waiting a time, times, and half a time

(waiting being the operative word here. opo Lord, i will start acting like You really are my Lord and actually obey Your command to wait. gulp. for an interestingly long period of time.)

(the title comes from Daniel 12:7, where the prophet Daniel was told that his visions would come to pass in that amount of time, whatever actual length of time that was. but i'm relating it to my situation, where "time" appears to mean...a semester in our dear old university. yay....haaay. =p )

GOD!
Thank You for telling me to wait. =) because that means there is something to be waited for. =)

regarding Elijah (the cartoon Bible story that i bought definitely for myself and not for any nephew or niece...):

• i was just anticipating the "still small voice" scene. (this was the first major realization i had of how God talks to us. not surprisingly, Elijah continues to be my favorite prophet =) )
• that scene did not happen.
• but from the start the cartoon showed Elijah as
• just wanting to wreak havoc
• just wanting to avenge God
• just wanting a rematch
• but God told him to
• leave his country
• go to the wilderness
• go to a foreign place
• go to a widow who has no husband to provide for her and who has a son to support
• wait THREE years.
• wow. three years.
• that's my PhD studies. =)
• (and also, Jesus' entire ministry.)
• but most importantly for this situation, that's exactly the time i had set for myself just the night before.
• hmmm.
  

Near the end of his adventures Elijah said, "Now I see the wisdom in Your timing, God."
Yet even before that i already sensed God telling me the same thing.
=)
i was watching the cartoon Monday night (September 11, 2006).
Just the night before i was telling myself i had to let go of even wanting to be **************** because i feel i should not be "distracted' at this point; i feel i still have a lot of other things to figure out, to work out, to resolve.
so it was ok for me to wait.

but the second realization during watching the cartoons FLOORED me.
previously, God told me "No" regarding another guy. (who am i kidding? that happened more than once if i were to be completely honest with myself. yipes.)
and so i felt a little sad that now He was telling me to wait ---
wait.
wait a minute.

He was telling me to wait.
Not "No," just "wait".
Yay! =)
well?

=)
God, i'm going to continue living a life and having a heart full of faith.
i'm not going to assume or presume anything. =)
but You know my heart, Lord.
and i'll just wait for Your plans, and not pursue my own.

Thank You, Lord.
Truly Your mercies are new every morning. :D

amen. =)

giving credit where it is due, take 2 =)

(once again, a reminder of what i really am...and what i am not. From Isaiah 10:12-15)

When the LORD has finished all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes. For he [the king] says:

• By the strength of my hand I have done this,
• and by my wisdom, because I have understanding.
• I removed the boundaries of nations,
• I plundered their treasures;
• like a mighty one I subdued their kings.
• As one reaches into a nest, so my hand reached for the wealth of the nations;
• as men gather abandoned eggs, so I gathered all the countries;

Does the ax raise itself above him who swings it,
or the saw boast against him who uses it?
As if a rod were to wield him who lifts it up,
or a club brandish him who is not wood!

hanging by a moment =)

(why, it took me ages to realize what this song is about! =) )

Hanging by a Moment
by Lifehouse


Desperate for changing
Starving for truth
I'm closer to where I started
Chasing after you
I'm falling even more in love with you
Letting go of all I've held onto
I'm standing here until you make me move
I'm hanging by a moment here with you

Forgetting all I'm lacking
Completely incomplete
I'll take your invitation
You take all of me now...

I'm falling even more in love with you
Letting go of all I've held onto
I'm standing here until you make me move
I'm hanging by a moment here with you
I'm living for the only thing I know
I'm running and not quite sure where to go
And I don't know what I'm diving into
Just hanging by a moment here with you

There's nothing else to lose
There's nothing else to find
There's nothing in the world
That can change my mind
There is nothing else
There is nothing else
There is nothing else

Desperate for changing
Starving for truth
I'm closer to where I started
Chasing after you....

I'm falling even more in love with you
Letting go of all I've held onto
I'm standing here until you make me move
I'm hanging by a moment here with you
I'm living for the only thing I know
I'm running and not quite sure where to go
And I don't know what I'm diving into
Just hanging by a moment here with you

Just hanging by a moment (here with you)
Hanging by a moment (here with you)
Hanging by a moment here with you

twenty-three =)

(all from that well-known psalm. =) baa =) )

• The LORD is my shepherd. (baby baaaa!)
• He restores my soul. =)
• I shall not want. (nothing else to need or ask for =) )
  
• He makes me lie down in green pastures. (makes: God places me in such circumstances; it's not my doing!....green: abundant)
• He leads me beside still waters. (peace-filled)
• He leads me in right paths.
• Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. =) (the only thing that matters =) )
• Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. =) (i needed outside help for this one: the rod and staff are not there to hurt me but to protect me from those who would harm me. so that's why it's comforting!...)
• My cup overflows. =) (not just full, but overflowing!)
• You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. =) (not just preparing for me, but enabling me to overcome! yeah!)
• You anoint my head with oil. (God Himself will promote me =) yay =) )
• Surely goodness and mercy and steadfast love shall follow me all the days of my life. (it's definite; it's lifelong...and beyond.)
• I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Amen =) )

the payday prayer

on the way to the ATM...
"Dear God, please send money. Amen."

upon leaving the ATM...
"Dear God, thank You for giving me money. Amen."

=p

no condemnation -- just hang in there, teci =)

If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not!
-- Galatians 2:17

hail to the God of second chances (and third, and fourth...)

I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy."
And they praised God because of me.
--- Galatians 1:22-24

no more excuses =)

Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.
It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask,
"Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?"
Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask,
"Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?"
No, the word is very near you;
it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
--- Deuteronomy 30:11-14

Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world,
so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked,
"What? Are we blind too?"
Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin;
but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
--- John 9:39-41

"Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land;
but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword."
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
--- Isaiah 1:18-20

a very biased offer

Moses was very biased in presenting these two options. i find it easy to see why. =)

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying His voice and holding fast to Him, for He is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."
-- Deuteronomy 30:19-20

ransom

Psalm 49:5-9

Why should I fear when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me ---
those who trust in their wealth
and boast of their great riches?

No man can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for him ---
the ransom for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough ---
that he should live on forever
and not see decay.


John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this,
that he lay down his life for his friends.


Romans 5:7-8

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man,
though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.


Romans 5:10

For if, when we were God's enemies,
we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son,
how much more, having been reconciled,
shall we be saved through his life!

love bears fruit =)

i got this from our pastor :)

Love is the blossom.
Joy is love rejoicing.
Patience is love enduring.
Peace is love trusting -- resting.
Kindness is love serving.
Goodness is love extending.
Faithfulness is love proving.
Gentleness is love touching.
Self-control is love restraining.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
-- Galatians 5:22-23

ready =)

Ready for You
by Kutless

Lord, You take my heart away with Your love
and I am willing to put my faith in Your plan
Come and take my life
Make my soul refreshed in truth now

I am ready for You
Take my heart and make me new now
I am ready for You
to come and fill my soul

Cleanse all of my mind that is not of You
Break me, teaching me how to find rest in Your hands
Come and take my life
Make my soul refreshed in truth now

I am ready for You
Take my heart and make me new now
I am ready for You
to come and fill my soul
to come and fill my soul

Whatever it takes,
I'm needing to make Your will be done
and I'm letting go of my control,
for I see what You've done in me

I am ready for You
Take my heart and make me new now
I am ready for You
to come and fill my soul

what about prayer? (and apples?)

my friend and i were sending text messages early this week...

A: I'm confused. What if you want something. For example you like that apple on the table. But you're not sure from afar if the apple is already ripe. What will i pray to God for? "Lord i hope the apple is already ripe when i eat it so that my hunger is satisfied"? Or, "Lord if the apple is not yet for me i hope that i can stand my hunger until the time comes that You're ready to give me the apple"?

{by the way God is always ready, it's us that He's waiting for :) }

B: Jesus' prayer: "Let not my will, but Yours be done."
Lord, please reveal to me what Your will is, and please give me discernment for me to realize that it's You...
If that apple is for me, please develop my patience to wait for it...
If it's not for me, please strengthen me to obey You.
Let everything I do please You and glorify You. :)
In Jesus' name,
Amen. =)

A: Agree. So your answer is like the second [sample prayer in question]. What about the first? If you pray and you believe that it will be answered, it will be given.

B: Wait, i'm not yet finished =)
Related to what you said, ask in Jesus' name and He will do it (John 14:13-14, 15:16, 16:23-24)...and if we abide in Him (John 15:7)...
Have faith =)

A: That's where i'm confused. We want something. So we tend to ask Him to hear our prayers. When will it be right to ask for His will to be done? Does it mean we should not ask but instead just wait for His will? i know the answers to my questions are so simple. i just need to hear. =)

B: But how come some prayers aren't granted, or what about contradicting prayers from two people? Because we abide in God and listen to His voice, there will be times that we'll realize that it's not His will...
If I'm confused, I don't want to pray without faith either, which is why I recommend to pray for His will and pray in the Spirit...
Ask according to His will and it's given (1 John 5:14-15)...
God can give you more than what you can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20)...
but this is the BEST: Romans 8:26-39 =D mwah!

{by the way, that "best" passage says, among many things, that:
the Spirit Himself intercedes when we don't know what to pray for
all things work together for the good
if God didn't spare His own Son for us, won't He give us everything else?
nothing, not even death, can separate us from God's love =)
(so why not read it yourself? :) ) }

B: i'll just give a personal example...i also have an apple now, but i also feel that it's not yet time (and maybe it's the wrong apple!)...
So there are times i just say, 'Lord, i'm going to be hopeful about THIS apple, because EITHER YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE ME THIS OR SOMETHING BETTER! yeah! =) but it's not really my "right" to claim that for myself, just HOPE for now =)

A: Absolutely the same here. =) i'm really confused about this apple. The good thing about this is i'm now considering God's will. Unlike in the past whenever i see an apple i lean on my own assessment and do what i feel i should do. Now it's so different! Maybe that's why i'm confused. =) thanks, you're really helpful. =)

B: Hey we're sisters aren't we? =) i really feel too, especially when i was a new Christian, when it was obvious that He was changing me =) =) just keep going, He's always at your side =) thanks too and i'm also refreshed! =)

again and again and again =)

Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens.
You who have done great things, O God, who is like You?
You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth You will bring me up again.
You will increase my greatness and comfort me again.
--- Psalm 71:19-21

for the do-gooders =)

You are the Sun
by Sara Groves

You are the sun shining down on everyone
Light of the world giving light to everything I see
Beauty so brilliant I can hardly take it in
And everywhere You are is warmth and light

And I am the moon with no light of my own
Still You have made me to shine
And as I glow in this cold dark night
I know I can’t be a light unless I turn my face to You

You are the sun shining down on everyone
Light of the world giving light to everything I see
Beauty so brilliant I can hardly take it in
And everywhere You are is warmth and light

And I am the moon with no light of my own
Still You have made me to shine
And as I glow in this cold dark night
I know I can’t be a light unless I turn my face to You

Shine on me with Your light
Without You I’m a cold dark stone
Shine on me, I have no light of my own
You are the sun, You are the sun, You are the sun
And I am the moon

You have made me to shine
And as I glow in this cold dark night
I know I can’t be a light unless I turn my face to You
No I will never be a light until I turn my face to You
No I will never be a light until I turn my face to You

No I will never be a light until I turn my self to You

You are the sun