Operation: Asa Joy

What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church? This question is a tough one for me. For many months now I have been avoiding church if I could come up with an excuse. Even when I was there I avoided talking to people. I would sit in the lobby and watch the kids play or find a quiet spot in the auditorium to watch them. The excuse I gave was that I wanted to make sure that they were behaving themselves. The real reason. I was afraid to let anyone in my life. I did not want people to see the mess that I am. I have had a hard year where my mouth has led me to lose some friendships. I was too free with how I felt about some things. I put myself in a pit of self loathing and false guilt. I played conversations over and over in my head and came to the conclusion that it was better for me to not say anything at all, to anyone. That way I could never be accused again, falsely or justly, of saying something wrong. I put up walls like you would not believe. They ar...

I have gotten a little behind but I refuse to stress over it. I will find the joy in answering these questions. If I do not finish by the end of the month then I give myself permission to go into February. No stress!!! 5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year? To be honest, I had no problem whatsoever finding the answer to number 5. It was instantaneous. The biggest time-waster in my life is my dumb phone. I am a big believer that God gives us technology to better reach the world for Christ. But, Satan can use things that God intends us to use for good to cause us to be distracted and be in sin. What better way to reach the areas of the world that have not been exposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ than with things like the internet and computers and phones and the technology that we have today. The problem arise when that technology becomes the thing that causes us to use it in such a way that we waste the time that ...

4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it? When I think about this question I find myself having the same answer I did last year and to be honest, probably the year before that. PRAYER Not just throwing up a prayer to God when I need something or remember, but living with an attitude of prayer at all times. My verse for the year is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 16  Rejoice always, 17  pray without ceasing, 18  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. It is that "pray without ceasing" part that always gets me. What does that look like for the Christian? What does that look like for me personally? For my children? I have been reading a book that is all George Muller's works about personal devotions. He says that for 10 years he would wake up and pray. His prayers though had no real focus and he would often find himself distracted and even taking an hour be...

I have been thinking about a question I read yesterday. My mom's pastor put an insert into their bulletins a few years ago. I have used it during the month of January for the past few years. http://biblicalspirituality.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/ten-questions-start-new-year.pdf It is actually 31 questions so I normally try to do one question a day for the month. Question 2 is a very thought provoking one. What’s the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year? Uh???? It took me a minute and then the answer popped right into my head. Before I tell you my answer I want to share a story about when my mom answered this question at the beginning of the year a few years ago. I thought she was crazy and so did a lot of other people. My dad has been sick for almost 20 years. He got sick right around the that I got married. It has been a hard road because his illness is tied to a disability from his military service. Fighting for benefits with the Veteran...

Don't you just love the new year? It always leads me to reflection and memories. I am so thankful that I have been in the habit of writing things down. It is truly a blessing to go back and look at where I have come and where I once was. The new year always leads me to make resolutions to change.  It causes me to start on a path to make new habits that honor God. I think we all have the best intentions at the beginning of the New Year. It seems like by the second week of January most of us have forgotten those decisions we made. I know that it is something that I have always struggled with. I make this big list of things to do or things I want to do. I think the most that I have done is a few months. That is actually good compared to most people. I had a friend tell me that he does not go to the gym at the beginning of the year. He goes almost every day and he avoids it for a couple of weeks at the start of the year because is so crowded with people making exercise their new year...