Holy on the Ordinary Streets

Oswald Chambers...gotta love him. I've been reading "My Utmost for His Highest" as a devotional for as long as I can remember and it never ceases to speak a timely word to my spirit. Today was no exception. Read on:

There was nothing of the nature of impulsive or thoughtless action about our Lord, but only a calm strength that never got into a panic. Most of us develop our Christianity along the lines of our own nature, not along the lines of God’s nature. Impulsiveness is a trait of the natural life, and our Lord always ignores it, because it hinders the development of the life of a disciple. Watch how the Spirit of God gives a sense of restraint to impulsiveness, suddenly bringing us a feeling of self-conscious foolishness, which makes us instantly want to vindicate ourselves. Impulsiveness is all right in a child, but is disastrous in a man or woman—an impulsive adult is always a spoiled person. Impulsiveness needs to be trained into intuition through discipline.

Discipleship is built entirely on the supernatural grace of God. Walking on water is easy to someone with impulsive boldness, but walking on dry land as a disciple of Jesus Christ is something altogether different. Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus, but he "followed Him at a distance" on dry land ( Mark 14:54 ). We do not need the grace of God to withstand crises—human nature and pride are sufficient for us to face the stress and strain magnificently. But it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours of every day as a saint, going through drudgery, and living an ordinary, unnoticed, and ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus. It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God—but we do not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and holy on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people—and this is not learned in five minutes.

You can read online...and even subscribe to the feed. Oct. 22 is fantastic as well.

A Life Without Complaining

In a recent letter from Laine, she spoke about gratitude and not complaining. It really spoke to my heart and I wanted to share part of it with you. If you are like me, by the time you are done reading it... you will feel like the most fortunate person in the world, no matter what your circumstances! A complaining and negative spirit builds upon itself The more you complain...the worse you feel. The worse you feel, the more you want to complain. Sarcasm can be a roundabout way to complain about life...and can suck the life out of you! Be careful what comes out of your mouth and fill your mind with positive words and scripture. This is an ongoing pursuit...as it's pretty difficult to "fix" a problem of complaining in our culture, when we have so much media bombarding us and telling us that we should be outraged that we don't have everything we want! But it can be done. :) It is fine to want to improve certain things in your life, but when your focus on them becomes a detriment to truly living, re-focus needs to happen.

There is so much beauty and wonder in every day things...you don't even have to look farther than your own home and family! So why not adopt a spirit of gratitude and look for the amazing aspects of your every day life? I find that it is helpful to list 3-4 things in my mind that I am grateful for each morning and evening. It instantly changes my outlook. Each of us has a choice at the beginning of each day to start with joy...we, as mothers and wives, have so much control over the "feel" of our home and life. Fill it with joy.

 Dear Sisters,

"Do everything without complaining or arguing."  Philippians 2:14

How I hear these Words in my mind over and over, especially when I want to do one or the other. Mostly the complaining part. So within the last year I have had this imaginary conversation with a woman from the mid 1800's; and when I am tempted to complain, rather than to thank God for His many goodnesses, I say this silently to her in her era:

How can I complain when I can hold the whole counsel of God in my hands and read it any time I want?

How can I complain when I can go to the sink and hot and cold water pours out for me at the flick of my wrist?

How can I complain when at the push of a button I can have instant heat on my stove?

How can I complain when it takes me minutes to load my washer and at the push of a button all the work is done for me?

How can I complain when I can get into my car and be at a market within 15 minutes?

How can I complain when I can have hot or cold air piped into my car while driving?

How can I complain when I can listen to the most beautiful music while driving?

How can I complain when I can see the doctor or the dentist on the same day I am suffering?

How can I complain when I can write a letter and send it to be received on the same day I sent it?

How can I complain when the shelves are so full of good things at my supermarket?

How can I complain when I can buy clothes cheaper than the cost of just the thread at garage sales and thrift shops?

How can I complain when I can turn on this machine called a vacuum and it sucks up all the dirt for me in my house?

How can I complain when I can sleep in front of a fan in the hottest time of summer?

How can I complain when I can go to the air conditioned library in the summer and use their computers for free?

How can I complain when I can talk to my mother in another state on a moment's notice over a hands free phone?

How can I complain when I can soak away my aches and pains in hot water piped right into my tub?

How can I complain when I don't have to use an outhouse, rather a lovely bathroom right inside my home?

How can I complain when I have this big above ground pool right in my backyard to jump into when it is so hot?

How can I complain when I have a closet full of clothes for my whole family?

How can I complain when I can turn on my t.v. and learn a whole new recipe from a celebrated chef for free?

How can I complain when I can buy canned food for my winter pantry already canned for me?

How can I complain when I can lay fully back in my chaise lounge chair on a heating pad when I am ill?

How can I complain when I want to go to a concert that I can listen to it right in my kitchen on a CD?

How can I complain when at the flick of a switch I can light up a whole room?

How can I complain?

How can I possibly complain?

"For if a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness...I say that a stillborn child is better than he...though it has not seen the sun or known anything, this has more rest than that man, even if he lives a thousand years twice - but has not seen goodness." Eccl. 6:3-6

How can I complain when every day is such Sweet Sabbath Rest with Him?

Love, Laine

The Riches of His Grace

In my blog meanderings I came across this wonderful, thought provoking quote about the Holy Spirit at the blog "Of First Importance". So often I fall into this same trap...forgetting about the intense love Jesus feels for me and focusing only on my short-comings and how I have disappointed Him. I want to focus on the "riches of His grace", and pass on this same grace to everyone I come in contact with. I long to have that "childlike confidence in Him"...trusting in Him fully for all of my needs. Thanks to Samantha at She Dabbles for the link!

“Perhaps much of our slow progress in the walk of faith is to be traced to our overlooking the love of the Spirit.

We do not deal with Him, for strength and advancement, as one who really loves us, and longs to bless us, and delights to help our infirmities (Rom 8:26). We regard Him as cold, or distant, or austere; we do not trust Him for His grace, nor realize how much He is in earnest in His dealings with us.

More childlike confidence in Him and in His love would help us on mightily. Let us not grieve Him, nor vex Him, nor quench Him by our untrustfulness, by disbelieving or doubting the riches of His grace, the abundance of His loving-kindness.”

—Horatius Bonar, “The Holy Spirit”