Psalms 115:3 Says But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. How true is this! Let me say this up front, I am going to be vague to protect the innocent. :) I was hurt very badly by a person almost 4 years ago. I actually hated this person in my heart, at the time of what happened I was not a Christian. Yesterday I found out that the same way that this person hurt me, they were hurt in return in the same way by another.
When I was told of this situation that this person was in, I was brought almost to tears instead of feeling "well they deserve this". At first I was so shocked at the power of God in my life. Where I was once filled with anger and hatred I loved my enemy.
I prayed in my heart after listening to all that is happening to this person; Lord save their soul. Today I was moved to write this person a letter that contained my concern, forgiveness, and condolences. I also put the Gospel of Jesus Christ in plain language and I Hope that God will pluck another brand from the fire. We all who claim the name of Christ have been forgiven much and we must forgive much too.
Blessings,
- Aaron
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Grief is a process -- not a race
C.S. Lewis said; losing a love one is like having your leg amputated. You don't get over an amputated leg. The wound may heal, but the leg will never grow back. You'll always have that absence in your life, and you'll always walk with a limp.
Mr. Lewis I totally agree. I have lost many a loved one over my brief stay here on earth, and I feel like I need a wheel chair. The loss of my sister was my first amputation and it hurt. Then my grandparents which were closer to me than my parents at one time. Next my Father passed away; there goes more of my past. Not too long after him my Mother passed away; now any proof of former memories are gone. Finally no more than 11 weeks ago I lost my best friend, my love, my wife. All the loss before losing Shawna could not compare to the loss of losing her.
My feelings most days are like one who has been cut in half. All around me my soul gives way, but Jesus is all my hope and stay. When my sorrows like sea billows roll, I can say it is well, yes it is well with my soul. The bottom fall out on me quite often, but Christ has promised that He will never leave me or forsake me. What more do I need to carry out my days for His glory.
In many ways I envy Shawna. She has left this life; this life that we as Christians call death, but those who that are without hope in the world call life; to enter life eternal the REAL life. In His presence is the fullness of Joy, in His right hand there are pleasures forever. Praise God for making a way for ruined sinners.
In my grief and sorrow, I call upon the name of the LORD who is worthy to be praised. Because His loving kindness is better than life, my lips will praise Him. I seek Him earnestly to take refuge in Him, and to taste and see that the LORD is good. When my pain is at it's worst and the feeling of loss seem to know no end, I hope in Him. I hope and seek His loving kindness, and His joy fills my heart with praise. I can really say with David, I sought the Lord, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.
So what am I an amputee? No Jesus has made me whole again. The reality of loss is very near to me each and every day but He is nearer. I cry, but He is there and He wipes away all my tears and comforts all my fears. So when it hurts real bad I turn to His most excellent Word; O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders. Plans from long ago with perfect faithfulness.
- Aaron
Mr. Lewis I totally agree. I have lost many a loved one over my brief stay here on earth, and I feel like I need a wheel chair. The loss of my sister was my first amputation and it hurt. Then my grandparents which were closer to me than my parents at one time. Next my Father passed away; there goes more of my past. Not too long after him my Mother passed away; now any proof of former memories are gone. Finally no more than 11 weeks ago I lost my best friend, my love, my wife. All the loss before losing Shawna could not compare to the loss of losing her.
My feelings most days are like one who has been cut in half. All around me my soul gives way, but Jesus is all my hope and stay. When my sorrows like sea billows roll, I can say it is well, yes it is well with my soul. The bottom fall out on me quite often, but Christ has promised that He will never leave me or forsake me. What more do I need to carry out my days for His glory.
In many ways I envy Shawna. She has left this life; this life that we as Christians call death, but those who that are without hope in the world call life; to enter life eternal the REAL life. In His presence is the fullness of Joy, in His right hand there are pleasures forever. Praise God for making a way for ruined sinners.
In my grief and sorrow, I call upon the name of the LORD who is worthy to be praised. Because His loving kindness is better than life, my lips will praise Him. I seek Him earnestly to take refuge in Him, and to taste and see that the LORD is good. When my pain is at it's worst and the feeling of loss seem to know no end, I hope in Him. I hope and seek His loving kindness, and His joy fills my heart with praise. I can really say with David, I sought the Lord, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.
So what am I an amputee? No Jesus has made me whole again. The reality of loss is very near to me each and every day but He is nearer. I cry, but He is there and He wipes away all my tears and comforts all my fears. So when it hurts real bad I turn to His most excellent Word; O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders. Plans from long ago with perfect faithfulness.
- Aaron
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
None of us would want to have our hearts photographed!
I get a daily email from www.gracegems.org and I thought it would be good to share some of the "GEMS" that are in these emails. Most of the authors of the GEMS are men of God from years past. This GEM is from J.R. Miller - James Russell Miller was born on March 20, 1840 at Frankfort Springs, Pennsylvania and died on July 2, 1912. Besides authoring over 80 books, booklets, and pamphlets, Dr. J.R. Miller was the Editorial Superintendent of the Presbyterian Board of Publication and a very active pastor in a succession of churches. You can read more about J.R. Miller here. I hope these words encourage you to look to Christ.
- Aaron
J.R. Miller
"Having loved His own who were in the world--He loved them unto the end!" John 13:1
A friend is one who loves--and does not cease to love. Christ having loved His people--loves them unto the end.
One quality of true friendship, is trust. What could be more sacred than this comfort of feeling safe with a person, absolutely safe? That is the kind of friend Jesus is. You may always feel safe with Him. You may confess all your sins to Him. You may tell Him all your faults and your failures--how you denied Him the other night, how you failed to be true to Him, and all the evil thoughts of your heart; and He will be just as tender and gracious--as if you never had sinned! He loves unto the end!
None of us would want to have our hearts photographed, and the picture held up before the eyes of our neighbors! We would not want even our best friends to see a full transcript of our secret life--what goes on within us:
the jealousies,
the envyings,
the bitter feelings,
the impure thoughts,
the meannesses,
the selfishnesses,
the suspicions,
the doubts and fears!
Yet Christ sees all this unworthy inner life--He knows the worst that is in us--and loves us still! We do not need to hide our weaknesses from Him. He never withdraws His love. We may trust Him absolutely and forever!
"Having loved His own who were in the world--He loved them unto the end!" John 13:1
- Aaron
J.R. Miller
"Having loved His own who were in the world--He loved them unto the end!" John 13:1
A friend is one who loves--and does not cease to love. Christ having loved His people--loves them unto the end.
One quality of true friendship, is trust. What could be more sacred than this comfort of feeling safe with a person, absolutely safe? That is the kind of friend Jesus is. You may always feel safe with Him. You may confess all your sins to Him. You may tell Him all your faults and your failures--how you denied Him the other night, how you failed to be true to Him, and all the evil thoughts of your heart; and He will be just as tender and gracious--as if you never had sinned! He loves unto the end!
None of us would want to have our hearts photographed, and the picture held up before the eyes of our neighbors! We would not want even our best friends to see a full transcript of our secret life--what goes on within us:
the jealousies,
the envyings,
the bitter feelings,
the impure thoughts,
the meannesses,
the selfishnesses,
the suspicions,
the doubts and fears!
Yet Christ sees all this unworthy inner life--He knows the worst that is in us--and loves us still! We do not need to hide our weaknesses from Him. He never withdraws His love. We may trust Him absolutely and forever!
"Having loved His own who were in the world--He loved them unto the end!" John 13:1
Monday, January 18, 2010
New Year New Direction
Proverbs 3:5-6 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
This has been the hardest year of my life. God gives and He takes away praise be the name of the LORD. He gave me a son, an inheritance, whom I love very much. He gave me the closest year of my life with my wife. He brought a trial that I must thank Him for. Praise the Lord from the rising of the sun to its setting.
As I step out on faith this year I want to live Proverbs 3:5-6. My wife is now with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Jesus Christ. I miss her so much. She was my everything I feel like I am half a man now. But the Lord knows all things and He is good and does good. So I know without a shadow of a doubt that God will guide me through the pain and grief and lead me to where the sorrow turns into joy.
My wife's blog is still active you can read about this amazing woman here.. Shawna
This has been the hardest year of my life. God gives and He takes away praise be the name of the LORD. He gave me a son, an inheritance, whom I love very much. He gave me the closest year of my life with my wife. He brought a trial that I must thank Him for. Praise the Lord from the rising of the sun to its setting.
As I step out on faith this year I want to live Proverbs 3:5-6. My wife is now with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Jesus Christ. I miss her so much. She was my everything I feel like I am half a man now. But the Lord knows all things and He is good and does good. So I know without a shadow of a doubt that God will guide me through the pain and grief and lead me to where the sorrow turns into joy.
My wife's blog is still active you can read about this amazing woman here.. Shawna
Friday, April 24, 2009
A good practice to cultivate.
TWELVE WAYS TO HUMBLE YOURSELF
1. Routinely confess your sin to God. (Luke 18:9-14) All of us sin and fall short of the glory of God. However, too few of us have a routine practice of rigorous self-honesty examination. Weekly, even daily, review of our heart and behavior, coupled with confession to God, is an essential practice of humility.
2. Acknowledge your sin to others. (James 3:2, James 5:16) Humility before God is not complete unless there is also humility before man. A true test of our willingness to humble ourselves is being willing to share with others the weaknesses we confess to God. Wisdom, however, dictates that we do so with others that we trust.
3. Take wrong patiently. (1 Peter 3:8-17) This has been a difficult one for me. When something is unjust I want to react and rectify it. However, patiently responding to the unjust accusations and actions of others demonstrates our strength of godly character and provides an opportunity to put on humility.
4. Actively submit to authority…the good and the bad! (1 Peter 2:18) Our culture does not value submission; rather it promotes individualism. How purposely and actively do you work on submission to those whom God has placed as authorities in your life? Doing so is a good way to humble yourself.
5. Receive correction and feedback from others graciously. (Proverbs 10:17, 12:1) In the Phoenix area, a local East valley pastor was noted for graciously receiving any negative feedback or correction offered. He would simply say "thank you for caring enough to share that with me, I will pray about it and get back to you." Look for the kernel of truth in what people offer you, even if it comes from a dubious source. Always pray, "Lord, what are you trying to show me through this?"
6. Accept a lowly place. (Proverbs 25:6,7) If you find yourself wanting to sit at the head table, wanting others to recognize your contribution or become offended when others are honored or chosen, then pride is present. Purpose to support others being recognized, rather than you. Accept and look for the lowly place; it is the place of humility.
7. Purposely associate with people of lower state than you. (Luke 7:36-39) Jesus was derided by the Pharisees for socializing with the poor and those of lowly state. Our culture is very status conscious and people naturally want to socialize upward. Resist the temptation of being partial to those with status or wealth.
8. Choose to serve others. (Philippians 1:1, 2 Corinthians 4:5, Matthew 23:11) When we serve others, we are serving God’s purposes in their lives. Doing so reduces our focus on ourselves and builds the Kingdom of God instead of the Kingdom of self. When serving another costs us nothing, we should question whether or not it is really servanthood.
9. Be quick to forgive. (Matthew 18: 21-35) Forgiveness is possibly one of the greatest acts of humility we can do. To forgive is to acknowledge a wrong that has been done us and also to further release our right of repayment for the wrong. Forgiveness is denial of self. Forgiveness is not insisting on our way and our justice.
10. Cultivate a grateful heart. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) The more we develop an attitude of gratitude for the gift of salvation and life He has given us, the more true our perspective of self. A grateful heart is a humble heart.
11. Purpose to speak well of others. (Ephesians 4:31-32) Saying negative things about others puts them "one down" and us "one up"…a form of pride. Speaking well of others edifies them and builds them up instead of us. Make sure, however, that what you say is not intended as flattery.
12. Treat pride as a condition that always necessitates embracing the cross. (Luke 9:23) It is our nature to be proud and it is God’s nature in us that brings humility. Committing to a lifestyle of daily dying to self and living through Him is the foundation for true humility.
1. Routinely confess your sin to God. (Luke 18:9-14) All of us sin and fall short of the glory of God. However, too few of us have a routine practice of rigorous self-honesty examination. Weekly, even daily, review of our heart and behavior, coupled with confession to God, is an essential practice of humility.
2. Acknowledge your sin to others. (James 3:2, James 5:16) Humility before God is not complete unless there is also humility before man. A true test of our willingness to humble ourselves is being willing to share with others the weaknesses we confess to God. Wisdom, however, dictates that we do so with others that we trust.
3. Take wrong patiently. (1 Peter 3:8-17) This has been a difficult one for me. When something is unjust I want to react and rectify it. However, patiently responding to the unjust accusations and actions of others demonstrates our strength of godly character and provides an opportunity to put on humility.
4. Actively submit to authority…the good and the bad! (1 Peter 2:18) Our culture does not value submission; rather it promotes individualism. How purposely and actively do you work on submission to those whom God has placed as authorities in your life? Doing so is a good way to humble yourself.
5. Receive correction and feedback from others graciously. (Proverbs 10:17, 12:1) In the Phoenix area, a local East valley pastor was noted for graciously receiving any negative feedback or correction offered. He would simply say "thank you for caring enough to share that with me, I will pray about it and get back to you." Look for the kernel of truth in what people offer you, even if it comes from a dubious source. Always pray, "Lord, what are you trying to show me through this?"
6. Accept a lowly place. (Proverbs 25:6,7) If you find yourself wanting to sit at the head table, wanting others to recognize your contribution or become offended when others are honored or chosen, then pride is present. Purpose to support others being recognized, rather than you. Accept and look for the lowly place; it is the place of humility.
7. Purposely associate with people of lower state than you. (Luke 7:36-39) Jesus was derided by the Pharisees for socializing with the poor and those of lowly state. Our culture is very status conscious and people naturally want to socialize upward. Resist the temptation of being partial to those with status or wealth.
8. Choose to serve others. (Philippians 1:1, 2 Corinthians 4:5, Matthew 23:11) When we serve others, we are serving God’s purposes in their lives. Doing so reduces our focus on ourselves and builds the Kingdom of God instead of the Kingdom of self. When serving another costs us nothing, we should question whether or not it is really servanthood.
9. Be quick to forgive. (Matthew 18: 21-35) Forgiveness is possibly one of the greatest acts of humility we can do. To forgive is to acknowledge a wrong that has been done us and also to further release our right of repayment for the wrong. Forgiveness is denial of self. Forgiveness is not insisting on our way and our justice.
10. Cultivate a grateful heart. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) The more we develop an attitude of gratitude for the gift of salvation and life He has given us, the more true our perspective of self. A grateful heart is a humble heart.
11. Purpose to speak well of others. (Ephesians 4:31-32) Saying negative things about others puts them "one down" and us "one up"…a form of pride. Speaking well of others edifies them and builds them up instead of us. Make sure, however, that what you say is not intended as flattery.
12. Treat pride as a condition that always necessitates embracing the cross. (Luke 9:23) It is our nature to be proud and it is God’s nature in us that brings humility. Committing to a lifestyle of daily dying to self and living through Him is the foundation for true humility.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
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