Good Morning and Welcome Back my friends!
I hope you have enjoyed Chapter Five of "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" as much as I have. If you took the time to answer the questions from the blog last week you know how powerful this week was. Remember if you want to do more than the questions posted, you can do all the questions listed at the back of the book in the study guide. they will leave you pondering much!
If you go into my office at the church there is a box on my shelf labeled "Treats". Many of you know that I keep lollipops in their for your little ones when they come by, but I also keep some of my favorite mini chocolates in there as well. Because my work schedule is a little crazy, I often find that Lunch was not part of the schedule, so I'll grab one (or two) of the chocolates from the box and continue plowing through the day.
This usually works, but the problem is when I get home I'm starving! So I'll end up making a little sandwich or finding something more substantial to keep my stomach quiet and my mood more even :). No sooner do I wipe my mouth with my napkin I'll hear Abigail or Keith ask "When's Dinner?". That is the last thing I want to think about because I have just finished my very late lunch. In hindsight you can see the mess that I've put myself in. I neglected my needs of my body and now I either neglect the needs of my family OR it becomes a drudgery to perform. Have you ever been there?
Often times I do the exact same thing with my relationship with God. I plow through my day and pick up little chocolate bar for nourishment. In the summer, when I lack a regular routine, I find I end up reaching for more spiritual chocolate bars than delicious meals with God. I'll listen to a Christian CD, I'll talk to a friend, I spend quality time with friends and family...all good things, but I'll neglect the perfectly balanced, nutritionally sound meal of a quiet time with God.
Nutritional experts tell us how important good balanced nutrition is. Scurvy is caused by lack of vitamin C, Ricketts by low vitamin D, low iodine causes goiter, low iron brings on anemia, low vitamin B can cause nerve disorders or appetite issues while lack of protein causes Kwashiorker - which is when your body moves into a starvation mode and starts eating itself - yuk! As important as it is for us to partake in a healthy well balance meal, it is just as important for us to have a healthy balanced spiritual life. Making Church attendance, reading the Bible and praying which includes confessing our sins and seeking God's forgiveness daily are all things that help provide a strong nutritionally balanced spiritual life.
So how have you been doing so far this summer with your spiritual nutrition? It's not too late to start eating right. Spend some time (even 5 minutes) in the Bible reading a favorite passage or finding a new favorite one. Take time to read "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" and complete a question or two each day from the back. Spend time praying - you can do it on the beach, in your backyard, poolside, anywhere, try journaling your prayers, it's fun to look back and see what God has been doing in your life. Remember, God desires a relationship with us and patiently waits for us to come and visit with Him.
Love to you all, until next week.
Kathy
This weeks questions:
I hope you are taking time to look at the questions - they are so powerful and will definitely provide spiritual nourishment as we work our way through them. This week you will be reading Chapter 6, but I would love to hear your feedback on the following questions from chapter 5 (study guide questions are on page 214 in your book).
Question 3 asks you about barriers to intimacy with God that you face. When you take a look at the list which ones to you see has your personal struggle? I see Busyness and Trials as my most difficult. Take time to read the scriptures next to the barriers you checked there are scriptures verses that speak to this barrier. Challenge yourself to not only read them, but pick one to memorize.
Question 5 reads: I've written that before we become Christians, Satan tells us we don't need a Savior. After we become Christians, he tells us we don't deserve a Savior. How have these lies affected your walk with God?
Be sure to read "Creating a -with Drawing Room" on page 74. This question isn't in the book, but I would love to hear from you on, Where is your with drawing room? What other places have you tried that have worked as well as failed?
You can post your answers in the comment section of this blog. I can't wait to hear from you!!!
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