tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48901223415667740172024-02-21T06:17:56.093-08:00Sometimes I Make SenseMy blog is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get. Sometimes deep, philosophical and theological questions and debates, sometimes half-baked theories on the world around me, sometimes just general updates on what's going on in my life. Take a look around, feel free to comment, enjoy!Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-17638018753713621652014-03-30T16:25:00.001-07:002014-03-30T17:40:55.023-07:00Tom ShortI'm ba-ack! Trying to start blogging again, pray I keep it up.<div>Tom Short spoke at church today. Always love hearing him speak. I love Scripture-based sermons, don't get me wrong. But the occasional, strictly application sermons (while still 100% Biblical, mind you) are refreshing. Tom, as you might know, is a campus, open air preacher, whose goal is to engage young people in open discussions about faith, God, creation, etc. his sermon today was on the top questions he gets asked on campus. Of course, one of the number one questions is about gay marriage. I'm not going to stir the debate, but I liked a few of his points. His main point of the whole sermon was that people ask the questions, sure, but they typically have a point behind the question. The real issue, as it were. The point behind this one (typically) is that Christians are hateful bigots. We try to deny love or rights or whatever to people who believe counter to our beliefs. And that's exactly the point. We didn't come up with this. This is *God's* truth. He is the one who determines what's right and what's wrong, not us. If there is no God, sure, we can say this is right or this is wrong, however we decide (and however aligns with our desires, we wouldn't call it wrong if we wanted to do it). But there is a God and He is clear. Homosexuality is wrong. Tom follows up to say, this in no way allows for us to hate homosexuals. Christ died for ALL, so we must love all. But love does not accept sin in any form. Love the sinner but hate the sin. The more you love someone, the more you'll hate their sin. Tom's illustration today was a high school friend of his who wanted to start doing drugs. Tom vehemently tried to convince him not to, not because Tom wanted to deny his rights or didn't want him to follow his desires, but because drugs are wrong. There were others around Tom doing drugs and he didn't care. But his friend, whom he loved, that was a different story. </div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I guess the moral is, look past the question to the heart behind the question. Convincing someone that gay marriage is wrong will do nothing to convince them that there is a God and He decides what's right and wrong. And love the sinner, but hate the sin. </span></div>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-54834539702094781082012-04-30T19:56:00.001-07:002013-01-14T04:02:10.372-08:00in the world, not of the worldReligion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27 ESV)<br />
<br />
I was reading this tonight and I thought, how does one keep oneself "unstained from the world."? I mean, we are called to reach a world that is perishing, to jump in and throw a lifeline to those sinking in their own sin. How can we then stay dry? I started thinking about that line between "in the world" and "of the world." Oftentimes, it is so blurry. We're raised to believe that God is black or white, right or wrong. But lately I've been lead by God to explore when and how He works in the gray areas. Please do not misunderstand, God is the same yesterday, today and forever and He absolutely has laid out for us rights and wrongs. Many things in His word are laid out in black and white, whether we choose to believe it, or twist it with interpretation. A lot of times, He speaks clearly, with a megaphone. But He chooses to whisper in the wind sometimes, to bolster our faith and keep us seeking after Him. I mean, if He laid it all out for us, what need would we have to learn more about Him. We'd just be robots, carrying out his programming.<br />
Anyways, this has diverged from my original subject, but some good thoughts nonetheless. What do you think?Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-67690953953623960522011-11-20T18:23:00.000-08:002013-01-14T04:00:12.059-08:00Godly counselI've been thinking a lot about this lately. As I told Keegan earlier, I have about 15 mini-blogs bouncing around my head and this is the most formulated one. <br />
What is godly counsel? More importantly what <i>isn't</i> it? What's it's purpose? I mean, if God told you something, why do you need to inquire of sinful man? Let's explore.<br />
A lot of people think godly counsel is "I did this, what do you think?". Please let me be plain in my speech, there is no place for godly counsel after-the-fact. NONE. The only two scenarios are: 1) "I agree with your decision. Good job!", which is nothing more than stroking your ego. Or 2) "I disagree with your decision. Badly done!", which hurts the relationship (we all know the strain a relationship suffers when one party does something the other party doesn't like. How can you be friends with someone who does something against your wishes. Or further, how can you be friends with someone who disagrees with something you do? Not impossible, but certainly not easy).<br />
Godly counsel is also not even, "what should I do?". This is probably the most common misconception about godly counsel. That's called <i>advice</i>. Much different that godly counsel. God is in charge of telling you what to do, just ask and listen. ASK and LISTEN. He <i>will</i> answer. As I told Barbara earlier, "I'm not here to tell you God's will, I'm here to confirm it." I think that too many times this is how younger Christians approach counsel. On the flip side, I think this also keeps people from seeking Godly counsel, thinking we're just going to boss you around.<br />
Now back to our previously posed question, if God told you something, why do you need confirmation? Shouldn't you just have faith? The important point here is we are to test the spirits (1 John 4:1). Not every thought in our mind is from God (that's kind of a "duh" statement, but sometimes we really need to hear those). But trust, my friend, He will make sure you know it's Him if you just <i>wait</i>. We have no patience (and at the same time, no sense of urgency in those matters that invoke urgency, hmm). We heard an answer, and BOOM! we're off in that direction, 100 miles an hour, no brakes. We don't have time to slow down and test that answer against what God has already said, and especially not against what others have experienced. Besides, it's the answer I want, and what if my counsel says I shouldn't. That just shows how confident you are in your walk with God. I mean, if you truly where listening and hearing from God, He's not going to contradict Himself and yank the rug out from under you. But let's face it, sometimes we hear what we want to hear. That's why it's important to have those outside of the situation who can be logical and don't have a dog in that fight. Those people have a less clouded picture of what's going on. <br />
So, we should have no reason to fear godly counsel. God won't give you two different directions. And by allowing someone else authority in your life, you strengthen that relationship all the more.Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-61430932536948183802011-09-21T19:37:00.001-07:002011-09-21T19:39:35.786-07:00don't let the sun go down on your angerAnger. It's so infuriating.<br/><br/>Here's what really pisses me off about anger. Say something hurts your feelings. It takes literally 0.00000000000000001 seconds for that insult (plus or minus air quotes) to make you angry. Then, you start the inevitable ping pong match in your mind of determining if it is legitimate enough to be brought up to the person. You tell God to make the anger go away, you try to put it out of your mind. Then you think that you should bring it up to them. But something stops you. Maybe circumstances. Maybe God. Maybe something inside you that says "Hey, this was a legitimate hurt. They deserve to suffer for it, don't just forgive them right away." Because how many of us have ever had a conversation with someone about something they did that hurt you and you walked away even more angry? Rare (though I'm sure it happens). So if you bring up, it gets resolved then and there. And you deserve to harbor that anger for a while, I mean YOU'RE the victim after all. So you start working on this conversation you promise you'll have eventually, just not right now. Then, all these issues that you thought you had given to God and/or gotten over start coming to mind again. And you have to, yet again, determine if they're worth bringing up or you're just being petty (as we've determined you are capable of being). There comes another ping pong match, between feeling silly about being still angry about this stupid little quirk and all the little things they do that annoy you mounting up into this Voltron of a problem where you're wondering if they even care about you. Then, you get into that unstable balance of deciding you're probably, most likely going to have the conversation. But, you start thinking, "hey, I've been giving them the silent treatment this whole time, why haven't THEY come to talk to ME? Why do I always have to be the mature one?" And that pity party, my friends, is crippling. You long for someone to approach you, without provocation or prompting and just say "I hurt you and I'm sorry." I wonder if it ever gets any easier.<br/>We talked at homegroup tonight about people that live their lives for themselves and give their lives to Christ on their deathbed. But in all honesty, I much rather envy the ones who believe in Christ but don't care if they live up to the way He desires all Christians to live and behave. It so much easier than really pursuing change in your life through the power of Christ. But as the saying goes, "it's simple, it ain't easy."<br/>I realize this blog reveals some ugly things about me. I'm hoping you can relate, and if not, not think any lesser of me. I'm just being honest. Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-4856480815554403352011-08-07T18:50:00.001-07:002011-08-07T18:50:48.977-07:00pruned? or cut off?I was reading in the life of Jesus and He's talking to His disciples on the night He was betrayed. He tells them (among other things) how He is the true vine and God is the gardener. He tells them that God cuts off branches that do not produce fruit and prunes branches that do so they will produce even more. I know sometimes it's hard to see the fruit that our service is producing, because it's subtle (thing a river carving a path in a rock) and/or takes place over time (think planting a seed, it takes a lot of time and other things outside of your control for it to grow). If you can't pinpoint the fruit in your life, when hard times come and you feel like your in a drought, it's easy to wonder "am I being cut off, or just pruned?" As followers of Christ, we are expected to bear fruit, and if we are following Him with our whole hearts, trust me, brothers and sisters, He will bring the fruit. I know pruning and being cut off probably feel the same to the subject, but take heart in knowing that He will not cut you off if you are bearing fruit. BUT, He will prune you and that might hurt and seem really unfair in the meanwhile ("but God, I'm doing what you asked."). On the other end, however, you will produce even MORE fruit than if you had just kept with "what works." That's my word of encouragement for the day, enjoy! :)Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-61893910035907466532011-07-26T17:14:00.000-07:002011-07-26T17:14:13.926-07:00be alertI was reading in the Gospels yesterday and Jesus was talking about how He would come back at an unknown hour. He uses numerous parables for examples (homeowner and the thief, the bridesmaids and the lamps, etc.) to show how no one could ever know when the time will come. He goes on and on about how it will be when you least expect it and no one knows the hour. Then, He tells us to be alert and always ready. But, how is one to be ready for something when they have no idea when will occur? How can you be prepared, but not expecting the event? To throw a further twist in the story, Jesus also tells us that there will be signs to show when He is coming back (the moon and sun will become darkened and the stars will fall). So there will be signs, but you won't know when it's coming, but you should always be ready for it? Confused, I am.Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-15396605511179808472011-07-17T17:14:00.001-07:002011-07-17T17:16:39.496-07:00have to balance out the productivity of this afternoon...Hey there gang! Here's a quick update from the world of Jennifer. New job is still great, I'm learning a lot everyday. The owner/head doctor is a lot of fun and really brilliant. He's taught me and Ruth a lot about casting people's feet to make orthotics. I'm learning more about feet than I ever thought I would, lol. I see patients about 1/3 of the time (trimming back their nails and thinning/smoothing them), then the rest of the time I help Ruth with ordering orthotics and work on medical records, paperwork and computer stuff. The clinic administrator is smart as a whip too. She knows so much about feet/ankles as well as computer stuff. She wants to train me to be the IT person so her time's freed up for administrative duties. The rest of the staff is great, everyone works hard but has fun doing it. Most Fridays I have gotten off early too, to avoid overtime.<br/>In baby news, Jennifer and Erik finally had their baby! Ben Samuel Murphy, born 7/11 @ 2:09am, 8 lbs 3 oz. He is so perfect! Andi, Amanda and I were at the hospital with her parents and sister and his parents when he was born, which made for a rough day the next day with only 2 hours sleep. It was so totally worth it though. Poor Jennifer, she had a ROUGH time. She went into full labor around noon on the 10th after being at the hospital since 2 am that morning when her water broke. She started pushing around 10pm and after 2 1/2 hours he hadn't come out, so they went in and got him via c-section. She was wiped, a whole day of no food and pretty much 2 days without sleep. She's amazing. I got to see them the next day and she was up and walking. I got to witness Erik dealing with a newborn, which was precious. I feel honored and privileged to be able to see his first moments as a father and see the look on his face as he gazed on his son in the first hours of his life. I look forward to seeing what great parents he and Jennifer will be and see how God grows them in this. I'm also super-ecstatic to be a part of this little man's family and see the man God's making him to be. He's already been at work for 9 1/2 months and I love what He's done so far!! Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-60374405426811243892011-06-29T19:06:00.001-07:002011-06-29T19:06:38.073-07:00new jobOk, this one's not as awe-inspiring or deep as my previous ones, more of an update. As the title suggests, I started a new job. It's at a podiatry (foot doctor) office in Durham. It's really been pretty great. I started on Monday. I'm primarily going to be nail tech at the two Durham branches and will help assist and work with the computer system when I don't have appointments. Everyone there seems really nice and easy to get along with. Everyone seems to really like each other and enjoy working there, it's so awesome! My bosses took me to lunch yesterday to get to know me more. There seems to be quite a few really strong Christians which is really encouraging. I think this is really going to work out so I'm pretty excited.<br/>I also got Skype so feel free to hit me up if you see me on. I'm hoping to be able to Skype my family, especially my nieces. Mike tells me Michaela got put in the advanced gymnastics class for her age group, she's growing up so fast! Anyways, gotta hit the hay early since I got a big girl job that starts at 8 in Durham every weekday! :)<br/>Enjoy the 4th and be safe!!!Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-42537290640850944252011-06-22T19:05:00.001-07:002011-06-22T19:05:05.655-07:00pearl of great priceI'm still reading in the life of Jesus and I'm in the part with a lot of the parables. Let me tell you, they make me feel like I'm dense sometimes. I can totally see how the disciples needed them explained to them sometimes. I just finished reading about the "pearl of great price." It's short so I'll write the whole parable out:<br/>"Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!"<br/>I have two questions: huh? and what?<br/>Why would this guy sell everything he owned to buy this pearl? If he had enough to buy the pearl, wasn't he pretty rich anyway? And once he got the pearl, wouldn't he need to just turn around and sell it again to buy food and things to live off of? And how exactly is this Kingdom of Heaven like this guy and his beloved pearl? I am muy confused.<br/>In other news, I think I may try conversing more with my neighbor kids. They need to learn more English and I miss talking Spanish. It's a win-win.Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-71358614788297136172011-06-17T07:26:00.001-07:002011-06-17T07:26:44.834-07:00Jesus and baptismI'm reading in the gospel about the life of Jesus and came across some interesting and puzzling stuff. When talking about John and Jesus, Luke mentions that Jesus never baptized anyone, He left that to His disciples (Luke 4:2). That had me pondering "Why?" I mean, the first, obvious answer is He didn't want anyone getting a big head ("*I* was baptized by Jesus"). But, aren't all believers commanded to baptize? It's right there in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). I would appreciate any thoughts on the subject. <br/>Another thought from the passages about Jesus and John: when Elizabeth was pregnant with John, Mary came to visit. When she was in the presence of Elizabeth and John, it says John "leaped" in his mother's womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:41). It made me think how the Holy Spirit is like Furbies. When two or more believers are gathered (Matthew 18:20), Christ is among them. The Holy Spirit just stirs inside them. So very cool!! Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-79872235738986055752011-06-12T19:57:00.001-07:002011-06-12T19:57:56.623-07:00calm my anxious heartI'm reading this book and this was something really good I thought I'd share:<br/>In time of trouble, say, "First, He brought me here. It is by His will that I am in this strait place; in that I will rest." Next, "He will keep me here in His love, and give me grace in this trial to behave as His child." Then say, "He will make this trial a blessing, teaching me lessons He intends me to learn, and working in my the grave He means to bestow." And last, say, "In His good time, He can bring me out again. How and when, He knows." Therefore, say, "I am here 1) by God's appointment, 2) in His keeping, 3) under His training, 4) for His time."Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-2244212976582819522010-04-08T16:02:00.000-07:002010-04-08T17:30:26.277-07:00Happy EasterNo, this is not a note to wish you all a Happy Easter (though I really hope you had one!). It's to tell you about my happy Easter weekend. We left Thursday to visit Andi's family in Mississippi. We flew down to Jackson and got there right before dinner time. Andi's aunt, Carr, and her two boys, Mason and Barrett met us at the airport along with Andi's grandmother, Grammy. We all went out to Japanese for dinner and then played with the boys before helping with bathtime and bedtime. Then we stayed up a bit chatting.<br />The next day, we met up with Carr's confirmand (a girl she's mentoring as she goes through Confirmation) and had some coffee at a local shop called Cups. Then it was pedicure time!! We had a blast taking over this nail shop and getting our nails did! Then we stopped for lunch at a Panera-esque place before heading by Walmart to buy some bubble supplies (including 2 bubble guns for Andi and I!!!) for the boys for Easter. Then we headed back to the house and Grammy headed to her home. Then Andi and I took over "mommy duty" (picking up the boys, dropping off prescriptions for Barrett and picking up dinner and the prescriptions) while Carr was super-productive at the house, getting it ready for having family over on Sunday.<br />Saturday, we got all fancied up and went to Vicksburg for Andi's cousin's graduation luncheon at an ante-bellum home called Anchuca. It was such a pretty house and I got some great pictures. Afterwards, we dropped Carr off at Grammy's to take a catnap and Andi and I drove around Vicksburg. We saw the bridge across the Mississippi river and crossed into Louisiana for a hot minute. Afterwards, Carr left and we spent some time with Andi's Grammy and Grampy and one of her uncles (and Grampy's mean Chihuahua, Beegee). Then Grammy took us out to eat for catfish at a place called Rowdy's. It was delicious! We had a relaxing evening, reading some of their Bible trivia book, which was very interesting. Andi woke up early the next day to go to sunrise service with her Grampy while Grammy and I were rank heathens and slept in. But not for too long, we went to a pancake breakfast at their church before Sunday school. Grampy taught their Sunday school class and Andi and I got to sit in and join the discussion. It was good times and I got some great shots of Grampy teaching (he was loving it!). At church, we sang some good ol' hymns which I was loving. Then we headed back to the house to change and get things ready to head to Carr's. Grampy tried to get me to give Beegee his meds while he held, but seeing as how he's protective of Grampy, I didn't think that was a good idea. We headed to pick up Grampy's brother Nunkey and headed over to Carr's. At Carr's, we had lunch with Carr's husband James' family (sister, mother, father and stepmother and their families). Then we played with the kids in their inflatable bouncer and the bubbles. The boys had a ball and were wiped out. Barrett fell asleep not 2 seconds after his bath. The next day, our last day, we packed up everything and then James drove us all to meet Carr for lunch before Carr drove us around to a few local shops to look around. Then we headed to the airport, only to find out that the plane that was supposed to leave from Atlanta to pick us up in Jackson and go back to Atlanta for our connecting flight, ended up having mechanical problems and we needed to be re-routed. Our final itinerary sent us to Dallas/Ft. Worth, then to Greensboro/PTI, they couldn't get us directly into RDU (holidays, you know). In our layover at DFWwe saw a famous actor coming out of the restroom (he probably thought we were a little creepy, but still, awesome!!). It was the guy who played Mahoney on "Prison Break." We were picked up by our friend Jennifer and got home around 1 am Tuesday morning (which made for an interesting first day back).<br />All in all, I had a terrific time and it felt like a real vacation. I had some great experiences. Thank you to everyone who made it possible, by either driving us to or from the airport, switching days off, watching the house and Ducky for us, and especially for hosting us and treating us well and showing us (well, me. Andi'd been there before) around Vicksburg and Jackson. Thank you!!!Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-28282875373296590372010-03-24T18:19:00.001-07:002010-03-24T19:21:28.755-07:00Spring Break<div style="text-align: left;">Yes, I had a "spring break." I know you're thinking, "But Jennifer, you don't go to school." Well, I took time off of work for NCSU's spring break so I could go on a mission trip. It blows my mind that most people spend their entire spring break sleeping late and eat lots of food, or vacationing somewhere warm where they...sleep late and eats lots of food. It seems a little selfish, though I could see how people need to take a mental break after school and whatnot. Anyways, I thought I'd blog about our time there so everyone who couldn't come and everyone who was praying for us would know how it went.</div><div>We left late Saturday afternoon, most of us in the church van and those who were coming back early driving separate. We made pretty good time getting down there, despite a failed attempt at stopping for dinner at South of the Border (what place in this day and age doesn't accept credit cards?). At least people got to see this landmark. So, we got there late Saturday night, meeting at Rob and Jacob's house, two guys that are involved with the church down there (Rob is the pastor, Robbie McAlister's son). We found out where we would be staying (well, the girls did, the boys were all staying at Rob and Jacob's) and Miranda, Christine and I headed out to find an open grocery store so we could buy the groceries we would need for the few days we were down there (not an easy task at 10:30 at night). We ended up at walmart and spent easily the most money I've ever spent on groceries (we were buying for 20 people for 3-4 days) which was quite a feeling. Then we dropped the groceries off and went to our respective houses. I didn't get a good look at the house the first night since it was late and I went straight to bed, but let me tell you how gorgeous this house is. Rob and Jacob live on the outskirts of this historic area in Columbia. 2 of the 3 girls houses are in the historic district and are amazing. Our house was white with a beautiful etched glass door that had the palmetto symbol on it ("1!"...inside joke). The family that hosted us were super-nice. The wife is an artist and has a room that's her studio with a lot of her work in it. She homeschools their youngest daughter who was almost 15. Their oldest daughter is a USC alumna and the middle daughter is taking a break from CIU. They had a lot of artwork and pretty things in their house. The room we stayed in had a very comfortable bed and their porch was so pretty I just wanted to sit on it all day. They live on a tree-lined street which is just enthralling. I could totally see myself living in a house like that one day.</div><div>Sunday we had breakfast cooked by one of the Riverbend members and then we shared testimonies before heading all the way out to the church plant called River's Edge. They've started the church in a little community center in the gym. They had quite a few people though, and lots of kids. I actually only got to enjoy the first song of the church service because they needed people to help with the nursery. So, Bekah and I went to help them out. I got to go to the 3-6 year olds' class where we watched a video and then had a snack and played with play-doh and then colored. It was a blast! After church we went home to make lunch and then most headed to USC campus to have quiet times and then play ultimate. We got a few guys to join us at ultimate and it was a lot of fun. The other group went to a children's home to help out. Then we headed home and got ready for dinner and homegroup at one of the church family's house. We had awesome worship time led by Rob and Madison and then Robbie gave a talk on spiritual warfare. Then we headed home to rest up for the next day.</div><div>Monday, we had breakfast and then learned the rest of the bridge diagram (or all of it, for those who weren't in the outreach class) . Then we headed out to USC campus to do surveys and try to get into conversations with people about God. We saw 2 people saved, one being the very first person Loren shared the bridge with! It was such a God thing, He was leading us to the right people. Then we got back together to share and eat lunch before going out again in the afternoon. My partner was Jimmy and he did a great job acclimating to the survey and initializing with people. It was a strange experience being the "trainer" when I've just been learning the diagram myself this semester. Anyways, then we headed home to make dinner. After dinner, Emily, one of the girls who goes to Riverbend, invited us out dancing! She used to be a professional dancer and actually was in Dancing with Wolves when she went to school at NCSU. A group of us went to this bagel shop that they convert into a dance floor after hours on Mondays. We were a little intimidated at first because they were all doing dance moves most of us had never even seen before (the Lindy Hop and swinging) but they were very patient with us and taught us some new dance steps. One guy was just like Matthew Staples, so we called him Columbia Matthew. His name was actually Nate and he was a great lead and very nice to all of us beginner/novices. After we had danced a while, the SCers got us in a group and taught us the Big Apple, a dance that was started right there in Columbia! It was a lot of fun, we had a blast learning the different moves (it's a "call" circular dance). Then we went home and slept.</div><div>Tuesday, my last day, was more of the "same." We ate breakfast and then went out on campus again. Jimmy and I seemed to have less opportunities on Tuesday, but our last conversation was very encouraging. She seemed to understand and said she had already done what we had described. She also told us that she was learning about the tactic we use to get into conversations (surveying and then asking if we could do the diagram as a follow-up) in her psychology class. It's called "foot-in-the-door" tactic. So that was pretty cool. We met again for lunch, after which me and my carload had to head out. I drove Bekah, Anthony, and Peter back. Anthony and Peter slept most of the way back, and Bekah slept a lot of it. So it was peaceful and I could think on the recent events.</div><div>Thank you for all who prayed for us!! God surely blessed our trip. Our whole group seemed to really cement, even though most of us had never met or really spend a lot of time together. And the fruit we saw on campus really encouraged not only us who were sharing our faith, but I'm sure the church that is trying to start a campus ministry.</div>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-85609314174757775192010-02-16T10:43:00.001-08:002010-02-16T12:02:50.049-08:00DifferentI've had a lot of things bouncing around my head as of late and I need to get them out. In light of that February holiday (which I'm generally not a big fan of, and no, it's not just because I'm single), the recent sermons, and what God has been talking to me about, I need to talk about relationships/marriage. I'm a firm believer that we, as Christians are called to be set apart (Romans 12:2, John 17:14-18), sanctified for His purpose. There is no greater opportunity to display this uniqueness than with relationships, both romantic and platonic.<div>It blows my mind when my friendships blow people's minds. I was having a discussion with some co-workers the other day about how some companies have policies against "fraternization" between employees. Not just dating, but they discourage hanging out outside of work or going to lunch together. One girl was a fan of these policies, citing times when she's had to approach these friend/coworkers and call them out on something they were doing wrong at work. She stated that people eventually use what they find out about you outside of work to stab you in the back in the office. I was legitimately confused as to how this would happen. My obvious reaction was "well, just don't do anything they can use against you." It seemed so easy. I have to constantly remind myself that not everyone's a Christian and even then, not every Christian has their head screwed on right. I just don't get how everyone doesn't have friendships like mine. Brothers who care about me and who see me as a real sister. Sisters who see me as partners, not competition. I've gotten to the point where I think all relationships are going to be that way and I'm really hurt when they are not. Why is it not natural for some people to think "who can I reach out to?" or "who can I have mentor me?" Why don't all Christians see church as a place to serve and see Jesus lifted high, not a meat market where they can scout for spouses and then stop serving? Christianity is NOT just something you put on your resume! Church is not just an "interest" you list on your Facebook. It's commitment, devotion, something you give your life for, not just something you do in your spare time. Too many times I've seen people really excited for Christ, then they get the eye of someone and suddenly Christ is having to share the spotlight. Or worse, Christ goes backstage. I will state here and forever, I am NOT serving Christ to make myself look like a better wife-potential or to draw attention to myself so some guy is attracted to me. I'm NOT doing it because it's just something to do until I get married. I'm in it for the long haul. And even if I never get married, I will not feel my life was spent in vain. And, until God tells me for sure that there is someone he wants me to marry, or shows me that one, I will try my darndest to not give my heart to another guy. I don't care if someone likes me, or even if he thinks God's telling him he should be with me. I personally have to get that conviction before I even like a guy for real. I think of how many times I've talked myself into liking a guy because he liked me or because I liked the attention, or because I was lonely for romance. It's so easy to fabricate, to talk yourself into thinking that's what God wants for you because it would make you happy. Your happiness is not God's will, at least not your immediate happiness. God does not want to share your heart. I'm guilty of this. I must stop giving it away like there's plenty to share and then giving God what's left.</div><div>But again, I have to realize that not everyone has my convictions, and I must have patience with all. I'm not saying that if you've been dating someone, you have to break up with them to focus on God. I am saying that if you want God to be first in your life, He also has to be first in your relationship. If it's not true for both, it's not true for either. If you put God first in your life, you should not even contemplate a relationship with someone who does not put God first in their lives. Relationships are not about making your happy or about not being lonely, or about presents and holidays and anniversaries. Relationships, ALL relationships are about showing people Christ. Friendships are to show people Christ. Romantic relationships and marriages are to show people Christ. Friendships are not JUST "practice" for marriage, but they are an integral part of how God prepares us for marriage. Roommates, small group members, brothers, sisters, all do a great part in making us a better person, friend, and (if so destined) spouse. If a person's not willing to let Christians into their lives to do that, do you want to trust that they're prepared for marriage on their own. You would be hard pressed to find a person who is ready for the role of husband or wife without abundant input from older Christians as well as peers. It take a deep commitment to fellowship and accountability to reveal those issues and problems that we hide deep in our hearts and souls. I certainly don't want that to be my job the first few years of marriage, they're hard enough as it is.</div><div>Maybe this doesn't make sense to you, or even sound coherent, but there ya go. That's what's been on my mind (well, most of what's been on my mind, a girl's gotta have her secrets), for these past few weeks. Enjoy</div>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-38940404053300087222010-01-31T16:18:00.000-08:002010-01-31T16:40:27.142-08:00SNOW!!!It's been a while since I blogged so I thought I'd catch up. This has been an excellent weekend for it. I had Friday off and then Friday afternoon it started snowing. I'm not sure of the final stats, but it snowed quite a bit, then sleeted so there was a layer of ice, then dusted a little more. It made for a fun day outdoors Saturday. Andi and I went outside playing in the snow. Since I was a little girl, I've always loved going outside and wiping the snow off the cars, and getting the icicles off the cars and rooves. Then, we jumped in the dumpster to find some cardboard and used it to sled down some hills in our neighborhood (actually worked pretty well). We had a blast! Then, I did a lot of cooking and cleaning (made some really good chili, which really hits the spot on cold days). We watched a LOT of movies ("American isn't easy. It is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, cuz it's going to put up a fight." love it). It was relaxing and very much needed.<div>Then, today we decided that since we live relatively close to campus and can't really get out of our parking lot, let alone our neighborhood, that we would walk to church. 2.5 miles, each way. We left at 9 and made a pit stop at Bojangles to rest and get some breakfast. When we got to campus, we merged with one group near Wolf Village and another at Sullivan. We were actually quite warm and even hot at times. Church was great, it seemed there were a lot of people I didn't know, either because a lot of off-campus folks didn't/couldn't come or because a lot of other churches cancelled and people knew they could walk to Grace (one of the many benefits of meeting on a college campus). We had a lovely lunch with pretty much half the church and then began our trek back home, dropping off people as we went. There were snowballs thrown, I can tell you that! :) One really sad thing though, we found a dead dog on the side of the road that we seemed to have missed on the way to church. It had a collar but no tags (what's the point in that!) and it looked like it was hit by a car in the head, so it probably didn't suffer. It was also intact, which was probably a big reason why it was just running around. Anyways, it was really sad and we didn't know what to do, so we decided the best thing to do was to move it further down the ravine so some kids didn't find it and mess with it. I just hope the DOT gets it taken care of quickly, though I doubt it. It will at least be after the snow melts, I'm sure.</div><div>Anyways, now I have the treacherous task of trying to make it to work, but luckily Joseph's going to pick me up in his Cadillac with heated seats! :) Anyways, I hope everyone else enjoyed their snow day(s)!!</div>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-6087449811056427002009-12-02T15:48:00.000-08:002009-12-03T17:48:59.830-08:00I'm so sickThanksgiving was great. Andi and I went to Kernersville to have Thanksgiving lunch with my dad's side at my aunt's house. We had a blast. The meal itself was not one of those amazing, knock-you-on-your-tail meals, but every thing I ate was delicious, which is rare. Usually one or two things aren't that great. But it was all really good. Then we played football with my oldest niece, Michaela (she'll be 2 in January). She would get the ball and then run with is yelling "Mine! Mine!" She really is quite adorable. She's finally getting to that interactive age, where she can actually walk up to me and ask to be picked up. I feel like we are going to have a great bond. Hopefully, the same will be true for her sister, Camilla. I got to hang out with my Nana. Something about losing Nenny this year just made me want to hang with my other grandma more. She had a report that one of her friends had done on our ancestry and she had traced our lineage back to the Mayflower. My 14-greats-grandfather (and I've already forgotten his name) came over on the Mayflower from England. We also played some two-hand touch once the little ones went inside, Daddy and I against Mike(my brother) and Andi. Andi got some great pictures which I will have up once I have the time and energy. I really need a new computer, mine is so slow with editing and uploading.<br /> Anyways, after Thanksgiving, we drove up to Virginia to stay with a friend of Andi's named Amy. Amy's getting married in a few weeks and Andi's coordinating her wedding. We stayed with Amy and her family. Her fiancee is staying with her because he broke his ankle in a car accident. We went black Friday shopping (first time for me) but didn't get up crazy early to do it. It was an experience, not too bad. Then we just hung out with her family, ate another Thanksgiving feast and Saturday we watched the UNC/NCSU game (State won!!!). On the way home, however, I started to get bad joint aches and the chills. I was getting the flu. Which is the reason for this blog.<br /> I hate being sick. I hate the way I feel, that I can't do anything. I hate taking medicine(especially liquid). I hate it all. I'm a terrible patient. I get sick of chicken noodle soup real quick. I hate sick mouth, the way your mouth feels after taking cold medicine and sleeping with your mouth open all night because you can't breathe through your nose. I watched so many movies being sick. I hate missing work, especially when there aren't a lot of people at my work and everyone has to suffer when someone can't come in. The worst part is, I actually got the flu shot this year. It must have prevented all the normal flu viruses and let the big mamma jamma get through. Cuz this was a bad one. I had a fever the first day that broke but then came back and I had a hard time shaking it. I still feel pretty crappy and it's 4 days out. But I'm getting better, little by little. I just feel so behind from this set back. Hopefully I can get back on my feet.Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-46256730726028809692009-11-19T09:27:00.001-08:002009-11-19T09:27:12.979-08:00My familyMy family is messed up. Long story short (if you're really close to me, you probably know most of the story), my aunts and my mom had a big falling out 2 years ago and have been fighting ever since, putting both of my grandparent's in the middle of it. My Paw-Paw died 2 weeks ago, and now I found out my cousin committed suicide last weekend. This should be enough to bring a family back together to be there for one another, but it isn't. Please pray for my aunts and my mom and uncle so they can know how to fix the situation and be humble and courageous enough to do it. And pray for my cousins (I'm thinking my generation will be a little more calm-headed and able to work things out) so we can try to help in any way we can. And pray especially for my Nenny who's taking all of this kinda rough and for my aunt, since this means she's lost her husband, father, and one of her sons in the same year. I know we've had our differences, but I really hurt for her, especially in light of the losses I've suffered lately. Thanks for your prayer, just thought I'd explain my status a little bit.Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-9413840099397709072009-11-19T09:26:00.003-08:002009-11-19T09:26:38.439-08:00Psalm 73I highly recommend y'all check this one out. It was what I needed to hear today. The whole first half of the psalm talks about how we view the wicked/arrogant(verses 3-5, 12): "For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills........This is what the wicked are like--always carefree, they increase in wealth."<br />How true this is sometimes! We see the wicked of this world or people who aren't doing right and they seem to have no problems at all and seem to get what they want (and at times, what WE want). We start to think, "why am I doing what's right?" (verse 13: "Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.") We think, "If I would just do it like them, I would get the desires of my heart. They don't have troubles like I do. Their conscience is not as troubled as mine." It can really be discouraging! (verse 16: "When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me...")<br />We have to come to God with our hurts and concerns. Our minds can do severe damage to our hearts if we let it. We have to let God speak truth into our souls. We can be so easily deceived.<br />Take courage in the path God has given you and really seek him to guide your steps. It will be hard. You will lose friends, family, loved ones. But the ones who are still with you on the other side, those are worth holding on toJenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-4689577450849724942009-11-19T09:26:00.001-08:002009-11-19T09:26:22.296-08:00James 1Sometimes you read something really awesome and you just feel like you need to write about it.<br /><br />Having just finished Psalms (it took me over 5 months!), I decided I need to read a shorter book, and I usually alternate OT-NT so I decided I'd read James and maybe go into I & II Peter and possible the Johns since they're little. I forgot how the little books seem to pack a punch and condense a lot of teaching into a little space! Anyways James 1 is awesome, read it sometime. Here's some things that jumped out at me.<br /><br />Verse 2: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of <i>many</i> kinds..." At first I was like, "why wouldn't you consider it joy when you face <i>all</i> kinds of trials. Then, I got to thinking and realized that some trials don't come from God to test and strengthen our faith. Some trials come to us from our own doing, because we have sinned. Obviously, you wouldn't consider the fact that you had to go through those trials joy. But the verses go on to say that trials test your faith, developing perseverance to make us mature. I do believe that even trials that come as a result of our sin can be used to develop perseverance and maturity.<br /><br />OK, that thought was a little elementary, but trust me, I get a lot deeper from here on out. ;)<br /><br />A few verses down from that, in verses 6-8, it talks about asking God and not doubting God will answer him. It's talking about when you're asking for wisdom, but I think this applies to asking God for anything. You have to believe and not doubt. It says "he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind" and it calls that man a "double-minded man, unstable in all he does." So many times, we ask God for direction, or to provide something for us, whether it be a material need or a spiritual trait, but don't trust God completely to come through. In the back of our mind, we come up with a contingency plan in case God doesn't hold up his end of the bargain. This especially speaks to me right now, because I'm in the middle of a serious soul search with God, for answers to some questions. But I'm constantly arguing with myself and struggling to understand exactly how God will answer these questions. So, the flesh in me says to have a plan B, in case I don't get my answers by X time. I must trust God completely, and so, put all my eggs in one basket, so to speak. That's what real faith and trust is.<br /><br />In a similar note, it mentions a few times in James 1 about "being deceived," and "deceiving yourselves." Again, this scares me in light of what I'm seeking God for right now. I desperately want to make sure that my answers come from God, not myself or another source. But how can you really tell that it's from God? So many people I know have done things that, to me, scream "No!!" but said "God was leading them" to do it. Now, I can't say for sure God wasn't, I can only go on what I know of God and what I think He would think of such things, but a few of the things I have seen end badly and I'm pretty sure God wasn't really leading them to it. So how do you know when you're hearing from God or when you're deceiving yourself? Deceiving yourself is a scary, scary thought. How do you avoid deceiving <i>yourself</i>? That should be the one person you can trust! I guess the key lies in seeking counsel and really trusting that God's going to give you your answers through them.<br /><br />I was talking with a dear friend the other day and we were exasperated that "God doesn't work in neon." He's not going to lay it all out for you (well, at least, He's not likely to). He's going to require a little faith and trust. But we have to trust that He will guide us if we seek Him wholly and completely.<br /><br />So that's what I'm trying to do. Your prayers are welcomed.Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-56805153662963520032009-11-19T09:24:00.002-08:002009-11-19T09:25:41.749-08:00Luke (the gospel, not the person)Here's my first thoughts from Luke 1:<br />This was a long chapter, so I read it over a few days and re-read it. But one thing that stuck out to me what the fact that Gabriel didn't treat Zechariah and Mary the same. Gabriel goes to Zechariah and says "you're going to be a daddy," and Zechariah's response is "How can I be sure of this? i'm an old man and my wife is well along in years." And Gabriel punishes him for his doubt and Zechariah can't speak until John is born. Then, a few paragraphs later, Gabriel goes to Mary and tells her she's going to give birth to a son and He will be "the Son of the Most High." And Mary says, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" And Gabriel doesn't punish her. I wonder why? She showed the same doubt, though her prophecy was a lot harder to swallow (I mean a couple of old folks getting pregnant vs. immaculate conception? haha), plus, I mean, she was going to be the mother of the Lord, Jesus. So maybe she got a little special treatment. :) I guess there's slightly different connotation in the two questions too (plus, we don't know how exactly they were asked, the meaning can be greatly changed by how it is spoken). Zechariah's seems more like, "prove it," and Mary's more like "explain how." I don't know, what do you guys think?<br /><br />I was reading in Luke 2 today and the part near the middle (verse 40), puzzled me and got me thinking about something else too. It's talking about Jesus as a baby/child. It says "And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him." Now, I'm not sure if this was Jesus as a baby or when He was <span class="text_exposed_hide">... <span class="text_exposed_link"><a onclick="'CSS.addClass($(">Read More</a></span></span><span class="text_exposed_show">becoming a kid (I know it's before He was 12, cuz the next story starts with him being 12), but if it was when He was a little baby, I found it interesting to think of a little baby being filled with wisdom. That got me thinking, how much to babies really know/understand? I mean, they don't have the communication skills yet, so they can't really tell us what they are thinking, but maybe they really understand more than we think they do. Then, I wonder if Jesus BECAME filled with wisdom as He grew, or if He was just born with all the knowledge He had when He was with the Father. Can you imagine, being baby Jesus and knowing everything there was to know about the universe, but needing someone to change your diaper? That truly is humbling Himself, like it talks about in Philippians. Anyways, just something I was thinking about.</span><br /><br />Luke 3:15-17~> "The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering IN THEIR HEARTS if John might possibly be the the Christ. John answered them all..." (emphasis mine)<br />Later in the gospels, they use similar wording to show that Jesus read people's minds and answered questions that were hidden deep in their hearts (Luke 5:17-26). So, my <span class="text_exposed_hide">... <span class="text_exposed_link"><a onclick="'CSS.addClass($(">Read More</a></span></span><span class="text_exposed_show">question is, do you think John the Baptist performed miracles and could see into people's hearts? Part of me wants to boil it down to John knowing what they were thinking because of their faces or just knowing what people would probably think in this situation. But since they use such similar wording, I feel it deserves ponderment (not a word, just made it up, haha), cuz obviously they were trying to convey a similar situation. Anyways, what do you guys think? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think it numerates any miracles from John in the gospels, though I could be mistaken.</span>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-18042201801382284742009-11-19T09:24:00.001-08:002009-11-19T09:24:26.868-08:00More Good StuffThis is kind of a continuation of the previous note, but it's a different cool thing and it's more specific, so it needed it's own note.<br />I was trying to look up a verse I was going to share with a friend of mine who had a big conversation coming up. I was trying to find the verse about bringing a brother back when they've been sinning, and winning them over. The closest one I found (though I don't think it was the one I had in mind) was in Matthew 18:15.<br />So, like I said, this wasn't exactly the verse I was looking for, so I did a bible search for "bring" on bible.com. As I was quickly perusing the results, one caught my eye from Psalm 68. Verse 11 says (in the NLT) "The Lord gives the word, and a great army brings the good news." The footnote says that for "army," you could translate "a host of women." This obviously puzzled and encouraged me, for why would one be able to translate "army" to "host of women." Apparently, in the Hebrew manuscripts the word is company which translates to "army," like a company in the army. In the Greek, the word "company," translates to a "host of women" as in the Nativity story when it talks about the archangel announcing to the shepherds where they can find Jesus and then a great company of angels appearing and singing glory and praises to Jesus. Basically, a company is a group of people who sing about awesome things that have been done, or just proclaim the word.<br />Here's why this is awesome (if you didn't pick up on it yet). God is giving His daughters, this army of women, the task of bringing the good news, spreading the gospel. He doesn't tell us to just hang out and support what the men are doing. We are an <b>army</b>!! We are to support what the men are doing, don't get me wrong, but we are given a purpose as well. It's an un-transferable mission that we were created to fulfill. That is <b>awesome</b>! So I challenge you ladies, to BE that army and proclaim the gospel with boldness! This is not a NT idea, this is straight up out the OT!! BE an army for God! Proclaim His good works and His glory!!Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-57253297680091372362009-11-19T09:23:00.002-08:002009-11-19T09:24:08.932-08:001 ThessaloniansI stumbled across a couple of really cool things last week in God's Word and felt I should share it with people. Like I do.<br />I was reading in 1 Thessalonians and came across a familiar verse about how we would not be "in passionate lust like the heathen." The full verse says "It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God." Here's where I break it down:<br />I noticed for the first time the footnote associated with the phrase "control his own body." In other manuscripts it translates "live with his own wife." In still other manuscripts it translates "acquire a wife." Using that last translation, the verse says that it is God's will we should "learn to acquire a wife in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust." This perplexed and encouraged me. It correlated nicely with what my small group was talking about on Wednesday about how we are to live apart from this world, we are to stand up and stand out from this world system. So what does it mean to seek a spouse in a holy and honorable way, not in passionate lust? The world tells us that when a person catches our eye, we start going out with them to see if we are compatible, giving our hearts away first, then seeing if they are worthy. Then, eventually, we ask God if we're supposed to marry them, or we see they are not right for us and we break it off, trying to reclaim as much of our heart as we can get back, and moving on to see who else is around that might be right for us. This constant trial and error leaves us tired, jaded, a wilted flower. It's not fun, it's not romantic, it's certainly not holy nor honorable. So why do we keep doing it? What drives us? I hurt for these hurt people. I'd give anything to save them the strife and pain.<br />That's what I've got. A social commentary that burdens me day in, day out. I don't have a magical solution, because the only real solution is for you to want to be different than the robots of this world. Know that there is a different way, but I can't force it down your throats (believe me, I've tried).<br />Just something that's really on my heart, feel free to comment or ask questions.<br /><br />With all the love Christ lavishes on me,<br />~Jennifer~Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-75165967416870097642009-11-19T09:23:00.001-08:002009-11-19T09:23:09.138-08:00Interesting thoughts from HaggaiI was reading in Haggai the other day (yes, Haggai) and came across this interesting illustration that Haggai gave to the people from God:<br />" 'If a person carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, oil or other good, does it become consecrated?'<br />The priests answered, 'No.'<br />Then Haggai said, 'If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?'<br />'Yes,' the priests replied, 'it becomes defiled.' "<br /><br />Here's what I found interesting about this. We can be good and do good and just radiate goodness, but it's not necessarily going to cause goodness in others. Sadly, the good just doesn't rub off quite like the bad does. It's very easy, however, for our sin to defile many and our bad attitudes and comments to effect a negative change in others. I wish it weren't so; I wish the good in us could just as easily stimulate good in others, but it just doesn't work that way. This, of course, does not mean we should not try to be filled with the Spirit and do God's Will, for it does, in some part, "rub off" on others. But that sin nature still dying inside us causes the good produced in us by the Holy Spirit (and only by the Holy Spirit) to be more readily faded than the bad that is naturally produced in us.<br /><br />I don't know, it made sense in my head.Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-32713764820490577322009-11-19T09:22:00.001-08:002009-11-19T09:22:31.770-08:00My God shall supply all my needsIt's funny how God tends to repeat Himself again and again, isn't it?<br /><br />A good friend of mine was giving a sermon this past Sunday and was talking about (among other things) God's provision. How He answers our needs, but He does so because he wants us to concentrate on His mission. Erik referenced Matthew 8:24-33, here are the Cliff's Notes:<br />"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other...<br />Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life...<br />But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well."<br /><br />God knows that we cannot seek God's kingdom and our own kingdom at the same time! Our interests will be divided ("A man who chases 2 rabbits, catches neither."). So, why do we keep trying? We say, "I will seek God first and my own interests second." But that is a paradox because seeking God and His interests means we <u>can't</u> seek our own interests! We can't say, "I have faith that God will provide" and then continue to try to find our own way! We have to put our faith completely in His provision and live for His kingdom. Then and only then will He give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4). I loved the example Erik gave about not building up his resume and just seeking to go God's work while he was in college and trust God to give him what he wanted. And God blessed Erik with exactly what he wanted and so much more. Erik also talked about a passage in Matthew 14 where Jesus is walking on water and He calls Peter out with Him on the water. Peter walks on water towards Jesus, then he sees the waves and starts to sink. Jesus scolds him saying, "You of little faith." I mean, on the one hand, why did Peter doubt when Jesus was there with him and was already keeping him safe? But on the other, Peter had enough faith to step out of the boat, while all the other disciples were still just staring in disbelief (oh, that <b>my</b> faith were that little!).<br />So, that was the jumping off point, here's where it starts getting repeated. Later that day, I was watching a TV show and in the show they were going to a Bible study (which is unusual, because this is not a Christian show by any stretch). At that Bible study, they were talking about that same passage about Peter walking on water. What are the odds?!<br /> And <u>then</u>, that night in my quiet time, I was reading in Acts about the early church. They shared everything in common, relying on God to provide their physical needs, so they could devote themselves full time to the preaching of the Word. They did not toil or have savings accounts or fire insurance, they trusted in God to provide for their every need and to take care of them. Their sole focus and purpose was God's mission.<br />Finally, today at the lake, I was reading more in Acts and came across the account of assigning roles in the early church. They needed someone to take care of the daily distribution of food to the widows to free up their time for full time ministry. They trusted God to provide those people and focused on God's mission. And the other interesting point in this passage was that even just to serve in a seemingly small role, passing out food, they sought God for men who were full of the Holy Spirit and full of wisdom. They knew how important even the "smaller" roles were and what character was required for the mission to succeed. Powerful stuff.<br />Marinate.Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890122341566774017.post-73589505407187058372009-11-19T09:21:00.001-08:002009-11-19T09:21:50.551-08:00seriousI was reading in Acts this morning and came across something that made me think (like I do). In Acts 19, Paul's doing his visiting thing and he comes to the people of Ephesus. He asks them "did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They tell him they had never heard of the Holy Spirit and they only received the baptism of John. Paul explains to them that they needed to be baptized in the name of Jesus and they did and then Paul laid his hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. My question is this, do we have to be baptized in the name of Jesus to receive the Holy Spirit? I know it's a sign of obedience and a proclamation of your life change, but is it a necessary part of being a powerful Christian as well? Also, Paul laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit, but we just get the Holy Spirit, right? We don't need someone to lay hands on us? Just wondering...Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10143334820090695535noreply@blogger.com0