Friday Fiction: Pokey Pokena

Her real name was Pokena but everyone called her Pokey.  Not only was Pokey a shortened version of her real name but it also described her personality.  Pokena was a slow-poke about everything and the ultimate procrastinator.  The sad thing was Pokey had lots of dreams and ideas - things she wanted to accomplish but never got around to starting or finishing any of them.  She was an ambitious, motivated person trapped inside a procrastinator’s body. 

One night as Pokey slept she had a dream.  In this dream she was given a grand piano by an accomplished pianist. 

“Wow!” She exclaimed.  “Thanks, I’ve always wanted a grand piano.  Now I can write songs for the world to hear.”  She had dreamt of someday writing and playing beautiful music.  She practiced on the new piano for awhile but quickly got overwhelmed by the enormity of writing for the world.  She decided to think about making a better, more detailed plan.  In the meantime she stopped playing the piano and got sidetracked with other desires. 

Some time later an artist came by and gave Pokey an art set.  It was complete with paints and canvases.  She had everything she needed to create a work of art.  This, too, had been a dream of hers - to tell the world a story with a picture.  Now she had the tools.  She could begin.  But first she needed to come up with a story to illustrate.  Pokey decided to hold off painting until she had just the right story to tell.

Then one day the doorbell rang.  It was the pianist.  “I’ve come to take the piano.”

“Why?” asked the shocked Pokena.

“Because you aren’t using it.  This is a very special instrument and it needs to be played.  The world needs music.  I will take the piano to someone else who will use it.”

“But I am going to use it.  I will make music.” She pleaded.

“When?”

“Soon.”

“It’s too late, Pokena.  Time is of the essence.  The world is an orchestra waiting to play a symphony.  It can no longer wait on you.”

“But I can’t write a whole symphony? I don’t know how to put it all together.” 

“You were never meant to write the symphony, dear.  That was your plan, not God’s.  You only needed to play your own part.”

 And with that the piano was gone.  As Pokey watched in dismay as the pianist left she noticed the artist coming up the sidewalk.  Dread filled her.

“I’ve come to take the art supplies.” He said.

“No! You can’t!  I haven’t completed my painting yet.” She cried.

“Have you started it? He asked.

“No, but I’m working on it. Really, I am.”

“I’m sorry, but I have to take the supplies away.”

“Why?” She asked already knowing the answer.

“You failed to use the gifts that were given to you.  I will take them to someone who will.  The world is a gallery housing many works of art.  The picture of your life should be on display only you haven’t created it yet. The world is waiting on a picture.”

“But I will paint for the world.  Just give me a little more time.”  She pleaded.

“You’ve already had time – time that was spent thinking about doing but not time actually doing.”

And with that, the artist, too, was gone – along with all the art supplies.

When Pokey awoke from the dream she was distraught.  Although, in reality, she did not play the piano nor did her art skills consist of anything more than stick figures.  She knew in her heart there was a message in the dream meant for her.  She examined her life and her patterns of procrastination and realized she wasn’t only putting off accomplishing many great things but she was also putting off “living”.  Pokey discovered accomplishing goals was, for her, always one day away.  The joy she could have in actually achieving her goals would never be felt unless she took action today.  Armed with this new knowledge, Pokena (as she now preferred to be called) adopted a new motto for her life: “Start Now!”  It was a simple motto but said so much.  Pokena realized if she didn’t “Start Now”, she’d never finish tomorrow.  The world would go on living without her contribution.  But that was about to change “starting now”.

Fill 'er Up!

Okay - so you know when life and it's demands are getting the best of you?  Your energy level gets zapped pretty fast, doesn't it?  I was looking at a fellow blogger's website the other day and she mentioned that we need to start our day by getting fueled (and I don't really think she had Cheerios in mind.)
I thought about this and knew immediately that I needed to get back into reading my Bible.  It is the ultimate fuel giver.  I just don't know why I ever put that book down.  Every time I do - I get emptied.

Recently our minister told us how he reads his Bible.  He picks five chapters each day (one from Psalm, one from Proverbs, one from the Gospels, etc).  He reads them with pen and paper in hand.  He makes a conscious effort to pull something out of what he reads.  This sounded good to me so I made a plan. As painful as it was - I knew I needed to get up earlier in the morning before everyone else. Only then can I feel like it's just me and God having a conversation.  I started my new journey with my minister's plan in mind.  I picked up my Bible and was off to get fuelled.

Low and behold - there was fuel at that station!  This is what I found in my first chapter (Psalm 1): 

Blessed is the man...

his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by steams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers.

Reading this, I felt like God was reaffirming to me that I do need to meditate on His word.  And in doing so, my thirst will be quenched. I will not be hungry. I will, in turn, be productive and bear fruit.  I will not wither.  I will prosper. 

I LOVE that God spoke to me with this affirmation.  But wait...there's more.  I randomly selected the book of Joshua (Maybe it wasn't so random.  I was trying to get past the really hard-to-read books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy.)  So I turned to Joshua 1 and it says the same thing.

Do not let this Book of the law depart from your mouth;

meditate on it day and night,

so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.

Then you will be prosperous and successful.

That's twice in one morning.  I get the message.  I will start and end my day meditating on the word of God.  I've only just begun my new "recommitment" to reading my Bible daily.  Although I am weak, I pray that God will give me strength to keep going.  My hope is that the fuel I get is like the adrenaline rush that runners feel.  The more they run the more the want to run.  I hope the more I read - the more I'll need and crave it.

I'm not Super!

Every so often I get a tad bit overwhelmed with all the things I want and need to do (Okay - that's really an understatement).  I simply cannot do it all. At least not all at the same time.  The sad part is - I'm the one asking me to do most of it.  I have a list of projects that, in my opinion, are very good ideas.  I'm positive there accomplishment would benefit me, my family and society as a whole (so - no pressure there). 

But it seems once again I've discovered that I'm not a superhero.  And, frankly, I'm a little put out by this.  Why can't I be a superhero?  Is that so much to ask?  I look at other people (I know, I'm not suppose to do that.) and by all appearances it looks like they get a lot done.  No, not just "a lot"! They get it "all" done.  I see "Supers" everywhere.  Super Christians, Super Moms, Super Wives, Super Entrepreneurs, Super ___.  You fill in the blank.  I see them.  But are they really "super"?  Or am I seeing things wrong?  Am I seeing them through distorted lenses?  Do I need better glasses? (Some with x-ray vision would be nice.)

I've been a little overwhelmed lately with feeling inadequate.  I kind of hate to put that in print but it's the truth.  Last weekend my Mom, sister-in-law and I went to the Women of Faith conference (which I thoroughly enjoyed and needed).  I got so many "take-aways" I had to come home and do a brain dump (meaning I had to empty my thoughts down on paper so I wouldn't forget any of the gems I learned). 

One of the participants at the conference was Amy Grant.  Ironically - one of the things I got from her isn't something she said but, rather, something I remembered.  Years ago, Amy had a song called "All I Ever Have To Be".  Seeing her and being in my current inadequate mindset, God jogged my memory to remind me of what I needed to hear.  I've pulled out some of her lyrics below. 

When the weight of all my dreams

is resting heavy on my head.

...I'm still hurting wondering if

I'll ever be the one I think I am.

The more I try to be the best,

the more I give the worst.

All I ever have to be is what you've made me.

Any more or less would be a step out of your plan.

As you daily recreate me help me always keep in mind

that I only have to do what I can find.

All I ever have to be is what you've made me.

(Amy Grant - All I Ever Have To Be)

I realized that I'm the one adding stuff to my plate.  Very little of what's on there is something God asked me to do.  I just took it upon myself to fill my plate with "godly" tasks while the "God-given" tasks were being somewhat neglected.  

I'll be honest - I still want to do it all and I still want to be a superhero.  But the irony is - I'm learning that God already thinks I am "super".  I just have to get to the point where I accept that "super" is not defined by what I accomplish but, rather, in who I am as a person - who I am as a uniquely created child of God.  And there it is again - All I ever have to be is what He made me.

Surrender is Stronger

One of the popular songs from the music group FFH is a song called “Undone”.  In the chorus there is a line that says “Surrender is stronger.”  For a long time, I sang along with the words but didn’t really understand what the singer/writer meant by the phrase.  I mean, don’t we generally look at surrender as a sign of weakness? 

Then one day as I was facing my own battles (of control) I had a conversation with God about needing to surrender my will to His.  It was then I realized just how hard surrendering can be.  I find it particularly hard to let go especially when I’m unclear on what God’s will is.  What if I don’t like the direction God wants to lead me?  Do I really trust Him not to let me down?  It sounds crazy to say but haven’t we all felt that way (even if we don’t verbalize it)?  We’d rather be in control of our chaos than to surrender to the One who can make order out of it.

Yes – depending on the situation surrender can be a sign of weakness.  For example, surrendering to the will of the “evil one” is actually pretty easy to do.  But surrendering to God takes an incredible amount of strength, faith and courage.  What it ultimately means is that we place God first and put ourselves squarely under his authority.  This is not to say He wants us to lose our individuality, our creative thinking or our individual drive.  He created us with unique gifts and wants us to continue to grow in them.  But there are times when our will comes into conflict with His.  These are the times when surrendering becomes toughest.  Surrendering to God means we finally understand we’re the creation and not the creator. 

The song goes on to say “I don’t need to be the hero tonight.”  Maybe there is a part in all of us that feels like we have to be the hero (whether it’s because we want the glory or because we’re afraid that if we don’t, nobody else will).  I think it’s easy to let God take the hero role with the overall picture of life.  But, the reality is the big picture is made up of everyday scenes where I’m trying to play the lead.  Yes – surrendering to God is stronger.  Not only is it harder to do, but it also makes us stronger by doing it.

I got the Blahs!

Ever have one of those days when you just feel “Blah”?  I’m having one of those days.  I’m not really sure why I feel this way but I find it quite annoying.  My goal was to get up this morning and hit the ground running.  Instead – I fell out and crawled.  Okay – not literally but you get the picture.  I tried caffeine.  That didn’t do the trick.  I tried pumping myself up with Christian music.  That didn’t work either.  I tried inspiring myself with online blogs and videos.  Nope.  Still nothing.  I feel like maybe a shot of adrenaline would be good right now.  I wonder how I can get me some of that?   
At any rate – the day is midway over and I’m attempting one more thing – writing.  It may be the thing that helps “Stella get her groove back”.  Productivity always seems to have a good affect on me.  And I suppose it should.  There’s something about the feeling of accomplishment that acts like a balm to the soul.  It’s much more rewarding to take steps forward (even if it’s only one step at a time) then to not move at all. 

 We’re hard-wired to be productive – to “bear fruit”.  A tree that does not bear fruit will eventually wither away and die. Likewise, when we are not productive – when we don’t bear fruit, a little part of us withers and dies.  That’s how I’ve been feeling today – like I’ve been withering.  It may sound redundant but “the more fruit we bear then the more fruit we’ll bear”. 

 Some days it’s harder than others to bear fruit but this is the promise we have from God in John 15, verse 4:  “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”  So caffeine and adrenaline aren't my answer.  I will get my renewed strength and energy from the Lord.

 “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God”.

Colossians 1:10

Blogvotional, Week 3, Day 5

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

Romans 8:26

I’m generally not at loss for words when I’m praying. Sadly, when I’m alone in my quiet time with God I tend to ramble. I find my hidden inner-extrovert and talk God’s ear off. But there have been plenty of times when I’ve simply been at a loss for words. A situation needs praying for but I don’t know how. I don’t know what to say – or ask. Sometimes I’m afraid to say anything because I’m concerned my wants and desires will get in the way of what God knows is the true need. It’s those times I’m thankful someone much wiser – someone who knows God’s true desire is praying on my behalf. How wonderful to know that the Spirit is interceding on my behalf. I imagine Him changing the course of my prayers midstream by saying: “No, no. That’s not what you need. That’s a huge mistake. I’ll take it from here.” What a blessing to have such divine help!

Encouragement of the Day: Know that the Holy Spirit has your best interest at heart. He will never let you down. He’s always working to get your heart aligned with God’s plan.

Question of the Day: Have you ever felt the answer to your prayers were not what you thought you wanted but instead what you really needed?

To read more or to comment click on http://buildingmyfaith-kg.blogspot.com/

Blogvotionals: Week 3, Day 4

After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers,

another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord

nor what He had done for Israel.

Judges 2:10

If ever there was a verse that clearly indicates the importance of sharing our faith, it is Judges 2:10. This verse is astounding. How is it possible that the generation who had made it through the desert, crossed the Jordan River, and regained the Promised Land would not have shared these things with their children? Why would they not have told them about their great and powerful God? And yet the next generation “knew neither the Lord nor what He had done”? They went on to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. Either the previous generation didn’t want to talk about God or they assumed they didn’t have to – that maybe God would reveal Himself (much like He did to them).

We must talk about God. We must share our faith (in particular with our children). Not just what our faith is but why we have it. We must talk about God’s love because without love there can be no relationship. We can’t assume our children (or others) will somehow “pick up on it” by simply watching us. We talk about so many things. And yet sometimes we forget the most important topic of all.

Encouragement of the Day: Talk about God with your children. If you don’t have children, talk about God with a loved one. Let them see you pray. Talk about how God blesses you and why it is you try to please Him. Let them see your relationship with God. And nurture them into their own relationship with God.

Question of the Day: Who shared God with you? Can you imagine that not ever happening?

To read more or to comment go to: http://buildingmyfaith-kg.blogspot.com/



Blogvotionals: Week 3, Day 3

“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 1:6

There are many days I wonder if I’m heading in the right direction. Some days I just feel lost. Am I living the life God wants me to live? Am I doing what I’m supposed to be doing? Sometimes there is so much pressure (granted I put that pressure on myself) to have all the answers – to know where I’m going. But then I read this passage in Philippians. I am reminded that even if I take the wrong path on occasion (albeit with Godly intentions), I will still end up in the right spot. I don’t have to know whether path A or B is the best. It would be nice if I did but life doesn’t always work out that way. God doesn’t always reveal our each and every step. But I do know this. God began working in me and He will continue working in me until the end. He knows what He wants to accomplish through me and I'm confident He will see it through to completion.

Encouragement of the Day: Never think that you are failing in your “mission”. God knows your strengths and weaknesses. He can work through them to bring about His purpose.

Question of the Day: What do you do when you feel like you’re messing up your “mission”?

To read more or to make a comment click on http://buildingmyfaith-kg.blogspot.com/

Blogvotionals: Week 3, Day 2

So they went and entered the house of a prostitute

named Rahab and stayed there.

Joshua 2:1

By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies,

was not killed with those who were disobedient.

Hebrews 11:31

(Listed in the genealogy of Christ) –

Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab.

Matthew 1:5

Rahab was a prostitute in a foreign land. She lived in a society that didn’t believe in or worship God. Yet she had heard the stories of God’s power and how He protected His people. Despite the odds - she believed. She made the choice one day to turn away from the life she knew in order to serve a God foreign to her. And despite her less than perfect pedigree, she was listed in the genealogy of Christ.

What these verses tell us is that no one is insignificant – that no one’s past necessarily determines their future. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done God is more than willing to adopt you into His family. You don’t have to be perfect or come from a picture perfect family. God’s not concerned about our past. Our past does not determine whether God can use or even love us. If we believe in Him, He is willing to transform us into something new and blessed.

Encouragement of the Day: Realize that you are special in whatever package you come in. God never asked for perfect people. He asks for committed followers.

Question of the Day: Have you felt your past getting in the way of your future?

To comment or read more click on "Building My Faith" at the top of the page or go to http://buildingmyfaith-kg.blogspot.com/

Blogvotionals: Week 3, Day 1

O Lord, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.

From the lips of children and infants you have

ordained praise because of your enemies,

to silence the foe and the avenger.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,

the son of man that you care for him?

You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings

and crowned him with glory and honor.

You made him ruler over the works of your hands;

you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds,

and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air,

and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 8

(You’re singing the song, aren’t you?) This is another beautiful psalm of David praising God for all His glory and majesty. He speaks of the sheer wonder of the stars – the creation God’s fingers set in place. He speaks of the responsibility God gave man over the care of the earth and the creatures in it. And he speaks of praise itself and how God ordained it to silence our enemies – an effective tool even out of the mouths of babes (children and infants). We are those children. Our praise is more than music to God’s ears – it drowns out the noise of the avenger.

Encouragement of the Day: Practice praising God. There’s a song that goes: “Praise Him in the morning, praise Him in the noontime, and praise Him when the sun goes down.” Try it. It may be difficult at first but hopefully it could turn into something that’s second nature.

Question of the Day: What is one of God’s majestic creations that awes you?

To comment or read more click on "Building My Faith" at the top of the page or go to http://buildingmyfaith-kg.blogspot.com/

BV - Luke 5:20

When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

Luke 5:20

These are undoubtedly the finest words a person could ever hear. They come packaged in a relatively simple phrase and yet they hold an enormous amount of meaning. First, to be called “friend” by the Almighty should not be tossed about or overlooked. We, ourselves, only label those closest and dearest to us as “friend”. So it seems surprising, if you read the entire passage, that Jesus would use such a term of endearment when it appears as if He didn’t even know the man He was talking to. Ah - but Jesus did know him. He knew this man long before he was ever born. (Call it a divine privilege.) He knew him well and He loved him dearly! The same applies to you and me. Next, what greater act of mercy can be bestowed on a person than the forgiving of their sins? Jesus wasn’t just healing the man’s infirmity; He was giving the man life – eternal life. By dying on the cross, I believe Jesus said those same words to me. I look forward to the day when I’ll hear the second best phase ever spoken: “Welcome daughter!”

Encouragement of the day: Never forget that by our faith we have been forgiven by the one who calls us friend.

Question of the day: Do you find it difficult to accept the label of “friend” from God?



BV - Philippians 3:14

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward.

Philippians 3:14

If ever there was an individual who was, to me, a true example of how to live a Godly life, it is the apostle Paul. Out of almost everyone mentioned in the New Testament (except Christ himself) Paul had the incredible ability to focus. He certainly had his fair share of distractions (imprisonment, being shipwrecked, bitten by a poisonous snake, being beaten, and the list goes on). And yet – most of these experiences seemed little more than minor setbacks. They almost seemed inconsequential to him – much like the constant pestering of a fly. He never focused on the trials of the day. You can almost hear him say “Yeah, I’m in prison. So? Bring me that guard. I’d like to share something with him.” Paul’s eyes focused on, not where he was, but where he was going and what God was trying to do through him before he got there. He was singularly focused on sharing the love and redemption of Jesus Christ. How nice it would be, in my own life, when someone tells me I’m standing in the muck, to be able to say: “So? I know it’s messy right now but let me tell you about the prize that awaits me.”

Encouragement of the day: Stay focused. Keep your eyes on Him and not where your feet are. It’s much easier to see where you are going if you’re looking up instead of down.

Question of the day: Is there someone whose life in the Bible really speaks to you?

BV - Matthew 13:16

But blessed are your eyes because you see, and your ears because they hear.

Matthew 13:16

When you look at the mountains, a butterfly, a flower or a rainbow, do you see God? Do you hear the voice of God through the rustling wind, roar of a waterfall or the song of a bird? What an amazing blessing! But it’s an even greater blessing to be able to see and hear God working in our own lives and in the lives of others. It’s thrilling to see the affects of prayer. It’s thrilling to see the transforming power of God’s grace. It’s comforting to hear the love of God through His words. Our faith is strengthened by those blessings.

But sometimes seeing or hearing God isn’t always easy. There are moments in our lives when we simply choose not to exercise the blessing. We simply stop looking and stop listening. But other times, despite our desperation, we can’t see or hear. Our senses have taken a hit. They have dulled. Our ability to see and to hear God can be affected by the pain of trials or our attitudes (bitterness, self-importance, etc). Other times we are simply desensitized by the constant streaming of worldly messages around us. Our amazing blessing is diminished.

Whether or not we see or hear God, the truth remains: He is there. He is working. In those moments when our senses fail us, God still provides an avenue to be blessed. He often uses other believers to be our eyes and ears. What we can’t see or hear may be clear to someone else. If we look for God, we will see Him. If we listen for God, we will hear him.

Encouragement of the day: Take time and look for how God is working around you. Listen with open ears to messages (even those you may not want to hear). Or find a friend who will share with you a Godly perspective.

Question of the day: Have you noticed times in your life where your senses were dulled? How did you sharpen them again?

BV - Romans 8:31

If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31

Think how differently we’d live our lives if this verse was firmly ingrained into our being – our hearts and our souls. Where would our fear be? How much control over us would fear have? There is no one stronger or more powerful than God. Simply put - He created the universe. He can wipe it out. Surely our battles with the evil one or even our earthly enemies are no match for Him. Then why is it, at times, we get so defeated? It’s not because we actually are defeated – it’s that we think we are. There is a huge difference. We believe a lie when we believe we are capable of being beaten. Or that God is no longer with us in our battles or cares enough to fight on our behalf. If we are with God, rest assured He is with us!

Encouragement of the day: When the battles of this life overwhelm you, remember you have not been defeated. Don’t give into that belief. Take courage, stand up, put your armor on and ready yourselves. The battle belongs to the Lord.

Question of the day: Have you seen God fight some of your battles for you?



BV - Psalm 103: 1-13

As I read the passage below I was struck by its simplistic way of speaking the obvious truth. It so beautifully describes what God has done and continues to do for us. Let us not forget His complete and utter graciousness. We owe God everything!

Praise the Lord, O my soul;

all my inmost being, praise His holy name.

Praise the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all His benefits –

who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord works righteousness

and justice for all the oppressed.

He made know his ways to Moses,

his deeds to the people of Israel:

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse,

nor will he harbor his anger forever;

He does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

Psalm 103: 1-13

Encouragement of the day: The points made in this passage are worth memorizing and keeping close to your heart. I encourage you to do so. Whose heart cannot be warmed and uplifted by focusing on the truth of how God has redeemed us from the pit and crowned us with love and compassion.

Question of the day: What is something God has done for you specifically to show you how much He loves you?

What Do We Expect?

I was thinking (which is sometimes dangerous) about our desire to hear God speak to us. We want direction when we feel directionless. We want to hear an "I love you" when we feel unloved. We want to be comforted when we're lonely. We want to know we're not stranded out in this universe all by ourselves. I know for me this has been a struggle. In the hard trials of life, our desire to hear from God increases sometimes to the point of desperation. But what happens when God's voice is seemingly silent?

I have been at the point where I have begged and begged God to speak to me. The silence has been deafening at times. Talk about feeling rejected. But as I journey through my trials and my life, I'm wondering if there isn't a correlation between how much time I give God and how much He's willing to speak to me. You who are experts in the "hearing God field" will say "duh". But to the untrained, like myself, the light bulb may finally be turning on.

I give God my undivided attention during my prayer time. Okay - so maybe that'll last twenty minutes or so. And let's say I read my Bible for 30 minutes. Plenty of time for God to speak to me, right? I'm like "in the zone" and focused. Seems like a good time to connect.  I should be able to hear a message loud and clear. Oh - what's that you say? From a proportionate standpoint I'm actually giving God less than 4% of my day. I'm opening a tiny little window and asking God to speak through it. I’m basically saying “Okay God, I’m listening. I can't hear you. Can you get a little closer because I can’t hear you very well through this small opening?” Sure, one could argue that God has the whole rest of the day to speak to me.  But is it possible He doesn’t want to speak to me on my terms - only when I make myself available to listen?  What if He'd like to speak anytime He wants to and have me always "in the zone" – ready with listening ears?

I know from experience that it's hard for me to get “in the zone". It’s hard to dial into the right frequency with all the static going on around me. Like everyone else, I've got daily chores, I've got a family with needs, I've got my own wish list, and of course there are other outside influences and let's not forget the television. There's a lot of clutter in life - a lot of interference. No wander I'm having a hard time hearing God speak.

But a question now comes up: Is my lack of hearing because He’s not speaking to me anymore (has He given up on trying to get through all the noise) or is He still speaking and I just can’t hear? (Kind of like trying to ask your child a question when they're clearly focused on the TV.  Pretty near impossible to get through.) Maybe God's saying “I’ll come back when you can really make time for me. Maybe then we can have some good conversations again. I love you but please show me that you love me too. You say the words but your actions are what I prefer. You are my creation! I deserve your time and your best.”

So what do I really expect from God? Can I expect Him to focus on me 24 hours a day if I only focus on Him a tiny proportion of the day?  How can I expect Him to get a word in edgewise with all that other stuff drowning out His voice and taking away my attention? I do so want to hear His voice, though. I "expect" I'll have to make some changes.  I must reduce the static in the airways and practice listening for the still and quiet word of the Lord.

BV: Matthew 26:41

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Matthew 26:41

Jesus said these words to his disciples as he went off to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane just before his arrest. We tend to look at these words as simply his admonishment for them to stay awake and to keep guard. But when we look further into the passage we see how they weren’t just words. This was something on his mind. He was sharing his own real struggle. He was fully God and yet fully human. I believe at this moment Jesus understood far to well the temptations of the body – how our human emotions can interfere with our spirit’s desire. He knew what God’s plan was for him. He knew he was about to be arrested, tried and crucified (a horribly painful death). The human in him pleaded desperately for God to take away “this cup”. Had he been an ordinary man maybe he would have run. Fortunately for us, he was fully God and the Spirit in him prevailed. “Thy will be done.”

But you and I are not fully God. Our bodies are weak. Jesus gave us some much needed advice that night in the garden. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” If Jesus understood the necessity of prayer in combatting temptations, we would do well to follow the same example. He understood that the more we focus on God, the stronger we are. The better able we are to see and to fight off the things that tempt us.

Encouragement of the day: Take time and pray. Prayer isn’t simply a tool of communication but a tool for strengthening our souls.

Question of the day: Has there been a time when you saw how focusing on prayer kept you out of temptation’s snare?

BV: Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

This is one of those verses that is quoted a lot. We like to keep it close to us because it’s so reassuring. When the world around us gets chaotic and seemingly out of control we can look at this verse and be reminded that God has a plan. The world is not out of control – at least not to Him. But even so I have been confused by the part of the verse that says God has “plans to prosper us and not to harm us”. Although it sounds good, I still face times when the opposite is true. To say that we will never experience pain is clearly not the case (because who among us hasn’t). Maybe this verse speaks to how God views our lives in their totality as opposed to our own daily observations and scrutiny.

Think of it like this: a train traveling through a mountainous region will have uphill moments (the “I don’t have enough strength for this.” moments) and its downhill moments (the “Wheee!! – This is fun! Life is good!” moments). Like the train’s journey, our journey through life isn’t always easy but God’s “plan” is about getting us to our destination. When we get there, we can look back at our journey and see that overall it was prosperous and no harm was truly done. Where we end our journey is more important to God than the bumps and bruises along the way.

It’s likely Abraham, when he left everything he knew simply because God said “Go”, had to reassure himself along his journey that God had a plan. Joseph had dreams of authority but certainly must have questioned God’s plan when he was sold into slavery and later thrown into prison. These Biblical examples show real men who had their uphill moments and yet the verse still rang true for them. They persevered because God gave them hope and a future. In the end they could see their lives in totality were richly blessed.

Encouragement of the Day: Cling to the hope you have in Jesus and know that God does have a plan. He does want you to be richly blessed. If you are in an “uphill” moment, have hope in knowing the “downhill” can’t be far ahead.

Question of the day: How have you maintained your hope through the “uphill” moments?

BV: Proverbs 15:1

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1

This verse is particularly hard for me. It’s hard because it sends me a message I know is true. It highlights one of my major faults (and no one likes to look at their faults). All too often I speak through annoyance (whether I’m annoyed at myself or someone else). I know my daughter or husband (and sadly maybe some innocent bystanders) get shortness in my responses instead of patience and loving kindness. Nothing good can come from my tone. I only succeed in stirring up frustrations. Then everyone is feeling frustrated and/or devalued. No one likes to ask a simple question only to be snarled at. I don’t like it. Why should they? I know I would be better off looking into the eyes of the person in front of me before I spoke. Maybe then I would see the heart of the one speaking. Maybe then I would be reminded of what my words and actions say about me. Maybe then I would speak in the gentle way they deserve.

Today’s Encouragement: Take a breath before answering. Be calm and remember the heart of the person in front of you.

Question of the day: I know, for me, my busyness tends to make me less patient with loved ones. What makes you short with others and how have you learned to combat the situation?

BV: I Thessalonians. 5:11

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just in fact as you are doing.

I Thess. 5:11

We all love compliments and encouragement and yet strangely they seem to be a rarity. We don’t often receive them and we don’t often give them. I always find it surprisingly nice, in particularly, when I receive a compliment from a total stranger. Maybe it’s the fact that there is no hidden motive behind the message. It’s simply nice being nice (out loud). It’s a genuine act of kindness. But it also means a lot to me to have a friend or family member do the same. Sometimes we take it for granted that those closest to us know how we feel. I mean, we assume for example that our spouse loves us but it’s still nice to hear it (to be reminded). There have been many times I think something nice about someone else’s actions, appearance, etc and never say anything. I’m not sure why the hesitation. I know the feeling I get when I get a compliment or encouragement from someone. It builds me up. It’s a warm fuzzy. I would love to be in the habit of making someone else feel the same. It’s nice that I have the thoughts of encouragement but it would be better to share them. What good is a compliment or encouragement if it’s never uttered? To me it’s like a prompting by the Holy Spirit that, if unspoken, gets thrown into a pile of wasted opportunity.

Today’s Encouragement: Try, with me, to practice building each other up. Speak the compliments you think. Don’t hold them inside. Look for ways to encourage others. It’s quite possible our compliments or encouragement may be the lone bright spot in someone else’s bad day.

Question of the day: Can you think of a compliment you received that really affected you or your day?

BV: Starting With Praise

I'm starting a new endeavor with this blog.  My goal is to do daily "blogvotionals" (Monday through Friday).  They will be shorter than my usual posts (which I plan to continue writing once a week).  My hope is that these blogvotionals will be a time-friendly way to turn our hearts and minds to Christ.  To make them easier to receive on a daily basis you can click on the "Subscribe by email" link on the left.  The daily posts will be automatically sent to your email address.  You won't have to go searching for them.  I'm starting off with a simple praise from the Bible.  May 2011 be a blessed year as we look to God and thank Him for our lives, His love and our salvation.

Psalm 100

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God.

It is He who made us, and we are His;

we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving

and His courts with praise;

give thanks to Him and praise His name.

For the Lord is good and His love endures forever;

His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Encouragement for the day:  Take a moment to reflect on the greatness of God.  Take another moment to let Him know how great you think He is.

Question of the day:  What does "praising God" mean to you?