Dave Ramsey said…
I don’t know how many of you have ever heard that phrase uttered, but for me the happy-go-lucky, free-spirited spender those words can be a death-blow to a future purchase. Or so I thought.
I have a few friends who had read Dave Ramsey’s books, and were working a budget and had mentioned it to me a few times. I mostly ignored it, I was doing ok, right? I mean yeah I had a little credit card debt, but so does everyone else, right? God kind of hit me between the eyes a week or two ago and got me to pay attention. Nothing major financially happened, there was no emergency, God just grabbed ahold of me and made me realize that I am not being a good steward of His finances He is blessing me with, and I need to get my act together. I think some might call it growing up a little.
So I borrowed The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
The interesting thing is, now that I have read The total money Makeover, and I am reading through Financial Peace Revisited, I am building up my arsenal of quotes where I find myself telling others “Well, Dave Ramsey said…”
Wrestling with God
I feel like I might better understand the term wrestling with God after last night. It was a mostly sleepless night, and I spent a lot of time prayerfully researching an organization I have been invited to join, and I felt God leading me to say no, but I wanted to find a reason to say yes. Needless to say wrestling with God is tiring and frustrating, especially when you know that you should have just listened to Him in the first place. I might post some more information about this shortly, but for now I am just asking for prayers to stay strong and follow what I know is God leading me away from this organization.
p.s. – no this organization was not a job, just thought I should make that clear
Special Education and Unclean Spirits
I know that what I am going to write about here might be controversial to some, and that to others it might be considered offensive, I am sorry you feel that way, but I think this needs to be asked. Before I go further I would like to say that while I am a certified elementary teacher, I have only had one special education class but for my purpose that is enough for now. Also, I do not feel that every student in special education settings has an unclean spirit (demon) in them, but even if only a small percentage of them did what a difference we could make.
As I was preparing for my small group study tonight I was struck with an idea because of my experiences subbing for a life skills, special education class this week. The thought that came to me was “Whatever happened to the idea and understanding of demons or unclean spirits causing problems that are commonly associated with severely handicapped and special needs students?” The Idea continued to grow as I thought about different stories from the Bible when Jesus or his disciples would cast out demons from people that had crippled the, made them blind, unable to speak or both, or prone to seizures that would throw them into the fire (Mat 8:28, Mat 8:28, Mat 9:32-33, Mat 12:22, Mar 5:1-16, Mar 9:17-27, Luk 8:27-33, Luk 9:42).
Because I believe the Bible is the true and in inspired word of God, and that the stories and teachings from Jesus’ life are correct I believe these events occurred. I also believe that the Holy Spirit is still active and providing healing and other miracles today. If we take these two beliefs and bring them together with the stories I highlighted I have to ask what happened to casting unclean spirits out to heal these maladies? I am aware that not everyone was healed this way. One great example of this is John 5:1-9, Jesus is walking by the pool at the Sheep Gate. As he walks by he is lead to call out to one man in the multitude of “blind, lame, and paralyzed” people and heal him. What about all of the others? They were not healed that way, many may never have been healed on this side of eternity, but one was. So my question is, as those who love and look after special education students, should we not be looking for those that the Holy Spirit will heal and praying for God to let loose a miracle and free them from their affliction?
I do not have any answers here, just questions and I would love to hear what you have to say about this.
Temporary Home
The other day when commenting on the new healthcare bill, and my feelings on the matter I made the comment comment that I am frustrated and upset, but I have hope because of 2 things. 1) God is in control, regardless of what things might look like on the surface, I know God is in control. 2) No matter what happens this is just my temporary assignment, I have not yet gone to my true home. To go along with the second reason my sister introduced me to a great song by Carrie Underwood today called Temporary home check out the video and lyrics below. It is important to keep this in mind.
LYRICS:
Little boy, six years old
A little too used to being alone
Another new mom and dad, another school
Another house that’ll never be homeWhen people ask him how he likes this place
He looks up and says with a smile upon his faceThis is my temporary home
It’s not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I’m passing through
This is just a stop on the way to where I’m going
I’m not afraid because I know
This is my temporary homeMmmmm
A young mom on her own
She needs a little help, got no where to go
She’s looking for a job, looking for a way out
‘Cause a half-way house will never be a homeAt night she whispers to her baby girl
Someday we’ll find our place here in this worldThis is our temporary home
It’s not where we belong
Windows and rooms that we’re passing through
This is just a stop on the way to where we’re going
I’m not afraid because I know
This is our temporary homeOld man, hospital bed
The room is filled with people he loves
And he whispers, “don’t cry for me,
I’ll see you all someday”He looks up and says,
“I can see God’s face”This is my temporary home
It’s not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I’m passing through
This was just a stop on the way to where I’m going
I’m not afraid because I know
This was my temporary homeMmmmm
This is our temporary home
More Posts to Come
Well tonight at my small group meeting we were discussing Chapter 5 of the book Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth
After sharing this story I also shared that I missed having the time to do this, so I made a promise. Starting next Saturday, March 13, 2010, I will read a chapter throughout the week, multiple times, and then journal and post about it here on my blog Saturday some time. So, I am committing to at least 1 blog post a week, I am hoping it might become more.
Lent
This is just a quick post, at about 2:03 am on Feb 18th I have decided to give up something for Lent. What will be challenging for me with this Lent sacrifice is that I am not giving up a physical thin necessarily, but I am going to work to give up spending my time and money on me. I am still prayerfully considering what this will look like, but I have some ideas.
I will not be spending money to buy food for myself only. Now I could get legalistic with this, but that is not the idea. What I mean is that if I am buying groceries for my family, thats fine. If I go out on a date and we are going to a resturant I will buy food for them and for myself. What this also means is no buying sodas for myself when I am at work, no buying snacks, I need to plan ahead and have food and drinks where I am going of be happy eating and drinking water (yes I know technically its not eating water, unless its ice).
This also means that the new snow pants/jacket I wanted to buy is out the window. The LED flashlight, not for me. New videoo games, even when using RewardZone points so as I am not paying for them, no more. I am committing to not by myself anything for the next 40 days. How will I do, I don’t know. I am however, incredibly excited and scared to see what amazing lessons God has for me in this experience.
Whiter than Snow
Riding in the car with my mom today I was looking out the windows at the snow. Living near Pittsburgh, there is a lot of it out the window to look at. I have piles along my driveway that are at least 3ft tall, and may around my cul-de-sac much larger. But, what I noticed today was the dark, dirty, ugly snow along the side of the road. Not only was it along the edge of the road, but because a plow had been by recently that dirty disgusting snow had been flung into the clean white snow further in. And my mind traveled to
Psalm 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
In Psalm 51 David is coming before God and admitting his sin. He is testifying to the fact that he has sinned, and asking God to forgive him and to cleanse him so he might spread God’s message and sing praise once again. I know that a lot of people know this verse, even if they don’t know where to find it (I admittedly knew the verse and the reference to snow, but had to do a search to see where it was in the Bible).
When I thought of this verse and its reference to being washed whiter than snow I thought of the pure, white pristine snow. To bee whiter than that, to be clean and pure before God is an Awesome thought. Then I see this dirty snow, encroaching on t pure white snow. It starts at the edge, just some dirty slush, turning the snow near it a dingy brow. But as time goes by vehicles go by splashing it further and further into the pure white snow. Then a plow drives by with the scoop down and the dirty slush is flung a few feet into the snow. Its dirty brown marks all over what was once pristine white snow.
I saw this and I thought about my own life. How I come before God, acknowledge my sin and struggles. I am reminded that by Christ’s sacrifice I am forgiven and washed clean. I am made whiter than snow. But, if I do not do this continually throughout the day, if I do not take the time to read my Bible, to praise and pray to God throughout the day, I soon become like the snow on the side of the road. I get a dark edge to me, I notice myself becoming more agitated with customers, or annoyed by family members. If I continue like this people continue moving through my life and like the cars they stir up the slush, they splash it on the pure white areas near the edge. I might act on my frustration, treat a customer rudely, or yell at my brother or sister. Eventually some stressor comes along that acts like the plow and just flings the filth further into my life. I watch a show I shouldn’t, I keep looking at a woman and let my mind drift, I become covered in the dirt and grime of the world.
What I took from this thought, this visual expression that came to mind is that I need to daily continually come before the Lord and be cleansed. I need to seek God out and have him wash me as the day goes on. I cannot just be washed once and be clean forever, much like the snow keeps coming here in Pittsburgh, and falling atop the old dirty snow making everything clean and white again, I need to continue to seek out God and have him make me whiter than snow day after day.
Blizzard of 2010
I live about 30 min North of Pittsburgh and this past Friday we got dumped on by snow. When my family went to shovel out our cars and our driveway Saturday morning a neighbor went to the center of our cul-de-sac and measured 21.5″ of snow. A great experience came out of this snow storm, and it was all of the neighbors in our cul-de-sac helping each other clear our driveways, and helping to dig out the snow plows that got stuck. It was great watching everyone come together and lend a helping hand, to watch neighbor helping neighbor.
Some pictures form that can be found here
It took three hours to shovel everyone out, and then we got a reprise. An hour later we put the snow blower, and shovels into the back of my dad’s truck and went off to shovel out my brother. We got there and I manned the snow blower to take care of their alleyway and the area in front of their garage. While I was doing this Matt and Dad used the shovels to clear out the path form the garage to the house, and from the house to the front gate. I also used the snow blower to go down their sidewalk. When I got to the end I ran into my brother’s neighbor who thanked me for taking care of that part for him.
My small group has finished reading Forgotten God , we have just started to read through Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth
Challenged at a Resturant
Today was the first time I was able and motivated enough to make it to S.K.I.N. in a month or more. During this time I have worked most fo the Tuesday mornings at a school, and going for 20-30 min before leaving for the school just was not working. But i had 2 morning where I ended up without a subbing position, and had just gone back to sleep. Today we looked at Joel 1, and had some interesting disscussions, but where I was challenged more was at breakfast afterwards.
After S.K.I.N. I wanted to go to Azzeria for breakfast (a slice of red with pepperoni btw), one of the guys said he would meet me there and we left. The other gentleman never arrived, he had to run errands and texted me an apology. After I placed my order I began to talk to the gentleman who had taken my order about youth group, and the guy who was not going to be meeting me. As we continued to talk I shared that I had studied Youth ministry for a year out in Chicago, and he talked about having studied it at Geneva. He began sharing how he stopped doing Youth Ministry when he realized that he as a man at that point in his life he didn’t know how to be a husband, or a father, and the family should be the center of the youth ministry. How could he as a young man stand up and have credibility in a youth group that was focused on fun and games and did not prepare the students to be Godly men and women when they left. As he talked I saw his passion for pouring into the students he worked with, and the families he knows to build relationships and encourage families to grow together with a Biblical foundation. The man leading the family and loving his wife as Christ loved the church. Fathers showing sons how to live with integrity and humility. Listening to him, I was was struck to the quick. I feel as if I am a boy playing at being a young man. While I am in a mens group, and lead a study for 20 somethings, I do not feel like I am ready to be a husband, or a father any time soon. I trust God is building me up and preparing me, but how could I better prepare the students I work with to be ready not only for college, but to become someones husband, someones father? How can I prepare myself, but at the same time help to prepare the students I work with?
This is where I turn to you, the people who are reading this and ask you for your input. Are there any great books you have read? Are there any workshops you would recommend? How can I become a better youth group leader, but also how can I better prepare myself for these challenges, that I will hopefully face sometime in the not so distant future?
Thoughts on God’s Will
As I have shared before I have been on a journey to find “God’s Will” for my life, and I have had an interesting response to this. For a while I felt that I was lost and just going through the motions, but I have recently been awakened and shaken from this thought, and some of that is due to the book Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will
Kevin talks about three unique aspects to God’s will that can cause us to get confused when talking about it. The first is God’s will of decree, as DeYoung says in his book “This refers to what God has ordained. Everything that comes to pass is according to God’s sovereign decree. And all that he decrees will ultimately come to pass.” The second aspect of God’s will is His will of desire, which refers to what God has commanded us to do. God’s will of desire is how He wants us to act and behave. Now many of you will ask how can God decree all that happens, and then hold US accountable for our actions. I don’t have a great answer for you, all I can say is that the Bible clearly affirms both aspects of God’s will, and he exists beyond my comprehension so I will trust Him. Finally if God’s will of direction, what most people refer to when saying they are looking for God’s will. What DeYoung has to share is that while God has a desire for our lives, and that he has a specific plan for us it is not something God expects us to figure out before we make a decision. Throughout the book DeYoung makes a well thought out, and Biblically documented argument that God’s will is for us to become more Christ like, it is not a corn maze, a tight-rope, a bulls-eye, or a chose your own adventure book. Biblically God will give us wisdom and insight into decisions, but we should not be stagnant sitting around for God to give us the perfect answer every time.
Overall I would strongly recommend Just Do Something
On a side note, I am sitting here in my house watching and listening to my parents Bible study meeting in our house. It is their first meeting after their summer break. It is an interesting situation for me to be in because I have been able to sit and chat with a founding couple of North Way, the church I go to, and to just have a dialog about our beliefs and theology while catching up on what has happened over the summer. They are meeting to discuss what they want to study this fall, how they can pray for each other, and just sharing what is happening in their lives and their children’s lives. It is just so neat to see these people coming together in community to share life in Christ with each other. It is literally bringing tears to my eyes as I am sitting here and observing their meeting.
This is what I want to be continually living in, when I look to my future I want to be married with at least two children, and have close friends living around me sharing our lives together in Christ, not just weekly, but daily. That is what I will be praying for, even more I am praying for God to prepare me to be the husband he wants me to be, to lead my future family centered in the Holy Spirit, and striving to serve God in all we do. BTW my parents group chose to study C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity
Tedward's Ramblings 