A New Look, A New Bible Study, and Possibly A New Self-Discovery

I thought it was time for a new look on my blog, and this is the (free) design I decided to go with.  What do you think?  I like the colours, the brightness, and it makes me think of summer back home.

In my last post, I mentioned about being sick with the flu. Well, I also ended up with a cold and it lasted a couple of weeks.  Although I had a little bit of the cough left, it wasn't bad and it was pretty much gone.  Well, last Saturday (about two weeks after I had been sick with the flu) I woke up to a congested cough and have had it for the last week.  I've had a bit of sneezing and runny/stuffy nose with it, but it's mostly been the cough that doesn't seem to want to go away.  And, Wednesday I ended up with my right eye being a little itchy and by the end of the day it was red and watery as well.  No, I didn't (and don't) have pink eye.  The redness has pretty much disappeared (except if I've been on the computer too long), but it's still watery and the itchiness only lasted a little bit at work - though I guess from time to time there is a little bit of an itch, but it's not bad and it doesn't last.  I really can't wait until I'm all better again.  I hate being sick.

I decided to take this weekend to rest and hopefully get myself better.  I've been catching up on some knitting (started a new fair isle hat), a little reading, and I've been working on the Bible study for the one we recently started for this session at my Monday night Bible study.  Tomorrow is a holiday  here (Family Day), and I keep forgetting and thinking I have to go to work, but I don't.  I hope to do some more knitting and maybe some art journalling.

In my Bible study, the first chapter is dealing with the verse that talks about not worrying about tomorrow (well, there is more, but this is the part I want to focus on).  I'm a worrier. I think I get that from my mother.  Part of the study includes journalling our prayers.  I've written down prayers in a journal before, but just specifics like "praying for my cold to go away" and then drawing a line to write the date when it gets answered, as well as the date I record it.  This one, however, is requiring much more than that.  We have to write down the actual prayer we would pray, the situation, etc.  So, while I was doing that, I made a discovery (it probably came from the Holy Spirit) that my worry seems to be rooted in fear and lack of trust.  I won't go into specific details, but that is what I am concluding so far.

I hope through this Bible study I will grow in my faith and walk - and in other areas of my life as well.

Well, I'm off now to watch some more of the Olympics and cheer for the Canadians!

Go Canada!!

The Spirit Himself Intercedes For Us



A simple page from my Bible "art" journal .
The colours and painting aren't showing up too
well here.

 Isn't it wonderful to know that when we don't know how to pray that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us?  I don't know how many times, when praying, that I've just not known what to pray for someone or about something.

I feel that I usually seem to pray the same things for everyone going through the same or similar situations. For example, if someone dies, I usually pray for peace and comfort for the family. Yes, I do mean it for everyone, but I just don't feel as though I'm praying the way I should - or could.

I have also prayed and asked for the Holy Spirit to pray on my behalf about something because I didn't know what to pray - especially if it's for one of those vague request which people say, "God knows what it's about." 

Don't get me wrong, I am totally fine with them saying that. I don't need to know the details or what's going on in someone's life. If they want me to know, they'll tell me. And I'm OK with that.

But, I'm looking for better ways to pray. I'm looking for different things I can say in my prayers, rather than seemingly the same things over and over again. I know it's not what we say that counts. God isn't looking for big, flowery words, and I know He knows what is in my heart when I'm praying.  I used to be good at prayer (at least I thought so, and not in a vain way, and have had people tell me that in the past), but somewhere along the line, something changed and I just don't seem to be able to pray all that well.

Thankfully, until I can improve the way or style of my praying, I'm glad the Holy Spirit will intercede for me.  It doesn't mean that when I finally "get it", or improve, that He won't do this any  more. He still will do this.

I guess I should stop focusing on the past and they way I used to pray, and focus on NOW and just keep praying and grow from there.

Jesus Juked By the Man Himself

Last night I was having a quiet moment before bed. Usually this is just me listening to music (mostly Christian, but occasionally secular). It was no different last night.

I sat in my rocking chair, my ipod plugged into my ears, and I listened. While the music played, and the singers sang, I listened to the words to some of the songs and thought they were so poetic, so brilliant. I even admit that I wished I had written them; but, I didn't so there's nothing I can do about that except write my own words (i.e. poems, stories...I'm not a song writer).

After a few moments, I thought it would be a good time to pray. The house was quiet, and I was the only one awake. I changed my listening habits from being those of simply enjoying the music, to using it to praise and worship God (silently through the headphones of my ipod, and the praise/worship coming from my heart rather than my mouth).

Then, I prayed.

I started by confessing sins to God and asked for forgiveness of them. I won't go into all the details, but I will say that I told God that I know He has a plan for my life and I know it is probably not the way I think it will be or expect. I told Him how I used to cling to Jeremiah 29:11-13 (written below)when I was in university and how I'm still trying to cling to that promise (even though at one point I had someone tell me that the promise in those verses was for the Israelites, and not us...yeah.).

11 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. (NASB)

Now, to be honest, I have verse 11 memorized, and verse 13. I stumble over trying to quote the middle verse. So, while talking to God, I mostly focused on the verse 11, briefly mentioned that I am calling upon Him, but I just don't feel like He is listening to me.

That's when it struck me. And I'm sure it was God's nudge.

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I have been searching, seeking, talking, asking, etc. but, I haven't been doing this with all my heart. Ouch.

Is it fair to say that I have been Jesus juked by the Man Himself?

I think, the Holy Spirit was trying to tell me that the reason I haven't been hearing Him for awhile now, or feeling as though He had abandoned me (which I know He didn't do), was because when I have been seeking Him, when I have been calling on Him, when I have been searching for Him, I wasn't doing it with all my heart. I was letting thoughts, feelings, things of the world get in the way!

So, now as I seek the Lord with regard to my walk - which path to take, and seek His will for my life (present and future), I know the enemy is going to bombard me and try to get my focus put back on things that will block me from hearing the Lord, from finding Him and know what it is He wants me to do. Please remember me in your prayers that the Lord will protect me and not let the enemy get to me. Pray that now that I am aware that I need to come to Him with all of my heart, that I will do just that - and not let things or thoughts or feelings get in the way and hinder me. And, pray that the Lord will reveal to me the path I need to take.

Lately...

These are some thoughts and feelings I've been going through lately. They are nicely summed up in these two videos by Matthew West...








These are currently two of my favourite songs. What are your favourite songs?

And They Were All Filled With the Holy Spirit

First of all, let me apologize for such a long absence. Just a day or so after my previous post I began experiencing problems with my computer. It turns out that the hard drive on my lap top decided to crash, or whatever it does. It took me nearly a month to get it fixed (had to get paid first). I was also having problems with our main computer, the one the modem and wireless router are hooked up to. For that problem, we discovered (after getting the electrician to come in for another issue and getting him to look at that plug/socket) the socket in which the computer and router were plugged into wasn't working.  So, to make a long story short, everything seems to be in working order now.

Recently, I began reading the book of Acts, which I haven't done for some time. As I read, a thought/question popped into my mind - and it's still there, since I'm not sure if I can answer it, or if anyone can.  Let me explain:

In the book of Acts, we read about how the apostles received the promised Holy Spirit. Acts 2:3-4 states:

And there appeard to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them, and they were all filled with the Holly Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance."

In chapter 3 we read about Peter and John healing the lame beggar, and chapter 12 tells the account of Peter's miraculous release from jail. I should note that I'm not finished reading Acts yet, so these are the only miracles I've included in this post.

Anyway, in today's society, it seems that there are no miracles taking place after people receive the Holy Spirit (i.e. the tongues of fire appearing upon receipt of the Holy Spirit, no speaking in tongues, no healings, etc.). It makes me wonder if these particular signs and wonders were only relevant in those days. Why don't we hear of more miracles happening that help lead others to Christ (as mentioned in Acts)? Was this something that needed to be done in the early days of the church? Are they no longer applicable to us today?

Do miracles (those mentioned in Acts) happen a great deal more than we realize or know, and we just have become so skeptical about them (due to those who perform false miracles and claim they are from the Lord, when in fact no miracle has actually taken place)? Or, are we just not as "in tune" with the Lord as we think we are?

Have we become complacent (if that's the right word) in our walk, or are these signs and wonders - these miracles - just not applicable to us? In other words, were these things only gifted to the apostles/disciples who walked with Jesus when He walked the earth?

The Bible tells us that every one of God's children has received spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12), but why does it seem as though they aren't being used? Are they (the gifts) only used to build up the church, only for those who have already accpeted Christ as Savior to see/hear? Why do we not hear of hundreds or thousands coming to Christ when someone speaks about Jesus, and that many signs and wonders/miracles being performed among them at these times?

I know, lots of questions. And, I'm not even sure if they make any sense. All I know was that as I read these chapters, I thought of how exciting it must have been, how awesome to be in a crowd where everyone was speaking in each others tongue (and even being accused of being drunk by others because of it), and having the others understand what was being said.

Yes, I know the gifts are for edifying the church/body of Christ, but it just seems to me that these amazing things just don't seem to happen when people receive the Holy Spirit now...or do they, and it just isn't mentioned?

So, I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Have you had any experiences as is mentioned in the Book of Acts? Have you had similar questions that you've had answered by your pastor, and if so, how were they answered?