First off, I have to take a moment and brag on my brother. He found out today that he got accepted into his top two choices for PA school. I am super proud of him and excited for him and his wife. More importantly I am proud of the man of God that he is. I couldn't have asked the Lord for a better brother. LOVE YOU! Amy (his wife) is finishing up her last year of Physical Therapy school. Crazy to think that I will have 2 nurses as sisters, a sister in law who is a Physical Therapist, and a brother who will be a Physician's Assistant.
Today I have enjoyed a day OFF!! I slept in, did some laundry, did some cleaning, cooked lunch, went to the store, and then made shrimp and pineapple pizza for supper.
I also talked with a good friend for a couple of hours today which was awesome :) So fun to catch up with her and be encouraged.
Here is a progression of some pictures I took making honey, bbq, orange chicken for lunch. I have to say that it turned out really well :)
Tomorrow we have 2 practices. We will practice in the morning and then at night. I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday. It is hard to believe that 5 weeks from today I will be almost back in the States.
Have a great rest of the day.
I listened to a message today from Rick Warren and thought I would share it with you all:
Saddleback Mountain Church
November 2011
Rick Warren
Loving Our Neighbors
Matthew 22:36-40
Life is about learning how to love!
1. Love the Lord your God.
2. Love your neighbor
a. The phrase is used 10 times in the Bible
Luke 10:25-37
3 Possible attitudes towards my neighbors:
1. I can keep my distance
a. Vs. 30-31
b. Attitude of avoidance (example: priest to the good samaritan)
c. Be distracted so you don’t have to pay attention to what is going on around you.
2. I can be curiously uninvolved.
a. Vs. 32
b. Example – the Levite – stares but doesn’t stop
c. We love to read about a problem, talk about it, or watch it, but we don’t want to do anything about it.
d. Both the Levite and Priest are religious, but they do not love.
3. I can treat them how I want to be treated
a. Vs. 33
b. Example – the good Samaritan
c. Jesus takes a guy who has no status in the priest and the levites eyes and used him to make a difference
i. Matthew 7:12
How do I start loving my neighbors?
1. I must see their needs.
a. Vs. 33
b. Loving always begins with looking – you have to see a need in someone’s life before you can meet that need.
c. Before you care, you muse be aware
d. When you are busy all of the time it is impossible to love your neighbor; busyness is the death of kindness
e. 1 Corinthians 10:24
f. Galatians 6:7b
g. The slower I go, the more I see.
h. Kindness starts by opening my eyes.
2. I must sympathize with their pain.
a. Vs. 33
b. Galatians 6:2
c. Not enough for me to see a need, I must feel for their emotions.
d. Sensitivity begins with the eyes but sympathy begins with the heart
e. How do I become more sympathetic? Listen!!
3. I must seize the moment to help.
a. Vs. 34
b. Do what I can, when I can, at that moment; I don’t wait or procrastinate. USE what you have!!
c. Galatians 6:10
d. Love is something you do, it is not a feeling. Love creates feeling. Love can be commanded, because love is a choice. You can’t command a feeling, but you can command an action. If you act loving to someone you may not like, you will start to feel love for him or her. Feelings always follow actions.
e. Proverbs 3:27-28 – never walk away from someone who needs help.
· You must be willing to be interrupted. Love is often inconvenient and love takes time. If you are going to be someone who is “loving your neighbor” then you will find your agenda gets thrown out the window.
· God intentionally will place hurt people in your path on a daily basis as a way to help you learn how to love. You can’t learn to be like Jesus if there is no one in your life who needs “good Samaritan help”.
· I must move against my fears.
o Love is letting go of fear; love is moving against your fear; love is doing the thing you fear the most.
o It is only LOVE that will give you enough energy to do the things you fear the most.
4. I must spend whatever it takes.
a. Vs. 34-35
b. Proverbs 11:17 – your own soul is nourished when you are kind
c. Love costs – example: the cross
d. Another word for kindness is grace. Every time you are kind to someone else you honor God.
e. Proverbs 19:22 – kindness makes a man attractive
f. Isaiah 58:10-11
“‘Now,’ Jesus asked, ‘Which of these 3 people would you say was a a true neighbor to the one attacked by bandits?’ The man said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus replied, ‘Right! Now YOU GO & DO the same!’” vs. 36-37
Megan
Verse of the Day:
“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?” James 2:14-16
We need to make sure we are living out through our actions what we believe.
My Utmost For His Highest:
“God will never be real to me until I come face to face with Him in Jesus Christ.”
Have you laid everything before the Lord? Have you come “face to face” with Jesus Christ? We must give ALL of us over to Him, so that He can be real to us.