sorry guys. i know i said i'd update this on a daily basis and it doesn't seem to be happening. however, i have kept up with my readings and studies, so the point of this is still being achieved. so yay. <3
side note: i hate having a pc at work and a mac at home. i can never seem to get the keyboard shortcuts right anymore.
goodnight.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Day 3-5: Unexpected Spiritual Conversations
If you were starting to get worried that I wasnt keeping my end of the bargain, fear not, I am still here!
On the 3rd, I read the passage and was just too tired to write about it. Yesterday, I started a post on chapter 3 and then got side tracked. Yes, I am extremely A.D.D. and shiny things distract me but that's not what happened yesterday.
I started this little "Go through Matthew in 28 days" since I realized I needed to get my butt off the spiritual couch and do something about my unmotivation. Well yesterday, I got a swift kick of motivation.
Oh man! God works in crazy ways!
As I was tapping away on my keyboard last night, I get one of those blinky notification from Facebook telling me someone is messaging me. To my surprise it is someone I haven't seen or even talked to in years. (I had met him a few times since he is a friend of a friend) He had asked me if I could click on the link and 'like' this youtube video for him. To be honest, at first I was a little sketched thinking it might be a cyber eat my computer link or something like that but he told me it's so he had a chance to win a tablet. Win a tablet? That sounds familiar. So I gave the random link a try and voila it is his 'this is my story' submission.
The video itself was kinda a mess. He didnt say much, you could hardly hear the random things he did say and the camera wasn't close enough to his face cause the majority of the screen was just some white sheets.
Despite all that, I knew this was a chance to have a conversation. He was the one that approached me with his video and ultimately the invitation to talk. His video was unclear in answering the question "who are you?" and therefore allowed for a lot of followup questions. That all being said, there would be no conversation if I wasn't faithful in starting it. But I was scared. I had never had a "real spiritual" conversation with someone over facebook. We are always being encouraged to try to reach out to our friends through social media and such but it scared me. I have enough trouble settling my nerves when I talk to my friends in person but how am I supposed to know what to say when I can't see them? (In hind sight, I suppose that it does make sense that online would actually be easier since the grace period between reading a message and responding is actually much higher than when someone says something and you just blankly stare back at them) But God was there. This would be his conversation. So I just trusted that he would be there and give me the words.
As we talked it became clear that he is struggling with who he sees himself as and he feels like he is only being a "good person" because of how he was raised. He also says that he's looking into God in the past and it didn't "seem to fit" but now he's willing to give it a try.
We briefly talked about how he could "give God a try" and he said that he might come out to church on Sunday as well as going to the P2C This is My Story Gala.
Turns out that many of the MRU P2C students know him and have classes with him. So please pray that as he gets to know and trust Christians, he will come to know Jesus.
Also, I hope this story might encourage you if you've been feeling blah in your relationship with Jesus. God is always faithful and you may be surprised with how he will use you when you're willing to trust him.
On the 3rd, I read the passage and was just too tired to write about it. Yesterday, I started a post on chapter 3 and then got side tracked. Yes, I am extremely A.D.D. and shiny things distract me but that's not what happened yesterday.
I started this little "Go through Matthew in 28 days" since I realized I needed to get my butt off the spiritual couch and do something about my unmotivation. Well yesterday, I got a swift kick of motivation.
Oh man! God works in crazy ways!
As I was tapping away on my keyboard last night, I get one of those blinky notification from Facebook telling me someone is messaging me. To my surprise it is someone I haven't seen or even talked to in years. (I had met him a few times since he is a friend of a friend) He had asked me if I could click on the link and 'like' this youtube video for him. To be honest, at first I was a little sketched thinking it might be a cyber eat my computer link or something like that but he told me it's so he had a chance to win a tablet. Win a tablet? That sounds familiar. So I gave the random link a try and voila it is his 'this is my story' submission.
The video itself was kinda a mess. He didnt say much, you could hardly hear the random things he did say and the camera wasn't close enough to his face cause the majority of the screen was just some white sheets.
Despite all that, I knew this was a chance to have a conversation. He was the one that approached me with his video and ultimately the invitation to talk. His video was unclear in answering the question "who are you?" and therefore allowed for a lot of followup questions. That all being said, there would be no conversation if I wasn't faithful in starting it. But I was scared. I had never had a "real spiritual" conversation with someone over facebook. We are always being encouraged to try to reach out to our friends through social media and such but it scared me. I have enough trouble settling my nerves when I talk to my friends in person but how am I supposed to know what to say when I can't see them? (In hind sight, I suppose that it does make sense that online would actually be easier since the grace period between reading a message and responding is actually much higher than when someone says something and you just blankly stare back at them) But God was there. This would be his conversation. So I just trusted that he would be there and give me the words.
As we talked it became clear that he is struggling with who he sees himself as and he feels like he is only being a "good person" because of how he was raised. He also says that he's looking into God in the past and it didn't "seem to fit" but now he's willing to give it a try.
We briefly talked about how he could "give God a try" and he said that he might come out to church on Sunday as well as going to the P2C This is My Story Gala.
Turns out that many of the MRU P2C students know him and have classes with him. So please pray that as he gets to know and trust Christians, he will come to know Jesus.
Also, I hope this story might encourage you if you've been feeling blah in your relationship with Jesus. God is always faithful and you may be surprised with how he will use you when you're willing to trust him.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Day 2: Matt 2 + The future?
"After the wise men were done, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother," the angel said. "Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother," - Matt 2:13-14
An angel spoke to Joseph in a dream telling him that he needed to pack up his life and leave immediately for an indefinite amount of time and that night he packs and leaves. This makes me wonder if I heard a clean and clear order from God, would I not doubt and just go?
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What worries you most about the future?This seems oddly related to my response above. (Almost frighteningly related...) One of my biggest fears is God calling me into ministry and specifically to somewhere I don't want to go. I don't have specific places were I have circled on a map specified as "places I don't want to go" but I'm just scared I won't like where he calls me. But as God told Joseph that he had to go because of Jesus's safety, God always knows best. Who am I go question the God of the universe?
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Day 1: Matt 1+ Seahorse.
So now that I've committed to do this challenge, it's time to get started.
I know! It's technically already Feb 2, but it still counts as Feb 1 since I haven't gone to bed yet and I was up writing the last post (A sort of explanation of what I'm doing).
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The verse I underlined in my Bible today is: verse 21.
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If you had to live under the sea what kind of an animal would you be?
Firstly, their name means horse+sea monster. How cool?
They even go through a "courtship stage".
Plus they're pretty.
(To learn more about Seahorses, go to the trusty Wikipedia page)
I know! It's technically already Feb 2, but it still counts as Feb 1 since I haven't gone to bed yet and I was up writing the last post (A sort of explanation of what I'm doing).
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Matthew 1
The first bit talks about the Genealogy of Jesus and it's cool to know how the bloodline of Jesus works and my brain draws a family tree as I read the passage but some of the names just go over my head.The verse I underlined in my Bible today is: verse 21.
"She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”Joseph was told right off the bat that his child will "save their people from their sins". We are told that Jesus saves people from their sins right at the very beginning of the New Testament. How clearer can it be? That is his purpose and the definition of who he is, The Saviour. Why do we puny humans still doubt?
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If you had to live under the sea what kind of an animal would you be?
Seahorse.
They even go through a "courtship stage".
Plus they're pretty.
(To learn more about Seahorses, go to the trusty Wikipedia page)
28 Day Challenge: Rekindling My Flame For Jesus
So it looks like I've been MIA here on my blog since last May. A coincidence? I think not. A lot has changed in the past 9 months. Quick run down: I got me a boyfriend, I traveled for 7+weeks around in China, Hong Kong and Australia and got me a job (it's for coop, but a job none the less) so i havent been in classes at all for the past year. And therefore, with all those changes blogging just hasn't been on my mind.
But it looks like it is all about to change.
Recently (well mainly just today), I've been thinking about how as of late, I've been feeling unmotivated and blah in my walk with Christ. Although being in this rut has upset me and caused some yuckiness in my life my lack of motivation has kicked in and I've very little about this. For me to move my butt into gear takes more than my own "willpower". Usually I don't get much done until friends or mentors challenge me and keep me accountable and being the lowly intern (I don't even get very mentally challenging tasks) I lack friends and people who push me outside of my comfortable zone spiritually.
Coincidentally, two weeks ago a Sunday School teacher (she teaches gr 7-12) asked me to share my story about how I went through a tough time (the passing of my dad) but grew in my faith because of God's goodness and grace. To help me paint the picture, I remembered a blog post I wrote years ago describing some of those feelings. As I searched for that particular post I started reading each of my old posts. Reading those words filled me with joy and sadness, excitement and fear, conviction and pain as I relearned many of my past lessons.
That all being said, I realized I need to take steps in rebuilding my spiritual life. I know I need friends and mentors to help me stay on track and walk beside me, but I think that I can use this blog and the webisphere as a building block.
The summer of 2011, I was challenged by a friend to spend 30 days telling the world 30 random facts about myself. Although there were days where I fell behind I would make an effort to play catch-up and within the 30 days I completed the challenge.
So here's the plan, since February is a short month I'm going to do a 28 day challenge. This is solely cause I realize that need to do something about my stale relationship with Jesus but it can also be a little fun too. Each day (and forgive me if I have a few catch-up days), I will read a chapter in Matthew (the 28 chapters makes sense and I need quality study not quantity), write down a few of my thoughts and tell you a random thought or fact about myself.
So here it goes. This is my reintroduction to the world of blogging.
And here's to rekindling the flame for my first love. Jesus Christ.
--B
But it looks like it is all about to change.
Recently (well mainly just today), I've been thinking about how as of late, I've been feeling unmotivated and blah in my walk with Christ. Although being in this rut has upset me and caused some yuckiness in my life my lack of motivation has kicked in and I've very little about this. For me to move my butt into gear takes more than my own "willpower". Usually I don't get much done until friends or mentors challenge me and keep me accountable and being the lowly intern (I don't even get very mentally challenging tasks) I lack friends and people who push me outside of my comfortable zone spiritually.
Coincidentally, two weeks ago a Sunday School teacher (she teaches gr 7-12) asked me to share my story about how I went through a tough time (the passing of my dad) but grew in my faith because of God's goodness and grace. To help me paint the picture, I remembered a blog post I wrote years ago describing some of those feelings. As I searched for that particular post I started reading each of my old posts. Reading those words filled me with joy and sadness, excitement and fear, conviction and pain as I relearned many of my past lessons.
That all being said, I realized I need to take steps in rebuilding my spiritual life. I know I need friends and mentors to help me stay on track and walk beside me, but I think that I can use this blog and the webisphere as a building block.
The summer of 2011, I was challenged by a friend to spend 30 days telling the world 30 random facts about myself. Although there were days where I fell behind I would make an effort to play catch-up and within the 30 days I completed the challenge.
So here's the plan, since February is a short month I'm going to do a 28 day challenge. This is solely cause I realize that need to do something about my stale relationship with Jesus but it can also be a little fun too. Each day (and forgive me if I have a few catch-up days), I will read a chapter in Matthew (the 28 chapters makes sense and I need quality study not quantity), write down a few of my thoughts and tell you a random thought or fact about myself.
So here it goes. This is my reintroduction to the world of blogging.
And here's to rekindling the flame for my first love. Jesus Christ.
--B
