Almost missed an opportunity

I almost missed an opportunity Monday....I went to the break room for lunch....and was looking forward to reading though part of Kay Arthur's Covenant Study.........someone came in, sat down, and began to talk to me.......I was thinking.....uh.........I am in the middle of something here.....

God used my mother's voice......... again.......in my head........"Interruptions are an opportunity......."

I, reluctantly, put down my book....

"I'm a good person....I go to church....."

Lunch was my mission field.....and, I almost missed it.

Ordinary Days

Ann Kiemel was my favorite author while in college...I hate that I got rid of her books.....many many garage sales ago....I can buy them on ebay for less than 1.00 now...but, I just don't order things from ebay...still, I remember one of her writings that talked about "ordinary days." Her dad...grandfather...someone had told her that life is made up of a lot of ordinary days...and said something like...we need to be consistent with those ordinary days....

Ordinary makes me "antcy" ...................to use another term of my mothers....Sitting still...waiting...is sooooooooo ordinary..........

I'm not MIA...or ignoring you....

I know I haven't blogged in a few days...I really just don't have much to say...training is over...I am in my new branch...opening accounts....meeting folks...including my co-workers...coming home tired....and just ready for a long nap...I feel a little flat.....like...I am just going through the motions...biding time until there is something more I need to do....

I will tell you that I walked an hour yesterday....there is a junior college near me....the walking trail is quieter than my neighborhood...not a lot of folks walking...lots of ducks and geese...I have been there a couple times, but never walked around the entire pond...I will only say this...I felt like I was walking through a mine field....duck poop everywhere! I hate to sound gross...but, duck poop is huge! I felt like I was walking through an obstacle course....:) so, I decided to set off to blaze my own trail!

I love to walk alone...because, I really can focus on my talks with God....so...really, I am not alone.....geese were everywhere...they really like the area around the college...still, I was able to find a quiet spot where I walked round and round...and the only other "noticible" creature around was a black crow...and, he was very uninterested in me....

My favorite walks are those that take me round and round...no thought needed to decide where to go, no one to say hello too...to break my concentration...I can just pray and pray....and thank and thank...and confess and confess....and my spirit is strengthened....

Abram was a Gentile

I learned something very important tonight...through my Covenant Study...Kay Arthur....When she said Abram was a Gentile...I thought she had made a mistake...but, thanks to yahoo....I can confirm what I didn't know....

Abram was a Gentile....Wow.....read below.....

Abraham as Model of the Faith.

Abraham lived 500 years before the covenant laws of the Jewish Sabbaths, Holy Days and meat distinctions for food were given to "the Children of Israel" in the covenant of Mount Sinai. There were no Jews or Israelites on the earth during Abraham's time. Abraham is one of the nations, he is a Gentile from which the Jewish race and the Israelites will come. He may therefore be said to be a Gentile and yet father of the Jewish and Israelite race. As descendant from Noah, to live righteously before God, he is required to keep the laws of the covenant with Noah. Gen.9:3 " ⁹And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you. ". That is all the nations, races and all people everywhere on earth after the flood of Noah, (See my article on Acts 15 and the Gospel to the Jews and Gentiles). Abraham knew nothing of weekly Sabbath, the Jewish Passover and other Jewish Feasts that were yet to be revealed in the covenant with the children of Israel, so many centuries after him. Abram never heard of the Ten Commandments written in stone. Yet, because Abraham is a man of faith and righteousness as was Noah, God chose this Gentile to become father of the Jews or Israelites. For this reason, Abraham becomes the model of faith, not only for the Gentiles, because he was a Gentile, but also for the Jew, because he is the father of the Jews or Israelites. Both, Jew and Gentile are able to learn from the example of Abraham's faith.

http://www.auburn.edu/~allenkc/abraham2.html

Windmills

Ashley and I have been enjoying evening rides the past couple nights. We drove into Oak Ridge tonight...it was 75 on the way home...nice and cool...and the mountains are just beautiful...we were looking for the windmills...didn't find them....next adventure....Note to self....look at the internet before you leave...you were there...

http://www.knoxkoupons.com/ktown_photos/photo_gallery/Scenic_Beauty/windrock1.html

http://www.tva.gov/greenpowerswitch/wind_faq.htm

Ephesians 6: 12

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness, in the heavenly places

(New American Standard)

"This is not a wrestling match against a human oponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world.

(God's word translation)

I received a call tonight from a church member asking me to join the choir.

I almost went to Nashville this weekend to work with the Kurdish people. (Paperwork not complete)

I am contemplating teaching Sunday School...

And the forces continue to keep me down...I lost my temper tonight...an email....with a "former friend"...and my first thought was "Now I will never be able to do those (above) things...I am unworthy of working for God."

Just what the enemy ordered....he wants to throw me down....to keep me from leading anyone from darkness into light....What can I say? O wretched man that I am? Did that stop Paul? No. I used to wrestle with "perfection." God has delivered me from most of it..but, I still wish I was perfect...for God...100% of the time...I never want to ruin my testimony. But, the enemy does.

God, forgive me...deliver me from evil....

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil."

We wrestle not against flesh and blood

¹wres·tle

Pronunciation:

\ˈre-səl, ˈra-\

Function:

verb

Inflected Form(s):

wres·tled; wres·tling \ˈres-liŋ, ˈras-; ˈre-s^əl-iŋ, ˈra-\

Etymology:

Middle English wrastlen, wrestlen, from Old English wrǣstlian, frequentative of wrǣstan

Date:

before 12th century

intransitive verb1: to contend by grappling with and striving to trip or throw an opponent down or off balance2: to combat an opposing tendency or force <wrestling with his conscience>3: to engage in deep thought, consideration, or debate4: to engage in or as if in a violent or determined struggle <wrestling with cumbersome luggage>transitive verb1 a: to engage in (a match, bout, or fall) in wrestling b: to wrestle with <wrestle an alligator>2: to move, maneuver, or force with difficulty

— wres·tler

Take Up Your Cross or you cannot be My disciple

Mother and I have often talked about: What does it mean to "take up your cross and follow Me?"

Henry Blackaby's book "Experiencing the Cross" puts it this way...in Chapter 12

"We tend to think mostly of our need simply to count the cost of following Him and of doing God's will in our life. Certainly, we have to do that. But I believe there is more here. I think He specifically wants us to recognize, accept, and bear the cost involved in dealing personally with our sin. We cannot understand the cross of Jesus Christ without grasping that it's primarily about God's confrontation with man's sin. Jesus is telling us that for you and me to even think of following Him in a worthy manner, the cross must be central in our life-which means dealing with sin must be central in our lives.

It's unthinkable to say, "Father, thank you for laying the sin of the world on Your Son. ...but please don't talk to me about sin in my life. I just want to have the joy of following You."

Jesus LEARNED to be obedient...Heb. 5:8

....through the things which He suffered.

I bought a copy of "Experiencing the Cross" today by Henry Blackaby....

PG>39..."I've had people say to me, Henry..I find it so difficult to obey."

Sometimes I will answer, "Would you like to learn to be obedient the way Jesus learned?"

"Oh, yes, I would."

Then I'd read them this verse,

"Though He was a Son, yet He LEARNED OBEDIENCE by the things which He suffered. It was in the ENDURANCE OF AFFLICTION that Jesus took hold of obedience.

The Father heard His Son's intense cries and answered them by pointing Him to suffering and to the cross.......