Archive - February, 2009

Generosity

February 24, 2009 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

I was reading through the story of the Israelites as they built the Tabernacle in Exodus, and I came upon this passage.

Exodus 35:2-7
2 Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. 3 They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. 4 So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work 5 and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done.“ 6 Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more,7 because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.

The Israelites just kept giving and giving and giving… They gave until the craftsman actually said, “Stop!”

What about us?

Are we giving to God, to our Churches, to others like that?

Just a thought…

in Christ,

Isaiah

Frustrating!

February 18, 2009 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

What a day!  Wow… since lunch where I began spilling everything all over myself it has been a rough day.  I’m not going to relate here all that happened because that would be petty, unprofessional and definitely not Christ-like.  Lets just say it was a frustrating day…

Then I read this:

Isaiah 40:28, 29 (ESV)

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Apparently I forget how good and awesome and mighty God is.  Instead of praying for power and strength while I was being frustrated, I let frustration boil.  So I guess I need to ask myself:

Have you not known?  Have you not heard?

God is good, and everlasting!

Frustration is neither.

As I read that, and as I write this, I can feel the frustration peeling off of me.  God is in control… he is good and mighty, everlasting and never failing.

Focus on Him in frustrating times…

in Christ,

Isaiah

Mondays

February 16, 2009 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

Today was Monday… I usually loathe Mondays.  They are my least favorite day, least creative day, and the hardest day for me to get up.  This morning that was compounded on by a massive headache that has slowly disappeared as the day has gone by.

Now that I’ve gone on a rant about Mondays, I want to figure out how I can change my perception about Monday.  Today I started realizing that since I’m not as creative on Mondays, I should move creative tasks to another day (duh!).

So that’s what I’ve done, I moved some creative tasks to another day and moved the organizing tasks to today.  I have to say… this Monday has been enjoyable, aside from the headache.

What do you do to tackle Mondays?

in Christ,

Isaiah

So long as we imagine it is we who have to look for God, we must often lose heart. But it is the other way about—He is looking for us.

February 15, 2009 in quote with 0 Comments

So long as we imagine it is we who have to look for God, we must often lose heart. But it is the other way about—He is looking for us.
Simon Tugwell

Thirsty hearts are those whose longings have been wakened by the touch of God within them.

February 12, 2009 in quote with 0 Comments

Thirsty hearts are those whose longings have been wakened by the touch of God within them.
A. W. Tozer

SCC – visiting the Alliance youth

February 12, 2009 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

This evening I departed for Alliance to visit Gabriel Tyce Bruton and his youth group at the Alliance Christian Church.  I left Scottsbluff, confident of the route to the church, and excited for the opportunity to speak.  Upon entering Alliance, I realized that though I knew the address, I didn’t know where this certain street was in Alliance.  I texted Gabe, swallowing my pride, and found that I had passed the street… oops.

Once I arrived and Gabe introduced me, we began a lesson on Doubt… discussing our own doubts and how God can use the doubts in our lives to draw us closer to him.  I then was able to share about Summit Christian College, and a little of my story.

The lesson finished, we played a game that you may or may not be familiar with.  Though known by a few names, tonight it was called, “Honey if you love me, would you please please smile”.  One person, stuck in the middle of a circle, must say the previous phrase, “Honey, if you love me, would you please please smile?” to one certain person in the circle.  That person must then respond, “Honey I love you, but I just can’t smile” without smiling, of course.  The game with the Alliance youth was quite fun, and we all shared some hearty laughter.

While I was driving home, I realized that I had been re-energized.  I have had several weeks since I visited youth, and have been mostly in a planning/paperwork/phone call stage of my job.  It was invigorating to get back to doing what I love, sharing God’s love and promoting a college that I think is making a difference for the Kingdom.

What energizes you?

in Christ,

Isaiah

Re-design

February 11, 2009 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

You may notice the redesign of my blog, if only to note the new ability to comment thanks to Disqus.  Mostly it is simply a different template, a change of the outer shell.

One thing you’ll find about me is that I like to change things… that isn’t to say that I like change.  Change that I don’t control scares me, and I usually don’t like it.

This got me thinking about how God changes us.  When we become Christians, God’s love and His Spirit should be changing us.  Our priorities should change to God’s priorities.

That’s where I realized that we all need a re-design that only God can give.  He can change us from that selfish person to an un-selfish man/woman of God.  As we follow God, we need to be continually changing into the person that God wants us to be.

What needs to be redesigned in your life?

in Christ,

Isaiah

Every Christian should start their day with the Bible in one hand, and the newspaper in the other.

February 2, 2009 in quote with 0 Comments

Every Christian should start their day with the Bible in one hand, and the newspaper in the other.
Karl Barth