Posted by Trudy
Hey Ms. Team!
If you have been with us from the beginning on Facebook (January 2011) you might be on your 16th verse today. If you joined us mid-way you might be on your 4th. Either way you are miles richer than when you started!
My verse this week was inspired through a message Brad gave at BCC several Sundays ago. I knew as soon as it came out of his mouth that it needed to land on my list of memory verses. Like a tired runner on a long incline I was ready to reach the crest and get a little victory in this area.
Here it is:
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. Proverbs 29:25 (NIV)
I am memorizing it in this version too:
The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that. Proverbs 29:25 (The Message).
This one needs to invade my heart & mind over and over and over until I finally just give up and invite it to take up residence.
How about you? What are you working on? (And if you want to share why, feel free to add that too)
You are so loved here!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
Ms. Team (Memorizing Scripture): Third Post
Posted by Trudy
Yesterday I drove past the Asheville Airport and saw a dad and his 2 young boys in a parking lot watching the planes take off and land. With necks craned back I watched the excitement on their faces as the powerful roar of jet engines passed over them. It immediately took me back to my own childhood when my mother would take my brother and sister and I to the landing strip and we’d watch the jets come in, waiting for that extra special one that was piloted by my dad.
I’ll never forget the awe of it.
Or the simplicity of it.
In today’s fast moving culture where i-phones, i-pads and laptops are king and information drips into our minds like a constant leaky faucet, I find myself longing for quiet interludes of simple things.
A card game around the kitchen table with my family, a trip to cool off in the nearest waterfall, a backyard pickup game of volleyball.
Nothing fancy, complicated or expensive. Just simple things that have the capacity to enliven and renew.
I think that’s one reason why I treasure memorizing Scripture so much. It doesn’t take a commentary, the latest Bible software or any long complicated "how to" steps. You need no special devices dependent on charged batteries. Its just you and the Word and the simple act of repeating a passage over and over and over until it finally becomes a part of you.
Simple.
Yet profoundly deep.
And I know in my heart this one simple act opens the way to the unplumbed depths of God.
Nothing can be more invigorating than that.
Thanks for joining me in this journey!
PS Some of you have had some problems posting here. After you press post a comment you need to select a profile and the easiest way if you don't have a google account is to press anonymous then you can sign your post at the end if you like. Don't give up girls! We'll get this worked out.
Yesterday I drove past the Asheville Airport and saw a dad and his 2 young boys in a parking lot watching the planes take off and land. With necks craned back I watched the excitement on their faces as the powerful roar of jet engines passed over them. It immediately took me back to my own childhood when my mother would take my brother and sister and I to the landing strip and we’d watch the jets come in, waiting for that extra special one that was piloted by my dad.
I’ll never forget the awe of it.
Or the simplicity of it.
In today’s fast moving culture where i-phones, i-pads and laptops are king and information drips into our minds like a constant leaky faucet, I find myself longing for quiet interludes of simple things.
A card game around the kitchen table with my family, a trip to cool off in the nearest waterfall, a backyard pickup game of volleyball.
Nothing fancy, complicated or expensive. Just simple things that have the capacity to enliven and renew.
I think that’s one reason why I treasure memorizing Scripture so much. It doesn’t take a commentary, the latest Bible software or any long complicated "how to" steps. You need no special devices dependent on charged batteries. Its just you and the Word and the simple act of repeating a passage over and over and over until it finally becomes a part of you.
Simple.
Yet profoundly deep.
And I know in my heart this one simple act opens the way to the unplumbed depths of God.
Nothing can be more invigorating than that.
Thanks for joining me in this journey!
PS Some of you have had some problems posting here. After you press post a comment you need to select a profile and the easiest way if you don't have a google account is to press anonymous then you can sign your post at the end if you like. Don't give up girls! We'll get this worked out.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Today has been rough
Today has been rough. I won’t sugarcoat it…it’s been the kind of day when you ponder (no, question would be more appropriately stated) God’s work in your life. You know…the “why did that happen to me?” kind of day.
So as I was “pondering” (i.e. complaining) to God, I asked what difference it made if I was following His will instead of my own. And what was God trying to teach me through the circumstances of my life anyway?
The answer was simple. “My will shall be done on earth, as it is in heaven. I am teaching you obedience, because in heaven, your will won’t matter. Only mine will be done. And I need to know that you will do it….now….on earth.”
Now for those of you who don’t believe God speaks to you, I regret to say I cannot apologize. He does speak. The question lies in whether or not we are willing to listen to His voice.
If we are saved by the blood of Jesus, then we have the Holy Spirit living in us. And that Spirit reminds us of everything that Jesus has said to us. So when I “hear” things like “My will shall be done on earth, as it is in heaven”, then I know God is speaking to me loud and clear, because He said this to me in His word. (see Matthew 6:10).
Back to the question at hand…What difference does it make it I am following Your will instead of my own?
Think about it for a minute.
My will gets me into financial difficulty. My will might bring me momentary pleasure, but it will surely be fraught with anxiety and worry after the pleasure ceases. My will has me turn back from taking that job that is out of my comfort zone. My will causes me to never reach out to that hurting teenager who is pregnant, but can’t tell her parents.
But God’s will, now that is something altogether different. God’s will directs me to stay out of the stores when the paycheck is slow in coming. God’s will keeps me from the bars and the enticements of promises never kept. God’s will puts me in a job where I have to depend on Him to help me overcome my fear of failure. God’s will causes me to drive to the Crisis Pregnancy Center to volunteer on a Saturday when I would rather be home in my garden.
I read this morning in 2 Thessalonians 3:3: Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ. And I pondered on that all day long.
I dare say that God – in the wee early hours of the morning – was directing me to remember that Christ, in His patience, waited for me to acknowledge and accept His love for me.
So now – at the close of this day - may the Lord direct my heart into the love of God.
And as my heart is directed into the love of God, I am confident that I will desire nothing less than to do His will on earth, as I will one day do in heaven. Oh God, unite my heart to fear Your Name. (Ps. 86:11)
Oh, how He loves you and me.
So as I was “pondering” (i.e. complaining) to God, I asked what difference it made if I was following His will instead of my own. And what was God trying to teach me through the circumstances of my life anyway?
The answer was simple. “My will shall be done on earth, as it is in heaven. I am teaching you obedience, because in heaven, your will won’t matter. Only mine will be done. And I need to know that you will do it….now….on earth.”
Now for those of you who don’t believe God speaks to you, I regret to say I cannot apologize. He does speak. The question lies in whether or not we are willing to listen to His voice.
If we are saved by the blood of Jesus, then we have the Holy Spirit living in us. And that Spirit reminds us of everything that Jesus has said to us. So when I “hear” things like “My will shall be done on earth, as it is in heaven”, then I know God is speaking to me loud and clear, because He said this to me in His word. (see Matthew 6:10).
Back to the question at hand…What difference does it make it I am following Your will instead of my own?
Think about it for a minute.
My will gets me into financial difficulty. My will might bring me momentary pleasure, but it will surely be fraught with anxiety and worry after the pleasure ceases. My will has me turn back from taking that job that is out of my comfort zone. My will causes me to never reach out to that hurting teenager who is pregnant, but can’t tell her parents.
But God’s will, now that is something altogether different. God’s will directs me to stay out of the stores when the paycheck is slow in coming. God’s will keeps me from the bars and the enticements of promises never kept. God’s will puts me in a job where I have to depend on Him to help me overcome my fear of failure. God’s will causes me to drive to the Crisis Pregnancy Center to volunteer on a Saturday when I would rather be home in my garden.
I read this morning in 2 Thessalonians 3:3: Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ. And I pondered on that all day long.
I dare say that God – in the wee early hours of the morning – was directing me to remember that Christ, in His patience, waited for me to acknowledge and accept His love for me.
So now – at the close of this day - may the Lord direct my heart into the love of God.
And as my heart is directed into the love of God, I am confident that I will desire nothing less than to do His will on earth, as I will one day do in heaven. Oh God, unite my heart to fear Your Name. (Ps. 86:11)
Oh, how He loves you and me.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Breathe on me breath of God
Sometimes an old hymn springs up in the forefront of my mind and though I may try, it will not be pushed back. This morning is such a time, and the voice of my mother singing next to me seated in the old wooden pews of my childhood church still echoes delight to my soul….
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
fill me with life anew,
that I may love what thou dost love,
and do what thou wouldst do.
That is my prayer this morning….that I would be filled with new life, and that I would love and do what God loves, and what God does. Jesus said that He did what He saw His Father doing. It is possible…
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
until my heart is pure,
until with thee I will one will,
to do and to endure.
Endurance. Wow, I’ve been here before. By definition, endurance is to possess the ability or power to bear prolonged exertion, pain or hardship. Childbirth comes to mind. But so does losing my husband. And later in life my job. And what about caring for that aging parent who may not even remember you some days? I’ll wager you have known the exertion, pain and hardship as have I. But have you endured? Have I? That is my prayer…that I will.
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
till I am wholly thine,
till all this earthly part of me
glows with thy fire divine.
Being wholly God’s…it is possible. It’s called surrender, and the word has been used so often that we let it pass over our lips without much pondering anymore. Surrendering involves a certain giving up, and giving in. Giving up our rights and giving in to God’s will. But the end result is that our inner fighting and conflict will cease. Why wouldn’t I want that? Make me wholly Yours, God. Make me willing to be made willing.
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
so shall I never die,
but live with thee the perfect life
of thine eternity.
And that’s the end result. Life eternal with God, not apart from Him. Life eternal is a sure thing whether it is with God, or apart from Him. May we choose life in God’s presence, even while we are here on this earth.
Amen (so be it).
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
fill me with life anew,
that I may love what thou dost love,
and do what thou wouldst do.
That is my prayer this morning….that I would be filled with new life, and that I would love and do what God loves, and what God does. Jesus said that He did what He saw His Father doing. It is possible…
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
until my heart is pure,
until with thee I will one will,
to do and to endure.
Endurance. Wow, I’ve been here before. By definition, endurance is to possess the ability or power to bear prolonged exertion, pain or hardship. Childbirth comes to mind. But so does losing my husband. And later in life my job. And what about caring for that aging parent who may not even remember you some days? I’ll wager you have known the exertion, pain and hardship as have I. But have you endured? Have I? That is my prayer…that I will.
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
till I am wholly thine,
till all this earthly part of me
glows with thy fire divine.
Being wholly God’s…it is possible. It’s called surrender, and the word has been used so often that we let it pass over our lips without much pondering anymore. Surrendering involves a certain giving up, and giving in. Giving up our rights and giving in to God’s will. But the end result is that our inner fighting and conflict will cease. Why wouldn’t I want that? Make me wholly Yours, God. Make me willing to be made willing.
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
so shall I never die,
but live with thee the perfect life
of thine eternity.
And that’s the end result. Life eternal with God, not apart from Him. Life eternal is a sure thing whether it is with God, or apart from Him. May we choose life in God’s presence, even while we are here on this earth.
Amen (so be it).
Monday, July 25, 2011
Ms. Team (Memorizing Scripture): Second Post
posted by Trudy
Hey there you memorizing machines!
Have I mentioned lately I am so thrilled to traverse this path of memorizing the "Scripts" with you. (Hear that last term with all the reverence in the world. There is nothing I fear or love more than the Lord and His Word and knowing God to be One who desires to communicate in relevant ways, I just think He is okay in this age of "texting" and "twitter" that we abbreviate as long as we don’t dishonor Him).
I am not about numbers, but I am about getting as many as possible hooked on God’s Word so if you know anyone who wants to jump in this journey with us for the next 6 months then direct them here!
I also wanted to tell you that if I am just moving way too slow for you with memorizing 2 verses a month by all means you jump back on here and post as much as you want under this heading until I post the "Ms. Team Third Post" on August 8th - then start posting under that one. That is exactly what my buddy Chris did and I so loved her enthusiasm that I wanted ya’ll all to know you are quite welcome to post as many as you want! If 2 verses a month are good for you then that is cool too.
Okay here is mine. It is one that is very familiar to me but after attending a women’s conference this week and studying it under one of my favorite Bible teachers I knew immediately it was going to have to be the next one on my memory list. I don’t have it down perfectly yet but its what I am working on this week
Trudy, Deuteronomy 30:19-20a (NIV)
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life...
Your up Ms. Team...what cha been working on? Press "Post a Comment" and share away...
Hey there you memorizing machines!
Have I mentioned lately I am so thrilled to traverse this path of memorizing the "Scripts" with you. (Hear that last term with all the reverence in the world. There is nothing I fear or love more than the Lord and His Word and knowing God to be One who desires to communicate in relevant ways, I just think He is okay in this age of "texting" and "twitter" that we abbreviate as long as we don’t dishonor Him).
I am not about numbers, but I am about getting as many as possible hooked on God’s Word so if you know anyone who wants to jump in this journey with us for the next 6 months then direct them here!
I also wanted to tell you that if I am just moving way too slow for you with memorizing 2 verses a month by all means you jump back on here and post as much as you want under this heading until I post the "Ms. Team Third Post" on August 8th - then start posting under that one. That is exactly what my buddy Chris did and I so loved her enthusiasm that I wanted ya’ll all to know you are quite welcome to post as many as you want! If 2 verses a month are good for you then that is cool too.
Okay here is mine. It is one that is very familiar to me but after attending a women’s conference this week and studying it under one of my favorite Bible teachers I knew immediately it was going to have to be the next one on my memory list. I don’t have it down perfectly yet but its what I am working on this week
Trudy, Deuteronomy 30:19-20a (NIV)
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life...
Your up Ms. Team...what cha been working on? Press "Post a Comment" and share away...
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Reflections on Ruth: Waiting
I bet many of you have not yet met Tracey McMahan because she is brand new to town. But once you do get to know her you will love her. I have had the pleasure of getting to know both her and her sweet mother, Joanie, through the ladies evening Bible Study. Enjoy the wisdom in one of her reflections on Ruth.....
Driving behind a pokey driver when I’m already late for work.
Standing in line at the grocery store with two whiny, hungry kids.
Counting down the days before a loved one arrives for a long overdue visit.
Who likes to wait? Waiting can be hard! Especially for the big things in life – test results, a family member stationed overseas, a first baby.
This week I thought about how hard waiting can be as I considered the final verses of Ruth chapter 3 (vv. 10-18). For some time Ruth had been working around Boaz, watching the respect he showed to his field hands, experiencing his kindness toward her. Then at the urging of her mother-in-law, she made her affections known to the man who was her kinsman-redeemer. Boaz responded in kind, yet reminded her that one man, a closer relative, might stand in the way of their marriage plans. So he asked Ruth to wait.
Often our Kinsman-Redeemer asks us to wait as well. To wait for that special someone to come along. To wait for a prodigal child to find his way back home. To wait for Him to answer a desire of our heart.
So how can we respond to our seasons of waiting? We can wait with a worry and a frown or patiently without fretting (Ps. 37:7). We can wait hopelessly or expectantly, trusting Him to answer in His perfect time (Ps. 38:15). We can wait with grumbling and complaints or quietly, relying on His faithfulness (Lam. 3:22-26). The decision is ours, because often we have no choice but to wait.
I admit that I have occasionally wasted a particular season of waiting instead of using the opportunity to draw nearer to my own Kinsman-Redeemer. In God’s economy, waiting has a purpose. Perhaps He wants to grow my patience. Perhaps He wants to measure my reliance on Him. Or perhaps, just perhaps He has something to teach me that I wouldn’t learn any other way. Something profound and meaningful and tailor-made just for me. Something I would have missed in my otherwise hurry-up, “happen right now” kind of world.
And so in His strength (and with an occasional reminder to myself), I will be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him. Easier said than done, right?
But so worth the blessing that often accompanies a season of waiting.
“The LORD longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!” (Isaiah 30:18).
Monday, July 11, 2011
Ms. Team (Memorizing Scripture): First Post
Posted by Trudy
Okay Ms. Team here we go....
We are going to be a smaller team than what we started out with in January but don’t let that discourage you. Some of the group needed to step out because they are leading others in a variety of capacities - some are even leading others in memorizing Scripture so those are all good things.
Since I made this personal commitment for 12 months I am in it until December, Lord willing, and am very grateful to have some fellow sisters to cross this finish line with. Thank you, Thank you Thank you for hanging in there with me. We even have a few new faces joining in for these final six months so that will make it even better.
I want to tell you up front that memorizing God’s Word is not going to please our adversary so expect a fight. He would love for us to have nothing to do with God’s Word, much less memorize it so it can be constantly at work in our hearts and minds. If you started in January and have made it this far, you know what I’m talking about. You have likely fought off all kinds of discouragement, distractions, and the lure to throw in the towel and quit. I respect you so much that you have hung in there. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. Lets link arms and decide that we will fight off the enemy on each others behalf as we encourage each other to keep running this race to the finish line.
Okay here’s some logistics.
This will be our first chance to post what we are memorizing on the blog. This may take a little trial and error but if for some reason the comment button at the end of this post will not let you comment then email me and I’ll see if I can help.
Here’s a recap of what we are doing:
1. You choose any verse you want to memorize and start working on it. (2 per month)
2. You post it here under the comment section on the 2nd & 4th Mondays of each month (for July that will be July 11th and 25th. I will open with a post specifically for the Ms. Team)
3. You continue to review your previous verses as you memorize new ones and at the end of our 6-month run we will get together and celebrate the 12 verses you have memorized. (If you are continuing on from the original team who started in January you will have 24 verses...wow!)
For any readers who didn’t hear about this previously but would like to join us feel free to jump in anytime. You are always welcome here no matter what your starting point is.
Are we ready?
Give us your verse, the reference, the version of the Bible it's from and your name.
Here’s mine:
Trudy
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 2 Cor. 9:6 NIV
Your up....
Okay Ms. Team here we go....
We are going to be a smaller team than what we started out with in January but don’t let that discourage you. Some of the group needed to step out because they are leading others in a variety of capacities - some are even leading others in memorizing Scripture so those are all good things.
Since I made this personal commitment for 12 months I am in it until December, Lord willing, and am very grateful to have some fellow sisters to cross this finish line with. Thank you, Thank you Thank you for hanging in there with me. We even have a few new faces joining in for these final six months so that will make it even better.
I want to tell you up front that memorizing God’s Word is not going to please our adversary so expect a fight. He would love for us to have nothing to do with God’s Word, much less memorize it so it can be constantly at work in our hearts and minds. If you started in January and have made it this far, you know what I’m talking about. You have likely fought off all kinds of discouragement, distractions, and the lure to throw in the towel and quit. I respect you so much that you have hung in there. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. Lets link arms and decide that we will fight off the enemy on each others behalf as we encourage each other to keep running this race to the finish line.
Okay here’s some logistics.
This will be our first chance to post what we are memorizing on the blog. This may take a little trial and error but if for some reason the comment button at the end of this post will not let you comment then email me and I’ll see if I can help.
Here’s a recap of what we are doing:
1. You choose any verse you want to memorize and start working on it. (2 per month)
2. You post it here under the comment section on the 2nd & 4th Mondays of each month (for July that will be July 11th and 25th. I will open with a post specifically for the Ms. Team)
3. You continue to review your previous verses as you memorize new ones and at the end of our 6-month run we will get together and celebrate the 12 verses you have memorized. (If you are continuing on from the original team who started in January you will have 24 verses...wow!)
For any readers who didn’t hear about this previously but would like to join us feel free to jump in anytime. You are always welcome here no matter what your starting point is.
Are we ready?
Give us your verse, the reference, the version of the Bible it's from and your name.
Here’s mine:
Trudy
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 2 Cor. 9:6 NIV
Your up....
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