Colossians 3:23-24

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ."
Colossians 3:23-24


This is cool.  I like to be reminded that everything I do is for the Lord... it helps me to pull back my perspective, and see the bigger picture... how everything works together.  Sometimes I resent a task that I am given at work, or I just really don't *want* to clean the living room or pay the bills, or whatever it is that I really need to do... but this helps.  If I can remember that I am doing these things for the Lord, then perhaps I can lose the attitude, and enjoy the task.  It's hard to do things "heartily" if they are just for yourself, or for someone you don't even like... but really, everything we do is for God.  Every minute of our lives is a gift from him, and living it well is a gift that we can give to him. :)  Today, I am going to try to live more "heartily," and I invite you to join me. :)

Ephesians 2:13-14

"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us."
Ephesians 2:13-14


I was reading this chapter this morning, and it struck me how separated from God, and from other people we are when we live without God in this world.  God is the one who softens our hearts and helps us look out for other people, who helps us forgive, and ask for forgiveness.  Without him it is hard just to get through the day.  There are days where heaven feels really far away, and when you feel disconnected from everyone around you.  God is the one who breaks down those barriers and helps us get closer to everywhere we want to be. :)

2 Corinthians 3:17

"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."
2 Corinthians 3:17


This is a good reminder for me today. It is easy to think of God and his gospel as restrictive or limiting... that having God in our lives limits our freedom to go out and "party" or "enjoy" life. :) ... the truth is very different. We only have true freedom when we are obedient to God's basic commandments. Why? Because disobedience sends us into dead-end paths. Our only choices are to wallow in sin
or turn around and go back to the path. When we are obedient, we have myriads of possibilities open up before us... ways to grow and progress, talents to foster... thousands of choices and opportunities. As we grow closer to God, and more like him, we begin to grow towards the choices that God has. As we walk away from him, we severely limit our choices, AND our knowledge, because the Spirit is involved in all of those things. Sinning is like choosing to live on the street. After you've been there a while, what choices do you have? It's hard to even get a job without an address and a shower. Today, let's work on inviting the spirit into our lives, and helping him to feel comfortable.

2 Corinthians 1:18-20

"But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay.
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.
For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us."
2 Corinthians 1:18-20


This made me smile today, so I thought I would share it. :) I think it is cool that God is yes... it reminds me of an E. E. Cummings poem... the first stanza is

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

and I think that it catches the spirit of these verses really well.  God is yea, not nay, and not yea AND nay.  Everything that he says will come to pass... Everything that he is is good, and positive.  As we become more like him, and get to know him better in our lives, our lives, too, will become more yea than nay. :)