I'm Finding God in 2009...!

Welcome to 2009!! I hope your Christmas and New Years were memorable and fun. I also pray that in 2009, God keeps you and your family healthy, happy, and safe.

A few months ago, I wrote that I was taking charge of my Bible studies - by starting to read the entire Bible from start to finish. Those of you who have tried this before probably just sat back and chuckled. Yeah... it didn't go so well. I'm on Exodus. But apparently lots of other people just within our church must have tried this technique out too (and failed) because God has impressed upon the leadership in our church that we should all be reading His Word (completely), and the church leaders have taken that call to action:

My church purchased the Daily NIV Bible for EVERY MEMBER (2500+) of the congregation as well as Bibles for each of the school age children! This particular edition provides a section of the Old Testament, a section of the New Testament, as well as a Psalm or Proverb each day. The kids' Bibles provide a section of the Old Testament and a specific verse from the New Testament. It breaks down to just 2-and-a-half pages per day if you stay on track! And, by the end of the year, the adults will have read the entire Bible while the kids will have read every major story!

In last Sunday's adult Bible fellowship class, our leader discussed "manuals" and how every major purchase, toy, gadget, appliance, electronical, etc. comes with an instruction manual. Actually READING the manual and following the directions for set-up, usually makes the usage of whatever gadget much easier. The same is true for life. God made an instruction manual for His creations!! Within the Bible, you can get answers to life's most pressing questions, quick FAQ's for a smoother life, or troubleshoot problems that may arise! Yet most of us (myself included!) just open the Bible when we have to look up a specific verse or deal with a specific problem. It will work so much better for us if we actually know the context in which each of those verses are given, because how can we know God's Will if we don't know what the Bible even says??

New Year's Resolutions are so easily broken, forgotten, or discarded. So instead of calling it a resolution, make this a GOAL of yours for 2009. Join me in reading the entire Bible this year. Apply what you learn, and let God work through you. If you want to join me in the 2009 Bible Challenge, just visit our church's website: http://www.ccmason.org/about/ttbible.html. They have .pdf's of the portions we have to read each day so you can follow along with your own Bible! Happy reading!!

:) Mags

I Found God In A Coincidence...

If Julia had lived, our family would have been to a 2-year old-birthday party for my niece on Monday, April 21st.

Sadly, Julia was born in 2006 with Trisomy 18, a chromosomal abnormality that is incompatible with life. She exceeded doctors' expectations, though, by living 6 days instead of passing away immediately or being stillborn.

So on this 2008 Monday afternoon, I was just watching mindless TV - waiting for my first grader to return home from school when my mind started wandering to Julia. I was thinking that, had she lived, we'd be getting ready to go to my sister-in-law's house for a family party... that Julia would probably be wearing some ridiculously-cute, pink frilly dress bought by Nana... that my sis-in-law, Stephany, would have baked a cake and adorned it with pink or lavender icing... that my boys would've helped pick out a fun 2-year-old-GIRL toy for Julia - grumbling that they "hate Barbies" of course - but all the while being careful to choose just the perfect gift...

As I was thinking all this, I felt a voice in my head say "Call her." I wondered what I would say... after two years, there are only so many ways you can verbalize "sorry about your daughter," you know. But, I figured maybe we could all go out to dinner - and while it wouldn't be the same as a real party, maybe we pick a place with balloons and send them up to Heaven with birthday wishes written on them (I keep a Sharpie in my purse for that very reason!). :)

When I called, I could tell Stephany was teary... she said she had just been looking at some of Julia's pictures - and that 4:30 (the time I had called) was the time of day that Julia had been born...!

I made my dinner offer, and they accepted... so she and my brother-in-law (Tim), my two boys, and I went to Red Robin. We had the onion ring tower (of course!), our dinners, and then splurged on dessert in honor of Julia. The boys helped write messages on the balloons and then released them to heaven outside. We watched those balloons sail straight up to the clouds - and the moment they blinked out of sight, my kids knew that Julia had reached out to snag them. :)


Was it mere coincidence that I felt the urge to call Stephany at 4:30 that afternoon... the exact time she was remembering her dear daughter? I doubt it... because that little voice you sometimes hear in your head.....?

That's GOD talking to you.

You can override His request by choosing to do the opposite.
You can mute His voice by filling your head with other thoughts.
You can be so busy with trivial things that you aren't even aware that He is speaking to you.

But if you open your mind and L I S T E N... you will start to hear Him talking to you. Speaking. TO. YOU.

And when the creator of the entire universe chooses to send you a message... don't you think it would be wise to listen up?! I did the random opening of my Bible just now (The Message translation) it opened to Psalm 119...starting at verse 129:

Every word you give me is a miracle word -

how could I help but obey?

Break open your words, let the light shine out,

let ordinary people see the meaning.

Mouth open and panting,

I wanted your commands more than anything.

Turn my way, look kindly on me,

as you always do to those who personally love you....

And at verse 139...

You ARE right and you DO right, God;

your decisions are right on target.

You rightly instruct us in how to live

ever faithful to you.

Are you listening?

Are you really and truly listening?

Because God might have something to say to you... and you wouldn't want to miss it.

By hearing God say two simple words: Call her. I believe that we, in a small, simple way, helped lighten the heavy burden that my in-laws were feeling that day. I could've ignored it. I could've have "planned" to call later. But I chose to listen - and I (and, I hope, my in-laws) were a little better for it.

Thanks, God, for giving me a shout-out! I invite you to call on me anytime!

Take care of you and yours,

:) Mags

I Found God In An Invitation...

I'd heard pastors preach about "inviting God into your life," but I don't think I really understood what it meant until recently ... "recently" being the "big computer crash of '08!".

I decided that God might need a more formal invitation from me - more than the pleas that occur during a problem ("Oh God! Oh God! Please don't let my computer be busted!"), so I stopped for a moment to say

"God, I invite you into my life today - please join me as I work to create new digital images. Please come with me to workout at the gym... because I know this IS NOT my favorite thing to do and I'm likely to run out of steam."

And crazy enough, I've actually felt a little bit empowered since then! I think that if I invite God into my life and into each day, that if I pay attention, I'll see hundreds of little signs each day of which diretion to go. That's not to say that God ignores people who don't invite Him in - I'm just thinking that those people who DO might be more attuned to the little signs that God provides them each day.

What do you think?

Feel free to leave you comments below - I'm still trying to work this all out in my mind, myself!! :)

Happy Day,

:) Mags