Ephesians 4:14-16
One of my best friends is getting married this weekend. We have been planning for this wedding for 5 months now. Another friend of mine is about to have her first child. My sister is pregnant with her second child-- a little boy they will name Raydon. I have been out of high school for 5 quick years, and out of nursing school for 2 even quicker years. It hit me a few months ago that I'm not a kid anymore. I can no longer use that excuse. I am watching my nephew grow up. Watching make the mistakes that we all make as kids-- drinking too much water in the swimming pool. Wiping a chocolate mouth on Mama's couch. And the list continues.There are only a few things that you have to do once and you won't do them again. But, what is the most frustrating for me is that I am seeing in myself making the same mistakes, and attempting to learn the same lessons that I was attempting to learn a couple of years ago.
In the passage before this, Paul talks about unity and how we all fit together to form one Body-- the Church. It has been described as an alliteration to the human body as well as braiding together a rope. The individual strands are weak, but put all together, the whole is strong and sure and nearly unstoppable. It can stop a freightliner, hoist metal beams and countless other seemingly impossible tasks. However, the rope is only as strong as it's weakest strand.
Part of our calling as Chirst followers is to continue to grow. To grow in His teachings, in our knowledge of Him, in our Confidence in Him, in being able to discerne between false teachings and those of a sound teacher, those of a schemer and one who has our best interests at heart. If the weakest strand of the rope is thickened and reinforced and strengthened, then the whole rope-- the whole Church-- will benefit.
How do we become strengthened? By engaging in community-- small groups, Sunday School classes, ONE!, groups of friends who are not afraid to tell you how it is. By having cosistent quiet times and prayer times. By spending time with the God that breathed life into us and knit us together in our mother's wombs. It is time to quit being infants and start growing up. Me included.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Callings
Ephesians 4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
>Calling-- a profession, a vocation
I am 23, single, I have a profession that I love (I am a nurse in the ICU). By all accounts so far, I am still searching for what God has in store for me next—marriage, the missions, parenthood, etc. I haven’t been feeling challenged lately—instead, I’ve been feeling stagnant, still, shallow. This is not, who I am or who I want to be. I want to be dynamic, changing, and continuously growing deeper in my walk with God, and in my other relationships. Well, ask and you shall receive. I have been challenged two-fold. One is to help with ONE!- to act as a sort of a producer. To come up with a flow and stream of how a Friday night will unfold. I’ve never done anything like this, but I enjoy planning and organizing, so, I think that it will go well. The other was to start blogging my walk more. Dave Scott encouraged me to start with Ephesians 4&5 since they deal with the values that ONE! holds as important.
So, here we are. I read 4:1 and was stopped. “…I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” What is my CALLING? Not what profession am I supposed to spend the next 40 or so years receiving a paycheck for, but what is it that God has called me to further His Kingdom with? I have watched countless people my age struggle with this. Should I be a doctor? An art historian? What about an educator? Or a journalist? Do I combine my professional life with my spiritual/personal life and become a missionary to a far off land or a pastor in my hometown? This is a struggle I have been dealing with for the last 2 years or so. Paul challenges us to live a worthy and worthwhile life. But for what? Is this calling personal, or generic? Is it specific to one area of my life? Or is it all encompassing? I have a feeling the answer is D.) all of the above. In fact, I know it is. I don’t have all of the answers, I’m still figuring it all out. But what I do know is this—
I (we) as a Christ-Follower, have a calling that surpasses all others. We have a calling to salvation, holiness, and a faith that He will work out all the details. Even those that we don’t and can’t think of. We are called to accept our eternal inheritance, the fellowship of those around us and the service we were charged with—to lead others to the same ( the Great Commission).
As the Message puts it—“Get out there and walk- better yet, run- on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want to see any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want to see anyone strolling on paths that lead to nowhere.” I just have to start. Do SOMETHING and He will open the doors to the specific direction that He wants me to take. And the direction that I need and want.
>Calling-- a profession, a vocation
I am 23, single, I have a profession that I love (I am a nurse in the ICU). By all accounts so far, I am still searching for what God has in store for me next—marriage, the missions, parenthood, etc. I haven’t been feeling challenged lately—instead, I’ve been feeling stagnant, still, shallow. This is not, who I am or who I want to be. I want to be dynamic, changing, and continuously growing deeper in my walk with God, and in my other relationships. Well, ask and you shall receive. I have been challenged two-fold. One is to help with ONE!- to act as a sort of a producer. To come up with a flow and stream of how a Friday night will unfold. I’ve never done anything like this, but I enjoy planning and organizing, so, I think that it will go well. The other was to start blogging my walk more. Dave Scott encouraged me to start with Ephesians 4&5 since they deal with the values that ONE! holds as important.
So, here we are. I read 4:1 and was stopped. “…I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” What is my CALLING? Not what profession am I supposed to spend the next 40 or so years receiving a paycheck for, but what is it that God has called me to further His Kingdom with? I have watched countless people my age struggle with this. Should I be a doctor? An art historian? What about an educator? Or a journalist? Do I combine my professional life with my spiritual/personal life and become a missionary to a far off land or a pastor in my hometown? This is a struggle I have been dealing with for the last 2 years or so. Paul challenges us to live a worthy and worthwhile life. But for what? Is this calling personal, or generic? Is it specific to one area of my life? Or is it all encompassing? I have a feeling the answer is D.) all of the above. In fact, I know it is. I don’t have all of the answers, I’m still figuring it all out. But what I do know is this—
I (we) as a Christ-Follower, have a calling that surpasses all others. We have a calling to salvation, holiness, and a faith that He will work out all the details. Even those that we don’t and can’t think of. We are called to accept our eternal inheritance, the fellowship of those around us and the service we were charged with—to lead others to the same ( the Great Commission).
As the Message puts it—“Get out there and walk- better yet, run- on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want to see any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want to see anyone strolling on paths that lead to nowhere.” I just have to start. Do SOMETHING and He will open the doors to the specific direction that He wants me to take. And the direction that I need and want.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Nothing in Particular
I don't really enjoy doing this. I wish that I had something more spectacular to show for the week... I just don't. Work, was well... work. I got gummed-- the old person version of bit. But other than that, pretty uneventful. No wild SUV chases or BBQ sauce fights. Thank goodness! :) We had Fun Night at ONE!! It was, well, fun (duh). Peter attacked and killed a pinata, I got acosted by static electricity and Jason. We met lots of new people, and connected better with the one's we didn't know so well. Tonight was the meeting of the single gals club. We are official now. We went to Olive Garden and Starbuck's and just hung out. This is what being in your 20's is suppossed to be about.
I am looking for a new devotinal/ Bible Study. I need something to REALLY challenge me. It's far past time that I got back into the groove again.
It's summertime. We have plans to go to the beach next Friday. Everyone is wearing their sleeveless shirts, and opening the sunroofs. And the first storm of the 2006 Hurricane Season is about to be bearing down on Florida. Accoriding to the NOAA website, it should hit somewhere between south of Tampa and east of the panahandle. That really narrows it down, huh? :) Glad my laundry is done now.
The family is gone on vacation. Without me. It's weird to not be with them. I've missed one other year, and that was because or work. Sometimes, being an adult isn't all its cracked up to be. But, then, other times, it's far better...
I am looking for a new devotinal/ Bible Study. I need something to REALLY challenge me. It's far past time that I got back into the groove again.
It's summertime. We have plans to go to the beach next Friday. Everyone is wearing their sleeveless shirts, and opening the sunroofs. And the first storm of the 2006 Hurricane Season is about to be bearing down on Florida. Accoriding to the NOAA website, it should hit somewhere between south of Tampa and east of the panahandle. That really narrows it down, huh? :) Glad my laundry is done now.
The family is gone on vacation. Without me. It's weird to not be with them. I've missed one other year, and that was because or work. Sometimes, being an adult isn't all its cracked up to be. But, then, other times, it's far better...
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Mr. Darcy and Lizzy
Normally, on Friday Nights, ONE! meets. And it's great because we get to see the whole huge group and meet new people and just hang out. Brian and Jimmy lead worship and we learn something... I usually learn alot. Then, we all go out to eat and get ridiculously full and deplete our banking accounts just a bit more.
Not this week though. This week was Pride and Prejudice week. About 6 months ago Chelle and I bought Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice-- the A&E version. Well, due to us going to Snowbirds, her getting engaged, then married, and other commitments that all of that entailed for both of us, we haven't been able to watch it. So, this week we decided this Friday night, we would have a girl week. Chelle came over and we cooked chicken with olive oil and abando and made salads. We drank iced tea and watched as Mr. Darcy and Lizzy duked it out verbally. We laughed at the melodrama of the whole thing. Joy came over after work (in her pajamas) and fell asleep on the floor. We talked about wedding plans and did we do best-- just being. It was the best Friday we've had in a while. Can't wait until next month when we get to do it again!
Not this week though. This week was Pride and Prejudice week. About 6 months ago Chelle and I bought Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice-- the A&E version. Well, due to us going to Snowbirds, her getting engaged, then married, and other commitments that all of that entailed for both of us, we haven't been able to watch it. So, this week we decided this Friday night, we would have a girl week. Chelle came over and we cooked chicken with olive oil and abando and made salads. We drank iced tea and watched as Mr. Darcy and Lizzy duked it out verbally. We laughed at the melodrama of the whole thing. Joy came over after work (in her pajamas) and fell asleep on the floor. We talked about wedding plans and did we do best-- just being. It was the best Friday we've had in a while. Can't wait until next month when we get to do it again!
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