God is Power

Last night James and I watched part of the old classic movie, Chariots of Fire. Eric Liddel was supposed to follow in his family's footsteps and become a vocational minister. His sister gets so distraught that Eric focuses instead on running instead of helping her with the mission. We laughed at how uptight and sour she gets about it all.

I was inspired at how Eric uses that platform to make comparisons between faith and running a long distance race and speaks to a captivated audience that wants to hear about his running experiences.

At one point in the movie, a professor or student or someone (can't remember now) makes the comment that God is a benevolent dictator. James so clearly pointed out that God is not a benevolent dictator. He IS power. He doesn't need to take power from somewhere or something else. As I've stewed over that today, I've come to recognize and embrace once again that God needs nothing from man. He is all knowing, all powerful and yet He has extended His hands to us.

Sometimes we relegate God to a place in our mind that fits in a box. But He's so much bigger. Another reason to bow down before Him.

Lunch Break

On my lunch break, I've been enjoying the rural areas of Carson Valley where the cows graze and alfalfa fields are covered in snow. It's incredibly beautiful to see the surrounding mountains that create the Carson Valley and enable Tahoe to be one of the most beautiful pearls on earth! These power walks are also helping me burn some calories for an upcoming wedding until the weather warms up and the ice melts so that outside running and biking can be added to the mix again. :)



My I-phone has a holy bible application and I love it, using it whenever I am bored or need to look up a verse! I can look up scriptures but it also has a daily reading guide. Hands down, I always choose the daily Psalm and Proverb reading. Just a few days ago Psalm 89:2 in the World English translation came up....

"I indeed declare, 'Love stands firm forever. You established the heavens. Your faithfulness is in them."

Hmmmm, God's faithfulness is seen in the heavens. Something about that last sentence caused my heart and thoughts to be jolted. What exactly is meant by this? His faithfulness is intangible and it's not quite clear how God's faithfulness is in the heavens, or is it? How does one measure faithfulness anyway? The heavens are visible so what can I get from the visible to help me understand the invisible? What do I see in the heavens?

Every morning I see the sun rise and every night I see the sun set. When the moon gives light in the winter night, reflecting off the glistening snow, I'm reminded that even then, there's a consistent stream of light. God's faithfulness is consistent. It doesn't change. Is this what is meant? Tangible evidence that the world isn't falling into the sky? Tangible evidence that there is a God and I'm not Him, that His definition of faithful is the purest essence of the word. He is crystal clear in faithfulness.

Pondering and chewing on some good stuff on my lunch break.....


----------------------


One thing I noticed while taking my lunch break are the dormant alfalfa fields. Winter is a time when all the crops lie dormant waiting for Spring. Do I heed this natural cycle in my own life? Am I allowing time for things that need to die to do so and wait in hope that Spring will bring a richer, fuller crop, or am I going through the motions? I want God's faithfulness, God's character, God's goodness to yield an even bigger crop next year. But how will that happen if my own selfish ambition continues to thrive inside? Selfish ambition has to die so that Christ can live in me.

This was a revelation I got this week on Monday night. Wow...If I have no more "righteousness" on my own, meaning "flexibility righteousness" where I pride myself in being flexible and others centered, then I am empty! Hmh! This Winter, maybe that's the point. Empty yourself so you can be filled with Him.

...........So many good thoughts pondered on the lunch break. :)

My girl :)

For Christmas, my little brother gave me a music mix of songs that we had fun listening to on our trip to Seattle for Thanksgiving. His homemade gift has been great for new music in the mix!

The song I've been playing over and over in the car is a song by "my girl", Natasha Bedingfield's "Love Like This"....At first I thought it was the catchy tune, the fun lyrics about a love that started when they were young and hasn't gone away. It's just kind of a catchy song!! Check it out if you want. :) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KqMB4hRVgk)

But then I realized that I like it because it's a song I can dedicate to my one true love, Jesus. Parts of it obviously wouldn't make sense that way but a lot of it does....I don't know if that's cheese for some people, but I find that happens in songs and movies for me.....A lyric, a line in a movie, can speak with so much weight that my heart is enraptured.

So, as the lyrics sing....


"You're the only one that knows me
love it when you hold me
I'd never find a love like this, let me hear you say
Now I'll never be lonely,
Look at what you've shown me,
I'd never find a love like this!

When this life tries to keep us apart
You keep callin' me back to your heart, let me hear you say
I'm so glad you found me, wrap you all around me,
I'd never find a love like this

All the guys tried to take me, you're the one who saved me
I feel like I owe you my life
And as strange as it may seem, I'll go if you take me
I'm willing to sacrifice...

And that's why you keep runnin' in and out of my mind
As the years they all roll by, its not hard to know why
I keep comin' back to you.....

You're the only one that knows me, love it when you hold me...
I'd never find a love like this...."

I'm so thankful for how God has brought James into my life. I guess I just resonate with this song; my first love will always be Jesus. I'll never find a love like Him. I think a lot of women forget this and once they go into marriage they expect that man to be Jesus. Last time I checked, there's only one. Keep coming back to Him. He's the only one who knows us....we'll never find a love like His!