Genesis

1 - O.K. So, apparently they've updated the blog in such a way that I can't publish on it from my mac at home, but can only comment. Either we'll switch to the new blog or I'm going to have to write these at church more often. Anyway, here's what I wanted it to say in the post...

I'll keep it simple today. Here are the key points and then I have one question for you.

God says, "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?"
This is more than just an invitation to do something it is a relationship issue. He doesn't give any detail on where he would be going. Simply put, do you trust me enough to go where I send without knowing where. To follow without regard for where he leads.

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path"
So often God deosn't give us the whole picture. We are only able to see the next step. When we get there the next.

The challenge today was to "do something". To take the step. Either in relationship with Him, or following Him. Begin with a step, which leads to another... and begin the real journey.

In the eternal run of things, what is really important anyway. Think about it.

O.K. Here's the question. I already know it's one you'll probably respond anonymously to, but here goes. What is the simple step, the next step that God is calling you to. What is it might you need to let go of to do it.

peace friends... ben (Comment this)

2 - Respect my husband. Easily said-harder to carry out. It is to my shame that I have loved my husband, but not given him the biblical respect God commands me to (Eph. 5:33). I have thought myself more righteous in our home than my husband, and it has wittled away how he shows his love for me. God has shown his light on the path I have been on and is now taking me to the road less traveled-His road. This does not come easy for me. It hurts deeply to see how I have hurt him, but God has also shown what a little respect can do to change the tenor(sp) of our marriage in just a short time. God has asked me to be obedient in this area, not to my husband, but to Him. (Comment this)

3 - Thanks for sharing that and I wish you peace. The idea is probably a good thing for everyone to consider, taking time to examine our own relationships (marital and otherwise and our relationship with God) (Comment this)

4 - Sermon nuggets, other people's faith stories, lyrics to a song, its pretty easy for those words to rattle around in my brain for days and if I honestly look at my own life, I don't know if I have a story of my own?

I've known God my entire life but I'm pretty sure I don't KNOW him like I should. And if words are the lamp onto our feet then a few of the steps I've taken in the past several months of daily reading my bible and getting involved in a couple of small group studies are probably good ways to authenticate the relationship with Him by seeing the illustrations of how life should be led.

It seems quite selfish to want to work on this when more of the call is to become a servant however I think that in the long haul those people that can honestly say "It is well in my soul" probably serve in ways that transparently shine the love of God right through their service. So maybe the other small step I'm going to take is to find more ways to serve and without fanfare, and just try to do them. (In the spirit of my grandma who loved the phrase - you'll never know unless you try.) (Comment this)

5 - Responding to "I don't KNOW Him as I should." For me it's more that I don't know Him as I COULD. As the years go by and my relationship with Him continues to grow, I am convinced that I will never know Him fully (even after I join Him in eternity). Yet each year I know Him better. I don't know how I "should" know Him, but I am convinced that I "could" know Him more if I spent more time with Him (prayer, His Word, service, worship, His people, "the least of these," becoming more of what He made me to be).

God is so awesome that an eternity of being with Him will probably still leave me with more to know about Him. Each new "knowledge" gained while in heaven is probably what makes that place so joyful and fuels all the praise that the saints offer!

As for the "whom shall I send," God has convinced me, that my poorest efforts can be a beautiful thing if they are offered as a sacrifice in response to His call. It's not about what I can do, it's about what He wants to do through me.

I believe that the next thing that He has called me to is to be heartbroken over the things that break His heart. I'm not sure what that means yet, in terms of action, but I need to shed this numbness that protects me from the outrageousness of this world. I need to regain a sensitivity/abhorrence to sin. I need to cut the anchors of going along to get along. (Comment this)

6 - Jim "could" probably is the better word there. (You capture more eloquently what I was trying to say in your first paragraph)

I know I hinder what God wants to do because of insecurities. I have a whole lot of distractions and by nature of my personality I tend to either run two extremes - wallow in wanting concrete details or romanticize the images and words but never really understand what they mean for my own life. We talk about taking a simple step, it seems all my steps so far in life have been simple - just need to figure out a way to make sure that they continue on a journey towards God and not away from him. (Comment this)

7 - My next step is to take up the cross and follow Him. God hasn't revealed to me yet what that is. I have so many areas in my life that need some fine tuning. I have been a Christian my whole life. God is calling me to go the next level. To live a life for Him. It is a minute by minute life for Him, and word by word; that my WHOLE life may glorify Him. I want Him to show me my "call" that Pastor Dean spoke about in his sermon so I don't meandor around. I want to use my the rest of my life here on earth in the most effective way for His kingdom and His glory to reach those who don't know Him and to lead others to a deeper relationship with Jesus. (Comment this)