"I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secrets of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need." -Phillipians 4:11-12
This summer, I have been learning a lot. Simplicity is one of those aspects. Life can be packed with too much. I believe that we are called to literally shed the skin of our own habits in order to reveal the beauty that lies beneath. It is this beauty that God sees in us; not the false makeup that we plaster on ourselves. Author David Benner reminds me that "I am not my accomplishments. . . My worth lies in who I am, not what I can do or how I am seen by others." Sometimes, I think that we want to be "perceived" by people as being "this" or "that" when we are really placing masks on overselves in order to cover up what God created us to be. Benner refers back to Genesis:
"Ultimately, attachments are ways of coping with the feelings of vulnerability, shame and inadequacy that lie at the core of our false ways of being. Like Adam and Eve, our first response to our awareness of nakedness is to grab whatever is closest and quickly cover our nakedness. We hide behind the fig leaves of our false self. This is the way we package ourself to escape the painful awareness of our nakedness.
The problem with the false self is that it works. It helps us forget that we are naked. Before long, we are no longer aware of the underlying vulnerability and become comfortable once again. But God wants something better than fig leaves for us. God wants us to be aware of our helplessness so we can know that we need Divine help. God's deepest desire for us is to replace our fig leaves with garments of durability and beauty. Yet, we cling to our fig leaf false self. We believe that we know how to take care of our needs better than God."
God loves us for who we are. He sees beauty in us, the kind that is not enhanced by human hands but created by the inspiration of God. He sees beauty in you. He loves you.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Love
"Nothing is more practical than finding God, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you will do with your evening, how you spend your weekends, what you read, whom you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything." -Pedro Arrupe
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Seeds into Songs
David has a beautiful way of expressing himself through the Psalms. For a good part of the summer, I've been spending more time in his book. Even after reading a passage or a verse several times, there is always that one point where you re-read it over again; and it all finally makes sense.
"As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore." -Psalm 125:2
A friend once shared with me that God is our "fortress." The impact of this word had never really hit me until now. He surrounds us and protects us. He does both. He is the chief cornerstone that Paul writes about in Ephesians 2:19-20:
"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone."
-->Where have I allowed God to surround me, to be my fortress?
-->Where have I resisted this change? Why?
-->What things have been surrounding me and given me a false sense of protection? Why have I allowed these things to take control?
And, God makes a promise. He promises abundance in this protection, in this "fortress."
"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seeds to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him." -Psalm 126:5 + 6
So, David is saying that Jesus will cause everyone around the world to sing and have enough? My brothers and sisters around the world - even those who are suffering from injustice, will experience joy? Even the abused mother in Africa? Even the family next door who is losing their home to foreclosure? Yes. Our seeds that we sow will become songs. There is a transformation that happens. Our notes become composed into a beautiful piece of music. But, we could be "weeping" and "sowing" for all the wrong things or for all the wrong reasons. Behind every action is a motive. So, it is helpful to ask:
-->Am I weeping?
-->What am I weeping for?
-->Are the things that I weep for the same things that Jesus weeps for? If not, why?
-->What am I spending my time "sowing"? (For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:21)
-->Am I prepared for the "sheaves", the abundance that David talks about?
-->What kind of soil am I placing my seeds into? (Matthew 13:1-23)
Jesus promises us that he will meet our physical needs (ie: hunger, thirst); that we will emerge holding more than enough. We will have plenty. Just like a child going to bed with his belly full.
Yet, this change doesn't always happen at once. God calls us to wait, to be still and quiet.
"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption." -Psalm 130:5-7
-->What does it look like for my soul to wait "more than watchmen wait for the morning"?
-->What does "full redemption" mean for my life and for our world, today?
"But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me." -Psalm 131:2
(For a little background knowledge, to be "weaned" is when a child no longer relies on his mother's milk.)
-->Where am I being called to be like a "weaned child"?
-->How does this new perspective influence the way that I see life?
-->How has my current prespective taken precedence over a childlike one? (Luke 18:15-17)
[copyright alex puleo june 23, 2011]
"As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore." -Psalm 125:2
A friend once shared with me that God is our "fortress." The impact of this word had never really hit me until now. He surrounds us and protects us. He does both. He is the chief cornerstone that Paul writes about in Ephesians 2:19-20:
"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone."
-->Where have I allowed God to surround me, to be my fortress?
-->Where have I resisted this change? Why?
-->What things have been surrounding me and given me a false sense of protection? Why have I allowed these things to take control?
And, God makes a promise. He promises abundance in this protection, in this "fortress."
"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seeds to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him." -Psalm 126:5 + 6
So, David is saying that Jesus will cause everyone around the world to sing and have enough? My brothers and sisters around the world - even those who are suffering from injustice, will experience joy? Even the abused mother in Africa? Even the family next door who is losing their home to foreclosure? Yes. Our seeds that we sow will become songs. There is a transformation that happens. Our notes become composed into a beautiful piece of music. But, we could be "weeping" and "sowing" for all the wrong things or for all the wrong reasons. Behind every action is a motive. So, it is helpful to ask:
-->Am I weeping?
-->What am I weeping for?
-->Are the things that I weep for the same things that Jesus weeps for? If not, why?
-->What am I spending my time "sowing"? (For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:21)
-->Am I prepared for the "sheaves", the abundance that David talks about?
-->What kind of soil am I placing my seeds into? (Matthew 13:1-23)
Jesus promises us that he will meet our physical needs (ie: hunger, thirst); that we will emerge holding more than enough. We will have plenty. Just like a child going to bed with his belly full.
Yet, this change doesn't always happen at once. God calls us to wait, to be still and quiet.
"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption." -Psalm 130:5-7
-->What does it look like for my soul to wait "more than watchmen wait for the morning"?
-->What does "full redemption" mean for my life and for our world, today?
"But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me." -Psalm 131:2
(For a little background knowledge, to be "weaned" is when a child no longer relies on his mother's milk.)
-->Where am I being called to be like a "weaned child"?
-->How does this new perspective influence the way that I see life?
-->How has my current prespective taken precedence over a childlike one? (Luke 18:15-17)
[copyright alex puleo june 23, 2011]
Friday, June 17, 2011
To Be Known
As a busy week comes to a close, it is comforting to know that I am loved. As I was writing in my journal today, I was reminded of the following two verses:
-"for you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."
-"you know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar."
I then began to look up where these verses in the Bible were from and found them in Psalm 139. It was humbling to know that His spirit was speaking to me. And, after I read the psalm and reread it again and sat in it for a while, I thought: this is so beautiful. To have someone, the God of the universe know me so intimately and personally is such a gratifying thing. To be known inside and out by someone, even before you were born is absolutely amazing to me. And, to know that God wants to know you and still knows you in that way is mesmerizing. I believe that he longs to have a deep personal relationship with all of us. Sometimes, just giving up our "anxious thoughts" is the hardest thing. Surrender is difficult when all we want to do is hold on. But, Jesus calls us to release that balloon of uncertainity, fear, control (or whatever it may be for you) all over to him. He wants every part of us, not just the parts that we feel are "acceptable". He wants the parts of us that we deem "unacceptable" because it's in that brokenness that real healing happens.
There is a song with lyrics that go something like:
"To you I give my life, not just the parts I want to.
Your thoughts are higher than mine.
Your words are deeper than mine.
Your love is stronger than mine.
This is no sacrifice, here's my life."
Psalm 139 spoke to me today and I just wanted to share it with you. May you allow it to change your life as it did mine.
Psalm 139
1 O Lord, You have searched me, LORD, and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.
19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
-"for you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."
-"you know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar."
I then began to look up where these verses in the Bible were from and found them in Psalm 139. It was humbling to know that His spirit was speaking to me. And, after I read the psalm and reread it again and sat in it for a while, I thought: this is so beautiful. To have someone, the God of the universe know me so intimately and personally is such a gratifying thing. To be known inside and out by someone, even before you were born is absolutely amazing to me. And, to know that God wants to know you and still knows you in that way is mesmerizing. I believe that he longs to have a deep personal relationship with all of us. Sometimes, just giving up our "anxious thoughts" is the hardest thing. Surrender is difficult when all we want to do is hold on. But, Jesus calls us to release that balloon of uncertainity, fear, control (or whatever it may be for you) all over to him. He wants every part of us, not just the parts that we feel are "acceptable". He wants the parts of us that we deem "unacceptable" because it's in that brokenness that real healing happens.
There is a song with lyrics that go something like:
"To you I give my life, not just the parts I want to.
Your thoughts are higher than mine.
Your words are deeper than mine.
Your love is stronger than mine.
This is no sacrifice, here's my life."
Psalm 139 spoke to me today and I just wanted to share it with you. May you allow it to change your life as it did mine.
/////
Psalm 139
1 O Lord, You have searched me, LORD, and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.
19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Monday, June 6, 2011
I am a Mustard Seed, a Widow, and a Branch
I was sitting in a coffee shop eating my lunch today. But, for some reason, I couldn't get my spirit to calm down. My mind was going a mile a minute; it felt like I was running a marathon. After about 30 minutes, I understood that I wasn't allowing the Holy Spirit to move through me. I did not have enough strength on my own to quiet down. My help had to come from God. As soon as I understood that and began accepting it, my mind began to embrace the quiet. The things that I was anxious about disappeared and God began to have full control over that moment. It was a time where I learned about submission; in surrendering your time, your heart, your mind, your soul- everything that makes you who you are - over to God. . . your identity. And, as I came to terms with this beautiful reality, I saw the collision between my brokenness and Jesus's healing power and restoration over it all.
And so, I gave my time over to Jesus. And, the following passages spoke to me. Later as I came home, I tried to understand the "why" of how can I fit this into my life? But then, his voice quickly responded to me with: "don't try to understand the "why" all of the time. Just let me speak to you."
So, I encourage you to try and do the same. Go find a quiet spot and let these verses speak into your life. Read over them slowly, meditate on them, take pauses, insert yourself into the passages, and let them grow on you.
Reflection questions that helped me are at the bottom of this post for you to reflect on yourself.
Ecclesiastes 11:9-10
"Be happy young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart, and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things, God will bring you to judgment. So then, banish anxiety from your heart, and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless."
Zephaniah 3:17
"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
Matthew 13:31-32
He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."
Matthew 9:37-38
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
Luke 21: 1-4
"As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. I tell you the truth, he said, this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
John 15: 1-17
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off ever branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself: it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. This is my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his masters business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other."
Matthew 18:8-9
"If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell."
John 15:7
"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you."
Deuteronomy 3:22
"Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you."
Psalm 46: 10
"Be still and know that I am God."
And so, I gave my time over to Jesus. And, the following passages spoke to me. Later as I came home, I tried to understand the "why" of how can I fit this into my life? But then, his voice quickly responded to me with: "don't try to understand the "why" all of the time. Just let me speak to you."
So, I encourage you to try and do the same. Go find a quiet spot and let these verses speak into your life. Read over them slowly, meditate on them, take pauses, insert yourself into the passages, and let them grow on you.
Reflection questions that helped me are at the bottom of this post for you to reflect on yourself.
////////////
Ecclesiastes 11:9-10
"Be happy young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart, and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things, God will bring you to judgment. So then, banish anxiety from your heart, and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless."
Zephaniah 3:17
"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
Matthew 13:31-32
He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."
Matthew 9:37-38
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
Luke 21: 1-4
"As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. I tell you the truth, he said, this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
John 15: 1-17
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off ever branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself: it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. This is my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his masters business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other."
Matthew 18:8-9
"If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell."
John 15:7
"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you."
Deuteronomy 3:22
"Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you."
Psalm 46: 10
"Be still and know that I am God."
////////////
*What is my offering that I am putting into the treasury?
*Where are the places in my life that I need to put in all that I have to live on?
*Who are the widows in my life? How can I reach out to them?
*Where do I need to be joyful in God?
*Go to a playground. Watch some kids. How is "youth" important in his plan for my life?
*What places in my life need to be pruned?
*Where am I open to the pruning? Where am I resistant? What is holding me back from experiencing all that the gardener has to offer me?
*Identify the places of sin and brokenness in your life. Sit in that reality for a bit. Based on the verses above, why do you think it is important to give these specific things up to God?
*How do I feel about being a mustard seed?
*Where has God called me to be a mustard seed in my world, life, and community?
*God says that "he will fight for me." Does this bring me comfort or confusion? Why?
*What would it take for me to understand this truth and apply it to my life today?
(copyright june 6, 2011 by alex puleo)
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Just Be & Listen
Wow. God has showed me so much.
Today, I spent four hours outside. The weather was absolutely beautiful, about 75 degrees; warm, with a slight breeze. This time with God was just what I needed. I began to see things that I overlook on a regular basis and quite frankly, just take for granted sometimes.
-the birds outside nesting in the trees,
-the carefree movement of the clouds,
-the carressing of the wind as it moves the blond pieces of hair away from my face,
-the simplicity of life,
-how nature moves to its own rhythm, quite different from that of humanity.
And, as I was sitting in my wooden chair reflecting on my day, I realized that I need more of this "alone time" with God. My friend calls it "honeymooning with Jesus." Hour after hour spent with Him greatly stirred that passion inside my heart. My eyes are starting to look like his, my heart is starting to beat like his, my hands and feet are becoming calloused like his, and my words are starting to be His.
This "one-ness" was recently expressed through a friend's wedding. Through pictures and personal interaction with the happy couple, I could see that their entire marriage is based on a foundation - the love of God. They long to bring Jesus to a broken city and want to do that together.
Spending time with Jesus today rightly aligned me with his plan for my life. Not the "big one" that so many talk of after college, or the one in the future that only happens when you enter the "real world" but, rather, his plan for my life today - right now. It was to spend time with him, to get to know him better (like any relationship needs), to refocus my life on the things that truly matter the most, and to be humble in coming to terms of where I fit into his plan.
As you can probably imagine, God and I had a long talk. Only this time, I was the one doing the listening and his Holy Spirit was the one doing the talking. And I realized that the places where I thought I had full control of my life and knew the desired outcome, were simply not true. Scripture verse after scripture verse, I was reminded of God's majesty and power in all situations - even those that seem less than favorable.
The following verses that are in bold font really stuck out to me:
Ecclesiastes 8:1-17:
1 Who is like the wise? Who knows the explanation of things?
A person’s wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance.
2 Obey the king’s command, I say, because you took an oath before God. 3 Do not be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence. Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. 4 Since a king’s word is supreme, who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
5 Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
6 For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a person may be weighed down by misery. 7 Since no one knows the future, who can tell someone else what is to come?
8 As no one has power over the wind to contain it, so no one has power over the time of their death.
As no one is discharged in time of war, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.
9 All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own hurt. 10 Then too, I saw the wicked buried—those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.
11 When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. 12 Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. 13 Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.
14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless. 15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.
16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the labor that is done on earth—people getting no sleep day or night— 17 then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.
Today, I spent four hours outside. The weather was absolutely beautiful, about 75 degrees; warm, with a slight breeze. This time with God was just what I needed. I began to see things that I overlook on a regular basis and quite frankly, just take for granted sometimes.
-the birds outside nesting in the trees,
-the carefree movement of the clouds,
-the carressing of the wind as it moves the blond pieces of hair away from my face,
-the simplicity of life,
-how nature moves to its own rhythm, quite different from that of humanity.
And, as I was sitting in my wooden chair reflecting on my day, I realized that I need more of this "alone time" with God. My friend calls it "honeymooning with Jesus." Hour after hour spent with Him greatly stirred that passion inside my heart. My eyes are starting to look like his, my heart is starting to beat like his, my hands and feet are becoming calloused like his, and my words are starting to be His.
This "one-ness" was recently expressed through a friend's wedding. Through pictures and personal interaction with the happy couple, I could see that their entire marriage is based on a foundation - the love of God. They long to bring Jesus to a broken city and want to do that together.
Spending time with Jesus today rightly aligned me with his plan for my life. Not the "big one" that so many talk of after college, or the one in the future that only happens when you enter the "real world" but, rather, his plan for my life today - right now. It was to spend time with him, to get to know him better (like any relationship needs), to refocus my life on the things that truly matter the most, and to be humble in coming to terms of where I fit into his plan.
As you can probably imagine, God and I had a long talk. Only this time, I was the one doing the listening and his Holy Spirit was the one doing the talking. And I realized that the places where I thought I had full control of my life and knew the desired outcome, were simply not true. Scripture verse after scripture verse, I was reminded of God's majesty and power in all situations - even those that seem less than favorable.
The following verses that are in bold font really stuck out to me:
Ecclesiastes 8:1-17:
1 Who is like the wise? Who knows the explanation of things?
A person’s wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance.
2 Obey the king’s command, I say, because you took an oath before God. 3 Do not be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence. Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. 4 Since a king’s word is supreme, who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
5 Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
6 For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a person may be weighed down by misery. 7 Since no one knows the future, who can tell someone else what is to come?
8 As no one has power over the wind to contain it, so no one has power over the time of their death.
As no one is discharged in time of war, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.
9 All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own hurt. 10 Then too, I saw the wicked buried—those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.
11 When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. 12 Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. 13 Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.
14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless. 15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.
16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the labor that is done on earth—people getting no sleep day or night— 17 then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.
////////////
I've learned to just be who I am when I am with Jesus. Our relationship forces me to take off the masks that I wear. I've learned to look at Jesus in order to see a true reflection of my real self. My eyes are finally off of me and my circumstances and I have fully embraced the lenses that he has given me.
A quote by Thomas Benner from the book, The Gift of Being Yourself:
"God is not alien to the circumstances of our lives but comes to us in them. Our challenges is to unmask the Divine in the natural and name the presence of God in our lives."
(copyright june 4, 2011 by alex puleo)
Friday, June 3, 2011
My New Lenses
I have been learning how to follow God with a new set of lenses. My perspective on things has changed quite literally. In fact, it is no longer my perspective but God's. A friend shared with me that adjusting to these new lenses takes time. I'm looking at things that I've seen before with a different set of eyes; with the eyes of Jesus.
I feel compassion for the brother that is uncompassionate;
I feel love for the person that has never experienced love;
I feel happiness for the person whose joy has been dead for far too long.;
I feel sadness for the person who can't seem to get along with her family but is desperately trying.
Today I was in the Starbucks Cafe in Barnes and Noble and overheard a woman talking about going away to a different country. Going up to the counter to purchase something, I asked her where she was headed to. She answered: "Haiti." This was the bonding moment. The point in the conversation where we shared a felt need. I told her how one of my friends is going to Haiti this month through her church and how two of my friends are currently serving in the Dominican Republic through a missions trip for 21 days.
I've been understanding that if we are focused on things other than what God has intended for us; when we are preoccupied with living vicariously through someone else's experiences; then we miss what God wants to do in our lives at that very moment - in that very day. Our perspective shifts. In an essence, we begin to take our cloudy glasses out from their dusty case and put them on our face one more time. We are reluctant to see the world from God's perspective because it forces us to confront issues in our lives that those glasses have mulled over.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" -2 Corinthians 5:17.
However, when we embrace these new lenses (provided at no cost to us), we begin to see life quite differently. Our thoughts change and our hearts begin to soften for the things of God become what we want for our lives. We cannot merely do this on our own. When we accept this free gift of sight to us, we accept the simple yet powerful truth that God has left an imprint on our lives. He is now a part of us.
So, why do some people not accept these new lenses? I can't speak for everyone, but I think it may be for a variety of reasons. Some of which may be obvious or hidden. It might not be until they accept the invitation of those new lenses and put them on that they begin to confront the tension between what is and what could be.
"He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see." (Read all of John 9:1-41).
For me, I am still trying to adjust to my new lenses. It is not always easy trying to place yourself in another's shoes because it requires that you take yours off in order to walk in theirs. Sometimes, the shoe doesn't always fit. There are times when the brokenness of this world seems too hard to handle and then I am gently reminded of the one who gave me the lenses to see in the first place. We are a team and I could not possibly walk this journey alone.
Community is so important when you first put on those new lenses. Find some people who are learning how to follow Jesus and soon, you will have a group of friends committed to sharing, growing, accepting, and living out the Jesus-way: intentionally. However, we need to be aware of the people in our midst who wear the lenses but their life does not reflect the true way. They may say and do all of things that appear to be right, but in reality, are far from following Jesus. You can pray for them and allow your life to be a light to them. Jesus says that:
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." -Psalm 119:105
There is a chorus of a song that goes like this:
"I was blind, but now I see.
I was broken but you carried me.
I was lost, now I'm found.
I was guilty but you turned me around.
Come, love, and rescue me."
/////////
May His word be present in my life and in your life. May our paths intersect and our lives embrace the reality that Jesus longs to be with his people forever. May we continue to persist even when the weather is less than perfect and even when there are rainbows in the sky. May we praise him and give him adoration. May our lives reflect the work that he has done in us and continues to do everyday. May be be risk-takers and not bystanders. And in everything, may He get all of the honor, glory, and praise.
Amen (or let it be so).
Copyright June 3, 2011 by Alex Puleo
I feel compassion for the brother that is uncompassionate;
I feel love for the person that has never experienced love;
I feel happiness for the person whose joy has been dead for far too long.;
I feel sadness for the person who can't seem to get along with her family but is desperately trying.
Today I was in the Starbucks Cafe in Barnes and Noble and overheard a woman talking about going away to a different country. Going up to the counter to purchase something, I asked her where she was headed to. She answered: "Haiti." This was the bonding moment. The point in the conversation where we shared a felt need. I told her how one of my friends is going to Haiti this month through her church and how two of my friends are currently serving in the Dominican Republic through a missions trip for 21 days.
I've been understanding that if we are focused on things other than what God has intended for us; when we are preoccupied with living vicariously through someone else's experiences; then we miss what God wants to do in our lives at that very moment - in that very day. Our perspective shifts. In an essence, we begin to take our cloudy glasses out from their dusty case and put them on our face one more time. We are reluctant to see the world from God's perspective because it forces us to confront issues in our lives that those glasses have mulled over.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" -2 Corinthians 5:17.
However, when we embrace these new lenses (provided at no cost to us), we begin to see life quite differently. Our thoughts change and our hearts begin to soften for the things of God become what we want for our lives. We cannot merely do this on our own. When we accept this free gift of sight to us, we accept the simple yet powerful truth that God has left an imprint on our lives. He is now a part of us.
So, why do some people not accept these new lenses? I can't speak for everyone, but I think it may be for a variety of reasons. Some of which may be obvious or hidden. It might not be until they accept the invitation of those new lenses and put them on that they begin to confront the tension between what is and what could be.
"He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see." (Read all of John 9:1-41).
For me, I am still trying to adjust to my new lenses. It is not always easy trying to place yourself in another's shoes because it requires that you take yours off in order to walk in theirs. Sometimes, the shoe doesn't always fit. There are times when the brokenness of this world seems too hard to handle and then I am gently reminded of the one who gave me the lenses to see in the first place. We are a team and I could not possibly walk this journey alone.
Community is so important when you first put on those new lenses. Find some people who are learning how to follow Jesus and soon, you will have a group of friends committed to sharing, growing, accepting, and living out the Jesus-way: intentionally. However, we need to be aware of the people in our midst who wear the lenses but their life does not reflect the true way. They may say and do all of things that appear to be right, but in reality, are far from following Jesus. You can pray for them and allow your life to be a light to them. Jesus says that:
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." -Psalm 119:105
There is a chorus of a song that goes like this:
"I was blind, but now I see.
I was broken but you carried me.
I was lost, now I'm found.
I was guilty but you turned me around.
Come, love, and rescue me."
/////////
May His word be present in my life and in your life. May our paths intersect and our lives embrace the reality that Jesus longs to be with his people forever. May we continue to persist even when the weather is less than perfect and even when there are rainbows in the sky. May we praise him and give him adoration. May our lives reflect the work that he has done in us and continues to do everyday. May be be risk-takers and not bystanders. And in everything, may He get all of the honor, glory, and praise.
Amen (or let it be so).
Copyright June 3, 2011 by Alex Puleo
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