Category Archives: Living

Sep15

DAY 257 (2014)

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By faith the seed dies, so the flower can bloom. Each new bud is the realization of the seed of faith. (Picture by Lisa R.)

By faith the seed dies, so the flower can bloom. Each new bud is the realization of the seed of faith.
(Picture by Lisa R.)

Fasting. I can’t say it without laughing. Why? Because anytime I do it something always comes up that makes me think, “I wish I had put this off till tomorrow” (yes, I am a horrible Christian 🙂 ). Yesterday I fasted and yes, had the thought. It was family day, my brother came over to watch football and my mom spent ALL DAY COOKING really good smelling food. Sigh… life can be unfair 🙁 . Here’s the irony for most days in the week I can go almost all day without eating, and never feel hungry. But the moment the lack of eating is attributed to giving that time to God, it becomes the most unbearable, hardest thing I could ever encounter. Human nature 101: we don’t normally want something until we can’t have it. Today as I sat reflecting on the things that God showed me yesterday. It hit me that the point of fasting was not to get God to do what I want. It is about  the letting go of something I want, to achieve something I need. The question: Are we willing to give something up, and allow God to fill that spot? Fasting is about the discipline. Yes. The discipline. The ability to bring our flesh (that spends most of its time warring against spiritual things), under God’s control. Fasting brings us closer to God, because it allows our flesh to see that there is something greater than itself. Feeling a little distant, walking with the Lord feels strained? Don’t worry it simply means your spirit and your flesh are at war. The solution: let your spirit win. Bring the flesh under God’s control. Nothing accomplishes that like fasting.

“But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21).

Lesson: Fasting brings our flesh under God’s control.

Jul23

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart. (Picture by Lisa R)

I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Deuteronomy 12. “When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. ‘Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it'” (Verses 29-32). This has been the week of God just talking, and talking, and reminding, and reminding. Just as God moved the children of Israel on a new journey, a path that would lead them to deeper, closer, and more intimate relationship with Him (if they chose to obey). He is doing the same with me. Each day during my time in Deuteronomy I am constantly reminded that the goal of my journey is to follow God. Prior to this my relationship with Christ was good, but safe. It was easy to trust, easy to obey (or try to) because even if things failed and fell apart I was in a place that I knew how to control. The same was true for Israel in Egypt, yes they were in slavery, but it was still comfortable because they understood it. New journeys requires one to let go of what they know and trust. God spends most of Deuteronomy reminding Israel that this journey, this promise came from Him. Everyday that I read I too am reminded. It is God who leads and guides me. ALWAYS!

Jul20

Random ( hopefully inspired ) Thought

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Deuteronomy 9. “Hear, O Israel: You are to cross over the Jordan today, and go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and fortified up to heaven, a people great and tall, the descendants of the Anakim, whom you know, and of  whom you heard it  said, ‘Who can stand before the descendants of Anak?’ Therefore understand today that the Lord your God is He who goes over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and bring them down before you; so you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the Lord has said to you. ‘Do not think in your heart, after the Lord your God has cast them out before you, saying, Because of my righteousness the Lord has brought me in to possess this land’; but it  is  because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out from before you” (Verses 1-4). I encourage everyone to read this Chapter in its entirety. Why? It is a reminder to us of the grace that Christ’s death has extended to us. Israel sinned,  a lot and God’s first plan of action (everytime) was totally destruction. But Moses would pray, fast, and intercede on behalf of God’s people. Moses, then, is a picture of what Jesus does for us today. We sin, but Christ makes intercession between us and God plest He consumes us. We must be mindful of our sin and how it affects our relationship with God. Then we praise Jesus when we realize He took our sins away.

May27

DAY 146 (2014)

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By faith the seed dies, so the flower can bloom. Each new bud is the realization of the seed of faith. (Picture by Lisa R.)

By faith the seed dies, so the flower can bloom. Each new bud is the realization of the seed of faith.
(Picture by Lisa R.)

I am realizing everyday how fragile life is. How in an instant what was, can be no more. Today I was reminded that life is NOT forever. We tend to forget that as we go through our days, busy and focused on just ourselves. Thinking only of our wants and our needs. Many times the people we say we love take a back seat to our selfish ambitions and desires. Today just a reminder: Don’t take your love ones for granted, don’t put your needs first, falsely believing that you can make up for lost time later, because later will never come. Instead cherish the gifts that you have been given in family, friends, and relationships, now. Water them and let them grow. Laugh with them, cry with them, and grow with them. Build memories so that when they are gone, you will have no regrets. Life is but a moment and if you blink you’ll miss it. Enjoy your life, follow your dreams, but keep those you love always before you and forever at your side. A dream is useless if there is no one there to enjoy it with you.

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that'” (James 4:14).

So what’s my plan? Cherish those around me.

 

May18

DAY 138 (2014)

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Sometimes all it takes is 20 seconds of insane courage.

Sometimes all it takes is 20 seconds of insane courage.

Today during service, I kept hearing this phrase in my mind, “For such a time as this”. The statement comes from the book Esther, when Mordecai, reminds Esther that for this very reason God had brought her to the King’s house. Today as I watch Pastor Doug preach I realized he was created for such a time as this. Five weeks ago our pastor stepped down due to a moral indiscretion (it was painful and devastating, but also a wake up call that sin is ever present). Our church family had lost it’s spiritual dad. We are  in a sense, orphans. Pastor Doug is not only one of our associate pastors, he is also the president of 4Kids of Florida, a church based organization with one goal, “A Home For Every Child”. He has a heart for the orphaned and the fatherless. Doug within the last week was chosen by the church leaders to be our new senior pastor. The man with a heart for the orphaned and fatherless…Starting to see a correlation? This however, is NOT what my post is about today. Today I wanted to ask a simple question: What is YOUR ‘for such a time as this’? We all have one (though we don’t all obey), a call. Many times we miss or ignore our call. Why? Because it requires us to exhibit “20 seconds of insane courage”. It requires us to step out in reckless faith. Let’s be honest, insane courage even just 20 seconds of it is really, really scary. But the reward is GREAT. Esther saved a nation. Pastor Doug helped heal a church. So today I want to encourage all of you who are reading, who have a call. Something you know you should do, but are being held back by fear. Step out… it only requires 20 seconds of courage, and you’ll accomplish your, “such a time as this.”

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).

So what’s the plan? 20 seconds of courage.

May13

DAY 133 (2014)

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Life is like a tree it blooms or dies depending on how you feed it... (벚꽃 -sounds like pop-corn- Chenon S. Korea Picture by Joy Seo.)

Life is like a tree it blooms or dies depending on how you feed it…
(벚꽃 -sounds like pop-corn- Chenon S. Korea Picture by Joy Seo.)

Recently I started returning one by one to past loves. My newest return, running. It was something I use to do with my brother, but when life started to take a toll due to all the changes, I let go of a lot of the things that brought me peace (ironically when I needed them the most). Anyway I have been running or walking (when my mom accompanies me) for the past two weeks and I have discovered that returning to an old love is hard. Running still leaves me feeling invigorated and clear headed, however, it returned with new side effects: foot pain and numbness (I don’t like the side effects). I went to my podiatrist who told me to get proper running shoes. Running shoes. Check. However, the pain and numbness still persisted, albeit in waaaay more comfortable shoes. So I went back to my podiatrist who took pictures of my feet, declared them perfect (his words, not mine), and added “The only other reason you are experiencing foot pain is that you are having back problems”. Turns out I had been having back pain, but the pain was so slight I hadn’t really been paying attention to it. That’s when I decided in order to help my back, I needed to strengthen my core. When your core muscles are strong it helps to balance and strengthen the spine, which in turn gets rid of pain. As I pondered my next step, I had an epiphany: “Strengthen your core, carry your burden.”  In life when our core is weak, we become unable to bear the burdens that come with daily living. As I have been strengthening my physical core, I have taken steps necessary to strengthen my spiritual core as well. Why? Strengthen the core, bear the burden…well.

“He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless” (Isaiah 40:29).

So what’s the plan? Strengthen my core.