Obedience

lately, the word 'obedience' has been running through my head constantly. naturally, this really got me to wondering, am i being obedient to God? sure, i may give money to the church, charities or organizations, but is it given out of obligation or out of obidence. perhaps i go out of my way for someone, but again, is it due to outside pressure and forces, or due solely to my obidence to Him. why do i read the word everyday, because i'm suppose to, or because in doing so i am being obedient?

i was doing some google searching earlier on several different topics and i stumbled upon what is written below. do you agree with what it says...and if so, are you doing your best to adhere to it?

"how important is obedience to God in my daily walk?

obedience to God is very important in your Christian growth. no one in this life will ever become sufficiently sanctified to the point where they are always obeying the law, but we can honor and maintain obedience to God by pondering on, or meditating on, the words of Jesus. the term "to ponder" means to weigh in the mind, to think or reflect, especially quietly and deeply. to ponder on something is like meditation which implies a definite focusing of one's thoughts on something in order to understand it deeply. the author of Proverbs 14:15 makes a good point: "a simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps."

the greatest commandment is to love God by keeping His commandments. matthew 22:36-38 says, "'teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?' Jesus replied: 'love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' this is the first and greatest commandment.'"

you ask, "how important is obedience to God?" in the gospel of john, obedience to God is underscored time and time again. john 14:15 says, "if you love me, you will obey what i command."

the great commandments are reiterated in matthew 22:36-40 which says, "'teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?' Jesus replied: '"love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." this is the first and greatest commandment. and the second is like it: "love your neighbor as yourself." all the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.'"

jesus is very concerned about us and He wants us to do more than participate in good works, He wants us to believe in Him. He wants us to come up higher and be "like" Him. when we are being obedient to God, we are doing just that: knowing Him, loving Him, and having a personal, intimate relationship with Him. to do this, we must be attentive to God's laws. this is not an option, because you can't have an intimate relationship with Jesus and trample on the words He taught. being obedient to God is not the same as sticking to the speed limit because you get a fine if you disobey. obedience to God is living God's word because you want to and enjoy being filled with the love of Jesus.

we must believe in Jesus, we must have faith in Him, and we must trust Him! calling ourselves a Christian on its own won't do. following the commandments step wise won't do. reading the Bible diligently won't do. we have to take the word into our hearts. when we make the transition from calling ourselves a good Christian to being someone who is having a deep personal and intimate relationship with the Lord, then we can have the highest of joys, the deepest of peace, and receive the fullest measure of God's love and power each and every day of our lives.

we need to enter into God's rest and be less concerned with worrying about what else we could do to make Jesus love us more. hebrews 4:10 says, "for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his." it would be invaluable if you were to spend time reading God's Word and ponder on one aspect as you walk. step into the scene, imagine what it might have been like to be there, create Jesus in your mind, feel the love, and experience a deep intimate relationship with the Lord.

that is the essence of obedience to God.

Energy: In Photos

here is my post for the week on our group blog: phlebotomic. this weeks topic was energy... click here for the link... hope you enjoy. please, leave your comments, thoughts, reasons you liked it, explainations for hating it, gratitude from the illiterates, etc.












hey, bernard madoff reads it...shouldn't you!?

Semi-Permanent Thoughts (Of Semi-Consciousness and Potentially Broken Links)

* why is it that i can remember vivid stories and events that happened in my life regarding these songs: pearl jam - alive, gin blossoms - hey jealousy, r.e.m. - everybody hurts, and live - lightening crashes; all of which occured well over 10 years ago, but i can't recall if i remembered to turn off the coffee pot this morning?

* most frustrating thing: people who don't use their blinkers while driving

* and speaking of driving, am i the only person that gets nervous whenever i look in my rearview mirror and there is a cop driving directly behind me? do you think the nervousness could have anything to do with the unpaid speeding ticket i got in a nearby city over 8 years ago?

* why is it when the local news airs segments showing people having special charities and programs deliver toys to their homes for their children around Christmas time because they are too poor to afford gifts, or when a news reporter is interviewing a family looking for government bailout money to avoid foreclosure on their home, it never seems to fail that the families don't think to hide the 52" plasma screen tv and wii that the kids are playing before allowing the camera crews in? i don't have a 52" tv or wii, can i get some money too?

* if i was the owner of a tape measure manufacturing company, i'd allow my employees to change the increments on the tape dimensions once a year on april 1st. i think it would be funny if they were just a bit off, not enough to easily catch, but on a long measurement, it would be a significant difference. that wouldn't cause any serious construction problems, would it!?

* i have a new favorite song. it is by josh turner. the song is called 'the way he was raised'. click here for the lyrics. sorry, couldn't find a video.

* no random thoughts blog would be complete without a random link: click here for a link to catholic purgatory.

* and how about a random photo....enjoy!

Jesus and The Mason Jar

i came across this blog the other day that i wanted to share it...yet another reason that God is a spurs fan! for those of you who have followed the san antonio spurs with any regularity over the past 10 years or so, you know that they have had a strong Christian presence, namely from avery johnson and david robinson. but i'm guessing you haven't heard much in the Jesus department since their retirements...well, wait no more. click here to read from a related blog 48 minutes of hell...and be sure to cheer on the mason jar, roger mason jr.

also, i tried adding a picture of the mason jar, but apparently blogger doesn't like me this morning...so if you're wondering what he looks like, click here.

Valentine's - Revisited

i decided to repost a blog i wrote last year at this time. one that really reminds me of what true, selfless love is all about. so, as you're out running around, buying your $50 roses, boxes of overpriced chocolate and fighting for the last parking spot at every restaurant in town, i hope that you'll remember this story...which actually dates back to november 1st of 2007. click here to read the love...

In The Ghetto

i know this may just be a song...and it was written/recorded/performed many, many years ago, but isn't the message still true today? "are we too blind to see, do we simply turn our heads and look the other way" is this true of us? is this true of me? it's funny what flipping through radio stations in the car during a lunch break can do to a person. one minute i'm daydreaming while listening to the eagles sing take it easy, the next i'm pondering all the frustrations i see and encounter in life, and i start to question what i'm actually doing to be the remedy. how am i being the helping hand? hey, i guess 50,000,000 elvis fans can't be wrong...



as the snow flies
on a cold and gray chicago mornin'
a poor little baby child is born
in the ghetto
and his mama cries
'cause if there's one thing that she don't need
it's another hungry mouth to feed
in the ghetto

people, don't you understand
the child needs a helping hand
or he'll grow to be an angry young man some day
take a look at you and me,
are we too blind to see,
do we simply turn our heads
and look the other way

well the world turns
and a hungry little boy with a runny nose
plays in the street as the cold wind blows
in the ghetto

and his hunger burns
so he starts to roam the streets at night
and he learns how to steal and he learns how to fight
in the ghetto

then one night in desperation
a young man breaks away
ee buys a gun, steals a car,
tries to run, but he don't get far
and his mama cries

as a crowd gathers 'round an angry young man
face down on the street with a gun in his hand
in the ghetto

as her young man dies,
on a cold and gray chicago mornin',
another little baby child is born
in the ghetto

Cutest Dog Contest

i'm sure some of you are caught up in westminster kennel club dog show excitement that is happening this week... and how could you not be? odd looking dogs, slightly uncomfortable comments from the announcers, selfishly hoping that one of the dogs has to 'relieve itself' on the green carpet, etc.

well, check out the photo above...is that not the cutest dog you've ever seen!? yep, that's right, that's duncan...our dog! well, since i know you all agree with me, and you all think that duncan is in fact the cutest dog, then you'd love to click here and vote for him in the cutest dog contest on mysa.com! i believe his photo is on page 5...and you can vote once a day, so feel free to occupy 2 minutes of your time everyday as you're sitting at work waiting for lunch!

also, don't forget to check out the six-word memoirs: on love and heartbreak. click here.