HAVE YOU EVER...had a nickname?

Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nation;  Before I was born the LORD called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.  Isaiah 49:1

I am known for making up fond nicknames for my friends and family.  My youngest, Alex, is Alecade.  My oldest, Jackson, is Jaxie.  I call my husband by his initials and my sister has always been burger king!  I really do, do this with love and affection.  If I have given you a nickname, I must really like you.  Even though we are known for calling each other dorks and losers around our house. 

I was recently with some of my friends when we were discussing names and first impressions of people.  I am horrible with names.  Thankfully my husband is amazing with names.  I have been called out on it so many times, that I work much more diligently at remembering now.  On the other hand, I have a friend that names people what her first impression of them is and that sticks.  It is seldom good.  We all laughed over some of the horrible nick names or real names that had been given to us in the past. 

I went home contemplating this.  I have talked often about first impressions, but this made me just appreciate more that it doesn’t matter what people call me.  God knows me and knew me before I was born.  My name is “Child of God.”  I am His daughter!  This is why “He Knows My Name” is one of my favorite songs to sing.

I have a Maker
He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in his hands

I have a Father
He calls me His own
He'll never leave me
No matter where I go

He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call

HAVE YOU EVER become His child?

Psalm 139:1, 13; Romans 8:27

HAVE YOU EVER...walked in the dark?

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.   
Colossians 1:13-14 ESV

I work in this big building that is mostly dark on Fridays to conserve energy.  I think it is a great idea, but I am afraid of the dark.  I have to go into areas where I have no access to light.  My only light comes from the windows and there aren’t many.  I get so excited when I hear a voice or see a shadow coming towards me.  I know that I am not alone.

Do you ever walk through your day in darkness, and then God steps in?  He is always there and wants us to know that.  I love really feeling his presence and knowing that I am not alone.  God sent His Son to be our light.  Walk in the light!

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.  John 8:12 NIV

HAVE YOU EVER walked in the light?

Isaiah 9:2, John 1:5

HAVE YOU EVER...merged?

I was thinking about speeding up and slowing down in traffic as I was trying to merge the other day.  Many of us have to get on and off an exit ramp every day.  As we are merging into traffic, we are hoping that someone will have the common courtesy to speed up or slow down to let us into traffic. 

Courtesy.

I was flipping channels one afternoon when I came across this info commercial about some type of motivation material (I think).  The guy was “selling” the 5 & 10 Rule.  If you are walking within 10 feet of someone, you should smile, nod, or just acknowledge them in some pleasant way.  But if you are within 5 feet of someone, you MUST SPEAK to them. 

I admit that over the years and in our culture I have become more jaded.  Even though, this sounds like a great encouraging way to treat people; Christ like, I’m not quite on board.

This is what is wrong with the Christian witness.  I should be speeding up or slowing down to let people (even strangers) merge into my daily walk.  We should be wanting to immerse ourselves in other people.  Be prepared to witness at any time. 

HAVE YOU EVER sped up or slowed down?

Psalm 40:10, Romans 12:13

HAVE YOU EVER...cursed a man?

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  James 3:9

Have you ever thought about the words that come out of your mouth and how you wanted to put them back?  You have probably heard it explained to kids like toothpaste.  Once you squirt the toothpaste out, there is no putting it back.  Regrets!

When you praise our Lord and Father, surely you have no regrets.  You don’t want or need to take back worship from God.

Looking at this verse from James really got to my tongue.  I don’t go around cursing men, but any unwholesome thoughts, words or actions towards another person is sin.  God knows it.  God hears me sinning against his creation.  I am cursing God.

HAVE YOU EVER cursed God?

Genesis 1:26-27, Colossians 3:9-10

HAVE YOU EVER...kept your mouth shut?

I cannot keep my mouth shut.  I always have something to say.  The harder I try to keep my mouth shut the more the good, the BAD, and the UGLY seems to come out.

I have been trying to read scriptures about this and memorize them.  In my search for relevant verses, I keep returning to Proverbs.

King Solomon is attributed for writing most of Proverbs.  When he was a young king in search of answers, he asked the Lord for wisdom.  God told him he could have whatever he wanted.  Solomon asked for wisdom!  Not wealth or health or love…but wisdom.

My father once told me that I was wise.  I was a young girl when he told me this and it has stuck with me.  I believe that if he saw me today, I don’t know if he would think I was as wise as I might have been in that moment in the past.

Even so, I am seeking God’s wisdom with my mouth.  I am going to share some Proverbs with you in which I am focusing.  Maybe they will save your tongue too.

He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.  Proverbs 21:23

He who answers before listening – that is his folly and his shame.  Proverbs 18:13

When words are many, sin is not absent, but who holds his tongue is wise.   

Proverbs 10:19

(There’s plenty more.  Proverbs 17:27-28; 18:6-8.  Feel free to pass any back to me that 

you like.)

HAVE YOU EVER been wise?

Ecclesiastes 5:2, Ephesians 4:29

HAVE YOU EVER...heard a good Bible story?

My favorite, favorite thing about my perfect job is that I get to tell Bible stories every day!  I just finished studying the transfiguration with a friend of mine.  When I sat down to look at some of my lesson plans, I noticed that I had purposefully skipped the story of the transfiguration.  Why don’t we talk about this more?  Why did I skip it?  Well, I teach preschoolers and it is a big concept.  Even so, I am known for saying that preschoolers have much more potential than anyone thinks.

Some religions even celebrate the transfiguration.  The coolest part about the transfiguration is that God spoke.  Peter is talking about building some tents and is completely flabbergasted when God speaks. 

God did not just speak audibly all of the time in the Bible, let alone the New Testament.    My favorite Ooooo! moments are when he spoke to Jesus.  His baptism with the trinity present.  Ooooh!  John 12:28, during his last week before the crucifixion.  There was Paul on the road to Damascus.  Others were visited by angels, sent by God.  Some were sent dreams from God.  Awesome, but in the transfiguration, God spoke!

I heard Beth Moore preach about this once.  She said that we cannot learn when we are talking.  She said this was “a holy shut thee up!”  Luke 9:35 says that God enveloped them with a cloud and said, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” Oooooo!  Listen to him!

Do we shy away from God’s word, when it is hard to understand?  I am going to be working the transfiguration into my lesson plans next year.  I want my kids to learn how to listen to God speak.

HAVE YOU EVER listened to him?

Proverbs 1:33, 2 Peter 1:16-18