The Transformation We All Long For

Paul has a vision of new creation: Christians full of God's will not fighting it at every stage, wise not worldly.  They can be worthy of their Lord, make their Father happy, do His good work and know more about Him all the time.  They can be strong with His strength, patient and faithful.  Christians who rejoice!

 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:9-14).

I want that! Not an apostle pouring himself into prayer on my behalf-although that would be nice-but to be transformed!  Don't you?

 Yet instead we find ourself in a dry and dusty place.  A place without joy, or growth, or excitement.  

We don't just visit this spiritual desert; some of us built a little shack there (or even a church) and made it our home.  We might even have forgotten that there is anything beyond the Christian to-do list.

Prayed.  Check.

Went to church.  Check.

Read my Bible.  Check.  

Does that sound like what Paul was praying for?  Is that the Christian life he had in mind?

What will it take to transform us?  One by one, family by family, Bible class by Bible class, congregation by congregation into the wise and worthy workers we want to be?

I think I know!  Check out the video below for some thoughts!

Want to see more?  Watch the second video: Reading Your Bible Better. And the third: A Cold and Graceless Way. 

Helene

PS. Are you looking for that book we were talking about? You can buy it now and when you give the book as a gift I have a free gift for you! Check it out! 

Find me linking up at Friday Frivolity, Create with Joy, Mommy Moments, Sunday Thoughts, Create with Joy, Inspiration Monday,  Darling Down Diaries, 

Twitchy and Giggles or Why I I Have a Communion Problem

Standing at the front, a solemn brother reminds the congregation that the bread he holds in his hands is the body of Jesus Christ.  Sitting in the pew, I raise an eyebrow as the kid I JUST told to put her feet down sneaks them back up.

He entones, “Let us pray.”  With half an eye open, I keep watch on Twitchy and Giggles ready to thump them if they get too loud.

Planning for the Future

December is a month of planning at my house.  I'm a college teacher planning next term's lessons.  I'm a home-schooler picking textbooks, printing off calendars and preparing projects.  We'll be moving summer of 2014 and I am looking with a critical eye at things that need to be sold, thrown away or boxed up.  More than any of that though, I'm planning with my two daughters in mind. 

This year I read two books, Sacred Parenting and Parenting by the Book.  Though they were on a very different topics (the first on spiritual disciplines for parents and the second on parenting like Grandma) they asked a painful question.  What do you want for your kids not next year or the year after but at 30?

Think about that a minute.