Faith is a work of God

God has done wondrous things for me, personally. About a year ago, I was trying to comfort my large dog during a lightning storm. I was on a large covered porch, not really feeling any danger. My right foot was suddenly attracted to the wet cement, I knew what was happening, but did not know of any way to avoid it. It is amazing how many prayers can be sent in the blink of an eye. "Oh Lord, don't let this be hard on my family. Please don't let me linger long and be a burden. I'm ready, Lord, but I am surprised. I really thought you had more work here for me. " And then the current traveled up my right side.

God really does have more work for me. Besides some achiness, there were no bad effects in my body. We lost some small appliances in the house, but that is no big loss compared to my life.

The next day, I realized that the toothache I had suffered daily for most of a year was gone. I did not feel it again for months. I have had a few twinges since then, but it is almost like God saying, "Remember how I care for you." It is not just me, part of the human race, but me personally, living the nitty-gritty worry about how long the old car will last, and what's for supper me.

I should have the biggest faith in the world, right? In a perfect world...

Possibilities

I substituted in the school as a special ed aid today. This felt right. It is almost like my life has been leading to this. These were kids with emotional needs. They need the kind of care that takes close attention to their moods and needs. They need a lot of one on one.

The problem is that being an aid is a very low paying job. I was hoping to better ourselves with a higher paying job, God knows we could use more. If I take this position, which the teacher told me is mine if I want it, I will need a lot of faith that God can supply our needs.

Pray.
Faith is a gift of God, not a work of my own.
I need the wisdom that comes from God, not from the world.

Promises, Promises

My Sunday School class has followed the theme of God's promises. Does God keep his promises? How long do we have to wait. We studied God's promises to Abraham. God promised Abraham he would not be able to count all his descendants. He had one little boy, when he and Sarah were well past the age to be having children. We spent weeks on that theme, studying Isaac, Jacob and Esau, and finally the twelve sons of Jacob. We talked about the crowd of people Moses led out of Egypt. Sometimes it takes a long time before we see the promise fulfilled, but God always keeps his promises.

We talked about the promise made to Adam and Eve, that God would make a way back. We learned that Jesus was the answer and fulfillment of that promise. Jesus promised his disciples that he would send the Holy Spirit. We will be talking about that in the next weeks. He promised He would come back and take us to our home in heaven with him. We can look forward to that because he keeps his promises.

We will also be working on carry the cross awards.
My class can earn an award by :

Singing "Jesus Loves Me," or any other Christian song.

Repeat any one promise God has fulfilled, and any that we can expect him to fulfill.

Do Sign language for: God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Repeat any Memory Verse from the bible.

To get the award they must find any member of C.E. committee,or SS teacher and prove they can do one of these tasks individually. Please help them at home to learn one of these things, and then be sure we know to test them.

Thanks for the joy of working with your beautiful children! anne

The Complaining Whiny Prophet

I have been feeling a lot like Jonah the past week.
My boss told me it's time to find a new job. Business has been slow for almost a year now. He doesn't know what the cause is, but feels it is God's way to force us out of our comfort zone and move us in different directions. So here I am, thrown overboard. What is not funny is we have had more business come in since I was told this, than we have in two months. So this business may just sail away safely without me, and here I am sinking to the bottom, my feet stuck in weeds, sinking to depths I didn't know existed. So now what kind of stinky smelly fish will rescue me. Ok, now I am getting my story confused with Jonah's. I read the book of Jonah this morning. Jonah had an attitude. He did not want to do what God asked, and he tried to run away from it. He couldn't deny God's power that kept him safe in the smelly belly of the whale, so he grudgingly warned the Ninevites to turn from their wicked ways. When they repented, Jonah was angry that God did not destroy the Ninevites. It's hard to understand how God would use a prophet with so much attitude. I guess there is hope for me.

plain vanilla communion

While waiting for a Christian Education meeting to start, I picked up a child's book on Easter. The illustration of the last supper showed a group of very manly men seated around a table. I got to wondering what it was about this story that made it so important to our church, so I picked up a bible and read all four gospel accounts. Matthew Mark and Luke were all pretty much the same. I've heard it so many times, it seems to have lost it's effect ."Do this in remembrance of Me." It's a command, so we do it. Then I read John's gospel and I have been pondering all week, what's the deal? It's not there! There are four chapters, page after page written about that night, almost all in red letters. John was there, so where is it in his narrative? As far as I can pinpoint it, it is in chapter 13:21. "Jesus became troubled in spirit." I am assuming it is right before the time that Jesus dips his bread and gives it to Judas.

This was not a reverent, pious moment. It was memorable. It affected these bread and butter working men deeply. It was so painful that John 's heart is still dealing with it. Just as Jesus' body was not broken neatly and reverently, was that bread also broken violently?

The Maundy Thursday service was not plain vanilla this year.

Palm Sunday

Pastor D has a way of hitting home with his sermons. This Christian life is not what I signed up for.

The Palm Sunday crowd was not looking for the Jesus who was, but the Jesus they wanted. They did not expect the servant on a donkey, but a warrior king on a steed. They had seen his power in the past three years, power over disease, nature, even death. They had come to realize he was sent from God. They were ready for him to take his place as King. They were ready for their lives to get a whole lot easier. They didn't have a clue.

I have seen God's power in my life, power over disease, and lightning. I absolutely know the reality of his power and personal care. Yet the God who is, is very seldom who I expect. In his touches of absolute power in my life, He has built a faith that can trust that he really does have a plan. My plan was a whole lot more comfortable.