Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
How Many Cookies?
I am in the Emergency Room at the local hospital. I am doing clinical time for my paramedic training. I started at 8:00 AM and will be here until at least 8:00 PM. There have not been any patients, so it is kind of slow. Therefore, I have decided to rear by ugly head in the blogosphere for a moment.
I had a good chat with a godly friend from the East Coast last night and although we talked about many things, the real thought of the evening revolved around girl scout cookies. I have a very weak spot for cookies. More for those made by my mother and grandmother, but in a pinch (basically any time when the first two options are exhausted), I will go for a girl scout cookie or six.
Now, outrage of all outrages, it is being rumored that the girl scouts are decreasing the cookie count in their boxes and continue to charge full price! But I suppose it will be like gas prices, everyone screams about it, but then it becomes the new normal and no one even blinks an eye anymore.
You see (forgive me for sounding cliche, but hang with me), life is like a box of girl scout cookies. We have always bought boxes with three cookies in it, so we come to expect every box to contain three cookies. In fact, we are quite pleased with our three cookies when we purchase the box. We enjoy every bite of the cookies, especially when we are hungry. They are OK, just like the last box we bought and ingested. We get into a routine, always expecting the same old thing, and always receiving the same old thing. We wouldn't know what to do with a fourth cookie.
What if I were to tell you that there are really supposed to be 5 cookies in the box, or even better, an enitre 12 cookies!!! What if I could tell you that when you bought a box of cookies, it was actually an all you can eat cookie buffet?
Most times we come to church and 'put in our time' expecting the same blessing and the same conviction and the same encouragement and the same challenge. We fullfill out Christianity obligation and check it off our list for the week. We enjoy it and it satisfies us, but no one realizes that there can be more. God didn't create and save mankind only to have us treat Him as a ritualistic, non-realistic deity. He gave us form, gave us breath, and gave us a way of salvation. Remember the verse that says "if even the pagans know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him." Christianity is a life altering thing. Everything you do will refer back to Christ and it will effect each and every part of your day, week, and year. God can do more than all we can ask or imagine. Don't be satisfied with three cookies.
I have been in the attitude that it is just another busy day after another busy day. Nothing special, just waiting for the next season of my life to arrive. God, and those around me (maybe one person in particular), have shown me to find the joy in the everyday, joy in the little things. Joy in Jesus, others, and myself. Now I wake up and challenge myself how to make that day extraordinary.
Have a cookie.
I had a good chat with a godly friend from the East Coast last night and although we talked about many things, the real thought of the evening revolved around girl scout cookies. I have a very weak spot for cookies. More for those made by my mother and grandmother, but in a pinch (basically any time when the first two options are exhausted), I will go for a girl scout cookie or six.
Now, outrage of all outrages, it is being rumored that the girl scouts are decreasing the cookie count in their boxes and continue to charge full price! But I suppose it will be like gas prices, everyone screams about it, but then it becomes the new normal and no one even blinks an eye anymore.
You see (forgive me for sounding cliche, but hang with me), life is like a box of girl scout cookies. We have always bought boxes with three cookies in it, so we come to expect every box to contain three cookies. In fact, we are quite pleased with our three cookies when we purchase the box. We enjoy every bite of the cookies, especially when we are hungry. They are OK, just like the last box we bought and ingested. We get into a routine, always expecting the same old thing, and always receiving the same old thing. We wouldn't know what to do with a fourth cookie.
What if I were to tell you that there are really supposed to be 5 cookies in the box, or even better, an enitre 12 cookies!!! What if I could tell you that when you bought a box of cookies, it was actually an all you can eat cookie buffet?
Most times we come to church and 'put in our time' expecting the same blessing and the same conviction and the same encouragement and the same challenge. We fullfill out Christianity obligation and check it off our list for the week. We enjoy it and it satisfies us, but no one realizes that there can be more. God didn't create and save mankind only to have us treat Him as a ritualistic, non-realistic deity. He gave us form, gave us breath, and gave us a way of salvation. Remember the verse that says "if even the pagans know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him." Christianity is a life altering thing. Everything you do will refer back to Christ and it will effect each and every part of your day, week, and year. God can do more than all we can ask or imagine. Don't be satisfied with three cookies.
I have been in the attitude that it is just another busy day after another busy day. Nothing special, just waiting for the next season of my life to arrive. God, and those around me (maybe one person in particular), have shown me to find the joy in the everyday, joy in the little things. Joy in Jesus, others, and myself. Now I wake up and challenge myself how to make that day extraordinary.
Have a cookie.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Forgiveness
In studying for Campus Crusade Bible study and teaching youth group recently, I have looked into what the Bible says about forgiveness. It took me somewhere I didn’t expect. It took me to the 13th chapter of 1st Corinthians. Let me show you what God showed me in His Word.
First of all, I wanted to know where forgiveness comes from. My youth said at first that it comes from your heart, but then I had to say that I wasn’t speaking anatomically. The most famous book of the Bible sheds some light on the topic. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” The only way we can have eternal life is if we are forgiven by God through Jesus Christ. The reason God desired to be able to forgive us is because of His love for us. So forgiveness stems from love. No love, no forgiveness. Hence, I arrived in 1st Corinthians 13.
Click to read passage in your preferred version: NIV, KJV, NASB, The Message.
Starting in verse 4, I took the passage line by line to see what it had to say about forgiveness. Every time the verse says “love,” insert the word “forgiveness.”
“Love is patient.” When you forgive someone, you can’t always expect an immediate positive response. You have to give God time to work on them… sometimes for years.
“Love is kind and is not jealous.” Although God blesses you through forgiveness, it is not something that is done selfishly. It has the best interest of the other person in mind. Most of the time, I takes real love to be able to do that.
“Love does not brag and is not arrogant.” Imagine if you forgave someone and then went around to all your friends telling them what a great person you were for doing it. They would probably doubt your sincerity. It takes humility to truly forgive and be forgiven.
“Love does not act unbecomingly.” Some translations use the word “rude.” This is similar to the kindness verse. Forgiveness must be genuine or else it does not exist.
“Love does not seek its own.” Again, to forgive requires a genuine desire to benefit the receiving party. When that person has hurt you, it is very, very difficult, yet, God is good.
“Love is not provoked.” If the offense is repeated, so is forgiveness. When you get to the point (by God’s patience, instruction, and grace) where you actually love your enemies, what they do to you does not effect how you think, speak, or act towards them.
“Love does not take into account a wrong suffered.” Some translations say, “Love keeps no record of wrongs.” This one was especially powerful to me. Since I was recently pulled over for a burned out tail light, it made me think of someone’s police record. Whenever you do something wrong, it goes on your record. Well, sometimes people do this too. When you forgive, however, it gives the person you are forgiving a clean record. It’s like there is nothing on it! God does this for us. He never brings up past sins, and neither should we.
“Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.” Because you care for that person, you do not count it a good thing when they sin. It does not remind you that you are so much better… for in reality, you aren’t. We have ALL sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. Our sins grieve God. As He is making us more like His Son, it will grieve us as well.
“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Forgiveness never gives up. It believes and hopes that God can and will work in the person’s life.
Something to think about. Next time you know you should forgive, but it is hard, read this passage of Scripture.
Praise God for His perfect Word.
First of all, I wanted to know where forgiveness comes from. My youth said at first that it comes from your heart, but then I had to say that I wasn’t speaking anatomically. The most famous book of the Bible sheds some light on the topic. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” The only way we can have eternal life is if we are forgiven by God through Jesus Christ. The reason God desired to be able to forgive us is because of His love for us. So forgiveness stems from love. No love, no forgiveness. Hence, I arrived in 1st Corinthians 13.
Click to read passage in your preferred version: NIV, KJV, NASB, The Message.
Starting in verse 4, I took the passage line by line to see what it had to say about forgiveness. Every time the verse says “love,” insert the word “forgiveness.”
“Love is patient.” When you forgive someone, you can’t always expect an immediate positive response. You have to give God time to work on them… sometimes for years.
“Love is kind and is not jealous.” Although God blesses you through forgiveness, it is not something that is done selfishly. It has the best interest of the other person in mind. Most of the time, I takes real love to be able to do that.
“Love does not brag and is not arrogant.” Imagine if you forgave someone and then went around to all your friends telling them what a great person you were for doing it. They would probably doubt your sincerity. It takes humility to truly forgive and be forgiven.
“Love does not act unbecomingly.” Some translations use the word “rude.” This is similar to the kindness verse. Forgiveness must be genuine or else it does not exist.
“Love does not seek its own.” Again, to forgive requires a genuine desire to benefit the receiving party. When that person has hurt you, it is very, very difficult, yet, God is good.
“Love is not provoked.” If the offense is repeated, so is forgiveness. When you get to the point (by God’s patience, instruction, and grace) where you actually love your enemies, what they do to you does not effect how you think, speak, or act towards them.
“Love does not take into account a wrong suffered.” Some translations say, “Love keeps no record of wrongs.” This one was especially powerful to me. Since I was recently pulled over for a burned out tail light, it made me think of someone’s police record. Whenever you do something wrong, it goes on your record. Well, sometimes people do this too. When you forgive, however, it gives the person you are forgiving a clean record. It’s like there is nothing on it! God does this for us. He never brings up past sins, and neither should we.
“Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.” Because you care for that person, you do not count it a good thing when they sin. It does not remind you that you are so much better… for in reality, you aren’t. We have ALL sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. Our sins grieve God. As He is making us more like His Son, it will grieve us as well.
“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Forgiveness never gives up. It believes and hopes that God can and will work in the person’s life.
Something to think about. Next time you know you should forgive, but it is hard, read this passage of Scripture.
Praise God for His perfect Word.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
One Man Stonehenge
Maybe you are tired of videos, maybe not. But either way, here is a fascinating video about the historic and practical application of physics.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
The Good Guy
Hey, y'all. Sorry I haven't been posting very much recently. I hope to start up again soon. I've been doing cardiology and IVs in class and working a few part time jobs.
Here is a film that our team did over the weekend. I really wish I could have been there. Good job guys!
Here is a film that our team did over the weekend. I really wish I could have been there. Good job guys!
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