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Saturday, January 21, 2012

The Word of God

How often do I speak to God, telling Him about my wants and needs, interceding for others, etc, and go on and on, but don't listen to Him? I talk and talk and talk, but the conversation is one-sided. I all too often think that it's ok to talk and share my side, but not listen to the word of the Lord Almighty!

Today I spent some much needed time in prayer. I usually write it all down in a prayer journal because my mind can so easily get distracted. So I was writing, and writing and writing. And towards the end, realized that I was the only one talking. I said my 'amen', and said to the Lord, "I want to hear from you. Speak to me. I am ready and willing to listen."

How incredible is our God that He spoke to me in a way that I am so able to understand? A song popped into my head that goes like this: (you've probably heard it before)

I love you Lord, and I lift my voice
To worship you, O my soul rejoice,
Take joy my King, in what You hear
May it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.


I stopped and thought about that word worship. Lord, teach me what it means to worship You! He said "I want you to worship me with everything you are, everything you do." When I cook, when I am working, as I go about my everyday routine, how I interact with others, how I speak and act towards my husband, how I act as a sister, daughter, neighbor.

I was so encouraged because the Lord has spoken truth into my heart, that I needed to hear! Then I opened my Bible and read Romans 12.

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

Usually, when people gave sacrifices, they were dead animals and then the priests ate the meat and there was no more of the sacrifice. It was completely gone. But to think about a LIVING sacrifice... wow. I am a walking, living, breathing sacrifice for the Lord! I can choose actions and thoughts that will show Him worship and praise, or not. I pray for grace to show Him worship and praise!

Anyway, I just wanted to encourage you and share how I was encouraged. I want to show to the world that HE is my all-satisfying treasure!!!!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Back in action!

This week was somehow the fastest week ever!!!! This was our first "official" week back at school. And it went by quicker than the first week of school did! How does that happen?

It went by so fast in fact, that I accidentally kept a kinder class (the worst one, mind you) 7 minutes over! With my principal in the room! Ah! Whhyyyy??

But it was a great week. Just good to be back in a routine and get started on teaching these kiddos new things!

And one little boy peed his pants today in my class. And sadly, I had no sympathy for him. And let me explain why.

1. Since the very first day I met him he said "I need to go potty." Now, normally, I don't let anybody, and I mean anybodygo to the bathroom in my class. (Hey, I only see them for 50 minutes a week!) But this was the first week of school so I let him go. He stayed in there for a while, which was ridiculous, so I told his teacher, and she said, 'yeah. I wouldn't let him go to the bathroom in your class." Ok, that was that.

2. He still asks me "to go potty" about 3-5 times a class period. And this is after his teacher has told me specifically that he has already gone.

3. He doesn't follow directions, so that automatically makes me disinclined to let him go.

4. If you met him, you would understand.

Anyway, so he totally peed his pants... and he will still not be able to use the restroom in my class. (I know, I'm that cruel.)


Sorry, I just needed to share that story with you.

How has 2012 been treating you so far? :)

lisa

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Hope and Newness in 2012

Last night Mike and I celebrated the New Year with our friend Sam in town. I made some spinach-artichoke dip cups, and buffalo chicken dip. Let's just say, we had our fill of cream cheese for the evening! It was just so funny because we don't have any TV in our apartment, so in the middle of watching 'Heroes' on DVD (my new addiction), Mike ran and got the champagne out of the fridge and was struggling to get it open. "Watch out, this top could fly!" He warned us. And then the top just dropped to the ground.

I was laughing because it was just so anti-climactic, and then once we had some champagne in our glasses, I just looked at my watch and we started counting down just in time. I couldn't even finish the countdown because I was laughing so hard at how lame we all felt. It was so funny.

So when I finally went to bed (man, who stays up till midnight anymore??) I was just thinking about this new year, and how for so many people the New Year is the only time where they feel they have some sort of hope and a chance to have a fresh start and new beginning. Then I thought, "Wow. As a Christian, we have a hope eternal every second of the year, and we have been given a fresh, clean, white as snow start for the rest of our lives when we made the choice to follow Christ!!!

How incredible is that??!!

What a blessing to know that we don't need to put our hope in ourselves to make resolutions that will never be perfectly kept, because we ourselves aren't perfect!

How amazing to know that this feeling of hope, ABOUNDS in us, and that we are filled with it throughout the rest of our lives, not just on New Years?! Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

How awesome to have that sensation of newness all the time? That God has made us a completely new creation, and what we despise; our sin, all our nastiness, He has forgotten and sent away as far as the east is from the west and remembers no more?! Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away, behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 He has renewed us by the power of the Holy Spirit! And there is no greater sense of renewal than that! He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5

(And let's just make something clear here: It's not about what we do. We aren't saved by our 'righteous deeds' because our deeds are as filthy rags according to God. "And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment..." Isaiah 64:6)

So I fell asleep thinking about that, and then today at church, we turned to that verse in 2 Corinthians 5, and our pastor was talking about the exact same thing I had thought about!

This new year isn't about living simply an 'improved' life, it's about living a new life, in Christ. Don't go back to that old self that is dead. Don't try to live like a caterpillar when God has transformed you into a butterfly.

Live this new year in the NEW life Christ has given you with joy, peace, and incredible hope!

Have a joyful 2012!
lisa

oh and ps: black-eyed peas are official disgusting in my book. Just had some for the first time. Yuck! But yay for you if you like them!