The "Happening"

It's a strange thing for me to hear someone who doesn't have a relationship with God, talk about chance and fate. I was talking with my cousin today and he was saying over and over again how amazing it was that this woman "happened" to be on the exact flight as him to answer all his questions he had about this particular, unplanned trip he was taking, and help him above and beyond what he was expecting? He couldn't get over the fact that she could have flown out of any other airport and on any other day but they happened to be on the same flight and it was all so perfect that they happened to meet up.

Now that tells me a lot about my worldview and how my perceptions have been shaped by my upbringing in the study of the Bible and how God works and moves in our lives. Mostly because the entire time he was talking about "chance" and "happened to" and how amazing it all was, all I wanted to say was "that's so cool how God can bring the right people into our lives at the exact needed moment?" But it also brings up the question in my mind - I've been around enough Christians to know that in that exact situation they would have been praying that God would bring the right person along their path who could answer all their questions and calm all their fears. When it did happen that way, there would be two responses; one, simple amazement and two, recognizing that God answered their prayer as they asked and they would praise Him and tell others of what God did to help them. So here's the question, even though my cousin wasn't giving the praise to God for what took place in his life, was it still God orchestrating? Does He do that in hopes that someday that person would recognize God's work, care and love? Does He do it so that I (the one of the receiving end of the story-telling) can give praise to God?

-Blue Man Group-

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Standard

I got reprimanded tonight by my mom for saying "holy crap." I've been letting my language slip lately. I know...most people would laugh if they read that, "like what? That's the worst thing you can say?" I just used to have higher standards for my speech, that's all.

Ephesians 4:29- "Let no unwholesome word proceed

from your mouth, but only such a word as is good

for edification according to the need of the moment,

so that it will give grace to those who hear.

I have high standards for a lot of things. My friends from church and I were all kind of raised the same way so I am used to being around people who understand that and encourage you in it as opposed to bashing you for it. I remember our assistant pastor giving a sermon once from the book of Daniel. In the first chapter we are told about Daniel and his Jewish friends adjusting to palace living. Among other things, they were given a strict diet of the kings' food. Verse 8 begins, "But Daniel made up his mind (or "set upon his heart") that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank..." It goes on to tell how he sought permission to set his own diet abiding by Jewish laws. I made a note in my Bible next to this verse that says, "Daniel draws the line here because this was something directly against God's law for his people, the Jews. Daniel set an unusually high standard." I think my pastor said something about the food was something God forbade him to eat but the wine wasn't necessarily something he couldn't have but he still chose not to, just as a matter of being above reproach. I asked myself, why should I set the bar low when I can raise my standard? Jesus raised the standard in Matthew 5 when he says things like not only is it wrong to take another man's wife but even thinking lustful thoughts is just as bad...now those are high standards.

Lately, almost every single standard I have been living my life by up to this point has been called into question. I used to take them for granted and so of course now, I don't know how to handle it. I must decide, have these standards been held high in vain? Do they need to be trashed just because the people I hang around have negative standards? I shouldn't be questioning them! I KNOW there are some things that are just inappropriate to be talking about or listening to, why do I sit there and listen without saying anything? I KNOW sex was intended for in marriage only and that is the right way in God's eyes. I have been taught that all my life, why would I start to question that when one person disagrees? Because I start wondering if it's not so wrong after all? It takes work and the grace of God to keep these standard up high, it's nothing I could do on my own. So I guess that would mean I am calling God and His work into question when I start thinking it's just not cool anymore. I need to remember that daily, I've pretty much had the same standards all my life so I know exactly when something causes me to call them into question and I'm sick of questioning them. I just realized I am chewing on a bobby pin, I wonder if that's bad for me;) Anyways, if you could remember to pray for me that I'll continually remember that there is a purpose for all this otherwise it would be plain meaningless and a waste of time and effort.

Ephesians 5:4 -

"...and there must be no filthiness

and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which

are not fitting, but rather give thanks."

Apparently the Ephesians had the same problems;)

small frustrations

McKenna has these little rubber dolls with rubber clothes.... I don't know if I am just impatient, but who in their right mind would think that was a good idea? Rubber clothes? Anyways, I hate them for the time I spend trying to cloth those stupid dolls.

22 and still learning

I had a very...teaching, drive into work this morning. My alarm didn't go off this morning so Bethany woke me up 10 min. after I was already supposed to be at work. I threw on some clothes and ran out the door. Bethany mentioned that she had left at this time before and hit major traffic because I had to drive on two of the busiest highways in town plus go straight through downtown when all the businesses were opening. I remember asking God to make it so there would be no traffic because I was late enough as it was. I was listening to traffic reports on the radio and there was an exit ramp on 131 that they kept saying was backed up and really slowing traffic down. I was getting worried but knew there was nothing I could do but wait it out so that was the plan until I got to it and there was absolutely no back up what so ever. "That's odd," I thought. So I keep going and getting onto 196 I was sure there would be a back up because there always is...no backup. Then I knew there would be one right before my exit ramp on 96 becasue of construction but no...none at all. I made it to work in record time and there were absolutely no traffic problems. I remember thinking, "wow, that was cool." Then I remembered that I had prayed and it made me think how many times I ask God for things not really thinking about it, ya know? How could i have gone through all that and forgotten that God was delivering the entire way? He hears me and He cares.

About 5 min before arriving, a song came on the radio. If I remembered the title I would probably type out all the words right now but it's a song I'd sung a hundred times before. It talks all about praising God through good and bad times, through thick and thin. Everytime I sing it I feel slightly guilty because I feel like my life has been only good, easy times (especially when I think of my friend who just lost her young husband) but then I realized that hard times in my life aren't just when those close to me die or become very sick. They are also times like when I over sleep for work and stress out, or lose my temper. Those are oppertunities for praise.