Well, I will one day finish my diary on delighting myself in God! The next point that was presented is one that I really like, but again, have a hard time articulating how I need to apply it in my life.
"Nothing external can steal our right to delight"
I guess it seems to explain itself! If I am not delighting it is no one's fault but my own! I tell Nathan that he cannot blame others for his feelings, but then I catch myself telling him that he is making me angry! This is not true-I am letting myself get angry at his actions. If my response to his wrong actions is wrong, I cannot blame him. I can only change my actions, and of course discipline him so that he learns not to do the wrong again.
But I cannot discipline most people I encounter. I cannot let others rob me of my joy or let their actions make me stop trying to delight in God and what He has for me.
One example Beth Moore gave of something that can steal our delight is worry. Psalm 37:8 says not to fret because that leads to evil. Worry is a sin and it is a waste of time and a time and sleep killer. Although I have a mom who worries a lot, I tend to not worry too much, but when I do, I can't sleep. I don't know if this is a thin connection, but I have found that a lack of sleep (due to worry or children) robs me of delight because the next day I am short tempered. And then start blaming others for my bad mood! Letting the external steal my delight!
Like my watermelon! The other day I was delighting in a small watermelon growing in my yard. Well some person (probably a cute 2 year old) stepped on the vine and broke it! Now my watermelon has disconnected from it's source of life! I was crushed! But I can't let that external disappointment steal my delight!
I think out of this, I need to take away the point of focusing on God for my delight. Just like 37:3 says, delight yourself in the Lord. If I am focusing on God, who is inside me therefore not external, the things of life that want to pull me down will not have an easy task. There is much in the world to worry about, but their is more in God to delight in.
Amy
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
A delightful weekend!
I have been delighting this weekend, and although I am not calling it the end of the weekend until tomorrow night, it is Sunday night and I just read a great verse from Psalm 37-the chapter of my life this past week! Verse 23 says "if the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes is steps firm"
Point 3 from Beth Moore was if we delight in God, we will receive our desires. This reiterates verse 4, but it is good to say it out loud to myself. Not only do I need to give my desires to God; not only will He give me the heart of my desires; but if I delight in Him, then my desires are His and He grants them. God wants to delight in me, just like I want to delight in my children. And I have been delighting this weekend! It has been a fun filled weekend. After Dave took Nathan and two friends to the Riverdogs Friday night, Saturday he had to work and dove hunt; and Sunday was play practice. So I have been with my kids a lot this weekend! But it has been good! We went to karate (Nathan has a free month!), had a picnic in the park, ate chocolate cake at a bakery that is really a restaurant, hung out in the backyard in this glorious weather, and went to the chilly pool twice because it closes tomorrow (and got to ride our bikes home in the rain from the pool!).
I have found so much to delight in and not all involved my kids. I have a little garden this year which has eggplant, grape tomatoes, and watermelon (the zucchini and squash died!).
We have had several great eggplant parmesan dinners and lots of little tomatoes (which Camden likes to pick, red or green!), but no watermelon. I have had lots of little ones appear, but usually they have gotten knocked off by curious gardeners.
Last night, however, I found one that has potential! It still has to grow a lot, but it is much bigger than a tiny bud of a melon. I am excited! It is truly fun to be able to delight in small things!
Point 3 from Beth Moore was if we delight in God, we will receive our desires. This reiterates verse 4, but it is good to say it out loud to myself. Not only do I need to give my desires to God; not only will He give me the heart of my desires; but if I delight in Him, then my desires are His and He grants them. God wants to delight in me, just like I want to delight in my children. And I have been delighting this weekend! It has been a fun filled weekend. After Dave took Nathan and two friends to the Riverdogs Friday night, Saturday he had to work and dove hunt; and Sunday was play practice. So I have been with my kids a lot this weekend! But it has been good! We went to karate (Nathan has a free month!), had a picnic in the park, ate chocolate cake at a bakery that is really a restaurant, hung out in the backyard in this glorious weather, and went to the chilly pool twice because it closes tomorrow (and got to ride our bikes home in the rain from the pool!).
I have found so much to delight in and not all involved my kids. I have a little garden this year which has eggplant, grape tomatoes, and watermelon (the zucchini and squash died!).
We have had several great eggplant parmesan dinners and lots of little tomatoes (which Camden likes to pick, red or green!), but no watermelon. I have had lots of little ones appear, but usually they have gotten knocked off by curious gardeners.
Last night, however, I found one that has potential! It still has to grow a lot, but it is much bigger than a tiny bud of a melon. I am excited! It is truly fun to be able to delight in small things!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Delighting myself-part 2
Ok, I am still trying to give my desires to God, but do need to wrap my brain around the next point of delighting myself in the Lord. This point is:
"Beneath the desires of our heart is the heart of our desires"
This sounds easier typing it today than it did last Friday night. It took me a while to finally understand this, although I am not sure why. It is a very important point, but I have 2 sentences written in my notes about it!
But what I am getting out of this is a continuation of explaining vs 4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart"
I know what I want in life, but God knows how I am to get it. And God will give me the heart of (what needs to happen before I can get them) my desires; if those desires bring glory to Him. For example, I want my sons to be Christians. This is a God honoring desire, one that He wants also, but on the way to getting that desire (thank God one has accepted Christ already), I myself need to be the kind of mom that shows Christ to her kids. If I want them to be Christians, but never show them Christ, will I get my desire? Not as likely.
That is an easy example, but the only one I can really bring to the written page. Beth Moore's example was better in that she said her desire was for her husband to be involved in Bible study and on the way to that desire being granted, she herself became a more godly lady (very involved in Bible study!).
Maybe one ultimate point is that if our desire involves the change of other people, we must first be changed our self. I know that is very true of relationships, esp. marriage! I can't change Dave, but can change myself, and when that change happens, I either don't see as big a need for Dave to change or he starts to change, but not because of me. Marriage is so dynamic in terms of growing together, it is hard to see who is changing whom!
Well, my ramblings reveal that I haven't gotten this one figured out yet! But I will keep trying. To sum it up, God only gives us the heart of our desires (which may then lead to our desires) and God's goal in giving us our desires is to bring glory to Him.
Amy
"Beneath the desires of our heart is the heart of our desires"
This sounds easier typing it today than it did last Friday night. It took me a while to finally understand this, although I am not sure why. It is a very important point, but I have 2 sentences written in my notes about it!
But what I am getting out of this is a continuation of explaining vs 4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart"
I know what I want in life, but God knows how I am to get it. And God will give me the heart of (what needs to happen before I can get them) my desires; if those desires bring glory to Him. For example, I want my sons to be Christians. This is a God honoring desire, one that He wants also, but on the way to getting that desire (thank God one has accepted Christ already), I myself need to be the kind of mom that shows Christ to her kids. If I want them to be Christians, but never show them Christ, will I get my desire? Not as likely.
That is an easy example, but the only one I can really bring to the written page. Beth Moore's example was better in that she said her desire was for her husband to be involved in Bible study and on the way to that desire being granted, she herself became a more godly lady (very involved in Bible study!).
Maybe one ultimate point is that if our desire involves the change of other people, we must first be changed our self. I know that is very true of relationships, esp. marriage! I can't change Dave, but can change myself, and when that change happens, I either don't see as big a need for Dave to change or he starts to change, but not because of me. Marriage is so dynamic in terms of growing together, it is hard to see who is changing whom!
Well, my ramblings reveal that I haven't gotten this one figured out yet! But I will keep trying. To sum it up, God only gives us the heart of our desires (which may then lead to our desires) and God's goal in giving us our desires is to bring glory to Him.
Amy
Monday, August 31, 2009
Delighting myself-part 1
I just finished blogging my vacation in 7 parts, and now I am starting to blog my Beth Moore weekend in 7 parts! For anyone who attended, I have waited until this has sunk in before blogging about what I learned-or to be more correct, it is still sinking in, but writing about it will help me.
The passage that Beth talked aobut this weekend was Psalm 37, particularly verse 4:
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart"
Although a popular passage and one I have always heard taught correctly in terms of when you delight yourself, then your desires will be God's desires, etc, I was still able to be taught new lessons about this verse and life in general.
The first point mentioned was "nothing dictates our lives like our desires". In other words, at the end of the day, I am going to do what I want to do! If I want to watch a TV show, I will usually watch it. If I want to go to the gym, I usually pack up the boys and go. If I want to go out to a nice restaurant, well, that doesn't happen too often! But you understand!
What I want to learn from this point is that I really do need my desires to be God's desires. I need to spend more time in prayer, so I need to desire that time with God. I need to stop more often and play with my boys, so I need to desire that more than cleaning up the dishes (although I don't know if I could say that was a desire-playing is much more fun!); but sometimes the desire to have things done so that I can have time to myself at night without chores staring me in the face gets in the way of play.
So what do I do with my desires? I want my desires to be God's; to come from God. But is my desire for staying in shape a desire from God or just one of vanity? One thing I learned is to lay my desires before God. Desires are things you wait for. True longings are desires that do not change regardless of surroundings. While I am waiting for what I think I desire, something I have been desiring a long time, I need to give it to God and let Him either give it back to me, or change it.
That is where I am now! Point 2 takes some gnawing on in my mind, but with more meditation and prayer, I am sure I will be able to grasp the point. In the meantime, I think I desire to read Psalm 37 again and then go to sleep!
The passage that Beth talked aobut this weekend was Psalm 37, particularly verse 4:
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart"
Although a popular passage and one I have always heard taught correctly in terms of when you delight yourself, then your desires will be God's desires, etc, I was still able to be taught new lessons about this verse and life in general.
The first point mentioned was "nothing dictates our lives like our desires". In other words, at the end of the day, I am going to do what I want to do! If I want to watch a TV show, I will usually watch it. If I want to go to the gym, I usually pack up the boys and go. If I want to go out to a nice restaurant, well, that doesn't happen too often! But you understand!
What I want to learn from this point is that I really do need my desires to be God's desires. I need to spend more time in prayer, so I need to desire that time with God. I need to stop more often and play with my boys, so I need to desire that more than cleaning up the dishes (although I don't know if I could say that was a desire-playing is much more fun!); but sometimes the desire to have things done so that I can have time to myself at night without chores staring me in the face gets in the way of play.
So what do I do with my desires? I want my desires to be God's; to come from God. But is my desire for staying in shape a desire from God or just one of vanity? One thing I learned is to lay my desires before God. Desires are things you wait for. True longings are desires that do not change regardless of surroundings. While I am waiting for what I think I desire, something I have been desiring a long time, I need to give it to God and let Him either give it back to me, or change it.
That is where I am now! Point 2 takes some gnawing on in my mind, but with more meditation and prayer, I am sure I will be able to grasp the point. In the meantime, I think I desire to read Psalm 37 again and then go to sleep!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Going to see me!
When Dave and I could not decide on a name for Camden, we went to the handy list on the Internet and just picked one we liked (and then he changed his mind, but I changed it back, and that is a whole other story!). Yes, his name has no good meaning or family heritage, but it sounds good! Camden Scott Shirley-well at least he is in good company with his initials-C.S. Lewis has the same beginning initials!
Well, since I am always having to repeat what his name is-no, not Cameron, or Hamden, but like the city, Camden-we decided to visit Camden, SC. Well, there is not much in Camden this time of year. I think the only 2 things of interest are the horse races and the re-enactment at the revolutionary war battle site. Since neither one was happening, we got to walk around the battle site (fairly interesting) and look at the outside of the steeplechase museum. I was hoping for a cute downtown to walk around and eat lunch and look in shops, but alas, no such luck! We ate at a Mexican restaurant! but did find a bakery and bought lemon squares and cookies! At least they were yummy!
But Camden was mighty impressed! He kept saying, "Going to see me!" I guess he thinks the town is named after him! And he still is asking about going back to Camden! All I can say is, my Camden is much cuter than the town of Camden!!
Friday, August 21, 2009
If only...
If only things could stay the same! It is so sad to see your children grow up too fast! Nathan is now in 3rd grade, wanting to pretend he doesn't like shows like "Super Why" and only watch shows like "Zack and Cody", but at least he does not like girls yet! (Maybe with more super why and less Z & C we can keep him like that a little longer!) At the lake house, Nathan's playmates were either the big guys or the 5 yr old girls! The girls apparently like him (just to play with!), but although Nathan was very sweet to them, he still is only tolerating "girls"! Yeah!
What is really strange to think of, though, is what if he grew up and dated some girl he knows now. I moved so often when I was younger that the option of dating a person I grew up with was not there, but assuming we stay here, it could happen with my kids! A very funny thought! Better keep lots of good pictures of Nathan and Camden and all their "girl friends" to use at their weddings!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Reality!
We drove home today! It is good to be home and use my own shower and sleep in my own bed, but it was awfully hot today with no lake to jump in!! Unpacking is always the worst, but by the end of this week, the task should be completed!
I got to drive Camden home today while Nathan was in Dave's car. When we pulled up, he started crying-he was crying "Want the lake house!" Nathan is convinced we can sell everything we have but the boat and buy the lakehouse! I think we all had a great time!
Well, on to reality and the dishes!
I got to drive Camden home today while Nathan was in Dave's car. When we pulled up, he started crying-he was crying "Want the lake house!" Nathan is convinced we can sell everything we have but the boat and buy the lakehouse! I think we all had a great time!
Well, on to reality and the dishes!
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