Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.
Paul wrote this to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:13. We're told in other parts of scripture to preach the gospel, to share the Good News, to tell others of the love of Jesus Christ.
Yesterday a van pulled into our driveway with a well-dressed couple inside. My husband noticed it and went to see what they wanted--we were working in the back yard and didn't realize they had been at the door already.
"Oh, hi! We didn't think anyone was home," the man said. "We left an invitation on your door."
"An invitation? To what?" my husband asked, as we had never seen these people before.
"To a resurrection day celebration!" The man replied.
"Oh," husband answered, "are you Jehovah Witnesses?"
"Yes, we are....."
And so the next twenty or so minutes passed with my husband sharing what he believes to be the Truth about Jesus Christ. They discussed scripture & tried to convince each other of the Truth as they each know it.
The woman in the passenger seat finally said "Can I tell you something? We often come acrossed people who say they are born again and saved, then they shut the door on us. You are the first person to try to lead me to Christ. Thank you."
My husband was stunned, pleased, saddened, hopeful. He planted a seed of Truth to the couple, along with their children and grandchildren who were also in the car and for that opportunity he was thankful. They pulled out of our driveway knowing that someone cares about their eternal destiny, maybe they'll start questioning and come to know the real Jesus.
We were saddened when we realized that we should be as bold and responsible as they are about spreading the Gospel. How many Christians that know the real Jesus do you know that gather their entire family into the car every Saturday morning and drive house to house to share what they know? What would happen if we did? Many of us think our daily walk is enough, or our blog is sufficient. These things are all good, but take a minute to imagine if as many of us "born again, saved" Christians as Jehovah Witnesses piled in our vehicles and went house to house on a regular basis to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Are we too busy? Too bashful? Would we feel foolish?
I'm spending some serious time in thought and prayer over this. Scripture makes it clear what we should do, regardless of our personalities or feelings. We need to stop being so busy, so bashful and start being bold about what God wants us to do.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
An Artist?
I just finished reading a very thought provoking post at www.aholyexperience.com . This is one of the few blogs that I read on a regular basis because I really learn something about myself.
Her son said everyone first wants to be an artist, until they show their work to someone who tells them it's no good.
I always enjoyed new crayons, coloring pictures, trying to draw things I imagined.
I remember art class in elementary school--don't smell the smelly markers, put a line here, do it like I do but don't copy your neighbor (?!), cut on the line......lucky anyone kept their creativity after that class!
I remember the teacher praising the "artists" in the class and generically looking over and grading the rest of the class.
In high school I took an art class and was so excited to be learning how to draw facial features. We had to draw the person sitting across from us. It didn't come naturally to me but I really enjoyed it anyway and hoped the teacher would push me to keep working and practicing. That didn't happen. Everyone made fun of each other's poor attempts and I don't know who felt worse, the one doing the drawing or the one being drawn.
That was the end for me. The years of my attempts at creating something from nothing were laughed at and pushed aside for the kids who really had talent. I was weak and lacked confidence and didn't want to try anymore, obviously I was not cut out to be an artist. I didn't want to be famous, I just wanted to be able to draw something and have it looked halfway good. I had things in my head, I just needed to know how to get them from my head to paper.
Now that I'm an adult I enjoy creating in the kitchen. Again, nothing too fancy but my family always smiles and eats too much of it so it must be good! I've always been encouraged in the kitchen and so I work at doing better and I enjoy it.
I look out my back window at an amazingly old and beautiful walnut tree we have affectionately named Wally. How I long to draw him. I imagine myself sitting down with a freshly sharpened pencil and a crisp white piece of paper and taking what's in my mind, what's right in front of me, and putting it to paper. I can see myself doing it and it turns out just like Wally. One time I did actually try it and it turned out like a bunch of lines on a piece of paper.
What if that art teacher had been an encourager? What if he had made sure all of us, and not just the real artists, had the tools to create the things we had inside of us?
After reading Ann's post today I'm renewed. I will not give up the dream of being able to draw what I see. I probably won't ever be in an art show, but I have things in my head that are just waiting to be put on paper.
Is there anything you have pushed aside because you were never encouraged, or worse, told you were no good at? Join me in giving it another try? Seek out an encourager, mentor, how-to book, someone who already has been successful--and don't let anyone snuff out your dream!
Her son said everyone first wants to be an artist, until they show their work to someone who tells them it's no good.
I always enjoyed new crayons, coloring pictures, trying to draw things I imagined.
I remember art class in elementary school--don't smell the smelly markers, put a line here, do it like I do but don't copy your neighbor (?!), cut on the line......lucky anyone kept their creativity after that class!
I remember the teacher praising the "artists" in the class and generically looking over and grading the rest of the class.
In high school I took an art class and was so excited to be learning how to draw facial features. We had to draw the person sitting across from us. It didn't come naturally to me but I really enjoyed it anyway and hoped the teacher would push me to keep working and practicing. That didn't happen. Everyone made fun of each other's poor attempts and I don't know who felt worse, the one doing the drawing or the one being drawn.
That was the end for me. The years of my attempts at creating something from nothing were laughed at and pushed aside for the kids who really had talent. I was weak and lacked confidence and didn't want to try anymore, obviously I was not cut out to be an artist. I didn't want to be famous, I just wanted to be able to draw something and have it looked halfway good. I had things in my head, I just needed to know how to get them from my head to paper.
Now that I'm an adult I enjoy creating in the kitchen. Again, nothing too fancy but my family always smiles and eats too much of it so it must be good! I've always been encouraged in the kitchen and so I work at doing better and I enjoy it.
I look out my back window at an amazingly old and beautiful walnut tree we have affectionately named Wally. How I long to draw him. I imagine myself sitting down with a freshly sharpened pencil and a crisp white piece of paper and taking what's in my mind, what's right in front of me, and putting it to paper. I can see myself doing it and it turns out just like Wally. One time I did actually try it and it turned out like a bunch of lines on a piece of paper.
What if that art teacher had been an encourager? What if he had made sure all of us, and not just the real artists, had the tools to create the things we had inside of us?
After reading Ann's post today I'm renewed. I will not give up the dream of being able to draw what I see. I probably won't ever be in an art show, but I have things in my head that are just waiting to be put on paper.
Is there anything you have pushed aside because you were never encouraged, or worse, told you were no good at? Join me in giving it another try? Seek out an encourager, mentor, how-to book, someone who already has been successful--and don't let anyone snuff out your dream!
Friday, January 29, 2010
I'm Baaaaaaccckkk!
Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much friut; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15: 5)
You may believe that you can do alot of things and do them all well. I have found that I can't. I can't be the woman God wants me to be unless I spend time with Him. As I spend time with Him I learn what He expects of me. He expects me to put Him first, my husband next, my children after that. If I'm going to be the best disciple I can be, the best wife I can be and the best mother I can be, then something has to go. Probably more than one thing would have to go for many of you, if you were to really look at things.
Unlike many women I talk to, I truly enjoy taking care of my husband, my children, my home. I used to believe I had to put a fancy name to what I do, in order to be acceptable to others. The term " family unit engineer" is one I have used, thinking I was being funny, but also because so many of the women I know have "real" jobs and I felt I needed a more appropriate title.
Over the last two months I have learned alot (though I have much more to learn) and now I'm back to try and be an encouragement to anyone who might stumble upon my little slice of cyberspace.
One of the things I learned is that since I am not ashamed to be called a housewife or stay-at-home-mom, I don't need a fancy title! I have the best job in the world! I get to spend all my time loving and taking care of the family God gave me. I also learned that you can't properly do that job and blog everyday, so I'll be blogging a couple of times a week rather than everyday.
Something else I learned is that you can't remain in Christ and not be changed! I read scriptures to my daughter and realize that I'm not living up to what He expects of me. He says that apart from Him I can do nothing! So, I either remain in Him and change my ways, or I'm apart from Him and I can't do anything. The house and everyone in it falls apart when I'm not abiding in Him. Sometimes I think I can hide from the Holy Spirit, or make excuses for sin--have you ever tried to hide or make excuses when your child wants to know why you do what you do? My effort to teach my daughters to be the best disciples they can be has had unexpected effects on me.
I have doubted my ability to be a good mother. God has shown me that it's not so much about me being a good mother, but being a mother is making me a better disciple. When I abide in Him I can see that and the focus is then off myself and back on Him, where it should always be.
Don't let anyone or anything take you away from Jesus--you can no nothing without Him.
You may believe that you can do alot of things and do them all well. I have found that I can't. I can't be the woman God wants me to be unless I spend time with Him. As I spend time with Him I learn what He expects of me. He expects me to put Him first, my husband next, my children after that. If I'm going to be the best disciple I can be, the best wife I can be and the best mother I can be, then something has to go. Probably more than one thing would have to go for many of you, if you were to really look at things.
Unlike many women I talk to, I truly enjoy taking care of my husband, my children, my home. I used to believe I had to put a fancy name to what I do, in order to be acceptable to others. The term " family unit engineer" is one I have used, thinking I was being funny, but also because so many of the women I know have "real" jobs and I felt I needed a more appropriate title.
Over the last two months I have learned alot (though I have much more to learn) and now I'm back to try and be an encouragement to anyone who might stumble upon my little slice of cyberspace.
One of the things I learned is that since I am not ashamed to be called a housewife or stay-at-home-mom, I don't need a fancy title! I have the best job in the world! I get to spend all my time loving and taking care of the family God gave me. I also learned that you can't properly do that job and blog everyday, so I'll be blogging a couple of times a week rather than everyday.
Something else I learned is that you can't remain in Christ and not be changed! I read scriptures to my daughter and realize that I'm not living up to what He expects of me. He says that apart from Him I can do nothing! So, I either remain in Him and change my ways, or I'm apart from Him and I can't do anything. The house and everyone in it falls apart when I'm not abiding in Him. Sometimes I think I can hide from the Holy Spirit, or make excuses for sin--have you ever tried to hide or make excuses when your child wants to know why you do what you do? My effort to teach my daughters to be the best disciples they can be has had unexpected effects on me.
I have doubted my ability to be a good mother. God has shown me that it's not so much about me being a good mother, but being a mother is making me a better disciple. When I abide in Him I can see that and the focus is then off myself and back on Him, where it should always be.
Don't let anyone or anything take you away from Jesus--you can no nothing without Him.
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