March 28, 2005

• Well, I am going to try and type this post again. Xanga ate the post, first time that has happened to me.

  
  

  Hope you had an awesome Easter. I enjoyed Easter, but the stress level in our house was intense. The boys were set at getting under each other’s skins, Katherine was bummed because her last few days at home have been taken up with a science experiment, and I had PMS. Sigh. Am also worried about Jim’s health. When Katherine was born he had triple bipass, his arteries are clogged again, and he is trying Atkins, wierd diet for one with cholesteral problems, plays around with vitamins and other new age sorts of things. Did Chelation for awhile, but makes his own plans. I have voiced my concerns to him, pointed out where I think he is going wrong, and have to back off and resort to prayer, for my stress will only complicate matters, and talking to Jim when his mind is set is like talking to that wall next to my bed. I am very worried because I do not like the signs I see. So please keep me and Jim in prayer. I feel about two steps removed from tears, and want to withdraw far, but can’t.

  
  

  Have been reading Mark Chapter 1, and in reading this found out a lot of where I have missed the mark (couldn’t resist that pun).

  
  

  A few interesting points. The four disciples that Jesus picked up in Chapter 1were all fishermen. Two of them were casting nets into the sea, Simon (Peter) and Andrew. Their career as disciples were missionaries. In Acts Peter spoke a sermon that caught 3000 new converts. James and John were mending nets. These two were the disciples of love and relationship among members of the church. They mended the damage caused to the brethren in their ministries.

  
  

  I am not a morning person, but do try to get up fifteen or 20 minutes before the kids do to start my day out right with prayer and meditation. But Jesus has me beat hands down. Verse 35: “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” This occurred after Jesus taught in the temple, healed a man with unclean spirits, healed Peter’s mother-in-law, and then in the evening healed all who were brought to him, sick, diseases, and cast out many demons. If anyone had an excuse to sleep late the next day, I would think that Jesus would, but he got up early and prayed.

  
  

  Oh, that I would have that same sort of attitude, perhaps some of the day would be smoothed out for me. And Jesus never once told anyone He was too tired to do this, or too tired to do that. He did what His Father told Him to do. He obeyed.

  
  

  After healing all that Jesus healed in Capernum his disciples were excited and wanted Jesus to continue, but Jesus refused and told them that he had to go into the next towns and preach there also. The word for towns is 2969 in Strongs, and it means a large village or town like a city but without walls. So Jesus went from a metropolis to a small country village to teach and preach. If Jesus had been led by needs, by ego, he might have stayed in the large city, but instead he obeyed His Father and went to preach and teach where God told him to teach.

  
  

  The verse that strongly convicted me was connected with the healing of the leper. After Jesus healed the man and told him to go show himself to a priest (something that had never been done to date, for althought the law gave ways to show your healing of leprosy and the sacrifices necessary, to the time of Jesus only one person ever was healed of leoprosy, leoprosy was a sentence of death). He told the man to say nothing. Well, like me, this man was thrilled to be healed, and he spoke to many. The end result of this was, verse 45 “However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.”

  
  

  The man  disobeyed Jesus’s request, and it prevented Jesus from speaking in the cities. This did not stop the spread of the gospel, nor did it seriously impare what Jesus did, but it may have made it a bit more challenging for Jesus.

  
  

  I often wonder if a word that I am told to speak and don’t; or a word that I speak when I shouldn’t causes a bit of a change of direction for God’s work. I keep hoping that I act in obedience to God more and more, because I want to be used effectively, and do God’s work as smoothly as possible. I do not want to be a glitch in God’s kingdom.

  
  

  Thanks for listening and thanks for your prayers. I am so glad of all the people I have met here on Xanga.

  
  

  Heather

  • 11:00 am
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