There are many celebrations during the month of Febrary. One of the celebrations is Black History Month. I have a minor in Black History Studies from Penn State, so this is a topic that is near and dear to me. I know that for many it is not, and I know that, and respect others' opinions. One thing I do love about the African American experience is our variety of expressions. One such expression is the Negro spiritual, which dates back to the time of slavery. This tradition was one of faith, struggle, communication, and a means to protection and freedom. Many times slaves would use these Nergro spirituals (songs) to share information with each other without their masters knowlege, and they were also used to give runaway slaves important information so they would not be captured.
One such Negro spiritaul is "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands." It is a simple song, and it is still true today. We live in a world that seems very out of control, stressful, and violent. There are problems all over the globe. We have leaders of govenerment and industry that put their own selfness needs first, and we have people in the media that very seldom tell the truth. It can be very overwhelming at any moment. How is it possible to have faith in such troubled times? The only way is to remember who God is and that he's got everything and everyone in his hands. There is nothing that has happened, is happening, or going to happen that God does not know about. You may ask, "If God knows about it, why does he let bad things happen?" I do not know the answer to that, but I do know that God gives us free will. He allows us to make our own choices, and if we are not obeying him and operating outside of his will for us, we will have more trouble in our lives than we can handle.
We must remember God's promises to us. One of them is the promise of security. John 10:27-29 states, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish. My father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."
One thing I will recommend, that a pastor recommended to his church, is to include singing during your private prayer time. You can start with "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands." You have nothing to worry about, and nothing to fear because there is nothing greater than God and he loves you very much. Slaves knew that so many years ago and the song is still sung today because it is true. As you embrace God, embrace the wonderful gifts that people who have lived before us have given us. They made it through the storms of life and so can we, because we are in God's hands.
The lyrics of "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands"
He's got the whole world in his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands.
He's got the wind and the rain in his hands,
He's got the wind and the rain in his hands,
He's got the wind and the rain in his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands.
He's got the little tiny baby in his hands,
He's got the little tiny baby in his hands,
He's got the little tiny baby in his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands.
He's got you and me in his hands,
He's got you and me in his hands,
He's got you and me in his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands.
If you have never heard this song, or don't know the melody, please click on the link below. Feel free to change the nouns in the song to make it more meaningful to you.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
A Valentine's Day Message
In the last seven days the people who live in the Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and Delaware have lived through two blizzards. Schools, businesses and even the federal government have all been shut down for almost a week. Now, we are in recovery mode. Streets have been plowed, but still very dangerous, roofs have collapsed under the weight and pressure of snow and ice, power lines have been down and people are still without power, and trees are down every where. These harsh weather conditions have not been limited to the east coast. There have been reports of harsh winter weather all over the country with snow falling in places it usually never snows like in Florida, Alabama and Texas.
In the midst of so much difficulty and upset to our usual routines, it is hard to remember that Sunday, February 14th is Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day, like all holidays has a history and customs, and has been highly commercialized, but what is most important is that it is a time that we focus on love. Love is the greatest gift one person one can give to another, and many times it's not all flowers, candy, and pretty soft stuff animals holding hearts. In fact true unconditional love is much more than romance, it is something that requires much more from each of us.
Unconditional love means we put those in our lives we love first. Jesus is the perfect example of this. He was the son of God. He was perfect in every way. God sent Jesus to Earth so save humankind. Jesus did nothing but show love to other people, but in the end the world rejected him. Right before Jesus was to be taken as a prisoner he was alone and praying. He knew the great pain was coming and he did not want to go through it. He was blameless, but he was about to take on the sins of the whole world and it was going to be beyond horrible. In his moment of sheer terror and weakness he asked God his father if this cup could be pass from him, but before the question was totally out of his lips he said, "Let your will be done."
How many times have you had to change your plans to care for someone else? How many times have you been interrupted to handle something that you did not cause? How many times have you had to clean up a mess that someone else has created? How many times have you been blamed for something that you did not do? What was your response? Was it anger? If it was, that is totally understandable, but give that anger to God and allow him to replace it with love. Love is doing the right thing at the right time, for the right reasons. If we rely on God, then we will know what the right thing is. Love does not mean letting people walk all over you or to allow others to take advantage of you.
So this Valentine's Day, cherish the people that you love in your life. Do something special. It doesn't have to be hearts and candy, it could be doing something special together. If you are alone, remember that you are never alone and receive the love God has for you. Once you know how much God loves you, you can do something nice for someone else. When love unconditionally, you do it without expecting anything in return, and that's true love.
Happy Valentine's Day and remember what it says in Matthew 28:20 "I am always with you."
Special Note: this post is dedicated to a good friend and his family, Mr. Ben Craig
In the midst of so much difficulty and upset to our usual routines, it is hard to remember that Sunday, February 14th is Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day, like all holidays has a history and customs, and has been highly commercialized, but what is most important is that it is a time that we focus on love. Love is the greatest gift one person one can give to another, and many times it's not all flowers, candy, and pretty soft stuff animals holding hearts. In fact true unconditional love is much more than romance, it is something that requires much more from each of us.
Unconditional love means we put those in our lives we love first. Jesus is the perfect example of this. He was the son of God. He was perfect in every way. God sent Jesus to Earth so save humankind. Jesus did nothing but show love to other people, but in the end the world rejected him. Right before Jesus was to be taken as a prisoner he was alone and praying. He knew the great pain was coming and he did not want to go through it. He was blameless, but he was about to take on the sins of the whole world and it was going to be beyond horrible. In his moment of sheer terror and weakness he asked God his father if this cup could be pass from him, but before the question was totally out of his lips he said, "Let your will be done."
How many times have you had to change your plans to care for someone else? How many times have you been interrupted to handle something that you did not cause? How many times have you had to clean up a mess that someone else has created? How many times have you been blamed for something that you did not do? What was your response? Was it anger? If it was, that is totally understandable, but give that anger to God and allow him to replace it with love. Love is doing the right thing at the right time, for the right reasons. If we rely on God, then we will know what the right thing is. Love does not mean letting people walk all over you or to allow others to take advantage of you.
So this Valentine's Day, cherish the people that you love in your life. Do something special. It doesn't have to be hearts and candy, it could be doing something special together. If you are alone, remember that you are never alone and receive the love God has for you. Once you know how much God loves you, you can do something nice for someone else. When love unconditionally, you do it without expecting anything in return, and that's true love.
Happy Valentine's Day and remember what it says in Matthew 28:20 "I am always with you."
Special Note: this post is dedicated to a good friend and his family, Mr. Ben Craig
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Is anything too hard for the Lord?
Is anything too hard for the Lord? It is a question that the Lord asked Abraham. It is an interesting question, but the Lord asked Abraham this question at a very pivotial time in Abraham's life. You see God had called Abraham to leave his people, his land and all they he knew to follow God and start a new nation.
Abraham had done what God had asked but he had made some mistakes along the way. The first mistake was not completely following what God had told him to do. God told him to leave his family and go to establish a new nation. Well his nephew Lot tagged along. I don't believe it was Abraham's idea, and he probably loved his nephew, but he should have asked God about it or better yet, just said no. Why? That's easy, Lot caused Abraham all kinds of trouble, but I have to give Lot credit, he was smart, he realized that Abraham was blessed, and by just being around Abraham he was also blessed, but he wasn't wise enough to stay out of trouble, or to keep Abraham from being impacted by his mistakes.
The second mistake Abraham made was being afraid of someone he thought was more powerful and rich than he was. While traveling through Egypt, the Pharoh noticed how beautiful Abraham's wife, Sarah, was and wanted her for his very own. When questioned about Sarah Abraham said Sarah was his sister instead of his wife. So, Pharoh took Sarah for his wife. Before Pharoh could get all close and personal God came to Pharoh, now remember Pharoh did not believe in Abraham's God and this was way before Moses's time, and told him if he touched Sarah he and his kingdom would be in big trouble. What God said worked because Pharoh wasted no time giving Sarah back to Abraham, plus gave him gold, goods, and servants (this is where Hagar probably came from) and told him to get through Egypt and along his way. Pharoh may have been over a whole kingdom, and entire army, and weathly, but God, who called Abraham made all that Pharoh had. To God Pharoh was a small fry, but to Abraham he was a moutain. Abraham should of been focused on God instead of Pharoh and that's how he made his second crucial mistake.
Abraham's thrid mistake was listening to bad advice from someone he trusted, his wife Sarah. You see, God had promised Abraham he would be the father of a great nation, the only problem was he and Sarah had no children because she was barren. The Bible always focuses on Abraham, but I want to put the spot light on Sarah for just a moment. Okay, she was young and in love with a man who loved her, but moved her from place to place, and gave her away to an Egyptian king. Then she had to set by and watch while other women (mainly her maid servants) get married and had children and were so happy, and she was happy too, at first, but then year after year, it was always someone else having a baby, always someone else's turn. Sarah had a husband, she had wealth, she appeared to have everything but the one thing she truly wanted, children. The pain and isolation she must of felt must at times been overwhelming. Sarah wasn't crazy, even in her time people knew that women only had a certain amount of time to have children, and as the years went by Sarah's pain probably only increased and the promise God had made to her husband must of felt like a cruel joke.
Was it Abraham's promise alone? Why would God promise Abraham something and not Sarah? Abraham and Sarah were married,so that means that they were one, so the promise was to both of them, but why would God make a promise and then not bless them with children?
The Bible does not say that Sarah prayed, but I get the impression that God never spoke to Sarah, because it is not recorded in the Bible. I am also beginning to think that Abraham did not speak to Sarah about the things that hurt her heart because Sarah doubted God's promise. She was focused on the natural, just as Abraham had done in Egypt. Abraham set a bad example for Sarah, and apparently never addressed it with her because she did the same thing he did. She took her eyes off God and placed them on what is humanly possible,and she knew she could never have a child, and after years of pain, disappointment, and isoluation, and a lack of teaching and compassion she came up with a plan to make sure God's promise came true.
I don't know exactly what Sarah was going through, but I have a very good idea. I've known this story almost my whole life, but as each year passes, I understand it more and more. Sarah loved her husband and being childless was very painful for both of them. The Bible does not directly state this, but it is implied through the the things that were said and the actions that were taken. Sarah decided to have her maid servant Hagar sleep with Abraham and have a child through her. It was Sarah's plan, but Abraham went along with it. Why? Now that's the million dollar question. Was it because Hagar was so beautiful? Was it because Abraham lacked faith himself? The plan made sense to him. I am sure Abraham was very hurt by not having children as well. Pain and disappointment are two hard things to face, and it is something this couple had dealt with for years.
Abraham agreed to Sarah's plan because he wanted God's promise. He wanted a son. He wanted children so badly, and had waited so long for them, that this plan seemed to make sense to him. No one stopped and asked God's opinion about it. I can imagine they were both angry with God in a way. They probably felt God forgot about his promise to them, and that hurt too. We have to be careful when we are in pain. Our judgement is off and we may make bad decisions. It's best to step back and get all the facts first, and pray and listen to what God has to say.
The plan Sarah had turned out to be a mess, but I believe Abraham opened up the door for Sarah's unbelief, and it was also in Egypt that they got Hagar. If Abraham had kept his eyes on God while they were in Egypt, he would never have lied and said Sarah was his sisiter. Once again the Bible does not have any record of how Sarah felt about any of this. I am sure she was extremely fearful, so that seeds of fear and unbelief were planted by her husband.
Now years later God appears to Abraham again and there are three men (who are really angels, but we find that out later). I don't know why God sent three angels to Abraham, maybe it was to save his cousin Lot (antoher story) but he did and while they were there God told Abraham that he would return the same time the next year and that Sarah would have a son. Sarah over heard this and laughed. She was worn out (even though she had a good life) and she and her husband were way past the age of having children.
God heard Sarah laugh and ask Abraham why she laughed. Let's stop here for a moment. God did not ask Sarah why she laughed, he asked Abraham. The text goes one, but this is just a reminder how importarnt the marriage relationship is to God. Two become one. Sarah then spoke up for herself and lied and said she did not lie. After all her years, she still did not truly understand who God was or his character. God knows everyhting, why would she lie? Maybe because she had seen her husband lie. I wish she had said, "I laughed because after years of disappointment and pain, I don't have the strengh, to believe anymore, this whole thing has hurt me to my core." If she had said that it would of been at least true. It's one of the few times Sarah speaks in this whole story,and the only time she speaks directly to God, and she blows it. I would of screamed out my pain and disappointment. I would have cried my eyes out, but I wouldn't have lied. She lied because she was afraid. I understand that. Fear was something she knew very well, so her reaction, in truth, was natural. Then for the first time (at least recorded in the Bible) God speaks directly to Sarah and tells her she lied. Wow! If God appears to me, and then speaks to me, I don't want him to say that I lied.
My point is, that each us have been through situations, or currently facing a situation which has caused us much pain and disappointment. We may feel that God has forgotten us and his promises and his word is not true. I have heard pastors preach about Abraham and Sarah many times and many of them have said the reason God waited so long to give Abraham and Sarah their promise is because God wanted everyone to know that he does the impossilbe. We also have well meaning people in out lives who love us, who believe they are being helping, but in some ways cause us more pain, and may indeed give us advise, that sounds good, but not the way God has planned to bless us. How do we know what to do? How do we know if what we have in our heart is from God, or just wishful thinking on our part? Honestly, the best thing I can tell you is continue to pray, read God's word and make no decisions in haste. One thing I can say for sure is that God has not forgotten you,and that God does not lie. If he said it, it will come to pass. You have to keep believing and do the best job of what God has given you to do until his promise is fufilled and the even after that.
Gensis 18 is just part of Abraham and Sarah's story, be sure to read it all and pray about it so you can be blessed. Any pain and disappointment you have, give it to God, he can handle it. Nothing is impossible for God.
Abraham had done what God had asked but he had made some mistakes along the way. The first mistake was not completely following what God had told him to do. God told him to leave his family and go to establish a new nation. Well his nephew Lot tagged along. I don't believe it was Abraham's idea, and he probably loved his nephew, but he should have asked God about it or better yet, just said no. Why? That's easy, Lot caused Abraham all kinds of trouble, but I have to give Lot credit, he was smart, he realized that Abraham was blessed, and by just being around Abraham he was also blessed, but he wasn't wise enough to stay out of trouble, or to keep Abraham from being impacted by his mistakes.
The second mistake Abraham made was being afraid of someone he thought was more powerful and rich than he was. While traveling through Egypt, the Pharoh noticed how beautiful Abraham's wife, Sarah, was and wanted her for his very own. When questioned about Sarah Abraham said Sarah was his sister instead of his wife. So, Pharoh took Sarah for his wife. Before Pharoh could get all close and personal God came to Pharoh, now remember Pharoh did not believe in Abraham's God and this was way before Moses's time, and told him if he touched Sarah he and his kingdom would be in big trouble. What God said worked because Pharoh wasted no time giving Sarah back to Abraham, plus gave him gold, goods, and servants (this is where Hagar probably came from) and told him to get through Egypt and along his way. Pharoh may have been over a whole kingdom, and entire army, and weathly, but God, who called Abraham made all that Pharoh had. To God Pharoh was a small fry, but to Abraham he was a moutain. Abraham should of been focused on God instead of Pharoh and that's how he made his second crucial mistake.
Abraham's thrid mistake was listening to bad advice from someone he trusted, his wife Sarah. You see, God had promised Abraham he would be the father of a great nation, the only problem was he and Sarah had no children because she was barren. The Bible always focuses on Abraham, but I want to put the spot light on Sarah for just a moment. Okay, she was young and in love with a man who loved her, but moved her from place to place, and gave her away to an Egyptian king. Then she had to set by and watch while other women (mainly her maid servants) get married and had children and were so happy, and she was happy too, at first, but then year after year, it was always someone else having a baby, always someone else's turn. Sarah had a husband, she had wealth, she appeared to have everything but the one thing she truly wanted, children. The pain and isolation she must of felt must at times been overwhelming. Sarah wasn't crazy, even in her time people knew that women only had a certain amount of time to have children, and as the years went by Sarah's pain probably only increased and the promise God had made to her husband must of felt like a cruel joke.
Was it Abraham's promise alone? Why would God promise Abraham something and not Sarah? Abraham and Sarah were married,so that means that they were one, so the promise was to both of them, but why would God make a promise and then not bless them with children?
The Bible does not say that Sarah prayed, but I get the impression that God never spoke to Sarah, because it is not recorded in the Bible. I am also beginning to think that Abraham did not speak to Sarah about the things that hurt her heart because Sarah doubted God's promise. She was focused on the natural, just as Abraham had done in Egypt. Abraham set a bad example for Sarah, and apparently never addressed it with her because she did the same thing he did. She took her eyes off God and placed them on what is humanly possible,and she knew she could never have a child, and after years of pain, disappointment, and isoluation, and a lack of teaching and compassion she came up with a plan to make sure God's promise came true.
I don't know exactly what Sarah was going through, but I have a very good idea. I've known this story almost my whole life, but as each year passes, I understand it more and more. Sarah loved her husband and being childless was very painful for both of them. The Bible does not directly state this, but it is implied through the the things that were said and the actions that were taken. Sarah decided to have her maid servant Hagar sleep with Abraham and have a child through her. It was Sarah's plan, but Abraham went along with it. Why? Now that's the million dollar question. Was it because Hagar was so beautiful? Was it because Abraham lacked faith himself? The plan made sense to him. I am sure Abraham was very hurt by not having children as well. Pain and disappointment are two hard things to face, and it is something this couple had dealt with for years.
Abraham agreed to Sarah's plan because he wanted God's promise. He wanted a son. He wanted children so badly, and had waited so long for them, that this plan seemed to make sense to him. No one stopped and asked God's opinion about it. I can imagine they were both angry with God in a way. They probably felt God forgot about his promise to them, and that hurt too. We have to be careful when we are in pain. Our judgement is off and we may make bad decisions. It's best to step back and get all the facts first, and pray and listen to what God has to say.
The plan Sarah had turned out to be a mess, but I believe Abraham opened up the door for Sarah's unbelief, and it was also in Egypt that they got Hagar. If Abraham had kept his eyes on God while they were in Egypt, he would never have lied and said Sarah was his sisiter. Once again the Bible does not have any record of how Sarah felt about any of this. I am sure she was extremely fearful, so that seeds of fear and unbelief were planted by her husband.
Now years later God appears to Abraham again and there are three men (who are really angels, but we find that out later). I don't know why God sent three angels to Abraham, maybe it was to save his cousin Lot (antoher story) but he did and while they were there God told Abraham that he would return the same time the next year and that Sarah would have a son. Sarah over heard this and laughed. She was worn out (even though she had a good life) and she and her husband were way past the age of having children.
God heard Sarah laugh and ask Abraham why she laughed. Let's stop here for a moment. God did not ask Sarah why she laughed, he asked Abraham. The text goes one, but this is just a reminder how importarnt the marriage relationship is to God. Two become one. Sarah then spoke up for herself and lied and said she did not lie. After all her years, she still did not truly understand who God was or his character. God knows everyhting, why would she lie? Maybe because she had seen her husband lie. I wish she had said, "I laughed because after years of disappointment and pain, I don't have the strengh, to believe anymore, this whole thing has hurt me to my core." If she had said that it would of been at least true. It's one of the few times Sarah speaks in this whole story,and the only time she speaks directly to God, and she blows it. I would of screamed out my pain and disappointment. I would have cried my eyes out, but I wouldn't have lied. She lied because she was afraid. I understand that. Fear was something she knew very well, so her reaction, in truth, was natural. Then for the first time (at least recorded in the Bible) God speaks directly to Sarah and tells her she lied. Wow! If God appears to me, and then speaks to me, I don't want him to say that I lied.
My point is, that each us have been through situations, or currently facing a situation which has caused us much pain and disappointment. We may feel that God has forgotten us and his promises and his word is not true. I have heard pastors preach about Abraham and Sarah many times and many of them have said the reason God waited so long to give Abraham and Sarah their promise is because God wanted everyone to know that he does the impossilbe. We also have well meaning people in out lives who love us, who believe they are being helping, but in some ways cause us more pain, and may indeed give us advise, that sounds good, but not the way God has planned to bless us. How do we know what to do? How do we know if what we have in our heart is from God, or just wishful thinking on our part? Honestly, the best thing I can tell you is continue to pray, read God's word and make no decisions in haste. One thing I can say for sure is that God has not forgotten you,and that God does not lie. If he said it, it will come to pass. You have to keep believing and do the best job of what God has given you to do until his promise is fufilled and the even after that.
Gensis 18 is just part of Abraham and Sarah's story, be sure to read it all and pray about it so you can be blessed. Any pain and disappointment you have, give it to God, he can handle it. Nothing is impossible for God.
Monday, February 8, 2010
I Can Do Bad By Myself
I am not a big movie viewer, but since being snowed in due to the storm, I had the time to see one of Tyler Perry's films. I am not a huge fan of Tyler Perry's work, but I do think he tries to send a positive message and provide audiences, especially African American audiences, an alternative perspective in mass media. Well, I think Mr. Perry fell short with the DVD I just saw, "I can do bad by myself." I think Mr. Perry missed the mark on this film because it was not based on a well constructed story. Without a good story, movies do tend to be random scenes of media strung together, without making much sense. I appreciate his effort and the movie made some good points, but overall as a total project it was just a big dud.
The first thing I would of done is change the title to "I will do bad by myself." If we rely on what we know and think and feel, we will fall short every time. We need to lean on the wisdom and love of God to guide us. We do this by listening and obeying the people in our lives that love us, provide for us, and want the best for us. It also means that we may have to change our plans and do what is best for someone else. The number one thing is to read and know God's word. His word is perfect, even if we do not understand everything that we read, or take things out of context. Once we read his word we need to pray for understanding, wisdom and knowledge. Attending a Bible believing church, attending a Bible study, or reading books about the Bible are all helpful, but we must always take time to read the Bible and pray on our own.
Hebrews 4: 12-13 states it best
12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
So why should you do bad all by yourself? God is always present to provide all that you need. Read and obey the word of God and you will be blessed. Being blessed does not mean that you will not have any trouble, it means that God is with you during your trouble, and others will be blessed by your testimony wether you tell it, or just live it day by day. We are complete in Christ.
The first thing I would of done is change the title to "I will do bad by myself." If we rely on what we know and think and feel, we will fall short every time. We need to lean on the wisdom and love of God to guide us. We do this by listening and obeying the people in our lives that love us, provide for us, and want the best for us. It also means that we may have to change our plans and do what is best for someone else. The number one thing is to read and know God's word. His word is perfect, even if we do not understand everything that we read, or take things out of context. Once we read his word we need to pray for understanding, wisdom and knowledge. Attending a Bible believing church, attending a Bible study, or reading books about the Bible are all helpful, but we must always take time to read the Bible and pray on our own.
Hebrews 4: 12-13 states it best
12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
So why should you do bad all by yourself? God is always present to provide all that you need. Read and obey the word of God and you will be blessed. Being blessed does not mean that you will not have any trouble, it means that God is with you during your trouble, and others will be blessed by your testimony wether you tell it, or just live it day by day. We are complete in Christ.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
The Call of Jeremiah
In the first book of Jeremiah we read the words below;
4 "The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew a]" style="line-height: 0.5em; ">[a] you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
It is easy to believe that this "call" was just for Jeremiah. The truth of the matter is, God knew each of us before he formed the world. That means that each one of us is special. We all each have a purpose in this world. It may not seem possible because we live in a very busy, complex, and at times violent world. We often may question, "What is my purpose? How can I make a difference in a positive way?" The answer is through Christ and his word. The key thing to remember is once you have done your best, you leave the rest up to God. There will be times that you give 100% and it seems like nothing is going right, and you get so discouraged, that you just want to quit. When those times come, step back, and let God step in. If we could do it all, we wouldn't need God. You are special, what you say and do matters, remember who you are, and bless someone else just by being who God created you to be.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Information Overload
In today's society there is so much information avialable all the time in a variety of formats that is easy to become confused and overwhelmed. It is impossible to know what the truth really is because so much of what is out there is meant to influence instead of inform.
As a write this the east coast of the United States is under a deep blanket of white snow left behind by the blizzard of 2010. It may be the most snow fall on record for the state of Maryland. The public was warned about the approaching storm at least a week a head of time, even before it was a storm, and just a computer generated prediction of a storm. As the day of the arrival of the storm approached the reports of the snow fall got larger and larger. Schools closed, or closed early, federal employees got off work early, people made a mad dash to the grocery stores and other businesses to stock up on needed supplies. The snow started to fall, tiny little cold wet snow flakes, that at times were hard to see. There was nothing beautiful about the snow flakes, but they fell nonstop for over 27 hours.
The thing I love about snow is that it stops everything. It forces everything and everyone to stop or at least slow way down. That is what has happened on the east coast today. We are snowed in. Cities and counties have road crews out, but there's so much snow that it make take sevearal days to clear all the streets, and power lines are down all over the state. Newscast have been on all day providing viewers with details and assistance and warnings to stay put and staff off the roads. As always there are those that don't listen (I am not talking about those who have to go out like nurses, and etc.) and create more problems.
I've learned a lot during this blizzard. First I have learned that little tiny things like snowflakes when they come together can form something really big. The Bible says, "When two or three agree . . ." So this proves that if people work together they can accomplish great things, but we have to agree. Secondly, to accomplish something great takes time. It snowed for over 27 straight hours. Third, you cannot stop. It did not stop snowing during those 27 hours. Fourth, when people work together and do something great, they stop what is going on, and provide different options, and/or change things, hopefully for the better. Finally, I learned that if I listen to man and his knowledge is limited, and yet it is still a good thing for me to know, then it is even better for me to listen to God, because he knows everything. I should trust in God, more than I trust in man. The Bible says, "Be still and know that I am God." If we do this, we will not be confused or suffer from information overload.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Learning Something New
I learned something new today from an unexpected source. I found out that even as a teacher, I learn so much from my students and it is truly a blessing. I learned about my Webcam on my Netbook Mini which you see below, but it why I accidentally filmed myself that is so important. It was all because of Tim today.
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