The Funeral Stone
Sam died. His will provided $30,000 for an elaborate funeral. As the last guests departed the affair, his wife Sarah turned to her oldest and dearest friend Jody and said, "Well, I'm sure Sam would be pleased".
"I'm sure you're right," replied Jody, who lowered her voice and leaned in close. "How much did this really cost?"
"All of it," said Sarah . "Thirty thousand."
"No!" Jody exclaimed. "I mean, it was very nice, but $30,000?"
Sarah answered, "The funeral was $6,500. I donated $500 to the church. The drinks, wine and snacks were another $500. The rest went for the Memorial Stone."
Jody computed quickly. "$22,500 for a Memorial Stone? My word, how big is it ?"
"Two and a half carats."
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Psalm 42
Today as I went to the Psalms to pray, Psalm 42 is the one that spoke what my soul was longing to say. I fall so short in my desires and longings for God alone. I pray that the Spirit would ignite my heart daily and fan the flame continually by the fire of His word and as I meditate upon the work done on my behalf through His Son Jesus. I couldn't help but pray for the Lord to breathe life into my children and cause them to have deep longings for Him alone. Then, my thoughts were taken to my beloved church- the people I fellowship with and know are hurting and struggling. Then to those that I love who have no hope because they have no desire for Jesus. Oh, that they would long for Him and drink deeply from the Living Waters so that they would hunger and thirst no more.
Psalm 42
1As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So my soul pants for You, O God.
2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and appear before God?
3My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
4These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me
For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.
5Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him
For the help of His presence.
6O my God, my soul is in despair within me;
Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan
And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.
8The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night,
A prayer to the God of my life.
9I will say to God my rock, "Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"
10As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me,
While they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
11Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
Psalm 42
1As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So my soul pants for You, O God.
2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and appear before God?
3My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
4These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me
For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.
5Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him
For the help of His presence.
6O my God, my soul is in despair within me;
Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan
And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.
8The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night,
A prayer to the God of my life.
9I will say to God my rock, "Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"
10As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me,
While they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
11Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Man's Chief End...
...is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
Now that we have established that we actually sin quite a bit more often than we are aware of, lets take it a step farther. What about when we aren't sinning? What about when we are simply living our day to day lives, driving to work, cooking a meal, changing a diaper, sweeping a floor?
We (human beings) were created for one main reason - to glorify God. Therefore, whenever we are not glorifying God, we are sinning. This even applies to the repetitive aspects of our lives, the things we do without even thinking. 1st Corinthians 10:31 reminds us that whatever we are doing - be it something as mindless as eating and drinking - we are to do it to the glory of God.
If you are anything like me, this makes the picture look a whole lot bleaker than it did last week. Everything I do is supposed to glorify God? Everything? Yes, everything. Brushing your teeth all the way up to raising your children and relating to your husband, all of it is to be done in a way that and for the purpose of glorifying God.
Lets consider this for a moment. We need to make sure that our actions are done in a way that glorifies God. If we are cooking dinner for our family, it can never be glorifying to God if we are impatient, frustrated, or grumbling. Our outward appearances must be glorifying to God.
At the same time, though, its not enough for our outward actions to be glorifying to God. They must be done for the purpose of glorifying Him. This is the sneakiest part of this concept because it is impossible for me to judge your intentions and it is impossible for you to judge my intentions.
Let us together consider what it means to glorify God in our lives, from the 'easy' stuff like reading, studying, and praying to the obeying of God's commandments all the way to the intentions of our heart. Let us strive to truly honor God in our thoughts, words, and actions.
Now that we have established that we actually sin quite a bit more often than we are aware of, lets take it a step farther. What about when we aren't sinning? What about when we are simply living our day to day lives, driving to work, cooking a meal, changing a diaper, sweeping a floor?
We (human beings) were created for one main reason - to glorify God. Therefore, whenever we are not glorifying God, we are sinning. This even applies to the repetitive aspects of our lives, the things we do without even thinking. 1st Corinthians 10:31 reminds us that whatever we are doing - be it something as mindless as eating and drinking - we are to do it to the glory of God.
If you are anything like me, this makes the picture look a whole lot bleaker than it did last week. Everything I do is supposed to glorify God? Everything? Yes, everything. Brushing your teeth all the way up to raising your children and relating to your husband, all of it is to be done in a way that and for the purpose of glorifying God.
Lets consider this for a moment. We need to make sure that our actions are done in a way that glorifies God. If we are cooking dinner for our family, it can never be glorifying to God if we are impatient, frustrated, or grumbling. Our outward appearances must be glorifying to God.
At the same time, though, its not enough for our outward actions to be glorifying to God. They must be done for the purpose of glorifying Him. This is the sneakiest part of this concept because it is impossible for me to judge your intentions and it is impossible for you to judge my intentions.
Let us together consider what it means to glorify God in our lives, from the 'easy' stuff like reading, studying, and praying to the obeying of God's commandments all the way to the intentions of our heart. Let us strive to truly honor God in our thoughts, words, and actions.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Reflection on the Don Whitney Conference
Last weekend, Don Whitney a former pastor and current professor at Southern Seminary came to speak at our Church. He has come every year for the past 6 years and has spoken on, Fellowship, The Disciplines of the Church, How to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, and of course The Spiritual Disciplines.
This year he started over with the personal spiritual disciplines, specifically, meditation on the Word and praying through scripture. Though I have heard him speak on this subject before and read his book multiple times, I believe for myself it was an encouragement and much needed refresher.
Dr. Whitney is right in that praying through scripture and meditation is simple and once you have done it, it is like riding a bike-easy to remember. I believe it was 6 years ago when he taught this the first time and it has been a discipline that is not hard to maintain unless I simply refuse to open up to a Psalm. It is not complex nor boring-"saying the same old things about the same old things", as is common apart from praying through the scripture. I have benefited much in praying this way and using Don's biblical meditation methods. In fact, as was pointed out at the conference, we can read, meditate and pray all at the same time. This makes it more of a blessing and less of a list of "duties". I have found for myself that when I am doing the disciplines in faith, believing the Holy Spirit is working in me through them, the disciplines are a delight to my soul rather then a dreaded duty.
I personally have benefited through the repetition of going through the Spiritual Disciplines book and conferences- I have yet to master every discipline and certainly need the reminders of the reason behind the disciplines- they are making me more like Jesus.
So, Dr. Whitney, I thank you for taking the time for the sake of the body of Christ at large to write and teach these things that have so benefited me in my walk with Jesus Christ. You have had a large impact on my family as a whole. You have been and continue to be an influence on my husband who has led me and our children in his passion for growing in godliness through the disciplines. I already see how God is working in my two older children as they are daily reading God's word and even the two that do not read yet open up their Bibles and "read" with the rest of the family. For all this I am grateful to God and thankful for the opportunity to sit under your teaching.
For those who were unable to attend the conference, here is a link to some of Don Whitney's helpful materials that he has made available on his website.
This year he started over with the personal spiritual disciplines, specifically, meditation on the Word and praying through scripture. Though I have heard him speak on this subject before and read his book multiple times, I believe for myself it was an encouragement and much needed refresher.
Dr. Whitney is right in that praying through scripture and meditation is simple and once you have done it, it is like riding a bike-easy to remember. I believe it was 6 years ago when he taught this the first time and it has been a discipline that is not hard to maintain unless I simply refuse to open up to a Psalm. It is not complex nor boring-"saying the same old things about the same old things", as is common apart from praying through the scripture. I have benefited much in praying this way and using Don's biblical meditation methods. In fact, as was pointed out at the conference, we can read, meditate and pray all at the same time. This makes it more of a blessing and less of a list of "duties". I have found for myself that when I am doing the disciplines in faith, believing the Holy Spirit is working in me through them, the disciplines are a delight to my soul rather then a dreaded duty.
I personally have benefited through the repetition of going through the Spiritual Disciplines book and conferences- I have yet to master every discipline and certainly need the reminders of the reason behind the disciplines- they are making me more like Jesus.
So, Dr. Whitney, I thank you for taking the time for the sake of the body of Christ at large to write and teach these things that have so benefited me in my walk with Jesus Christ. You have had a large impact on my family as a whole. You have been and continue to be an influence on my husband who has led me and our children in his passion for growing in godliness through the disciplines. I already see how God is working in my two older children as they are daily reading God's word and even the two that do not read yet open up their Bibles and "read" with the rest of the family. For all this I am grateful to God and thankful for the opportunity to sit under your teaching.
For those who were unable to attend the conference, here is a link to some of Don Whitney's helpful materials that he has made available on his website.
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