A Time To Go Home

This is a story about Brian and he doesn't appear to be a rebellious and angry teenager, he's just someone who wants to do what he wants to do. I guess being a prizefighter isn't what every parent prays for for their child. Because of his owns actions, he is at the point of falling to his death when an angel intervenes. At least a miracle happens and he finds himself in the boxcar. Sometimes it takes hitting rock bottom or having something like this happen to make us realize that it's time to change our ways and/or do something different than what we are doing.

The passage in the Bible is about the lost son. The son who asks his father for his share of the inheritance and then travels to a distance land and spends it foolishly. After awhile he gets a job feeding hogs and is so hungry that he wants to eat what the hogs are eating. Then he remembers how much his father has and that the hired hands are never hungry and he decides to go home and ask his father to make him one of his hired hands. But the father has been waiting and watching for his son and while his son is still a long way off, he runs to great him and puts on a big celebration to welcome him back.

God is like that for us and for Brian. He is waiting and watching for us to come to Him and he will celebrate with us. We want to live how we want to live and do what we want to do and often times that life is not fulfilling. But if we have God in our life and live for Him, our life will be filled with joy. God never promises that life will be easy, but He does promise to be with us always. God's love is like that father's. It's constant, patient and welcoming. He searches for us and waits for us but does not force us.

God is a gentleman. He waits patiently for us. He gave us a free will. He wants us to love Him freely and willingly. He is always waiting with His arms wide open. He is our heavenly Father. Read Matthew 7:7. I don't necessarily believe that God wants us to ask for riches or worldly things, I believe he wants us to ask for wisdom, and knowledge and love and those kinds of things and to provide for our daily needs. He is waiting to give us those things.

Great Job!!

After this first round of readings, I just want to say that you all did a "great job"!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to read and think about it and write down your thoughts and ideas about what the book and Bible were saying to you. Even though the stories seem to be the same, they are different. The bible readings are different. If you look back at what everyone has written, there have been a lot of good things written and things that we all need to stop and think about and things that are good for us to read. Sometimes we need repetition to remember things. I know that I want to spend more time reading in the Bible and learning about God and this is helping me. So, "Thank you" to each and every one of you for helping me to do this. I love you all more than you'll ever know!!!

Miracle of the Heart

As I read this story I couldn't help but feel sorry for both Kate and Leah (from the scripture).

Kate who is in love with the man she believed was sent to her by God, has to go through a horrible accident to see his true colors in the moment she needed him the most. As she goes through the next year she turns to God asking him to help her learn how to love and bring someone who would accept her for her scars, and to "let her care for a child one day". Soon months turn to years and she still hasn't found love. Kate turns to God and says "God, if you don't want me to find love, if children aren't in my future, so be it. I give my whole life over to you." It is this same day that another horrible accident brings children and love into Kate's life.

I had to read a few passages before and after the one listed to understand more into the meaning. Leah is the older sister to Rachel, but also a wife to Jacob. She was taken on as a wife as a trick from her father, Jacob had never intended to marry Leah and had no desire for her. The scripture says "when the Lord saw that Leah was unloved he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. After each son that she conceived she believed that this would make Jacob feel some connection to her, but was unsuccessful, after her fourth son she too was then unable to conceive. After some time Leah bears Jacob more children after she gives Jacob her maid as a wife and she finally proclaims that she is happy.

I believe that the section of reading and scripture are pointing out that you need to have faith in God because he has a bigger picture worked out for you. Stop trying to control everything because when He closes one door He will open another, or maybe even a window. Both Kate and Leah had less then ideal situations but God looked after them and found ways for both of them to find love and fulfillment.

God's Ways

Ok, so I read the story for this week and I also read the the scripture reading. My first reaction was, "Dang! Jacob sure got around!" But then I tried to tie connections between the two. Here is what I found:

1. Both contain characters that are desperate and that desperation led to even more pain.

-Rachel was desperate for children because she wanted to give Jacob children. Margaret and Bill were both desperate to have children to complete their lives. Both made the decision to get children in other ways. Rachel through her maidservant and Margaret and Bill through adoption. It seems as though their desperation led to a lot of heartache. Rachel could not wait for God to give her a child so she allowed Jacob to sleep with her maidservant, which probably caused more jealousy and hurt feelings for Rachel than the fulfillment she was looking for . Margaret and Bill relied too heavily on the Agency which promised a 100% risk free adoption, but in reality it was not risk-free at all.

2. Both illustrate that God has the power to give and the power to take away.

-God made Rachel barren, but when the time was right allowed her to have a child. God let the first adoption fall through, but then brought them another little girl.

I think the lesson to be learned is that although it is hard sometimes we just need to leave our fate up to God. He truly does know what is best for us and in the end when we see the big picture, we will be thankful. When we can't wait for God and we take things into our own hands, well, there's the potential of being hurt even worse.

So in the end, trust in God. He knows what is best, especially when we don't.

GOD is Awesome!!

Go to: www.crazylovebook.com (Francis Chan) and look at the video "The Awe Factor of God".
R. C. Sproul wrote "Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God".

Week 4: A Series of Miracles

Spoiler Alert! Another sad story with a happy ending. I guess I shouldn't be that surprised, the book is titled "Miracles."

Ok, I'm being serious now. It is amazing that this couple who wanted children is now miraculously able to have them and were able to adopt two healthy girls from China who serendipitously are biological sisters. Oops, there I go again being sarcastic.

HELP! I'm feeling quite cynical tonight. Any guidance?

Heaven's Perfect Timing

Well, it seems we've all thought about this kind of situation before since we discussed it in week one! I thought this story was interesting in that she did pray to God before she started her trip to keep her from crossing the summit if it was too dangerous. She didn't realize though at first that her hunger was that signal from God to stop. I think a lot of times I do ask for help from God but then I don't always know how to read those signals either. For Amy in this story, the signal was the physical sensation of hunger. In the scripture reading, the wise men paid attention to their dream from God and avoided returning to Herod. They were wise enough to know that the dream was God's signal. God may not always come right out and TALK to us, like he did Amy. He may give us other signals in our lives though. Do you think a lot of that is trusting your instincts? Maybe the feelings and sensations you have in a situation are giving you clues as to how to proceed. Did you get other ideas from this reading?