Reflections on 2009

Greetings to you all in the New Year! I know, I know, I'm long overdue for a post! Forgive me please. Seminary life thus far has been a blessed experience! It has also bred demands on my time and my energies in ways that remain to be articulated in the fullness of it's weight. I'm sitting in my beloved Dunn Bros. coffee shop in MN. I've been home for nearly two weeks and as my time draws to a close here before I'm back into the swing of Seminary life, I wanted to share some reflections on 2009. I was having coffee with my pastor this morning and it was laden with sage advise and the wisdom that he offered in regards to making the most of my time at school. We both agreed that putting in place disciplines from the onset was both beneficial to my well being (spiritually, physically, psychologically)now and to my future ministry life. I was asked some really good questions about what was or wasn't in place and as I was forced to recount these things. Something that P.B. said solidified for me the things that God has taught me over 2009. He said in so many words that discord in one area or discipline leads to the downfall of all other disciplines. I couldn't agree more. This got to thinking and I wanted to list some of the important take away lessons from my 2009.

1.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and Love your neighbor as yourself" Luke 10:27.

Straight from the mouth of our savior Jesus!

2. Rest...holy rest, true Sabbath rest does not only your body good, but your spirit and your heart. This doesn't mean doing whatever you want on your day off...it's different from chill time. Rather, it means carving out intentional time to clear away all the distractions and to get time with the Lord. It purposes to
fill you back up, replenish you for the purposes that God intended. Fun time, chill time is different. I think we all take too much liberty to entertain chill time and not enough of the holy rest that God put in place for OUR good.

3. Keep Going!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and the perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow wary and lose heart" Hebrew 12:1-3.

We keep on going because Jesus marked this race out for us...he set the pace, follow Him! Life is hard sometimes, but it is also filled with exceedingly beautiful and joyful moments! Capture them! Hold on to them and when you face a hill and you know it's gonna hurt, keep running! We have all been called to be champion marathoners through the Grace of Jesus Christ. Don't give up because there is always hope in Him.

4. God is trustworthy! When you are tempted to think otherwise, read Hebrews 11.

5. Forgive!

"12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another" Colossians 3:12-13

6. Be Grateful and Give Thanks! It's easy to dwell on things that aren't going right or that don't line up with our version of how things should be. It's easy to reside in the mire of pain and disappointment. Doing this however will only leave you to be swallowed up by despair. The reality is we are not worthy of God's love, His peace and His goodness, YET He does love us deeply and He grants us His peace and goodness through Jesus Christ. There is much to be thankful for...therefore we ought to be grateful in ALL circumstances of our faith life.

"...and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to god the Father through him" Colossians 3:15b-17

7. Pray continually! 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Everything you do necessitates prayer. Every moment, every decision is an opportunity to ask for wisdom, guidance and courage to do not only the right thing, but the outcome that God desires. God delights in us when we bring our requests our concerns to Him in prayer! A dear friend of mine put it like this (paraphrased)"Every time we pray, it's like we are putting a spotlight on it so that God can tend to it, respond to it, see it and ultimately fulfill it in accordance to His sovereign will."

8. Be disciplined! In all areas. For me, these have been the areas of foremost importance (Not in any particular order): 1. Prayer life 2. Devotional time in the written Word, the Bible and supplemented by books on theology. 3. Working out 3-5 times a week. 4. Eating healthy but also leaving room to enjoy treats in moderation. 5. Studying 6. Ministry responsibilities 7. Time serving others 8. Loving well through Quality time with friends and loved ones 9. Knowing my limits by trusting in God's ability above my own. 10. Sleep! Balancing all of these priorities require steadfast attention to all areas. It means knowing when to say no sometimes. Hearkening back to my convo with P.B. The neglect of one area of discipline, leads to the eventual downfall of all! Enlisting God's help through prayer will sustain you in all of this! :)

9. Be Present. Take each moment as it presents itself to you as a gift. Even when that gift is a challenging one that pushes you to your limits. Being present helps to give you pause in all circumstances and allows you to be more aware and open to God's blessings. It makes you more aware of peace, joy and fulfillment. It helps to keep you in accordance with God's will for your life. How many times have we taken something and run with it without it being warranted? Whether it was a comment from someone, an idea for work, a purchase, a big decision...whatever! And how many times were we way off in that leap? How often have we spent concerted energy worrying about the future that we've spoiled moments in the present? It is the present time that we can actively engage in and participate in. We can't undue the past, we cannot predict the future. When we act as prisoners to our past by constantly looking behind us and trying to change things we cannot change...When we obsess about the future which we cannot directly control, we ultimately miss out in the moments that create the sum parts of our lives. Being present means you are truly living.

10. Take a chance! Dream up God's best for you. When you are truly abiding with the Lord, your desires should align ultimately with His desires for you. All things are possible through God. I'm not saying that you won't experience hardship or challenges along the way. In fact, it's inevitable! However, it is in those hardships and trusting in God all the more that produces a faith that is Rock Solid. On Christ the solid rock we shall stand indeed! In doing this, you are refined. Look at these moments as opportunities that will develop your faith, strengthen it and grow it. God will use you in big ways for His Kingdom! This is the ride of your life! Take a chance! Get on! You will experience things you never could have thought possible! ~ Every day I awake and choose to Follow God is like getting on that ride. What's so great is that God's Grace is Sufficient and in those moments when inevitably we don't get on the ride...it doesn't mean we are banished forever from it. God takes us by the hand, brushes off our dirty knees when we have fallen and picks us back up, inviting us to get back on that ride! or Race. :)

Blessings to each of you in 2010. May you experience all that God has for you!

All my love,
MEL