Genesis 1:1-2 God created the Heavens and the Earth -- all you see, all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded above the watery abyss.
We've all read and heard the first verse of the Bible hundreds of times. But do you ever just stop and contemplate the vastness of what it led to? Reread the first Chapter of Genesis every so often. On occasion, I look around me and really appreciate the beautiful scenery, whether that be the mountains or a city, but often times I am too busy to even notice.
God was blessing us abundantly before we were even created as human kind. He created the nature that surrounds us everyday: light, dark, sky, water, land, plants, sun, moon, wildlife, and us. The Google Dictionary defines nature as "the phenomena of the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, the landscape, and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to humans or human creations." What blares obviously wrong (in my opinion) about this definition is that we as humans are also part of that nature, because God created us. And I appreciate the use of the word phenomena here, because while we may not understand the vastness of nature itself, we as Christians have an answer on where it came from: God. A phenomenon is generally an occurrence that has a questionable cause.
Not only did God just create all of the nature around us, but he granted humans with the freedom to enjoy the nature and use it to our benefit, in order to live and prosper.
Saturday, September 2, 2017
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Re-Centering Myself
Hello All!
I am setting some new goals for myself in exploring the Bible (which I have lacked regularity in for the past several years). I am doing this in an effort to become more knowledgeable about the stories that should be driving my daily life, as well as putting forth an effort to recenter myself.
I am currently reading from the Message version. I enjoy reading the perspective of the editor/translator, Eugene H. Peterson, about what we should be grasping from the text ahead, how we can apply it to our lives, and the overall meaning.
I am going to begin with Genesis (what better place to start?) and work my way through without worrying about a time constraint. My goal is to work on it every day, even if it is only a couple paragraphs of reading. This does not mean I will post every day, however I'm sure I will often find something intriguing enough to share, even if it is just a verse or two.
I may also connect back with Jesus Calling on some days, but I'm going to just try to work with the time I have available and the direction my heart pulls me.
I will start with this:
From the intro to the books of Moses provided by Eugene H. Peterson in the Message
"Love is the most characteristic and comprehensive act of the human being. We are most ourselves when we love; we are most the People of God when we love. But love is not an abstract word defined out of a dictionary. In order to love maturely we have to live and absorb and enter into this world of salvation and freedom, find ourselves in the stories, become familiar with and follow the signposts, learn the life of worship, and realize our unique identity as the People of God who love (Peterson, p.17)."
This portion really captured my attention, as it relates to events in today's world, but also how it relates to how we live our lives every day. It fits in a large scale picture, as well as the small scale. (Just good Food for Thought)
In the intro to the Books of Moses, Peterson discusses in detail how the first five books are sort of like the growth of us as individuals and as the People of God.
Genesis is the Conception - creation of the People, starts small with Abraham, then "grows" the People of God through the web of Abraham's family, God starts to reveal more details, but everything still seems a bit vague
Exodus is Birth and Infancy - Moses shows up, parts the Red Sea, and the People of God are "born"; this starts their new life as free People of God. Then God starts to reveal himself to the People (like a Parent)
Leviticus is Schooling - as we may know this book of the Bible contains rules and regulations to create structure about their (our) relationship with God
Numbers is the stage of Adolescence - we are mostly grown up in the physical and mental aspects, but this is a time for discovery, sometimes rebellion, and testing of individual identity
Deuteronomy is Adulthood - a long process of continuing to grow up, understanding where we came from, living as free, transformed people in the Promised Land
And this is where that quote from above comes into play and wraps it all together, creating a beautiful "sermon and a song and a blessing."
One final quote (it's a long one, but important):
"But Genesis presents none of this to us as an abstract, bloodless "truth" or "principle." We are given a succession of stories with named people, people who loved and quarreled, believed and doubted, had children and married, experienced sin and grace. If we pay attention, we find that we ourselves are living variations on these very stories: Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and his sons, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel, Joseph and his brothers. The stories show clearly that we are never outsiders or spectators to anything in "heaven and earth." God doesn't work impersonally from space; he works with us where we are, as he finds us. No matter what we do, whether good or bad, we continue to be part of everything that God is doing. Nobody can drop out --- there's no place to drop out to. So we may as well get started and take our place in the story --- at the beginning (Peterson, p.18)."
With all of this in mind, I'm going to move forward in reading the actual text. I look forward to connecting these descriptions from Peterson to the text in order to further understand what the stories of the Bible may mean for my life today.
The above info comes directly from:
Peterson, Eugene H. The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2002. Print.
I am setting some new goals for myself in exploring the Bible (which I have lacked regularity in for the past several years). I am doing this in an effort to become more knowledgeable about the stories that should be driving my daily life, as well as putting forth an effort to recenter myself.
I am currently reading from the Message version. I enjoy reading the perspective of the editor/translator, Eugene H. Peterson, about what we should be grasping from the text ahead, how we can apply it to our lives, and the overall meaning.
I am going to begin with Genesis (what better place to start?) and work my way through without worrying about a time constraint. My goal is to work on it every day, even if it is only a couple paragraphs of reading. This does not mean I will post every day, however I'm sure I will often find something intriguing enough to share, even if it is just a verse or two.
I may also connect back with Jesus Calling on some days, but I'm going to just try to work with the time I have available and the direction my heart pulls me.
I will start with this:
From the intro to the books of Moses provided by Eugene H. Peterson in the Message
"Love is the most characteristic and comprehensive act of the human being. We are most ourselves when we love; we are most the People of God when we love. But love is not an abstract word defined out of a dictionary. In order to love maturely we have to live and absorb and enter into this world of salvation and freedom, find ourselves in the stories, become familiar with and follow the signposts, learn the life of worship, and realize our unique identity as the People of God who love (Peterson, p.17)."
This portion really captured my attention, as it relates to events in today's world, but also how it relates to how we live our lives every day. It fits in a large scale picture, as well as the small scale. (Just good Food for Thought)
In the intro to the Books of Moses, Peterson discusses in detail how the first five books are sort of like the growth of us as individuals and as the People of God.
Genesis is the Conception - creation of the People, starts small with Abraham, then "grows" the People of God through the web of Abraham's family, God starts to reveal more details, but everything still seems a bit vague
Exodus is Birth and Infancy - Moses shows up, parts the Red Sea, and the People of God are "born"; this starts their new life as free People of God. Then God starts to reveal himself to the People (like a Parent)
Leviticus is Schooling - as we may know this book of the Bible contains rules and regulations to create structure about their (our) relationship with God
Numbers is the stage of Adolescence - we are mostly grown up in the physical and mental aspects, but this is a time for discovery, sometimes rebellion, and testing of individual identity
Deuteronomy is Adulthood - a long process of continuing to grow up, understanding where we came from, living as free, transformed people in the Promised Land
And this is where that quote from above comes into play and wraps it all together, creating a beautiful "sermon and a song and a blessing."
One final quote (it's a long one, but important):
"But Genesis presents none of this to us as an abstract, bloodless "truth" or "principle." We are given a succession of stories with named people, people who loved and quarreled, believed and doubted, had children and married, experienced sin and grace. If we pay attention, we find that we ourselves are living variations on these very stories: Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and his sons, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel, Joseph and his brothers. The stories show clearly that we are never outsiders or spectators to anything in "heaven and earth." God doesn't work impersonally from space; he works with us where we are, as he finds us. No matter what we do, whether good or bad, we continue to be part of everything that God is doing. Nobody can drop out --- there's no place to drop out to. So we may as well get started and take our place in the story --- at the beginning (Peterson, p.18)."
With all of this in mind, I'm going to move forward in reading the actual text. I look forward to connecting these descriptions from Peterson to the text in order to further understand what the stories of the Bible may mean for my life today.
The above info comes directly from:
Peterson, Eugene H. The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2002. Print.
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Psalm 34:4-7 (MSG)
"God met me more than halfway, he freed me from my anxious fears. Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him. When I was desperate, I called out, and God got me out of a tight spot. God's angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray."
Friday, January 29, 2016
"God doesn't force any of this on us: God's word is personal address, inviting, commanding, challenging, rebuking, judging, comforting, directing -- but not forcing. Not coercing. We are given space and freedom to answer, to enter the conversation. For more than anything else the Bible invites our participation in the work and language of God."
-Eugene H. Peterson, The Message
-Eugene H. Peterson, The Message
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Grudges over Small Stuff
We all get mad or frustrated about little things, but some of us tend to over react and hold onto those small things for entirely too long. Think of a recent time when someone else did something that got on your nerves, got it? How long did you stay mad? Was it something that the other person could help doing or was it just an accident? Was it something within your control? Why were you even mad and why did you hold onto it?
Every 60 seconds you are angry, you lose a whole entire minute of happiness. We have got to stop stressing about stuff that is out of our control. What good is it doing? It is literally going to kill you. High and often stress is linked to shorter life. So what's the point?
I'm not pointing fingers at anyone here, because I do this more often than I realize. But we have to stop and think before we lash out at someone, because is it worth all the anger and tension? We are all just too worked up about things. Worked up about plans going just perfectly. It all just doesn't matter that much. Just go with the flow y'all. You can't worry about things as much as you do. You can't stress, because it will ALWAYS be okay, I promise you that. Because God is in charge.
Philippians 4:6-7 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
All those things are so tiny in the grand scheme of your life and of the world. It just doesn't matter that much.
So here is the challenge: take all the little things you get mad about in your life and replace them with little nice things.
Example: You get mad at a person for cutting you off on the road or there was a lot of unexpected traffic putting you an hour behind getting to your vacation destination (it was out of your control, being mad at it WILL NOT CHANGE ANYTHING for the better, it will only create a negative mood for you and everyone around you, which is not good)
So, you should replace that anger with something like surprising your friend by cooking an unplanned meal for your friend after you know they have had a hard day or asking the waiter(ess) in a restaurant for another person's check, and pay for it
The element of surprise works wonders in making another person's day. And that happy you shared with them will continue along and they will share it with someone else.
Every 60 seconds you are angry, you lose a whole entire minute of happiness. We have got to stop stressing about stuff that is out of our control. What good is it doing? It is literally going to kill you. High and often stress is linked to shorter life. So what's the point?
I'm not pointing fingers at anyone here, because I do this more often than I realize. But we have to stop and think before we lash out at someone, because is it worth all the anger and tension? We are all just too worked up about things. Worked up about plans going just perfectly. It all just doesn't matter that much. Just go with the flow y'all. You can't worry about things as much as you do. You can't stress, because it will ALWAYS be okay, I promise you that. Because God is in charge.
Philippians 4:6-7 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
All those things are so tiny in the grand scheme of your life and of the world. It just doesn't matter that much.
So here is the challenge: take all the little things you get mad about in your life and replace them with little nice things.
Example: You get mad at a person for cutting you off on the road or there was a lot of unexpected traffic putting you an hour behind getting to your vacation destination (it was out of your control, being mad at it WILL NOT CHANGE ANYTHING for the better, it will only create a negative mood for you and everyone around you, which is not good)
So, you should replace that anger with something like surprising your friend by cooking an unplanned meal for your friend after you know they have had a hard day or asking the waiter(ess) in a restaurant for another person's check, and pay for it
The element of surprise works wonders in making another person's day. And that happy you shared with them will continue along and they will share it with someone else.
Monday, April 20, 2015
Enjoy Every Day
Colossians 1:17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.
God is so much bigger than anything in this life. He is bigger than anything in your head, anything on your checklist, and he literally made everything around you. Everything is simple, you just have to let it be. You have to go with the flow and let things fall into place as God intends them too. We all waste too much time in our lives worrying and thinking about what's next. We only have so much time to enjoy our time on this beautiful planet. We never have a good enough excuse not to enjoy it every single day.
Reconsider your daily schedule, especially with the nice weather approaching, what can you do to enjoy the beauty around you? And in doing so, that will help you to take care of the body that God gave you.
There is always time for you to appreciate the beauty of God's universe. What do we have to lose?
God is so much bigger than anything in this life. He is bigger than anything in your head, anything on your checklist, and he literally made everything around you. Everything is simple, you just have to let it be. You have to go with the flow and let things fall into place as God intends them too. We all waste too much time in our lives worrying and thinking about what's next. We only have so much time to enjoy our time on this beautiful planet. We never have a good enough excuse not to enjoy it every single day.
Reconsider your daily schedule, especially with the nice weather approaching, what can you do to enjoy the beauty around you? And in doing so, that will help you to take care of the body that God gave you.
There is always time for you to appreciate the beauty of God's universe. What do we have to lose?
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Food for Thought
When you tell someone to have a good day, whether it's the cashier or your good friend, do you really mean it? Or are you just saying it because it's a formality? Switch it up next time. Research shows that when we are exposed to the same thing repetitively (hearing, seeing, etc.), we start to get used to it and therefore tend to ignore it. That is why companies change their logos, because you become immune to the current one and they want you to notice it and buy their product. So try using a different adjective or saying something completely different. Who knows, it could change their outlook on their day!
Proverbs 17:22 NLT
A cheerful heart is good medicine,
But a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Proverbs 17:22 NLT
A cheerful heart is good medicine,
But a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
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