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| 1 Kings 19:11-12 He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before th LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. |
| Sunday, March 3, 2002 |
| My Two Cents: |
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| Monday, April 15, 2002 |
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| Romans 8:38-9:3 For I am convined that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor power, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. I am speaking the truth in Christ---I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit---I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. |
| These days there are many ways to communicate with others. Because of cellular phones and pagers we can contact practically anyone, anywhere during anytime of the day. With the use of radios, TVs, books, newspapers, magazines, e-mail, and the internet we can also learn about anything we'd like to. Even communicating to others in different languages seems not to be of much difficulty anymore because of the availability of education (to learn other languages) and of interpreters. Within the realms of modern history we have also become able to communicate with people outside of this earth (i.e. astronauts in space). It seems that almost nothing is impossible these days when it comes to communicating words, information, or ideas to others around the globe or outside of it. One would think that with an endless worth of knowledge to be gained through such communications, we should be lacking in nothing along those lines. In other words, one may think that all of our "wants" and "needs" for knowledge and interaction should be fulfilled through these means. However, although I find all these forms of communication, all these forms of sharing and gaining knowledge wonderful, I feel that they are lacking one very important thing. See...each form of human communication involves some sort of interaction or "noise" (i.e. speaking, typing, etc.). Although many of the day to day communications we have with people would not be possible without such "noise", what if this "noise" actually distracts us from recognizing something greater? What if there is something significant to be found in pure silence?? Although many may preceive silence as merely empty, there is much to be discovered in its realms. In 1 Kings 19, the prohet Elijah travels for forty days and forty nights to mount Horeb (also know as mount Sinai) because he has become worried for his life. He fears that the Israelites are seeking to kill him because he has told them they have forsaken their covenant with God. Once there, God tells Elijah to stand on the mountain because He will pass by. While on the mountain a strong wind passes by him, yet God was not within the wind. A great earthquake and fire also occur yet God was not within either of them. It was only after all these things, when there was "sheer silence", that God spoke to Elijah. Only after all of the "noise" (i.e. the wind, earthquake, and fire) could God be found. Too often it is the case that we become so involved with all the "noise" in our lives that we don't find the time to stop and listen to the silence which surrounds us. When we take a moment to separate ourselves from our busy schedules, we will discover thar there is indeed much to be gained from what silence has to offer. Silence can be relaxing, healing, spiritual, and rejuvenating. Silence also allows for us to become more attuned to what God wishes to say to us. It is important that we take a few moments throughout each day to listen to the silence; to listen to what God wants us to hear. If we don't make time for silence in our lives we are missing out on something very important, very valuable, and very meaningful. So whether you're walking down the street, stuck in a traffic jam, in the shower, or just sitting around your house, try to block out the surround "noise" and listen to the silence; listen to what God is saying to you for that day. You won't be disappointed.... |
| My Two Cents: |
| How many times in your life have other people let you down? hurt you? betrayed you? lied to you? abandoned you? I have yet to meet someone who has claimed their life to be exempt from this sort of pain. Personally, I have experienced all of the above in my life I always try to look for the best within everyone...I like to think that they wouldn't be capable of doing such a thing to me or others, but no one is perfect. That is...no one except for God. God's love is forever. He will never hurt you, betray you, lie to you, and he will never abandon you. Nothing in this world, not even our own pains, can separate us from God's love for us. His love seaps into the cracks of your life and makes you whole again. His love guides us through difficult times and illumines the full joy of the good times in our lives as well. You are precious in God's sight and he loves you despite your faults. In fact, God loves you so much that he sent Jesus Christ, his only son, to carry the burden of your sins all the way to the grave. We were given new life through Christ's death on the cross. God will help us with everything throughout our lives...all we have to do is open our hearts to him. He already loves us, he's loved us since before we were even born. God's invitation is always open for you to start the best relationship of your life...one with God. A relationship that will forever change your life in the best of ways. God is waiting...but He is indeed patient. |
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| Sunday, April 21, 2002 |
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| Proverbs 19:21 "The human heart may devise many plans but it is the purpose of the LORD that will be established." |
| My Two Cents: |
| We all have things we'd like to do or accomplish in life. But as we all know, things don't always happen according to our plans. Perhaps you had planned to go to college but things just didn't quite work out, or maybe you had wanted to go into a certain profession and ended up doing something completely different. Perhaps it's something simpler, such as wanting to run some errands throughout the day and never actually getting around to doing them. No matter what the circumstances, when things don't go according to our plans we're usually not too happy about it. We like to feel as if we have control over what happens in our lives. We don't want to feel vulnerable by realizing we really do not have control over our lives at any given point in time. However, God is the one who is truly in control of our lives and God wants only the best for us. His plans for our lives far surpass anything we could dream of on our own. And when things don't seem to go according to our own plans, it's okay. It's when we're clueless of what to do, when things just don't go according to our own plans, that God steps in and lights the way for us; showing us the best plans for our life. Another verse which comes to mind is 2 Corinthians 5:7 "for we walk by faith not by sight". This verse, as well as Proverbs 19:21, has definitely rung true throughout my entrie life. When I follow God's plan for my life I may not always know what exactly it is he wants for me to do, but when I continue through each day, having faith in him, I find that God places me in some of the most amazing situations I could ever have imagined. Whenever I take the time to discern God's will for my life and follow him down that path, it's been an incredible, life-changing experience that I will never forget. God blesses us in such unexpected ways when we listen to what he's calling us to do in our own lives and decide to follow him. No matter what God has in store for your life, he will not let you down and by following his plan for your life rather than your own, you will never cease to be amazed at what life has to offer you. Just keep your heart always open to what God wants for you. |
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