Tag: Romans

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Limits

My post is quite late this morning due to some morning commitments.  Even now I am balancing posting something meanfuling with a hand full of thorn producing, life killing tasks.

So due to that and because it’s Friday, which means that everyone is thinking about Football or the coming weekend,  here is just a simple thought for today.

I found this quote which I thought was worthy of some consideration

“Our duty as men is to proceed as if limits to our ability did not exist.” – Teilhard de Chardin 

It’s an interesting thought, and one that I think is even easier for those that have entrusted themselves to the Christ.  Take a look at here

13I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13  New International Version (NIV)
 
and here

 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 New International Version (NIV)

It seems that we as humans tend to want to place limits on ourselves – based on our experiences or our confidence in ourselves.  But wow, when you consider where you strength comes from, it seems that maybe those limits are self imposed, and we would do good to consider the words of Mr. Teilhard.

What do you think?  Let’s be loosed from our limits!

 

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A Story about Water

This weekend I heard of a remarkable story that I thought I would share with you.   You may have seen this on the news already, but it’s still worth considering, and it quite inspiring.

There was a nine year old girl named Rachel who for her birthday this summer, decided to forgo presents to raise money for clean water projects in developing nations.  She wanted to raise $300 and raised just a little over $200.  That’s pretty cool!

But here is the rest of the story.  A few weeks after her birthday, Rachel was traveling in her family vehicle on the interstate.  Unfortunately, there was a fourteen car pileup that her family vehicle was caught up in and she was killed.  That part really stinks.

Well, here is the real rest of the story.  The word of this little girl’s birthday wish has traveled across the country and this weekend her birthday wish has raised over $1 Million dollars for water projects!  That’s correct $1 Million!

I was watching the counter all weekend and have watched it increase $40K from Saturday morning to Monday.  It’s quite an amazing outreach from people all over the country.  It also teaches us that we don’t always understand the plans that are out there, nor what one little risky thing can do.

There are several lessons from this story I guess, I found this how situation inspiring and motivating on multiple fronts, I hope you do as well.

“If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” Romans 14:8 NIV

 

Oh and be thankful for that running water that you will use today!

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From Bored to Boldness

Yesterday I found myself sitting in a meeting room bored to tears listening to the ramble of the meeting. It was not that what was being discussed was not important or that the topic itself was uninteresting. It was the approach and the logistics of the meeting. Tired and exhausting.

Then this morning while preparing for some other work I have to do i stumbled on this post. It’s an org chart from Disney from 1943. How creative how fresh and how new.

There are so many days when life feels like an old traditional boring organization chart. Our job is to bring salt, to bring creativity and to bring a refreshing newness to each day. Of course that is always marinated in the love from the Christ.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 ESV

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Mercy, Can it Be?

This morning I was thinking about one of my favorite books and one particular passage in Romans 12.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

What I was spending a lot of time thinking about where the words “in view of God’s mercy”. It is such a great thought to consider – that we have been given mercy from the creator of the world. That is reviewed in great detail in some of the previous chapters in this book – especially chapters 6 and 8, and then it ends with this great exhortation ( I love that word).

Today, remember the mercy that you live in the light of, and change your actions and behaviors to account for that truly remarkable gift!

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Control and Command

It appears the James Durbin from American Idol must be a DB reader.  Yesterday I wrote about “Don’t Stop Believing” and then last night he goes out on Idol and sings it.  What influence this blog has!  What control!  What command!

Well, of course that’s not true, but it feels good to feel like you are in control.  Being in control and in command of things is something that I think all of us struggle with.  It is so hard to give it over and let others, or the Lord, take over and lead. It seems like it is so against our nature for that to happen, but never the less that is what we are asked to do.

18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. (Romans 6:18, New International Version)

It sort of reminds me of the song “Pierce My Ear”, which is a song about willingly giving control over to the Lord, which comes from this story in the book of Exodus

 5 “But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ 6 then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life. (Exodus 21:5-6, New International Version)

So today, spend some time thinking about who or what is in control of your life?