The Lord speaks to me...

"Or do you not know that your body
is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you,

whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
For you were bought at a price;
therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV)

Zealous

I was reading from 1 Kings 19 this morning. 

Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty." 1 Kings 19:10

Elijah got me thinking about zeal.  It's really a cool word.   There aren't a lot of Z words and zeal has to be one of the best.  

zeal - eagerness (marked by enthusiastic or impatient desire or interest)
and ardent(fiery, hot, shining, glowing) interest in the pursuit of something (Jesus!)

Lord, I want to be zealous.  I want to live passionately for You and the things You call me to.  I want to eagerly await Your return.   I want to be able to say that I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty.

Help.  

Daily Bible Reading Update

I was doing so good with my Daily Bible Reading plan.

The best that I have ever done.

I don't know what happened. I don't know why I stopped. It happened so quickly. I tried to catch up, but I seemed to get farther and farther behind.

I gave up.

I've been thinking more about my time in God's Word than the time I actually spend. With our new earlier to bedtime routine in full swing, I'm getting up earlier and I hear my Father calling me. I haven't been opening the Word because I didn't know where to go and because I felt so discouraged by my failure at the reading plan.

I was talking to Surferman tonight. He encouraged me to keep going. So what if I won't finish on December 31st. It may not be until March or whenever, but I will be better off for having read His Word. There is no time schedule. Just my desire to have regular time learning, knowing and reading my Father's heart.

God... I'll see you in the morning.

Daily Bible Reading - Ephesians 4-6

Ephesians 4-6

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.
Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.
He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
Ephesians 5:1-2

Smart Habit Saturday

Lara the Lazy Organizer hosts Smart Habit Saturdays. It has been really motivating to me and has encouraged me to work on some improvements in my life.

I'm adding a new habit this week even though I have had stellar results with my habit from last week. My habit last week was to be in bed with the lights out by 11 pm. Well... I was in bed by 11 pm each of the nights, but not with lights off.

The habit I'm setting next should help me be better about my last habit. To be successful, I'll have to get to bed.

Habit 4 - Daily, early morning devotion time. I want to be out of bed at 5:45 am every morning for 45 minutes with my Lord for reading of the Word, prayer and book study.

Continuing with
Habit 3 - Lights out by 11 pm nightly.
Habit 2 - Drink 3 qts of water daily. Baby stepping is working! Increasing to 2 qts/ day this week.
Habit 1 - Wash my face every night. On track - almost a habit!

Daily Bible Reading - Psalm 69-71

Psalm 69-71

1 Save me, O God,
for the floodwaters are up to my neck.
2 Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire;
I can’t find a foothold.
I am in deep water,
and the floods overwhelm me.
3 I am exhausted from crying for help;
my throat is parched.
My eyes are swollen with weeping,
waiting for my God to help me.

Psalm 69:1-3

Sometimes problems and trials come fast and furious, one after another - after another. They don't seem to stop and I feel helpless. I cry out to God, but feel like He isn't listening. He doesn't do what I want done NOW.

This week I had the invitations to my pity party out and addressed. I'm glad they never made it in the mail. Just when I was beginning to feel really bad for myself, God would bring someone into my day who "had it worse".

It's hard to feel sorry for yourself when you are counting your blessings.

Daily Bible Reading - Leviticus 1-3

Leviticus 1-3

God gives Moses instructions for Burnt Offerings, Grain Offerings and Peace Offerings.

I thank God for sending Jesus. That His blood would be shed and that blood would be enough.

I see the bloody mess and am so thankful God cleans up my bloody messes.

I read about washing the guts and feet and think about what I need to clean up in my life - my inner thoughts and the places I go and what I do.

I realize that God wants my best, my choicest ingredients creating a pleasing aroma.

Daily Bible Reading - Luke 9-10

Luke 9-10

Pardon me while I chew and chew and chew. These were a couple of very meaty chapters.

It's the height of Jesus' ministry; a lot is going on.

What stood out in these chapters during this reading was how Jesus sent out disciples on two different occasions. First he sent out 12. He empowered them to cast out demons and heal illness. He gave them directions to take nothing on their journey, to rely on the kindness of strangers, to trust God and His provision. Later he sends out 72. He gives them similar instructions but also commands them to be focused to stay on the job at hand.

It makes me think about my life and how bogged down with stuff I often feel and how that stuff takes my time and energy.

It makes me think about hospitality and being more inviting.

It makes me think about being faithful to the Lord.

It makes me think.

Daily Bible Reading - Proverbs 2-3

Proverbs 2-3

For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will fill you with joy.
Wise choices will watch over you.
Understanding will keep you safe.
Proverbs 2:10-11

Daily Bible Reading - 1 Kings 5-9

1 Kings 5-9

My mom is a packrat. She saves everything. It could all be useful "someday". She saves the selvages off of fabric, colored plastic bags, and other things that seem ridiculous. Her stuff makes me itch and feel claustrophobic. I dread the day when she passes because I'll get to deal with all of her stuff. Her stashes of stuff, however, have come in handy time and time again. I can't tell you how many times she has come to the rescue when I've had to throw together a quick craft for Sunday School.

In my reading today I saw how valuable David's stash of materials was for Solomon. King David's gathering allowed the building of the temple to take place. King David's good relationship with Hiram didn't hurt either. Solomon was able to build a beautiful and magnificent temple for God to dwell in. It was a sight to see. It took years to build and exhausted all of the materials King David has saved.

The fact that Solomon's personal house took almost twice as long to build... hmmm

Daily Bible Reading - 1 Kings 1-4

1 Kings 1-4

David is old and cold.
*Abishag to the rescue.
Adonijah has ideas of who should be King - himself.
David names Solomon as his successor.
King Solomon cleans house
Solomon asks for wisdom
A baby isn't cut in two
A king lives high on the hog (well probably not hog - he likely kept Kosher)

Want to read along with me? Kelli pointed me to a great Bible reading plan. It's never to late to start reading God's Word. If you start reading let me know

* Reading about Abishag tonight reminded me of a dear friend. I met Don when he was 101 years young. He was a character and I had the honor of being his friend until he went to be with the Lord at the salty age of 104. I gave him a lap quilt that I made the last Christmas that he celebrated. I named it "Abishag" because it, like this woman was designed to keep an old, cold man warm. He didn't get the reference (who would, it's rather obscure) when I told him, so I read the passage to him. He laughed and said he's rather have Bathsheba.

Daily Bible Reading - Galatians 1-3

Galatians 1-3

For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. Galatians 4:19-21

Thank you Jesus for dying for me.

Daily Bible Reading - Jeremiah 42-46

Jeremiah 42-46

The Friday Bible reading is the hardest for me. It's like hitting a brick wall at the end of my week. The assignments are longer and I don't have the familiarity with the Prophets that I have with the rest of the Bible. I will be very glad to be done with Jeremiah next week. I pray that my attitude would adjust and that I'd start the book of Lamentations with an open heart and mind. It sounds funny to pray to be joyful about reading a book called Lamentations, but that is really what I want.

What struck me today in the reading was the fickleness of the people. They ask Jeremiah to talk to God and that they'll do whatever God says. Immediately upon hearing God's words, they call Jeremiah a liar, do what they want to do, and suffer the exact consequences that God promised.

Lord, when I read Your word and know Your heart, let me listen and obey. Remove any fickleness in me. Amen

Daily Bible Reading - Psalms 60 - 62

Psalm 60 - 62

Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will not be shaken.
My victory and honor come from God alone.
He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.

Psalm 62:5-7

Daily Bible Reading - Exodus 29-32

Exodus 29-32

When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.” Exodus 32:1

Extensive instructions were given to Moses by God. Instructions to build a Tabernacle - a place that God could commune with His people. And before He finishes, His people are sinning; separating themselves from Him.

How quick it can happen... discontent, impatience... and I'm chasing after worldly things.

Lord give me a contented spirit that diligently chases after You.

Daily Bible Reading - Luke 3-4

Luke 3-4

Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.
Luke 3:8

Daily Bible Reading - Job 39-40

Job 39-40

I had the opportunity and privilege to pray with a woman last week. Her husband is divorcing her. He is throwing away his wife and pretending that it doesn't effect their children. She cameto church looking for prayer. She was facing a weekend of celebrations for one of her kids. Her husband would be there. She didn't want things to be hard or awkward for her child. She told her child that she would be there for the ceremonies and then she would give him a kiss and go; not hanging around. This is what she knew she needed to do for her child. Instead, she wanted to flee. She wanted to hide. But through her tears, she realized that real mommies don't run. The Lord gave me words to comfort her. We prayed then and I continued to lift her to our Father throughout the weekend. I haven't heard how it went. I keep praying.

Today I read

13 “The ostrich flaps her wings grandly,
but they are no match for the feathers of the stork.
14 She lays her eggs on top of the earth,
letting them be warmed in the dust.
15 She doesn’t worry that a foot might crush them
or a wild animal might destroy them.
16 She is harsh toward her young,
as if they were not her own.
She doesn’t care if they die.
17 For God has deprived her of wisdom.
He has given her no understanding.
18 But whenever she jumps up to run,
she passes the swiftest horse with its rider.

It reminded me of my conversation with this woman and how unlike an Ostrich this woman is. The love and care she has for her kids, the wisdom and understanding she seeks and most of all how she stayed put.

Daily Bible Reading - 2 Samuel 15-19

I'm 136 days into reading the Bible in a year. I'm enjoying it but sometimes it seems to be a chore or thing that I have to do before I can go to sleep.

Surferman and I are making a real effort to get to bed a bit earlier and get up quite a bit earlier. My goal is to get my assignment for the day done before I start my day. I hope to spend the day meditating on and considering what I read and then post something about it here.

I'll continue to read daily, but plan to post my thoughts every other day. I pray it's a blessing.

2 Samuel 15-19

Absalom versus King David. Son versus Father. All the makings of a good night time soap. Loyalties that change like direction of the wind, sex, battle and justice in the end. Maybe I could sell it to NBC?

David's feelings for his son Absalom stood out to me. Instead of fighting, David fled. In battle, David requested that the enemy be spared. Instead of rejoicing in his victory, he focused on his loss.

It speaks to me of parenting issues. Surferman and I often to say to each other, "Who is the parent?" One of us is usually in a situation where we aren't being as firm as we should be, are letting Grom be more independently than he has earned the right to be.

Sometimes I want to flee. Sometimes I don't want to discipline. Sometimes I mourn the hurt Grom experiences from his own disobedience. Lord, keep me from raising an Absalom.