Jim fields' Weblog
If I can put one touch of a rosy sunset into the life of any man or woman I shall feel that I have worked with God. Henry David Thoreau
May 23, 2013
When we’re in the habit of noticing the Holy among the Ordinary our life can’t help but show:
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
People should be able to look at us, look at our actions, our attitudes, our words, our body language…and see some hint of Jesus. Who we are is reflected in our personal traits.
Part of our study of Scripture teaches us what is right and good. When we study right and good our discernment shows us what is wrong. When we notice the wrong we are to meet that wrong with good.
It is the collision of the Holy with the Ordinary, the coming together of two sometimes opposing forces that results in the love of God being recognized. It will be recognized because love will stand and continue to emit Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, goodness, Faithfulness, and self-control. According to Jesus these were the weapons of choice.
Peace
Jim
May 21, 2013
I’m looking at Acts 4 and thinking about how the ruling council was amazed as they saw in Peter and John “Ordinary men,” and noticed that they had been with Jesus.
And that led me to thinking about the Ordinary of our everyday life.
And that started me to thinking about whether or not we see the Holy among the Ordinary.
If Jesus is with us like he said he would be, then, it sort of stands to reason (at least to me) that we should often see the Holy among the Ordinary. And not just every now and then but often, not usually in great ways but in the ordinary stuff of life.
Just some things to think about…
Jim
May 18, 2013
God’s Transforming Power that came at Pentecost gives us the ability to learn and grow as we remember that part of the Holy Spirits ministry is teaching and reminding. We have the ability to add to our knowledge of God by putting into practice what we know to be true realizing that the change that takes place is a change of the heart.
The Holy Spirit gives us so much more, but unless the heart is changed, turned outward, we will only speak words. Without doing, thinking, and living a life by the Spirit…we often revert to the vices of anger, factions, envy and slander.
“Lord, help us to be people who don’t only Speak right things…but help us to be people who Do right things, Think right things, Live right things. Transform us Lord with your transforming power.”
Pentecost is a good time to remember the Transforming Power of God to take what we are, and transform us into so much more.
Peace
Jim
Mr. Turtle
I pulled up to the church this morning to find Mr. Turtle in the middle of the parking lot.
I took a few pictures of him and then went in.
A couple of hours later I came back out and looked all over for him but couldn’t find him anywhere. He could have burrowed into the grass or walked on to bigger and better things. I went back to the truck, opened the door and got in…but…something caught my eye as I turned my head. I got back out and looked and…
…there he was. It’s a good thing I saw him or he would have perished.
Some turtles have all the luck 
May 17, 2013
I just got sit down in my usual spot at the coffee shop this morning, started my computer, and looked out the same window that I look out of most mornings during the week. And honest to goodness my thought was “Ahhhh Familiar”.
Most of us are so Comfortable with the familiar…sometimes too comfortable with the familiar. Comfortable enough that when we get out of the familiar we’re a little fidgety, or nervous, or our mind just doesn’t think the same…that’s my problem so much of the time, the thinking part. I think better when I’m in familiar surroundings.
But I guess what hit me when I thought about the familiar was both good thoughts as well as not so good thoughts. The good thoughts are how the familiar give us peace, a feeling of security as we know what to expect so we don’t worry so much.
The not so good thoughts are how if we rarely venture out of the familiar we stay within the confines of what we already know, or feel, or think…
What seems to happen to most of us when we are out of the familiar, then, is that we pretty much stay in the same place mentally and spiritually. There are exceptions to every rule so I can’t say that always happens, but much of the time, personally speaking anyway, when we don’t venture out of the familiar it’s us who suffer.
Enjoy the familiar surroundings because it gives us a chance to relax and rest…but don’t be tied to the familiar because it will stifle us.
Just something to think about…
Jim
Recent Comments
Jim on May 21, 2013 yourothermotherhere on May 21, 2013 RoSy on Mr. Turtle yourothermotherhere on Mr. Turtle yourothermotherhere on May 15, 2013
