Sundays haven't been my favorite day of the week for years. I think this is because we went to a little church during the 60s and had to be there every time the doors opened, or felt we had to. I had two children in school and had gone back to college and had homework and papers to write and housework to do. . . All those things plus showing up at church three or four times a week. My daughters hated going to church on Sunday night because they were the only kids they knew who didn't get to watch "Wonderful World of Disney." (This was way before DVR.) I hated going on Wednesday night, as well as Sunday, because I had homework and had to get up early the next morning. Sometimes I wished I could bring my work with me and do it during church. (You can see how much I was getting out of the service.)
Yesterday, as I sat at my make up table, that old "I wish I didn't have to go" came over me. I immediately began talking to God and trying to figure out why I had this feeling. One thing that came to me (besides the old having to be in church stuff) was wondering if I really have a purpose in my life. I've always had to feel I've accomplished something, and I wondered, "What have I accomplished? What is my purpose besides just living day by day and growing old?" So I asked God to speak to me. And, true to His word--Ask and you shall receive--He spoke.
The scripture--Philippians 2--was His answer. "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort in His love, if any fellowship with the spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and PURPOSE.....Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus; who being in very nature God.....made himself nothing...."
Chapter two through verse eleven says it all. I am not to be consumed by anything except the cross. I am to empty myself and let the Holy Spirit give me His purpose. If I can do this, I have accomplished everything.
What do you feel is your purpose?
Showing posts with label scriptures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scriptures. Show all posts
Monday, September 7, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Sears, Suspense and Scriptures
Sears is here with our new freezer and to carry away the smelly one. I wonder what they will do with the old one. No one could ever use it again and I'm sure landfills don't want it.
Since the last time I blogged I found out the first novel in the Joe Denali mystery series isn't a mystery. I had a pitch session with an agent Saturday and felt like a real dunce not knowing this. She asked for the first 50 pages of both number one and number two-which is a mystery. But I think she was just being nice. I have a feeling she wrote down my name, and when she sees it coming across her email, she'll hit delete. Fingers crossed, prayers said, I hope she'll give both of them a chance as stand-alones. I'm dubbing the first one, Copper Penny as suspense. When I think of suspense, I think of scary, horror or heart-stopping. This one isn't that, but there is a bit of suspense involved for Penny. The second, Plugged Nickel, is definitely mystery because it's a whodunnit. The third one, Turn On A Dime, is going to be suspense, too.
I asked the agent why the series (if I ever write the others) couldn't be the Joe Denali series, and she said because she couldn't sell it like that. If the first one is suspense, then the reader will think the next one will be the same. What if the reader isn't as 'inside the box' as a publisher and likes variety? Oh, well. if I sell one, then the next ones will be easier. Prayers will probably work better than crossed fingers.
Writing problems are secondary to what our friend is facing. She had a biopsy last week and got the news it was positive. She went forward Sunday to ask for prayer and the outpouring of love from our church community was overwhelming. She knows they will all be praying for her. How do people survive without this kind of support? They see a surgeon today, but we're praying she's had a false diagnosis. If not, then we're believing God is who He says--..."for I am the Lord, who heals you." (Exodus 15:26.)
Yes, I know He was talking to the Jews in Egypt. If I believe He isn't talking to me in that scripture, then I can't take anything that is said throughout the Bible for myself because I wasn't there. Jesus was talking to those around Him. Paul was talking to specific churches. Either I take it all personally or I take none of it.
That brings up some of the more troublesome scriptures--about women in particular. We look at those as cultural which makes all of it confusing. Do we pick and choose what we want to believe or take it all? I wish I knew. This I know for sure: "He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed." That's not cultural. That's truth!
Since the last time I blogged I found out the first novel in the Joe Denali mystery series isn't a mystery. I had a pitch session with an agent Saturday and felt like a real dunce not knowing this. She asked for the first 50 pages of both number one and number two-which is a mystery. But I think she was just being nice. I have a feeling she wrote down my name, and when she sees it coming across her email, she'll hit delete. Fingers crossed, prayers said, I hope she'll give both of them a chance as stand-alones. I'm dubbing the first one, Copper Penny as suspense. When I think of suspense, I think of scary, horror or heart-stopping. This one isn't that, but there is a bit of suspense involved for Penny. The second, Plugged Nickel, is definitely mystery because it's a whodunnit. The third one, Turn On A Dime, is going to be suspense, too.
I asked the agent why the series (if I ever write the others) couldn't be the Joe Denali series, and she said because she couldn't sell it like that. If the first one is suspense, then the reader will think the next one will be the same. What if the reader isn't as 'inside the box' as a publisher and likes variety? Oh, well. if I sell one, then the next ones will be easier. Prayers will probably work better than crossed fingers.
Writing problems are secondary to what our friend is facing. She had a biopsy last week and got the news it was positive. She went forward Sunday to ask for prayer and the outpouring of love from our church community was overwhelming. She knows they will all be praying for her. How do people survive without this kind of support? They see a surgeon today, but we're praying she's had a false diagnosis. If not, then we're believing God is who He says--..."for I am the Lord, who heals you." (Exodus 15:26.)
Yes, I know He was talking to the Jews in Egypt. If I believe He isn't talking to me in that scripture, then I can't take anything that is said throughout the Bible for myself because I wasn't there. Jesus was talking to those around Him. Paul was talking to specific churches. Either I take it all personally or I take none of it.
That brings up some of the more troublesome scriptures--about women in particular. We look at those as cultural which makes all of it confusing. Do we pick and choose what we want to believe or take it all? I wish I knew. This I know for sure: "He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed." That's not cultural. That's truth!
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