Giving God Your Best

I gained encouragement today listening to a couple of recordings from Focus on the Family. I was reminded to continue to just be faithful, even when I feel tired or inadequate. I was also reminded that we just need to offer our best to God, and He can use it; in the same way that he was able to use the lunch of 5 loaves and 2 fish to feed the 5,000. Our seemingly insignificant lunch offering, in God's Hands, can become a miracle. God can use us and what we offer to Him, above and beyond what we can ever ask or imagine. I'm going to trust that He will use all that I offer to Him. I'm going to trust that He will cause all things to work together for good. I'm going to trust that He is at work in the challenges of my life; and that through all this, I will just become more and more like Him. It's interesting, but, for my Sunday class lesson, on King Solomon building the temple, the same reminder to offer our best to God is in there too; for in building the temple, King Solomon used the very best material. I will do all I can to offer God my best; and trust that He will use it. Amen, So Be It!

Renaissance Faire

I was at the Renaissance Faire this weekend. I've always found it interesting to be transported into a different time period and culture; and, I have often enjoyed reading stories and watching movies set in the 14th-17th centuries. Yet, I had an interesting conversation yesterday, that despite the Renaissance period being one that was integrated with God and Church, our society's re-enactment of that period at the Faire more often focuses on the bawdiness, courseness, and less moral aspects of that period, such as those of the pirates, wenches, etc. And, then there are unfortunately, the representative groups of Puritans portraying religion in a negative light. Nevertheless, it is still a fun experience in other ways. I especially like the costumes of the nobility. And my favorite part of the Faire is to watch the Knights and the jousting. The Hanlon-Lees Jousting Knights and Steeds do put on a good show. That time period is a reminder of the value of honor and chivalry. There is something very romantic about valiant knights in shining armor riding on powerful steeds and how gentlemen treated ladies. However, in many ways, looking in our society today, we have unfortunately lost our regard for honor, integrity, character, and chivalry. Yet, that would mean that when these characteristics are exhibited, I would regard them as rare and precious.

Sadness

Sometimes, I get hit with this encompassing feeling of sadness. It's usually a combination of feeling alone and facing the burdens and responsibilities of life. Yet, I should know that I am never alone. The LORD my God is always with me. He is faithful; and has never left me nor forsaken me. And, my burdens and responsibilities seem to be working out okay. However, part of me wants to just crawl into the comfort and warmth of my bed and "hide away". For the most part, I feel unmotivated; and it takes all that is in me to face my daily tasks and work. There is still so much, hanging overhead, that I still need to take care of; yet, I keep putting it off because I don't feel like I have the energy to deal with it. Still, I am grateful for all that God has blessed me with. I recognize that as long as I am in this world, there will always be trials and difficulties to face. May God give me the strength to endure and to overcome. Amen!

Challenges

I do feel challenged. I received a letter from the HOA, a first violation notice for something my renters had put in. I never liked being a landlord; and to me, it's a stretch to have to deal with situations like this. However, I am grateful that my current situation is far better than my previous one. I spent some time yesterday in prayer, thanking God for the trials that come my way. I was reminded of the verse in Philippians to not be anxious, to be in prayer and thanksgiving. I just pray that through all these things, I will grow and develop proven character; becoming more and more the person He created me to be.

Deep in Thought

I used to love going over to the beach and walk along the ocean, deep in thought, communing with God. I haven't done it much lately; but, that's kind of what I feel like doing this morning. There are a variety of thoughts from occurrences this weekend that I'd like to ponder. They are actually quite unrelated occurrences; but, the commonality is that they happened this weekend. In a way, they all cause me to think, and since they all took place in a short space of time, I feel like my mind is swimming in that ocean of thoughts. First, I was reminded in my Bible Study for Sunday, that we do need to exercise wisdom in the decisions that we make in our lives. Compromises and unwise decisions can cause cracks in our foundation; and over time, the foundation will start to crumble, leading to moral collapse. We see that illustrated in King Solomon's life, as 1 Kings 3 shows the start of his compromises, in marrying Pharoah's daughter and in offering sacrifices at the high places. Moral collapse does not occur overnight; and it is important to walk consistently in His ways, and firming our foundation whenever we can. One neat thing I was reminded of, that I had heard before, was that of the Bible without words "book". My friend did this for the kids at Easter: it's a book with 4 colored pages:

• Black - shows the sinful state of human depravity
• Red - represents the blood of Jesus shed for us
• White - represents the purity and cleansing when we are saved
• Yellow - represents the hope of Glory

The gospel story is truly amazing! The other area that will require more pondering to sort out, is illustrated in my bee experience this weekend. Saturday morning, my neighbor came over to tell me that there was a swarm of bees in one of my trees. I called a bee company to schedule someone to come take care of it. Throughout the day, I struggled with feelings of inadequacy, aloneness, and sadness. I feel like my neighbor dislikes me, and this just adds to it. Yet, this was not my fault, and not a result of anything I did or did not do. Then, I was reminded that I am forced to face dealing with things and making decisions all by myself. It would be nice if I had people who were there to support me and help me. The sadness is just a natural reaction to the situation. Yet, I did get to spend some time in prayer; and right before the bee company was scheduled to come, I found that the swarm of bees had disappeared. I do wonder if this was an answer to prayer; and I do wonder what it is I was supposed to learn through this. Nevertheless, I do feel that my life is somewhat off center right now. I'm not sure what has tilted my life off the axis; but, I am seeking God to help bring me back in alignment. Meanwhile, I will just keep "surviving" and seeking to live my life for HIM.

The Hole in Our Gospel

I got the book The Hole In Our Gospel by Richard Stearns from World Vision. I feel like God is preparing me for something related to service and ministry. A few years ago, through books I obtained and through sermons and other areas, I felt like God was leading me into something related to leadership. I look at my life now, and see that in work and at Church. In the same way, I've been drawn towards areas of outreach service and ministry; and recently, have come across so many different things that point me in that direction, that I do think that I am in the preparation phase. Not only does this book address that directly, but, I also watched "The Second Chance" movie that Michael W Smith was in, and in my areas of giving, I've been drawn more towards organizations that provide outreach and relief, such as World Vision and Samaritan's Purse. I will wait and see what God has planned for me. My desire is that He will use me effectively for His work; and to show His LOVE to others.

True Talent

Typically, I'm not one to jump on any pop culture bandwagons; but, since I saw the video clip of Susan Boyle singing on Britain's Got Talent, I can see why she has become an overnight sensation. The neat thing is that it is such a feel-good story. When she walked on stage, no one expected that she'd be able to sing like that; and some people had even seemed derisive. But, as soon as she started singing, her obvious talent just shone through; and the audience was won over and she finished to standing ovations. It's almost like a Cinderella story. We love stories like this because it gives us hope. It shows us that the average person, when using his or her true talent, can really shine. I've always seen Spiritual Gifts in this way; that when we are using the gift(s) that God has given to us, we will be able to effectively serve Him and soar like the eagle. Added 7/7/09: I just felt like I needed to add some thoughts, after having seen Susan Boyle's story unfold the past few months. I'm sure we don't see the whole picture, since we only get what the media presents; but, we can see that talent alone doesn't ensure a "Happily Ever After". Other factors do have an effect, and sometimes the clock may strike midnight. I was just thinking also about Spiritual Gifts. Having the gift alone doesn't ensure anything. We need to allow God to use our gifts; and we need to seek the environment that would enable us to use our gifts most effectively.

Grief

Today, it crossed my mind to wonder whether what I'm feeling is because I'm, in a way, dealing with Grief over my "thorn". Typically, the seven stages of grief are: 1) Denial, 2) Anger, 3) Bargaining, 4) Depression, and 5) Acceptance. I thought I had reached Acceptance; but, it seems that I've reverted to Depression. I've long worked through Denial, and neither remember being Angry much, nor spending much time with Bargaining. But, Depression.... hmmm..... that is a very familiar stage. I know that I have so much to be thankful for; and I've learned to be generally content and even sometimes joyful. But, occasionally, the sadness will hit with a powerful blow that will send me reeling. I wonder if it is normal to vacillate between the last two stages. And, that's where I find myself. Last year, I seemed to have reached Acceptance; but, this year, Depression is more common. I wonder if it is because the Hope just won't die? Or is it because I catch glimpses of remote possibility? Or, is it because looking around causes me to feel the pain of my "thorn" more deeply, with a little bit of a sense of injustice? But, even now, I know that "injustice" is not right. I trust God to know what is best for me. He loves me, and this "thorn" is not to be lamented, but rather to be appreciated, for it has taught me that His grace is sufficient for me.

Easter Weekend '09

Hallelujah, He is Risen!!! Easter is the celebration of Christ's resurrection, a central foundation in Christianity. The resurrection demonstrated that He is God and that He has power over death and victory over sin. Praise God! It was a blessing to be able to worship this morning. And, the message was on "No Fear". Once again, God has spoken to my theme this year, to not be afraid; for only through Christ, can we truly "be not afraid", to have the assurance that He loves us, and the hope that we will spend eternity with Him. One of the highlights of this Easter weekend for me was the Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W Smith United Tour. I have grown up listening to both artists and loving their music. What wonderful music ministries they have both had. It was poignant to hear SCC talk about losing Maria; and it gave new meaning to the part in "Blessed Be Your Name" where it says "You give and take away; My heart will choose to say Lord, blessed be Your name" It was beautiful when Steven sang "I Will Be Here", while Michael played keyboards, and they had a cello and violin in the background. One of the most worshipful moments was then Michael sang "Deep in Love With You" from his newest album "A New Hallelujah" Also, it was fun to hear them sing each other's songs. It's amazing to think about how much great music they have both written and recorded! If I were to choose, out of all the great parts of the concert, which was my favorite, it was when Michael played "The Giving" from his "Freedom" CD. I've always loved hearing the piano, and he is such a talented composer. I am inspired to practice playing that song now. One of the things that I wish I knew more of, are the stories behind the songs on that album. He did mention, though, that the album was the soundtrack of his life. Well, I've been truly blessed this weekend, with a neat Good Friday service with communion, a great MWS & SCC concert, and Easter worship this morning at church. It was interesting though, that I was reminded to always be ready for His coming again; for I almost got into a car accident last night. We never know when it is our time to go. I just need to keep living my life for HIM!

Good Friday '09

Tomorrow is Good Friday, the day in which we remember what Christ did on the cross for us. His suffering and death through crucifixion, because of His love for us, in order to become our Savior. I am so unworthy of His sacrifice. And, I am guilty of the pain He suffered. I ask for His forgiveness and cleansing; that I may walk in a manner worthy of His Name. I am also grateful for the gift of eternal life; and the privilege of being adopted into the family of God. May I shine as a light for Him, and live out His Will and Plan for my life. It seems appropriate to reflect on one of my favorite hymns, O Sacred Head:

O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down, now scornfully surrounded with thorns, thine only crown: how pale thou art with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn! How does that visage languish which once was bright as morn! What thou, my Lord, has suffered was all for sinners' gain; mine, mine was the transgression, but thine the deadly pain. Lo, here I fall, my Savior! 'Tis I deserve thy place; look on me with thy favor, vouchsafe to me thy grace. What language shall I borrow to thank thee, dearest friend, for this thy dying sorrow, thy pity without end? O make me thine forever; and should I fainting be, Lord, let me never, never outlive my love for thee.

Jesus, My LORD and Savior - What amazing LOVE!

Cooking and Hosting

It just occurred to me that I haven't blogged much about cooking or hosting; yet, I actually quite enjoy doing both. I cook regularly, and like to try new recipes. And, I often have people over. For fun, I do peruse recipe books, just to get new ideas; and I like to check out recipes and cooking ideas on the web. I especially enjoy cooking all kinds of food from around the world. Just yesterday, I hosted my family get-together. It was a Chinese dinner. I made a variety of dishes, and they generally turned out fairly well. There are just a few "lessons learned":

• For the Mushroom and Pea Soup, next time, I would reduce the number of mushrooms and amount of peas; so that there would be more of the broth
• For the Tofu Hotpot, I would cook the carrots and tofu longer; and put the bok choy in later
• For the Mixed Vegetables, I don't need to add the canned mixtures
• For the Green Onion Chicken, I think that I could just add the seasoning after it has cooled
• For the Fish, I need to figure out how to cook the fillets without them breaking up so much

The Beef with Tofu turned out fine; and the Tropical Fruit Salad (papaya, mango, kiwi, and strawberry) was good. I thank God for blessing me and for providing for me. I am also grateful for the opportunity to provide hospitality to others. I do hope that all who come to visit will sense HIS presence in my home.