I would much rather have the true peace and joy that come from God’s hand than be rich in material goods. Not that rich is bad—I wouldn’t mind being rich! lol But, there’s just so much more to be had in this life.
12 Then the governor, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and the high priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak, and all the people with them listened, really listened, to the voice of their God. When was the last time we “listened, really listened, to the voice of our God.” I can count on one hand the times that I have listened and immediately obeyed what God wanted for me. And I can also say that those times have produced the greatest blessings in my life. I want very much to become a person who listens all the time to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.
When God sent the prophet Haggai to them, they paid attention to him. In listening to Haggai, they honored God. And when was the last time I listened to someone who was sent by God? I don’t know.
13 Then Haggai, God’s messenger, preached God’s Message to the people: “I am with you!” God’s Word. The most powerful of all words. Emmanuel—The Living God is with us.
14 This is how God got Zerubbabel, Joshua, and all the people moving—got them working on the Temple of God-of-the-Angel-Armies. 15 This happened on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius. It took 23 days from when God first started speaking through Haggai about the temple to when the people actually started working. That's really pretty quick.
1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Word of God came through the prophet Haggai: “Tell Governor Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and High Priest Joshua son of Jehozadak 2 and all the people: 3 ‘Is there anyone here who saw the Temple the way it used to be, all glorious? And what do you see now? Not much, right?
4 “‘So get to work, Zerubbabel!’” God is speaking.
“‘Get to work, Joshua son of Jehozadak—high priest!’
“‘Get to work, all you people!’” The God-of-the-Angel-Armies is speaking!
5 ‘Put into action the word I covenanted with you when you left Egypt. The covenant? Genesis 29:45-46 “I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, and they will know that I am the Lord their God. I am the one who brought them out of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the Lord their God.” I'm living and breathing among you right now. Don’t be timid. Don’t hold back!’ I love how God encourages the Israelites here. It is as if he is speaking directly to me. “Don’t be timid and don’t hold back! You have nothing to be afraid of. I am with you always. You can do everything I ask you.”
6 “This is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies said: ‘Before you know it, I will shake up sky and earth, ocean and fields. 7 And I’ll shake down all the godless nations. They’ll bring bushels of wealth and I will fill this Temple with splendor.’ God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so.
8 ‘I own the silver,
I own the gold.’
Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
9 “‘This Temple is going to end up far better than it started out, a glorious beginning but an even more glorious finish: a place in which I will hand out wholeness and holiness.’ Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.”
Romans 6:19b “Now you must choose to be slaves of righteousness so that you will become holy.” Becoming a slave of righteousness must include listening to and obeying the voice of God. We choose to be whole and holy when we choose God’s way. But, the ultimate wholeness and holiness comes through the temple of Jesus Christ—that is the ultimate glorious finish. That is where we become complete and whole, umblemished and perfect.
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (again, this was in the second year of Darius), God’s Message came to Haggai: 11 “God-of-the-Angel-Armies speaks: Consult the priests for a ruling. 12 If someone carries a piece of sacred meat in his pocket, meat that is set apart for sacrifice on the altar, and the pocket touches a loaf of bread, a dish of stew, a bottle of wine or oil, or any other food, will these foods be made holy by such contact?”
The priests said, “No.”
13 Then Haggai said, “How about someone who is contaminated by touching a corpse—if that person touches one of these foods, will it be contaminated?”
The priests said, “Yes, it will be contaminated.”
14 Then Haggai said, “‘So, this people is contaminated. Their nation is contaminated. Everything they do is contaminated. Whatever they do for me is contaminated.’ God says so. I don't fully understand all the Jewish laws of clean and unclean. Sometimes they seem very rigid and pointless to me. But, I do know that I am unclean. I am sin-stained and contaminated.
15 “‘Think back. Before you set out to lay the first foundation stones for the rebuilding of my Temple, 16 how did it go with you? Isn’t it true that your foot-dragging, halfhearted efforts at rebuilding the Temple of God were reflected in a sluggish, halfway return on your crops—half the grain you were used to getting, half the wine? 17 I hit you with drought and blight and hail. Everything you were doing got hit. But it didn’t seem to faze you. You continued to ignore me.’ God's Decree.
18 “‘Now think ahead from this same date—this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Think ahead from when the Temple rebuilding was launched. 19 Has anything in your fields—vine, fig tree, pomegranate, olive tree—failed to flourish? From now on you can count on a blessing’” There it is again—sounds like the “health and wealth” philosophy. Maybe this really works for others. The whole Prayer of Jabez thing seemed to be very popular. I must admit that it is very appealing—God will bless me with riches if I obey him. But, if I'm obeying Him—I mean, truly obeying him, then earthly riches aren't going to matter to me. I'm struggling to really understand this. Can you tell? :) 20 God’s Message came a second time to Haggai on that most memorable day, the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month: 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah:
“‘I am about to shake up everything, to turn everything upside down and start over from top to bottom—overthrow governments, destroy foreign powers, dismantle the world of weapons and armaments, throw armies into confusion, so that they end up killing one another. 23 And on that day’”—this is God’s Message—‘“I will take you, O Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, as my personal servant and I will set you as a signet ring, the sign of my sovereign presence and authority. I’ve looked over the field and chosen you for this work.’” The Message of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
I think that once again we are looking forward in time to Jesus. (But, I could be wrong.) The most interesting part of this to me is that Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, is also the grandson of Jehoiachin. (yeah, I know, woo-hoo! so exciting!) Really. Here's why. Read Jeremiah 22:24: “And as surely as I live,” says the Lord, “I will abandon you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah. Even if you were the signet ring on my right hand, I would pull you off.”
quote a line from the Veggie Tale movie Jonah “God is a God of Second Chances.” And I guess that sums up the whole book for me. God is not only willing to give me a second chance (and a third, fourth, etc...) he wants to give me a second chance. He loves us more than we can ever imagine. He will continue to constantly whisper in our ears. When we still ourselves enough to not only hear His voice, but to listen and understand and respond to it then He can bless us with His richest blessings. And this cycle continues on in time until all good things are finally fulfilled in Christ.
Ephesians3:14-19—My prayer for you.
When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.
May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Labels: God |
| posted by Aimee @ 2:36 PM |
|
|
|
|
| The story of the Dead Bird |
OK, this isn't what I planned for my first blog post to be about, but Blogger will only let you write 150 characters in response to their crazy question. (See my complete profile if you're confused.) Anyway, 150 characters is not nearly enough to explain the complexity of the whole experience of bringing a dead bird to school in the third grade. So, here's the rest of the story...
I found a dead, frozen bird when I was walking to school one time in third grade. I kept it on my desk all day (even made it stand up to say the Pledge of Allegiance) because I was certain that it wasn't dead - it was just too cold to move. But, alas, my classroom wasn't warm enough to thaw the bird. I wrapped my poor bird in my scarf to bring home at the end of the school day. I don't remember what happened to the bird (most likely my Dad pitched it in the trash) but to this day I am amazed and thankful that my third grade teacher was sensitive to my heart. She asked me why I had the bird that day, and after I explained I was thawing the bird so she could fly again, my teacher, Mrs. Brown, never said one more word about that crazy dead bird on my desk. I know there are issues with germs and all that, but Mrs. Brown understood that childhood innocence, faith, hope and curiosity were much more important than adult concerns that day. I hope & pray that I can be that kind of adult.Labels: friends, kids, life of a mom, tragedy |
| posted by Aimee @ 2:24 PM |
|
|
|
|
|
| About Me |
|
Name: Aimee
Home: Lima, Ohio, United States
About Me: I own and run 123 Design Studio, a custom web and graphic design studio. I am mother to four wonderful boys: Max, age 10, Xavier, age 7, Eli, age 3, and Toby, age 1. Bryan & I have been married for 18 (mostly wonderful LOL) years. I eat excessive amounts of sugar and laugh inappropriately.
See my complete profile
|
| Previous Post |
|
| Archives |
|
|
| Other Wastes of Your Time |
|
| Some of my Favorite Reads |
|
|
