Mark 5:34 (ESV)
And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
Good morning Zebras,
Yesterday morning I woke up tired, tired of trying to understand God, tired of being different, tired of swimming against the culture, just tired. I felt like those people I have read about in books who have trudged through the snow persevering until they get so tired and weary all they want to do is lay down. So I went back to bed.
But as I was lying there God reminded me that the people who lay down in the snow often die and I started thinking about the women I had just read about in Mark.
Most of us know this story. A woman had been bleeding for twelve years. The Bible says she had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus she knew if she could just touch His clothes she would be healed.
So she pushed her way through the crowd and touched His garment.
I have no idea how big the crowd was, the Bible doesn’t say. However crowds often prevented Jesus from eating, forced Him to get into boats, and caused the disciples to fear for His life, so I am assuming it was large and pushing through it wasn’t easy.
But push she did and she was rewarded for her effort. The NIV says not only was she healed she was freed from her suffering.
Everywhere I look I see women suffering. Some do it publicly, some do it privately, some are suffering from physical ailments, maybe even more from emotional ones, and, at times, all of us want to give up. But we can’t because if we do, like the hikers in the snow, we will “die” and depression instead of joy will become our constant companion.
Instead we need to remember this woman and push on, against all odds, and all obstacles, with faith believing that if we can only get to Jesus we will be healed.
And encourage others to do the same.
Love,
Jill
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Wearing or Carrying?
Luke 14:27 (ESV)
Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
Good morning Zebras, When my son was little, his favorite ride at Disneyland was Thunder Mountain, a roller coaster that is disguised as a mining train. I think what he liked about it was that it was a lot more than what he’d expected. He had expected a tame train ride, but got instead a roller coaster. As he had once said “it ain’t no innocent train.”
That is how I am starting to feel about my cross.
I have worn a cross for years. It is so much a part of my wardrobe that when a parent in my class did a project where she took a picture of me, cut it into squares and then gave each child a square to copy and draw the child with the cross knew exactly what they were drawing. They didn’t recognize my ear or my hair, but they immediately recognized my cross.
And I thought that was cool.
Now I’m not so sure.
After reading the Gospels, focusing on Jesus, and really looking at what the cross means, I think I was wearing it too lightly.
To me that cross is the symbol of who I am in Christ, a new creature because of His death, protected from the penalty of sin and guaranteed a place in heaven. I would often find myself playing with it when I was nervous or upset to remind myself that God was in charge and that everything would be okay.
And that’s true but I wasn’t really looking at it from Jesus’ viewpoint.
For Jesus the cross was what he came to do. It was the place of His death, His ultimate obedience to His Father and where, for a time, our sins separated Him from God. It was not something He was anxious to do, and it wasn’t a cute piece of jewelry.
It is the symbol of what a God honoring life should look like, obedience unto death.
Now I’m not so sure I want to continue wearing my cross, just like Nick’s train, it is no longer “an innocent piece of jewelry,” because it is the symbol of not only who I am, but what I should be willing to do.
Love, Jill
Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
Good morning Zebras, When my son was little, his favorite ride at Disneyland was Thunder Mountain, a roller coaster that is disguised as a mining train. I think what he liked about it was that it was a lot more than what he’d expected. He had expected a tame train ride, but got instead a roller coaster. As he had once said “it ain’t no innocent train.”
That is how I am starting to feel about my cross.
I have worn a cross for years. It is so much a part of my wardrobe that when a parent in my class did a project where she took a picture of me, cut it into squares and then gave each child a square to copy and draw the child with the cross knew exactly what they were drawing. They didn’t recognize my ear or my hair, but they immediately recognized my cross.
And I thought that was cool.
Now I’m not so sure.
After reading the Gospels, focusing on Jesus, and really looking at what the cross means, I think I was wearing it too lightly.
To me that cross is the symbol of who I am in Christ, a new creature because of His death, protected from the penalty of sin and guaranteed a place in heaven. I would often find myself playing with it when I was nervous or upset to remind myself that God was in charge and that everything would be okay.
And that’s true but I wasn’t really looking at it from Jesus’ viewpoint.
For Jesus the cross was what he came to do. It was the place of His death, His ultimate obedience to His Father and where, for a time, our sins separated Him from God. It was not something He was anxious to do, and it wasn’t a cute piece of jewelry.
It is the symbol of what a God honoring life should look like, obedience unto death.
Now I’m not so sure I want to continue wearing my cross, just like Nick’s train, it is no longer “an innocent piece of jewelry,” because it is the symbol of not only who I am, but what I should be willing to do.
Love, Jill
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Work
Genesis 2:15 (ESV)
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
Good morning Zebras,
I just finished Piper’s book Don’t Waste Your Life. Chapter Eight, “Making Much of Christ from 8 to 5” was a wonderful reminder that we all don’t need to go into full-time ministry in order to live a life that’s honoring to God.
Just like the body needs all the different gifts to function well, society needs those gifts too. If all the Christians just withdrew from secular work there would be no light in the darkness.
Of course to be that light, people first need to know that you are a Christian and then you have to act like one. A poor worker or a constant complainer is not a great witness for the Gospel. Nor is a worker who is only working for “the money,” because that’s what everyone else is doing. Instead we need to see work as a gift from God.
In the back of my mind, I thought man had to work because of the Fall, that before the ugly apple incident, Adam and Eve were just sitting around eating fruit and talking to God. But that isn’t true. Man was always created to work as today’s verse shows. The Fall just made work more difficult and changed it from something that was done for pleasure to something was done to survive.
Look what God said to Adam: And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Work became cursed because of sin.
But Jesus came and paid the price for Adam’s sin and promised us an “easy burden.” And although we still have to work to eat, it shouldn’t be viewed as a burden. Man was made to work and begin able to do so is a gift from God.
God made people to work and then Jesus promised it would be easy. And I think it can be IF we remember that God has given us all the abilities we need to do the job He has given us to do, and we do it for His glory.
Jesus promised never to leave us nor forsake us-even when we go to work.
Love, Jill
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
Good morning Zebras,
I just finished Piper’s book Don’t Waste Your Life. Chapter Eight, “Making Much of Christ from 8 to 5” was a wonderful reminder that we all don’t need to go into full-time ministry in order to live a life that’s honoring to God.
Just like the body needs all the different gifts to function well, society needs those gifts too. If all the Christians just withdrew from secular work there would be no light in the darkness.
Of course to be that light, people first need to know that you are a Christian and then you have to act like one. A poor worker or a constant complainer is not a great witness for the Gospel. Nor is a worker who is only working for “the money,” because that’s what everyone else is doing. Instead we need to see work as a gift from God.
In the back of my mind, I thought man had to work because of the Fall, that before the ugly apple incident, Adam and Eve were just sitting around eating fruit and talking to God. But that isn’t true. Man was always created to work as today’s verse shows. The Fall just made work more difficult and changed it from something that was done for pleasure to something was done to survive.
Look what God said to Adam: And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Work became cursed because of sin.
But Jesus came and paid the price for Adam’s sin and promised us an “easy burden.” And although we still have to work to eat, it shouldn’t be viewed as a burden. Man was made to work and begin able to do so is a gift from God.
God made people to work and then Jesus promised it would be easy. And I think it can be IF we remember that God has given us all the abilities we need to do the job He has given us to do, and we do it for His glory.
Jesus promised never to leave us nor forsake us-even when we go to work.
Love, Jill
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Taking Risks
Revelation 3:14–17 (ESV)
“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
Good morning Zebras,
We serve an awesome God-but you already know that. He wants us to trust Him and not live in fear, because fear keeps us from doing what God wants us to do.
John Piper in his book, Don’t Waste Your Life, talks about taking risks for God. In the early church just becoming a Christian was a risk. Your family might disown you or the government might have you killed. It wasn’t an absolute, but it was a possibility.
That’s what made it a risk, because risks are things we do that we don’t know what the outcome will be.
In the world of logical and rational thinking how often do we take risks? How often do we do something without first sitting down and figuring out the “Pros and Cons?”
Do I have enough time? Will it cost me too much money? Does it impact my family in a negative way? These are the questions we like to ask BEFORE we agree to do something for God.
Piper’s point is that isn’t really taking a risk.
That is weighing the decision and deciding if it is doable and then proceeding. And that isn’t as glorifying to God as just going ahead and doing what God has asked of you and letting Him worry about the consequences.
Cautious Christianity is an oxymoron.
Love,
Jill
“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
Good morning Zebras,
We serve an awesome God-but you already know that. He wants us to trust Him and not live in fear, because fear keeps us from doing what God wants us to do.
John Piper in his book, Don’t Waste Your Life, talks about taking risks for God. In the early church just becoming a Christian was a risk. Your family might disown you or the government might have you killed. It wasn’t an absolute, but it was a possibility.
That’s what made it a risk, because risks are things we do that we don’t know what the outcome will be.
In the world of logical and rational thinking how often do we take risks? How often do we do something without first sitting down and figuring out the “Pros and Cons?”
Do I have enough time? Will it cost me too much money? Does it impact my family in a negative way? These are the questions we like to ask BEFORE we agree to do something for God.
Piper’s point is that isn’t really taking a risk.
That is weighing the decision and deciding if it is doable and then proceeding. And that isn’t as glorifying to God as just going ahead and doing what God has asked of you and letting Him worry about the consequences.
Cautious Christianity is an oxymoron.
Love,
Jill
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Useful to God
2 Timothy 2:20–21 (ESV)
Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
Good morning Zebras,
Is there any more beautiful phrase in the English language than “I was useful to the Master?” It ranks right up there with “Well done good and faithful servant.” And I think it is what we all want to hear. But will we?
Until a few months ago I’d never heard of John Piper. One if his books was recommended to me so I went online to purchase it. While I was there I browsed through his other works and Don’t Waste Your Life caught my eye. I even put it in my cart but at the last minute I took it out.
Last week, my daughter bought the books she is supposed to read before her mission trip this summer. And you guessed it, Don’t Waste Your Life was one of them.
Anytime God brings something across my path more than once I figure He is serious, so I am reading the book. And it is wonderful.
Piper says many things that God has slowly been showing me Himself and that’s so encouraging. It is like I found a male Zebra!
The premise of the book is that any life spent doing anything other than glorifying Christ is a wasted life. Not that all of us are supposed to quit our jobs and go to the mission field, but we are supposed to glorify Christ in all we do. We are not supposed to fit in with the world and value what they value. We are supposed to be different.
Each one of us has a choice of what to do with the gifts that God has given us. We can use them for our own pleasure and amass worldly wealth or we can use them for God’s glory and amass eternal wealth.
Like today’s verse says, if we really want to be useful to the Master we need to throw off the sins that so easily entangle and everything that hinders, and run the race that God has marked out for us, with our eyes fixed firmly on Christ constantly thinking, “Is what I am doing bringing glory to God?”
Love,
Jill
Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
Good morning Zebras,
Is there any more beautiful phrase in the English language than “I was useful to the Master?” It ranks right up there with “Well done good and faithful servant.” And I think it is what we all want to hear. But will we?
Until a few months ago I’d never heard of John Piper. One if his books was recommended to me so I went online to purchase it. While I was there I browsed through his other works and Don’t Waste Your Life caught my eye. I even put it in my cart but at the last minute I took it out.
Last week, my daughter bought the books she is supposed to read before her mission trip this summer. And you guessed it, Don’t Waste Your Life was one of them.
Anytime God brings something across my path more than once I figure He is serious, so I am reading the book. And it is wonderful.
Piper says many things that God has slowly been showing me Himself and that’s so encouraging. It is like I found a male Zebra!
The premise of the book is that any life spent doing anything other than glorifying Christ is a wasted life. Not that all of us are supposed to quit our jobs and go to the mission field, but we are supposed to glorify Christ in all we do. We are not supposed to fit in with the world and value what they value. We are supposed to be different.
Each one of us has a choice of what to do with the gifts that God has given us. We can use them for our own pleasure and amass worldly wealth or we can use them for God’s glory and amass eternal wealth.
Like today’s verse says, if we really want to be useful to the Master we need to throw off the sins that so easily entangle and everything that hinders, and run the race that God has marked out for us, with our eyes fixed firmly on Christ constantly thinking, “Is what I am doing bringing glory to God?”
Love,
Jill
Monday, March 21, 2011
Bigger Than We Know
Psalm 8:3–9 (ESV)
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
Good morning Zebras,
I love it when God “connects the dots.” When He takes a whole bunch of pieces and brings them all together into a crystal clear epiphany of something that you thought you understood, but now realize you didn’t.
Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork”. When I began my quest to grow in my understanding of God I knew that contemplating His creation would be part of the journey.
I started taking walks and purposefully looking at trees, flowers and stars and I would consciously think “God made these.” But these efforts only increased my understanding a little. They did not produce the awe I knew I should feel.
Recently God showed me that it was because my view was too small.
God’s creation does not end on this earth, or even with our galaxy. As far as we know God’s creation goes on into infinity and contains things that we have not even discovered. It is not just flowers and tree, it is space and time. Before God chose to create, there was nothing.
Pondering on that for a while greatly increased my view of God, and it also raised a few questions. Why would God create so much? He could have just created us, the earth and black space. He didn’t need to provide the sun or moon or stars. He could have done it any way He chose. He could have made it a lot simpler.
So then you have to wonder why the “big display?”
Because the sheer magnitude of Creation, shows us the greatness of God, if we could discover all that God had created we would think we were somehow equal to God. But we aren’t and yet of all of His creations He loves us best.
And if that doesn’t make you feel special I don’t know what will.
Have a great day little Zebras.
Love,
Jill
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
Good morning Zebras,
I love it when God “connects the dots.” When He takes a whole bunch of pieces and brings them all together into a crystal clear epiphany of something that you thought you understood, but now realize you didn’t.
Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork”. When I began my quest to grow in my understanding of God I knew that contemplating His creation would be part of the journey.
I started taking walks and purposefully looking at trees, flowers and stars and I would consciously think “God made these.” But these efforts only increased my understanding a little. They did not produce the awe I knew I should feel.
Recently God showed me that it was because my view was too small.
God’s creation does not end on this earth, or even with our galaxy. As far as we know God’s creation goes on into infinity and contains things that we have not even discovered. It is not just flowers and tree, it is space and time. Before God chose to create, there was nothing.
Pondering on that for a while greatly increased my view of God, and it also raised a few questions. Why would God create so much? He could have just created us, the earth and black space. He didn’t need to provide the sun or moon or stars. He could have done it any way He chose. He could have made it a lot simpler.
So then you have to wonder why the “big display?”
Because the sheer magnitude of Creation, shows us the greatness of God, if we could discover all that God had created we would think we were somehow equal to God. But we aren’t and yet of all of His creations He loves us best.
And if that doesn’t make you feel special I don’t know what will.
Have a great day little Zebras.
Love,
Jill
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Potato Pancakes
Isaiah 49:23c (ESV)
Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.
Good morning Zebras,
When I was little, my mom used to make potato pancakes. She would save the leftover mashed potatoes from dinner and in the morning she would form them into pancakes and fry them up in a pan. They would come out crispy and delicious, golden brown on the outside and steaming hot in the middle. I loved them.
When I got married I thought I would share this delicious culinary treat with my husband. I did exactly what my mother had done but for some reason they never came out right. After a few tries I decided I didn’t have the “knack” and gave up.
A few months ago I decide to give it one more try and this time God showed up.
“Your problem,” He said as I was putting my pancake into the pan, “is patience. You don’t give the pancake time to brown before you start fiddling with it.”
So I tried it, instead of constantly checking to see if the pancake was browning I just left it alone. And of course He was right. The pancake came out perfect.
Since then I have made quite a few beautiful potato pancakes. But, standing at the stove watching them and waiting for them to brown has been a struggle. And every time I hear God say “You need to be patient.”
That is, until last night.
Last night I just dumped the pancakes into the pan and went about my business. I was in the middle of doing laundry and picking up the house and I didn’t have time to stand there and watch potatoes brown. So I didn’t. I just came back about ten minutes later flipped them over and left again.
That’s when God taught me another lesson about patience and trust.
God wants me to be patient, it’s true, and that involves trust. God wants me to be patient AND trust Him enough to go about my life doing the things I need to do confident that He will do His part. He does not want me wasting my life “standing over the stove” waiting for answers or worrying about what might happen.
Love,
Jill
Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.
Good morning Zebras,
When I was little, my mom used to make potato pancakes. She would save the leftover mashed potatoes from dinner and in the morning she would form them into pancakes and fry them up in a pan. They would come out crispy and delicious, golden brown on the outside and steaming hot in the middle. I loved them.
When I got married I thought I would share this delicious culinary treat with my husband. I did exactly what my mother had done but for some reason they never came out right. After a few tries I decided I didn’t have the “knack” and gave up.
A few months ago I decide to give it one more try and this time God showed up.
“Your problem,” He said as I was putting my pancake into the pan, “is patience. You don’t give the pancake time to brown before you start fiddling with it.”
So I tried it, instead of constantly checking to see if the pancake was browning I just left it alone. And of course He was right. The pancake came out perfect.
Since then I have made quite a few beautiful potato pancakes. But, standing at the stove watching them and waiting for them to brown has been a struggle. And every time I hear God say “You need to be patient.”
That is, until last night.
Last night I just dumped the pancakes into the pan and went about my business. I was in the middle of doing laundry and picking up the house and I didn’t have time to stand there and watch potatoes brown. So I didn’t. I just came back about ten minutes later flipped them over and left again.
That’s when God taught me another lesson about patience and trust.
God wants me to be patient, it’s true, and that involves trust. God wants me to be patient AND trust Him enough to go about my life doing the things I need to do confident that He will do His part. He does not want me wasting my life “standing over the stove” waiting for answers or worrying about what might happen.
Love,
Jill
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
A Servant
Mark 5:18–20 (ESV)
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
Good morning Zebras,
Each one of the gospels was written with a different emphasis. Matthew emphasizes the kingship of Jesus, that He was the long awaited Messiah, Luke emphasizes His humanity, John writes to prove Jesus was the Son of God and Mark focuses on Jesus as a servant.
Although I have probably heard this numerous times throughout my life, it really didn’t register until I studied Revelations and learned the four creatures around the throne coincide with the four aspects of Jesus presented in the Gospels. But I still didn’t pursue it until I heard a pastor mention it in his message a few weeks ago.
At that point I figured maybe God was trying to tell me something so I decided to read the Gospels with an eye towards what they were trying to say.
Since I have studied Matthew and John in Bible Study Fellowship, I started with Mark and read about Jesus the Servant.
I didn’t need to get very far before I realized Jesus does understand what we go through. People were always pushing on Him, demanding things from Him and the more He gave the more they demanded.
That is probably why it is in Mark we find Jesus rising early in the morning and going off to a solitary place to pray. (Mark 1:35) Before He could face the demands of the day He chose to spend time alone with His Father.
But it was today’s verse that really caught my attention. Jesus had just healed this man from being demon possessed and he begged Jesus to let him go with Him. But Jesus said “No.” Instead he sent him home to witness to his own family about the power and mercy of God. And he did.
Instead of doing what he wanted, he did what Jesus wanted, and forever modeled for us what it means to be a servant of Christ.
Love,
Jill
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
Good morning Zebras,
Each one of the gospels was written with a different emphasis. Matthew emphasizes the kingship of Jesus, that He was the long awaited Messiah, Luke emphasizes His humanity, John writes to prove Jesus was the Son of God and Mark focuses on Jesus as a servant.
Although I have probably heard this numerous times throughout my life, it really didn’t register until I studied Revelations and learned the four creatures around the throne coincide with the four aspects of Jesus presented in the Gospels. But I still didn’t pursue it until I heard a pastor mention it in his message a few weeks ago.
At that point I figured maybe God was trying to tell me something so I decided to read the Gospels with an eye towards what they were trying to say.
Since I have studied Matthew and John in Bible Study Fellowship, I started with Mark and read about Jesus the Servant.
I didn’t need to get very far before I realized Jesus does understand what we go through. People were always pushing on Him, demanding things from Him and the more He gave the more they demanded.
That is probably why it is in Mark we find Jesus rising early in the morning and going off to a solitary place to pray. (Mark 1:35) Before He could face the demands of the day He chose to spend time alone with His Father.
But it was today’s verse that really caught my attention. Jesus had just healed this man from being demon possessed and he begged Jesus to let him go with Him. But Jesus said “No.” Instead he sent him home to witness to his own family about the power and mercy of God. And he did.
Instead of doing what he wanted, he did what Jesus wanted, and forever modeled for us what it means to be a servant of Christ.
Love,
Jill
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Walking Straight
Romans 7:15 (ESV)
For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
Good morning Zebras,
I believe the best way to walk through life is with our focus upward towards God, but recently He has given me something to think about even when I look down.
My whole life I have walked with my toes slightly pointed outwards. I never really thought it was a problem until I made friends with a personal trainer. She told me it was bad for my hips to walk with my toes pointed out so she gave me some exercises to strengthen my inner thighs.
She said if I strengthened my inner thighs and consciously walked with my toes pointed forward eventually I would retrain the muscles in my legs and walk correctly.
Well, I did the exercises for a while and I watched my toes, for a while, but nothing seemed to change. My toes never naturally pointed forward and if I took my eyes off of them for a minute they would be right back where they always were, pointed outwards.
Finally I just gave up because it just seemed like a lot of work for nothing.
Then I had my hip replaced and now the foot on that leg goes straight. I don’t have to think about it, I don’t have to work on it, it just naturally points forward. All those exercises to change my walk didn’t help because what I really needed was a new hip.
I needed an internal change that would have external results.
All my work to change the behavior was useless until God changed the source of the problem. And now I have a great reminder that God not only has the power to change my circumstances He has the power to change my heart.
Love,
Jill
For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
Good morning Zebras,
I believe the best way to walk through life is with our focus upward towards God, but recently He has given me something to think about even when I look down.
My whole life I have walked with my toes slightly pointed outwards. I never really thought it was a problem until I made friends with a personal trainer. She told me it was bad for my hips to walk with my toes pointed out so she gave me some exercises to strengthen my inner thighs.
She said if I strengthened my inner thighs and consciously walked with my toes pointed forward eventually I would retrain the muscles in my legs and walk correctly.
Well, I did the exercises for a while and I watched my toes, for a while, but nothing seemed to change. My toes never naturally pointed forward and if I took my eyes off of them for a minute they would be right back where they always were, pointed outwards.
Finally I just gave up because it just seemed like a lot of work for nothing.
Then I had my hip replaced and now the foot on that leg goes straight. I don’t have to think about it, I don’t have to work on it, it just naturally points forward. All those exercises to change my walk didn’t help because what I really needed was a new hip.
I needed an internal change that would have external results.
All my work to change the behavior was useless until God changed the source of the problem. And now I have a great reminder that God not only has the power to change my circumstances He has the power to change my heart.
Love,
Jill
Friday, March 11, 2011
Don't Go Home
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Good morning Zebras,
I have a friend who does not like it when people talk about the struggle between the old nature and the new. Like today’s verse says “the old has passed away; behold, the new has come” and Galatians 5:24 says And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Her point is: How can there be a struggle between the old nature and the new nature when one of them is dead? There can’t be and yet I think we would all agree there is.
Maybe the reason we continue to struggle is we don’t really understand that the person we were before the cross is gone and a totally new person has been born.
People say you can’t go home again but physically that isn’t true. Unless the building has been destroyed it is possible to go home again. But it shouldn’t be the same. You can’t go back to the way things were because you’ve changed.
Some people, however, refuse to change. Although physically they have grown, emotionally they remain a child. And instead of letting go, they hold on to childish things and refuse to grow up. They embrace who they were instead of who they can be.
And I think that’s what happens with the old nature, we hold on when we need to let go.
Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection has given believers a new nature. But instead of embracing the new, too often, we continue to drag around the old, forgetting that it is dead and should be dropped.
Jesus doesn’t want us enslaved to our old ways of acting or thinking, Satan does. Jesus wants us to get up and walk with a new life fixing our eyes joyfully on Him, the author and perfecter of our faith
Love,
Jill
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Good morning Zebras,
I have a friend who does not like it when people talk about the struggle between the old nature and the new. Like today’s verse says “the old has passed away; behold, the new has come” and Galatians 5:24 says And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Her point is: How can there be a struggle between the old nature and the new nature when one of them is dead? There can’t be and yet I think we would all agree there is.
Maybe the reason we continue to struggle is we don’t really understand that the person we were before the cross is gone and a totally new person has been born.
People say you can’t go home again but physically that isn’t true. Unless the building has been destroyed it is possible to go home again. But it shouldn’t be the same. You can’t go back to the way things were because you’ve changed.
Some people, however, refuse to change. Although physically they have grown, emotionally they remain a child. And instead of letting go, they hold on to childish things and refuse to grow up. They embrace who they were instead of who they can be.
And I think that’s what happens with the old nature, we hold on when we need to let go.
Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection has given believers a new nature. But instead of embracing the new, too often, we continue to drag around the old, forgetting that it is dead and should be dropped.
Jesus doesn’t want us enslaved to our old ways of acting or thinking, Satan does. Jesus wants us to get up and walk with a new life fixing our eyes joyfully on Him, the author and perfecter of our faith
Love,
Jill
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Dry Lips
Joshua 1:9 (ESV)
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Good morning Zebras,
Today’s z-mail is not for the squeamish, nor do I recommend you try this at home.
Tuesday I went for a walk. I hadn’t gotten too far when I realized I had dry lips and I wished I had brought my ChapStick. Five steps later there was one lying on the sidewalk.
“That’s strange,” I thought, “I want a ChapStick and one shows up.”
Now everyone knows you don’t pick things up off the street, so I just walked right on past. But then I started thinking. “Maybe God put that ChapStick there for me to use. Maybe it is a new ChapStick. Need to go back and look.” So I did.
The ChapStick wasn’t new, but it hadn’t been used very much and it looked nice and clean so I decided to cut the top off and use my finger to put some on my lips.
Immediately my lips felt better, but my brain didn’t. “What did you just do?” it screamed, “You picked up a ChapStick off the GROUND and used it! You have no idea who used that ChapStick; you could get sick and die.”
“But it was from God,” I protested, “He can easily protect me from germs.”
“You are turning into a wacko,” my brain replied.
Needless to say it was a very long walk.
I was almost home when I decided I couldn’t take it anymore, so I called my husband to ask him if I was going to die. When he didn’t answer I wiped the ChapStick off.
As soon as I did he called back and told me it was fine. Germs can’t get through paraffin and as long as I had removed the top layers I was good. But by that time I had dry lips again because I had wiped it off out of fear,
So here are my lessons: God hears you and will provide what you need. It may not be exactly what you expect, God’s answers seldom are. But have faith and keep your eyes open for the answer. And, once you have committed yourself to a course of action do not change your mind out of fear. It will only rob you of the blessing.
Love,
Jill
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Good morning Zebras,
Today’s z-mail is not for the squeamish, nor do I recommend you try this at home.
Tuesday I went for a walk. I hadn’t gotten too far when I realized I had dry lips and I wished I had brought my ChapStick. Five steps later there was one lying on the sidewalk.
“That’s strange,” I thought, “I want a ChapStick and one shows up.”
Now everyone knows you don’t pick things up off the street, so I just walked right on past. But then I started thinking. “Maybe God put that ChapStick there for me to use. Maybe it is a new ChapStick. Need to go back and look.” So I did.
The ChapStick wasn’t new, but it hadn’t been used very much and it looked nice and clean so I decided to cut the top off and use my finger to put some on my lips.
Immediately my lips felt better, but my brain didn’t. “What did you just do?” it screamed, “You picked up a ChapStick off the GROUND and used it! You have no idea who used that ChapStick; you could get sick and die.”
“But it was from God,” I protested, “He can easily protect me from germs.”
“You are turning into a wacko,” my brain replied.
Needless to say it was a very long walk.
I was almost home when I decided I couldn’t take it anymore, so I called my husband to ask him if I was going to die. When he didn’t answer I wiped the ChapStick off.
As soon as I did he called back and told me it was fine. Germs can’t get through paraffin and as long as I had removed the top layers I was good. But by that time I had dry lips again because I had wiped it off out of fear,
So here are my lessons: God hears you and will provide what you need. It may not be exactly what you expect, God’s answers seldom are. But have faith and keep your eyes open for the answer. And, once you have committed yourself to a course of action do not change your mind out of fear. It will only rob you of the blessing.
Love,
Jill
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Change of Perspective
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Good morning Zebras,
I wasn’t sure what verse to pick for today’s z-mail.
The principle that God always knows what is best for us and desires to give it to us is such a Biblical truth. But since my hip surgery and the retreat I have been thinking about that concept even more.
Four months ago if you had asked me why I was having surgery I would have told you that I was doing it in obedience to God. I felt like God was asking me to do it because I believed He had work for me to do, that I couldn’t do as a “one-legged Zebra.”
Everyone around me knew I was still questioning if I had heard God correctly, right up to the day of the surgery. After the doctor had prescribed pain meds, I was pretty sure I could limp through life on Vicodin and Motrin. I kept wondering if I’d misheard God.
But God and my friends kept reassuring me I had heard Him correctly so I went through with it. When I came out of surgery, my first thought was “I did this for you, God.” And I thought I had. Now I realize I didn’t do anything for God, he did something for me.
He knew how much pain I was in, even though I didn’t, and He knew the surgery would fix it. He knew that I needed to obey Him in this area so that He could give me relief.
And then He did the same thing with retreat.
Getting ready for the retreat was difficult. God had me work through some old memories and re-live feelings I would have preferred to ignore. He knew that if I would obey Him in this area and persevere He could heal me. And He did.
Now I’m wondering if there is really anything I “do for God.” I think everything He asks me to do for Him is just because He wants to do something even greater for me.
God knows what’s best for us. He wants us to have the full and abundant life He promised and the freedom in Christ we desire. But He knows there are some things we have to give up to get there. That’s where trust and obedience comes in.
If God is asking you to do something you would rather not do, trust Him and obey, He is doing it “for your own good."
Love,
Jill
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Good morning Zebras,
I wasn’t sure what verse to pick for today’s z-mail.
The principle that God always knows what is best for us and desires to give it to us is such a Biblical truth. But since my hip surgery and the retreat I have been thinking about that concept even more.
Four months ago if you had asked me why I was having surgery I would have told you that I was doing it in obedience to God. I felt like God was asking me to do it because I believed He had work for me to do, that I couldn’t do as a “one-legged Zebra.”
Everyone around me knew I was still questioning if I had heard God correctly, right up to the day of the surgery. After the doctor had prescribed pain meds, I was pretty sure I could limp through life on Vicodin and Motrin. I kept wondering if I’d misheard God.
But God and my friends kept reassuring me I had heard Him correctly so I went through with it. When I came out of surgery, my first thought was “I did this for you, God.” And I thought I had. Now I realize I didn’t do anything for God, he did something for me.
He knew how much pain I was in, even though I didn’t, and He knew the surgery would fix it. He knew that I needed to obey Him in this area so that He could give me relief.
And then He did the same thing with retreat.
Getting ready for the retreat was difficult. God had me work through some old memories and re-live feelings I would have preferred to ignore. He knew that if I would obey Him in this area and persevere He could heal me. And He did.
Now I’m wondering if there is really anything I “do for God.” I think everything He asks me to do for Him is just because He wants to do something even greater for me.
God knows what’s best for us. He wants us to have the full and abundant life He promised and the freedom in Christ we desire. But He knows there are some things we have to give up to get there. That’s where trust and obedience comes in.
If God is asking you to do something you would rather not do, trust Him and obey, He is doing it “for your own good."
Love,
Jill
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