The House You're Building

  Straining Toward the Goal [12] Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. [13] Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. [15] Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. [16] Only let us hold true to what we have attained. (Philippians 3:12–16 ESV) As I reflect on the year, as many of us are prone to do at the changing of the calendar, I was thinking of what 2024 was about for me—the new things that entered in and the things it was time to let go of.  One of my favorite new things was hiking.  Though I’ve always hiked, a group of adventurous ladies who I’ve been doing life with for many years, focused on do...

How often do you think about your patterns and habits?     Is it only when something is going wrong or like many, do you become contemplative around the transition to a new year?     I’ve been thinking about my lifestyle for about 3 months now, so though December is winding down, and January is quickly approaching, the words I share with you aren’t a new thought in my mind.  Yet before God highlighted this passage as I was reading, I couldn’t quite put into words the cause of my disquiet:    You have sown much, and harvested little.  You eat, but you never have enough; you drink but you never have your fill.  You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm.  And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. Haggai 1:6 (ESV)   In a word, I’ve been weary.  At Christmas, the hymn [1]  tells us “the weary world rejoices” which sounds fantastic except I’m not rejoicing—I’m just tired. ...

Prepare Your Heart: Read James 3:2-14.   Reflect through prayer or journaling the control of your tongue or any situations where it has put you in harm’s way.   What examples of this passage have you seen in your life? Happy New Year!   Everyone is making resolutions.   In the background behind me I can hear the beach body trainer on P90X because my husband has made a resolution to exercise more.   In my first grade class we even joined the fun and created goals as a writing project.   Many people become mindful of the dangers in what they eat, how they spend their time, and unhealthy habits like smoking, etc.   I’ve been known in the past to not make resolutions because I don’t want to break them !   Yet, it is great to look at your life and find areas that need tweaking.   How about in your spiritual life?   To see my thoughts on how I’m doing straight out of my journal from last year, reference my last post: Gleanings 2011. ...

For those of you who have been with me for three studies so far, you know that I like to end my study with a reflections process I call gleanings , based off the biblical model of allowing the poor to going back through the harvest after it has been reaped to gather what is left.   I am poor in spirit and need spiritual food!   I always like to look back and review where I have been with God and what I’ve learned.   We are forgetful.   We like Israel have a “Red Sea” experience and praise him, then days later grumble and complain and daydream that where He is taking us is far worse than the garbage and slavery we left behind.   I also have this habit as I finish a new journal, which I just did!   Timely as it’s the end of the year.   I read though it prayerfully, asking God to show me what I learned and any special words He needs to remind me of on the faith journey I’ve made so far.   Below I’ll list the things I noted in my new journal o...