Creation

This morning I had the pleasure of spending my quiet time on the edge of the Des Moines river valley. I watched as the current swirled and gurgled across the rocks, the leaves cascaded and tumbled downward, and the gnats hovered and buzzed above the water. I thought about how nature is subjected to certain laws. The laws of motion, gravity, inertia. They function within these boundaries at all times. They have no choice, for in this they glorify God. And God is a god of order. Then I turned my thoughts to humankind. We do not have to live within the boundaries set out for us in God's law. We can either live to please him or we can live unto ourselves. What a privilege it is then, to offer our bodies, our very lives, as living sacrifices unto Him. We are amazed at the beauty of nature, but how much more beautiful is the choice to live solely for the glory of God. How much more pleasure does God take in us and in our faithfulness...more pleasure than the sun which rises every morning, and the trees which shed their leaves every fall.

Psalm 19
The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

Romans 8:19
The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.

2 Corinthians 5

starting at verse 11: Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
i've been thinking on this passage today probably bcuz i just really want Jesus to come back and the first part of the chapter talks a lot about heaven. however the second portion which i have above really has encouraged me today and adjusted my mindset.
i love the phrase "Christ's love compels us" and according to merriam webster compel means to to drive or urge forcefully or irresistibly. Christ's love is meant to be the driving force of our lives...to directs every thought, motive, action, every aspect. sometimes i feel this way, but much more do i not. i think i fail to remind myself daily of Christ's sacrifice and what depth of despair i would be in without him. i pray that i would be constantly reminded of the fury and wrath of a holy God so that i might be motivated out of desparate love and concern for those around me. What a great responsibility God has given to us...that we might be his ambassadors of reconciliation. Our main aim should be the restoration of man's relationship with God. This is our one plea.

politics and the world as we know it

It only takes reading the newspaper for me to realize my need for wisdom and discernment in this day and age. I find that I get really frustrated with people who are ignorant about politics but always inserting their opinion. I will admit that I am opinionated, but I also will keep my mouth closed when I am uncertain or feel that what I have to say would just wreak havoc. I have made one discovery and that is that a lot of people in my generation look at the world through rose colored glasses. Oh sure, they know that there are people starving in Africa, they know about human trafficking, etc., but they fail to realize the corruption present in our own government, in our nation. And it greatly upsets me, bcuz I used to look through those same rose colored glasses. I used to think that we were always the "good guys", we were the "A team", I mean how could we not be. Everything we read in the media declares our innocence. But, what if? What if, there were other forces at work behind the scenes...manipulating...their own game of monopoly. Power and Greed are strong motivations. What if everything we see in the media today is filtered by the powerful, what if everything we have believed to be true is just a lie, propagated to make us more dependent on the government...They slowly lull us to sleep, they frighten us into giving up our very rights and liberties, they program us to think that the government is supposed to provide for our every need. We are moving from a democratic state to one of socialism. By the way, if you doubt the truth of what I have said thus far, just investigate it. Check out the Northwoods Operation, the Trilateral Commission, The Bilderberg Group. There are greater forces at work here than just a couple of guys attempting to get the presidency that's for sure.

Hooded Scarf

so i recently was inspired to attempt to crochet a hooded scarf. i looked up some patterns online and found out it was much easier than it looked. its just a rectangle for the hood and a scarf that are attached together. needless to say, i was super excited about my final product and can't wait to start using it this fall and winter.

Being fruitful

i think this year the scripture passage that has challenged me most has been matthew 7: 15-23.
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Likewise every good tree bears good, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown
into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord'
will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many
will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out
demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me
you evildoers!'"
i was struck by the phrase "every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire". it does not say every tree that bears bad fruit, but it says every tree that does NOT BEAR GOOD FRUIT. that means that the trees that are unfruitful, neither producing good or bad fruit would be cut down and thrown into the fire. that was my life. i knew i was unfruitful for the kingdom of God. i certainly wasn't putting in any effort that's for sure. and the fear of God hit me like a ton of bricks. there was very little evidence of the Spirit of God living within me. I sacrificed very little for Christ and it was brought before my eyes. sure, i could put up a face, i knew the lingo and i had a lot of head knowledge, but as for sacrificial living and putting my life on the line for others and truly loving people as Christ loved me, i knew not. thankfully, God brought me into a church family that lives out the love of Christ and challenges my faith, walk, and daily discipline. its amazing. since then i have changed. i am in no ways perfect, but i desire for my selfish nature to be disposed and for the fruit of the spirit to be produced in my life. i want to lay it down...i want my efforts to be worthwhile and of eternal significance.