Sweets, Swimming and Scriptures

Pancakes!

 YUM!!  Who invented them?

 Cake for breakfast. 

What a great idea!

And you can get away with it! If you had asked your mom for cake for breakfast when you were young, she would have said quickly,
NO! 
But pancakes?  Oh, now that was different.  Perfectly acceptable.  No problem.  

The thing is though, have you ever noticed that in no time at all,  you are hungry again? Sweets are sweet and yummy and delish but they don't really nourish you, sustain you. Before you know it you are empty, needing more food.  



We all need what will sustain us.  Not just sweets but real food.  That which will keep us going physically.  But what about spiritually? Are you nourished spiritually?  And do you know where to get spiritual nutrition?  What would that be?  What is the best spiritual food for us ??






The Bible.  The Word.  Scripture.

For years I wanted to read my Bible.  Really! I wanted to be a student of it.  And I would hit and miss at it.  I would drop a few drops on my parched spirit.  But I never dove in and swam in it.  Never emerged myself in the Word, until well up into my adult life.  I'm so glad and I'm learning new things all the time.

****************************************************************************

Copernicus Jr. High School (later Hamtramck High)

Years ago, when I was a teen I went to Copernicus Jr. High in Hamtramck, Michigan. It was built when education was well rounded and Henry Ford was influencing culture in the Detroit area. So it had a full Olympic sized pool, kind of like this.  For half the year you had gym class and the other semester you had swimming class. No choice.  Everyone had to take it. So you learned to swim in spite of your doubts and fears.  It was a good experience.  Something that always served me well.




Just like I had to get in and get wet to learn to swim.  We need to jump into God's Word and let it wash us, soak us, hold us up, challenge us.  So many people are starving for real spiritual nutrition and don't even know it.  They just know they don't feel well, up to par.  Something feels off.  And yes, something is off.  You need to hang out in the book and get to know the author and finisher of your faith.  Get to know the one who created you.  Who has a good plan for your life.  Memorize the Word and get it down deep inside.

How do I know?  I jumped in and got wet and found deep truths inside.  Truths that changed my life and kept me from drowning.  The same truths that have helped others.  It will do the same for you.   Jump into the Word, today.  The water is fine.  I think you won't be sorry you did. Say a little prayer and ask the Lord to help you to understand what you are reading.  He is our teacher, you know.  



“A bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.” -Charles Spurgeon 

Shine Brightly for Christ

I've been hanging around in Philippians 2 this week.  Do you ever do that?  Hang out in the same portion of scripture for a while?  Meditating, pondering? There is so much in this whole chapter. Deep things.  Awesome things.  I especially like this portion:

Shine Brightly for Christ

12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16 Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. 17 But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God,[e] just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. 18 Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

Don't you just love the sub-heading that is in this version?  Shine brightly for Christ!   That seems so appropriate for this time of year.  But really it is good all year round.  The world can be a dark and dreary place at times.  We have the creator of light inside us as believers.   He has been telling me to shine for quite a while now.  I was a little confused by it.  It didn't sound "Bibical" to me.  But I was praying and listening to the Lord.  I should have just trusted Him.  But hearing the Lord can be iffy at times.  I'm still learning to listen.  But when I found this in the NLT version it made my heart sing!  Yes!  I had heard Him correctly.  I was to shine.  Now to obey.  That seems hard but look at verse 13. God is working in you to give you the desire and power to do what pleases Him. WOW!!!  Does that amaze you like it does me?  He tells us to do something, like shining in my case, and than He gives us the desire and power to do it!  

Why have I struggled in my own power to obey?  Why did I not know this was in the word?  I don't know but I'm super excited that I've found it.  Now I can make headway in that shining directive.  

Look at verse 15.  Shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.  Think of driving through a city on a dark and foreboding night. Now think of driving on that same night but there are beautiful shining Christmas lights everywhere.   What a difference!   That is what we are to be doing shining, making a difference.  

Well these were just some random thoughts I've been pondering this week. This blog is "In Donna's head".  So now you know for this week what's been in my head.  I hope you feel inspired to obey that quiet nudging of God knowing he is giving you the desire and power to do it.  Blessings on you my sweet readers!