Delight in God's Word

"But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night" Psalm 1:2

I often read the Bible as a duty or just another thing to check off on my to do list, but this passage reminds me to delight in God's Word - to take time a savor it's meaning and to make it a part of my day and my life. What a wonderful gift that God has given us - HIS WORD. Delight in God and his word today!

I am embarrassed-

I attended a funeral this weekend for the father of a friend. I did not personally know her father, but during his memorial service many spoke of his faith. This was a defining characteristic - a true faith that was revealed in his actions, consistently. I cried at the service as I was convicted of my failure in this area over the past few months (or longer). I have faith, I love God; but, I have been remiss in demonstrating these facts on a daily basis.

As I prayed later about this, I realized just how far I have drifted from God. And the reason? Failure to spend time in prayer, Bible study and fellowship with other Christians. I begin to go through the motions with a superficial faith when I let these foundations collapse.

I am embarrassed. But I am grateful for God's mercy and grace as I strive to be obedient and faithful once again.

Faith is action

It is amazing to me how quickly we can get lazy with our faith. I know that I get great ideas and plans on how to live my faith to the fullest. I will pray and plan... but then often fail to follow through. The more busy I become, the less action I show. I realize that it is mostly because of failure to set appropriate priorities, so that is my goal this week - To take a few small steps of action toward a specific goal. I know that life is not going to slow down, nor do I want it to. Therefore, I need to just be a woman of action. Not a woman of talk, (which I can certainly do well), but a woman who gets things done and makes things happen. This is God 's desire for each of us - to use the talents and passions that he gave each of us to step forward and make our little corner of the world a little better today.

I'm back!

It has been a long time since I posted anything. Life happens! But if we don't keep control of our time, we can lose control of some of the purpose for our life. This is a purpose for my life right now and I hope to expand and enhance what I am trying to share in this forum. I hope to encourage you in the process as I try to honor God. I would love to hear from you and ask you to share this site with others if you feel it has been a blessing for you.I may add other links to my scrapbook business because it, too, is my passion And is just another way to share my faith...so stay tuned.

Living life to the fullest

Life is short. At least life here on earth is short so, we need to live our lives to the fullest. Now that doesn't mean that we need to fulfill every dream or goal, nor does it mean that we need to be out partying and "having fun" all the time. It does mean that we need to be in relationship with God, desiring to know his will and plan for our lives. Only if we live our lives the way God wants, will be truly be living life to the fullest. Only he knows the whole story - our whole story. And the best part of living for God now is that we will be able to live with God for eternity.

Enjoy your life, thank God for your blessings, ask him to reveal his will and live your life for him today.

It was cold here in Mililani as I took my dogs for their walk this morning. In fact, by Hawaii standards, it was freezing - which means it was 57degrees. As I was going Brrrr around the block, I began to laugh at how silly I must sound to someone living, well, anywhere else. When I first moved to Hawaii almost 29 years ago, I wore shorts all year long and laughed at those who would have on jackets because they were cold. After a year or two, I was acclimatized to the weather here and was pulling out the jackets with everyone else. It doesn't take very long to become adjusted to a new climate.

It is the same way with sin. We may begin avoiding certain behaviors, but if we stay around that behavior or sin for awhile, it may not seem so bad. It becomes the norm. Before we know it, we have adjusted or accepted the sin and don't even notice it any more. We need to be diligent in walking our path as a Christian and not become acclimatized to the world's values.

Happy New Year

I know it isn't exactly a New Year any more, but close enough. The last month of 2010 just came and went in a flash and we are already a week into 2011. I love the new year. It gives a feeling of new beginnings, starting over, setting goals. Besides the usual "lose weight and get in shape", I hope to fulfill my goal of being more about relationships this year. I need to take the time to invest in my friends and family and I also need to be more aware of those in need around me. I pray for a year of love that is felt and seen in everything I do. I send love to each of you right now.

Christmas fatigue

Wow, it has been awhile since I have posted anything. Fatigue has set in as the holiday activities have begun. I am sure this is a common problem with many of us as we scurry around attempting to do everything that will ensure that perfect Christmas for our family and ourselves. I want to have the perfect tree and decorations, send out the yearly photo Christmas card, shop for the ideal present for each person on my list, and attend all of the "must do" events of the season. I mean, this is what Christmas is all about... Oh, wait a minute, this is what I have made Christmas become. What has happened to the celebration of the birth of my Lord. How am I showing the love of Christ to others this season? I think that I need to pray for compassion and love during this Christmas season and commit to a Christmas that represents Christ instead of one that reveals glitter and greed. How about you? What are you doing this year to celebrate the birth of our savior?

Thanksgiving outreach

We serve a mighty God and he allows us to be his hands, his mouth, his feet here on earth. I am so thankful for all the people that I see around me that are using the gifts that God gave them in service to others. I am humbled by their energy and dedication. I am grateful for the time and the love that they pour into their ministry. May God bless all the work that is being done these next few days in preparation for Thanksgiving outreach.

Give Thanks

Last night I was at the UH game (Go Bows!)when the person sitting in front of me pointed up to the sky. Of course those of us who saw her, looked up. And there sitting in the sky right in front of us was a full moon; it had just risen enough above the other side of the stadium to be seen. And I watched it rise, just enjoying it's beauty, until I could no longer see it above our seats.

There is something about the moon and the stars that grab our attention. Something that is in the realm of awe. The sky is so expansive, the stars and moon are so beautiful, and it is all so predictive. God created the sky and everything in it to be just perfect and he made it beautiful and awesome so we would notice. When we notice his creation, we notice him. When we see the beauty of the sky, we see his beauty. When we understand the expansiveness of the sky, we can begin to understand the greatness of God. When we see the full moon appear each month like clockwork, we see God's faithfulness. God wants us to know him and to know his attributes, so he places signs of who he is all around us for us to see every day. As we begin this week of Thanksgiving, I encourage you to read all of Psalm 136.
"Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever." Psalm 136:26

God is with us!

God is so good! These past few weeks have been very busy, but I see God working in my life and in the lives of those around me. No matter what comes up - God is there with us, no matter the hardships - God is there with us, no matter how tired or overwhelmed we are - God is there with us. He tells us "I will never leave you nor forsake you". (Joshua 1: 5b) I am so grateful that God is always with me! Remember, no matter what you are going through, God knows about it and he is with you. He is there to strengthen or comfort or encourage. He is there for exactly what you need.

Obedience

I have an 8 month old puppy, who is not yet always obedient. Recently, he has begun to run out the front door when I open it to come in or go out. At first, he would just take off - away he would go down the street to see what excitement he may be missing. He would get scolded, which of course he hated. He started to do better; he would run out the door and stop when called, but then off he would go. I guess he decided that the fun of exploration was greater than the disapproval from Mom. Today he ran out, stopped and then ran back in when I called his name. I still saw that moment of hesitation; he almost ran but made the decision to be obedient. He was rewarded with my approval, which he loves.

We are the same way with God sometimes. We know that we are doing something that displeases God, but we do it anyway. We want to be obedient, we may even hesitate, but in the end we allow our sinful nature take control. Obedience is not always easy to do and some times we need many scoldings from God before we learn, but how sweet it is when we respond correctly to God in obedience and know that he is pleased.

Focus on the good

We are bombarded with bad news and inappropriate thoughts, language, and images all day long. It's in the news, on television, in movies, in the paper and perhaps even in our workplace or neighborhood. This is the world in which we live. This is a world that is filled with sin. So what are we to do? Do we give up and accept that this is just the way things are? Do we pretend that it doesn't exist?

We are given the answer to this by the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:8-9. "And now dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all that you learned and received from me - everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you."

Busyness

There is the old line that idleness is the devil's favorite weapon, but I think in today's fast paced world, it is busyness. We are all so busy that we can't sit down for a meal together, have time to enjoy a calm conversation with our family or just to give thanks for our blessings. We run from one event to another with hardly a moment to breathe. And it is all done in the name of progress or improvement. Satan loves this need that we all have to do more, be more, achieve more. The more busy we become, the less time we have for God and for our relationship with God. Satan jumps in and reminds us how important we are and how necessary each of our "things" are for our lives or our children's lives. Now don't misunderstand, being busy is okay - as long as we don't allow it to pull us away from our first priority, which is to worship the Creator. The question is whether we have prayed to God and asked him to help us decide how busy we need to be. Which activities are blessed by God and which are enjoyed by Satan? Join me today in a time of idleness. Worship the Lord and ask for help in setting priorities and boundaries on our time.
"Be still and know that I am God"

Fear Not

Ever wonder how come there are so many passages in the Bible where we are told to "fear not"? Perhaps it is because it is a natural human tendency to be fearful, and God wants to remind us that we don't have to be fearful any more. We only need to trust him. When we place our lives in the hands of Jesus, he is our protector. He has already provided eternal protection for us for all of eternity through his saving grace on the cross. What more is there to fear?

I know that in the reality of life here in this world there are frightening things happening. Sin and evil surrounds us, but we have a power greater that he who is in the world. Access that power the next time you are afraid. Draw from the strength of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit and allow the peace of God to replace the fear of satan.

"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." -1John 4:4

Morning praise

I just returned from my walk with my dogs this morning and I want to just praise God. I can still see a few stars in the sky, reminding me of the night of rest and of God's protection while I sleep. The sun has not yet risen but I know there is the promise of this new day. It is cool and quiet; most of the neighbors have not yet begun their day. A wonderful time to just praise God for who he is and for his perfect creation. I pray that God will bless each of you today and that you will feel his presence in all that you do. To God be the glory!

Blessed Day

What a wonderful day! I had the opportunity to fellowship with the women of my church today at a brunch at Wai'oli Tea Room in Manoa. I always love going there since the scenery and the food is great, but this was also the kickoff for a new women's bible study by Priscilla Shirer. I am excited about this study and about what I know God will be doing in the lives of all of us as we work through this study together. How wonderful it is that we can learn from each other and support one another as women of faith. I say thank you to all my sisters in Christ!

New Day

As I took my dogs for their morning walk today, I was struck by how excited they were. Especially in comparison to me! It is 5:45am and they can hardly contain their excitement. And that is how dogs are about most things. Mine just stare at me and wait for me to awake. Yea, Mom's up! Now our day can start! Can't you just see their tails wagging and see them jumping around. Now turn to me first thing in the morning. Totally different picture. "What time is it? Can I go back to sleep for another delay on the clock? What day is it anyway? Ugh!"
I need to be more like my dogs - wondering what the day will bring and excited at the prospects. "This is the day that the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24

Privilege of serving

As I have been preparing for my first sermon to give in class, I have become acutely aware of the privilege that it entails. To have the opportunity to teach or preach God's message to others is truly a blessing. It is also a responsibility that must not be taken lightly. I don't know if I will ever be called to preach outside of this class, but I do know that I have been called to teach God's word. Either way, I am struck by how it humbles me. Who am I to be used in this way? I think that anything that God has called us to do should be considered sacred and a blessing, for we are serving The Living God. Lord, I pray for wisdom and guidance and I am thankful for the opportunity to serve you. I pray for all of those that are reading this blog, that you will show each of them how to use their gifts and talents for you as we all move forward on our journey of faith in service.

Gentleness

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near." - Philippians 4:4-5

The Apostle Paul begins his exhortation on the way to stay firm in the Lord with this
passage. First, we are to rejoice always, no matter the circumstances. Second, our gentleness should be seen by all - not just our fellow Christians on Sunday morning, but all through the week in all circumstances. Gentleness, used here means Christlike consideration for others. Third, remember that the Lord is always with us.
Very simple - in theory. More difficult to actually do. I want to focus on the Christlike consideration for others this week because I know I often fail in this area. Remember that the Lord is near and wants to assist us in our weaknesses.