Today was the day we celebrated our daughters third birthday because i will be working on her true birthday. It started with present opening and ended with her crying in her bed, because we were not giving into requests of things before she could sleep.
Yesterday i introduced her to Bear Gryllls (who thankfully kept his clothes on the whole time) and she sat through several episodes with me...first time ever. Watching something that has nothing to do with my life has become something of a debrief for me with what is do day to day at work.
My daughter awoke this morning in a great spirit ready to open her gifts. Mum then had to head out to the Docs, which was more of a let down then a help for her. During the time my wife was gone, my daughter shouted to me whilst i was in the bathroom getting ready, "daddy you haven't given me my card yet and sung to me happy birthday". I am so glad she keeps me in line, good for a three year old....keeping a 38yr old in line.
When mother returned we headed for the Zoo.
We asked our girls where she would like to go for her birthday and she said the Zoo. I was so relieved because i love the zoo:) I love seeing the great diversity God created on the earth and our local zoo is the best i have ever seen. We all love the chimps, they are by far the most fascinating creatures. I could see how people like to think of them as prelims to man but i know this not to be true because we have a part of creation that primates do not. Of course if your looking for an excuse not to believe in God then that theory might benefit you greatly. I remember watching a Darwin movie and they said, "finally Charles you have given people a reason not to believe in God!" interesting turn for a guy once called to the ministry.
I really would like our children to understand the world and to get out into it some day, hopefully and their love to see animals might lead then there. I see the love for animals in my daughter and son. We might have a dog and some chickens but that is nothing when you hear a lion roar across the park or chimps chasing each other feet away from you. I am relieved that zoo's have changed from observations parks to wildlife conservation parks. I am a literal person and when i read, in the bible, that we should be looking after (being a good steward of creation) i tend to not like seeing things too pend up, which is why i like our zoo, lots of room.
We i see these amazing animals i am constantly reminded of what it must have been before the fall of man, Adam walking among these animals with no fear from the animals. It amazes me that our God created all these creatures for a purpose but also for our enjoyment. I mean he could have created all the parrots green, but he didn't. He made us the stewards of these animals and he made the animals colorful and amazing.
Makes me wonder the nature of God. What do these animals show us of God?
Simply and on face value:
He is Colorful (see Ezekiel chapter 1)
He loves Diversity (he didn't make his ultimate plan just for the Jewish people but in the coming of Jesus opened the good news to all people groups. Act 16:9)
He loves Song (Read the book of Psalms)
He loves Relationships (read the book of Matthew.)
He loves different Shapes.(Ezekiel 1, its in his very nature.)
He loves Purpose (the bible starts with a plan for humans to have a relationship with God and continues to show how He fights for that through to the coming of Jesus being to ultimate show.)
Well there is a few, one of the most convincing things to me about God being real is his creations. The ultimate lesson in that is celebrating the birthday of an amazing beautiful little girl and boy. To see them come out of my wife, growing, learning, expanding their lives and vocab. It is amazing. Every argument about evolution, for me, fades when you see a baby. I know others would disagree, this is a biblically based view point. Something gripped me in the heart when i saw them come out and it was not "what an amazing evolved being" but "wow what an awesome creation."
Thanks to God for his nature, the way he created the world, and for the healthy children he has blessed us with, and for another birthday with them.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
How can i have Peace
Quotes
"i was asking the girls "what is it that you are looking for from camp" one of the girls perked up and said "peace"'
"if we were to be honest with ourselves we would probably all say we want peace more then anything in life."
"When that becomes a heart decision and not a head decision there is a peace that is experienced."
"i have sat on my backside not practicing any of these things except to the people in my little circle, at those times i did not have peace."
Colossians
12 Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility,gentleness, and patience, 13 accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive. 14 Above all, put on love—the perfect bond of unity. 15 And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful. 16 Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
I was doing a message for camp when we take the girls at camp to churches to tell them about the progress at camp and i came across this passage. The way it started was that i was asking the girls "what is it that you are looking for from camp" one of the girls perked up and said "peace". So the search was a foot and i started looking to do a message on peace.
When is came across this passage, and i must have read this several times before and never seen this, i realized that the peace of the messiah was not at the top? That seemed strange because if we were to be honest with ourselves we would probably all say we want peace more then anything in life.
Now i am not talking about the peace we need when the two kids are running around the house, and your head is spinning. I am talking about a inner peace. A peace that is all of lives crazy times you still are at peace with life. An example from my life would be that i can have the craziest day at work, come home and have a house that's crazy too (opposite to physical peace) and still feel an inner peace.
i think when it comes to relating this to what the bible teaches on peace when have several way of experiencing peace. Or should i say there are to kinds of peace... Firstly there is a peace that comes when we except what Jesus did for us on the cross. When we realize that he paid the price for what was due us for all the bad we have done. When that becomes a heart decision and not a head decision there is a peace that is experienced, I call that a salvation peace. Then comes want i call and sanctification peace (meaning a process of becoming more like Jesus), this applies to the passage above.
If peace is what a majority of us are searching for why is it not at the top of the passage? When Paul is writing this he places it right in the middle of a bunch of other things.
When we look closer at the passage we notice that what comes before it is actions. Why actions?
"put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility,gentleness, and patience, 13 accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive. 14 Above all, put on love—the perfect bond of unity."
My thoughts are this is about doing something first and then the Peace of the Messiah will come with those actions.
I am blessed enough to work in a ministry where i have no choice but to apply these principles every day. There have been plenty of times when that has not been the case and i have sat on my backside not practicing any of these things except to the people in my little circle, at those times i did not have peace. Think about the times when i was active and going out there and applying these principles to my working environment, whether in the British Reserves or Security Work etc, that's when is had some inner peace.
In fact isn't that why loads of people in the world today, even those who don't know the bible and are deliberately applying it to their lives, are going out and showing kindness, compassion, humility, gentleness etc. Are they not doing this because it gives them a sense of peace? Yes sense of purpose might be in that but peace would defiantly be an outcome.
So here is the challenge we have from this passage. Are you seeking peace?
Show compassion,
Are you seeking peace? Show kindness. Are you seeking peace? Be Humble. Are you seeking peace? Show gentleness to someone. Are you seeking peace? Be accepting. Are you seeking peace today? Forgive those, as the Lord has forgiven you.
Doing these to someone when its not easy, when you don't know how it will turn out, someone you don't know that well.
Most of all, and this is the hardest on forgive, not necessarily for their sake but so that the Peace of Messiah would rest upon you.
If you have been sitting on pew at church and not getting out there and doing...that is not why or how you came to know the Lord, no matter your age, you must get going and doing because i am pretty sure you do not have peace sitting on a pew.
May we get doing, so that the Peace of the Messiah would rest upon you. And be Thankful.
Adrian
"i was asking the girls "what is it that you are looking for from camp" one of the girls perked up and said "peace"'
"if we were to be honest with ourselves we would probably all say we want peace more then anything in life."
"When that becomes a heart decision and not a head decision there is a peace that is experienced."
"i have sat on my backside not practicing any of these things except to the people in my little circle, at those times i did not have peace."
Colossians
12 Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility,gentleness, and patience, 13 accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive. 14 Above all, put on love—the perfect bond of unity. 15 And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful. 16 Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
I was doing a message for camp when we take the girls at camp to churches to tell them about the progress at camp and i came across this passage. The way it started was that i was asking the girls "what is it that you are looking for from camp" one of the girls perked up and said "peace". So the search was a foot and i started looking to do a message on peace.
When is came across this passage, and i must have read this several times before and never seen this, i realized that the peace of the messiah was not at the top? That seemed strange because if we were to be honest with ourselves we would probably all say we want peace more then anything in life.
Now i am not talking about the peace we need when the two kids are running around the house, and your head is spinning. I am talking about a inner peace. A peace that is all of lives crazy times you still are at peace with life. An example from my life would be that i can have the craziest day at work, come home and have a house that's crazy too (opposite to physical peace) and still feel an inner peace.
i think when it comes to relating this to what the bible teaches on peace when have several way of experiencing peace. Or should i say there are to kinds of peace... Firstly there is a peace that comes when we except what Jesus did for us on the cross. When we realize that he paid the price for what was due us for all the bad we have done. When that becomes a heart decision and not a head decision there is a peace that is experienced, I call that a salvation peace. Then comes want i call and sanctification peace (meaning a process of becoming more like Jesus), this applies to the passage above.
If peace is what a majority of us are searching for why is it not at the top of the passage? When Paul is writing this he places it right in the middle of a bunch of other things.
When we look closer at the passage we notice that what comes before it is actions. Why actions?
"put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility,gentleness, and patience, 13 accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive. 14 Above all, put on love—the perfect bond of unity."
My thoughts are this is about doing something first and then the Peace of the Messiah will come with those actions.
I am blessed enough to work in a ministry where i have no choice but to apply these principles every day. There have been plenty of times when that has not been the case and i have sat on my backside not practicing any of these things except to the people in my little circle, at those times i did not have peace. Think about the times when i was active and going out there and applying these principles to my working environment, whether in the British Reserves or Security Work etc, that's when is had some inner peace.
In fact isn't that why loads of people in the world today, even those who don't know the bible and are deliberately applying it to their lives, are going out and showing kindness, compassion, humility, gentleness etc. Are they not doing this because it gives them a sense of peace? Yes sense of purpose might be in that but peace would defiantly be an outcome.
So here is the challenge we have from this passage. Are you seeking peace?
Show compassion,
Are you seeking peace? Show kindness. Are you seeking peace? Be Humble. Are you seeking peace? Show gentleness to someone. Are you seeking peace? Be accepting. Are you seeking peace today? Forgive those, as the Lord has forgiven you.
Doing these to someone when its not easy, when you don't know how it will turn out, someone you don't know that well.
Most of all, and this is the hardest on forgive, not necessarily for their sake but so that the Peace of Messiah would rest upon you.
If you have been sitting on pew at church and not getting out there and doing...that is not why or how you came to know the Lord, no matter your age, you must get going and doing because i am pretty sure you do not have peace sitting on a pew.
May we get doing, so that the Peace of the Messiah would rest upon you. And be Thankful.
Adrian
If you are reading this and do not have peace, consider becoming a Christian today. Go to Peace with God to find out more.
Bible verses used from the HCSB and referenced from www.biblegateway.org
Introductions of Thoughts
I decided to start a journal today to log views and thoughts.
Who am I
I am a Christian first and foremost in the knowledge that was never perfect and never will be, saved by grace i live in mercy, beaten and bruised by sins of the past i now live free.
I am Husband second, aware of my short comings in fulfilling her needs and pursuing being better then i was yesterday. Leaving God to fill the voids of my short comings.
A Dad third. Aware i never be able to spend the time i want to with my children i try to be the best dad i can on time off.
A minister of ministries Forth. i know that being called to full time ministry has its costs, one being the constant conflict between family and ministry. I never met anyone who managed to get a handle on that. Just attempting to do the best i can.
Who am I
I am a Christian first and foremost in the knowledge that was never perfect and never will be, saved by grace i live in mercy, beaten and bruised by sins of the past i now live free.
I am Husband second, aware of my short comings in fulfilling her needs and pursuing being better then i was yesterday. Leaving God to fill the voids of my short comings.
A Dad third. Aware i never be able to spend the time i want to with my children i try to be the best dad i can on time off.
A minister of ministries Forth. i know that being called to full time ministry has its costs, one being the constant conflict between family and ministry. I never met anyone who managed to get a handle on that. Just attempting to do the best i can.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)