Day: June 26, 2018

If They Can’t See It, They Don’t Believe It

/ Frugal Fish / Leave a comment

Reading “Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul” let me know I am not alone. I found I have a few things in common with Dan Millman, author of “The Peaceful Warrior Way:”

  • A surging desire to share.
  • To somehow make a positive difference.
  • Time flies when I write.
  • What I lack in quality, I make up for in quantity.
  • I’m not attached to the outcome.
  • My overnight success is taking 10 years!

Writing is a great leap of faith. Catherine Lanigan, (“Romancing the Stone” and “Jewell of the Nile”), was told, “Your writing stinks.” She stopped writing.

“I would be smart. I would use logic. If I couldn’t see it, taste it, chew it and spit it out, I wouldn’t believe in anything again.” Catherine Lanigan

After talking with a journalist, she started writing again:

“…I learned that writers make something out of nothing.” Catherine Lanigan

The Sadducees felt the same way as she did at the beginning. If they couldn’t see it, they didn’t believe it. They didn’t believe in the resurrection. That’s why they were “sad, you see.” 😉

Acts 25:8, “Sadducees have nothing to do with resurrection or angels or even a spirit. If they can’t see it, they don’t believe it. Pharisees believe it all.” The Message

Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. What He starts, He finishes.

“…you’re gonna have some people in your life that are gonna walk away…their part in the story may be over. …Just realize that your life is not contingent upon anyone who leaves it. …believe that God is the author and finisher of my faith. That who’s meant to crossover into the next season with me will, and who’s not meant to cross over, there’s no amount of convincing that I can do to get them to stay.” “The Author and Finisher of Your Faith,” 1 Min Motivation, Steven Furtick

Everything worth doing takes faith: marriage, having children, and pursuing your dreams. Remember Jesus isn’t finished yet!

Hebrews 11:1, “The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under every thing that makes life worth living.” The Message

©2009-2018 thisyearsbiblereadingguide.com. All Rights Reserved.

The God of Peace

/ Frugal Fish / Leave a comment

We were 3 musicians short on Sunday. I had some music out because I needed to play the synth part. Using a double keyboard stand, I stacked the synth over the piano.

Some songs are heavy on the piano and some on the synth. Many times I play the synth with my left hand to hold the chords. Then play the rhythm or lead line on the piano with my right hand. When there is no guitar, I throw in more stuff to fill out the sound.

Things went okay during practice. Then the leader asked me to play both on the soft choruses of one song. On that song, I jump back and forth between the keyboards. It starts out heavy on piano and then soft on the synth. It builds back up but ends quietly.

I reached the “soft” chorus and remembered I was to play both. I quickly moved one hand down.

The wrong hand!

I tried holding a chord on the piano and playing a lead line on the synth. It didn’t work at all! Then I lost my place and hit the wrong chord – followed by several others.

We moved on to the bridge and I dropped my right hand down to the piano. When we reached the second “soft” chorus, I made sure I moved the correct hand.

“Well, that was embarrassing!”

It doesn’t matter what it did to me – embarrassing or humbling me. It matters what God did through me.

Acts 21:13, “…You’re looking at this backward. The issue in Jerusalem is not what they do to me, whether arrest or murder, but what the Master Jesus does through my obedience. Can’t you see that?” The Message

I believe God allows things like this to happen to remind everyone that I’m human. Music is uplifting and sometimes we give the musician too much credit. My job is always to lead others to Jesus. If your eyes are on me – I will unintentionally disappoint you.

The opposite is true – blaming one person when things don’t go well. The Jews accused Paul of defiling the Temple. Then they turned the place upside-down and started a riot! That did defile the temple!

Acts 21:27-28, 31, “…At once they turned the place upside-down. …(28) …He’s…defiled this holy place. … (31) As they were trying to kill him, word came to the captain of the guard, ‘A riot! The whole city’s boiling over!’ ” The Message

How should we handle it when others blame us? Or someone criticizes our efforts?

Acts 22:21, “But he said, ‘Don’t argue. Go. I’m sending you on a long journey to outsider non-Jews.’ ” The Message

Our congregation is gracious. No one berated me or told me to practice more. Satan did remind me that I did not practice on Saturday. (I was out-of-town.) He is full of lies and discouragement. I don’t argue with him either. I know his future.

Romans 16:19, “Stay alert like this, and before you know it the God of peace will come down on Satan with both feet, stomping him into the dirt. Enjoy the best of Jesus.” The Message

I packed up the keyboards and went home for lunch. I switched my focus to the Nursing Home Service.

“I slept and dreamt life was joy, I awoke and saw life was service, I acted and, behold, service was joy.” “One Thousand Gifts” Ann Voskamp

I hit a few wrong notes there, too! (Yes, I practiced.) How did I stay unruffled? God gave me peace.

“One of the greatest blessings God gives us is peace. …pray for peace. Because if all of your prayers center around provision, if you have provision but not the peace, you have the external stuff without the internal infrastructure to even enjoy what you prayed for!” “The Power of God’s Peace,” 1 Min Motivation, Steven Furtick

©2009-2018 thisyearsbiblereadingguide.com. All Rights Reserved.