Sunday, May 29, 2011
Great idea for fathers day cards
So instead of spending $5 on a cheesy card, I made one on shutterfly.com. Enter in the promo DADCARD and you get up to 5 free cards! Great deal. :-)
Friday, May 20, 2011
Just Like Jonah
For those of you unfamiliar with the story of Jonah in the Bible, I'll share a brief summary.
God saw that the people of Ninevah were in desperate need of repentance. He chose Jonah to go to them and prophecy, giving them the opportunity to repent. Jonah knew of Ninevah and their reputation and also understood that God is gracious and compassionate. Finding them undeserving by his human wisdom, he fled God's will and went the other way.
God was displeased and sent a storm that threatened to destroy the ship. The sailors threw Jonah into the sea, where he was swallowed by a whale before being deposited on dry land. He was obedient this time, prophesied for three days, and the city of Ninevah turned from their evil ways.
Yet Jonah was angry with God for saving them. The book of Jonah ends with God questioning Jonah as to why he cared more of the death of a plant than the destruction of an entire city, and I'm not quite sure how Jonah responded.
I find myself struggling with a similarly selfish heart. There is a dear friend of mine who is struggling in his marriage. I am angry with his wife for [how I perceive] the way she treats him, and have a selfish desire for him to be free of her, and for her to reap what she's sown. I recognize that the Christlike thing to do would be to pray for her, for healing of her own deep wounds. If I truly desire the best for him, I would desire the best for her as well, and pray for restoration and growth in their relationship. Yet I find I am rooting against her. As if she doesn't deserve to experience that transformation.
God is changing my heart toward her, but this self- realization has led me to examine other relationships in my life. Are there any other brothers or sisters in Christ that I'm rooting against? Am I openly loving all the people God has brought into my life? I'm trying to use 1 Corinthians 4-8 as a guide...
"Love is patient...It does not dishonor others...it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
In those situations where it's sticky trying to figure out what I should do in a relationship, my aim is to check my thoughts, words, and actions with this passage.
Thoughts?
God saw that the people of Ninevah were in desperate need of repentance. He chose Jonah to go to them and prophecy, giving them the opportunity to repent. Jonah knew of Ninevah and their reputation and also understood that God is gracious and compassionate. Finding them undeserving by his human wisdom, he fled God's will and went the other way.
God was displeased and sent a storm that threatened to destroy the ship. The sailors threw Jonah into the sea, where he was swallowed by a whale before being deposited on dry land. He was obedient this time, prophesied for three days, and the city of Ninevah turned from their evil ways.
Yet Jonah was angry with God for saving them. The book of Jonah ends with God questioning Jonah as to why he cared more of the death of a plant than the destruction of an entire city, and I'm not quite sure how Jonah responded.
I find myself struggling with a similarly selfish heart. There is a dear friend of mine who is struggling in his marriage. I am angry with his wife for [how I perceive] the way she treats him, and have a selfish desire for him to be free of her, and for her to reap what she's sown. I recognize that the Christlike thing to do would be to pray for her, for healing of her own deep wounds. If I truly desire the best for him, I would desire the best for her as well, and pray for restoration and growth in their relationship. Yet I find I am rooting against her. As if she doesn't deserve to experience that transformation.
God is changing my heart toward her, but this self- realization has led me to examine other relationships in my life. Are there any other brothers or sisters in Christ that I'm rooting against? Am I openly loving all the people God has brought into my life? I'm trying to use 1 Corinthians 4-8 as a guide...
"Love is patient...It does not dishonor others...it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
In those situations where it's sticky trying to figure out what I should do in a relationship, my aim is to check my thoughts, words, and actions with this passage.
Thoughts?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)