. a few weeks ago i went to women of faith with some friends and had a wonderful time enjoying other women, laughing, talking till all hours of the night, and taking in all that the speakers had to say . this year there was a speaker, andy andrews who seemed to have so much truth in the things he shared, thought i'd share in case these things might help someone else .
. sorry covers mistakes, choices take forgiveness .
. can i do something i don't want to do to get a result i really want .
. forgiveness is a decision, not an emotion .
. forgiveness is about me, trust is about them .
. so many times we ask ourselves 'is this wrong?', when the question should be 'is this wise?' .
. many inspiring speakers there, and i got to see anita renfroe do this .
:)
. in our monday night bible study we're studying john ortberg's book, if you want to walk on water you've got to get out of the boat . this book has been very eye opening for me . we are all on a mission from God . this calling isn't something we choose, it's something we discover .
. the chapter that probably spoke the most to me is the chapter i wasn't even able to attend the discussion . the chapter on learning to wait . i underlined about half of this chapter, i won't share it all with you (you can just get the book yourself), but i will share a few things that may encourage you like they did me .
. 43 times in the old testament alone, the people are comanded, "wait, wait on the Lord" .
. the ability to wait well is a test of maturity . delaying gratification is a process of scheduling the pain and pleasure of life in such a way as to enhance the pleausre by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over with . it is the only decent way to live .
. paul says that while we are waiting for God to set everything right, we suffer . but suffereing produces endurance; endurance, character; and character, hope . God is producing these qualities in us as we wait . waiting is not just something we have to do while we get what we want . it is part of the process of becoming what God wants us to be .
. it is not a passive waiting around for something to happen that will allow you to escape your trouble . people often say 'i'm just waiting on the Lord', as an excuse not to face up to reality, own up to their responsibility, or take appropriate action .
. waiting on the Lord is a confident, disciplined, expectant, active, and sometimes painful clinging to God .
. waiting is by nature, some thing only the humble can do with grace .
. what we wait for is not more important than what happens to us while we are waiting .
. the last chapter was so beautiful as well .
. how big is your God ? when our God is small we wake up in the morning in constant fear and anxiety because everything depends on us .
. there is a word for the process by which human beings come to perceive and declare the vastness, worthiness and strength of God . it is called worship .
. worship is not about filling God's needs . God has made us so that when we experience something trancendentally great, we have a need to praise it .
. mindlessness is one of the primary things that keeps us from worship . ironically, we live in an age that seeks to eliminate mystery, and then we miss it . we have caller id; we can know the gender of babies before they are born; exit polls tell us who was elected before we have finished voting; tv shows reveal the secrets magicians have always kept hidden-we destory wonder and then ache for it . but God is too big for the wonder-killers . so we need to reflect for a while .
. i wonder occasionally if boredom in worship (and boredom in general) is not in fact a function of song selection or liturgical style, but rather, at least sometimes, a function of spending too much time in the boat .
. okay, i'll stop there, that was long i know, but these truths really spoke to me and i just wanted to share in case they could speak to someone else . if your Christian walk has become complacent, this book could be beneficial to you, get it !
(words in italics by authors)
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