Genesis

1 - I'm amazed and saddened a bit by a few children I know who aren't in awe of their parents or who have very little respect for "elders". I know I shouldn't compare to how things were "when I was a kid" because that just makes me feel older than I care to admit but really I wonder how they will approach developing their relationships with God or probably even more interesting to me is how they will develop their relationship or non-relationship with their parent as they get older.

I assuredly have been thinking about my own praying priorities and know they fall way short.

I heard someone say the other day that he wondered why we even know ANYTHING about Brittany Spears or I'll personally add my other pet peeve this past week - do we really need to know the whole saga of Anna Nicole Smith. And yet we are wasting hours on that and not pusuing a relationship with God. I'm guilty. It's a matter of prioritizing the relationship.

I enjoy writing and rather enjoy the idea that God can read a prayer blog but I've also struggled lately with the audience of that too and how that invades the process of prayer. And maybe I'm just over-thinking everything too. (Comment this)

2 - It struck me funny to think of God as some cosmic gum ball machine but as I thought about it often that's what talking to him gets to be, something that's often lumped into a bedtime ritual that has me going off onto tangents as I remember things I need to do or rambling on about my "stuff" instead of really seeking a true conversation.

Sometimes I wonder about my skills as a communicator, I don't ramble on hoping to tire him but I sure sometimes don't slow down to listen.

Also I don't think it's a terrible thing to pray as a group or even on a blog, it just matters where your heart is at and actually I think listening to others pray when they are genuine heart-felt prayers has helped me realize the voice God has given me and perhaps the ideas or thoughts or troubles for which I should be praying. Now I just need to make some time to use that "voice" with him. (Comment this)

3 - Got to thinking about the spirit of sonship and the awesome idea that God decided to send his son to die and what a sacrifice that was and while it’s easy to think of Jesus as the worthy son, it’s not that I don’t believe that I’m God’s child, but perhaps I’m trying to understand more about how the Holy Spirit works.

http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/?action=getCommentaryText&cid=7&source=1&seq=i.55.4.1

That commentary was listed when I looked up Galatians 4:6 “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." About halfway through the author talks about the relation of adoption as a child and the receiving of the Spirit. (Comment this)