THANKFUL

I have definitely been struggling with high-horse thoughts as well as complaining. Loneliness and the high school have been dragging my attitude down! It's not an excuse, but an external attack on my flimsy internal self. Thank GOD for conviction. After coming home yesterday, all I wanted to do was complain and threaten to quit the profession and run away to the mountains somewhere... where there are mountains. My attitude, admittedly, was extremely poor.

Instead of posting my woes on a public forum, I read a book on thankfulness. I read quotes that talked about thankfulness and trust washing away complaints and fears. I ate a bowl of cereal. I asked for PRAYER on facebook, instead of divulging complaints. I napped. THEN, after I had slept, I talked to Mike and Rachel on the phone and they both listened as the dams crashed down and I admitted my discouragement. They pointed me towards God and encouraged me.

God answered prayers today. He sent me a very clear message of my weakness. He also sent me a very clear message of His strength. Thank God for growth. He will provide.

I am thankful for Lent. Thank you if you are praying/have prayed for me. Please continue to do so if you feel led. :]

It's not easy to be human.

Bethany Berens posted this video/article on the Exit facebook page, but I just wanted to emphasize it to you guys. Contemplative prayer is really neat and I like Huertz' take on it as a center in living a life of social justice. Keeps our intentions pure and helps us to remember that we are human and cannot do the work of the Lord WITHOUT the Lord's strength. I know it seems so elementary, but I find myself trying to do things without His strength and failing pretty bad...  

http://www.faithandleadership.com/multimedia/phileena-heuertz-its-not-easy-be-human

1 Peter 4:11

"If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen."

Ezekiel 36, 37.

Happy Spring Break all you non-student-teaching IWU-ers. Happy teaching to Bethany. Happy working to Sean and Brian.

Our Lent reading for today is the "Dry Bones" passage in Ezekiel 37. I hope this is a good reminder of our time together last week, and our discussion of God's desire to do a powerful work of re-creation and resurrection in our lives.

In chapter 36 Ezekiel prophesies words of restoration to the land of Israel and redemption for God's people. Ezekiel 37 then provides the object lessons that embody these promises. I read a little further this morning in Ezekiel 37.  Following the "Dry Bones" passage is a story about "the Two Sticks." Ezekiel is told to take two sticks -- one representing the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and one representing the Southern Kingdom (Judah) -- and join them together into one stick. This is to represent a fundamental principle of God's redemption: healing of division."I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms" (v. 22).

I believe that when God does works of re-creation and redemption people who were once divided are unified. I believe that one calling we have as Christians is that of unification and healing. God's people are not meant to be divided; they are meant to be one. Let God show you where you are divided with others during this Lent, and then ask him to perform a work of re-creation, one that fills your dry bones with spirit and heals your divisions.