We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it.
Proverbs 16:9 MSG
Training Journal – 8/11/12:
Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you.
– Psalm 88:1
I read that verse this morning and was hit by the fact that
I often replace the word ‘saves’ with ‘serves’ in my thinking…
…forgive me, Lord.
Training Journal – 7/10/12:
Inspiring:
“The oldest marathon runner in the world, Britain-based Fauja Singh, has ended on a high at the age of 101 years…As the Indian-origin athlete completed the 26-mile London Marathon on Sunday in a record time of seven hours and 49 minutes, he announced this would be his last race.”
“In all, Fauja, who turned 101 on April 1, has run eight full marathons in the last 12 years. He started running professionally at the age of 89.”
Read the whole story at IBN Live: Fauja Singh retires from full marathons – Sports – Athletics – ibnlive.
Convicting:
“We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.”
1 John 4:19-21 [NIV]
Training Journal – 4/24/I12:
I’ve been reading through the Pauline Letters and was in 1 Timothy this morning. Sometimes I like checking passages out in other versions – Da Jesus Book (the Hawai’i Pidgin Bible) is often a favorite:
We all say dis:
Da stuff bout God, dat befo time was secret, dass importan fo real kine.
Christ wen come, wit one body jalike us.
Godʼs Spirit wen show proof dat Christ stay right.
Da angel guys from God wen see him.
His guys wen teach da diffren peopos all ova da world bout him.
Get peopo inside da world dat trus him.
God wen take him back to da awesome place inside da sky.
– Numba 1 Fo Timoty 3:16 – da Jesus Book
Training Journal – 2/4/12:
I read this the other day and it hit me that we often see it incorrectly…
We read:
“…giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.”
Colossians 1:12 NIV
We often think:
“…giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has seen all the good things we do, understands the shortfalls we have, and recognizes that we are entitled and deserve to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.”
…forgive us me, oh God.
Training Journal – 12/23/11:
[YouTube link]
There’s no silver or gold
And no treasure untold
That could draw me away from Your heart
Neither love of myself
Or of anyone else will do
Jesus nothing compares
To this grace that rescued me
Saviour now and forever
Your face is all I seek
Now all I am, I lay at Your feet
I’m humbled by the wonder of Your majesty
One thing I know, I find all I need
In Your unending love
In Your unending love
Letting go of my pride
I lay down my desires
Just to worship in Spirit and truth
More than all of my dreams
More than fame I will seek You Lord
…may it me so in me, oh Lord.
Worship leaders aren’t supposed to mess up while leading – it’s just the way it is supposed to be, right?
Wrong. Well at least partly…
I “brain faded” this morning while leading – not because I didn’t know the words, not because I didn’t know the chords, not because someone distracted me…
…because I “heard” the words I was singing during the song How Great is the Love.
Sure, I “hear” the words all the time, but this morning, the Holy Spirit decided to punch me while leading.
The lyrics that got me were:
The weight of the cross
The curse of our shame
You carried it all and rose from the grave
How great is the love
How great is the love of our Savior
What hit me was the way I trivialize sin and cheapen the Cross…
…forgive me God.
As those three items – and a load of others – bombard us over the next six-plus weeks, I resolve (and challenge you) to remember:
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us … And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”
John 1:14, 16 ESV
Pastor John spoke a bit from Lamentations 3 yesterday in church…
19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
21 Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
The handwritten note in the margin near verses 22-24 reads: “Respnsv Trust”
I wrote that back in 2009 while reading the Bible in 90 Days at church…I recall blogging about it as well:
Responsive Trust. 3:22-24. How can the writer say “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.”? The statement about His great love, compassion, and faithfulness are from a heart that has experienced them and heard about them in the lives of ancestors of old. How can we say this? The same way – we’ve probably experienced them and heard about them in the lives of those we know. It is easy to forget these testimonies in the midst of trials, but we must cling to the TRUTH of God’s unchanging character! THANK YOU GOD!!
Good stuff…
…true Stuff…
…Faithful God!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5, 6 NIV
I recall memorizing these verses
with the word “acknowledge” in it…
…”acknowledging” has such a different
connotation than “submitting.”
(at least in my oft-unyielding mind)
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