What's that, God?

Philippians 3:12-17 is a common passage to preach on for the New Year but when the pastor announced the text, my ears perked up. You see, I have been studying this passage in a book a friend gave me. One of my BSF teachers used to say that when you hear the same message coming from more then one source, God is probably trying to get your attention. So as I go on in the New Year, I resolve to forget what is behind both the good and the bad. This does not mean that I forget the lessons I have learned but to quit beating myself over the head about not doing this or that with my kids or some other failure. It also means I need to forget my successes also. Elizabeth George reminded me in her book Loving God with All Your Mind that God is more concerned about what I am doing in the present then what I did in the past. So I resolve to reach forward to what lies ahead. I am not sure exactly what that will look like but I am sure it will include a commitment to look for the best in others and help them to become their best whether it is my children, my husband, my friends or my students. I resolve to press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

May God bless you this year as you press on also. And now I guess you can all keep me accountable to my resolutions. Blessings. TJ

Religion is kind of like a diet but...

Religion is like a diet but following Jesus is a lifestyle. Its that time of year when people start thinking about losing weight but planning to do it after the holidays. People will look around to find the perfect diet and there are many to chose from. There are diets that are low carb, diets that match your zone, and even diets that come on the back of your cereal box. Each of these diets has rules to follow to help the dieter get to his ideal physical self. In the same way, there are many religions to choose from. People choose a religion to help them get to their ideal spiritual self. They may choose their religion because that is what they grew up with or all their friends are doing it. Some take more work, some take less. Some have more rules; some have less just like diets. And just like diets they work to an extent but they never seem to be the perfect fit.

On the other hand, most good dieticians such as my sister would say that in order to lose weight and keep it off, you need to adopt a lifestyle of eating healthy. Choosing the right foods becomes a way of life. Saying no to certain things isn't really so hard when it becomes a part of who you are. It is not a rule. It is just something that you do. On a grander scale, following Jesus is a lifestyle. It is saying yes to some things and no to other things not based on some rule in the bible but because that is who you are with Jesus. Following Jesus is saying yes to life and no to self. Following Jesus is about a friendship not a checklist. Following Jesus is lifestyle I want to have. This lifestyle is modeled in the bible by the disciples and Paul but can also be found in the biographies of many missionairies. Each day is an adventure and full of suprises but also filled with God's presence. That is the place I want to be this Christmas season.

Things to Remember

It's that time of year when I start thinking back at the year. This year has been full of lots of changes for my family and I was thinking of the things I have learned or been reminded of since I started my new journey.

1. God works in ways we can never imagine.

2. Being a team is fun. Our family is in this together and when each person does his or her part, it is alot of fun.

2. God will never give you more than you can handle even though I do think he came close a couple of times.

3. My kids are growing up too fast.

4. God loves my kids even more than I do. I smile when I see him working inside of them.

5. Teenagers have their own culture so I guess I am learning to work cross culturally. :)

These are just a few and I may add more later but I would love to hear what others have learned this year in the comment section.

Hello, My name is TJ and I am a grouch

Right before Thanksgiving, my children and I finished a book about Eric Liddell probably known best through the Chariots of Fire movie. In the book, I was impressed with how upbeat and positive Eric was in all circumstances including being in a Japanese War camp. I was also convicted about how grouchy I had been since I had started to work. Yes, I was tired. Yes, I was overwhelmed. But circumstances were dictating my attitude. My children were used to seeing their mommy grouchy more then in a good mood. I had the habit of being a grouch. So the Friday before Thanksgiving I knew I needed to break this habit with God's help. I also needed some incentive. The deal was if I could go a whole week without being grouchy, my husband would take me on a date. My biggest breakthrough was first realizing I was a grouch and confessing that to God. Next I found so many things I was missing and took the time to be thankful. I decided to set my mind on things above for once. I did make it a whole week and had a wonderful date with my husband. I also haven't been perfect since then but being a grouch is no longer the norm. Hopefully being positive and thankful will soon be the habit of choice.

Dear God, Thank you for your forgiveness and love. Thank you for changing us from the inside out remaking us in the image of your son.

My picks of 2006

I thought I would list my favorite books of the year. Soon I hope to have my website going that reviews books but that is more of a someday thing at the moment.

My top 5 nonfiction
1. Grace Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel
2. Captivating by Stasi and John Elderidge
3. The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartan
4. Lie Women Believe by Nancy Lee DeMoss
5. God's Guidance- A Sure and Certain Light by Elizabeth Elliot

My top 5 fiction
1. First Born Series by Karen Kingsbury
2. Daughters of Fortune Series by Judith Pella
3. Chronicles of the King by Lynn Austin
4. Blessed Child/Blessed Man by Ted Dekker
5. The Genesis Trilogy by Kacy Barnett-Gramckow

I would love to hear your favorites.

TJ