Map The Bible

A really cool site that I stumbled upon will help you determine where a passage in your bible takes place.  Click the bible image for the site!  When you’re going over the hermeneutics of your bible, it’s important to know each context in which the story was from.  Take your studying to a little bit better level :] Dig deeper!

Today’s The Day

This magazine article  is such a great reminder of the grace of God.

http://www.worldmag.com/articles/12434

In The Now.

You can look to the future and wonder where you will be.  You can look at the past and wonder if your decisions were the best.  Ultimately this will leave you anxious about what you’re doing in the now.  I found myself doing this and it ruined what I was experiencing in the present.  I have something special in front of me that I shouldn’t hold anything back from because of my worries of what will happen next.  This worry or fear of what will come is of something that is uncontrollable.  The decisions I make may affect my future, but after I follow what God has placed in front of me, the rest will play out as it should.  I can’t think about ‘what if’ or ‘what will’.  These things will consume my thoughts and eat me up inside.  They’ll only leave me with emptiness.

One thing in the past that I can reflect on is what Jesus did on the cross.  I can find my identity in him through what his father sent him to do for me.  Because of this (the gospel), I also have a better understanding of suffering.
One thing in the future I that can look forward to is the promise that God has in store for all of his people.  I have a reason for living.  I’m so fulfilled when I remind myself of his promise.
My future and past are things that are completely out of my control.  I need to remember to take each day as it comes and enjoy what God has placed in front of me.  It is without a doubt, a blessing.

I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.”  Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of it’s own.” Matthew 6:34 (NIV)
“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” Matthew 6:34 (MSG)

Cherish.

Hello world. I’ve just been struck with the feeling of life.  Time spent in conversation face to face has hit the bulls eye of my heart.  People’s desire to know me on a deeper level is something that gets me from day to day now.  Remember that relationships should be beneficial and encouraging to your life.  Not the opposite.  Examine your relationships and recognize what they are doing for you as an individual.  As my life is puzzle piecing together, people have finally come in to it that I look forward to knowing for years to come. People who I would usually call friends have now taken on the new identity of what I would call family.  I don’t know what I will be doing in the next ten years, but I know that I will be content with whatever direction I have taken.  Though, at mile marker year 2020 I want to know that whatever I have accomplished, I have cherished also.  Being a student, there are thirteen weeks left of the semester.  I have a feeling that they’re going to FLY by.  I hope that I don’t forget to enjoy them.  I hope that you don’t either.  Cherish not only your friends, family and possessions… cherish the ability to have woken up this morning.  Your very breath that hasn’t been taken from you just yet.

En⋅joy [en-joi]

-verb (used with object)
To experience with joy; to take pleasure in.

Hope.

Things pile up on your shoulders once in a while and try to bring you down to the ground with the weight of it all.  Schoolwork, job, tasks, errands, health, duties, and you have to fit a social life & friendship in there somewhere, too.  It all seems to pile on at once doesn’t it?  People like me at this day and age have hit a crucial time in their lives.  I ask myself though, is it crucial?  Do I need to sort everything out right now?  I know that it needs to happen some time.  Some of my friends put so much stress upon themselves because they feel like they need to know what they’re going to do.  But, I’ve realized that my grandparents still don’t even know what they want to do…  ‘Figuring your life out’… sorting through the important people in your life… deciding how you spend your time every day… recognizing that life can be extremely hard… knowing that anyone’s life could be at risk.  These are the important things.  Spend your time wisely.  Spend your time knowing that the pile of things may be ‘moving you through the motions’ day to day… but know that the things that you do will effect your outlook on life.  You may have to do the day-to-day thing, but you can choose to view life differently if you want to.  The secret to happiness is being content with who you are and what you’re doing, but also having hope that your life will be fulfilled with time and effort.  Do what is most important to you.  Follow only what you value.  Challenge yourself with new and exciting improvement projects.  Set lower expectations for yourself and fulfill what only matters most.  Then, you will never set yourself short of what you’re able to do.  Be able to see the light nearing the end of the tunnel.  Have ‘telescope eyes’!  Have hope and confidence that you will overcome this world.  You sure have the ability to.

Wisdom.

In the bible, it speaks of wisdom in several passages.

“Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor of God and men.” – Luke 2:52
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom of God!” – Romans 11:33
“She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.” – Proverbs 31:26
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously without to all without fault, and it will be given to him.” – James 1:5

Each time, wisdom is referenced as either noble understanding or the knowledge of God.  As grandparents have come and gone within the past month, I have thought much about the word wisdom.  Their presence of knowledge radiates from them.  Whether it be historical events that have shaped our country, or recipes that have been passed down through ages… these people know lots about many things.  They have a lot of insight that people don’t think to ask them about.  I’ve learned so much within the past few months because I was intentional about my conversation and relationship with them.

It wasn’t until tonight that I found in the bible the most obvious depiction of wisdom for me in this reference.  In 1st Kings, Solomon asks the Lord for wisdom.  He asks that he would be given “a discerning heart” to govern God’s people and “to distinguish betwen right and wrong”.  God asnswers and tells him that he would give him a wise and discerning heart.  Solomon was intentional about speaking to the Lord.  He was intentional about what he needed and was asking from the Lord.  I know this is short and sweet, but like I was seeking knowledge and wisdom from my grandparents, I need to do the same with God.  Without seeking help, you’re never going to get answers.  There is no way that you can truly understand what God has for you unless you open your heart and ask for wisdom.  Maybe you should start intentionally getting to know a thing or two from those wise grandparents of yours, too.

‘Bomb’ What?!

So I’m taking an online winter class – Religion and Pop Culture.  I’ve been exposed to many different religions, practices, traditions and their relationship to popular culture.  The most recent being the Muslim and Islamic culture.  After listening to these NPR broadcasts, I gathered my thoughts and it didn’t seem all that right to me.  Since 9/11, villans and terrorists in many television dramas are seen as Muslim.  Specifically, in “Aliens in America” and “Little Mosque on The Prairie” that were featured in my assignment.  I wasn’t aware that these sitcoms had evolved since the terrorist attacks on America.  After looking at the youtube clips, they’re actually pretty funny… but these news broadcasts are pretty interesting…  Listen.