The Miracle of the Cell Phone

I think it was 1994 when I got my first cell phone (I am 35). I thought I was so cool and “cutting edge”. Who would have ever thought it would be possible to be driving down the road and talking on the phone at the same time? I mean I had seen it on the Jetsons, but I never thought it would be a reality for the average person in my lifetime. The phone itself was about the size of a large brick and weighed about as much too. The antenna was about a foot long and the size of one of those ‘fat’ pencils we used in 1st grade. If you turned your head while you were on the phone, you were in danger of seriously injuring anyone within close proximity of you. I remember thinking that 30 free minutes was an awesome benefit, because I couldn’t afford to pay the $4 per minute charge if I went over.

Today, it would be hard to find someone with a cell phone like my old one. Cell phones are now about the size of a credit card and everyone from age 12 to 112 has one. Today’s cell phones can play any music you like, you can play video games on them, and some of them even play movies! The days of huge phones and 30 free minutes are long gone (thankfully). The truth is, cell phones are not a wonder to us anymore--they have become common. Why is it that things we once regarded as marvelous become ordinary over time?

I think that as people become more ‘enlightened’, we tend to lessen the role that God plays in our everyday lives. For instance, in elementary school we learn what the sun is made of and how it works. Because we have so much knowledge of the sun, we forget that every sunrise is a miracle of God. We know what causes a rainbow, we even know what colors make up that rainbow (anyone remember ROYGBIV? -red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet), but over the course of time we have seen so many rainbows we fail to remember that they are a symbol God’s promise to never flood the earth again. With all the medical advances we have today, when a person is healed of a disease, that healing is often seen as something performed by modern medicine and not God’s miracle. In other words, the ‘smarter’ we become, the less we give God credit for the miracles we see on a daily basis. The sunrise that you saw this morning is no less of a miracle than the first sunrise. God shows Himself in our lives everyday and we take it for granted. God is alive and working His miracles throughout time and space. It’s time we sat up and took notice.

Details

Lately I have been feeling very restless (for lack of a better word). I know the Lord has a 'project' for me, but I am frustrated because I dont know what it is that I am supposed to be doing. I have a gut feeling, but it seems like such a huge task. Even though I know nothing is to difficult for God, I still have those nagging little doubts. Along with those doubts, I have satan telling me that I am not good, smart, pretty, talented enough to do it. Dang that satan!

Anyway, I have been pouring out my heart to God. I feel kind of like Moses when God asked him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. Instead of saying "God, I stutter and the people wont listen to me" - I am saying, "God, I dont have enough knowledge and the people wont listen to me" (thankfully I dont stutter too).

I find that sometimes I am so vague with God - He knows my needs and desires, but I tend to withhold what I am truly thinking because of that. Sometimes I feel that He already knows what I want and need, so why bother Him with the details. Yesterday, He made it clear to me that it is not the devil that is in the details (as the old saying goes), but it is God who is concerned with details. As I prayed in generalizations, He spoke to my spirit saying, "Have you even read the Old Testament, do you know about the temple and how detailed I ordered it to be? ". It really woke me up to the fact that I am limiting God by saying I am not able. HE IS ABLE! Not only is He able to do more than I could have ever imagined, He would love to do miracles in my life. After all, if I were capable, wouldnt I love to work miracles in the lives of my children? (BTW, I know that I am totally incapable of miracles apart from Him).

If the God of the universe gave such explicit instructions for the Israelites in how to build the temple, why is it so hard to believe that He is concerned with the specific details of my life? And if God is leading me in a certain direction, why would He withhold the power for me to carry that 'project' out in His name and for His glory? He wouldn't. I was made for Him - made to bring Him glory. Why would He keep me from doing what He made me to do? He wouldn't. It is a difficult concept for me to grasp, but a truth that I need to grab hold of and run with. God is concerned with the details of my little seemingly insignificant life and He wants to do great and mighty things through me for His glory.

Lord, help me surrender to you in everything. Help me to speak specifically to you in prayer. Help me to realize that I have no power on my own, that my power lies in you, and that you are ALL-POWERFUL.

The Best for Last

Have you ever really thought about the fact that satan gives his best first, but everyday with Jesus gets better and better until we get the best - Jesus and heaven. This is why we need to be hungry for the Word of God and keep our mind fixed on the things of God. Our human nature desires immediate gratification. It is innate in us to want what we want and want it NOW. If our eyes are not fixed on Jesus we are in danger of falling right in to satan's trap and being lured into doing things that make us 'feel good' now. Those of us who think we are immune to satan's ploys are completely deceived. Not one of us is incapable of adultery, gossip, lies, thievery, addiction, over-spending, etc. etc. How many times have you said of someone, "I never thought he/she was capable of doing something like that"? The most righteous man/woman on earth is still human and can be drawn into sin.

This is why it is so important for us to stay in the Word. John 1:1 says "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word WAS God". This tells us that we cannot seperate the Word of God from the Son of God - THEY ARE ONE. When we spend time studying God's Word, we are truly spending time with God Himself. Do we really believe that? I think not. If we truly believed it, then you couldn't pry our Bibles out of our hands, because don't we all desire to be in the presence of our precious God?

Home Sweet Home

Several months ago, our Sunday School class was studying the book of Philippians. We read Philippians 3:20 which says, "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ". My Sunday School teacher went on to give an illustration that really hit home to me. It went something like this:

When we are in a foreign country, we have to be careful not to drink the water, because it isnt consistent with the water we drink in our homeland. If we go to Mexico and drink tap water, we will more than likely get sick from drinking it. Since our citizenship is in heaven, here on earth, we need to be careful not to partake of things that are not consistent with what is done in our homeland. If people in our homeland (heaven) arent doing ___________(you fill in the blank), then we shouldnt be doing _________________(fill in the blank again) either.

To stay consistent with what the people in our homeland are doing is a pretty lofty goal, but it is one we should all try our best to achieve. I guess the best way to describe it is that we need to try to be holy and live holy lives everyday. Leviticus 19:2b says, ".......Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy."

Romans 12:1 says "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." That verse tells us that it is our reasonable service to present ourselves to God as a holy scarifice. So, in other words, it is the least we can do considering what Jesus did for us on the cross.

Lord, help me be holy because you are. Help me to live like a citizen of heaven and not like a citizen of this earth.

Well, Shut My Mouth!

I have never been a KJV only person. There is nothing wrong with being a KJV only girl, but I like to check out different translations to help me understand what God is saying through His Word. This morning I was reading in Exodus about the Israelites escaping Egypt and how God parted the sea for them. I could write a book (and I might) about the Old Testament and how the Israelites were so stubborn when God had proven Himself to be the True God so many times. Remind you of anyone? Anyway, I read Exodus14:14 in the NIV and decided to look it up in The Message. Here is how the Message says it:

"God will fight the battle for you.
And you? You keep your mouths shut!"

I love it!!!! What a great lesson for me today (and everyday). I need to let God fight my battles (it's not like I could really fight them myself anyway) and just keep my mouth shut. When someone is unkind to me, I need to let God fight that battle and keep my mouth shut. When someone gossips about me, I need to keep my mouth shut.

Lord, help me to let you do the fighting and keep my mouth shut.

Jesus Is Lord

I am new to having my own blog, but I have been blogging about current events for some time on the Jesus is Lord Site.

Here is the address www.worshippingchristian.org

Check it out and add it to your favorites!

Back Home

We spent this weekend at a huge cabin in Gatlinburg, TN with my father and sisters (and my sister's kids). We had a great weekend of shopping, riding go-karts, eating, playing cards and games, and playing pool. We had a great time just being together.

This morning, we stopped at a pancake house to eat breakfast before we all went our seperate ways. My boys (ages 3 & 6) were sitting beside me when a couple came in and sat behind us. These people had a obvious physical impairment (both of them). My boys kept staring and my 3 year old even asked a pretty loud question about why these people were made that way. After being completely embarrassed by his honest question, I told them both to stop staring and we would discuss it in the car. Later when we were talking about why some people have physical deformities, I told the boys that God made these people exactly how He wants them to be and they are beautiful in His sight. I told them that even though we might see them as imperfect, God sees them as His perfect creation.

That conversation made me clearly see (yet again) how my attitude toward people, life, and God helps shape my children's outlook on life. If I had said something flippant or critical of those people, my kids would be quick to make fun of those who are "different" (I am careful not to say things that my kids would mistake as making fun of others). They are like little "mocking birds" - whatever I say and do, they will also do. If I am critical of others and cynical, they will be the same. When I show love, encouragement, respect, and mercy toward others, they will too. I pray that I remember this in everything I do.

God, parenting is such a huge responsibility. Make me remember that all little eyes are on me at all times. Help me to be Jesus to my kids and everyone around me. Let me show love in all things so that my boys will show love in all things.