Tag Archives: Bible

A Hundredfold

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This week, my pastor preached the parable of the sower. If you’re not familiar with this story, you can read it in Matthew 13.

It was a great sermon, which I recommend listening to (you can do so here). It’s certainly a familiar story to me, but I noticed something that I never have before. Verse 23:

“And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

This verse refers to those who hear the good news and act on it. But did you see that? They all may be fruitful, but not the same extent. Some produce thirty or sixtyfold, but then there are those who produce a hundredfold. They’re all fruitful (how could they not be if they have the Holy Spirit?), but not to the same degree.

I want to be the soil that yields a hundredfold. God’s work in and through me is only hindered by my own limitations. Each time I choose to serve myself, I miss an opportunity to be useful for God’s kingdom. If that’s really want, why do I so often choose to serve myself and my own pleasures?

To be honest, I don’t see much point in doing the Christian life partway. If I’ve bet on Jesus, I’m going all in. No excuses for holding back.

I know that my salvation has already been earned by Jesus’ work on the cross. In fact, that’s my motivation to give my life wholly to Him. It’s the least that I can do.

Photo by Jonny Boy

Cruise Control Christianity

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I’m a part of a small group of a few women from my small group who meet twice a month to discuss a book that we’re reading together. I think we all cherish those hours we spend together sharing life and growing together.

Right now, we’re reading Jerry Bridges’s Discipline of Grace. I read it a few years back, but I’m still getting a lot out of it. You can never read a good book too many times. You may think I read a lot, but really, I have to read so much because I forget to so much. Reading a lot is the only way I can retain more.

One concept that really caught my attention this time around that I didn’t remember from the last time was Bridges’s metaphor of “Cruise Control Obedience” and “Race Car Obedience.”

The idea in “Cruise Control Obedience” is that you get to a certain level of obedience, and then just put on the cruise control, not seeking to pursue Christ any harder. You do the disciplines of the faith at a level that you’re comfortable with and then just remain there, content.

On the other hand, “Race Car Obedience” is characterized by a drive to always be going faster and farther. They are not content with going the speed of those around them, or the speed that they’ve were previously driving at. This person is consumed by his love of Christ and it influences every aspect of his life.

Well, I’m definitely one to take advantage of cruise control. Most of the time, I’m pretty happy with the time and energy I devote to Christ.

But is that pleasing to God? Is that really what it means to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30)?

No. I want to have a race car mentality, not settling for “fast enough.” Not that I have what it takes to follow Christ wholeheartedly in my own strength. But I know one who does.

Photo by MonkeyBoy69

Real Life in the Psalms

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Growing up, I was under the impression that the Psalms were full of niceties, to be read by those who want to praise God because life is good. Or those who need to put on a happy face during hard times, pretending that everything was okay.

It’s easy to see why I would think that. The most quoted verses in the Psalms are all about joy, praise, and comfort. Generally, people like the Psalms. There’s a reason why they’re usually included in copies of the New Testament. They’re “safe.”

But ever since I really started digging into the Psalms, thanks to reading one every day, I’ve started seeing new things. While some Psalms only include the more pleasant aspects of following God, that’s actually not the norm.

Most psalms come to the conclusion of praising God only after revealing hard times and difficult circumstances. On my latest read through the Psalms, I’ve started to underline those difficulties, and there are a lot of them.

“For my enemies have spoken against me;
And those who watch for my life have consulted together,
Saying, ‘God has forsaken him;
Pursue and seize him, for there is no one to deliver.’ ” – Psalm 71: 10-11

“O God, why have You rejected us forever?
Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?” – Psalm 74:1

“In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
In the night my hand was stretched out without weariness;
My soul refused to be comforted.” – Psalm 77:2

“Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me;
For I am afflicted and needy. ” – Psalm 86:1

“You have put me in the lowest pit,
In dark places, in the depths.” – Psalm 88:6 (all NASU)

One of the commonalities I’ve found between these passages is that the psalmists were confident in God’s sovereignty over their circumstances. It was in this certainty that were able to have the strength and hope to praise God.

The Psalms were written by real people in real struggles and are written for real people with real struggles. I don’t know how I never saw that before.

A New Kindred Spirit

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Recently I found a new kindred spirit in the Bible. In the past I’ve really identified with the likes of Peter, Hannah, and Hagar, but as I was reading my Bible this weekend, a new character really stood out to me.

Elihu.

What, you don’t remember who Elihu is? Actually, I didn’t either, before this weekend. But reading Job this time around opened my eyes.

We don’t really know much about Elihu. He admits that he’s younger than Job and his other friends, yet in the end, joins in in accusing Job. I get the idea that he sat their observing their discussion, barely keeping his own mouth shut. Finally, he’s had enough:

“So I say, ‘Listen to me,
I too will tell what I think.’ …
I too will answer my share,
I also will tell my opinion.
For I am full of words;
the spirit within me constrains me.
Behold, my belly is like unvented wine,
Like new wineskins it is about to burst.
Let me speak that I may get relief
Let me open my lips and answer.”

- Job 32:10, 17-20

Hmm, that’s a great way to start out, huh? The narrative tells us that Elihu is very angry, and his words admit that he’s speaking more out of a desire to “just get it out” than a desire to edify Job.

Oh, I’ve been there. I’ve played the part of the immature, self-righteous know-it-all more often than I’d like to admit. I’m probably not done playing the part. I mean, in part I blog because I am “full of words.”

But the more I learn, experience, and study, the more I realize just how much I don’t know. I’m more careful about making assumptions and assigning motives, particularly to those who disagree with me. And I spend more time examining my own motives, my own underlying assumptions, and my own beliefs.

And I want to learn to be more of a listener than a talker. I’ve got a long way to go!

30 Before 30 Update

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It hasn’t been a month since I started my 30 Before 30 project, but it’s time for an update. I’ll be updated at the end of the month about that month’s progress. I’ll only talk about those goals that I actually worked on in the month.

The numbers in green are goals in which I’m ahead of the curve; numbers in red are those I’m behind on.

So far, I’m happy with my start on my goals, in spite of all the red numbers below. The will take some work (of course!), but I still think it’s possible to get all 30 done!

1. Read the Bible twice through. 148/2378 chapters = 6.2%

I really thought I was doing good on this. Actually, I’m barely behind schedule. The good thing is that I’ve been consistently picking up my Bible daily, and now that I’m not distracted by traveling, I’m reading a good bit.

3. Lose 50 pounds. 4/50 pounds = 8%

I’m down 4 pounds since I’ve started, but that’s more about the fact that I had gained a few pounds before that weigh in than anything. Still, I’ll take a jump on this goal.

9. Read 160 books. 8/160 books = 5%

September has not been a reading month for me. I started out decent, but goal #23 (see below) and a busy schedule added to my delinquency. I’ll easily make up for this in future months, though, so I’m definitely not worried.

And really, reading 8 books in a month isn’t slacking…I’m pretty sure that’s still more than the average American reads in a year.

18. Pray through Operation World. 2/246 countries = 1%

I added South Sudan to the list of countries in Operation World because I’m just up-to-date like that (plus I know they need a lot of prayer). Sadly, I’m a long way from a dedicated pray-er for the nations….

22. Write in my journal 100 times. 4/100 entries = 4%

I was a little slow on picking this one up, but I’m working on it.

23. Make a baby blanket for Bean. 6/50 pieces = 12%

Well, this one I’m not really “behind” on, as I started about as early as I could. Had to ask a few questions of my “expert” before I get dive into really crocheting. I’ve only been working on this for a week and I must say my hands and arms are really sore! It’s looking cute though…

28. Finish recording the Chronicles of Narnia for my niece. 10/110 chapters = 9%

Stalled out on this on for a while, but I’m back into it. I hope to have The Magician’s Nephew finished this week. Of all the books, I think it’s the one I’m the least familiar with, so I think I’ll really enjoy diving into the more familiar books.

30 Before 30

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When I dyed my hair last week, it started me thinking about how little of my 20s I have left. I don’t mean that in a “poor me” way, but as a motivation to make the most of the days I do have, however many or few I have left on this earth.

That said, I’ve decided to come up with a list of 30 things I want to do before I turn 30 on December 15, 2012. That happens to be 6 days before the “end of the world,” so it’s a good deadline, right?

I have no idea how many of these I’ll actually accomplish. I tried to make them realistic, but I know that when I have a lot of goals, some seem to fall by the wayside. That’s okay…the point is not to be perfect, but to challenge myself in a healthy way.

All that said, these are 30 things I’m working to accomplish before my clock hits “30.”

1. Read the Bible twice through.

The way I read the Bible, I read through different sections at different paces. But I want to read every part at least twice in the next 16 months. Will continue to keep me in the Word, which is a good thing.

2. Memorize Colossians.

I actually want to finish memorizing the disciplined eating questions and verses as well as Romans 6 and 7 before I get to Colossians. So yeah, this is a challenge. Memorizing isn’t hard for me, but it takes dedication and consistency, which I want to work on.

3. Lose 50 pounds.

Okay, this goal sounds HUGE. It is huge. Fifty pounds is a large bag of dog food like those I had to lift too many times as a cashier because some customers insisted on putting them on the belt, though I told them not to.

But, 50 pounds is a pound a week, with about 18 weeks of forgiveness. Incredibly doable if I stick with my eating and exercise regimen.

And yes, I definitely have 50 pounds to lose. In fact, I will still have another 40 on the other side until I get to a healthy weight. Yes, I want to look better (who doesn’t?), but I want my chief motivation to be to better honor God with my life.

4. Save $2,000.

With the move, my emergency savings got cut into a lot. I want to bounce back, for sure. I can’t find security in money, but I do want to use it wisely.

5. Publish The Journal.

It’s still my goal to self-publish my debut novel at the end of this year. Need to get working on editing though, especially if I want to do NaNoWriMo again, which I’m not sure I will this year.

6. ________________.

This goal will remain private. I have no problem being open, but there are things that are not wise to talk about in such a public forum.

7. Pay down my student loans to $XX,000.

I really wish I get these down to 4 figures by the end of next year, but it’s not going to happen unless I stumble onto a pile of cash. But I am pushing myself…I really don’t want to be paying them until December 2019 as I’m scheduled to do.

8. Write What about Emotions (working title).

This is a non-fiction book that is in its infancy. When I have a final product with my novel, I want to get back to this project.

9. Read 160 books.

Perhaps not much of stretch, as this is my current pace (actually, I read a bit faster than that, usually). That’s okay…I have to have some super-realistic goals on this list, right?

10. Read 5 classics.

I don’t read these very fast. I almost always enjoy them, but they take a lot of work.

11. Swim a mile (again).

I want to get back in the pool. There’s just something about swimming that I absolutely love. I think this will be a big part of goal #3.

12. Work a polling place during an election.

Actually, this is on my schedule for next month. I’m looking forward to it. I’d totally do it for the experience, but I’ll be thankful for the financial compensation, too.

13. Celebrate our 30th birthdays with Dana.

Not sure what we’ll be doing, but we’ll be doing something, alright.

14. Cut caffeine down to only one Diet Dr Pepper a week.

I had been down to 2-3 a week earlier this summer, but it has creeped back up with the move and the work craziness. I’m working on slowly getting this back down. I like the stuff, but I don’t want to have it all the time.

15. Sell 100 copies of The Journal.

I’m not planning on this being a moneymaker, but it’d be nice to make back the little bit of money I’ve put in it. I have no idea if I’d even sell 100 copies, or if I’m totally low-balling myself.

16. Make an author website.

I hope to have this done soon. I guess that means I have to get started on it, huh?

17. Fast 16 days.

Not in a row, for sure. But I’d like to take a day a month to fast and pray.

18. Pray through Operation World.

I want to pray for every country throughout the next year.

19. Spend time on Yom Kippur fasting, praying, and thinking.

I’m not Jewish, but I do want to take this holiday God gave His people to remember what He has done for me.

20. Decorate my apartment for Christmas.

I’ve slowly been collecting Christmas decorations through the years, but this will the first year that everything will be my own.

21. Meet my niece.

This is kinda a big deal and should happen well before my 30th birthday…

22. Write in my journal 100 times.

That works out to about every 4 or 5 days, which isn’t really a lot. But it’s more than I’ve written in the past year or two. Journaling is a great way for me to process.

23. Make a baby blanket for Bean.

This is a late addition. I just learned how to crochet (well, I learned a simple stitch in college, but didn’t really do much with it). I learned on a whim (because others were doing it), and I’m glad I did, as I really enjoyed it.

24. Have an empty to-read shelf.

I have no idea if this is possible. I don’t necessarily have to read everything on the shelf, but if I choose not to read it, I need to get rid of it.

This would be easier if I didn’t ask for any books for Christmas, but that’s not likely to happen…

25. Write 70 encouraging letters or emails.

I’d actually like to write more, but this is a good goal number.

26. Bake bread.

I’ve been wanting to do this for a while. I do plan on doing this in a bread machine, though.

27. Make my own laundry detergent.

This is slated for whenever I finish my current bottle. It takes a while for a single girl to go through detergent, though…

28. Finish recording the Chronicles of Narnia for my niece.

I’m halfway through The Magician’s Nephew which is going faster than I expected. 6 1/2 books to go…

29. Walk 4 miles on the treadmill.

Not like that’s very far (I’m pretty sure I’ve walked around the streets of Turkey for at least that far), but I’d still like to do it.

30. Read the Qur’an and the Book of Mormon.

They’ve both been sitting on my shelves since college. I started reading the Qur’an this summer, but I’d like to finish both by some time next year.

Women of the Book

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Another week, another part of the Challenge to Women. Let’s get to the meat (this week is especially meaty!):

“That you be women of the Book, who love and study and obey the Bible in every area of its teaching. That meditation on Biblical truth be the source of hope and faith. And that you continue to grow in understanding through all the chapters of your life, never thinking that study and growth are only for others.”

Of the ones we’ve done so far, this is the most encouraging. One of the thing that frustrates me about programs, speakers, and books targeted at Christian women is that they are often lacking in depth, focusing on relationships, feelings, purpose…anything but the truth of Jesus Christ as found in God’s Word.

Sure, these are important things to talk about and they certainly have a place, but just because we’re women doesn’t mean that we need the Bible lite, as many of these give. They throw around a few Scripture verses here and there that begin to sound trite after a while. What an incredible shame to make the Bible sound trite, given its richness and depth!

No, we don’t need a few verses here and there scattered among worldly wisdom. We need the Bible. While I know that many women haven’t had the privilege of the great educational opportunities I have had, I still think that we can bring the Bible to women of all educational levels. You don’t need a degree to understand the Bible (and sometimes the degree might be a hindrance!).

So could I be called a woman of the book? I want to be. I want to love, study, and obey the Bible more. For me, my slight adaptation of Professor Horner’s Bible-Reading System has helped me gain a new desire to read the Bible–and to read it more. I do feel like I rely on the Bible more today than I did a year ago, but also feel like I have a long ways to go. I suppose we all do.

In the last few weeks, I’ve also upped my reading of good Bible-based books. I’ve had a hard time putting them down, which is both encouraging and convicting.

I’ve always felt like I had a good grasp on the Bible and biblical truths. But lately through many different sources, God has been showing me how much there is still to learn. I’ll never exhaust God’s Word…how refreshing.

I’ve been incredibly blessed with the teaching I’ve sat under, formally and informally. What a shame it’d be to stop there and not seek any more.

Other Posts in This Series:

A Summer of Growth

Peace, Joy, and Strength

Daily Acts of Love

Photo Credit: The Pink Princess

Peace, Joy, and Strength

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Week 2 of my Summer of Growth challenge and we’re to point 2 of John Piper’s Challenge to Women:

“That the promises of Christ be trusted so fully that peace and joy and strength fill your soul to overflowing.”

I’ll take this in pieces. “That the promises of Christ be trusted so fully that…

1. “…peace…fill[s] your soul to overflowing.”

Would I characterize my life as being filled with peace?

Yes and no. I don’t fret about the big things: death or the after life. It’s just the little things.

I think I’ve grown in the area of worry, but it’s all too easy to fall into it. I know it’s when I’m focusing too much on those little things, so they seem really big.

I frequently sing the hymn “Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus” to myself:

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.”

2. “…joy…fill[s] your soul to overflowing.”

I think this is an area that I’ve been lacking in lately. My life over the last few months could not be characterized by joy. Ho-hum would be a better term. I’ve allowed my relationship with Christ to become more of a duty and less of a joy. And for that, I do God a disservice. Reading the Bible, prayer, and worship aren’t items to simply be checked off of a list.

3. “…strength fill[s] your soul to overflowing.”

If God’s strength had not filled me during those weeks in April, I wouldn’t have made it. It might sound melodramatic, but I fully believe that without God’s help, I would have struggled more emotionally (that may have exacerbated my physical problems).

But how much more would I know of God’s strength if I was more closely walking with Him?

The truths in the Bible are powerful. But I have to know them and remind myself of them frequently through consistent Bible reading and study…

March Goal Update

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Seriously, is it April? How did THAT happen?

March has been a good month for some goals, thanks to the help of my new med and the new desire it’s put in me to exercise, even if just a little a time.

That said, I’ve let others go, getting lazy. The warm weather we had mid-month was awesome…and then the cold and rain hit again. I think we’re all affected by the weather to some extent, but it seems like I’m overly affected by it. In turn, it’s hard not to allow my mood dictate my actions.

To this end, I’ve been memorizing and meditating on 1 Peter 4:7 these past few days:

“The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.” (ESV)

In March, I earned 93 points which is better than the 83 I earned in February (though, of course, I had the benefit of extra 3 days).

Of the 6 goals that I’m tracking, the one that I was the most successful at in March was writing/editing for 30 minutes each day, doing that 19 times in March. Reading 100 pages a day was a close second.

Though the reading and writing were my best “subjects” in March, the one that I’m most proud of is exercising 20 minutes. I did so 9 times in March. Not only is that more than I did so in January or February, I more often than not exercised more than 20 minutes on those days. This is definitely something I hope to continue working on in April.

Sadly, the thing I was the worse at was actually my Bible reading. I’ve set a high goal for myself–reading 10 chapters a day–which I only reached 6 times in March. I did read at least one chapter most days, but I would like to work on this some more as well, as it really is simply a matter of priorities. This will be the goal that will earn me double points in April.

By the end of March, I was 17 points away from earning my second reward. Hopefully I’ll earn that tomorrow or Wednesday. My reward this time is Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst, a book that I’ve been looking forward to reading since I first heard about it a couple of months ago. Since I still have a shelf of books I want to read, I couldn’t justify picking up another any other way!

These Are Troubling Times

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My pastor has been on a roll lately…each week he’s said something that has really stuck with me. I’m so thankful to sit under a pastoral staff who strive for truth and desire to our church glorify God in everything we do.

One thing Pastor said yesterday is that if you don’t know Christ, these are troubling times.

Of course they are: the American economy has shown no sign of improving (about 1/3 of my tax clients received at least some unemployment compensation in the last year) and now gas prices are starting to rise sharply again, likely taking food prices with them.

When we look internationally, things look worse. Riots and instability span the Middle East and North Africa. North Korea is threatening once again to blow us to smithereens. New Zealand has just begun to recover from the Christchurch Earthquake. Thailand and Cambodia are no longer actively skirmishing, but they haven’ t shaken hands, either.

Likely, you have some personal problems that loom larger in your mind than any of the above.

To put it simply, we have a lot to be concerned about. If there is no higher power, we must fend for ourselves or stick or heads in the sand. Perhaps the outcome is the same regardless of the course we choose.

But…(if I was sharing this with the kids at church, this is where the snickers would come in)

There is a higher power. A God who not only wants good for us (Romans 8:28), but is so great and powerful that the very nations that are in tumult are but a speck of dust on a scale (Isaiah 40:15).

That is the thought I want to rest in this week.

Photo by Alireza Teimoury