I finally put all the blogs from Sparky’s blog challenge roll into Google reader this weekend. I discovered that I had missed a few postings. Since it was late and I didn’t want to take the time to catch up, I just marked everything as read so I could start fresh.
As I was adding all the blogs I noticed there were many peeps who have not blogged in a really long time. These were bloggers I was enjoying reading too. As I glanced at their last posts, I got a little tickled imagening what had happened to them. It was late and my close peeps would tell you that a tired Laurie is an easily amused Laurie. It’s been that way all my life. It’s absolutely a genetic and/or generational blessing. My mom and my girls are the same way.
So, here are some tidbits from the last posts from our wayward, missing bloggers.
Last seen shampooing and wondering about the name, shampoo…that is a mighty long shower
Headed for church and never came back…please come back!
Stopped being a nice guy…or so he says
Just a little summer Haiku…may still be dreaming of summer
Left on a jet plane…hope she is somewhere fun
A little Thanksgiving thankfulness…must be saving up for next Thanksgiving
Hanging out with prehistoric birds…didn’t someone else just post about a bird?
JV football games…that would take some recovery time.
Said goodbye to a beloved pet…hope your doing better now!
You tell me what happened to them. I’m hoping some of them will see this post and peek their heads back in the challenge. We miss you! I’m pretty sure a fresh shipment of Golden Toilet Paper awards are on their way!!
I wanted to write today’s post to help me remember something. I also wanted to write it so I could process something a little better that I heard a couple of weeks ago. Sometimes it helps me get to the heart of what I believe about something if I write it out. It sometimes helps it make more sense to me or shows me the pondering in my head really made no sense at all. If I’m gonna be posting it for the world to see I want it to be true and I want to make sure I believe it. I’m sure over time I’ll write some things in error or I’ll change my mind later…or God will change my mind. But, at least I have a place to sort out some of my pondering along the way.
I said a few weeks ago that I had a lot I was chewing on and pondering from a conference I attended on the Presence of God. It was a great conference and one that has stuck with me. It’s given me a lot to think about and ponder on. It has given me a new way to look at life. Some of it was just a reminder of things I already knew. I tend to need a lot of reminders. Some of it sounded new to me, but it may just be that it was the first time I was able to receive the implications of what was being taught on a deeper level. It could have just been the first time that I was ready for the next lesson in the many lessons I am sure God has for me along this journey with Him. One thing I know for sure, when you start asking God to reveal more of himself to you, He will. When you seek His face and a closer relationship with Him, He will come thru. When you ask Him to lead you to truth about something, He will. And, in the midst of all that, He will fill you with a fresh helping of joy and peace.
I kinda think the thing I’ve been pondering is not really a new concept for me. It is just one of those things that reinforces what I already knew on some level. It was there to remind me. It was there to solidify some things I’ve been learning along the way. It was there to give me confidence and assurance in the walk I am on. It was placed there to increase my faith on this journey. It was placed there as a tool to combat fear. It was presented in such a way as to make me go search it out for myself and that is a really good thing. For many years, I have been a lazy Christian. I’d go to church and soak in whatever is being said and just assume it was all true and correct. I’ve gone to the same “denomination” all my life, so I basically know what is being taught and have no reason to believe I am going to hear anything false. The problem with that is you never give God a chance to speak to you personally when you do that. The other problem with that for me is that I was checked in physically, but my heart was not engaged. I’ve learned that you get much more out of this journey if you are engaged. Worship is much more fulfilling if you are engaged. God has alot more to say beyond the words of the teacher and preacher if you are engaged. He has already spoken to him, but He has things He wants me to hear. He has things He wants me to learn and grow in.
So, the thing I’ve been pondering came out of Ephesians 2:4-7. The reference was never given, so I had to go looking for it. I have to admit my ears perked up when I was told I am already seated with Him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Really, I thought that came later. I’m with Him now? Really? Surely that has been taken out of context somehow? I don’t feel like I’m seated in heavenly places. Some days life feels pretty heavenly, but there is a lot of it that doesn’t look or feel too heavenly from where I sit. Sure, the Holy Spirit lives inside of me down here, but me, in heavenly places in Christ?
But, I’ve been trying to put into practice a new concept lately, so I needed to see if this was really true and what it might mean for me personally and for my family and friends. See, I’ve got a friend who talks a lot about putting yourself in a position to receive from God. Maybe it’s kinda like being in the right place at the right time, only not necessarily in a physical sense. Although, I am learning you have to put yourself physically in places to receive too! Some places just have an atmosphere for receiving that others don’t. Some places just put you in that place in your mind and heart that others don’t. But if I haven’t put my heart, mind and soul in a position to receive from Him, it doesn’t really matter where I am physically.
This verse just raised that whole position concept to a whole new level though. What could be better than being in heavenly places in Christ? What better place to be when the struggles of life get me down? What better place to be when life is going great and I want to tell Him thank you? What better place to be when I’m seeking answers about parenting? What better place to be when I’m trying to break free of old destructive habits that threaten to derail the peace that He has given me? What better place to be when fear comes knocking at my door? What better place to be when I’m feeling small and insignificant? How amazing to realize not only do we have the Spirit here on this earth with us, but we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places? That is too much for me to comprehend, but oh so very comforting and peaceful. It makes all my struggles and questions seem so small in light of those facts. It makes those things I call mountains seem so small. It gives me great hope, peace and confidence. It gives me a whole new meaning to being in the presence of God!
Whatcha Thinkin'? 