Being in an ER daily has its advantages.
I love to learn. I find learning new things is challenging and invigorating. Learning how to assess patients, recognize abnormal signs, ease fears of people and to keep calm in stressful situations. So many patients are excitable and worried. It's part of my job to keep them and their family calm so assessments and treatments can be done in a timely manner.
However....things in an ER setting rarely go as planned. We may get a call that a certain situation is on the way.....and upon arrival things went worse and the situation isn't as it seemed on the phone. So....we adjust the plan of action and take care of the patient accordingly. It's all about what the patient needs at the time. The best course of action for them is essential above all else.
When I first stated at my job I was a housekeeper. I remember watching the ER staff and how well they blended together in hostile and stressful situations. To watch them work as a team was amazing. No competition .......only the patient's needs and well being at the heart of all who participate in the care. I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to make a difference in patients lives. To watch the unity among the staff was encouraging. I remember telling one of the staff that I was so impressed with how well everyone pulls together for the patient. She told me it's like a game plan. Each one knows their role and just does what is necessary for the patient to thrive.
Today....I love my job. I love being with amazing people I can call my family. I love sharing in the care of patients who need us. I love being a part of a unified team of people who care for strangers In a way most wouldn't understand. Yes some days are harder than others. Some days we are drained physically and emotionally. Some days we just need to talk and relate to one another. Some days we just need to vent and hold each other. And some days we just laugh and make memories.
I am thankful to God for this job. I know he walked me right into a place I can call my home away from home. I know he put the desire to help others in my heart at just the right time. I know the
people I meet and work with is no accident. Being part of a great team and the patients I meet is a blessing I will never regret.
Sunday, June 26, 2016
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Frustration
So often our feelings get us in trouble. I tend to be led by them at times. Being led by feelings can be troubsome because they lead us astray. For example......frustration can be a big one for me. It takes a lot to get me frustrated and I feel I am doing better, but when I get frustrated and let that feeling take over my reasoning, it's not so good. I can't communicate properly with my family when I get frustrated. It causes problems for all of us in my house. Everything I want to say comes out wrong....so I just stop talking. And sit and sulk.......which always solves the problem (sense my sarcasm here?) I play a victim. I want my own way. I want not to be frustrated. Dang I sound like a brat......but it's truth. Being led by feelings can hurt those around you.....if you let them take over.
When I was a kid, about 10 or so, my family took a trip to rehoboth beach. My mom has a friend who lives real close so we should stay with her. My dad had an old black pick up truck with a bench seat and a stick shift. So, all 4 of us climbed in to make this trip. My dad drove and I sat beside him. My brother sat beside me on the other side and my mom at the passenger door. She had the best seat. The gear shifter had to be right at my leg. Every now and then when he hit a certain gear it was touching my leg. Top it off with all my baby dolls next to me and my brother and I couldn't be touching each other too long or we would fight. We all were real close in the truck for the long drive. So......being that close and can hardly move for all those hours I was frustrated. I remember singing a lot of Tina turner on the way down that time.....why I have no idea. She has a couple good songs, but not sure why she sticks in my mind. That's beside the point, frustration is the point. Instead of looking at that time as a family event with love and a blessing of being close with my family.....I chose to be frustrated. Frustrated with close quarters......frustrated sitting next to my brother who drove me nuts......frustrated with the gear shifter hitting my leg......frustrated cause my legs were asleep. I was a whiner back then, so I whined about my legs and the closeness, but my parents weren't in the mood for me that day and told me to knock it off. Plus when your dad is next to you and knowing he had to shift to a gear that was going to hit my leg yet again.....I did as I was told and quit.
Looking back I should have been thankful to get away. Thankful I had parents who wanted to go away with us. Thankful we had a reliable truck to get us there. Thankful I could get in the ocean. Thankful the sun and sand was waiting for us to get there. I'm sure once we reached our destination I was fine......and I was a kid.....so it's hard to be grateful when we are kids. We have to learn those things through life. Maybe God used that trip to help teach me how to be thankful instead of frustrated in close quarters. Maybe God used that time so I could have a good and funny memory of my childhood with my family. Maybe God just let me be frustrated so i could think about it today and choose to be a better person because of Him. Maybe it was for me to appreciate my parents and love them for who they are. Maybe it was just because........maybe it's just so I would appreciate my life and all my God has allowed me to do and do for His glory.
Like I said.....I feel I am doing better than I was, although I have a long way to go. I am trying to look at situations in life as opportunities to grow and learn. Looking for ways to be thankful and not frustrated. I'm not anywhere close to where I was and I'm not where I ought to be. I'm in the middle and sometimes being in the middle of there and what's next is a good place to be.
When I was a kid, about 10 or so, my family took a trip to rehoboth beach. My mom has a friend who lives real close so we should stay with her. My dad had an old black pick up truck with a bench seat and a stick shift. So, all 4 of us climbed in to make this trip. My dad drove and I sat beside him. My brother sat beside me on the other side and my mom at the passenger door. She had the best seat. The gear shifter had to be right at my leg. Every now and then when he hit a certain gear it was touching my leg. Top it off with all my baby dolls next to me and my brother and I couldn't be touching each other too long or we would fight. We all were real close in the truck for the long drive. So......being that close and can hardly move for all those hours I was frustrated. I remember singing a lot of Tina turner on the way down that time.....why I have no idea. She has a couple good songs, but not sure why she sticks in my mind. That's beside the point, frustration is the point. Instead of looking at that time as a family event with love and a blessing of being close with my family.....I chose to be frustrated. Frustrated with close quarters......frustrated sitting next to my brother who drove me nuts......frustrated with the gear shifter hitting my leg......frustrated cause my legs were asleep. I was a whiner back then, so I whined about my legs and the closeness, but my parents weren't in the mood for me that day and told me to knock it off. Plus when your dad is next to you and knowing he had to shift to a gear that was going to hit my leg yet again.....I did as I was told and quit.
Looking back I should have been thankful to get away. Thankful I had parents who wanted to go away with us. Thankful we had a reliable truck to get us there. Thankful I could get in the ocean. Thankful the sun and sand was waiting for us to get there. I'm sure once we reached our destination I was fine......and I was a kid.....so it's hard to be grateful when we are kids. We have to learn those things through life. Maybe God used that trip to help teach me how to be thankful instead of frustrated in close quarters. Maybe God used that time so I could have a good and funny memory of my childhood with my family. Maybe God just let me be frustrated so i could think about it today and choose to be a better person because of Him. Maybe it was for me to appreciate my parents and love them for who they are. Maybe it was just because........maybe it's just so I would appreciate my life and all my God has allowed me to do and do for His glory.
Like I said.....I feel I am doing better than I was, although I have a long way to go. I am trying to look at situations in life as opportunities to grow and learn. Looking for ways to be thankful and not frustrated. I'm not anywhere close to where I was and I'm not where I ought to be. I'm in the middle and sometimes being in the middle of there and what's next is a good place to be.
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Stumble
Stumble......to trip or momentarily lose balance; almost fall.
Well....what about that? Stumbling is not the same as falling. Seems to me it's the precursor to actually falling. A week ago I stumbled really good. I was with a new trainee and we were having a teaching moment In a patient room. Next thing you know I "stumble" on apparently what was a bed sheet, then, can't get my balance and keep stumbling until my head was almost in the trash can. My momentum got the best of me and I kind of pulled my back in the process. My trainee just stood there not sure how to respond, but I took the stress from him, and started laughing at myself. Then he joined in. I told him later he will have a good story later in life when he reflects on his first day on the job. I was just glad my family didn't witness it cause they know how dopey I am and would laugh real good. In fact when I told my husband of it he asked...."you mean this was one of your dopey moments"? Haha.....he knows me well. But in all that stumbling I didn't ever fall.
Now....looking at James 3:2a......"we all stumble in many ways." When I read this I thought of my stumbling last week. I also thought of my spiritual stumbling. I read and try to live by the word, but life and circumstances get in the way. This is no excuse, just facts. So....when we stumble as this verse says, we offend God. We fail miserably in doing what's right.....constantly. This does not mean we fall completely.....because when we fall completely I picture hitting the ground hard....like I almost did. Maybe breaking a bone or two. When we fall completely we are down for awhile. At this point some give up. But, We need to recover. Broken bones take time to mend....and if the cast is not set properly, they heal wrong, causing more problems down the road. But if the cast is set properly, they can mend and heal properly.
So how do we fix it? Well....what I would think, is most of us know already what makes us stumble. Sometimes things creep up on us like that sheet did to me. I didn't see it coming. I wasn't prepared. However, when we are aware of the things we stumble with, We can avoid them, or tell a friend about it so they can hold us accountable, and ask God to cleanse us.....
Proper healing is only found in God. According to this verse none of us are exempt from not stumbling. Again, we have a choice.
We can be prepared and pay better attention to our surroundings. Only then we will be able to persevere.
Friday, June 17, 2016
Before
I've moved to a different book now.....and it really makes me think of some things about Jesus I didn't ever think of before.
Like......Jesus was/is God and man all at the same time. This we already knew, but the fact we tend to focus on a lot at Easter is his resurrection and the empty tomb. But listen, we should be even more shocked that he even DIED at all. The fact He was/is God and died a human death is even more compelling.
When I let this sink into my little brain, it is hard to swallow, yet so true.
Being God in the full sense and man at the same time, he didn't ever need to die. He's eternal. He everlasting. He formed the world and all of us. And think about this.....he made people and the ones he made BEFORE he was ever conceived in Mary are now the ones to see him as a baby in his little bed, visit him as a toddler, watch him be a kid while running and playing, watch him work with Joseph in the carpentry shop.....I could go on and on.
These are the people he made and planned to give life to long before creation......and to think they were already born and on the earth, and he formed each of them, before he came out of Mary's womb. He was in the flesh helping his own creation in the flesh. He knew before he came to earth who would accept him....who would get a miracle.....who would listen to his teaching.....who would whip him.....who would condemn him.....who would help nail him to the cross......who would prepare him for burial.....who would stand and guard his tomb. All these things and the people to do them were already figured out before he ever got here. The timeline was set long ago and Gods timing for it all including the people to receive and have a hand in all these events is no accident.
Nothing with our God is ever by chance. I think about different things that happen on earth. We always want reasoning, but we don't always get it. For the person in the car accident.....or the cancer diagnosis.....or the child who gets bullied at school.....or the ER nurse that gets to hold her patient's hand while he takes his last breath. All these things are orchestrated In a perfect sequence or series of events. Ever wonder why you had to wait longer in traffic? Or why you are that nurse and just there at that perfect time to hold the patients hand? We can't wonder too long, or spend tons of time trying to explain it all. Just realize Gods timing is perfect. We are always in the right place at the right time when it comes to His ways. Nothing is ever out of his full control. Nothing is a shock to him or ever surprises him.
Just as Jesus and the events he went through on this earth were never by chance......it's the same for us. We can have such a peaceful life when we realize these things.
Like......Jesus was/is God and man all at the same time. This we already knew, but the fact we tend to focus on a lot at Easter is his resurrection and the empty tomb. But listen, we should be even more shocked that he even DIED at all. The fact He was/is God and died a human death is even more compelling.
When I let this sink into my little brain, it is hard to swallow, yet so true.
Being God in the full sense and man at the same time, he didn't ever need to die. He's eternal. He everlasting. He formed the world and all of us. And think about this.....he made people and the ones he made BEFORE he was ever conceived in Mary are now the ones to see him as a baby in his little bed, visit him as a toddler, watch him be a kid while running and playing, watch him work with Joseph in the carpentry shop.....I could go on and on.
These are the people he made and planned to give life to long before creation......and to think they were already born and on the earth, and he formed each of them, before he came out of Mary's womb. He was in the flesh helping his own creation in the flesh. He knew before he came to earth who would accept him....who would get a miracle.....who would listen to his teaching.....who would whip him.....who would condemn him.....who would help nail him to the cross......who would prepare him for burial.....who would stand and guard his tomb. All these things and the people to do them were already figured out before he ever got here. The timeline was set long ago and Gods timing for it all including the people to receive and have a hand in all these events is no accident.
Nothing with our God is ever by chance. I think about different things that happen on earth. We always want reasoning, but we don't always get it. For the person in the car accident.....or the cancer diagnosis.....or the child who gets bullied at school.....or the ER nurse that gets to hold her patient's hand while he takes his last breath. All these things are orchestrated In a perfect sequence or series of events. Ever wonder why you had to wait longer in traffic? Or why you are that nurse and just there at that perfect time to hold the patients hand? We can't wonder too long, or spend tons of time trying to explain it all. Just realize Gods timing is perfect. We are always in the right place at the right time when it comes to His ways. Nothing is ever out of his full control. Nothing is a shock to him or ever surprises him.
Just as Jesus and the events he went through on this earth were never by chance......it's the same for us. We can have such a peaceful life when we realize these things.
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Ice cream
Got to eat homemade ice cream today! Haha.....it doesn't take much to get me excited.
Yes.... I did enjoy the vanilla ice cream....with homemade peanut butter sauce.....and walnuts. We had a choice between vanilla and peach. I'm not much for peaches (don't tell the hosts that) so vanilla it was.
It's funny how ice cream can bring so many people together. We had a good group from our church come out for the fellowship. The conversations and "catching up" I got to do was well worth the time I spent there. But thinking about how it's all possible because a dear couple decided to open their home and make all the ice cream. That took much more effort than us just showing up. It took Preparation, energy, dedication, work, sweat, strength, diligence.......all these things were needed for the hosts to prepare for so many to visit their home. And I'm pretty sure they didn't have to think twice about inviting everyone to come. Generosity.....there's a big word that I'm too often forgetting. We are called to be generous. Generous with our "things", our time, our skills, our life, I could go on and on. Being generous is about putting others ahead of ourself, which is exactly what happened today with that ice cream and all the prep for it.
This makes me think of Jesus. He was so generous with hisself to anyone who called on him when he walked this earth, in fact he still is today. He pours blessing on us everyday whether you love him or not. Take the sunshine, and I love the sunshine (always helps me feel happy) but that is a blessing. So is the rain, and the moon, and the beautiful mountain or the ocean tides. Also, the forests, animals, sea creatures, and clouds you can stare at and decide if it's a horse or a camel out there. But more than these blessings we can see and feel....Jesus is there......in heaven waiting for us to call on him. Waiting for us to come to him. Waiting to bless us in ways we can't even fathom. This blows my mind. This fact alone that we have a savior who made us, understands us, knows if we love ice cream or not, and never leaves us......is something we should realize. He's generous. He's gracious. He loving. He's forgiving. He's amazing!
Ice cream with peanut butter sauce and Jesus.....don't get any better. Unless you have a piece of cake to go along with it.....😉
Friday, June 10, 2016
Today June 10, 2016
Today I had a treat. Today I got to spend some much needed hours with my mother. We did some errands together......went to lunch and talked forever...... then wrapped up our time at the farmers market. She bought watermelon, cantaloupes, zucchini, donuts......I was the bag holder. Haha. I told her when we got to the market that this one corner of the market smells like my nana and pop pops house used to when I was a kid. Nana ans pop pop were my dads parent whom we spent countless days with every week. Their house was my second home. Anyway....I wanted my mom to smell this area too....so we headed there. This spot of my "smell memory" is from years ago when I was with my husband.
Years ago when my husband delivered ice, I would be his helper in the summer months. We had such great times in that truck together. We would laugh, talk, pick on each other and work all at the same time. I could tell much more stories of those days, but this particular day he and I went to the same market I was at today. No one was there as they are only open Friday's. So when we went to fill that ice box, I could smell the same fragrance of my grandparents home. I can't even describe the scent, but it's just one of those you know triggers a memory or two. A comforting smell of a time in childhood when I was innocent and carefree. A time when I knew I was loved by grandparents in the safety of their home. A time of just being a kid and not having responsibility. Funny how scents can bring all that back. I'm not sure how it all works, but it's an amazing thing.
However.....back to today....the market was full of people and different stands that the "area" I was looking forward to going back in time, didn't smell like that. I bet I looked weird standing there sniffing real big and moving around trying to smell it one more time, but no use. Not today. I didn't mention my disappointment to my mom as we held bags and bags of heavy produce......we just moved on. She would have understood, but I felt it not necessary. So we moved on and carried our bags through the market. Maybe next time I will smell it....or maybe the time I did smell my past is the only time it will happen.....as that is how God sees fit. To smell that all those years ago in the ice delivery truck days. I don't know.
What I do know, is I don't need a certain smell to remember things. What I do need is a faith that endures and a passion to know that what I do remember in this life is all part of the plan. Gods plan. His perfect plan for me to bring him glory and honor......wow. Think about that one.....I'm far, far from perfect, but His plan for my earthly life is perfect for his glory! All for his glory. We all have this reasoning. We all can be appreciative of our Fathers plan for this life. The only reason things happen to us in this life at all, is for His glory......period.
I appreciate my mom so much and I know I don't tell her enough. Spending the day with her was much needed and amazing all at the same time. God is good. :)
Years ago when my husband delivered ice, I would be his helper in the summer months. We had such great times in that truck together. We would laugh, talk, pick on each other and work all at the same time. I could tell much more stories of those days, but this particular day he and I went to the same market I was at today. No one was there as they are only open Friday's. So when we went to fill that ice box, I could smell the same fragrance of my grandparents home. I can't even describe the scent, but it's just one of those you know triggers a memory or two. A comforting smell of a time in childhood when I was innocent and carefree. A time when I knew I was loved by grandparents in the safety of their home. A time of just being a kid and not having responsibility. Funny how scents can bring all that back. I'm not sure how it all works, but it's an amazing thing.
However.....back to today....the market was full of people and different stands that the "area" I was looking forward to going back in time, didn't smell like that. I bet I looked weird standing there sniffing real big and moving around trying to smell it one more time, but no use. Not today. I didn't mention my disappointment to my mom as we held bags and bags of heavy produce......we just moved on. She would have understood, but I felt it not necessary. So we moved on and carried our bags through the market. Maybe next time I will smell it....or maybe the time I did smell my past is the only time it will happen.....as that is how God sees fit. To smell that all those years ago in the ice delivery truck days. I don't know.
What I do know, is I don't need a certain smell to remember things. What I do need is a faith that endures and a passion to know that what I do remember in this life is all part of the plan. Gods plan. His perfect plan for me to bring him glory and honor......wow. Think about that one.....I'm far, far from perfect, but His plan for my earthly life is perfect for his glory! All for his glory. We all have this reasoning. We all can be appreciative of our Fathers plan for this life. The only reason things happen to us in this life at all, is for His glory......period.
I appreciate my mom so much and I know I don't tell her enough. Spending the day with her was much needed and amazing all at the same time. God is good. :)
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Holiness part 2
I finished the book....."The pursuit of Holiness" by Jerry Bridges the other day. I want to give my thoughts on the second half of this awesome book. I read this book in a few days time.....and I intend to read it again. It is jam packed with ways to live a holy life before a holy God.
The author goes over sin a lot in this book. The severity of it....the causes of it.....the way it grieves our God.....etc. He also talks of conviction. Conviction is a belief or opinion that is held firmly. It can also be a means of being proven guilty. I know for myself I feel conviction during my Bible study time. When God reveals something to me through His word that I'm not doing, I feel guilty. I know I need to be doing it, and feel bad because I've been disobedient. For us to be holy, we must first acknowledge our sin through conviction. God wants obedience from His children. He wants us to obey his word because we love Him and respect him that much.
1 John 5:3 says " this is love for God: to obey His commands. And his commands are not burdensome." I'll say that again.... We obey because we love Him and his commands aren't hard for us to obey because we want to please Him.
Temptation in itself is not sin.....however when we give in to it....it is now full blown sin. The author of this book explains that years ago we would call some things sin, but today we call them habits. This is scary to me in that we tend to sugar coat sin and the severity of it and claim we just have a bad habit or two that need dealt with. I am guilty of this. I want my cake and I want to eat it too......but true obedience to God means we can't have it both ways. We can't have a holy life if we "ride the fence" and want the best of it all without sacrificing anything. The author states "every time we say yes to temptation, we make it harder to say no the next time". Wow......this is a powerful set of words and truth. How many times do we say...."just once more and I'll stop".....too many. We've become accustomed to getting what we want when we want it. We need commitment to say "no" to the things that take us into disobedience. We need God......all there is to it. We need discipline to break the
habits. This is hard work. Our natural state wants to satisfy the flesh with sin.
So we need to regularly get into Gods word so we can ward off temptation before it becomes sin patterns or habits we can't seem to get out of. Ways we can get Gods word into our life?
Reading it
Studying it
Hearing it through true Bible preaching/teaching
Memorizing it
All these ways are beneficial to us being holy.
The author talks also of perseverance......and how as believers we will fail and fall, but true discipline in God and His holiness lead us as sinners to recognize that we can persevere despite the sin and habits we have.
The author states this...."the person who is disciplining himself toward holiness falls many times, but he doesn't quit. After each failure he gets up and continues the struggle. Not so with the unrighteous.
He stumbles in his sin and gives up. He has no power to overcome because he does not have the Spirit of God at work in him"
These lines made me think. Do I persevere? Do I fall and get up, dust my self off and keep going? I tend to think I do, but sometimes I don't. Sometimes I want to pity myself and give up. Then I think of the lasting effects of giving up and snap out of it. Get back to reality so to speak. We have a God who understands our struggles in this life And is there when we call on him. He is there waiting for us to return to him and keep going for his name sake. To love him more than our sin.....to love him more than this world......to love him more than self.
Just as we say "yes" to temptations and the easier it is to say "yes" the next time around, the same is true if we resist and say "no". The more we say "no", the easier it will get to say "no" the next time. Staying in the word and hiding it in our hearts is a way to ward off temptations.
Our faith is what keeps us going toward a holy life. The author tells us that "faith and holiness are
inextricably linked. Obeying the commands of God usually involves believing the promises of God".
Where do we find the promises of God? In His word. Just another reason we need to be spending
time with him in his book. We need to meditate on the teaching and words of the Bible to keep holy. We keep our minds clean when we have the word imbetted in there. This is why it's so important to read things that will increase our faith and understanding of our God. There is a lot of false teachings out there and we have to be careful what we listen to, and what we spend our time reading. IT is so vital to our christian life to be careful what we fill our mind with.
We can have pure joy in our fellowship with our God. The choice is ours.
The author goes over sin a lot in this book. The severity of it....the causes of it.....the way it grieves our God.....etc. He also talks of conviction. Conviction is a belief or opinion that is held firmly. It can also be a means of being proven guilty. I know for myself I feel conviction during my Bible study time. When God reveals something to me through His word that I'm not doing, I feel guilty. I know I need to be doing it, and feel bad because I've been disobedient. For us to be holy, we must first acknowledge our sin through conviction. God wants obedience from His children. He wants us to obey his word because we love Him and respect him that much.
1 John 5:3 says " this is love for God: to obey His commands. And his commands are not burdensome." I'll say that again.... We obey because we love Him and his commands aren't hard for us to obey because we want to please Him.
Temptation in itself is not sin.....however when we give in to it....it is now full blown sin. The author of this book explains that years ago we would call some things sin, but today we call them habits. This is scary to me in that we tend to sugar coat sin and the severity of it and claim we just have a bad habit or two that need dealt with. I am guilty of this. I want my cake and I want to eat it too......but true obedience to God means we can't have it both ways. We can't have a holy life if we "ride the fence" and want the best of it all without sacrificing anything. The author states "every time we say yes to temptation, we make it harder to say no the next time". Wow......this is a powerful set of words and truth. How many times do we say...."just once more and I'll stop".....too many. We've become accustomed to getting what we want when we want it. We need commitment to say "no" to the things that take us into disobedience. We need God......all there is to it. We need discipline to break the
habits. This is hard work. Our natural state wants to satisfy the flesh with sin.
So we need to regularly get into Gods word so we can ward off temptation before it becomes sin patterns or habits we can't seem to get out of. Ways we can get Gods word into our life?
Reading it
Studying it
Hearing it through true Bible preaching/teaching
Memorizing it
All these ways are beneficial to us being holy.
The author talks also of perseverance......and how as believers we will fail and fall, but true discipline in God and His holiness lead us as sinners to recognize that we can persevere despite the sin and habits we have.
The author states this...."the person who is disciplining himself toward holiness falls many times, but he doesn't quit. After each failure he gets up and continues the struggle. Not so with the unrighteous.
He stumbles in his sin and gives up. He has no power to overcome because he does not have the Spirit of God at work in him"
These lines made me think. Do I persevere? Do I fall and get up, dust my self off and keep going? I tend to think I do, but sometimes I don't. Sometimes I want to pity myself and give up. Then I think of the lasting effects of giving up and snap out of it. Get back to reality so to speak. We have a God who understands our struggles in this life And is there when we call on him. He is there waiting for us to return to him and keep going for his name sake. To love him more than our sin.....to love him more than this world......to love him more than self.
Just as we say "yes" to temptations and the easier it is to say "yes" the next time around, the same is true if we resist and say "no". The more we say "no", the easier it will get to say "no" the next time. Staying in the word and hiding it in our hearts is a way to ward off temptations.
Our faith is what keeps us going toward a holy life. The author tells us that "faith and holiness are
inextricably linked. Obeying the commands of God usually involves believing the promises of God".
Where do we find the promises of God? In His word. Just another reason we need to be spending
time with him in his book. We need to meditate on the teaching and words of the Bible to keep holy. We keep our minds clean when we have the word imbetted in there. This is why it's so important to read things that will increase our faith and understanding of our God. There is a lot of false teachings out there and we have to be careful what we listen to, and what we spend our time reading. IT is so vital to our christian life to be careful what we fill our mind with.
We can have pure joy in our fellowship with our God. The choice is ours.
Monday, June 6, 2016
struggles
While reading and studying this morning I came across this verse.....
Romans 13:14.....Rather, clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
So....this verse got me thinking. Once we come to Jesus our sins are forgiven, but the daily struggle within us is still there. And some things are even harder to struggle with because we now want to please our God and want the old desire also. We shouldn't settle for giving in, but lots of times we do. I know I do.
You know what else? This verse tells us NOT to think about how to satisfy our sinful nature. So....even back in Bible times when God inspired this verse to be written, they struggled with the same exact things we do today. Many say the Bible isn't relevant for today, but that is a lie. It's very relevant today just as it was originally.
We all have a natural bent to sin. To live within the limits of pleasure and want to fulfill that pleasure. Even though we now know Jesus, that desire for pleasure and self is still there....but we now have a way to fight against it with the Holy Spirit and the word of God. We now have a choice to do the right thing and not think about fulfilling our desires. Before we knew Jesus we would give in to every desire without thinking twice.
Back before I knew Jesus I struggled with alcohol. I enjoyed it very much and would drink to be drunk any chance I got. I was very under age. I lied, cheated, and made provisions to get my alcohol any way I could. I had a boyfriend over 21 who would buy it for me. I had friends who would get it for me. I loved the escape from reality and how it made me feel. I was the life of every party I went to. People enjoyed my company when I was In that state. It wasn't only the fantasy, but the acceptance of others that kept me in that dark place so long.
I look back on those days and wonder how I am even still alive today, but God kept me safe through my disobedience. I look back on those days and want to cry. The shame I feel for hurting my God is unbearable at times.
As a result of this experience in my life, I don't drink at all. I don't know what the taste would do to me or if it would stir up all the emotions of a life I used to have. I do not feel I have "overcome" this, but make provisions not to engage in it. I do not have a problem with others who choose to drink around me and I don't feel as though I'm missing out on anything. It's just I know where I came from and choosing that path is one I don't need to go down again. We all have convictions in this life and what each of us choose to live by is our own choice.
So as this verse tells us.....we should always pray and not plan or think about ways to gratify our sinful nature. But you know what? We will.....we will plan and slip and fall in our mess of this life. We will choose and our desire will take over our reason. We will sin against God as a result. But by knowing this verse and hiding it in our hearts we can remember and be better at overcoming what entangles us. Thank you God you give second chances .....and third chances and .....forth chances.........thank you that you can help us.
Romans 13:14.....Rather, clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
So....this verse got me thinking. Once we come to Jesus our sins are forgiven, but the daily struggle within us is still there. And some things are even harder to struggle with because we now want to please our God and want the old desire also. We shouldn't settle for giving in, but lots of times we do. I know I do.
You know what else? This verse tells us NOT to think about how to satisfy our sinful nature. So....even back in Bible times when God inspired this verse to be written, they struggled with the same exact things we do today. Many say the Bible isn't relevant for today, but that is a lie. It's very relevant today just as it was originally.
We all have a natural bent to sin. To live within the limits of pleasure and want to fulfill that pleasure. Even though we now know Jesus, that desire for pleasure and self is still there....but we now have a way to fight against it with the Holy Spirit and the word of God. We now have a choice to do the right thing and not think about fulfilling our desires. Before we knew Jesus we would give in to every desire without thinking twice.
Back before I knew Jesus I struggled with alcohol. I enjoyed it very much and would drink to be drunk any chance I got. I was very under age. I lied, cheated, and made provisions to get my alcohol any way I could. I had a boyfriend over 21 who would buy it for me. I had friends who would get it for me. I loved the escape from reality and how it made me feel. I was the life of every party I went to. People enjoyed my company when I was In that state. It wasn't only the fantasy, but the acceptance of others that kept me in that dark place so long.
I look back on those days and wonder how I am even still alive today, but God kept me safe through my disobedience. I look back on those days and want to cry. The shame I feel for hurting my God is unbearable at times.
As a result of this experience in my life, I don't drink at all. I don't know what the taste would do to me or if it would stir up all the emotions of a life I used to have. I do not feel I have "overcome" this, but make provisions not to engage in it. I do not have a problem with others who choose to drink around me and I don't feel as though I'm missing out on anything. It's just I know where I came from and choosing that path is one I don't need to go down again. We all have convictions in this life and what each of us choose to live by is our own choice.
So as this verse tells us.....we should always pray and not plan or think about ways to gratify our sinful nature. But you know what? We will.....we will plan and slip and fall in our mess of this life. We will choose and our desire will take over our reason. We will sin against God as a result. But by knowing this verse and hiding it in our hearts we can remember and be better at overcoming what entangles us. Thank you God you give second chances .....and third chances and .....forth chances.........thank you that you can help us.
Friday, June 3, 2016
Holiness Part 1
So I was at another sale yesterday and picked up a book called "the Pursiut of Holiness" by Jerry Bridges. I've got a real problem when it comes to books.....particularly cheap ones. Anyway, I got this and began reading it on the way home in the van as my husband drove.
I've made it about half way through the book. The theme is holiness and how we as Christians slack in doing our part to be holy.
All over the Bible we are commanded things by God......
Love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, strength.
Obey his commands.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Be holy because He is holy.
What is holiness? Well....from what I gather is to be "set apart". We are to be set apart from the world in how we live, act, speak, etc. We aren't to be conformed to the likeness or image of our surroundings if we are to be holy, as God is holy. According to the author of this book, "to be holy is to be morally blameless". It is to be separated from the ways of this world and living in a way that lines up with the Bible only. God himself is holy and because he is holy we need to be as well.
The reason we as Christians have a hard time living holy is because we are concerned with sin being focused on self instead of God. What I mean is we tend to look at our sins as not only separating us from God, but we want victory over them. Victory over a sin is making the sin struggle about us and not about obedience to God. When we become more concerned about victory over our sin and not about how God is grieved when we sin, that's where the problem lies. We get prideful and again make our life, including our sin patterns, about us and not about how we are hurting our God. This doesn't
mean we can't have victory over our sin, but it does mean we have to learn to be obedient to God
despite our sin nature. Choosing obedience is a daily choice we have to make. We have to acknowledge our sin and realize we are still sinners and will continue to sin until we are in eternity with our savior.
We tend to look at sin in terms of "big or small"....prison time for it or not...or.....little white lies don't hurt anyone. Thing is our sin when God sees it is offensive and there are no "degrees" of sin to him. It's all the same. He cannot and will not overlook sin in our life. To be holy is to realize we sin and to realize also we cannot ever become holy without our God. We cannot take care of our sin problem on our own. We cannot serve a holy God or live Him properly with sin in the way. He doesn't tempt us.
Once we come to Christ, the Bible tells us, the old has gone and the new has come. This means the old nature we have to sin and enjoy it and live in it, is gone. Our new nature in Jesus is taking over our life through the Holy Spirit. This does not mean we will never sin again, it means we
acknowledge we are sinners in need of restoration and repentance of the sin that separates us from
our father. We are no longer known by our sinful lifestyle, but our new life in Jesus. However, this sinful nature we were all born with never goes away.....it's just not powerful in our life as it used to be. So......Ive read before and shared before that we all have that one sin we just can't seem to get away from or have victory over. We all struggle with sin in general, but that one this just keeps coming back over and over. We are not tempered by God.....we are tempted by our own flesh. And at that moment we have a choice. To follow our temptation and give in to the sin, or to fight and say "no". Back when I was a kid that was a big slogan in the 1980s for drug use......"just say no". We got told this so often in school that I'm sure it's imbetted in every 40+ year old still today. But this applies to any temptation we get hammered with. We have a choice and we sin because we want to. No ifs, and, or buts about it....we sin because we choose to.
The author of this book has a great point....."indwelling sin works largely through our desires". Meaning our desires stem from our deceitful hearts. Our hearts get us into trouble more times than
they should, but we allow them. I know I am constantly doing things I don't want to do. My heart
takes over and I mess up and fall.
Another great point by the author...."the next time you face one of your typical temptations, watch for the struggle between your desire and your reason. If you give in to temptations, it will be because desire has overcome reason in the struggle to influence your will."
We need to pray for holiness......be obedient to God......ask Him for help......confess and repent when we fall into our temptations if we choose to let them have their way. This does not mean we can do what we want when we want to. Obedience is key. We can't know what's expected of us if we never open His word. Jesus came and won so we Can be made right with a holy God.
I'm only half way though this little book, but it's jam packed with great wisdom. I'll continue with the rest of it as I keep reading.
One thing to add in.....I am comforted to know I am not alone in how sin affects me or how it doesn't
have to control me. The author and Gods word makes it clear that none of us are exempt from temptations or have an excuse not to live a holy life.
I've made it about half way through the book. The theme is holiness and how we as Christians slack in doing our part to be holy.
All over the Bible we are commanded things by God......
Love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, strength.
Obey his commands.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Be holy because He is holy.
What is holiness? Well....from what I gather is to be "set apart". We are to be set apart from the world in how we live, act, speak, etc. We aren't to be conformed to the likeness or image of our surroundings if we are to be holy, as God is holy. According to the author of this book, "to be holy is to be morally blameless". It is to be separated from the ways of this world and living in a way that lines up with the Bible only. God himself is holy and because he is holy we need to be as well.
The reason we as Christians have a hard time living holy is because we are concerned with sin being focused on self instead of God. What I mean is we tend to look at our sins as not only separating us from God, but we want victory over them. Victory over a sin is making the sin struggle about us and not about obedience to God. When we become more concerned about victory over our sin and not about how God is grieved when we sin, that's where the problem lies. We get prideful and again make our life, including our sin patterns, about us and not about how we are hurting our God. This doesn't
mean we can't have victory over our sin, but it does mean we have to learn to be obedient to God
despite our sin nature. Choosing obedience is a daily choice we have to make. We have to acknowledge our sin and realize we are still sinners and will continue to sin until we are in eternity with our savior.
We tend to look at sin in terms of "big or small"....prison time for it or not...or.....little white lies don't hurt anyone. Thing is our sin when God sees it is offensive and there are no "degrees" of sin to him. It's all the same. He cannot and will not overlook sin in our life. To be holy is to realize we sin and to realize also we cannot ever become holy without our God. We cannot take care of our sin problem on our own. We cannot serve a holy God or live Him properly with sin in the way. He doesn't tempt us.
Once we come to Christ, the Bible tells us, the old has gone and the new has come. This means the old nature we have to sin and enjoy it and live in it, is gone. Our new nature in Jesus is taking over our life through the Holy Spirit. This does not mean we will never sin again, it means we
acknowledge we are sinners in need of restoration and repentance of the sin that separates us from
our father. We are no longer known by our sinful lifestyle, but our new life in Jesus. However, this sinful nature we were all born with never goes away.....it's just not powerful in our life as it used to be. So......Ive read before and shared before that we all have that one sin we just can't seem to get away from or have victory over. We all struggle with sin in general, but that one this just keeps coming back over and over. We are not tempered by God.....we are tempted by our own flesh. And at that moment we have a choice. To follow our temptation and give in to the sin, or to fight and say "no". Back when I was a kid that was a big slogan in the 1980s for drug use......"just say no". We got told this so often in school that I'm sure it's imbetted in every 40+ year old still today. But this applies to any temptation we get hammered with. We have a choice and we sin because we want to. No ifs, and, or buts about it....we sin because we choose to.
The author of this book has a great point....."indwelling sin works largely through our desires". Meaning our desires stem from our deceitful hearts. Our hearts get us into trouble more times than
they should, but we allow them. I know I am constantly doing things I don't want to do. My heart
takes over and I mess up and fall.
Another great point by the author...."the next time you face one of your typical temptations, watch for the struggle between your desire and your reason. If you give in to temptations, it will be because desire has overcome reason in the struggle to influence your will."
We need to pray for holiness......be obedient to God......ask Him for help......confess and repent when we fall into our temptations if we choose to let them have their way. This does not mean we can do what we want when we want to. Obedience is key. We can't know what's expected of us if we never open His word. Jesus came and won so we Can be made right with a holy God.
I'm only half way though this little book, but it's jam packed with great wisdom. I'll continue with the rest of it as I keep reading.
One thing to add in.....I am comforted to know I am not alone in how sin affects me or how it doesn't
have to control me. The author and Gods word makes it clear that none of us are exempt from temptations or have an excuse not to live a holy life.
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