BUT FIRST...a little story to have you guys laugh at me, before we proceed to get serious. So I was rollerblading yesterday with my brother who just got his bike fixed, and we were going all over the streets, racing, exploring, and just having a good old time in the setting sun. Where upon mark and I decide to explore University of Toronto (at Scarborough campus-not too far from my house). We pretty much went EVERYWHERE....and while we were exploring, I was observing the flower planting job there (which is not done by me). I saw a lot of things wrong with the planting job, such as (why would they plant those flowers there? what the heck type of spacing is that ...it needs to be closer! oh man get a load of that fail, they didn't even water, ewww i hate that colour combination...) hahahah I am sure you get the point...i was being a prick!!! a royal full of it pain in the butt....but then the story continues....as my pride goes up.....i don't observe the stick heading right in line of my rollerblades....and as i am saying some snide remark to my brother I fall straight on the pavement on my face. Grass wouldn't have got the point across to me that I was being SO STUPID...no no no I HAD TO FALL ON THE PAVEMENT TO HUMBLE MYSELF.....hahhahahah oh man it was so humbling....right in front of ppl too. I look up to my brother and start laughing after saying OWWWWW of course, and then roll over on my back, look up to the sky...and say out loud THANK YOU GOD FOR HUMBLING ME....and the look at my brother and we both continue to laugh at my pain and my pride.
after that....i fell again on the ride home...but that's where i got really hurt....it had nothing to do with me being arrogant or anything...more just a clumsy mistake by a friend that put weight on me while i was rollerblading at a fast pace....caught me completely off guard.....and i landed hard on the road skidding for what seemed a few seconds. There I just YELLED out loud wierd noises to some how get out my built up energy and slowly proceeded to pull my "broken" body off the busy road that kept on moving and not even concerning itself with the current accident. If i felt like on top of the world before my rollerbladeing.....i really felt as small as an ant after my two falls of the day. But you know..it is an amazing lesson to learn...even if its a lesson that seems to cause a flesh wound.
Oh last thing before I talk more seriously....GUYS I WENT TO RYANS BAPTISM WITH 212!!!! it was amazing. I don't know if anyone recorded it....but seriously it was such a blessing from God for the whole church to hear ryan's amazing words.....I know he has a copy of what he read...and i am sure if you wanted to read it he would pass it on to you, but dang....it was so amazing to hear out of ryan's mouth, how he wanted to become baptised and how God was and is with him in his life! I wanna read all his kaleo papers now, because what he read was just so well done! GO RYAN I LOVE YAH BRO!
okay I know I have written a lot, but I can't seem to get this thought out of my mind....it is pressing...and it is current!
Kaleo, we need to DRAW OUT OUR SWORDS...kaleo WE NEED TO PRACTICE WITH OUR SWORDS....kaleo ....WE NEED TO CARRY OUR SWORDS. WE NEED TO LIVE BY THE SWORD!
by swords I mean the famous book don used in his very eventful sword drills.....LE BIBLE! (say it like this ...(be-blay))!!!
I am as guilty as any, for I have been living for 19 years and have never read the bible from cover to cover, and don't know a good 2/3rds of the stories and messages in there...but kaleo....take this opportunity...to join me in reading the bible THIS YEAR!!! start reading it! it doesn't have to be fast pace...you could read 1 chapter a day!! JUST ONE and you would be daily diving into the word of the lord...you would be practicing with your sword if you JUST read one a day!!! Guys, its so easy to get caught up in a busy schedule...trust me I AM WITH YOU!...i get 3 hours after work before I have to go back to sleep..and all the time I want to work out....but within my day I make it a priority to read my bible. And you know the crazy thing, once you get started, you get over one little bump of trying to organise the bible into your schedule, and then you cant stop thinking about it...you will have it mold into your day with out you realizing it....it wont be a struggle or burden....it will be the tool in your day to provide strength and even passionate wisdom. WE NEED TO DRAW OUT OUR SWORD!
This has been pressing on me, because of all the things I have experienced since moving to Toronto (which is almost two months!). I have had too many conversations to count with my foreman about God and the bible....and I can say it is all God getting me through these conversations, as I am still very very far behind with my biblical knowledge! On top of that I was able to pray for my brother and a Mormon guy Alex on our way home yesterday from work, as they got into a conversation about the differences and truths of each persons beliefs on the bus. I have never seen a conversation work so flowing, and there I got to witness a prepared knowledgeable Christian guy(mark), be used by God to share the TRUTH! This just encouraged me to BECOME MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE in God's TRUTH! God can use anyone to talk to his people, but WE HAVE TO PRACTICE AND PREPARE our swords and the soldier (us) before we can go into battle! More like, God has to help us prepare, however we must first start DOING THE WORK!
Take your SWORD wherever you can, I take it to work every day, even when I am too busy planting for the day, it takes great comfort just having it around....knowing that if my foreman said some blasphemous remark about what was in Deuteronomy 4:15 (which did happen by the way), I was right ready to pull out my bible and read to him what really was in Deuteronomy 4:15.
Lastly, probably the biggest struggle, is not just reading or talking to people about the TRUTHS in the sword, but BY LIVING THEM OUT IN YOUR DAILY LIFE. we all know this....but its a hard yet helpful reminder for those going or at camp, that life outside of a pretty tight christian community is dark, scary, tempting, and hard. Many a times I have already been tempted here, but how could I talk to my foreman about God and TRYING to live a godly life style if I was all mixed up in the same stuff that he was. If we practice with our sword, it is easier to know how to be set apart has his disciples....however knowing how and BEING is two different steps completely!
I guess I am telling you all this stuff you already know....but I just thought I would tell you what is on my heart. My foreman leaves for his yhat on Friday....so Thursday and Friday are going to be our last times to talk, and I really pray that with what little prep I have been reading since I moved to Toronto, that God can use it in our last talks. It is so great to have in my mind (I have to read my Bible TODAY) repeating all the time. It is amazing how it can become part of your busy life schedule, if you just learn to make it one of your priorities!
I love you guys, and really want you to join me reading the bible daily....its hard....its exciting....its educational....its time with God....and it needs to be done so we can fight the good fight! Please know that I am far behind in knowing all what the bible says, that this is not some word vomit to say I am holier than thou....(come on i only won like one sword drill with don....btw MALAYNE AND JAKE CHEATED!!!! HAHHAHHA)....however its just an encouraging note i hope to my brothers and sisters to start studying for the fight that will be pressed upon you if you like it or not.
Now I will close off with a bit of scripture (or should i say, sword fighting?!)....it just seems a bit fitting to end like this...
2 Timothy 3:14-17
"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
I love you all, and thanks for reading.....now...DRAW OUT YOUR SWORDS!!! GO!
-Fish-
2 comments:
Hey Deborah, glad to see you posting here. Got most of the way through before the green on white bored through my eyeballs. Was good to see you this weekend, glad to hear God's still working in your life in a very tangible way.
Deb, you are so amazing. Thank you! And thanks for not bumping your head again (WERE YOU WEARING A HELMET??). Sounds like you are not only a "hearer" of the Word, but it is being poured out through your life in obvious ways this summer. Praise God!
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