I am the first to get distracted. One of the days, actually a few, of my Believing God study have made that blatantly apparent to me. There are the things I love to do (play with my family, teach, plan for teaching, photography, play on the computer) and the things I have to do (housework, teach - yeah, it's in both categories-, pay bills). I allow both to consume me and stress me. Then there is the thing I'm privileged to do...
Very little detail is given over Enoch's life in the Bible. Most of the references say he lived, had Methuselah and other kids, gives his genealogy, and says, "he walked with God." It was his walk with God that made him important enough to land him in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews. Right there - that key phrase, "He walked with God." It follows that he was taken from this life without dying...and "commended as one who pleased God." It pleased God that Enoch walked with Him so faithfully.
That's when it hit me, the things I love to do and the things I have to do, both of which get me so stressed out, don't matter. It's the one thing I have the privilege to do that really matters, and you know, I don't get stressed out when I miss my time with God. Why? It's the most important "thing" there is, but it's not important enough for me to get stressed out about it. All I have to do to please God is walk with Him. My house being clean, not so much. It is natural for my relationships with my family and others to be vibrant and healthy if my walk with God is where it should be. I know this in my head, but how often do I not
own it and write it in my heart?
As I read Beth Moore's commentary on the section, I had to agree with her on so many points, especially since this was God giving me a big
ol' neon sign. (I need to long quote this in the center, but I can't do that here, so bear with me you formatting people:)
"We have so many good ideas. The world, even the Christian world, is full of options. Each of us could name a dozen things we'd really love to do with our lives...sometimes all in the same day. We often suffer from spiritual schizophrenia or at least a serious case of ADD. Like the Israelites, who suffered from the potter-clay reversal syndrome, I sometimes forget that I didn't see Jesus in the distance and call Him to follow me."
Think about that one in depth. I do that - I'd love to study photography, be a professional, go to grad school for English to teach Dual Credit, go to grad school for psychology to teach Dual Credit, quit teaching, write books, have a perfect home, decorate, clean,...shall I keep going? But, what's the one thing? Walk with God.
She goes on the point out that we can "walk ourselves right into the place we may as well call less-than-land, the place of God's permissive will. When we choose to walk with God rather than off the path to handfuls of other options, we find His perfect will for our lives. We find our promised land." Notice it's not through the "other good ideas" of life, but it's through Walking with God.
"But, to walk with God is difficult." Ain't that the truth! Horrendously hard many days. Think on your material possessions. What are your favorites? What makes them your favorites? Most likely it is tied to a diligent pursuit of that item - you had to wait a long time or you had to work really hard to get it. One of mine is my camera - I started researching and 'shopping' in 2001; I saved enough money on 3 different occasions, but the money went elsewhere. Finally, I received my camera this past December. That's right, 6 years later. How is a relationship with God any different? We value things more and are most satisfied by those things that we had to diligently pursue. (all ideas originally from Beth Moore) It's worth the struggle to read, study, memorize, and apply because we value it all the more.
So, what stops us? Distraction. "I have discovered that if Satan can't get to me with destruction, he will try to get to me with distraction.... We cannot do a hundred things to the glory of God, but we can certainly do a few. What you and I need is focus. Day in and day out. Eyes on the goal. In our frenzied lifestyles we are desperate for simplicity: for a hundred things to narrow down to one." One = Walk with God.
Walk with God. So simple, and yet so difficult. But, so worth the challenge. After all, that's what makes something more valuable to us.
This has been swirling in my head for weeks. I couldn't put it into words until today. The catalyst is the death of a Godly woman. Jill is a friend from college. I have to admit I hesitate at friend, because we didn't hang out together or have many, if any, individual conversations. However, Jill was one of the first people to express her faith in a way that was so truly genuine and ask questions in conversation that were so deep that my relationship with God grew as a result.
Jill passed away Sunday. Oddly enough, really just flat out WEIRD, is that on Saturday, probably just hours before the car accident that took her life, I found a link to her
Facebook from another person's
Facebook. Honestly, I don't know that I had even thought of Jill in about 5 years, since
Jer ran into her at a conference in Dallas. But, I can tell you that I was
really excited about "finding" her and catching up a bit. I mean, I came home from church Sunday hoping she had already seen my request and had added me so that I could email her. It was Sunday night that we got the phone call.
Why has it hit me so hard? Granted, I had lost contact with Jill long ago, and we were never close friends, but I can confidently say that Jill walked with God. She was a light in my life that God used at one of the most important junctures of my life. And, I have to say I'm having a hard time with this one - I've asked over and over, "Why God? God, what about that little boy (almost 3 months)? What about her husband? How can he continue to lead his church after such a tragedy (he's a pastor)? What about her ministries?" I echo the sentiments another friend voiced - I know you can't be sad in heaven, but as a mom I mourn for her not being able to raise her son and for her son to not know her.
So, that brought the study of the last weeks to my mind - what REALLY matters? What's distracting me?
Most importantly, What am I going to do about it? And, I challenge you, What are you going to do about it?
And, these would have been terrific, but it seems my daughter has a tongue and wants everyone to know. We threatened her with using one of these on our christmas card, and she cried. Then, we felt bad.
And, here, Hudson just looks evil...
And his buddy...
And, meet Eden...isn't she just scrumptiously cute?!
On our trip to A&M, we stayed at an amazing ranch around Normangee. On our way back to town, we passed this old gas station. I liked it so much, I had to ask to turn around for some pictures. The ones of Justin and Jen are taken there, and she took some of us, but I haven't processed...here it the little station - and my first attempt at playing with textures that I took from some rocks...
Jeremy and I had the opportunity to attend a marriage retreat at the Franklin Family Ranch. We LOVE this place. Peaceful. Beautiful. I swear the minute I see the gates and we enter, the worries of the world just melt away from me. It could be the delightful 3 hour drive where we have no little voices in the back making requests, arguments, or just chattering. We have real adult conversation. I LOVE that. I also love our stop at Bluebonnet Cafe where we have pie - my favorite is the fudge - complete with ice cream and whip cream. Yum. So, about the time we enter the gates, the sugar rush is calming, too. I've always loved the animals (it's an exotic game ranch), and this year I had a camera with which to shoot. My zoom needed to be a little, well, zoomier, but I got this guy pretty well. At first it made me want a big zoom lens, but, really, to use it once a year, nevermind.
We went to a Halloween Party for the Life Group Coaches...games, carving pumpkins, eating, and fun...Notice Jenna holding her nose. She has an "expensive" nose as she said when she was 2 - sensitive is an understatement. If it smells bad, she's probably going to throw up. Evidently, they carved pumpkins at school, and she had to leave the room for heaving.
