savor

here's a quote I came up with while reading through "Pleasures Evermore" by Sam Storms (great book, i recommend it):

Savoring the sweetness of the Savior turns sin sour in our souls.

It's only through realizing who Christ is and what He has done for us and How much He loves us etc. etc. etc. that we will truly become dead to sin and have no desire for it.

useful study tool

I've been wanting to blog about this for a while...and now I have a bit of time:

A month or so ago I wrote this down so I'd remember it: No study tool is as useful as a ready and focused heart.

I'm pretty diligent about taking time before I fall asleep each night to pray and read God's Word. But diligence doesn't equal excitement or deep desire. My desire fluctuates.

Recently I've been trying to use more study tools to help me understand what I read. I have MacArthur's study Bible notes that I use to deepen my understanding of a passage. And I also have a book that gives a summary overview of each chapter of the Bible. It helps me get the gist of a passage.

But I've realized that even when I have those tools, and maybe even others, if my heart is not in the right place...the words I read enter my heart and mind without value. There is little to no influence in my life, heart and mind if I don't have a ready and focused heart.

That's the most useful study tool: when my heart is excited to feast on the spiritual food that God's Word supplies.

No study tool is as useful as a ready and focused heart.

God uses hurt knees

This week is VBS (Vacation Bible School)...well, no, not VBS -- Soccer Camp! AWANA created a different kind of VBS that they don't call VBS 'cause VBS should be a time where non-church kids come to learn about Christ. and VBS is a foreign word to non-church people. So we're doing a Soccer Camp for 5-10 yr olds. It's great! We start with an hour and 15 mins of stretches and different soccer skill stations. Then we have about an hour for snacks and then a Bible lesson and we end with 30 mins for actual scrimmages.

Today during the scrimmages I was walking around to the different games to make sure everything was running smoothly. At the 9-10 yr old field I saw a boy, Eric, walking with a limp. I took him over to the first aid station and had "Nurse Martha" (my mom :) ) take a look at his knee. A while later he came back to the field and I sat down next to him and made sure he was doing ok. All the campers get a gospel bracelet that has Yello, Black, Red, White and Green on them. As we were sitting there Eric said "What do all these colors mean?" Haha! If that's not invitation to share the gospel, I don't know what is! So I shared with him and he prayed to trust Christ as His savior!

Afterward I told my mom and the VBS...err, I mean Soccer Camp leader, Mary Alice, "Praise God for hurt knees!" God used that to create an opportunity to share the gospel.

Please do be praying that Eric's knee will feel better, but most importantly pray that he grows in his walk with Christ.