Exercise and Atrophy

I have had an injured shoulder for quite some time.  This injury had made exercising a bit tricky.  And quite frankly it has been a great excuse to just kick back and take it easy especially being summer.  You know give the injury time to heal.  Take a bit of time off.  Well the time off has turned in to weeks, actually a couple of months to be exact of very inconsistant exercise.  I have been known to say that the Gym I belong to has become my biggest charity!  But my body has certainly missed the exercise.  Mary Jane has been once again flapping in the wind.  Not good.  So today I went to my class, injured shoulder and all!  I was exhausted, but it really did feel good!  As I was lifting and really beginning to sweat, did I mention I HATE sweating, a question popped in to my mind; "What happenes when you become lazy spiritually?"  "Lazy?  Who said I was lazy", I thought not liking the question very much.  But I have to say the question plagued me all day.  Am I spiritually lazy?  Do I have that tendancy?  Do I really want to atrophy my spirit?  You know as I have pondered this question I have to say I think I am spiritually lazy.  As I began to take spiritual inventory I was not liking what I was finding.  I rarely miss a day when I read my Bible.  But do I always retain what I read?  Sometimes I honestly can't remember what I've read five minutes after putting my Bible down.  I do talk to God all day long but often times it does seem to be a one sided conversation.  You could even call it a monolog.  So I guess the bottom line is today I was really challenged by the Holy Spirit to not negelect exercising my spiritual muscle. To not go through the motions.  If I am going to love the Lord my God with all my heart, all my soul and with all your mind then I need to give Him my all.  That means all of my attention as well.  I have to work hard at my relationship with Him.  Give Him my best efforts and not my left overs.  I was especially reminded of this in 1 Chronicles 28:9 where David says to Solomon, "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever."  David was dealing with the bitter regret of his sin which cost him dearly. While he was certainly forgiven by God, there were still consequenses that he had to face.  He would not be allowed to build God's house.  His son Solomon was to be given that honor.  Being spiritually lazy can have long lasting consequences if not quicky recognized and corrected.  2 Samual chapter 11 tell us of David who chose to not go to war when kings when to war.  He stayed home, lusted after a woman who was not his wife.  He took her as if she were.  When she told him she was pregnant, he called her valliant husband home from war so he would have relations with his wife and think the child was his own.  But Uriah was more honorable than David and slept outside instead.  So David sends him back to battle with a letter to his commandar Joab to place Uriah in the front lines.  And Uriah dies.  It has been said that sin will cost you more that you ever thought you would pay, take you further than you ever wanted to go, and keep you longer than you ever wanted to stay.  I love David's counsel to his son.  I am sure it was said with all the love and longing he could muster.  He knew what sin had cost him and he knew how he got there and why he stayed so long.  I am glad I exercised today.  But I am so very glad the Holy Spirit reminded me of my own tendancies to be spiritually lazy.  To Him Be the Glory!!!

Kindergarten, Differences and Standing Alone

Life is full of firsts.  Today was a first.  Today was my 5 year old granddaughter's first day of Kindergarten.  It seems like yesterday when her mom was in kindergarten.  Time does really fly doesn't it.  We talk alot about firsts but we seem to forget the lasts.  Yesterday was Kaitlyn's last day of summer.  It was her last day of not being in "real" school.  From now until she graduates, school will be a very important part of her life.  Her parents have thus far been the sole investors in her young life.  (Ok we grandparents have also played a big role.  But we are the nice guys!!)  They have loved her, encouraged her, disciplined her, cherished her, and taught her right from wrong.  They have lived out their faith before her and have sown seeds of the Christian faith.  They have watered and nourished her very young trust.  They will continue to provide for all of her needs mind, body, emotional and spiritual but their time investment will continue to decrease as she spends more and more time away from their tender care.  That is life isn't it.  That is how it goes.  And it goes so very fast.

I remember two things about my Kindergarten year.  One was I could not wait to learn to read.  And once I mastered that task, I read everything I could.  I love to read!  The second thing I remember most about Kindergarten was Tony.  I was raised in a predominantly white area and Tony was African American.  I was fascinated.  I had never met a black person that was my age and with whom I could interact.  As I mentioned yesterday, I really do ask a lot of questions.  I remember finding Tony on the jungle gym and bombarding him with questions like:  Have you always been chocolate?  Can I touch your skin?  Does the color rub off?  I was meserized with his short wirey hair and I had to touch it.  So I asked permission.  I remember being surprised to find it soft as I thought it would be course. For one Kindergarten year, Tony and I became fast friends.  The next year we went to seperate schools and I never saw him again.

As these memories came rushing over me this morning, I prayed for Tony.  I don't know where he is today or if he is even a believer but I felt the need to pray for him.  God brought him to mind for a reason.  You see Tony stood out. He stood alone. He was different from me, he stood out and as the only black in my class he stood alone and I certainly noticed. 

As Kaitlyn begins her journey today in the academic arena, will she stand out?  Will she stand alone? And if she does what about her will make others notice her?  I hope it is her faith in Jesus.  My prayer for my sweet grandaughter is that she will develop a steadfast and unwavering faith in Christ.  I pray she will become utterly dependent upon her Saviour.  And for that I pray she stands out. She may even have to stand alone.   "For I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew and then for the Gentile."  Romans 1:16 

So my sweet Kaitlyn always be willing to "stand alone" if necessary for the sake of the Gospel"   And always remember this from Philippians one verse 6, "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus"   Always remember that you are "God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do."  I love you with all my heart!  Nana

A Heart Belonging to Him--The Journey

I am a follower of Jesus Christ and have been since I was 14 years old. I believe in a real God who exist in 3 persons (that is a weird concept, one God 3 persons.  We will save that discussion for another day).  I believe alot of things about God.  And I have learned to believe through pursing Him, following Him, learning from Him, asking millions and yes I mean millions of questions.  Do I have all the answers to all of my questions?  No   But I still am asking.
Believing God is not always easy for me. There are days when I have such great times with God.  I seem to see Him everywhere.  I feel His presence.  I hear His voice.  I delight in His Word, the Bible.  No matter what happens on those days...nothing can seperate me from my God.  But then there are days when I don't see Him, feel Him, hear His voice and my time in His Word feels more like a distracted duty.  Everything seems to seperate me from God. I seem to doubt everything including God.  Ever been there?  The fact of the matter is God is always with me whether I feel Him or not.  I may not see Him but His eye is constantly on me.  And quite frankly, if I don't hear Him it is probably because I am not really listening.  But He is.  If I am not delighting in His Word, it is probably because I am distracted.  I am not giving Him my full attention.  It's on those days that believing is hard for me.  Not because God has changed but because in my heart I am choosing to not believe what God says and to believe my feelings instead.
I don't know where you are.  I don't even know if you know who God is?  Have ever heard of Jesus or the Holy Spirit.  If you do know God then you too are on the journey.  If you don't or are not sure then why not begin by asking God if He is really real?  Just ask.  He truly will answer if you are serious about seeking.  "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."  (Matthew 7:7-8 ESV) If you really want to know Him you will find Him because He says you will.  He really is a lot of fun.  He is totally trustworthy.  He is faithful.  He actually means what He says.  He also does what He says He will do.  He loves unconditionally.  That means no strings attached.  He has a way of just showing up when you really need Him.  He does not work alone but he works in and through those He calls His own...that would be His family...of which I am a daughter. 
Years ago, when my youngest daughter was going through a really rought time, my dad wrote to her and asked her to look at the sunset.  He told her God painted it just for her because He wanted to see her smile.  Have you ever looked a spectacular sunset and considered that perhaps God was thinking about making you smile with the beauty of His amazing creativity?   "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands." Psalm 91:1 (NIV)