A Breif Hiatus
I have taken a little over a week off from posting to really think about what direction I want to take with this blog. It is fair to say that as someone who graduated with a teaching degree in December and as of yet has no leads on finding a teaching job, I do a lot of thinking about my future. What many would find strange is that I am not thinking about finding a teaching job, or any other type of job, but what is God’s calling and mandate on my life. While I am concerned about finding a job, I also KNOW that God will provide the right job in HIS time, which is not always when I want it.
While seeking God’s call, I have decided to implement some other disciplines into my life. I am finishing each day off in prayer, thanking God for the blessings in my life, the people he has put in my life, and asking for His wisdom to understand the lessons He wants me to learn from each day. I am also implementing more prayer in my daily activities, such as walking through the grocery store shopping and praying for the people that come to my mind. Today it was my friend Brenton that I haven’t seen in a while and his family. I am also going to commit to working out daily for at least half an hour. I am working on determining the exercises I will use, but anything is better than the nothing I have been doing. I am cutting out a lot of the TV I have watched in the past, and will only watch a few shows per week, and work on reading and focusing on God instead.
I am somewhat worried, and concerned that I might not make it as I plan, but I want to seriously make some changes and Clean out My Temple of the junk and filth that has been holding me up as I am looking to serve God. Earlier today I had breakfast with one of the men from S.K.I.N. and during the conversation he mentioned how it is great we have a summer college ministry going, but that during most of the year the 18-25 age group is left out, and it has been stirring me all day. I mentioned to him that I might be able to try and start something like that up, and a few hours later when we were parting he told me to seriously consider it.
Right now is a time of prayer, and counting the cost. In Luke 14:25-35 Jesus talks of counting the cost and being prepared before building a structure or going to war. Do I have the time and resources needed to start something like this? Can I do this if I get the full-time position at work? Is this what I am being called to now? Really that last question is the answer to all of the other questions. If I am being called to start a ministry for the 18-20 somethings, God will provide the rest. The other question that my friend Tony talked about here is, am I willing to follow the call, or as Mark Batterson would put it, “Am I willing to chase a Lion?”
Seeking God
Ok, lets start this off with a confession. I am a sinner, in truth we are all sinners if you doubt me (not a bad idea) then check Romans 3:23 and 1 John 5:17 for starters. But lately, I do not know of any conscious sins in my life. I know there are sins there, I just am not sure what they are so I will be praying about that.
However, my personal devotion still feels empty, I feel almost constantly tempted, and I find myself feeling lost and without direction. I am seeking the Lord, and asking for wisdom, strength, and guidance. Yet i feel ignored and alone right now. This is even sillier when you consider that besides having the omnipotent, omnipresent Lord of the Universe and personal savior at my side listening, I also have a great group of guys who will meet with me, talk over the phone, and do whatever they can to help me. When I texted them that I needed prayer and was going to write this then go for a ride on my bike, I had replies form them almost instantly. But, here I am feeling alone and lost.
I think this will be a continuing post series for a while as I explore my calling and giftedness, plus all my thoughts would take far to long to write/read and would be very jumbled and incoherent right now. But, I would like some input.
How do you know what it is you are called to do?
How do you read the Bible to have it come alive for you and renew your soul daily?
If you know me, what do you see that might be sin in my life?
S.K.I.N.ed
Tuesday mornings are when the Men’s Bible study/accountability group I am in meets. The groups name is S.K.I.N. and if you ask anyone in the group why it is called that we may giggle or snicker a little and then possibly tell you, but it is a good reason. The group was originally started by the Pastor of The Worship Cafe @ Northway, Kent Chevalier.I was able to attend a few times when Kent was leading the group, but between my final semester at Slippery Rock, and going to Ireland for part of student teaching I did not get to be under his leadership of the group as much as I would have liked. Leadership has transitioned to my friend Dennis now, and while he leads the group, we all take turns running the individual meetings, and for the most part I have loved it.
Our group has been under attack from Satan lately. I know that some people might shy away from this statement, but I don’t for a few reasons. For a while this group has been challenging each other to be real, dig into God’s divine inspired word, and to do more than be hearers of the word. Five of the people in the group work with the student ministry, one person from the group works in a high school classroom. We have some room for impacting the next generation. Along with the impact we have, we were challenging each other to grow personally and in our relationships, spurring each other to “Chase our Lions”. ADD MOMENT: If that last bit confused you check out “In a Pit with a Lion
1. Have you been with a woman in any way this week that was inappropriate or could have looked to others that you were using poor judgement?
2. Have you been completely above reproach in all your financial dealings this week?
3. Have you exposed yourself to any explicit materials this week?
4. Have you spent daily time in prayer and in the Word this week?
5. Have you fulfilled the mandate of your calling this week?
6. Have you spent quality and quantity time with your family this week?
7. How did you do in your personal high-risk area this week?
8. Do you have any un-confessed sin in your life?
9. Have you just lied to me?
We also wonder if we had been asking these questions if perhaps they would have convicted our brother in Christ and helped to keep him from behind bars. It is very likely he would have done what he did anyway, but what if? Today’s group brings to mind some questions I have for you,
Do you have people in your life to hold you accountable?
Are you honest with the people you do have?
If you don’t have anyone, why?
Shaking up my devotions
I have become trapped in a pattern to my devotions. I wake up in the morning, after hitting snooze a few times I finally get out of bed and sit down on my couch to read a chapter from my Bible, Pray a little, maybe, and then go on my way. Tuesdays my day is filled with a Bible study in the morning and one in the evening, but I feel stagnant. At church today, Pastor Doug Melder, put a call out for things we needed to be delivered from, and I need to be delivered from this stagnation and begin to grow again. I have some Ideas for this, some are to change my attitude, but one main idea is changing how I start my day.
Here is my new plan: I will wake up at least 2 hours before I need to be at work, and at least 1 hour before Bible study or Church. I will start my day with tea and then singing a few songs of Praise & Worship music, any suggestions are appreciated. Then, go into really digging into The Word. I have a large copy of Matthew Henery’s Commentary, and just ordered a new commentary for James, which I will be digging into hard core. So no more “read a chapter and I am done”, no I will be really digging into the Word and examining what I am reading and what it means. I plan to follow this with some quality Prayer, not 100% on what this will look like yet, I will be looking for the Holy Spirits guidance with this.
How do you start your day?
How do you do daily devotionals?
Any suggestions for me?
Anything you need prayed for?
Tedward's Ramblings 