Can't Stand on Knees

The other night while wrapping up our bedtime routine, my daughter surprised me by kneeling bedside to pray. I am not sure when she learned this because I know I have never done that particular prayer posture with her, or even myself in the last few years. And I don't think she read Josh Griffin's blog post on the various prayer postures...those familiar with that or with Doug Fields and Simply Youth Ministry are probably laughing right now :-)

At any rate, I digress, God has been reminding me a lot about Himself and how simple our relationship with Him really is. And He as been using my own daughter to do it. As humans, we can't stand on our knees. Yes that was intentional. When we are our our knees we feel weak, vulnerable, dependant. That concept is contrary to everything we are taught. From childhood we are taught to be strong, not to give in, to stand our our own two feet, to allow others to be dependant on us, to be respected, wealthy, powerful, INdependent.

So when all that fades away or someone sweeps our feet out from under us because they are competing against us, what are we left with?

Instead we need to totally rebuild our thinking to this simple fact: we are strongest when we are on our knees, totally dependant on God and seeking His perfect power because....
GOD IS GOD............we are not.

COMMUNION DONE RIGHT

When we participate in communion, do we REALLY do it with our hearts, our vertical AND horizontal relationships made right? That is what God commands of us to do. But how many times do we take those crackers (in my church) and grape juice mini-shots just so we don't let those around us and those serving them to us know that something is not right? I admit I am guilty of this sin. I am vowing publicly here with each one of you as my human witnesses that I will no longer participate in communion each month (in my church we do it the first Sunday of every month) unless to the best of my knowledge and Holy Spirit's witnessing to my heart that my vertical relationship with my God is right AND that my horizontal relationships with my colleagues and brothers and sisters are right. We are only to take communion AFTER we have examined our hearts and made sure that we are not only fessed up but also have things settled with our neighbors. How about you? Will you join me in this commitment?

A Top 100 List

Well much to my surprise and delight, God has approved of this site and has blessed it with the 16th seat of a 100 seat table of other Christian based blogs. Some other friends' blogs are on here as well. Great!! I have no idea the requirements to be at this table. But I do know that the few people that occasionally read this blog have forwarded it on to others in various ways and so on. So thank you to my family and friends who have helped me spread the truth of God's Word in the crazy, mixed up, media driven, conspiracy ridden (cough cough), sinful world. May God's name be praised and His forgiveness and salvation earnestly sought and shared. Any time now Lord would be great!!

 

I have included a snippet from the article itself and the link to it. Enjoy. 

 

Top 100 Blogs on Christian Families

Raising children is a tough job with no pay. Christian families fight the never-ending battle to raise their children by the word of God in a word of sliding morals and values. Sometimes the best support system is one another. This list of 100 Christian family blogs will provide parenting tips, support and fellowship to those seeking support and friends from other followers of Jesus Christ.

To read more click on the link:

http://becomingaradiologist.org/top-100-blogs-on-christian-families/

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<' (((   ><

Spiritual Streakers

If the Gospel of Christ was our wardrobe, how would the people who know us best judge our wardrobe?
1. Best dressed list - Your life lines up perfectly with a Gospel filled life.
2. Sharp but over done - You're trying to hard.
3. 20 years behind current fashions - You are clueless about the world around you so your efforts are useless.
4. Nothing matches - You don't care about your appearance of what you wear, you just do your own thing.
5. Clothes don't fit / More holes than hems - You occasionally put on the Gospel when it is convenient for you.
6. Spiritual streaker - Nothing on at all, no evidence of the Gospel in your life.

Here is the verse of basis - Philippians 1.27. In the KJV the word, "becometh" is used. It means "fit", "suitable", "worthy".

Thankful Heart

I was just continueing making notes on class lecture and was reviewing previous notes to get my mind back in the proper context. I just felt led to post them on here and share them. Enjoy!

The context is a study of Philippians 1.3-11 "The Marks of Mature Believers". Mark 1 is found in verse 3, a thankful heart. Here are the notes:
Paul was thankful for believers he only occassionally saw. So should we be thankful for eachother even mroe so and let each other know it. Also for all believers everywhere.

A Thankful Heart Comes From:
1. Asking and trusting God for the strenght to bear the trials of life.
2. Deliberately choosing to give thanks.

3 Questions:
1a. Why is it so difficult to give thanks during unpleasant circumstances?
1b. How can you prepare your heart ahead of time to be thankful?
2a. Who is the most thankful person you know?
2b. What makes them so thankful?
3a. Are you thankful for your salvation, family, friends, church?
3b. WHen was the last time you thanked God for each of these?

Idea: Start a list of things you are thankful for and add to it daily.
More thoughts on this at www.parentalcoach.blogspot.com.

Other ideas??