David Lee

Today’s Reading:

“Do not tremble; do not be afraid.

Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?

You are my witnesses, is there any other God besides Me?

No, there is no other Rock; I have not one.”

Isaiah 44:8

In the reading I chose for today, it speaks of God’s everlasting promise to protect us in all circumstances we might face.  It’s easy to look at our surrounding situations in life and become filled with terror and bewilderment.  I have found this to be true especially during times of transition in our lives.  The old and familiar gives way to the new and unfamiliar and it can take our minds and bodies a period of time to adjust.  And with those adjustments, as we face the “great unknowns,” that fear can begin to settle in once again.

I remember early in my recovery journey, I would wake up first thing in the morning and be filled with terror and bewilderment.  I didn’t know the exacts reasons, but at first thought it might be emotions left over from dreams that I had during the night.  But as the feelings of uneasiness increased, I began to question God and ask Him why these feelings persisted.  Especially given the fact that they were the very first thoughts that I had upon waking and I truly therefore had no pre-thoughts that would have invoked them.

We must always remember that God is by our side and even when our human minds cannot feel His presence, He is there nonetheless.  I began to do more intense morning devotions when my waking thoughts of anxiousness and unease increased and although it wasn’t easy, that thought process soon replaced the terror and bewilderment.

I realize  that our brains in wondrous creations of God’s handiwork, but sometimes our previous life experiences and thought processes can cloud our comprehension of His presence.  I must remember the disciples in the boat that were experiencing what they considered to be a life-threating storm as Jesus slept in the boat.  The tossing and turning of our lives will eventually cease as we learn to put our faith and trust in the one that can quiet the storm and make still the waves.

May peace be with us all this day,

David Lee

“Vow to have fewer conflicts in your life.  You came from no conflict, so you can return there and know heave on earth by refusing to let you inner world be conflicted by anyone at anytime.”  – Jim Dyer

This quote appeared on a daily calendar I use here at my computer desk.  It’s quite ironic and some would say not just coincidence that my personal life is experiencing some conflict of its own over the past week or so.  And while most all of the conflict comes from a source I rarely have contact with, it still can be a bit thought-provoking if someone has less-than-admirable thoughts about you.  This other person’s feelings also have an effect on those I care very deeply for, which in and of itself can cause conflict for me.

I have to remember that the only person I have any control over is myself.  And many times the thoughts and emotions I experience are beyond my locus of control as well.  I have to know that I can turn to God and He will guide my thoughts, words, and deeds to those He would have me to do in His name.  I know that nothing, absolutely nothing in His world happens by mistake and the only thing I can effectively change is me and my attitudes.

A simple lesson to learn, but not one that I’ve found is easy to put into practice… It’s a story of patient progress, not perfection.

David Lee

Psalm 55:22			Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
Phl 4:6-7	Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 1Pe 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Today’s Scripture Focus – Jeremiah 29:11 – “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.”

There are many promises God makes in the Old Testament scriptures that are fulfilled in the New Testament.  We also find that promises made to people in Biblical times apply to us today as well.  In this, the last chapter in Jeremiah, God gives those in captivity a light of hope for the future.

We also can find hope in these words that God gave to Jeremiah.  Many of us find ourselves in desperate straits from time-to-time, perhaps it seems most of the time.  But by keeping our focus on God and not our circumstances, we too can have hope for the future.  Our lives aren’t random patterns of unconnected activities.  Each part of our lives is designed with God’s purposes’s in mind.   If we will allow ourselves to search God’s Word and apply its principles, each part of our existence will work together for good, regardless of what our perceptions are of those situations we find ourselves in during our walk on Earth.

A good friend found himself in the throws of an addiction to cigarette smoking.  He had started as a teen and continued the habit for thirty-some years.  The desire for nicotine and the convenience of a “good smoke” had taken over his desire to live a healthy lifestyle.

It wasn’t until he admitted his powerlessness over the drug that he was able to make his headway in breaking the habit.  After several false starts in an attempt to quit smoking, he was finally able to put them down for good.  God had done for him what he couldn’t do for himself.  Constant prayers and reading in God’s Word as well as counseling from someone that had had a similar addiction had led him out of the woods.  He can now offer this hope to others caught in addictive behavior patterns, having been there himself.

The key to this scripture for me is the emphasis that God has great plans for each of us,,, if we are willing to follow the lead.  He is the grand architect and has drawn up a blueprint that will lead us to fulfillment of our earthly goals, as well as the ultimate reward of having a heavenly home.  No, it doesn’t always seem to fit the circumstances we find ourselves in, but if we stay the course, God will guide us into completion of His intended purpose for our lives.

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We’re supposed to have beautiful weather this weekend, but this song struck my mind on early Saturday morning and I decided to share:

Big Wave Dave’s “Spin of the Day”  for Wednesday, February 17, 2010

The first day of the Lenten season has ended and yet another day has begun.  In reflecting on what I’ve read and contemplated on today, one series of verses in particular seems to strike home:

2Cr 4:6

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

2Cr 4:16	Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

2Cr 4:17

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

2Cr 4:18

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

I am reminded in these readings I was led to today that many times we are living in darkness, yet don’t fully understand its depth.  Only studying in God’s Word and meditating on it can we begin to shed light on those darkened areas of our lives.

There are going to be days where we find ourselves burdened with the care and concerns of this world.  There will be those times when we feel like giving up and throwing in the towel.  There are times when what we see before us offers few promises of getting any better.

But our God is the great “I am.”  He is by our side even during the darkest of hours to lead us to where He would have us to be in His name.

Our transformation is something that takes time,,, something that doesn’t come easily and may involve much pain… But the end result of what God is working within us is that we fill in those darkened areas of our lives with God’s love and light.  He knows where we go and what we do and understands that we are human and therefore imperfect.

That’s a part of what the Lenten season is all about for me… Finding those areas of my life that I need to work on and attempting to apply what I read each day to illuminate my thoughts to what God would have them to be.  I have a long way to go and I realized that today as I moved along the hours of the day.

Patient progress, not perfection as they say.

Until tomorrow, may we all rest in the peace of God, which passes all human understanding…
David Lee

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As a Christian, I am often given an opportunity to learn more about myself through various seasons of the church year.  I know the Sundays of Advent before Christmas have always been a special time in anticipation of the celebration of the Christ Child.  Such is also the case as we approach the Lenten season in reflection of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.  The Lenten season officially begins on February 17th with Ash Wednesday and ends on March 31st.  Easter Sunday is on April 4th.

As a tradition in many Christians’ lives, we agree to give up something that’s important to us during the season of Lent.  A website that I’ll be using during the season says it best:   Lent offers us all a very special opportunity to grow in our relationship with God and to deepen our commitment to a way of life, rooted in our baptism.  In our busy world, Lent provides us with an opportunity to reflect upon our patterns, to pray more deeply, experience sorrow for what we’ve done and failed to do, and to be generous to those in need. http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/

It is in the spirit of this opportunity that I will give up any use of the Facebook website for the entirety of the Lenten season and Holy Week as well.  I will return to the site on Easter Sunday.   Many might would say, “Is that really that much of a sacrifice?”  I would have to say, just speaking for myself, that it definitely is something that I will very much miss being without.  I have used FB as a way to catch up with former classmates and students and get to know new people as well.  I love sharing pictures that I’ve taken and most of all like posting my “Spin of the Day” sharing music that is close to my heart.  As a single guy, living on his own, let me assure you that participation in the social network is a valued part of my life.

I will be posting blogs on this site from time-to-time and you can certainly feel free to leave comments on this page.  I will look forward to meeting up with you all again on the other side and hopefully have some wisdom to share with you as well.

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