Random Musings

I am not entirely familiar with the philosophy of karma. I vaguely associate it with the idea of getting what you deserve. What I do know is that the scriptures tell us that a man reaps what he sows. It is not possible to plant deceit and reap honor, just as it is not possible to plant corn and reap tulips. The seed bears what it is given to bear, it is up to us to be certain we are planting the right seeds. I was recently involved in a situation where I was manipulated and used. Someone took something of mine, twisted it, and used it against my wishes for selfish gain. I originally had given my permission, but was not given the whole story. When the entire plan was revealed, I was uncomfortable with the situation and asked the person to reconsider. Instead of reconsidering, however, the person reacted in a way that was uneccessary and full of drama. An enormous fight ensued and I was told that my help would not be needed. However, it turned out that, after all of the screamin...

I've often struggled with obedience to the Lord...until I paid the price of disobedience. I still have my moments of struggle, but in the end, the thought of the pain I will cause the Lord and myself, far outweighs the temporary pleasure of whatever else I might choose. I've learned the hard way that it's always better to choose obedience than to fight a losing battle with your Maker! (Isaiah 45) But, I've never really considered how my obedience to God might affect others. Today's My Utmost for His Highest gave me pause. I've seen how my DISobedience has affected others in the past. But, I've rarely considered the cost of my obedience on others. I've had opportunity to do that recently and it weighed heavily on my heart. I chose to be obedient (although I begged that I not have to be!) even though I knew it would cause some pain for some other people. But, maybe that's ok. There have been times in my past where I chose obedience and stoppe...

I’ve been thinking a lot today about the Christian practice and/or idea of a “Quiet Time”. This is supposed to be that time during the day when you are quiet before the Lord and study His Word. My own perception of what that time looks like in practice has been challenged in the last several months. A Quiet Time (or Devotional Time) has always seemed to have a pretty standard structure for me. It may include a time of prayer in the beginning (especially inclusive of a request for wisdom and open eyes and ears), a time of Bible reading or study using a curriculum of sorts, and then a time of closing prayer (mostly filled with requests). This is a fairly shallow and narrow depiction of what a quiet time could consist of, but I think it is fairly representative of the way we are taught to have these times. In the past few months, and in my processing of them this morning, I have come to see Quiet Times in a new light. As I was discussing the idea of a quiet time (via email) with a fr...