sorry that the previous post isn't quite a feast for the senses due to formatting limitations :-(
I'd already messed around enough to get the photos in there...
Time to enjoy the gift of sleep :-)
Monday, July 18, 2011
Enjoying God’s beautiful world with my senses
God made this world.
More than that, He made it beautiful. Not just functional, but beautiful. Not just nice, but exceedingly and extravagantly wonderful.
 |  |  |
 |  |
What wonderful things for our eyes to see!! I was reminded of the gift of sight when I was out exploring Manly on a gorgeous sunny day and saw 3 vision-impaired people.
And yet He bestows more on us; wonderful things to eat and drink too!
 |  |  |
And then there are the other senses: touch, hearing, smell. What a bounty of delights God has made for us!
As a loving Father, God “causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Jesus in Matthew 5:45).
What love!
 |
What in God's beautiful world has made you smile lately?
[Creation by God. Photos by Kirst.]
going back to college ... YAY!!
I'm am super excited about going back to College today!!
Never mind the fact that I hadn't even thought about getting myself ready (you know with notebooks, looking at the syllabus etc) until last night...
Since then I've been full of enthusiasm :-)
Even after going to the gym this morning I've been jumping up and down excitedly (just little jumps though ... compared to my jumping when I hearing of someone deciding to follow Jesus)
Gosh my sentences have gone haywire :-( must be too much excitement ... (and not a lot of time!)
Firstly I'm excited to see everyone again, particularly the other resos.
Secondly, I'm excited to be learning new things (but on the flipside, this may lead to info-overload which scares me a little).
Thirdly, I'm looking forward to being reminded of the gospel again and again, and being filled with amazement and joy again and again.
Time to head off to class...! :-)
Never mind the fact that I hadn't even thought about getting myself ready (you know with notebooks, looking at the syllabus etc) until last night...
Since then I've been full of enthusiasm :-)
Even after going to the gym this morning I've been jumping up and down excitedly (just little jumps though ... compared to my jumping when I hearing of someone deciding to follow Jesus)
Gosh my sentences have gone haywire :-( must be too much excitement ... (and not a lot of time!)
Firstly I'm excited to see everyone again, particularly the other resos.
Secondly, I'm excited to be learning new things (but on the flipside, this may lead to info-overload which scares me a little).
Thirdly, I'm looking forward to being reminded of the gospel again and again, and being filled with amazement and joy again and again.
Time to head off to class...! :-)
Saturday, July 9, 2011
the fatherhood of God
I've been thinking for the past year or so about the fatherhood of God.
All of us have got a father. We might know them really well or not at all. We might be really close or really distant from them. They might be alive or not. Have you thought about how your relationship with your physical / earthly dad might affect your relationship with your heavenly father (God)?
In the Bible, God reveals Himself to us as our heavenly Father. Indeed that is how Jesus taught us to address God: "Our father in heaven...". What an amazing thing, to call the creator of the universe 'father'!
However, when we use the word 'father' for God we naturally bring some of our own associations with that word. These then impact how we think of God as our father.
When I was introduced to this idea last year it got me thinking. I love my Dad. He and Mum have provided for me very well. But I've struggled to feel close to Dad. Similarly, I find it difficult to really feel and know the love that God has for me. I know it intellectually, I can tell you Bible verses about it, I may even know some Greek and Hebrew about it, but in my heart I still feel uncertain of His love and worry that He will reject me. My heart and my head tell me different things.
So where to from here?
All of us have got a father. We might know them really well or not at all. We might be really close or really distant from them. They might be alive or not. Have you thought about how your relationship with your physical / earthly dad might affect your relationship with your heavenly father (God)?
In the Bible, God reveals Himself to us as our heavenly Father. Indeed that is how Jesus taught us to address God: "Our father in heaven...". What an amazing thing, to call the creator of the universe 'father'!
However, when we use the word 'father' for God we naturally bring some of our own associations with that word. These then impact how we think of God as our father.
When I was introduced to this idea last year it got me thinking. I love my Dad. He and Mum have provided for me very well. But I've struggled to feel close to Dad. Similarly, I find it difficult to really feel and know the love that God has for me. I know it intellectually, I can tell you Bible verses about it, I may even know some Greek and Hebrew about it, but in my heart I still feel uncertain of His love and worry that He will reject me. My heart and my head tell me different things.
So where to from here?
- Pray. Any lasting change needs to start from the heart not actions. Thankfully, God is in the change business and has equipped us to change. It is His Spirit living in our hearts which allows us to cry out "Abba, Father" (Gal 4:6, Rom 8:15). He is the one who can transform us.
- Dwell on the truth. God is not the same as our earthly Dad. "[God] did not spare His own son but gave him up for us all, how will He not graciously give us all things?" (Rom 8:32). Consider the picture of God in the Bible. He is loving and generous beyond belief!
- Experience the love of others. One other thing which my counsellor said would be helpful is to have positive experiences of love from others in order to help illustrate (in a tiny way) God's love. This helps to show me that I am loveable, and helps me to feel loved.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)