Sunday, October 13, 2013
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Home to Me
The reason my blog is called Home to Me. I feel like it kinda describes the Southern girl I wanna be :) I want to feel like "home"
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Stillness
While enjoying my coffee this morning, I thought over the past week. It's been a roller coaster of emotions, and too often I gave in to fear or doubt when things were chaotic. The dictionary defines chaos as disorder, confusion.
But God commands quietness in our hearts. "Be still and know that I am God."
"A stillness before God invites the setting aside of achieving — to allow the simple grace of receiving."
How many times in the Bible are we told to abide, rest, trust, pray, have faith? Each of these words indicate to me a sense of going deeper and finding strength in something other than yourself.
Martha, Martha! Quit your busyness, your self-reliance. You cannot mend your soul, only God can. "Only one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen the better part." (Luke 10:42)
Be still and receive.
The Biblical "root-building" commands to abide and trust are often accompanied with fruits such as peace, joy, love, or longsuffering. Interestingly, it seems that growth happens when I'm steadily reaching deep into the soil of God's word, building that foundation. It's not in my busy-ness at church, work, volunteering, etc. To have the character of Christ, I must be still and go deep; meditate on the Lord. Setting aside the "important" things in my day to get quiet; even if that means finding a quiet place in my heart when there is noise around me.
But God commands quietness in our hearts. "Be still and know that I am God."
"A stillness before God invites the setting aside of achieving — to allow the simple grace of receiving."
How many times in the Bible are we told to abide, rest, trust, pray, have faith? Each of these words indicate to me a sense of going deeper and finding strength in something other than yourself.
Martha, Martha! Quit your busyness, your self-reliance. You cannot mend your soul, only God can. "Only one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen the better part." (Luke 10:42)
Be still and receive.
The Biblical "root-building" commands to abide and trust are often accompanied with fruits such as peace, joy, love, or longsuffering. Interestingly, it seems that growth happens when I'm steadily reaching deep into the soil of God's word, building that foundation. It's not in my busy-ness at church, work, volunteering, etc. To have the character of Christ, I must be still and go deep; meditate on the Lord. Setting aside the "important" things in my day to get quiet; even if that means finding a quiet place in my heart when there is noise around me.
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but 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 streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
(Psalm 1 ESV)
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but 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 streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
(Psalm 1 ESV)
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Ever-increasing joy
Why did Paul and Silas SING while they were in jail? What kind of joy is that? That's the kind of joy I want. A deep and abiding one. One that is sure and stays strong even in the face of things beyond my control.
I can be pretty impatient when I want to learn something; take piano for instance. I wanted to know everything on the first day! But it took me 8 years of hard work to get where I am. I've discovered in my life that true joy (there's a difference between "happiness" and real "joy") is not a sudden occurence either. The more I know Christ, the deeper it grows. I don't want surface happiness, what I seek is joy that's there even when times are hard.
He is Comforter, Friend, Rock, Fortress, Peacemaker...and He understands me when I can't understand myself. He knows every hair on my head, and every thought before I think it. He knows my rising up and my sitting down, and He formed me in His own image. He has promised to complete the good work that He began in me, and to never leave or forsake me. Praise the Lord
My mom did a good job of describing what a joyful relationship with Him really looks like. It's a steady river flowing; always sure, always constant....peaceful, comforting, strengthening, life-giving. All around things may be chaotic and scary, but down deep Christ is the Rock, the Foundation.
I think the key to joy is keeping our eyes fixed on Him. Think of Peter walking on the water. When we are fixed on Him we aren't afraid and nothing can shake us, but it's when we take our eyes off Him that we sink. Sink into ourselves. Our fears, our doubts, our frustrations, our bitterness, our negative thoughts. It's a rotten place to be, and I refuse to stay there and wallow in it.
James says the key is to "Count it all joy"! when we face these trials because "we know" or "we have the hope that" this will produce endurance and fruit. Amen!
I can be pretty impatient when I want to learn something; take piano for instance. I wanted to know everything on the first day! But it took me 8 years of hard work to get where I am. I've discovered in my life that true joy (there's a difference between "happiness" and real "joy") is not a sudden occurence either. The more I know Christ, the deeper it grows. I don't want surface happiness, what I seek is joy that's there even when times are hard.
He is Comforter, Friend, Rock, Fortress, Peacemaker...and He understands me when I can't understand myself. He knows every hair on my head, and every thought before I think it. He knows my rising up and my sitting down, and He formed me in His own image. He has promised to complete the good work that He began in me, and to never leave or forsake me. Praise the Lord
My mom did a good job of describing what a joyful relationship with Him really looks like. It's a steady river flowing; always sure, always constant....peaceful, comforting, strengthening, life-giving. All around things may be chaotic and scary, but down deep Christ is the Rock, the Foundation.
I think the key to joy is keeping our eyes fixed on Him. Think of Peter walking on the water. When we are fixed on Him we aren't afraid and nothing can shake us, but it's when we take our eyes off Him that we sink. Sink into ourselves. Our fears, our doubts, our frustrations, our bitterness, our negative thoughts. It's a rotten place to be, and I refuse to stay there and wallow in it.
James says the key is to "Count it all joy"! when we face these trials because "we know" or "we have the hope that" this will produce endurance and fruit. Amen!
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