Personal Reflection: My Will vs. God's Will

In scripture, Jesus teaches such interesting upside-down lessons to his disciples and those listening to him...

“...the last will be first and the the first will be last” [Matt 20:16]...

“...whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all” [Mark 10:43-44]...

Maybe one day my life will mirror such upside-down thinking and I will be able to say with a joyful heart that I was a failure in what I wanted to do for God, but a success in what God wanted me to do for the Kingdom...

Not my will, Lord, but Yours ... bring Your will to pass in my life!! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Faith Reflections: The Road to Emmaus

Read Luke 24:13-35

In this passage, two disciples of Jesus are walking from Jerusalem to a small village named Emmaus. It has just been a couple of days since Jesus has been crucified. They are troubled and dejected as they discuss the recent events while they walk, perhaps wondering what they would do now that their teacher and master and Lord had been crucified. Possibly, they are thinking that it wasn't supposed to have happened that way... then a third traveller joins them and asks what they are talking about.

The scriptures tell us that although the disciples could see and hear this third traveller, they did not really know who he was... they could not really "see" or "know" him for who he was until he "opened" their eyes and revealed himself to them as their Lord and master, the one who had so recently been crucified. And then, after their encounter with Jesus is over, they realize that somehow, they must have known all along who he was, because their hearts had "burned within them" as he had spoken with them.

As we walk life's road, while we cannot see the One who walks with us, yet we still can know who He is... with our eyes "opened" by His love and faithfulness, we can "see" Him who is now invisible to us... and through prayer and reading the scriptures, we can talk with and hear from the One who travels life's road with us. As the hearts of the early disciples "burned within them", even when they did not yet know who was traveling with them, so our hearts will also "burn within us" as our unseen Lord and Savior journeys with us along the roads we travel in life.

The Great Commission...

We Christians call it The Great Commission... "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." [Matthew 28:19 NRSV].

I just wonder what that "looks like" in real life for those who consider themselves to be Christians... how do you "go... and make disciples [of Jesus, the Christ]"?

I would like to know how those of you who read this post, and consider yourself to be a Christian, "go... and make disciples". How do you answer the call of the Great Commission?

And if you are not Christian, then I would like to know how you think that one who says they are a Christian should "go... and make disciples".

I invite your comments...

What Time is It Really?

Not too long ago, I was talking with an individual who was getting ready to graduate from high school and I asked what she was thinking of doing after graduation. When she answered that she knew she wanted to go to college, but wasn't sure what she was going to study or do for the rest of her life, I found myself thinking that she still had plenty of time to decide those things. The idea of her having "plenty of time" came to mind because she was "young" ... and most people think a young person has "plenty of time" as opposed to someone older who might not think they have a lot of time left in life...

But then I realized that this comparison that we make between young and old regarding the time we have in life on this earth was not true!! We all have the same amount of time no matter how old we are... because no one is guaranteed any more time here on earth than "right now"!! We all hope and plan for the future, but that future is not guaranteed... each moment past "now" that we live is a gift from God!!

So hope and dream and plan for the future... whether you think your future on this earth is going to be for 60 or 70 more years, or whether you think it might only be another hour or day or year... and no matter how long you have, use it all for God's glory... after all, the time you have is God's gift to you, so you might thank God by living for Him!!

Happy 4th of July!!

Video Link

new beginnings...

Easter has come and gone... and I have once again been reminded of God's awesome love for me... that He should die for my sins and then rise again, bringing me new life... and new beginnings!! May God's blessings be on each of you, as every day we rise with the knowledge that we are an Easter People, and that we have an awesome God who is ever faithful in His love towards us!!

Praise God!! Christ has risen indeed!!

Question of the Day...

Spring has sprung... and "March Madness" has begun!!  Who are your favorites and who do you think will win this year?  [Unfortunately, my favorite - Florida - didn't even get into the tourney....   but, there is always next year...  Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page for game times, etc]...

Why are they called "bills"? Why not "bobs" or "teds"?

"We would be delighted if you would pay your electric bill.  You will be de-lighted if you don't."

I read that one time on a page of puns and jokes.  I was thinking about it today because I have to pay my electric bill, or risk being "de-lighted."  Fortunately, I am able to pay it...  I have the funds available.  But there are many who do not, and so have their electricity cut off.

If you are one of the more fortunate people who complain about their electric bill, but yet have the funds to pay it [like yours truly], say a prayer for the millions of those who either cannot afford their electricity, or perhaps do not even have electricity to begin with.

Living Stones - a chosen people... and a light to the world...

I named this blog "Living Stones - a chosen people", because those of us who consider ourselves to be "Christ-followers" have indeed been chosen by our Creator...  but not "chosen" in the sense of being an exclusive group, "better" than any other peoples, and or "above" all other peoples...

Rather, we are people who have been "chosen" for a task...  we have been given a job, so to speak.  We are to be lights in the darkness of our world.  In the midst of hopelessness and despair, heartache and suffering, we are to be Christ's light so that others might have a chance to find their way through the darkness that surrounds them.  "... for you are a chosen people.  You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession.  As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light."  [1 Peter 2:9 NLT]

We may be living stones, being built into God's spiritual house [1 Peter 2:5], but we must not think that we will be the only "stones" that God is looking for...   and so we must shine out with Christ's love to all those around us, in the same way that the lighthouse shown as a background picture in this blog, shines a guiding light that revolves and shines in all directions around it.  

As God's chosen people, royal priests and holy nation, we are chosen to do no less than the lighthouse...  we are chosen to shine out a light in all directions of our lives, to all we come in contact with, that they might also become a shining, living stone in God's spiritual house. 

Upon whom is your light shining today?  And is it the light of Christ that they see?  

New Year's Resolutions - Revisited

I know, I know...   here it is February and I am posting about New Year's resolutions.  Usually people only talk about them during the first few days of the new year - if they even remember them on Jan. 2nd...

I said in an earlier post, dated Dec. 30th, that I quit making resolutions...  but then I challenged those who might read this blog to make a resolution about reading through the Bible.  Well, I guess I still do make them, because once again, I have taken up the challenge that I gave out.  I am reading through the Bible this year using the "schedule" that I explained in the post from Dec. 30th...   although, I have to be honest here and admit that I am a few days behind, so I will need to read a few extra chapters for a few days in order to catch up to where I should be...  but I have gotten through the 4 gospels already.

I will from time to time post some thoughts that my reading might generate, and of course I welcome all comments, questions, etc that you might have.  And if you do not happen to think of yourself as a Christian, or as someone who is "religious", but find that you want to comment or ask questions, please feel free to do so!!  This blog is an "equal opportunity blog", so all readers are welcome to comment...  [remember the "rules of engagement" please and be civil to others in your comments].

Anyway, so much for my New Year's resolutions...   did anyone else make any?...   and are you still keeping them? 

Back in the Game

ok...  I admit...   I have been a little bummed because I have not gotten many people checking out this blog...  and I obviously took a "vacation" from posting to this blog...  but I have decided to get back in the game, so to speak.  I will begin to post again, and perhaps, little by little, folks will begin to check out the blog, and follow it.

Its raining outside...

It's raining outside...  a steady, moderately heavy rain.  Out my backdoor I have a covered, well, not really a carport, but something similar.  I stood out there and watched as my backyard filled with birds of all kinds, some on the ground and some in the trees surrounding my yard.  They were singing and chirping and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying their bath in the rain.  It is amazing how other creatures seem to revel in and enjoy the very things that we humans sometimes think "ruin" the day.