Monday, 20 January 2014 10:47
Stepping Up to the Challenge
Our church recently started reading the Bible in a year, using Daily Audio Bible. The challenge is to start listening (or reading) the Bible, and sticking with it until December 31st. I've read the Bible in a year before, but it's been a while. I know that the times that I actually did that, I was really blessed. This year, I go into it with great optimism that my life will be radically and unapologetically transformed from the inside out. I have to say that I get a lot out of hearing the word rather than just reading it. However, this morning I listened to it as I read along today, and that helps me concentrate on it. My plan, initially, was to listen to it on my way to work on my iPhone. However, I think it will work better if I listen to it in the morning while I read along. Today's reading in Genesis related the events of Joseph telling Pharaoh the meaning of Pharaoh's dreams, Joseph being put in charge of Egypt, only below Pharaoh himself, and seeing his brothers come to ask for grain. I'm always amazed when I read this account. From the outside,…
Saturday, 14 April 2012 21:28
Working Heartily or Workaholism - Which One?
I have been mulling over what it means to "work heartily" and where do you draw the line before it becomes workaholic? It's not a very easy thing for me to decipher. I am not sure why. Here is what the Bible says about working... Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men Colossians 3:23 (AMP) Here is the definition of workaholism: nouna person who works compulsively at the expense of other pursuits. "workaholic." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 14 Apr. 2012. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/workaholic>. I understand the "work heartily" part. That's the easy part for me. The perfectionist in me won't let me do a half-hearted piece of work. I feel very strongly that, as a Christian, I need to efficiently do my work in a way that is professional, correct, and high-quality, so that I don't mar the image of my Lord. Nothing but the best will do. I feel very dissatisfied when I rush through a project because there is another one behind it with a deadline. I feel like I haven't really done my best. Sometimes I have so much work that I…
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Wednesday, 21 March 2012 21:38
My Friend Jeannie
Yesterday, Jeannie Martin slipped into eternity after a valiant battle against brain cancer. I lost a friend that really made an impact on my life. One thing about Jeannie, she lived her life out loud. She wasn't afraid to tell you what she thought, and at times could be very blunt. She was also very ridiculously funny. She had the ability to make anyone laugh during even the roughest patches. She wasn't afraid of what people thought about her. I think I liked that about her best of all. Jeannie was Jeannie, and it didn't matter who she was around. Everyone got the same treatment. Oh, how she loved life, loved her family, especially all of her grandchildren.
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Friday, 27 January 2012 01:21
A New Start
Lots of new starts here in my world lately. New Year, new ideas, new challenges, and a new website. I started building it from the ground up back during Christmas break. It's taken me this long to get it live. One of the things that I did was made decisions on what was important to me, and then tried to incorporate that into my website structure. I started with my vision, then I pulled out from my old website the things I wanted to keep and deleted things that I didn't. Thing I added more to what I had, especially in the Issues section. I also went back and transferred all my blog posts from my Homeschool Blogger blog over here. I guess that my website now resembles my heart and passions, and is a little piece of me. I'd love to know what you think about the redesign and restructure. Have I given information that is useful? Do you have any resources that you would like to share? I have plans for adding two more sections. I will be putting my dad's memorial back up. I had to take it down some time ago due to server constraints. Now…
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Wednesday, 06 July 2011 00:00
I Shall Not Be Shaken
My verse for the day is: I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. (Psalm 16:8 ESV) It is a very befitting verse for me. I woke up early this morning with a dread that was shaking me. To wit, I was worried about money. Money that I don't have. Money to buy things I need, not just want. You know, like to buy a few food items we are running out of, or gasoline for the car. Then I decided to read my Bible and listen to God who always has something to say about worry, and about trust. After embarking on a new Bible reading plan, I decided to open up one more app. Daily Bread: Today's Verse for Me. And there it was. God is in control. He knows what we need. He will provide. He is at my right hand. I shall not be shaken. This will be a tough month for us. My paycheck was much lower than normal due to not having enough accumulated leave for my extended leave of absence. God is in control. Please pray that this message goes to…
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