New Thoughts!

I am attending a community bible study again this year. It is a great place to meet new people who are interested in learning more about God’s word. I love that the sole focus is the Bible. You are not allowed to name the church that you attend or talk about the latest author you are reading (not by name) or which book you found an answer out of. It is really designed to get you to find out what God’s word says more than anything else.

We are studying the book of Acts this year. It is a very exciting book. The teacher brought up a very good point this last week and I was reminded of it as I read this entry http://readshlog.blogspot.com/2006/09/why-cant-we-be-friends.html She related bringing a new believer into the church to childbirth. She noted how we can often try to force a conversion and that is just as painful and dangerous as a premature birth. It is God who prepares the hearts and if we are doing what we are suppose to, it is a very simple but powerful process. Depending on where the person is at in their understanding our job can be very different.

I was so encouraged when I realized that I don’t have to dread sharing my faith or especially how any particular person might respond. I do need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit who knows every man’s heart and He will instruct me as to how I should be responding to those that He places in my life.

Rediscovery

I have once again discovered a truth that I need to be continually reminded about. It is that when I take the time to spend with God, reading His word or praying or listening to what he is saying, I am given the strength that I need to be obedient in the things that I hear Him speaking. There is so much that I try to do that I fail at because I am doing it in my own strength and I fail again and again. God is so faithful to fill us with His power(The Spirit) to do all that He calls us to.

I find that it is kind of like what happens to me when I start exercising on a regular basis. I think that I don't have the energy to exercise because I am too tired from work or not enough sleep etc. But then I start setting the time aside to exercise and I begin to have more energy, I don't need as much sleep and I am more productive with my time.

I am doing these things now and I am amazed at how much God is giving to me to accomplish the things He has called me to do. I find that when I focus on the things of God my perspective also changes and I am less self driven and more other driven.

The Hem of His Garment

The Hem of His Garment
I left some thoughts on "One beggar's Bread" blog concerning her thoughts on feminism in the Christian church today. If anyone has some feedback on this I would be interested in hearing it.

I confess that there have been times when I have refused to trust God and just taken the lead because I was afraid of where my husband would lead us.

At the same time, I have learned that God has created me with talents and strengths that often are there to help my husband in the decision making process. I find it hard to accept that I can't or shouldn't share my insight, my heart or my concerns regarding any decision with my husband. Perhaps this is not what M2SA's is allluding to, but I am not sure.

In fact, I feel more at peace accepting who God has created me to be and learning to use discernment and love when I consider my great influence that I have as a woman.

Okay< i guess that it's time to get this blog going. I must admit one of the reasons that I don't do much here is that I am a very slow typist, also I feel it is much harder to write my thoughts than it is to speak them. I am such a verbal person and love the interaction of conversation and have the immediate feedback that it brings. I was encouraged by my dear niece to post a poem that I recently came across again. Here it is...

To allow oneself to be carried away
by a multitude of conflicting concerns,
To surrender to too many demands,
To commit oneself to too many projects,
To want to help everyone in everything,
Is to succumb to violence.

Frenzy destroys our inner capacity for peace.
It destroys the fruitfulness of our work,
because it lills the root of inner wisdom
which makes work fruitful.

Thomas Merton