Convenience

• Microwave versus oven
• Ready made meals rather than homemade
• Television over books
• E-mail/Phone/Text instead of talking in person
• Using the snowblower instead of shoveling
• Driving two blocks instead of walking
• Relationships with “safe”, easy, already in your life people rather than taking risks

The list goes on…convenience can sometimes be a wonderful, wonderful thing.  Honestly, I’m glad snowblowers were invented and that we don’t have to use fireplaces to heat our homes!  I like being warm!

At the same time, I wonder if sometimes taking the convenient way or choosing something for its convenience hinders us from seeing, utilizing, or enjoying something else.  I find myself lacking patience.  I don’t want to wait 30 minutes to cook something in the oven…but let’s be honest, some things need to be cooked in the oven!  As such, sometimes we need to put aside convenience and embrace other choices.

Sexually Charged Culture

I listened to a sermon entitled “Sexual Sin” by Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church, today from his “Religion Saves and Nine Other Misconceptions” series.  This series came out of the “Ask Anything” challenge.  Basically, people were allowed to write in answers and then vote for their favorites.  The top nine questions make up the sermon series.

Now that you have a little background…I’ll get to a few of the thoughts that stood out from the sermon I listened to tonight.

1. Don’t try to manage or tolerate or suppress your sin.  Put it to death!  Legitimizing, justifying, and judging sin hinders us.  Sin leads to death.  Sin separates us from God.  Jesus died so that we could put sin to death.  (See Colossians 3:5-8)

2. Driscoll suggested fasting from television, your ipod, the computer, the radio, ect. for a few days and then returning to see just how “sexually charged” our culture is.  For me, the hardest part would be the internet…I use it FAR too much.  I waste time looking at things that are really not worth it in the long run such as Steep and Cheap, REI, Facebook, and my e-mail for the hundredth time.   I’m pondering doing a variation of this challenge.  I’ll keep you posted.

3. Number 3 of “How to Resist Sexual Temptation” consisted of living as a new person with a new mind.  This included not viewing men or women as potential sexual partners but as brothers and sisters in Christ.  I think you could rephrase this to not seeing men or women as potential boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, cuddling buddies, friends with benefits, ect.  Personally, I’ve found myself with a little crush that turns into a downward cycle of temptation that does not honor that person as a brother in Christ but sees him rather as someone who I could date, kiss, cuddle, befriend ect.   I could add a lot of disclaimers to this and further the thought, but I think for now I’ll leave it at that.

4. Who or what do you worship other than God? Sex? Television? Sports? Relationships? Success? Money? Good looks? Weight? Books? Authors? Pets?
Worship the Creator not Creation

p.s. I’m impressed with my newfound skill of in-text links! 🙂

How far is the east from the west???

How often do we find ourselves fixating on our past sins?! I may even question…do we worship our sin? I find myself doing this FAR too often! I dwell on the sin. I let the sin define me. I find doing these things much easier than letting God define me, letting God forgive my sin and remove my transgressions as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103). God doesn’t want us to worship our sin! He desires for ALL of creation to worship and glorify Him (Psalm 148). Not only does He call on humans, but He calls on the sun, the moon, the mountains, and the animals among others to praise Him.

Furthermore, we are called to throw off everything that hinders us–including the sin that so easily entangles us (Hebrews 12:1). Instead, let us fill ourselves with God; let us keep all these wrong things (sin included) from coming to our minds. Let God define us, let God fill us. Let us set our mind on things above (Colossians 3:2).

—
Other verses to ponder: James 5, Galatians 2:20, Hebrews 12, 1 John 1:8-10

– Some thoughts included are from the Hope Community Church sermon on February 27th, 2005 http://www.hopecc.com/sundays/sermons_archive.html

Plans

I’m a planner.  I make plans, make back-up plans, back-up of the back-up plan, and so forth.  I package up this nice, neat red ribboned box of how everything should go and often get upset or disappointed when the plan does not happen.  Though, most of the time what does happen turns out even better or at least I adjust and learn to enjoy anyway.  So, why do I still plan?? I feel safe.  I feel in control.  I have direction.  For me, plans can motivate, inspire and provide a goal, but they can also hinder and restrict.

My plans to go to college and graduate school helped motivate me to perform well in school.  Planning to transfer pushed me to go through the application process, trust, and step into an unknown situation.  Planning to spend time reading the Bible, devotions, in prayer, with friends, ect. all have sometimes allowed me to positively use my time and resources.

Yet, sometimes my plans consist of the “expected” or “safe” thing to do.  For example, I expected and those around me expected I would go to some sort of graduate school or law school right after college…yet that does not seem to be happening anytime soon.  Even though I was unsure and did not really know if I wanted to go, I still went right ahead and planned and acted as if I were going to go.  These type of plans can narrow my vision and place me in another cookie-cutter life plan chasing after “success.”

Here are the verses my NASB Concordance came up with under plan:

PLAN design, scheme

Exodus 26:30

Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to its plan which you have been shown in the mountain.

Isaiah 25:1

O Lord, You are my God;

I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name;

For You have worked wonders,

Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness

Jeremiah 18:12

But they will say, “It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.”

Acts 2:23

this Man was delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.

For the first time in a VERY long time, I am plan-less.  I have no clue what I’ll be doing next week let alone a month or two from now.  The only thing I know is that I have housing until May–even that I could leave if I absolutely needed to (I don’t plan on doing that though!).  Also, I don’t have another person to factor into my plans/actions.  Oddly freeing, yet ridiculously sad and scary.  Not going to lie, I miss my plans…

-Katy Rose

p.s. I’m getting a mac!