Fresh Faith

A recent article in Christianity Today asked a great question, "How do you keep your faith fresh?" From there 8 ideas were provided to help keep a fresh relationship with Christ on a daily basis. I particularly liked one of those ideas which encouraged a daily blog post.

I find that having a blog to write my thoughts about being a woman in the world is a refreshing thing. Knowing that others could find and read this post makes me feel accountable to be mindful of what I say here. Yet, I want to be able to speak honestly about how I feel. Sometimes Christians can seem very innocent in what they try to say, making it sounds as if they love everyone. But that's not always the case. A Christian is a human-being like any other person. There are times when Christ may not be dominant in the thought processes and words or behaviors can happen that are not as Christlike as they should be.

Blogging is a good way to keep ideas fresh and to make thoughts accountable. Read the rest of the article and I think you will come up with ways to keep your faith fresh too.

Galen's Birthday

Twenty-two years ago I was in a hospital in Northern California giving birth. The wonderful, traumatic experience resulted in a fabulous baby boy who has been a blessing in my life ever since. Guess I'm a gushing mom but I have to say God really let me be blessed with this son. Sure he's had his up's and down's. That's great - means he's normal. But overall, the ride has been relatively smooth.

These days I trust his judgement, I know his values and I don't worry when it comes to the final decisions he will make. Sure I think about his heart because he allows himself to be so vunerable to others. But I trust the Holy Spirit to be strong in him and to guide him to the right conclusions along the way.

Happy Birthday dear son, my Blessing from the Lord!
MOM

Prayer Requests

Yesterday my son had "issues". Everyone has issues these days. Instead of life getting easier it seems that it just piles up on you sometimes. The great thing is that when he has issues, he asks me to pray for him. But the even better thing is that praying for him relieves me of having to come up with an answer for him.

Have you ever spent long hours trying to figure out what you need to do or say to to answer someone's question with your wisdom? I spend a long time thinking up what to say to someone and how. When I remember to pray about it I remember that it's not my job to have all of the answers. That belongs to the Holy Spirit. He gets to speak the truths that make life changes.

So I guess when someone asks you for prayer it's really a good way to get you out of having to say too much. Just be quiet, pray and let the Lord do the speaking.

A Christian Education

A Christian college is a different place than others colleges. Something in the atmosphere lets you realize that. The people might look the same as others and the buildings could look alike. But give it time. Something in the atmosphere will let you know that there is a difference. Christian education is still alive and well in the U.S. although you don't hear a lot about it. If you're looking for a good place to explore, try a University in Central California. Fresno Pacific University is a unique place mostly because of its location. Fresno is in the heart of California and has a unqiue demographic make-up. Outside of New York City, it is probably the most diverse city in the U.S. This makes for a unique learning atmosphere. Combine that with a Christian outlook and you have the opportunity to learn more than just academics. You have the chance to learn about the heart of God and how He reaches out to people of all ages, economic backgrounds, races, social strata and belief systems. Check Fresno Pacific University out for more information. http://www.fresno.edu/

Are You Available for Prayer?

In the middle of your busy day, are you available to the Lord for whatever He might want you to do? Maybe it's time to pray for the world; time to pray for peace. We talk about peace but is there really enough prayer for peace? Why is the situation around the world growing out of hand, people killing each other, hatred being carried out if prayer for peace is really happening.
Be available to pray for peace. Looking at the whole situation can be overwhelming and truly, there is only so much that any one person can do. But prayer is powerful and something you can be doing even right now. Are you available to spend a moment praying for peace at this very minute?