My Daddy's a King

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posted by imallforgod @ 2:55 PM 0 comments

Interesting thoughts....jumbled a bit though

This was posted on a message board I belong to:

Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. NKJ What does this passage mean to you all, especially in terms of relationships, and especially relationships with the opposite sex? This is a good thing. To me it means we need to watch to protect our heart from fears, jealousy, and other weaknesses. We need to keep our hearts strong. We need to protect our ability to reach out to others in love. I don't, however, think it means we should protect ourselves from the pain that inevitably comes from being in relationships with people. But we should also protect our strength and love and not be a doormat. I'm not saying people should tolerate abuse when it is not promoting love either. Although standing strong for God and love may involve suffering. Do you think this scripture provides a valid and godly principal for avoiding painful relationships? Do you think sometimes Christians use this as a cop out? When people get hurt by thers it's natural to put up defenses and take time out to heal. I think this good and valid. But I'm not sure that's what this scripture means. What do you all think?

First of all, my frustration is that these types of Scriptures get turned around to relationships all the time. There is a world out there starved for love and affection and trying to figure out if its ok to desire those relationships, etc. But why does it automatically get translated / applied to relationships with the opposite sex?

Here was my response, and though it seems jumbled, I've been seeing connections with Scriptures more lately.

Let's take a closer look at the Scripture:
This is the NAS with Strongs:
Proverbs 4:23 Watch (1) over your heart with all diligence(2), For from it flow the springs of life.

to guard, watch, watch over, keep

(Qal) to watch, guard, keep

to preserve, guard from dangers

to keep, observe, guard with fidelity

to guard, keep secret

to be kept close, be blockaded

watchman (participle)

place of confinement, prison, guard, jail, guard post, watch, observance

jail, prison, guard-house

guard, guard post, act of guarding

observances

Wow, that's pretty descriptive, isn't it! That is what we're supposed to do ... guard, post, keep it secret, be a watchman for it....I don't think this pertains only to relationships though it can definately speak to that.

A couple more Scriptures come to mind. The first is related to
relationships:

Corinthians 7:32-36 (New International Version) I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife—and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.

I believe in courtship (a stricter form; if you want more info, PM me) but this verse speaks of devotion and who is our center. Is it us, another person/relationship, or Christ? We should guard our hearts because out of it, Proverbs says, is the wellspring of life, but Christ also addresses the heart this way:
Matthew 6:20-23 (New International Version) But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

I believe that we are to guard our heart as our treasure... a slight twist on Matthew's quote but the reality is it runs both ways. We treasure things in our heart (Mary, the mother of Jesus did...see Luke 2) but what we treasure determines where our heart is! Not only that, but when we have a hold of something, are we slack with it? Flaunt it? Would you leave a diamond ring out on a table somewhere? I doubt it. You'd hold it close, keep your eye on it, etc. But notice that the continuation speaks of our eyes and our bodies being full of darkness or light. ... well what does THAT have to do with it?

Phil 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever
is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

We are to fill our phsyical and spiritual selves with things that are right, pure, lovely, etc. How do you keep ahold of those things? To guard and treasure them. Am I making sense? Something else... my friend M and I talk often how getting close to anyone (same or opposite sex) does open you up for hurt. That's a part of being in convenant and being in relationships but also part of the community. If it wasn't so, there wouldn't have been judges set up to handle disputes. Guarding your heart doesn't mean not letting anyone in but it may change in how you deal with the situation. The real question is who has your heart? My heart is given over to God so even though I may get hurt, etc. the reality is that if my heart is HIS, then I'm guarding that.... to keep my right perspective when things come up, to keep my devotion to Him alone, to keep LIFE and LIGHT in my heart, instead of darkness, hate, deceit and sin. Guarding is not to keep good things out, but to keep them in -- but also to keep the bad out. I hope that makes sense.... random thoughts :)

Anyway, I just thought that was interesting.

posted by imallforgod @ 2:38 PM 0 comments

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

And I am so glad!! I love Christmas and right now I'm really restless. I'm tired but this week my sleep pattern is off because I've been up late helping April (Mon and Tues nights) or spending time with my friend from Tacoma and still having things that have to have been done when I got home (last night.) Yes, that was a horribly put together sentence but it'll stay. I've also gotten up early each morning this week.

Work is slow ... and yet not... all at the same time. There are things that MUST be done today so I'm here until they are done. I left for two hours though to help April take care of her car. That's not too bad.

I'm leaving for my home town tomorrow to spend the weekend with my step parents. I'm looking forward to sleeping in and having some relaxing time.

posted by imallforgod @ 3:39 PM 0 comments

I'm ready for vacation....

I think there are a lot of emotions brewing in me I'm not paying attention to right now nor do I feel able to cope... I'm just waiting for some down time where I can spend time focusing on what is going on internally... responding instead of reacting.

Ever wonder who prays for you? Do you ever find yourself flippantly saying "I'll pray for you!" but you never seem to get around to it? I wonder about that sometimes. It strikes a cord in me whenever someone says they have been praying for me. Lord knows I need it!

I need change. I need transformation. I need a loving attitude and to be able to filter everything through the Lord. I am not there yet.

posted by imallforgod @ 4:48 PM 1 comments

Beauty for Ashes -- lyrics

beauty for ashes
by shane barnard and kendall combes

beauty for ashes
a garment of praise for my heaviness
beauty for ashes
take this heart of stone and make it Yours, Yours
I delight myself in the Richest of Fare
trading all that i've had for all that is better
a garment of praise for my heaviness
You are the greatest taste
You're the richest of fair
(Psalm 63, Isaiah 61)

posted by imallforgod @ 10:39 AM 0 comments

I really, really...

... REALLY hate migraines.

And! I have one right now! :(

posted by imallforgod @ 2:34 PM 0 comments

I'm very sleepy. And hungry. And glad the workday is almost over.

I love the holidays, don't get me wrong, but there comes a limit every year where I've been around people almost too much, eaten too much of the completely worst-for-you-foods and when I just want to crawl into a hole and sleep. That would be now. Now I have a wonderful time. I love it! But I'm getting weary.

I'm going through some processing with the Lord right now too which adds to it. Ever wonder if you get a "break"? I know we're not going to get one and if we presume to take one, we open ourselves up to an attack of the enemy. Just like was preached in "war-time mentality". There are times I wonder -- will I ever get it? Will there ever be a time I don't struggle with food? Exercise? Discipline of time and resources? Will I ever overcome? Am I forever going to be working on foundations?

Its quietly, deeply in my heart I ask, with the fear of the Lord, "is there any change (transformation) in my life?"

posted by imallforgod @ 6:45 PM 0 comments

Polls and life ....

I wish blogspot had polls.... I have an idea for a couple of polls... For instance:

Do you like blogs that:
A. Are fun loving and goofy
B. Are serious and deal with real issues (in other words, tell about what is really going on in a person's life)
C. Have a good mixture of both


So it's been awhile since I've posted a long blog entry. I've been very busy but also haven't felt much like sharing what's been going on. I've realized more and more lately how I sometimes feel very alone, despite being around a lot of people. Strange how that can happen, isn't it? There are times I miss having that best friend, that confidant and then I realize that in a way, that means I'm looking for someone to fill the gap that the Lord is supposed to fill. But where is the line drawn? Can I not have a real life, flesh and blood confidant AND have the Lord? Or is the overwhelming desire to have that one person to talk to a sign that I am not going to the Lord in the first place?

This Christian life can sometimes be challenging. I find it difficult to go out and socialize because I want to really just go home and hide. I'm not sure I feel like I can often really say how I'm feeling and what is going on in my heart and head. So I smile. And then all it takes is my housemate and I talking about something insignificant and before I know it, I'm crying. I thought I was dealing with things well. Apparently not.

Today, though, seems to be a better day. I don't feel as though the world will end and I don't feel as though I'll be struck down for failure. I don't feel as hopeless. Instead, I feel hopeful. The sunshine helps, I'm sure. :)

God's not through with me yet. I thank Him for His mercy and compassion for without Him, I should surely die; life would not be worth living. The more the time goes by and I feel so keenly when I am not right with Him, I realize much that is true and I can so very much understand what King David said in the Psalms when he spoke of his bones wasting away.

Ok, enough of that. Time to go to lunch and enjoy the sunshine. God is good. All the time. No matter what.

posted by imallforgod @ 11:21 AM 0 comments

The sun is shining so much today -- it is so beautiful!
I can feel it on my back coming in from the window behind me. Mmmm.... Warmth!

posted by imallforgod @ 11:17 AM 0 comments