Roadmap

Earlier this week I was reading through the Gospels. I was paying particular attention to the Holy Week Events. It always seems so strange to me that churches celebrate Palm Sunday, skip through the suffering and then celebrate the resurrection. Very little attention is given to the arrest, the trial and the crucifixion. How can we celebrate the resurrection (which is of course worthy of celebration!!) if we do not suffer first with the death of Jesus. (I divulge a bit, but as a side note would encourage you to spend time reading the events of Holy Week. Do not gloss over the hard parts to skip to the good news.)

As I was reading this week, God began to show me how Jesus communicated with His disciples. Jesus had given them all the information they needed in order to know what was going to happen to Him. And yet, despite the information they had been given, the disciples were shocked and surprised when it actually happened. They obviously did not understand what was happening. That leads me to ask the question Why? Why, if Jesus told them what was going to happen, did they end up being surprised and shocked in the end. It seems so clear when I read the accounts that they had all the information that they needed to understand and yet they were confused when Jesus was crucified. As I continued to read, God began to show me that Jesus was not giving them the answers they expected or were looking for. The information was not given in a direct A then B then C pattern. The content and the delivery looked different then what they were searching for. They couldn't see it because they were so focused on what they were looking for. When Jesus did give them information, the disciples could not understand and did not know what to do.

I have been a bit like these disciples. I keep asking for a roadmap that is clearly and directly layed out. I am looking for an A then B then C kind of directions. Jesus did not communicate to His disciples that way.... why do I think God is going to communicate with me like that? How much information has God given me that I have completely missed because it is not what I was expecting it to be and was not delivered the way I imagined. It seems like such a DUH thing to finally get and understand. It is something that I have heard and even said over and over again. I have given people this exact advice but this week God told me again. This time, I not only heard it, I have understood it and instead of just saying it I want to live it.

I don't need a roadmap or step by step directions. I only need to open my eyes to see what God is saying and what He is telling me and teaching me. I want to understand, not my plans but His.

weapons of mass DISTRACTION

Hey there friends. So its been a LONG time.... too long.

I don't have much time to write but I was thinking about this a bit and felt it was worthwhile to share with you!!!

There are 24 hours in a day.
There are 60 minutes in an hour.
That means that there are 1440 minutes in a day!
1440 minutes PER day!

And yet, even with all of that time, I still have trouble finding time to ready/pray/spend time with God. Ok maybe finding the time is not the issue, maybe its making the time....

Why with 1440 minutes cannot I not set aside 30-45 minutes to read and pray and listen to God. Can I get an AMEN?!?!?

I know that I am not the only one...
I run into people every day who if they are being honest with themselves will admit that all too often some other distraction gets their attention instead of God.

And that is exactly what happens. We get distracted.... with TV, internet, friends, phone, sports, work, family, ministry, movie, music, church, volunteering, entertaining.... or whatever. The list is endless. These things are not bad in and of themselves. It is not wrong or sinful to enjoy them. Some of the things in this list are even considered "godly." But we get distracted ... we lose focus on what is important and swap it out for something that is only temporarily fulfilling.

In all our minutes of "living" we miss the one thing that is crucial to the joy and the peace we all desire.

It is a choice...
to ignore the distractions we are bombarded with
to choose God and to make our relationship with Him at the center of who we are

This is how our lives produce fruit that will be evident to the world.
Read it. John 15. Don't take my word for it. Those are Jesus' words. That is what He says.

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples." John 15:4-8

Don't get distracted. Push those weapons aside and spend time with the Father. It will change your life.