Turn it On

What time was it when you put dinner in the oven, Dad?" asked Mark. "I'm hungry! It seems like we've been waiting a long time for that lasagna to be ready, but I don't even smell it yet."
"I don't either," said Dad. He glanced at his watch. "Mom said it would need to bake about an hour." Dad got up and went to the kitchen. "Oh, no!" he exclaimed. "I followed the directions Mom left-took the cover off and put the dish in the oven-but I forgot to turn the oven on! I guess she figured I'd know enough to do that. Looks like dinner will take quite a while yet."
"Da-a-ad! I'm starving!" complained Mark.
"I'm sorry," apologized Dad. "Let's have an apple to take care of some of the hunger pangs." They each chose a shiny red apple. "This mistake reminds me of Pastor Grey's message last Sunday," added Dad.
Mark grinned. "Oh-oh! Did he made a mistake, too?" he asked.
"No . . . no. But it reminds me of some things he said," Dad replied with a smile as he reached for the Bible on a nearby shelf. He turned to the book of James and asked Mark to read several verses from the end of the first chapter. "Remember what Pastor Grey told us?" Dad asked when Mark finished reading.
"Same thing this chapter says," answered Mark. "He said we often take in God's Word, but we don't apply it to our lives. But what's that got to do with the oven or our lasagna?"
"Well, in Sunday school and church-and in our own devotions-we're taught how we should live. But when we become too concerned with our own pleasures and plans, it's like we don't 'turn those lessons on' in our lives. The knowledge sits there-cold, like our lasagna," explained Dad. "Like God says, we need to be 'doers' of His word-let them fill us and apply them to daily life. Otherwise we're left . . ."
"Hungry," finished Mark with a frown, "like I am now!"
"Spiritually hungry," agreed Dad. With a twinkle in his eye, he added, "And unforgiving and unkind and accusing and . . ."
Mark grinned at his father. "Okay, Dad," he said, "you're forgiven, and I'll try to remember to 'turn on' the Bible lessons I've been taught."

Copycats

Kevin angrily slammed the kitchen door as he entered the room. Startled, Dad looked up from the table where he was reading the newspaper. "Tell Nate to quit copying me," said Kevin, crossing his arms over his chest. "He's always following me around, and he tries to do everything I do." As Dad put down the paper, Nate rushed into the kitchen. He marched over to his brother and promptly crossed his arms, too. "See what I mean?" complained Kevin as Nate stared up at him.
Dad motioned for Nate to come sit beside him. "Okay, Son," said Dad, "you need to leave your brother alone now." Then Dad looked at Kevin. "Nate copies you because he wants to be like you," said Dad. "Take it as a compliment."
Kevin frowned. "I don't like copycats," he grumbled.
"You don't? Well, the Bible verses I read this morning tell me we should all be copycats," said Dad. He reached over, picked up his Bible, and opened it. "Come here." Dad pulled out the chair on the other side of him. Kevin shuffled over to the table and sat down. "Here," said Dad. "Read Ephesians 5:1 out loud for us."
Kevin took the Bible and looked at the verse Dad indicated. "Therefore be imitators of God, as dear children," he read.
"What do imitators do?" Dad asked. Kevin shrugged. Nate shrugged, too. "They copy," said Dad. "We're to copy God." Dad smiled at the boys. "Nate cares for you, Kevin, and he shows it by wanting to do the same things you do. If we love God, we should show that by copying the way Jesus would behave in various situations and by developing attitudes and actions God wants to see in us."
Kevin scratched his head. Giggling, Nate did the same. Then Kevin gave his brother a quick playful punch on the shoulder. Nate punched back. He squealed as Kevin tackled him, and together they fell to the floor, laughing.
Dad laughed, too. "Enough, boys," he said. "And no more copying Kevin right now, Nate. Leave him alone for a while. Let's just all do our best to copy actions Jesus would take so that whatever we do will please Him."

a match...

So got to thinking we as Christians are like a match when we first become saved. What happens when you first light a match? Well you probably think "Duh, Elyse" it ignites and burns really bright for a short amount of time. I think this is the same as with a new Christian. When they first get saved they will "burn" bright. They will have God’s spirit in them to imediatly ignite them. Just like that initial source lights that little match Jesus lights us. But what happpens if we do not add that little match to a fuel source? Well yeah it’ll die out. Same as with the new Christian or any Christian for that matter. If they do not conect to a source of fuel then their new little flame will die out. Reading our Bibles, praying, going to church, getting discipled, and such things are all great ways. But also another thing is often time people are scared to let people know they are Christians. What happens if you stick a burning match with all the source for that flame to keep burning but screw that lid to the jar on tight? Yes, it’ll go out still. Because you are still closing it off from another source of power it needs to keep burning. Just like the match’s flame needs an outside souce to continue burning so do we. We also need help from the Holy Spirtit and leaders and things like that.

Okay maybe this is making no sense...and sorry about that...not sure it made sense to me...not sure if it sounds totally dumb...but yeah my thoughts for the day...

Taste Test

At Crawfordsville First we are starting a new two week series this Sunday entitled...."Taste Test". We will be building the next two weeks around the scripture. Ps 34:8 "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" NKJV. Plan on coming hungry this Sunday. (Spiritually hungry that is!!!!)

Psalm 56:8

Psalm 56:8
You keep track of all my sorrows.

You have collected all my tears in your bottle.

You have recorded each one in your book.



Okay this was something I had written back in like the middle of December of sometime around then. Anyways I had picked up my Bible and began reading. Why I am not honestly sure. I have not really read my Bible voluntarily for well I don’t know how long. I’m not sure but lately I have just been really frustrated and angry and other feelings as well. Things that some people tell me to just get over and grow up, but some things just aren’t that easy. Well anyways that was kind of a rabbit trail. Anyways to me, despite what Kimmy and other people have told me, I thought crying was dumb and stupid. Not sure why I was laying in my bed sad about things and felt like crying but wouldn’t let myself even though I was all by my lonesome. I decided to get my mind focused on something else I would try reading my Bible. I just randomly opened my Bible to Psalm 55 and 56. Okay there were a lot of verses that jumped out at me but one in particular. And that would have been Psalm 56:8. You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. I don’t know why but it just hit me all of the sudden that MY tears are precious to God so precious that he keeps them. So no matter what I have gone through or will face God cares. It was just like so cool so when I get down about something and end up crying or thinking no one here understands well God does and he sees each tear I cry and cares. So it is highly possible when people told me it’s okay to cry really it was. I had never really thought about it or even knew that little verse existed in the Bible. But I thought it was really cool that God cares when I cry. Well these were just my thoughts from my little head.

a double life...

i am relizing i am living a double life. i am two completly different people maybe even more than that if i really stop to think about it. i'm sure this sounds stupid to most of you that i'd be living two or more different lives. pretty much for each group i have a different mask or character i put on. honestly i am sick of being this way. it is stupid yet i don't know how to change. sounds dumb too probably but thing is i've done this since well pretty much for ever and now i really on't know how to change. i honestly don't know where to begin changing. in a way it seems so overwhelming. but i hate it when people say they are christians and tell people one thing but then do the exact opposite. but yeah though i thought i was different from these people really i am not any different from any of them. and it does frustrate me a lot. i want to change but i don'r know how. in a way it is all confusing to me. okay i'll shut up and stop writting. most of it probalby will make no sense anyways. but jsut needed to write all that is racing though my little head.

How Much Do I Really Love God and People?

How Much Do I really Love God and People?
"If you love me, you will obey what I command." John 14:15

So I was reading my Bible tonight. Yes I probably should have been doing my homework instead but anyways. I had no specific place I was reading. I honestly haven't picked up my Bible to really read since several weeks or maybe even a few months ago. Sorry if this is totally stupid or dumb but it is jsut what I got out of reading my Bible. Anyways I had a piece of paper in my Bible where John 14 was. I'm not sure why but figured this is as good as any place to begin reading. As I was reading I came to this verse. If you love me, you will obey what I command. I continued reading. But I kept going back to that verse for some reason. In the past few days my friend and I have been talking about my behavior that I need to start listening and obeying a lot better than I do. And also that I need to listen and obey and be respectful whether it is asked of me or not. Okay I realized this. Often times I am always telling my friends I love them and stuff and always say yeah I love God. But reading that verse caused me to stop and really think. Do I really love them and God like I say I do? Because the verse does say if you love me you'll obey. And do I do that? If I were to be completely honest I would have to say no not very often. I do obey but only after the fourth, fifth or maybe tenth time of being told something. So then is that really obedience on my part? Not really I guess because obedience is a three-part thing. It has to be done immediately, cheerfully, and without complaint without all three it isn't completely obedience. And the verse doesn't say if you love me you will obey me sometimes it just says you will obey me. So with all this said I honestly don't think my love towards God or even others is really all that super. It needs a lot of work before I can truly say I love you. I think I really do mean it when I tell people I love them but if my actions are not lining up then am I? I'm not really entirely sure about all this. But yeah I guess I've heard this verse and read over it many times but somehow well I don't know it meant something to me and like hopped off the page at me.

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toddler toys...

Okay so here is one other thing I have learned from a little kids toy. Okay maybe I am spending too much time playing with kids toys but what can you say when you babysit a lot. Or help with the kids ministry. Any ways here is another thing God taught me. Or at least supose it was God. Oaky it all started with a little toddlers toy. You know those little ball or squares or whatever that are empty inside but has different shapes for different shaped objects. Well this is what made me think. I was waching one of our pre-school kids play with this toy. He hadn't figured out how it worked yet. And was tryign to put any of the shapes in the holes. As you can imagine he was very unsuccessful. Though I didn't have to think long on why this wasn't working I still sat there a watched him try. I don't know why I did but I did. Then it was like God showed me. That ball or what ever represents us. And jsut liek that little ball has holes for just one certain thing so do we. We likewise have a hole and liek that little kid we try to jam anything nad everything in it to fill it. But jsut as unsuccessful as that little toddler was so are we. Once I showed him that only certain objects will fit into each hole you much match the shape or color. Jsut like us but our "hole" will only really take one thing to fill it and that is Jesus. We can try to fill it with everything we want but it'll never really work jsut like that toy. Okay that's all. Maybe this one was even dumber than the last one but yeah. Oh well jsut something I learned or relized or something.

Magnetix...and our spritual life...

So this is a weird title I know and may sound like a dumb explanation. But thougt I'd share it anyways. Something as little as Magnetix God taught me something. So I was at church watching one of the kids trying to build a tower out of the Magnetix. He was very persistent in trying to build a very tall tower but wasn't having any success. I began wondering why is this so. So I began watching him more closely. I saw that he kept trying to build from the top down. As I began wondering that I relized that maybe if he started with the base/foundation and build up he may have more success. So I shared this with him. He took the advice and soon had a pretty good sized tower. Still I was sitting their and then it hit me. God showed me that just like this tower needs a strong foundation to keep the whole thing standing so do we as christians. Just as this kid wanted to see the finished tower we as Christians are often too eager to just get to the end result and miss laying the foundation in Jesus. And just as that little tower would not stand neither will we. In order for us to be strong Christians we have to build a strong foundation in Jesus and then when things come our way we will not be as likely to fall. So if your foundation is non-existent or not very stong you will fail and topple over. So when we find ourselves failing then we need to check our foundation and see what it is built on. Well maybe this makes absolutly no sense to anyone else but I don't know it jsut really well i don't know how to epalin it. But it made sense to me.