Posted by Rebecca Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:53:00 GMT
I don’t have a very large readership, but for those of you who are loyal fans, I want you to know that my blog will be down for a few days this weekend.
This is to allow a transfer to a new server. The address will remain the same.
Posted by Rebecca Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:35:00 GMT
Posted by Rebecca Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:51:00 GMT
1.) Israel
2.) Every square inch of England
3.) New Zealand
4.) Mare Tranquillitatis - I’m not kidding.
5.) All the places I have to go to in order to see the 7 natural wonders of the world
6.) The Redwood Forest
That’s all I can think of right now, but I’m sure that’s enough for a lifetime. Unless I strike it rich. Then I’ll be able to do all of the above in a very short span of time and will have to imagine new and glorious places to see.
Posted by Rebecca Wed, 21 Jan 2009 04:28:00 GMT
Hey, it’s me. Arrogant, irreverent me. We need to talk.
Here’s the skinny. I’ve got a problem. A big one. I can’t fix it. You can.
I have a veneer. And, I think too much. It appears I have two problems.
Somehow I’ve got to let people in. I keep them at a distance through a variety of tactics only You understand. This gets me nowhere, and I think in some odd way it deprives them of something they need from me. Sounds arrogant at first, but if I need things from them, it makes sense that they would need things from me. So that’s where I’m coming from.
Also, I keep myself from living. I keep myself from freedom. I’m overcome by determining the meaning of everything. I spend all my time thinking and little time doing. So, I need to become more of a doer. A doer of your Word. And I just need to live.
So, You know I’ve had this going on for awhile, and You gently led me to this discovery. So I’m here, where I need to be, confessing it to You.
What are you gonna do about it?
Posted by Rebecca Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:44:00 GMT
Being an authentic Christian in our culture is difficult. We are constantly bombarded by things that attempt to erode our willingness to stick to our values. Temptations present themselves to us daily, and we are unpopular.
We are not of this world but we live in it. We know that we are to respect and pray for our leaders, because all authority comes from the Living G-d whom we serve. How then, do we honor leaders who support things in which we don’t believe?
I don’t always agree with everything John Piper states, but I felt like this sermon, given around the time Clinton was inaugurated, addresses this issue of honor and clearly demonstrates the kind of attitude that authentic Christians should take regarding those in authority.
It’s a long article, but it’s a worthy read, in my opinion.
Posted by Rebecca Fri, 16 Jan 2009 19:31:00 GMT
1 I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the LORD.”
2 Our feet are standing
Within your gates, O Jerusalem,
3 Jerusalem, that is built
As a city that is compact together;
4 To which the tribes go up, even the
tribes of the LORD–
An ordinance for Israel–
To give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5 For there thrones were set for judgment,
The thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.”
7 “May peace be within your walls,
And prosperity within your palaces.”
8 For the sake of my brothers and my
friends,
I will now say, “May peace be
within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your good.
–Psalm 122, NASB
For those of you who haven’t seen the news lately, the conflict between the Arabs and Israel has escalated to insanity. Israel has pretty much invaded Gaza and as a result, the anti-semitic attitude that has lain relatively dormant around the globe has suddenly exploded.
I personally believe that the Church needs to stand their ground and support Israel, regardless of what the circumstances look like.
Pray for Israel. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Our brothers need us.
Posted by Rebecca Fri, 16 Jan 2009 04:33:00 GMT
For people like me who are reclusive by nature, intentionally spending time with people can be difficult.
But it is a very good thing.
Being around someone different often reveals to me or reminds me of areas in my life that need work. I’m a fairly confident person, and on a really good day I’m probably too confident. In general I’m aware that I need improvement, but it is good to be reminded of specific areas.
For example, being around a person who considers things more carefully than me before forming opinions about them can serve as a reminder that it is not wise to jump to conclusions.
Being around someone who is not as vocal as I am can remind me that sometimes it’s good to keep your mouth shut. But I’m the fool who opens her mouth and removes all doubt. Sometimes there’s a pearl, but usually it’s just noise.
Being around someone who is more gracious to the human race in general can serve to remind me that I’m as arrogant in some ways as humanity, which I regularly berate as being arrogant.
I’m not beating up on myself here - just making a statement that relationships - whether they are acquaintances, friendships, romantic partners, siblings, parents, coworker - can serve a greater purpose than just fulfilling our basic needs for love and companionship. People can be instruments of revelation, so it’s good to be around them. They show us ourselves, sometimes when they aren’t even trying.
Posted by Rebecca Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:17:00 GMT
Prayer should be the first place we start with anything.
Lose your job? Pray first, then submit resumes.
Sick? Pray first, then go to the doctor.
Need to break a bad habit? Pray first, then create a plan for success.
I forget to do this a lot. So when I think about it, I actually pray that I’ll remember to pray. But if I forget to pray, I just pray when I think about.
But sometimes, I’m driven to pray. It’s in those times that I feel like prayer isn’t really practical, because I HAVE SO MUCH TO PRAY FOR!
Think about it. Pray for your leaders. Pray for the persecuted church. Pray for your missionaries. Pray for the hungry. Pray for the troops. Pray for your coworkers. Pray for your friends. Pray for the people listed in the church bulletin. Pray for the zillion prayer requests you get through email. Pray for your sister. Pray for your brother. Pray for you father, G-d knows he needs it! Pray for your mother. Pray for your best friend.
Oh, and then there are your own needs to pray for.
It adds up and quickly equals overwhelming.
I used to feel like I was beating my head against the wall because it would take me like two hours to pray for all that stuff, and I barely have twenty minutes of peace and quiet at any point during the day when I can actually focus and pray. I live in a noisy city that’s full of noisy people. It’s hard for me to pray in that environment.
So I prayed about praying and this is what the L-rd led me to that works pretty well for me.
I made a list of static things to pray for: government, troops, persecuted church, missionaries, etc. This list also includes family members and those who the Lord has laid on my heart for salvation.
Then I prayed for a part of that list on different days, or sometimes I’d say a general prayer, like Lord bless my family and help them where they need it. Help them know you better. Etc.
After that, I gave myself the freedom to pray for things when they crossed my mind - giving credit to the spirit for bringing them to my attention.
Then I moved, lost the list, and never made a new one. I’m getting that done pretty soon.
So, if you are busy, ADD, forgetful, or overwhelmed, think about coming up with a plan that will help you improve your prayer life. And give yourself some grace. G-d does.
And oh, if you think about, pray about your plan first.
Posted by Rebecca Fri, 09 Jan 2009 05:16:00 GMT
Posted by Rebecca Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:43:00 GMT
I think I left it in Arkansas.
That would be the first time in a long time that I’ve managed to do that.
It’s cool, I’m glad home is home, but I need to get my head in this game. The one here in Austin. Where I’m living. Where my community is. Where my commitments are.
Ever had that problem? Where you just can’t seem to focus on where you are because the grass is greener elsewhere and you tasted something there that you just can’t get enough of?
But that’s all that was allotted to me for that time. Just a glimpse. Just a taste. And it may be all I ever get. I don’t know. I can’t even fathom what tomorrow will be like, let alone 2010.
So I need to get my heart back here. I need to focus here, on the people here. On the world here.
L-rd help me do that, and while you’re at, show me that you are enough to satisfy every desire that I have. I’m tired of chasing ghosts.
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