Frankenstien

We are reading Frankenstein for our book club. What a depression story. Interesting that they call it Horror because it is not scary at all. Half the story is spent with Dr. Frankenstien lamenting that he created the monster. "Get over it and take responsibility for it already!!" lol :-)

The Dr. is a narcissitic jerk if you ask me about it. Whatever. It is interesting to know that the author Mary Shelley was the daughter of some "free thinkers" in the late 1700's. Her parents didn't believe in marriage, though did so because of the children. Then Mary eloped with a married man, and his wife commits suicide. There's more tragedy in her life as well, so I guess the book is a reflection of her life.

What I've taken from it is, if you leave God out of the picture than "anything goes." When that happens, you don't have a good future because God designed the universe and gave us rules for our happiness. If we reject that, then great sorrow is the result, among other things.

This book is a great illustation of what NOT to do with your life.

Book Club

Jor and I are in a Classic's Book Club with some of our Home School friends. It has been fun to discuss some interesting (and not so interesting) books. I just love to discuss things with people! Some of the books have been a big snore to me and there have been a few that I just couldn't make myself read. But once I was there for the discussion, that part was GREAT.

We take turns hosting the book club and picking the book off a book list. In October I get to choose and I'm choosing Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton. I picked C. S. Lewis' Weight of Glory last time awhile ago now.

So far we've read: Art of War, Magnificent Obsession, The Law, Lotte's 2nd Treaties on Government, Animal Farm, Screwtape Letters, Alas Babylon and Jane Eyre. It has been an enriching time. We are reading Frankenstein for this month.

Reading is fun, discussing is even more fun.

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Our thoughts

I'm reading Joyce Meyer's book "Me and My Big Mouth." I cracked up when I read this line: "Complaining is like whisting for the devil." Then she said "When we complain...we are calling for the devil, who will quickly come in to give us misery."

I think that is a great illustration. It's like saying Hey Devil, c'mon over here! She also says "complain and remain, praise and be raised." I have come a long way in the area of complaining, but I still have a ways to go. I like having the idea that if I complain I am just inviting the devil to make me miserable. No thanks!

The other day I was feeling kindof down, and I thought, I need to work on my thoughts and adjust them. So I began to thank God for all the blessings I could think of. Wow, that really shifted my mood, big time. So the praise and be raised really does work.

I was reading in Eagle's Wings about a book she is reading regarding our thoughts. The book was encouraging the reader to observer her thoughts. So I've been doing that, and I am realizing that my mind likes to wander, and tends toward worriesome thoughts.

I've read another Joyce Meyer book "Battlefield of the Mind" a few times so working on my thoughts is not something new to me, however lately I am realizing that I need to pay attention and work on my thoughts some more.

That reminds me of another quote that I really like: "Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words they become actions. Watch your actions they become habits. Watch your habits they become your destiny." - Anonymous

Faith

I have been reading the book "Me and My Big Mouth" by Joyce Meyer. In it she is talking about having faith and believing the Lord for good things in our lives. I am really attracted to this becasue I know how important it is to have faith. However I've realized that I am holding back from God on this. I've been thinking a LOT about this lately and I am beginning to see why I am holding back.

It is fear of disappointment. I can list many examples of times when myself or others have believed God for something, and it didn't happen. Why should I believe when the thing doesn't come to pass?

Then I thought well the word says to endure hardship as discipline, God is treating us as sons and daughters. When God says 'no' that is a hardship to us. A 'no' answer is an opportunity for faith as well. In fact some famous writer said it requires MORE faith when God says 'no.'

So if I want to be a faithful person, living out ALL that God has for me in Christ Jesus, I must come to terms with the fact that God will say 'no' and I need to trust him all the more in these circumstances.

No one LIKES to be disciplined. But that doesn't mean dicsipline is bad. In fact discipline is good and necessary. So I can endure hardship because God is training me for his service, for his glory. Now I can get excited about that! There is a purpose in everything. A great purpose in the 'yeses' and the 'nos.'

Another peice of this is the "need to know why" issue. That drives a wedge and becomes a stumbling block when I "need to know" why God allowed something so awful or painful. Part of faith again is trusting that God is good despite all the evil that may befall me or my loved ones. I stumble over this one at times. Just "needing to know" in order to trust him.

I am now seeing the foolishness of holding myself back from taking all that is mine in Christ Jesus for fear of disappointment. Just because God says 'no' doesn't mean he is not worthy of my complete trust and faith.

"When the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on the earth?"

Faith is of greater worth than gold. Faith is one of the things that remain, along with Hope and Love. Jesus rebuked those who had little faith, and rewarded those with great faith. Do I want Jesus shaking his head at me and saying "why did you doubt?" No! I want Jesus to say "well done good and FAITHFUL servant!"

Scripture in Jude

" Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25   To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."
This scripture was given in church yesterday and it blessed me. Praise God that we have a God who is able to keep us from falling! We don't have to do it ourselves. HE will do it IN us! Our Lord's goal is to present us faultless before him. It is HIS work, not ours. We only need to say yes and believe.

Thoughts on Oswald Chamber's quote

"God’s purpose is to enable me to see that He can walk on the storms of my life right now. If we have a further goal in mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present time. However, if we realize that moment-by-moment obedience is the goal, then each moment as it comes is precious."

My husband read this quote to me and I've been thinking about it. I was in a LOT of pain yesterday and feeling really cranky. I read this and thought, I don't want to be "in the moment" I am in too much pain to do that.
I was talking to a friend online about this. She was saying to invite the Lord into that moment, and ask him to speak to me. I told her, I think I would just cry if I "embraced" this moment. She said, well maybe that is what you need to do.
I also realized that what I tell myself when I feel bad doen't help my situation. It doesn't help to rehearse to myself how bad I feel.
If we are to be alive in every moment, then God must be very available to us in the midst of our suffering.

My approach has always been, just get thru it, and have a hope in the future. Now I am challenged to meet the Lord IN my suffering.
Yesterday I spent some time quietly weeping and I felt the Lord there with me and I felt peace. It was better than resisting and being grumpy about my situation.
Then the Lord lifted me up, and I was able to do the outing that was planned for the afternoon. Amazing.

Here I am!

Well, since I've been reading blogs regularly for months and months now, I finally deceided to start one myself!!

I like to type while I think, or think while I type? So this will be fun for me. I'll be posting something soon. Just getting started here. Happy blogging! Helen