The Husband was driving me nuts this morning. Of course, I love him, of course I appreciate him, but lets be real, he's a man, and men get on my nerves from time to time LOL. All his little idiosyncrasies were really getting to me. As I was pining over all the things that drive me nuts about him, God let me to this devotional..and once you read it, clearly you will understand, God has a sense of humor.
http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/girlfriends/
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
TRUST ME..
These words are comforting, but at the same time, frustrating. Along my walk with God, He has uttered these words in my ear so many times. I find them comforting because it reminds me He is in control, but at the same time that phrase frustrates me because it seems to be the general answer to all my prayers (can I get an amen). However, I had a revelation the other day.
First let me set it up for you. A few nights ago I had some trouble sleeping. Some things were weighing heavily on my mind. As I began to focus on God and pray, He said those ever so lovely words (a little sarcasm? yes) "Trust Me." Grrrrrrrrr. Seriously Jesus?! I'm struggling here and you're gonna say that?! I longed for a better response, but any time I hear God's voice, it seems satisfying enough. Soon after, I fell asleep.
The following day, I thought about what God said to me. I really tried to hold onto it as those things that were weighing so heavily on my mind the night before entered my mind.
As all of this was going on in my mind, I was making my son food to eat. He was crawling around on the floor and he was getting fussy while he waited. At one point, he made his way to the kitchen, looked directly at me, and made one of his "Hurry up, Mom!" kind of grunts. I looked back at him while making his food and without even thinking about it, replied, "You're ok for a few more minutes, trust me." I stopped dead in my tracks. Did I really just say those words?!
I took a step back and thought about it all. I had so easily told Caleb to 'trust me,' like it was nothing. The way I said it was so nonchalant, because I knew he would, in fact, be fine. I said it with confidence the same way I would say the sky is blue and the grass is green.
Then, I thought about how God must have said it to me the night before. He told me, 'trust Me,' just as confident as I did because He knew I would fine, even though at the time, I didn't think I was going to make it through the night without having a break down.
As I thought about it some more, I discovered that I told my son to 'trust me' because I could see the future (well kind of). I knew that nothing bad was going to happen if he waited a few more minutes for his food. He wouldn't die of starvation, he wouldn't suffer, he'd make it out alive. That's the same way God saw me the night before as I was agonizing over the things in my head. I was 'fussing' just like my son, thinking I couldn't go on anymore without a divine intervention and God, ever so confidently, said, "trust me," because He knew I'd be okay in the end.
It has been so neat to get a glimpse of how God sees us when I see my son. What a miracle!
First let me set it up for you. A few nights ago I had some trouble sleeping. Some things were weighing heavily on my mind. As I began to focus on God and pray, He said those ever so lovely words (a little sarcasm? yes) "Trust Me." Grrrrrrrrr. Seriously Jesus?! I'm struggling here and you're gonna say that?! I longed for a better response, but any time I hear God's voice, it seems satisfying enough. Soon after, I fell asleep.
The following day, I thought about what God said to me. I really tried to hold onto it as those things that were weighing so heavily on my mind the night before entered my mind.
As all of this was going on in my mind, I was making my son food to eat. He was crawling around on the floor and he was getting fussy while he waited. At one point, he made his way to the kitchen, looked directly at me, and made one of his "Hurry up, Mom!" kind of grunts. I looked back at him while making his food and without even thinking about it, replied, "You're ok for a few more minutes, trust me." I stopped dead in my tracks. Did I really just say those words?!
I took a step back and thought about it all. I had so easily told Caleb to 'trust me,' like it was nothing. The way I said it was so nonchalant, because I knew he would, in fact, be fine. I said it with confidence the same way I would say the sky is blue and the grass is green.
Then, I thought about how God must have said it to me the night before. He told me, 'trust Me,' just as confident as I did because He knew I would fine, even though at the time, I didn't think I was going to make it through the night without having a break down.
As I thought about it some more, I discovered that I told my son to 'trust me' because I could see the future (well kind of). I knew that nothing bad was going to happen if he waited a few more minutes for his food. He wouldn't die of starvation, he wouldn't suffer, he'd make it out alive. That's the same way God saw me the night before as I was agonizing over the things in my head. I was 'fussing' just like my son, thinking I couldn't go on anymore without a divine intervention and God, ever so confidently, said, "trust me," because He knew I'd be okay in the end.
It has been so neat to get a glimpse of how God sees us when I see my son. What a miracle!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Lesnar vs. Obama
Excuse me for keeping this short and to the point, but I spent a lot of time blogging yesterday and I just don't have that kind of time every day. Forgive me if this doesn't make sense because I am trying to make it quick.
Ever since I made a vow to become spiritually and physically 'healthy,' I've felt attacked. I can't get into details because it's deep, but it's certainly real. Anyway, yesterday as I was reading in Mark chapter 3, my bible had a very LONG foot note about the important emphasis on a lot of Jesus' life being spent casting out demons. It is a very real thing that Satan has a lot of leeway here on earth. Just as God can affect our actions, Satan can do the same, as well as afflicting us in different areas of our lives. The foot note discusses the power and authority we have over Satan and every evil work, just like Jesus did when He was here on earth. I know this is something we all know, but sometimes we forget (i know i forgot).
We must be confident (and I am talking to myself) in our power over Satan. We must truly believe that a simple utterance of Jesus' name causes Satan to flee from us. We have to be confident in that. We have to fight him with confidence and remind ourselves we are better and stronger than him because we have Jesus, the ultimate fighter (think Brock Lesnar against..oh I dont know...Obama..).
We've got the power people...don't forget it!
Ever since I made a vow to become spiritually and physically 'healthy,' I've felt attacked. I can't get into details because it's deep, but it's certainly real. Anyway, yesterday as I was reading in Mark chapter 3, my bible had a very LONG foot note about the important emphasis on a lot of Jesus' life being spent casting out demons. It is a very real thing that Satan has a lot of leeway here on earth. Just as God can affect our actions, Satan can do the same, as well as afflicting us in different areas of our lives. The foot note discusses the power and authority we have over Satan and every evil work, just like Jesus did when He was here on earth. I know this is something we all know, but sometimes we forget (i know i forgot).
We must be confident (and I am talking to myself) in our power over Satan. We must truly believe that a simple utterance of Jesus' name causes Satan to flee from us. We have to be confident in that. We have to fight him with confidence and remind ourselves we are better and stronger than him because we have Jesus, the ultimate fighter (think Brock Lesnar against..oh I dont know...Obama..).
We've got the power people...don't forget it!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Seeing God in the Little Things and Psalm 23
Two days ago, my husband and I decided to do some remodeling. We mounted our TV on the wall so our 9 month old son could have more space to crawl around. We got rid of our entertainment center and our coffee table and my husband built shelves along our mantle for storage. We already have a book shelf in our living room and since we were removing 'clutter' to create more space for our son, I decided to see if I could get rid of some the 'junk' on our shelf (of course, only to make room for more 'junk'). As I was cleaning, I saw this book on our shelf someone gave me about a year and a half ago. I read the first two chapters in the book, found it intriguing, but put it down and never picked it back up. I have my reasons on why I haven't picked it back up and, but they aren't important. Anyway, I thought for a moment as I stared at the book shelf about throwing this book away. I have my reasons for wanting to throw it away as well, but they aren't important either.
As I stared at the book for about 20 seconds, I convinced myself that the book was part of God's Word (it was a book on Psalm 23) and that it might come in handy one day even though at the moment I really wanted to get rid of it. So, I left the book alone and continued cleaning.
That was two days ago.
Yesterday, even though it was a very busy day, I decided to go for a run on the treadmill while Caleb was napping. I was eager to work out again since I had taken some time off due to the holiday season and to listen to worship music on my iPod since I had taken a vacation from Jesus over the holiday break (I know this is a pathetic excuse, but we got so busy doing dinners and lunches and functions, that I literally only read once or twice the entire week my husband was home from work).
Anyway, I hop on the treadmill and I start jogging while getting my fill of worship music for the day. If you know me then you know I do enjoy jogging (on most days) because it gives me the opportunity to chat with Jesus, plus I feel great when I'm done. My time 'chatting' with Jesus usually just consists of me rambling on and on about my life. But I have to admit that I have my most revealing 'God moments' while on the treadmill. For some reason, I'm totally open and vulnerable (so weird, I know).
Anyway, I felt God show me it was time to get 'spiritually healthy.' I recently made a vow (partly due to the new year) to get physically healthy. I haven't had the best eating habits and I am concerned that my son will mimic my poor relationship with food. So I made a vow to get healthy, but God showed me that to be 'physically healthy' I need to be 'spiritually healthy' and that once I'm 'spiritually healthy' everything else will fall into place.
I took this revelation I had on the treadmill seriously and made a vow that I would not only aim to become physically healthy, but more importantly, to become spiritually healthy as well.
Keep in mind, I am still on the treadmill at this point and I am still 'chatting' with Jesus. I'm reviewing my goals for my physical and spiritual health, when God reminds me of something.
A long long LONG time ago someone gave me this CD. On it was a testimony about a woman who was kidnapped by a criminal (I can't remember exactly what type of criminal he was). This criminal randomly chose this woman to kidnap (there was no reason other than she was in the wrong place at the wrong time). However, while in the car with this man, the woman started telling her kidnapper about Jesus and His saving grace. I don't remember all the details specifically, but I do remember a few things. One, the man/criminal ended up getting saved and turned his life over to Jesus. Second, the woman gives all the credit to God. She said that at that point in her life, she was so filled with the Holy Spirit that if this event had happened at any other time, she may have not survived simply because her human nature would have taken over and she would crumbled in fear. As she describe how filled she was, she used the phrase, "my cup runneth over," which got me thinking.
I had heard this phrase before in a song, but I couldn't remember the title. As I pondered the phrase over and over, I decided it would be best to do some research. I felt that there was a reason God was reminding me of this. So I finished jogging, did some stretching, and started my research.
I Google'd the phrase 'my cup runneth over' and found some weird 70's love song (LOL). That certainly wasn't what I was looking for. I searched YouTube a bit, but failed in my attempt to locate the song I was looking for. So, I decided to Google the phrase plus'in scripture.' The first few hits were in Hebrews, but I wasn't feeling like that was it. I kept scrolling. Then, I saw something in Psalm, so I clicked the link. In Psalm 23:5 it says, "You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." As I glanced over the verse and it's surrounding verses, I noticed the the very first verse in Psalm 23 which is, "The Lord is my shepherd..." Immediately it hit me. THAT BOOK! That book that I had completely forgotten about for a year and half, but then I saw it the day before, that I almost threw out, but randomly decided to keep it, "just in case" I needed to reference it for something! I couldn't believe it. I had to chuckle to myself because I knew it was all God. I knew it was God who, out of all the books and mess on the shelf, made that book stand out to me. It reminded me of how God is in the littlest things in life...like when you're cleaning and you randomly recognize something you haven't recognized in a long time. There's a purpose in that. The littlest, random things.
Moving on to more important things: as I continued my research on Psalm 23:5, I found that the phrase, 'my cup overflows,' refers to a shepherd's cup which actually holds about 30-40 gallons of water. It is an 'abundant drink.' A drink that supplies all needs and then some. It also refers to the idea that the Holy Spirit fills our cup to sustain us and then some.
After concluding my research, I decided I want my cup to overflow. I want my cup overflowing with the Holy Spirit. I want it to overflow so much that it becomes contagious, that it spreads like wildfire. I want my cup to so overflowing that my every day is spent focusing on God and none other than God. I want my cup so overflowing that my ordinary days become extra ordinary. Speaking of...
After God revealed all this to me, I read a devotional about Stephen who was an ordinary man that did extra ordinary things. And again I say, God is in the little things.
#lovin'Jesus
As I stared at the book for about 20 seconds, I convinced myself that the book was part of God's Word (it was a book on Psalm 23) and that it might come in handy one day even though at the moment I really wanted to get rid of it. So, I left the book alone and continued cleaning.
That was two days ago.
Yesterday, even though it was a very busy day, I decided to go for a run on the treadmill while Caleb was napping. I was eager to work out again since I had taken some time off due to the holiday season and to listen to worship music on my iPod since I had taken a vacation from Jesus over the holiday break (I know this is a pathetic excuse, but we got so busy doing dinners and lunches and functions, that I literally only read once or twice the entire week my husband was home from work).
Anyway, I hop on the treadmill and I start jogging while getting my fill of worship music for the day. If you know me then you know I do enjoy jogging (on most days) because it gives me the opportunity to chat with Jesus, plus I feel great when I'm done. My time 'chatting' with Jesus usually just consists of me rambling on and on about my life. But I have to admit that I have my most revealing 'God moments' while on the treadmill. For some reason, I'm totally open and vulnerable (so weird, I know).
Anyway, I felt God show me it was time to get 'spiritually healthy.' I recently made a vow (partly due to the new year) to get physically healthy. I haven't had the best eating habits and I am concerned that my son will mimic my poor relationship with food. So I made a vow to get healthy, but God showed me that to be 'physically healthy' I need to be 'spiritually healthy' and that once I'm 'spiritually healthy' everything else will fall into place.
I took this revelation I had on the treadmill seriously and made a vow that I would not only aim to become physically healthy, but more importantly, to become spiritually healthy as well.
Keep in mind, I am still on the treadmill at this point and I am still 'chatting' with Jesus. I'm reviewing my goals for my physical and spiritual health, when God reminds me of something.
A long long LONG time ago someone gave me this CD. On it was a testimony about a woman who was kidnapped by a criminal (I can't remember exactly what type of criminal he was). This criminal randomly chose this woman to kidnap (there was no reason other than she was in the wrong place at the wrong time). However, while in the car with this man, the woman started telling her kidnapper about Jesus and His saving grace. I don't remember all the details specifically, but I do remember a few things. One, the man/criminal ended up getting saved and turned his life over to Jesus. Second, the woman gives all the credit to God. She said that at that point in her life, she was so filled with the Holy Spirit that if this event had happened at any other time, she may have not survived simply because her human nature would have taken over and she would crumbled in fear. As she describe how filled she was, she used the phrase, "my cup runneth over," which got me thinking.
I had heard this phrase before in a song, but I couldn't remember the title. As I pondered the phrase over and over, I decided it would be best to do some research. I felt that there was a reason God was reminding me of this. So I finished jogging, did some stretching, and started my research.
I Google'd the phrase 'my cup runneth over' and found some weird 70's love song (LOL). That certainly wasn't what I was looking for. I searched YouTube a bit, but failed in my attempt to locate the song I was looking for. So, I decided to Google the phrase plus'in scripture.' The first few hits were in Hebrews, but I wasn't feeling like that was it. I kept scrolling. Then, I saw something in Psalm, so I clicked the link. In Psalm 23:5 it says, "You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." As I glanced over the verse and it's surrounding verses, I noticed the the very first verse in Psalm 23 which is, "The Lord is my shepherd..." Immediately it hit me. THAT BOOK! That book that I had completely forgotten about for a year and half, but then I saw it the day before, that I almost threw out, but randomly decided to keep it, "just in case" I needed to reference it for something! I couldn't believe it. I had to chuckle to myself because I knew it was all God. I knew it was God who, out of all the books and mess on the shelf, made that book stand out to me. It reminded me of how God is in the littlest things in life...like when you're cleaning and you randomly recognize something you haven't recognized in a long time. There's a purpose in that. The littlest, random things.
Moving on to more important things: as I continued my research on Psalm 23:5, I found that the phrase, 'my cup overflows,' refers to a shepherd's cup which actually holds about 30-40 gallons of water. It is an 'abundant drink.' A drink that supplies all needs and then some. It also refers to the idea that the Holy Spirit fills our cup to sustain us and then some.
After concluding my research, I decided I want my cup to overflow. I want my cup overflowing with the Holy Spirit. I want it to overflow so much that it becomes contagious, that it spreads like wildfire. I want my cup to so overflowing that my every day is spent focusing on God and none other than God. I want my cup so overflowing that my ordinary days become extra ordinary. Speaking of...
After God revealed all this to me, I read a devotional about Stephen who was an ordinary man that did extra ordinary things. And again I say, God is in the little things.
#lovin'Jesus
Monday, December 19, 2011
You could have all the faith in the world....
So today is my birthday...HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me! Thank you. :) I am 29 and Im not ashamed to announce it to the world. Age is just a number in my mind. I act and feel like a 20 year old. And that's all that matters, not the year on my birth certificate. So far, I've had a wonderful birthday. My parents took the family to Cape May on the 17th for dinner, a carriage ride around town and then some shopping. It was a great time and I look forward to going back next year. :) Today (the actual day of my birth), my husband surprised me by staying home from work..although he tricked me and pretended he went to work, then showed up at the door around 930 with flowers and gifts. He is the best husband ever! The best surprise ever! Caleb gave Momma tons of smiles this morning and cuddled with me for quite a bit. He is the best present I ever got! :)
The weekend and my actual birthday have been amazing, but just because it's my birthday doesn't mean that God stops working in our lives. It's not like He takes a day off to celebrate. In fact, even though its my birthday, I have received some bad news. John, who has been traveling two hours a day to and from work, heard back from Northfield that he did not get the job. Northfield is five minutes from the house and would have been such a blessing. It stinks. We've been through this before where he applied to a job closer and it didn't work out. The worst part is, is that John always gets down to like the final two applicants, but always winds up in second place. He said today, "Im always the best man, but never the groom when it comes to jobs."
This same thing happened around the same time last year. The year before, he was actually offered a job, but had to turn it down because they couldn't offer him enough money. So three years in a row, we trusted God and it didn't work out. Both of us are disillusioned. We have no idea why this keeps happening. We don't understand why God allows these things to happen. We are really sad. We are frustrated...
Im angry, annoyed, and baffled. We prayed that he wouldn't even get an interview if it wasnt meant to be, so what the heck?! Why??????????? Our friends and family have been really supportive and a lot of them keep telling us to trust that God has something better and that it wasn't Gods will and that God obviously has a plan. As comforting as those words can be, I don't want to hear them. Its frustrating. Then, tell me, what IS God's will because He's not sharing it with us. Three years we've been waiting...I'm running out of steam here.
I've asked God to show me things and make it all better. And I've realized this:
You can have all the faith in the world, but if it's not part of the grand plan, it's not going to happen.
To be honest, Im not sure how I feel about that. It definitely frustrates me. Then, why even bother with having faith? What's the point? If God has it all figured out, why don't we just sit back and let it happen?
Even though I am frustrated and angry, I have chosen to praise God anyway. I know He will come through for us, He always does, even if it is eventually....
The weekend and my actual birthday have been amazing, but just because it's my birthday doesn't mean that God stops working in our lives. It's not like He takes a day off to celebrate. In fact, even though its my birthday, I have received some bad news. John, who has been traveling two hours a day to and from work, heard back from Northfield that he did not get the job. Northfield is five minutes from the house and would have been such a blessing. It stinks. We've been through this before where he applied to a job closer and it didn't work out. The worst part is, is that John always gets down to like the final two applicants, but always winds up in second place. He said today, "Im always the best man, but never the groom when it comes to jobs."
This same thing happened around the same time last year. The year before, he was actually offered a job, but had to turn it down because they couldn't offer him enough money. So three years in a row, we trusted God and it didn't work out. Both of us are disillusioned. We have no idea why this keeps happening. We don't understand why God allows these things to happen. We are really sad. We are frustrated...
Im angry, annoyed, and baffled. We prayed that he wouldn't even get an interview if it wasnt meant to be, so what the heck?! Why??????????? Our friends and family have been really supportive and a lot of them keep telling us to trust that God has something better and that it wasn't Gods will and that God obviously has a plan. As comforting as those words can be, I don't want to hear them. Its frustrating. Then, tell me, what IS God's will because He's not sharing it with us. Three years we've been waiting...I'm running out of steam here.
I've asked God to show me things and make it all better. And I've realized this:
You can have all the faith in the world, but if it's not part of the grand plan, it's not going to happen.
To be honest, Im not sure how I feel about that. It definitely frustrates me. Then, why even bother with having faith? What's the point? If God has it all figured out, why don't we just sit back and let it happen?
Even though I am frustrated and angry, I have chosen to praise God anyway. I know He will come through for us, He always does, even if it is eventually....
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
What God is showing me lately Pt 2 - Our Relationship with God
God is showing me a lot and its hard to remember it all and put it in words, but I want to share.
God gives me little glimpses of our relationship with Him when I take a step back and view my relationship with my son. A few weeks ago, my baby boy started reaching for me. As a momma, this just melted my heart. His little hands stretched out toward me meant he needed me, he wanted me. Immediately, as if the world had stopped and nothing else mattered, all I could see was him and I immediately reached back and picked him up. His whimpers stopped and it gave me an idea of how Jesus feels about us. Jesus feels the same way when we reach for Him. He is right there to reach back and help us. And He loves it.
Another situation where God gave me a glimpse of our relationship with Him. My son is learning to crawl. He hasn't quite mastered the skill yet, but he is able to get up on his knees and rock back and forth. Yesterday, I was working him, helping him practice by getting him up on his knees and moving his legs. After a little awhile of helping him, I decided to was time for him to try on his own. I put a toy in front of him, but just out of his reach. My son reached, stretched, put both hands out in front to grab, but could not get the toy. I noticed he was trying to pull the blanket with the toy on it, he was trying to take the easy way out! Needless to say, nothing he did worked. I watched as he started to get frustrated. He whimpered, cried, and fussed. He so desperately wanted that toy! And then it hit me. God was using this situation to show me something.
We so many times in life, fuss, cry, and whimper to God about what we want. And yes, He wants to give it us, but He doesn't. He wants us to learn and grow on our own. If He handed everything to us, we would never learn anything. If I hand Caleb the toy every time, he will never learn to crawl. And as much as I want to just give him the toy to console him, I know I wouldn't be helping him in any way.
You feel me?
SO sometimes, when it feels like God isn't there or He's not answering your prayers, maybe its because He's teaching you something. Maybe you need to learn a new skill and if He hands you whatever you want, you might not learn it...
God gives me little glimpses of our relationship with Him when I take a step back and view my relationship with my son. A few weeks ago, my baby boy started reaching for me. As a momma, this just melted my heart. His little hands stretched out toward me meant he needed me, he wanted me. Immediately, as if the world had stopped and nothing else mattered, all I could see was him and I immediately reached back and picked him up. His whimpers stopped and it gave me an idea of how Jesus feels about us. Jesus feels the same way when we reach for Him. He is right there to reach back and help us. And He loves it.
Another situation where God gave me a glimpse of our relationship with Him. My son is learning to crawl. He hasn't quite mastered the skill yet, but he is able to get up on his knees and rock back and forth. Yesterday, I was working him, helping him practice by getting him up on his knees and moving his legs. After a little awhile of helping him, I decided to was time for him to try on his own. I put a toy in front of him, but just out of his reach. My son reached, stretched, put both hands out in front to grab, but could not get the toy. I noticed he was trying to pull the blanket with the toy on it, he was trying to take the easy way out! Needless to say, nothing he did worked. I watched as he started to get frustrated. He whimpered, cried, and fussed. He so desperately wanted that toy! And then it hit me. God was using this situation to show me something.
We so many times in life, fuss, cry, and whimper to God about what we want. And yes, He wants to give it us, but He doesn't. He wants us to learn and grow on our own. If He handed everything to us, we would never learn anything. If I hand Caleb the toy every time, he will never learn to crawl. And as much as I want to just give him the toy to console him, I know I wouldn't be helping him in any way.
You feel me?
SO sometimes, when it feels like God isn't there or He's not answering your prayers, maybe its because He's teaching you something. Maybe you need to learn a new skill and if He hands you whatever you want, you might not learn it...
What God is showing me lately
Tis the Season! Merry Christmas! God has done a lot and shown me a lot since the last time I've posted. I wish I was able to post more, but it's hard with a little baby. Since I don't have a lot of time to post, I would like to get to the point. :)
God has moved in tremendous ways in my life and its been awesome. Through bible study and ReDefine, He's been amazing. He's grown me in tremendous ways and I am so grateful. I wish I could share everything He has been doing in my life, but it would take me forever to write it down. Instead, I will share what He has been putting on my heart lately...
Yesterday, at bible study, my heart was breaking for Jesus. Here's why: last week, John and I were at Smithville Village. We love the village and frequent it often. When we went last Friday, we noticed an entire section of the parking lot was roped off. We didn't know why, but we soon found out. I was really craving a Diet Coke, so we immediately hit up the closest cafe. In there, the women behind the counter told us the reason half of the parking lot was roped off was because Santa was coming on the fire truck. Not only that, but he was going to be taking free pictures with the kids. He was coming within the hour, so John and I figured we'd hang around so Caleb could see Santa. So, we walked, ate, and before we knew it, Santa was arriving. The fire trucks were loud and the lights were blinking. With all the hoopla, you would have thought the president was coming. There was a big crowd waiting for Santa and little kids were jumping up and down. When Santa finally arrived and the fire truck pulled into the roped off portion of the parking lot in the village, Santa was lifted up and down on the ladder. Kids were waving and screaming with excitement. Parents were pointing and holding their children on their shoulders. Everyone was so excited to see Santa.
We stayed for about a minute. Caleb had no idea what he was looking at and John and I could care less about Santa. So we started walking away toward the car. I looked back as we were walking to see Santa again. I was trying to get 'into' like everyone else, but I couldn't. Was my Christmas spirit gone?
Then it hit me. God must be looking down on this with tears in His eyes. We have it all wrong. People are cheering and going crazy over Santa..almost to the point of worship. But would they do this for Jesus?
I don't have issues with Santa, and I think its fun for little kids to get into the idea of Santa, but when we go as far as gathering in big crowds to see him and make such a big deal about it, is it going to far?
Its kind of like celebrities. When people worship celebs. And when they see them they cry. They cry if a celeb touches their hand. They cry if a celeb talks to them. Celebrities are just people, not God.
I think this hurts God. I think He looks down on this and thinks, I created these people for me, not for Justin Bieber. Not for Michael Jackson, not for Lady Gaga, not for Santa.
God put us on this planet for the sole purpose of worshipping Him. So when we "worship" anything other then Him, its backwards. Its not what we were created for.
Like I said, there is nothing wrong with Santa, but I think sometimes people go overboard and I disagree with that. Would you get as excited to see Jesus as you would Santa? Would you gather in large crowds on a cold Friday night to see Jesus? Would you cry, jump up and down, and scream if you saw Him? Would you camp out over night in the pouring ran to get tickets to see Jesus? Just some food for thought....
God has really been showing me my purpose in life and why Im here and I take it very seriously. I don't want to stand in front of Jesus one day and wish I did more. I want to do everything Im supposed to do...
God has moved in tremendous ways in my life and its been awesome. Through bible study and ReDefine, He's been amazing. He's grown me in tremendous ways and I am so grateful. I wish I could share everything He has been doing in my life, but it would take me forever to write it down. Instead, I will share what He has been putting on my heart lately...
Yesterday, at bible study, my heart was breaking for Jesus. Here's why: last week, John and I were at Smithville Village. We love the village and frequent it often. When we went last Friday, we noticed an entire section of the parking lot was roped off. We didn't know why, but we soon found out. I was really craving a Diet Coke, so we immediately hit up the closest cafe. In there, the women behind the counter told us the reason half of the parking lot was roped off was because Santa was coming on the fire truck. Not only that, but he was going to be taking free pictures with the kids. He was coming within the hour, so John and I figured we'd hang around so Caleb could see Santa. So, we walked, ate, and before we knew it, Santa was arriving. The fire trucks were loud and the lights were blinking. With all the hoopla, you would have thought the president was coming. There was a big crowd waiting for Santa and little kids were jumping up and down. When Santa finally arrived and the fire truck pulled into the roped off portion of the parking lot in the village, Santa was lifted up and down on the ladder. Kids were waving and screaming with excitement. Parents were pointing and holding their children on their shoulders. Everyone was so excited to see Santa.
We stayed for about a minute. Caleb had no idea what he was looking at and John and I could care less about Santa. So we started walking away toward the car. I looked back as we were walking to see Santa again. I was trying to get 'into' like everyone else, but I couldn't. Was my Christmas spirit gone?
Then it hit me. God must be looking down on this with tears in His eyes. We have it all wrong. People are cheering and going crazy over Santa..almost to the point of worship. But would they do this for Jesus?
I don't have issues with Santa, and I think its fun for little kids to get into the idea of Santa, but when we go as far as gathering in big crowds to see him and make such a big deal about it, is it going to far?
Its kind of like celebrities. When people worship celebs. And when they see them they cry. They cry if a celeb touches their hand. They cry if a celeb talks to them. Celebrities are just people, not God.
I think this hurts God. I think He looks down on this and thinks, I created these people for me, not for Justin Bieber. Not for Michael Jackson, not for Lady Gaga, not for Santa.
God put us on this planet for the sole purpose of worshipping Him. So when we "worship" anything other then Him, its backwards. Its not what we were created for.
Like I said, there is nothing wrong with Santa, but I think sometimes people go overboard and I disagree with that. Would you get as excited to see Jesus as you would Santa? Would you gather in large crowds on a cold Friday night to see Jesus? Would you cry, jump up and down, and scream if you saw Him? Would you camp out over night in the pouring ran to get tickets to see Jesus? Just some food for thought....
God has really been showing me my purpose in life and why Im here and I take it very seriously. I don't want to stand in front of Jesus one day and wish I did more. I want to do everything Im supposed to do...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)