More posts coming...Really

Okay, so I just wanted to let you all know that I do have more posts on discipline coming.

It's just a matter of taking the time to put them together for you to read!

I'll probably get it done sometime this week or perhaps this weekend.

Really though, them not being posted is a sign that I'm putting into practice the very disciplines I'm getting ready to tell you about!

In the meantime I wanted to share somethings I've been happy about lately!

• Navy Blue

• Sunshine - this has been the warmest, snowless, sunshiniest winter we've ever had and I'm loving it! Every day is like perpetual fall and yet a glimpse of spring.

• Friends - I've had more opportunities than usual to gather with other Christians.

• Progress - I've been moving right along in school. Learning so much and getting excited about all that lies ahead.

• God - I've been reminded of trusting Him day-by-day! The planner in me finds this difficult sometimes, but God has been showing me that the Holy Spirit does indeed make it possible to "wait and see".

• Jane Austen - We've been enjoying tons of movie versions of her books this "winter". One day, I'll actually take the time to read them...but for now the movie versions are enjoyable!

Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, rejoice!

Philippians 4:4

Living a Disciplined Life

Over the last three and half years or so, God has been teaching me a thing or two about discipline.

I'm not merely talking about spankings, being grounded, or receiving correction....

I'm talking about living a disciplined life.

There is room for discipline in all areas of life:

Growing in Godliness

Entertainment

Sleeping

Time Management

Exercising

Eating

You get the picture!

I wanted to spend some time talking about the practical side of actually living a disciplined life, day-by-day.

Are there any areas in your life where God has led your or is leading you to be more disciplined?

Something New

*Note: Scriptures are links that take you to a page where you can read the text*

How many times have you been at a Church building and heard someone say:

"Ooops, not now, we're at church!"....or.... "You can't talk to me that way, we're at church!" ?

Better yet, how many Church buildings have you been in where the place is treated like an idol where everyone is to act as though they're in the presence of the Queen of England? Many people will not cuss, drink beer, gossip, or be rude in a Church building. No running, playing, eating or drinking (besides the Lord's Supper of course), etc. is allowed in the sanctuary.

The list of rules could go on!

So often, I've known that this thinking is wrong. I behave in the Church building because it's indoors. I wouldn't go running through my house, the doctor's office, or the grocery store, and that respect carries over to the Church building as well.

Even so, I must admit, people who think this way probably think they are being Biblical.

After all, the Bible tells about the time that Jesus went into the temple and turned over tables in order to get people to treat His Father's house with reverence and respect as the holy place that it was.

Right?

This morning as I was reading through John, I came across that text.

I noticed something.

That line of thought comes from the first half of the exchange. Coupled with the second half, we learn even more!

John 2:12-22

We see that Jesus used His cleansing of the temple of the Jews to point forward to the cleansing of the Temple and the sanctity of God's house. Like Christ, our bodies are the temple of God. As Christians, we have the Spirit of God within us. Not only are we the Church, we are always at Church. We must always act like it. God's holy house goes with us wherever we are.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Christian, you are always at Church.

Please, don't make yourself (the temple) a place of trading the righteousness you have in Christ for the fleeting pleasures of the world, whatever they may be.

Jesus: What Makes Me New!

For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin,

so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain.

On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them,

though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

1 Corinthians 15:10

These are two of the Bible verses that the Lord has been using to teach me about the sufficiency of His grace and the sacrifice of Jesus.

It's a New Day

After taking a little break from blogging, I'm back.

Not much has happened over the last few weeks. But, then again, it has! We've done some traveling, had people travel to our house, celebrated Christmas and New Years, done some serious cleaning/organizing/painting, and the list could go on!

One thing that the Lord has been teaching me lately is that Jesus Christ is more than enough.

He is more than enough to satisfy me.

He is more than enough to save me.

He is more than enough to make me righteous in the eyes of God.

It's all because of Jesus that I am who am I in this world and in the kingdom of God.

I tend to be a "doer". Yes, good works are important, but they do not save me nor add to my salvation. I have realized that I've sort of gotten caught up in "doing" and in so doing have taken my eyes off of what Jesus did once and for all to save me from my bondage to sin and guilt before our Holy God.

I must let my good works flow out of my love for God. I must let my good works be a testimony to His work in my life. By doing this, I will be resting in the Gospel and the works will be genuine.