Manna Monday

Hello there people out there in blog world.

I hope you all had a fantabulous Thanksgiving filled with, well, thanks.

Duh.

Ours was wonderful as we traveled to my home city to visit my amazing mother…love that woman.

Anyhoo.

Over break Brandon mentioned to me that I have been a slackerface (yep, he SOOO used that term [those of you who know Brandon know I am lying. A lot. He would never use that term]) with this blog. He then declared that he would write some things on the days that I slack off.

I agreed.

He was shocked. But I was serious. He is a great writer who is insightful, hilarious, and all around awesome.

So blog people?

If you notice I am missing and all of a sudden my husband shows up in my place? You’ll know why. He is picking up my slack for me.

Anyway.

Welcome back to another edition of Manna Monday.

It’s been awhile.

Life has a way of taking me away from leisurely activities (such as blogging), so even though I wanted to be writing? Not possible.

So here I am finally again on a Manna Monday.

And what is today’s topic?

Genuine fruit.

When I have longer times to actually think instead of just function like a robot, then I really get a good look at myself.

This break I was able to see several areas of my life that I am really ashamed of.

Sometimes I pass of my bluntness as ‘OK’ because afterall, I am being honest, right?

But is that really right?

And sometimes I think that it is ‘OK’ to be impatient because afterall, I have very important things to do.

But this (among many other things) are disheartening to me.

Why?

Because it is bad fruit. Matthew chapter 7 discusses the tree.

When you look at the trunk of an apple tree without apples on it, would you know it was an apple tree?

How about a pear tree. Would you know it was a pear tree if there were no pears on it?

I know I wouldn’t.

It is the fruit that grows on the tree that proclaims what type of tree it is.

In fact, once the fruit grows, it is painfully obvious what you are looking at.

Our own lives are just like that.

The ‘fruit’ we bear, or the actions that we portray to others are our fruit.

When we have the ‘fruits’ of the Spirit, such as patience and gentleness, kindness and self control, we are showing the God’s Spirit lives in us.

It is living so vibrantly inside that we are growing that fruit and showing it to the world.

But when we let bitterness, selfishness, anger, unkindness, etc. fester inside us, it is like a disease.

Instead of good fruit, rotten fruit will start to grow.

We will no longer be the juicy, ripe fruit that people want.

We will be the fruit that will make them sick if they have it.

If you put a rotten piece of fruit on top of a good piece of fruit, what will eventually happen?

The mold that is on the bad fruit will pass over to the good fruit and make it bad too.


The bad fruit we bear will start to rot those around us if we aren’t careful and we will affect their Spiritual life as well.

Instead, I want to be that person that is so full of the Spirit, my good fruit is alive and well and attracts those around me to it.

They will want to know how they can have what I have.

They will want to know Christ.





**Looking for other Manna Monday posts? Click the 'manna monday' link right below this post.**

Manna Monday

Welcome to another installment of Manna Monday...

When you think ‘servanthood’, what comes to mind?

For some, you might conjure up images of slaves, either past or present.

For others, you may think of being humble and putting others above yourself.

Of course, the type I want to talk about today is the latter.

Why am I focused on servanthood? Well, in short, my husband.

Now, I just have to take this moment to brag about my husband.

Within the last week, this is what he has done for me:

Scenario 1: I was exhausted from school and just feeling overwhelmed. I casually mentioned that I was too tired right then, but would cook later. He didn’t hesitate. He asked: “What would you like me to cook for dinner?”

Scenario 2: I had an urge to get a Panera piece of bread. I mention this offhandedly. Next thing I know, he is on his way to Panera with a piece of their bread just for me. When the first store didn’t have the bread? He went to another one.

Scenario 3: I complained that my back was sore from working out.

He massaged my neck and back as I peacefully fell asleep and felt all the stress of the day melt away.



So besides the fact that my husband is a.m.a.z.i.ng., why do I share this story?

Because he is an example of what I would like to be.

He is constantly amazing me in the ways in which he puts the needs of others above his own. In fact, this seems to be second nature to him.

Do I think this is because of coincidence?

No.

Rather, I honestly believe it’s because he has chosen to make his relationship with Christ such that He is his best friend. From this? Flows a desire to care more about others than himself.

He purposefully chooses each day to become more and more humble, rarely demanding his own needs or rights.

Wow.

He is a great example of a leader of our home and the way I wish to be.

Christ himself washed every single one of his disciples feet as an act of service.

Now, keep in mind that the disciples walking on dirt roads that probably were filled with horse feces (as their mode of transportation), while wearing open-toed sandals. AKA the disciples feet were disgusting.

And GOD Himself. Jesus Christ. Chose to humble himself. Instead of walking in the room and declaring : “I am God. Worship me”, he bent down low and took on the job of a servant.

Did he have every RIGHT to proclaim his Godhood and ask people to worship Him? Yes. But in that moment, did he?

Am I willing to take on the most disgusting role, or unpleasant role, just to serve someone?

Or a harder question, even when its not a huge sacrifice, am I willing to serve??

Think about it…

Does It Really Matter?

I am selfish.

I know, I know. I am a CHRISTIAN. How can I be saying I’m selfish? I thought Christians were supposed to be perfect, right?

Wrong.

We are not perfect. Although our goal is to act like Christ did, we are still human, we are flawed and imperfect. The only difference between Christians and non-believers? We have chosen to put our trust and hope in Christ and believe in Him for salvation.

That is it.

Therefore, like I said: I. Am. Selfish.

Terribly so, in fact.

I really feel like I have been made so acutely aware of this lately, especially since my brother-in-law moved in. (Missed the post about that event? Click here. )

So often, I make declarations in my mind about my own rights and my stuff.

I think that my house is mine.

It is not.

I think my money is mine.

It is not.

I think that my time is mine.

It is not.

You see, because I have chosen to live my life for Christ, I recognize that all of my blessings, gifts, talents, and breaths here on this earth all belong to Him.

In fact, if the plan for my life was supposed to end right now, he could take the breath out of my body this very instant. He could make my heart stop beating. And my short life here on earth would end.

And all that time spent thinking about all MY ‘stuff’, MY ‘precious time’, and MY ‘precious belongings’ would fade in a moment of time.

Which really makes me wonder…why in the world am I so concerned with all of it anyway?

Will it really matter in the long run if someone disrespected my time and space? I mean, who really cares. If I am truly to love as Christ loves, then shouldn’t I be willing to give up my rights as he did? After all, he was treated terribly---mocked, scorned, and beaten, yet he gave up his life freely for every single one of us without complaint.

And I look at my own life. I can’t even stand it if someone oversteps their bounds or takes advantage of me.

I know what my purpose here on earth is. I discovered that at a young age. I remember thinking to myself: “I really want to help people who are hurting.” (Thus why I am a social worker!)

However, how much of my life is spent NOT working toward my purpose? How much energy and time is wasted wondering about stupid things like “I wish I could afford designer clothes like _____ over there” or “I wish I could change x, y, and z about my body” or even “I cannot believe ______ did that to me! Clearly they need to know about how they stomped on my toes.”

Which leads me back to my original point. I am selfish.

I spend so much time wondering about meaningless things because they benefit me.

How would my life be different if the majority of my thoughts were focused outward and how I could minister to others?

How much more Christ-like would I be?

Maybe then I could wear the name of Christ proudly instead of so often bringing shame to His name.

But thank God for grace.

Thank God He forgives us when we are wrong.

Thank God that He loves us so much that even when we are selfish and not resembling Jesus, He still loves us.

And thank God that He loves us enough not to let us stay the way we are.

Thank God.

Manna Monday

So welcome to a segment I would like to call Manna Mondays. It is where I share some of what God is teaching me.

Last Sunday at church, our pastor really had a phenomenal sermon where I truly felt convicted and inspired. Hopefully you too will enjoy what he shared. Here were my notes:

It was entitled: “Full of God’s Purpose” and was based upon Ephesians 3:20.

Ephesians 3: 20 “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”

#1. We are asking too small! We limit what God desires to do through our life because we are asking too small. Often times our prayers consist of “Lord, just help me get through this day.” Ok, well if He is a God who can do exceedingly more than that, but that is all we are asking??? What if we started to pray bigger dreams and more powerful prayers. For me, this might look like this:
-“Lord, bring me an opportunity to lead at least one person to Christ Every. Single. Day.” Or

-“Lord, will you raise up a revival in the United States so that the spirit of apathy and unbelief will be extinguished.”

-“Lord God, allow me to be your servant every day by sacrificing myself to bring glory to your name.”

- “Jesus, give me a heart for the nations. May I bring your gospel to nations that have never heard your name before.”

-“God, will you revive the inner cities of America! Empower me to meet the physical needs but to bring the message of salvation to those living there!”

-“Jesus, burn up everything unclean inside me. Make me into a new creation that looks more like YOU every day.”

#2 We think too small! This is among the same point. We envision the plan for our life as so insignificant in comparison to what He desires for us! After all, are we not here on this earth for HIS purpose???? We need to start dreaming bigger and allowing Him to lead us in the direction we need to go…

#3 God’s power is working in us as Christians because the Holy Spirit is alive on the inside. We must never forget that we are coming to the KING of kings! All power in all of the earth is His! However, God’s plan is possible only by the power of the Holy Spirit. We need to be willing to submit to that power.

#4God’s Plan is all for God’s glory. If we are to dream bigger, and ask bigger, we need to be increasingly aware that it is all for His glory that we do any of it! Allowing pride to creep in will surely stop us in our tracks. Instead, we need to start each day without putting ourselves first. We can never think that we deserve any glory---all glory belongs to Him because it was He who gave us talents, abilities, resources, etc.


Even as I type this sermon, I get convicted again. There is so much that I hope to do for Christ, but I need to start praying more radical prayers. My faith needs to grow exponentially! After all, if we ask, the door will be opened, if we are seeking, we will find, …we simply need to ask!