The past week I've changed up my personal devotional time a bit. Inspired by a Campus Crusade leader overseas, I decided to try this new approach to reading scripture:
1. Meditate on the words of Jesus (a few verses)
2. Read the Proverb of the day
3. End praising the Lord with a Psalm
What a blessing and encouragement it has turned out to be!! :) It's neat how the Bible compliments itself and allows a full range of refreshment: learning the characteristics of Jesus, wise instruction, and praise to our Lord.
This morning was no different, God reminded me to come to Him, trust Him and I will find rest and blessing for my soul.
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." -Matthew 11:28-30
"Evil men do not understand justice. But those who seek the Lord understand all things.
Better is the poor who walks in his integrity, than he who is crooked/perverse though he be rich.
An arrogant man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper." -Proverbs 28:5-6, 25
"How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways. When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, you will be happy and it will be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house, your children like olive plants around your table. Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord." -Psalm 128:1-4
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
What matters is to live admirably, not be admired
I just read the article: Ordinary People by: Roberto Rivera y Carlo .
It was encouraging to read because it cheered for something I believe in. Enjoying the little things in life. Sometimes I feel as though people fear the freedom to enjoy the small things of life, or choose to busy themselves to such a point where they are incapable of enjoying them without some sort of glamour or media. I've been patronized and laughed at when I get excited about the first sighting of Christmas lights, a squirrel clamoring in his tree, or getting that front row parking space at Starbucks. Why not get excited? What not experience a little joy when there is such a need for it in our world today? I know everyone is different and some like being in the spotlight, that's awesome. The danger comes when that desire (whether it be to be unique, beautiful, famous, or even unnoticed) becomes your identity. Because then you will live your life searching for it and fearing when you are without it. That is a life of slavery, not one of freedom that God promises us (Jeremiah 29:11-13).
Here's a snippet:
It was encouraging to read because it cheered for something I believe in. Enjoying the little things in life. Sometimes I feel as though people fear the freedom to enjoy the small things of life, or choose to busy themselves to such a point where they are incapable of enjoying them without some sort of glamour or media. I've been patronized and laughed at when I get excited about the first sighting of Christmas lights, a squirrel clamoring in his tree, or getting that front row parking space at Starbucks. Why not get excited? What not experience a little joy when there is such a need for it in our world today? I know everyone is different and some like being in the spotlight, that's awesome. The danger comes when that desire (whether it be to be unique, beautiful, famous, or even unnoticed) becomes your identity. Because then you will live your life searching for it and fearing when you are without it. That is a life of slavery, not one of freedom that God promises us (Jeremiah 29:11-13).
Here's a snippet:
This discontent with being ordinary isn't limited to "mainstream" culture: Many Christians have been taught to think and feel the same way. Following the recent release of "Amazing Grace," the move about William Wilberforce and the abolition of the slave trade, American Christians have been called to imitate Wilberforce. Not "only" by emulating his personal virtues but by studying his tactics and strategies and thus, like him, "do something great for God."
I have a better idea: We should strive to experience what G.K. Chesterton called "the ecstasy of being ordinary." While Chesterton admired extraordinary men like St. Francis of Assisi, he also gave the "social scruples and conventional conditions that are normal and even noble in ordinary men" that hold "decent societies together" their due. In fact, it was because he appreciated "ordinary men" that he could make sense of the extraordinary ones.
Likewise, "Chesterton could be made happy by the sudden yellowness of a dandelion." He took "fierce pleasure in things being themselves," whether it was the "wetness of water," "fieriness of fire" or the "steeliness of steel." As David Fagerberg of Notre Dame wrote, for Chesterton, "on every encounter, at every turn, with every person, there is cause for happiness.... We have been given a world crammed with a million means to beatitude."
In other words, our "ordinariness" contains everything that is necessary to be content. That's part of St. Paul meant when he wrote "I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." He could see those "millions means of beatitude" and understood that on some days you inadvertently turn the world upside-down and on other days you make tents. Ultimately, what matters is to live admirably, not be admired.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Food for thought from Plugged In
QUOTE: "My approach to music now is different. I'm not Delores Tucker, but you do have to be careful what you say. We shouldn't be constantly feeding negative energy to these kids. You can get rich with the devil's money, but you can only be happy with God's money." —Death Row Records founder and hip-hop kingpin Marion "Suge" Knight, who's battling bankruptcy and ready to pull the plug on the influential label that launched the careers of Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. The former mogul commented further, "I don't want to be tied up with this for years. I want to move on with my life in a more positive direction." (Knight's feelings have apparently been influenced by messages from Christian preachers Noel Jones and T.D. Jakes.) [nypost.com, 3/9/07]
