The Next Generation

Why would we want to remember our history? Especially if holds bad or painful memories? That is a huge question but shouldn't be taken lightly. We have a responsibility to learn about our history so that we will learn from it. Last night our small group watched a movie called The league of grateful Sons put out by vision forum. It was a very educational film and its main message was that we should be learning about our history, so that we will not be doomed to repeat it.

This is so true. My generation needs to be willing to be taught by our parents and grandparents so that we will be able to make wiser decisions. Think about what a difference it would make if we would start to listen to our parents and ask them for counsel. Too often I think we are tempted to just assume we know enough to make our own choices. We should never jerk away from counsel and it is time for this next generation to rise up and learn from their parents and grandparents so that we will be better prepared to face the future.

Our History

Yesterday passed so fast and that can happen a lot, but do you know what the significance of yesterday was? Yesterday marked something that happened in our history. To learn more go here. I hope that we will remember our history and learn from it for our future.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths."
-Proverbs 3:5-6

Must See Movie

My daughter and sons saw this movie when it came out in the theaters and they came home saying it was good. I just saw it a few weeks ago after Molly bought the DVD, and I agree that it is good. In fact I recommend that everyone should see it. Kirk Cameron does a great job as the husband, as well as the other actresses and actors. It has a good story line and gives hope for broken marriages or gives suggestions for keeping healthy marriages strong. Go rent it or borrow it from a friend; it is worth it! Check out the trailer:
http://www.fireproofthemovie.com/

Why Worry?!

The God of the Bible is not weak; He is strong. He is all-mighty. Nothing happens without His permission or apart from His purposes- even evil. Nothing distrubs or puzzles Him. His purposes are always accomplished. Therefore those who know Him rightly act with boldness, assured that God is with them to accomplish His own desirable purposes in their lives. James Boice

The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance. Psalm 33:11-12

God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne. The princes of the people have gathered together, the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted. Psalm 47:8-9

The Present

How many hours do you spend thinking of the future? Last night I was reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis and it brought up an interesting point about our thoughts of the future.

"He (God) therefore, I believe, wants them to attend chiefly to two things, to eternity itself, and to that point of time which they call the present. For the present is the point at which time touches eternity. Of the present moment, and of it only, humans have an experience analogous to the experience which... in it alone freedom and actuality are offered them. He would therefore have them continually concerned either with eternity (which means being concerned with Him) or with the Present-either meditating on their eternal union with, or separation from, Him, or else obey the present voice of conscience, bearing the present cross, receiving the present grace, giving thanks for the present pleasure."

Lewis goes on to qualify that we should be concerned with the future, in as much as planning for the next day or next week goes, but our focus, our aim is in the present. I had never thought of it that way before and it hit home. Too often I worry about the future, and do not concern myself or worry about what I am doing right now! I think we need to adjust our thinking to bring ourselves to proper perspective. Right now, I am to be doing the work that God has given me. Right now, I am to be acting on His Word. Steven Curtis Chapman expresses these thoughts very well in his song Miracle of the Moment: (go here if you would like to listen to it).

It's time for letting go
All of our "if onlies"
Cause we don't have a time machine
And even if we did
Would we really want to use it
Would we really want to go change everything

Cause we are who and where and what we are for now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about

So breathe it in and breathe it out
And listen to your heartbeat
There's a wonder in the here and now
It's right there in front of you
And I don't want you to miss the miracle of the moment

There's only One who knows
What's really out there waiting
And all the moments yet to be
And all we need to know
Is He's out there waiting
To Him the future's history

And He has given us a treasure called right now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about

So breathe it in and breathe it out
And listen to your heartbeat
There's a wonder in the here and now
It's right there in front of you
And I don't want you to miss the miracle of the moment

And if it brings you tears
Then taste them as they fall
Let them soften your heart

And if it brings you laughter
Then throw your head back
And let it go
Let it go, yeah
You gotta let it go

And listen to your heartbeat

And breathe it in and breathe it out
And listen to your heartbeat
There's a wonder in the here and now
It's right there in front of you
And I don't want you to miss the miracle of the moment

And breathe it in and breathe it out
And listen to your heartbeat
There's a wonder in the here and now (here and now)
It's right there in front of you
And I don't want you to miss the miracle
Of the moment

No, we cannot control the future, but God does. We don't need to worry about the future because we can trust that God is in control of it all. So, plan and prepare for the future, but don't live in it because God has called you to live in the present and be acting in the present.

God is Faithful

Today I have been looking at pictures from the last year of Church events, our family, and just any pictures we have from this last year. I am again going to attempt to make a slideshow of pictures of all of our church's events from this past year. It has been fun to look over some of these shots and see all the great things that God has done in this past year.

For example, we had a mystery dinner for all of the younger couples in our church this past November. It has been fun to go through those photos and remember how enjoyable the evening was.

We also have some pictures from a couple of our fellowship meals from the past year. We have one every month, so they all blend together, but the thing that stuck out here was how much our church just likes to spend time together. That is why we have this time of eating (some great food!) and talking, because we want to keep our relationships strong.

All of this has reminded me how much our church has grown this past year. This may not be in terms of numbers of people, but in terms of spiritual growth. We have learned much, and continue to learn, together.

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" -Psalm 133:1

The Glory of God

"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth! Tell me, if you have understanding, or who stretched the line on it? On what were it's bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" -Job 38:4-7

In the verse above, God is talking. This verse encompasses something that I was reminded of this week. I watched a video with some friends and it started out talking about our galaxy and the wonders that surround our planet. When you look at the stars, do you see the handiwork of God, or just some small points in the night sky? I often think of the stars as so small compared to our big planet. How wrong I have been. There are many stars that are much bigger than earth. The largest star that we have discovered is called Canis Majoris and it is huge! Compared to that star, we are tiny. Can you believe that God would stoop to live among us? This is just a tip of the iceberg though, because God is intimately involved with each one of us.

We may know all of this, but do we understand what this means? It means that we are but a vapor, yet God loves us; our planet is a spec in the universe, but God knows me. How do I know all of this? My answer is Romans 8:38-39:

"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

So, how can we apply this to our trials and hardships? Because we can see with our own eyes how great our God is, we can have confidence that God will care for us; and because God created all with just a breath, we can know that He is able and will take care of us because He takes such an interest in us and loved us so much that He sent His only son to die for us. Those who don't believe this will find no comfort and those who refuse this will not have true peace.

Give praise to God for He is great!