Remain in Me.

Lent Challenge:  Days 6 & 7

Yesterday was a crazy day.  I’m not exactly sure why, but the day seemed to just spiral out of control.  We were hosting 2 young gentlemen from Atlanta Christian College who were attending the National Preaching Summit at church.  They were fun to have here, but it made me feel very old.  And very tired, but that's an entirely separate post...

As my day was spiraling out of control (which really just means not going according to the plan that I had laid out ahead of time), I was reminded of the wonderful devotion I read yesterday morning.  I’ve been reading Sarah Young’s “Jesus Calling” (which I highly recommend).  The book is a series of short messages written from Jesus’ perspective.  Don’t let the brevity of the entries fool you.  They are packed with profound thoughts.  Here’s the entry that haunted me yesterday:

“Let Me prepare you for the day that stretches out before you.  I know exactly what this day will contain, whereas you have only vague ideas about it.  You would like to see a map, showing all the twists and turns of your journey.  You’d feel more prepared if you could somehow visualize what is on the road ahead.  However, there is a better way to be prepared for whatever you will encounter today:  Spend quality time with Me.

I will not show you what is on the road ahead, but I will thoroughly equip you for the journey.  My living Presence is your Companion each step of the way.  Stay in continual communication with Me, whispering My Name whenever you need to redirect your thoughts.  Thus, you can walk through this day with your focus on Me.  My abiding Presence is the best road map available.”  (Jesus Calling, p. 13)


Scripture Verse for the Day(s)
Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.  John 15:4-8

Prayer for the Day(s)
Jesus,
Why can’t I trust you for what is ahead?  What is it that makes me want to see every step-all the twists and turns?  Help me to learn to trust in you.  Grow my faith.  Show me how to spend more quality time in your Presence.  Wake me up so I am aware of You.  Grow my roots so that I am grafted in You and not myself.  Deepen my roots so that I can bear fruit that points to You.  You are pruning me right now.  Please continue to cut down the ineffective branches that I cling to so tightly.  I want to look like Your disciple—more tomorrow than I do today.  Amen.  

Everything is Permissible

Lent Challenge:  Day 4

Today has been an interesting day at our house.  Very quiet.  And incredibly relaxing.  Normally on Saturdays, the tv has been on—Abigail watching Franklin or Sesame Street episodes and Matt and I “catching up” on our DVR’d television shows.  Not today, though.  I have to say that earlier in the week I wondered what Saturday would be like because we were planning to be home all day.  Well, it has honestly proved to be a beautiful day.  Our fridge is full.  Our house is clean.  I’ve made a roast for our dinner after church tomorrow.  I made dinner tonight.  And we’ll be going to bed in just a little bit—actually leaving us plenty of time to sleep with the time change.

What a refreshing day.

Isn’t it funny how God always knows what is best for us?  We have these ideas about what we think is best, but it doesn’t always turn out that way, does it?  I’m beginning to see how this “sacrifice” of something that isn’t inherently wrong is truly a benefit.  I hope you’re discovering the same freedom.

Scripture(s) for the day:
“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.  I Corinthians 10:23-24

“Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything.  I Corinthians 6:12
 
Prayer:
Jesus, I am always trying to justify things in my life that are permissible.  Help me to think differently so that I can live for Your Kingdom.  Please show me how to live so that I am not mastered by anything.  I want you to be my Master, my Lord, my everything.  Rid me of any other master.  Amen.  

Thursdays are for TV

Lent Challenge:  Day 2

Thursdays are television nights at the Dingman home.  Usually when I get home from rehearsal, Matt and I will talk while I pop some popcorn and then we’ll watch one, sometimes two, shows together.  I’m in Lincoln this evening after a long week of class and I’ll admit, there was a part of me that, after sitting through 4 days of lectures and 3 hours of research in the library, wanted to watch something that I didn’t force me to think.

I’ve been thinking about how these 40 days will change me.  My experience with Lent (which honestly has just been watching others participate in it half-heartedly) has not made me think there would be any reason to be different after the 40 days is over.  When I think of the typical “things” people sacrifice (pop, chocolate, even tv...), I wonder whether after 40 days those habits will simply be picked back up again with no intentional change.

I’m curious as to how this will shape me.  Make me into a different person.  How will this form me?  I’d like to think that perhaps I’ll be well-rested and well-read, but will I look more like Christ?

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  2 Corinthians 3:17-18

Prayer for today:
Jesus,
Show me that in sacrifice there is freedom.  Teach me that when I walk in step with the Spirit, that I am free.  Transform me into the likeness of you through the power of your Spirit.  When I am unwilling, make me willing.  Move me so your glory can be seen.  Amen.  

New Beginnings

I'm not going to pretend that it hasn't been over a year since I've posted anything. I'm sure there are a couple of people out there who will faint when they see that I've actually posted something new. I struggled with whether or not to put some kind of profound musings for my first post "back", but decided that if I continued to wonder what would be a worthy return post, I would simply never post anything.  Ever.

Now that I've acknowledged my lack of commitment to writing over the past year, here's my gratitude for new beginnings.

Today happens to be Ash Wednesday.  I am in a seminary class right now that is studying the Christian year.  In my experience in church, the only portions of the Christian year that we celebrated were Christmas and Easter.  Being from an Independent Christian Church that uses the Bible only (and the word Lent doesn't happen to be in the Bible....at least in mine...), my thoughts of Lent are quite negative.  They are unfortunately clouded by hypocritical, shallow choices that others have made while choosing to observe the season.  When Lent is viewed as preparation for the celebration of Easter, it suddenly takes on new meaning.  New beauty.

As a project for my class, I have invited several people to join me in a Lent Challenge.  In order to prepare for the celebration of Easter, we want to somewhat identify with the suffering and sacrifice Christ endured on the cross.  We are choosing to sacrifice something of significance over the next 40 days in order to be reminded of that gift. 

This is a first for me...the whole Lent thing.  I'll be honest, I am struggling with some feelings of self-righteousness.  After all, fasting from anything is pretty spiritual, right?  My husband and I have decided to give up t.v.  That choice has been a big one.  I knew it was the right one when it made me sweat a little.  I'm praying that I can remember that my sacrifice of t.v. isn't costing me my life.

Because of the extra time that I'll have from not watching t.v., I hope to write more.  To reflect more.  I'm sending those involved in the Lent Challenge a daily "thought" and Scripture verse.  I hope to share some of those here as well.  Maybe that will force me to be in the habit of writing more....One can only hope, I suppose. 

Lent Verse for the Day:
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  Hebrews 12:2-3
Prayer for the Day:
Jesus,
Fix my eyes on you.  Glue them there.  They look so many other places and I cannot seem to keep them there by myself.  Thank you for writing my faith, for making it right.  Help me to approach my Lenten sacrifice with the same kind of joy that you approached the cross.  Remind me of what you endured in order to redeem my life.  May that be a motivator to keep me moving forward.  Amen.