In Need Of... Reminding (of what i really am...?)

For those days when i'm tempted into believing that i know something...
For those days when i'm tempted into worrying about things i can't change...
For those days when i'm tempted...

I was listening to that song by Nickelback... "How You Remind Me" or something like that... The chorus says, "This is how you remind me of what i really am" (It's about the only line i know) And i was thinking... "What am i, really?"
And then i was thinking about that song by Downhere... "Great Are You" (To which i know all the words!) And the chorus says, "Because I'll never hold the picture/ Of the whole horizon in my view/ Because I'll never, rip the night in two/ It makes me wonder/ Who am I, Who am I, Who am I/ And great are You/ Great are You, Lord"

It blew me away... How does God remind us of what we really are??
By everything around us! By everything that He has created! By the fact that when i mess up, the world doesn't end!


People heard how Job was talking about God and they reminded him:
Job 35:6-7 -
If you've sinned, what effect can you have on God?
If you've done many wrongs, what can you do to Him?
If you're righteous, what can you give Him, or what can He get from you?

Job thought he was smarter than God; God reminded Job of what he really was:
Job 38:1,4-5,12,16,21,36 -
Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm.
...
"Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me if you have such insight.
Who determined its dimensions? Certainly you know! Who stretched a measuring line over it?
...
"Have you ever given orders to the morning or assigned a place for the dawn...
...
"Have you gone to the springs in the sea or walked through the valleys of the ocean depths?
...
"You must know because you were b orn then and have lived such a long time!
...
"Who put wisdom in the heart or gave understanding to the mind?"


By reading about Job, I am reminded of what i really am.
Who am i?
I am created by God, for God's pleasure! My purpose on earth is to have a relationship with Him and to please Him.
My purpose is not to think i'm smarter than Him, or more powerful.
And when you think about that, it takes all weight off your shoulders. When you do something wrong, God is still right. When you do something unjust, God is still fair. When you are not able, God is.

James 1:17 - Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars.

In Need Of... Standards! Just ONE Set.

Double standards are one (two?) of my pet peeves. Maybe not my pet peeve because that gives the implication that i take it lightly. I do not.
So, in my life... I think of things, or notice things, that i do not like to see people doing.
Example:
Driving down the road, i'll see someone not using their signal light. So instead of getting mad at them and flipping the bird or something (which i've never done, by the way!), i'll make sure that i don't irritate anyone else by doing that which irritates me. I always use my signal light!
Example:
About two years ago, i made a list of characteristics of all the things i want to see in a future husband. (HAHAHA, k stop laughing ;o) Anyways... I came to the realization that i should make myself worthy of these expectations. I should be training myself to be everything a man of those qualities would be looking for. It only makes sense if i don't want to be one of those folks with double standards, a "do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do"er.

God gave instructions to both men and women... (and as much as i want a man who will act out his part, i have to be willing to be the woman who can live with that man.)

Ephesians 5:21 says, Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. What does this mean?

So if i'm asking for:
Ephesians 5:25-26a, 27-31
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy... In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church- for we are members of His body.

To compliment that man i need to be:
Ephesians 5:22-24
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Saviour. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Tall orders on both sides. But God has His reasons, and i trust those reasons!

In Conclusion:
...Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (Ephesians 5:33)

In Need Of... a walk!

Special thanks to Stuart! Who took me on a tour of downtown Ottawa!

Ephesians 5:8-11 (KJV) - ...Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Ephesians 5:8-11 (GW) - Once you lived in the dark, but now the Lord has filled you with light. Live as children who have light. Light produces everything that is good, that has God's approval, and that is true. Determine which things please the Lord. Have nothing to do with the useless works that darkness produces. Instead, expose them for what they are.

O, to have God's approval! To walk as a child of light... Lord give me strength!

In Need Of... the Good.

We've all been there... Decision-making skills stretched to the max. When it's time to decide between the Good and the Evil. When it's time to choose between the Spirit and the Flesh.
It helps to know that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)... It also helps to know that God chooses to use people who are sinners. (Who else is there?)

In Romans 7, Paul talks about his struggles... Paul who was one of the greatest disciples of Jesus Christ.

He says, I know that nothing good lives in me; that is, nothing good lives in my corrupt nature. Although I have the desire to do what is right, I don't do it. I don't do the good I want to do. Instead, I do the evil that I don't want to do. Now, when I do what I don't want to do, I am no longer the one who is doing it. Sin that lives in me is doing it. (Romans 7:18-20)

So is there any hope for me if PAUL was still sinning? I'm trying to be like Jesus, and it's so hard... Is there hope?

Paul offers us words of Hope.

Romans 8:2 - The standards of the Spirit, who gives life through Christ Jesus, have set you free from the standards of sin and death. It is impossible to do what God's standards demand because of the weakness our human nature has. But God sent his Son to have a human nature as sinners have and to pay for sin.

So... how does this help me? I'm still a bit confused here... It's impossible for me to be perfect, right? But God sent His Son to pay for my sins...

...If Christ lives in you, your bodies are dead because of sin, but your spirits are alive because you have God's approval. (Romans 8:10)

So... by accepting Christ into my life, i'm reviving my spirit... The spirit is the good part of me... the part that wants to do GOOD. so what happens to the evil part? the flesh?

Romans 8:12-14 - So, brothers and sisters, we have no obligation to live the way our corrupt nature wants us to live. If you live by your corrupt nature, you are going to die. But if you use your spiritual nature to put to death the evil activities of the body, you will live. Certainly, all who are guided by God's Spirit are God's children.

The flesh, the Evil, is beaten down by the spirit, the Good. The Good outweighs the Evil.
Quite the battle... Quite the Victory.

In Need Of... Wings.

Psalm 55:6-8
I said, "If only I had wings like a dove -
I would fly away and find rest.
Indeed, I would run far away.
I would stay in the desert.
I would hurry to find shelter
from the raging wind and storm."

But i don't have wings... and i have to stay where i am.

But I call on God,
and the Lord saves me.
Morning, noon, and night I complain and groan,
and He listens to my voice. (Psalm 55:17-18)

He will rescue me... He is listening to my voice.

In Need Of... ARMOUR.

This armour is impenetrable... There are no cracks, no weaknesses.
Why make an armour so strong? What does it protect us against?

Ephesians 6:11-12 (KJV) - Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers...

Strong words! There are many wars going on in this world, but none are as organized and as vehement as those going on in the spiritual realm!
So how does this involve me? I'm not a ghost! :oP I am however a "spiritual being". What does that mean? I have a Spirit inside of me, this is the spirit of God. This Spirit within me is in constant battle with all evil things. These evil things are all things which oppose God's will.

So how do we fight against these evil things? What "weapons" have been given to us? What constitutes our "armour"?

Ephesians 6:14b(GW) - Fasten truth around your waist like a belt. Put on God's approval as your breastplate.
6:15(KJV) - And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
6:16(GW) - In addition to all these, take the Christian faith as your shield. With it you can put out all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
6:17(KJV) - And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

God is able to protect us from many things if we wear this armour. But it is a choice. I must choose to put on this armour every day. The same way i choose to put on a coat to protect me from the elements, i must choose to put on God's armour to protect myself from unseen threats.

In Need Of... A common goal.

Matthew 18:19-20 (God's Word) - I can guarantee again that if two of you agree on anything here on earth, my Father in heaven will accept it. Where two or three have come together in My name, I am there among them.

Jesus made this statement to his disciples... His followers... Those people who wanted to do His will.
I consider myself one of those people. So, how can i apply this verse to my life?? How can i strengthen my relationship with God by applying this principle when i am with my churchmates and friends?
I've been thinking about this quite a bit in the past couple of weeks.
What does it mean to "come together in [Jesus'] name"?
After some contemplation, reading, reflection and quite a bit of prayer, I have come to the conclusion that in order to come together in Jesus' name we must have our hearts focused on Jesus. He should be the reason you are coming together.
The common goal should be to glorify God.
When we start getting impatient or if we come together with a preconcieved notion that nothing is going to happen, we aren't focused on the same thing and we can't be called "TOGETHER".
Prayer is pivotal in these instances. If i would rather be somewhere else, i should pray about it until i'm ready to commit my heart to the discussion or the worship practice or the Bible study. But i also shouldn't have to do this alone. Everyone else gathered with me should be praying for me, too. That may be the beginning of the "coming together"! When you turn to God, it brings glory to His name and achieves the common goal!

In Need Of... FocuS

I've been convicted to start writing in this blog again! God has been telling me to for the past month! I apologized to Him profusely tonight and here I am realizing that He was right!
It is an amazing feeling to be in the will of God! To be doing what the God of the universe wants me to be doing!
I've been learning to be focussed on God. I've been learning how to "pray without ceasing (I Thes. 5:17)" and how to fulfill God's calling in my life.
Jeremiah 29:13 - And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.
I want to be closer to God... I want to know His will for my life, but I know that i have not been searching for Him with all my heart. So what do i need to do in order to grow closer to God? what is the "seek"ing? Look back one verse, Jeremiah 29:12a says Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me...
So all i have to do is call upon God... also known as PRAYER. i need to pray! Is that all? The rest of the verse says "go and pray unto me"... um... again with the PRAYER! It must be that easy!
So why pray so much anyways?
Cuz God finishes that verse by saying:
Jer. 29:12b - ...and I will hearken unto you.
The word "hearken" means (direct from the original hebrew) "to hear intelligently, hear carefully, consider, hear diligently, listen."
Sure sounds like God is paying attention to prayers! I want my prayers to be worth listening to.

In Need Of... Pruning.

My father and my grandfather both bought grape vines. They both live in the same town just a few blocks away from each other. They both planted their vines in their backyards in the same sunlight.
This was a few years ago.
My father's grape vine is producing grapes. My grandfather's is not (and in fact, is almost dead).
What is the difference? Caretaking.
My grandfather didn't trim the branches. They are weighed down and unable to support themselves.
My father's vine is nicely pruned, and the vine is able to support itself on the trellis.

Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts away every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit. But He trims clean every branch that does produce fruit, so that it will produce even more fruit." (John 15:1-2)
So, God takes out His pruning shears and sets to work on the branches. I am a branch. If I fail to produce fruit, i will be cut off... So what are my grapes? i can't grow fruit obviously, so what do i produce?
Galatians 5:22 -- But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance...
If i'm showing these qualities, then i am growing fruit! So God helps me out by trimming off the bad parts, the parts that will weigh down my branch and prevent me from growing fruit.

Food for thought... It is hard to tell the difference between weeds and flowers when there is nothing growing on them.


Feelin' like face #4.

In Need Of... A pen.

Psalm 45:1 (GW) -- My heart is overflowing with good news. I will direct my song to the king. My tongue is a pen for a skillful writer.

I need to learn to let my tongue be a pen for a skillful writer. I need to remember that i should not be the author of my words. I need to remember that every word that comes from my mouth should be praise to our Father in heaven.
On my own, my mouth says stuff i'd rather not say. I am only truly loving and worshipful when i allow my tongue to be the instrument through which God speaks. And He can put His words in my mouth if i let Him... I know because He has before, and my God does not change. Jeremiah 1:9 -- Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth. The Lord said to me, "Now I have put My words in your mouth."

Feelin' like face #2.

In Need Of... A mystery.... hmm....

As i was reading thru a passage that my bestest Jessie suggested to me, i came across an interesting thing...

Ephesians 5:31-32 (NIV) -- "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery-but I am talking about Christ and the church.

So i'm thinking... In this passage (Eph. 5:22-33) Paul is using a metaphor. Jesus is "the husband", Christians are "his wife".
So then i'm replacing words, and this is what i come up with... For this reason Jesus will leave His father and mother and be united to Christians, and the two will become one flesh... Maybe i'm way off base here, but to me it sounds like: "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself...(I Corinthians 6:15)" or "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it (I Cor. 12:27)."

Feelin' like face #1.

In Need Of... Patience!!

Sometimes i just feel like screaming... Someone will do something or say something that is overbearing or frustrating, and i KNOW they're just being authoritative... Just trying to prove that they are the boss and i am the lowly peon...
These are the times when i need patience... These are the times when i LEARN patience. When i learn to love people. When i learn to listen to God instead of my vengeful head.
I had one such incident tonight... i am still attempting to find a way to work through the situation in a way that will not cause my conscience to be pricked by it tomorrow.
King Solomon (who had wisdom from God) said, "A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult. (Proverbs 12:16)"
Because i've read through Proverbs, I know that I don't want to be called a fool... So, that means I want to be a "prudent" or wise man. So... I'll sit on my annoyance. God will reward me for it! ;o)

Feelin' like face #7.

In Need Of... Nothing of this world...

Throughout my life, i have been "attached" to many of my possessions... A blanket, a book, a computer, a car... i allow them a certain hold on my life. Maybe because they were expensive, or maybe because they had sentimental value... But as time passes by, i lose them, or they get broken, or just become obsolete.
While i've been allowing these things to become a part of my daily life, i come to rely more and more on them... i use them more and push other things aside to make way for these things.
Have you ever heard the saying "out of sight is out of mind"? When i become so fixed on the things i can see, i forget about the things i can't see.
Now according to the Bible, the things you can't see are the things that really matter. The things that will still be around even after you die, even after your children die.

Jesus says:
Matthew 6:19-21 -- Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

And if you have never heard the story about the rich ruler, it's Luke 18:18-30. The ruler wants to know how he can get eternal life, and Jesus tells him that he must sell everything he has and give to the poor and then he will get treasure in heaven. The ruler got very sad about this... Read the story ;o)
But there is a reason that Jesus had to tell the man to sell everything and give to the poor... He wasn't just being mean. It's because if 'things' are so important to you, then where is God on your list? God should always be top priority in your life... Regardless of whether you just smashed up your car or whether you just got a computer virus, or your mom finally took away your baby blanket. Things can become IDOLS to us if we start to love them. We must be able to part from them at a moment's notice; your next breath may be your last.

I John 2:17 (NIV) -- The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

Feelin' like face #2.

In Need Of... A Test.

A Story that touched me today...

Dart Test...

A young lady named Sally, relates an experience she had in a seminary class, given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. She says that Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons.

One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day.

On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smithtold the students to draw a picture of someone they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture.

Sally's friend drew a picture of who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased with the overall effect she had achieved.

The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, and was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats. As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn't have a chance to throw any darts at her target, Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall.

Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced.

Dr. Smith said only these words... "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me (Matthew 25:40)."

No other words were necessary; the tears filled eyes of the students focused only on the picture of Christ.

In Need Of… An Equal Yoke.

II Corinthians 6:14 – Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

What the fer-pete's-sake does it mean "to yoke"? According to Webster, it means "to unite or join".
In what ways can you join yourself or unite with unbelievers? The first thing you may think of is in a dating or marriage relationship. Another way is in a business relationship or a partnership.
God had a reason for putting this verse into the Bible... There are many things that can destroy an relationship between a believer and an unbeliever. Things that may try to come between a Christian and Jesus. Idols, to be exact.
The biggest, baddest idol is usually money. In both personal and business relationships, money is an important thing to the majority of people. In fact money is the main reason for getting involved in a business relationship.
God requires Christians to give ten percent of their income back to Him. Unbelievers think this is nuts. This can cause a major clash if both parties are uncompromising. (And as a Christian, i suggest that all Christians should NOT compromise their faith by neglecting to tithe!)
In relationships of all kinds, be sure to analyze your potential partner to ensure that you are on the same terms and that you agree on all the most important issues. If tithing is very important to you, be sure that your partner (personal or business) agrees with you. In a marital relationship, be sure that your mate is in agreement with your tithing (not that i'm an expert on marriage, but i've seen this destroy a few).
In essence... don't hook a whale to an elephant. Compromise just won't work.


Feelin' like face #8.

In Need Of... NEEDS!!!

If you have any "need" ideas, let me know! Post them in the comment section, or email me at shannc@canada.com
Ciao Chickins ;o)

In Need Of... A Mission Field.

Jesus says to us in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." This is one of our purposes here on earth. To demonstrate God to other people... We do this through our actions, our words, our good deeds.
Is this always enough? Can we reach everyone this way?
It is possible that with enough prayer, enough good deeds, and enough humility, we can reach everyone close to us (or in close proximity to us). But what about those people who live miles or oceans away from us? Those groups of people who have never had the opportunity to hear about Jesus?
Jesus makes a provision for these people...

Acts 1:8b -- ...You [followers of Jesus or disciples] will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

If Jesus had never said this, would you be a believer right now? Would you be sitting there reading this blog? I believe you wouldn't... Because the only reason i'm writing this blog is because someone was a witness to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.

So, whether you are called to Jerusalem (Ottawa, for me!), Judea (Canada), Samaria (the USA), or the ends of the earth (wherever that may be...); as followers of Christ, we have a mission. We must love other people as much as we love ourselves (Matt. 22:39). I believe that by accepting God's grace, we are loving ourselves as much as we possibly can. So, by telling other people about God's grace, we are giving the greatest gift, the most loving gift, we can; because without God's grace, we are on our way to hell.
But even more than that... We are to love God first and above all else (Matt 22:37). And what happens when you love someone? You talk about them... To as many people as possible! (I know this because practically everyone i know is getting engaged or married now :oP *sarcasm*... j/k *wink*) And because we can never know EVERYTHING about another person, we always have new information to tell to the people around us... It is the same with God... He reveals new truths... Sometimes they are meant just for us... but sometimes the people around us get something out of it, too! *smile*

So let's get out there and shine our lights to all men.

*Special thanks for the idea goes to N.B.*

Feelin' like face #2.

In Need Of... A Vacation :oD

Hey all... I'm gone for Easter to see my folks! And collect some good meals! haha!
Catch y'all lata... maybe at church? maybe i'll call? neeeeever know :o)
Ski ya lata!
Shannie

Feelin' like face #10.

In Need Of... An offering.

Offerings are a tough thing... Have you ever sat in church while they pass around the plate for tithes and offerings? Have you ever had nothing to put in?

There are times when it is important to give financially to God. When you have a job, God requests ten percent (the amount considered a 'tithe') of what you make doing that job... That's not too much to ask, when you think that God is the one who provided you with that job! And when God supplies you with an extra bit of cash, why not give the ten percent and some of the surplus back to Him? That's an offering... Giving more than is necessary.

But there are other ways that we can bring offerings to God...
If you look at what is necessary to please God, you see:
Hebrews 11:6 (CEV) -- ...Without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that He rewards everyone who searches for Him.
This is the bare necessities of to please God... This is not an offering. It's sort of the 'tithe' of our lives... The little bit God asks for out of everything He gives us. He asks us to believe in Him. This is the starting point from which the Christian walk grows.
We believe in God, first, and then we start giving our lives to God.
Romans 8:8 (CEV) says: If we follow our desires, we cannot please God.
So we must start following God's desires, we must offer our will to God! We hand over our choices to God... I think this is the essence of offering our lives to God. As we offer God more freedom in our lives, we are pleasing Him more.
When we do more of what He wants us to do, we are getting closer to His perfect plan. This is pleasing to Him!

Feelin' like face #6. --- Did you see the new mood faces? MUAH hahaha

In Need Of... Purity of Mind.

In the past couple of days, i think God may have been telling me something! I'm not really sure why, though!?
I have heard sermons, radio shows, advice and discussions on "Purity"... Why all this talk of purity? Is there something i'm doing that is impure? I'm not sure... I have examined myself, and i come up blank...
But am i looking at this in the right perspective? Am i looking to my physical lifestyle, or my spiritual lifestyle, or my mental lifestyle? Mostly when i think of purity i think of the physical context... Am i "keeping out of trouble"? Am i allowing physical lust to invade my life?
I've decided that in the physical sense, i'm fairly well off... I'm keeping the sexual "lusts of the flesh" under control, and that's what counts, right?
Wrong.
It does count, but it isn't the ONLY part that counts. Physical impurity is sin. Sin starts with what is in your mind... those thoughts move into your heart and become feelings... those feelings are translated into actions. What starts out as a thought becomes a sin.

So can we then say that impure thoughts become impure actions? I believe so.

So... Back to my dilemma... Is my mind where it should be? Am I concentrating on pure things? Am I focussed on what is right, true, holy, or pure? Is this the part of me that God is telling me to work on?

So what am i saying here..?
Romans 12:2 (NIV) -- Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will.

God is waiting for me to renew my mind... He wants me to want to get my mind pure so that He can show me what He has in store! If i start with my mind, my body, my heart and my spirit will follow!

So how do i know if i'm thinking pure thoughts?

Would i be able to say these thoughts out loud? Would i share them with my friends? Would i share them with my brother? Would i share them with my DAD??
I read a quote somewhere... "Never write anything you would not want read at your funeral." Maybe that can be applied to thoughts?

Feelin' like face #1.