Lord,
Show me how to live this life.
Show me how to glorify You.
Show me how to show You to those around me.
Show me how to teach my students more than karate.
Show me how to be a wife mother,teacher, friend.
No - don't show me -
Live in me and through me.
Breath life in me.
Glorify Yourself in me.
Show Yourself to others through me.
Use my life to draw others to You.
Whatever I am in this life - wife, mother, teacher, friend,
Whatever role I play in the lives of those around me,
Let it not be me living it,
but Christ living in me.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Fun for the whole family
Our entire family sat down together to watch a Victor Borge video. It's a rare thing for all of us to be entertained! Great fun!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Jonah's Worm
Lord,
Forgive me.
Like Jonah, I have been angry and bitter
over the worm that ate the vine
that You gave me for shelter.
But You are bigger than the worm,
bigger than the vine,
bigger than the scorching sun,
bigger than the desert that surrounds me.
You promise me shade and shelter
that is more than physical,
more than temporary.
It is eternal.
It is perfect.
You shelter my soul.
You sustain my spirit.
You protect me in and through Your gifts, yes,
but more than that –
You give me Your Presence, Your Spirit.
It sustains and shelters and comforts.
It even brings peace and joy,
if I will let it.
Forgive me.
The Lord gives
and the Lord takes away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
©Rebecca A Givens, 08/23/09
Forgive me.
Like Jonah, I have been angry and bitter
over the worm that ate the vine
that You gave me for shelter.
But You are bigger than the worm,
bigger than the vine,
bigger than the scorching sun,
bigger than the desert that surrounds me.
You promise me shade and shelter
that is more than physical,
more than temporary.
It is eternal.
It is perfect.
You shelter my soul.
You sustain my spirit.
You protect me in and through Your gifts, yes,
but more than that –
You give me Your Presence, Your Spirit.
It sustains and shelters and comforts.
It even brings peace and joy,
if I will let it.
Forgive me.
The Lord gives
and the Lord takes away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
©Rebecca A Givens, 08/23/09
Monday, August 24, 2009
Soli Deo Gloria
"We deny that we can properly glorify God if our worship is confused with entertainment, if we neglect God's law or the gospel in our preaching or if self-improvement, self-esteem, or self-fulfillment are allowed to become alternatives to the gospel." R.C. Sproul
Church Worship is not for us, it is for God!
Church Worship is not for us, it is for God!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Brides
We, the church, are the bride of Christ. Have you ever stopped to think about what that means?
Psalm 45 is a wedding song to the King and his bride. Verses 10 and 11 caught my eye:
Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father’s house. The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.
We are to leave everything and everyone behind and give ourselves to Christ.
Now read John 8:39-47. This is the passage where Jesus is telling the Jews that they are the children of Satan and that He is the son of God. There are no neutral parties in this life, you are either for God or for Satan. You can’t sit on the fence and decide, because there is no middle ground.
Satan is our father, and God calls us out of Satan’s family and into His own. He takes us as His own children, and as the bride for His Son, and He tells us to forget our people and our father’s house. The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.
We are to walk away from our first father, Satan, and forget that we ever served him. We fix our eyes on our new Father, the Father who bought us with the blood of His Son, the Father who reached down and claimed us as His own; and He presents us as a bride to that same Son who shed His blood for us. And He is enthralled by our beauty! Enthralled by me! That is amazing!
Rebecca A Givens, 06/07/09
Psalm 45 is a wedding song to the King and his bride. Verses 10 and 11 caught my eye:
Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father’s house. The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.
We are to leave everything and everyone behind and give ourselves to Christ.
Now read John 8:39-47. This is the passage where Jesus is telling the Jews that they are the children of Satan and that He is the son of God. There are no neutral parties in this life, you are either for God or for Satan. You can’t sit on the fence and decide, because there is no middle ground.
Satan is our father, and God calls us out of Satan’s family and into His own. He takes us as His own children, and as the bride for His Son, and He tells us to forget our people and our father’s house. The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.
We are to walk away from our first father, Satan, and forget that we ever served him. We fix our eyes on our new Father, the Father who bought us with the blood of His Son, the Father who reached down and claimed us as His own; and He presents us as a bride to that same Son who shed His blood for us. And He is enthralled by our beauty! Enthralled by me! That is amazing!
Rebecca A Givens, 06/07/09
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Hannah Graduates!
I've been meaning to get around to this post all summer... how did it get to be August already?
Child #2 graduated from high school last May! 2 down, 2 to go!
We are very proud of Hannah. She won a full scholarship to Alabama and turned it down (I have no problem with that). She was accepted (and offered a scholarship) to Gutenburg College in Oregon, but in the end turned that down as well. She has decided to take a year off and write... finish a book and get some short stories published... as well as work at the Library and another part-time job (as yet unfound), and help me drive her sisters around their various activities, and tutor them in Latin and Art. Sounds like a lot when you list it all out like that! Anyway, depending on how all that goes, she may go to Gutenburg in another year. Or something totally different may come along. Whatever she does, I am sure she will do well.
Congratulations Hannah!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
The state of my life...
Blah.
That is the state of my life at the moment.
Broken little toe that will not heal, so I am staying off it, sitting, foot propped and iced off and on.
That means no working out.
No training.
No riding.
And you know how that makes me feel.
On top of that there are no groceries
no laundry
no dishes
no cooking
no cleaning
That would make me feel wonderful if I was training or riding, but I am sitting here looking at it all not getting done!
You'd think I'd take advantage of this time to write or study, but without the working out I can't seem to sleep or get my head wrapped around any words coming in or going out.
So I purged my address book. Caught up on a bit of mindless paperwork. Downloaded the next podcast course I plan to listen to. I need to go though my inbox and get rid of at least half of it. And read some mindless escape in Harry Potter. Next week I will work some extra, with my foot propped. And go to Texas where I can sit and do nothing there.
Blah.
That is the state of my life at the moment.
Broken little toe that will not heal, so I am staying off it, sitting, foot propped and iced off and on.
That means no working out.
No training.
No riding.
And you know how that makes me feel.
On top of that there are no groceries
no laundry
no dishes
no cooking
no cleaning
That would make me feel wonderful if I was training or riding, but I am sitting here looking at it all not getting done!
You'd think I'd take advantage of this time to write or study, but without the working out I can't seem to sleep or get my head wrapped around any words coming in or going out.
So I purged my address book. Caught up on a bit of mindless paperwork. Downloaded the next podcast course I plan to listen to. I need to go though my inbox and get rid of at least half of it. And read some mindless escape in Harry Potter. Next week I will work some extra, with my foot propped. And go to Texas where I can sit and do nothing there.
Blah.
Psalm 91
This morning I sat down for my devotions and wondered what to talk to God about. What is it that I want? What is it that I need? Healing? Money? I opened my Bible to the next Psalm, and this is what it said:
Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Rest in the shadow of the Almighty… Lord, that is what I want. But how do I dwell in the shelter of the Most High? Lord, make me to dwell in Your shelter and rest in Your shadow.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
Yes, I will say that… LORD, You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
God, save me, cover me, give me refuge. Be my shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
Take my fear.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
I cannot bear the weight of my sin. Forgive me.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
You are my dwelling and my refuge.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
Do Your angels really watch over me? Thank You! Keep me moving with You, along Your path. Do not let me stumble in danger, or be distracted by anything.
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
I do love You, LORD. Yet even the love that I have for You comes from You. Give me more love for You. Give me more opportunities to acknowledge Your Name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
Answer me in my trouble Lord, show me Your Presence. Deliver me.
16 With long life will I satisfy him
nd show him my salvation."
I look forward to eternity with You!
Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Rest in the shadow of the Almighty… Lord, that is what I want. But how do I dwell in the shelter of the Most High? Lord, make me to dwell in Your shelter and rest in Your shadow.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
Yes, I will say that… LORD, You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
God, save me, cover me, give me refuge. Be my shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
Take my fear.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
I cannot bear the weight of my sin. Forgive me.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
You are my dwelling and my refuge.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
Do Your angels really watch over me? Thank You! Keep me moving with You, along Your path. Do not let me stumble in danger, or be distracted by anything.
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
I do love You, LORD. Yet even the love that I have for You comes from You. Give me more love for You. Give me more opportunities to acknowledge Your Name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
Answer me in my trouble Lord, show me Your Presence. Deliver me.
16 With long life will I satisfy him
nd show him my salvation."
I look forward to eternity with You!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Christ's Nature
I have spent of lot of time "seeing" my own sin nature, but I Corinthians 15:49 says:
As we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
I have the nature of Christ in me as well as the sin nature!
Lord, help me see Christ in myself.
As we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
I have the nature of Christ in me as well as the sin nature!
Lord, help me see Christ in myself.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Daily
Every day, no matter what:
Tell God that you love Him.
Tell Him that you trust Him, no matter what happens.
Thank Him for something, or several things.
Remind yourself that God is sovereign over everything, including the interruptions in your day and the disappointments. Yes, even the really bad things.
And then I remember my life verse..
Psalm 18:19b - He rescued me because He delights in me.
Tell God that you love Him.
Tell Him that you trust Him, no matter what happens.
Thank Him for something, or several things.
Remind yourself that God is sovereign over everything, including the interruptions in your day and the disappointments. Yes, even the really bad things.
And then I remember my life verse..
Psalm 18:19b - He rescued me because He delights in me.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Listen
All the experts agree that we should spend time talking to our kids, without distractions. Turn off the computer and the television, put down the newspaper, and give your full attention to your kids. Same goes for your spouse. Our families need our undivided attention. We all need to be heard by those closest to us, we need to know that we are important.
Yesterday I was rushing around trying to get out the door to get to work, when I realized I hadn’t had time to sit down and talk to God. I hastily decided that once again we would talk in the car on the way to work. Soon I was driving down the road with the radio on, it was a Christian station, and the words in the paragraph above came to mind.
How often has my husband felt neglected because I was sitting in front of the computer while I was with him? How often have my children been talking to me but I was only half listening because my eyes were somewhere else?
I was reminded that as a Christian I have entered into a relationship with God. Just like my relationship to my husband or my children, that relationship requires some time and some undivided attention. Yes, He is always with me, even in the car and in the middle of all my activities. And yes, He hears those prayers that I pray on the run. But do I hear HIM when I am on the run? Do I hear that still, small Voice speaking to me?
Spend some focused, undivided time with God. Not for His sake, He doesn’t need you to make Him feel special; but for your own sake, so you can hear His Voice. Read and pray through His Word. Pray for your family and those around you in need. Ask Him to direct you and teach you and speak to you. Then when you run out the door you will be so much more aware of His Presence in your life because you will be tuned in to His Voice.
Nothing brings me comfort, peace and joy like being aware of God’s Presence in my life.
©Rebecca A Givens, 04/04/09
Yesterday I was rushing around trying to get out the door to get to work, when I realized I hadn’t had time to sit down and talk to God. I hastily decided that once again we would talk in the car on the way to work. Soon I was driving down the road with the radio on, it was a Christian station, and the words in the paragraph above came to mind.
How often has my husband felt neglected because I was sitting in front of the computer while I was with him? How often have my children been talking to me but I was only half listening because my eyes were somewhere else?
I was reminded that as a Christian I have entered into a relationship with God. Just like my relationship to my husband or my children, that relationship requires some time and some undivided attention. Yes, He is always with me, even in the car and in the middle of all my activities. And yes, He hears those prayers that I pray on the run. But do I hear HIM when I am on the run? Do I hear that still, small Voice speaking to me?
Spend some focused, undivided time with God. Not for His sake, He doesn’t need you to make Him feel special; but for your own sake, so you can hear His Voice. Read and pray through His Word. Pray for your family and those around you in need. Ask Him to direct you and teach you and speak to you. Then when you run out the door you will be so much more aware of His Presence in your life because you will be tuned in to His Voice.
Nothing brings me comfort, peace and joy like being aware of God’s Presence in my life.
©Rebecca A Givens, 04/04/09
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)