Yesterday was a beautiful day at the beach. The weather was pleasant, the sky was blue, and the air was filled with the smells of sea salt and barbeques. My family and I joined a few hundred others from our church for our annual baptism and picnic.
This year was extra special because one of my daughters was getting baptized. We hadn’t pushed the issue at all. We want each of our children to recognize for themselves when they want to make this public statement of their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. So when our daughter stated she wanted to be baptized this year, we were pleased.
However, we wanted to make sure she understood what baptism was all about. We discussed the issue at length, read various Bible verses and explained that baptism symbolized the death to sin and rising to a new life. She understood it all and was looking forward to it except for one thing. She didn’t like the dunking part of it.
We arrived at the beach fairly early and went to explore the area where our church always holds its baptism. My daughter got a chance to splash around and get used to her surroundings. Her excitement grew and she was no longer weary of being immersed. In fact, by the time the baptisms took place, she was very enthusiastic. And when she came up out of the water, she had a big smile on her face.
It was a memorable day for her. She wants to take her baptism shirt and the pictures we took and place them in a frame so she will always remember the day she made her public statement about the faith that is in her heart. I think this was a memorable day for all of us.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Filled
Yesterday my girls and I were busy preparing cupcakes for my daughter’s 2nd grade class. We carefully measured out the ingredients, combined them into a bowl, and mixed everything up until the batter was creamy and smooth.
When it came time to pour the batter into the paper cups, I took over. It takes a practiced eye to get the right amount into those cups. You don’t want too much or too little. Next, I placed the muffin tins into the oven and set the timer.
It’s fascinating to see the cupcakes rise by the end of their baking time. The mushy batter pops up and turns into a soft moist cake. The paper cups, once partially filled, become full, all with the help of heat combined with the chemical reaction of the ingredients.
The Holy Spirit is the one who fills us up. Our lives are spiritually empty, but with the Holy Spirit we are filled to do the work God calls us to do. A cupcake is useless if it stays as a gooey mess. We, too, are useless if we don’t let the Holy Spirit energize and develop us as God intended.
Do you need to be filled? Give the Holy Spirit a call and He will start working on filling you up.
When it came time to pour the batter into the paper cups, I took over. It takes a practiced eye to get the right amount into those cups. You don’t want too much or too little. Next, I placed the muffin tins into the oven and set the timer.
It’s fascinating to see the cupcakes rise by the end of their baking time. The mushy batter pops up and turns into a soft moist cake. The paper cups, once partially filled, become full, all with the help of heat combined with the chemical reaction of the ingredients.
The Holy Spirit is the one who fills us up. Our lives are spiritually empty, but with the Holy Spirit we are filled to do the work God calls us to do. A cupcake is useless if it stays as a gooey mess. We, too, are useless if we don’t let the Holy Spirit energize and develop us as God intended.
Do you need to be filled? Give the Holy Spirit a call and He will start working on filling you up.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Thought for the Day
"You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you,
Whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Trust in the LORD always,
for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock."
Isaiah 26:3-4
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Put a Rush On It
My optometrist, knowing that I was doing some major researching for an upcoming proposal, decided to put a rush order on my computer glasses. It would take two days at the latest. Thursday and Friday went by. No phone call. I figured something must have caused a delay, but I wasn’t worried.
The weekend came and went. Monday arrived. No call. Finally, the telephone rang on Tuesday with the news, “Your glasses are ready!”
But when they brought out the glasses, they were the other prescription I was expecting later in the week. The computer glasses weren’t in sight! The optician who had placed the rush couldn’t understand the delay. She had called the lab the day of the order, emphasizing the rush. She even called to remind them the next day. Since she hadn’t been the one to receive the incoming orders that morning, she assumed I was picking up my computer glasses. Thankfully I now have something to work with until my other ones are ready.
Sometimes we ask God to put a rush on our prayer requests. We want Him to act right away so we get what we want when we want it. But there are times when we just need to wait. We need to trust God’s perfect timing. He knows all the steps and intricate details that are necessary to accomplish what would be in our best interest.
What are you trying to put a rush on? Let God work things out according to His timetable, not yours.
The weekend came and went. Monday arrived. No call. Finally, the telephone rang on Tuesday with the news, “Your glasses are ready!”
But when they brought out the glasses, they were the other prescription I was expecting later in the week. The computer glasses weren’t in sight! The optician who had placed the rush couldn’t understand the delay. She had called the lab the day of the order, emphasizing the rush. She even called to remind them the next day. Since she hadn’t been the one to receive the incoming orders that morning, she assumed I was picking up my computer glasses. Thankfully I now have something to work with until my other ones are ready.
Sometimes we ask God to put a rush on our prayer requests. We want Him to act right away so we get what we want when we want it. But there are times when we just need to wait. We need to trust God’s perfect timing. He knows all the steps and intricate details that are necessary to accomplish what would be in our best interest.
What are you trying to put a rush on? Let God work things out according to His timetable, not yours.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
When Opportunity Knocks
There it is. The chance of a lifetime. An opportunity literally drops in your lap. What should you do? Should you immediately jump at the chance?
I have learned over the years that it's best to pray first and foremost. Even though it seems like a match made in heaven, I want to be sure it's the right opportunity for me. Sometimes God has other plans, so I pray for His direction on the matter.
Since praying is usually an ongoing process is such situations (especially when I'm waiting for distinct directions from the Lord), I like to list the pros and cons. How does this benefit me and my family? Will it involve time I cannot commit to? Have I researched all the details? I need to make sure my excitement about the matter doesn't override a need for discernment.
Next, I seek counsel from a godly family member or friend. Sometimes the Lord uses our loved ones to minister to us, especially when we might have too many distractions to allow us to see straight.
Finally, I wait. If God hasn't shown me through prayer, discernment, and godly counsel, then I need to wait for His perfect timing to show me.
When opportunity knocks we need to make sure it's God's plan for us. Seek the Lord above all else. He will help you make the right decision.
I have learned over the years that it's best to pray first and foremost. Even though it seems like a match made in heaven, I want to be sure it's the right opportunity for me. Sometimes God has other plans, so I pray for His direction on the matter.
Since praying is usually an ongoing process is such situations (especially when I'm waiting for distinct directions from the Lord), I like to list the pros and cons. How does this benefit me and my family? Will it involve time I cannot commit to? Have I researched all the details? I need to make sure my excitement about the matter doesn't override a need for discernment.
Next, I seek counsel from a godly family member or friend. Sometimes the Lord uses our loved ones to minister to us, especially when we might have too many distractions to allow us to see straight.
Finally, I wait. If God hasn't shown me through prayer, discernment, and godly counsel, then I need to wait for His perfect timing to show me.
When opportunity knocks we need to make sure it's God's plan for us. Seek the Lord above all else. He will help you make the right decision.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Out of Focus
I’ve been out of focus since Thursday. My eyes need a new prescription for my reading and computer glasses, so everything I’ve been doing lately (reading and researching) has been slightly blurry. No sharp letters on the printed page. No distinct images on my monitor. Thankfully I can see well enough to work, but I will be glad when I have my glasses back in my possession. I like seeing clearly.
Part of my research lately has taken me to a time of the early New England settlers of America. They were men and women whose vision was sharp and crisp and clear. These Pilgrims, and later Puritans, knew that the only way to make their communities work was to see the world through the eyes of their Savior, Jesus Christ. They were willing to live for Him and through Him and in His power. To do otherwise would cause their walk in life to be blurry and indistinct.
I am humbled by their faithfulness and resolve. Their lives have caused me to look at my own and realize that I so fall short of their spiritual walks. Some may ask, is it fair to compare my life with theirs, especially since we live in different times? My answer is yes. I can rightly compare because they used then the same life-source as I do now – the Bible.
And just as I currently look at my Bible with blurred vision because I lack my glasses, so I, too, have come to the realization that my walk with the Lord can be much sharper than it is right now. I need to prayerfully ask Him to show me those areas that need improving, and then act upon those improvements.
How is your vision? Can you see clearly enough in your walk, or are the edges fuzzy and unclear? Ask the Lord to sharpen your view today.
Part of my research lately has taken me to a time of the early New England settlers of America. They were men and women whose vision was sharp and crisp and clear. These Pilgrims, and later Puritans, knew that the only way to make their communities work was to see the world through the eyes of their Savior, Jesus Christ. They were willing to live for Him and through Him and in His power. To do otherwise would cause their walk in life to be blurry and indistinct.
I am humbled by their faithfulness and resolve. Their lives have caused me to look at my own and realize that I so fall short of their spiritual walks. Some may ask, is it fair to compare my life with theirs, especially since we live in different times? My answer is yes. I can rightly compare because they used then the same life-source as I do now – the Bible.
And just as I currently look at my Bible with blurred vision because I lack my glasses, so I, too, have come to the realization that my walk with the Lord can be much sharper than it is right now. I need to prayerfully ask Him to show me those areas that need improving, and then act upon those improvements.
How is your vision? Can you see clearly enough in your walk, or are the edges fuzzy and unclear? Ask the Lord to sharpen your view today.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Weekend Reflection
"Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us."
Psalm 62:8 NKJV
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