Looking Back and Looking Ahead (Summer 2010)

Ecclesiates 7:10
"Say not, 'Why were the former days better than these?'  For it is not from wisdom that you ask this."

Philippians 3:12-16
"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Jesus Christ has made me his own.  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.  But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call in Christ Jesus.  Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.  Only let us hold true to what we have attained."

Reading:
How to Study the Bible, by John MacArthur.
Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate, by Jerry Bridges.
What Did You Expect?  Redeeming the Realities of Marriage, by Paul David Tripp.

Weekly meetings on Wednesday mornings in June and July to discuss How to Study the Bible.

Occasionally attending discussions of Respectable Sins.

Traveling in August
Five states: Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois.
Four private homes stayed in: Minnesota, Iowa, two in Illinois.
Three churches attended: South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois.
Two motels stayed in: Minnesota, South Dakota.
Two trips to Chicago: on a Wednesday to see a Padres-Cubs baseball game and on a Saturday to see the Art Institute, Millennium Park, et al.
One major celebration: my mom's 90th birthday in Sious Falls, South Dakota.

(No wonder I feel so tired.)

I promised as I concluded my previous post to comment on the end of our trip:

We made sure on 8/23 to have enough time to drive to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to return our rental car, to get our luggage (one) checked (had the rest as carry-ons), and to go through security.  Our flight from MSP to Milwaukee was w/o incident--almost up, over, down (49 min.).  Arriving at Milwaukee, we were relieved to see our flight to LAX was listed as "on time."  These circumstances were not to last for long.  The next we knew, that situation changed to "delayed" another 40 minutes before the next plane would take off, which actually worked out to an hour or more of delay.  And then the three-hour+ flight time somehow became four+ hours.

By the time we deplaned at LAX, we'd been up and going for more than twenty hours.  Friends let us stay at their place so we could get some immediate rest before we went to our place.  On 8/24 we arrived back at our place at 2:00 p.m.  On 8/25 Garry returned to his job and I to mine--home manager.

While we had a good time--and we have many photos to prove that--we are looking forward to getting back into the flow of ministry at our church in Southern California.

Our August "Vacation" Trip
Five states: Wisconsin; Minnesota; South Dakota; Iowa; Illinois
Four private homes:  Minnesota; Iowa; 2 in Illinois
Three churches attended:  South Dakota; Iowa; Illinois
Two motels stayed in:  Minnesota, South Dakota
Two trips to Chicago:  on a Wednesday to see a baseball game and on a Saturday to see the Art Museum et al
One major event:  Celebrating my Mon's 90th birthday
Footnote:  While our trip from CA was without note, our trip back was; more on that next week.

Being Present, or In the Moment

Sunday I got to thinking about how often recently I have not been fully present, looking instead at the log of places I've been or checking the clock or calendar regarding places I am to be yet, but not being totally in the moment.  Now, I am not going mystical.  But I got to thinking about an old table blessing which starts, "Be present at this table, Lord," and wondered, Why should He be present if I am not?  I need to work at not being such a clock or calendar watcher that I am not watching for Him in concentrated time in the Word and in prayer.

Today My Mom is 90 years old
We've been celebrating that since Saturday when we held an open house for her at her church.  It was great to see so many come to honor her.
Mom has walked with the Lord as her Lord for 75 years out of the 90 she has lived.
Mom has been an example to all wherever she's been of humility and service.
Love you always, Mom.

The place of the pencil in sanctification

For a number of years, I have been brought back to James 4:13-17 multiple times in various circumstances.  This is where James rebukes those who have made plans without apparent thought for the Lord's will in the matter.  Perhaps I find myself in this and similar passages because I forget or because I don't consider the situation one needing prayer.  Don't we all at one time or another think, It's not something to worry Him about?  I should be able to deal with this myself?  Etc?
The pastors in my fellowship group/Sunday school class (Gracelife, Grace Community Church of Sun Valley) have been preaching from the book of Proverbs recently.  One message was on Proverbs 16:9:  "The heart of a man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps."
This is why the title of this post is "the place of the pencil in sanctification."  We can prayerfully plan--and doing so is mandated elsewhere in Proverbs--but it is also imperative that we realize the Lord determines the outcome of each plan, and not fight Him, but trust Him.
Proverbs 3:5-6:  "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."