Isaiah 26:3, "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." (NIV)
Long ago, I learned the above verse as a "Scripture Song". Lately, I've been singing this song A LOT!!!!! Learning to have a steadfast mind is difficult, isn't it? Just like many of my students who can't seem to focus and stay on task, I often find my mind running rampant - especially when I pray. I will start off praying, and then my mind goes off in all these other directions! Why? Does anyone else have this problem?
Long ago, I learned the above verse as a "Scripture Song". Lately, I've been singing this song A LOT!!!!! Learning to have a steadfast mind is difficult, isn't it? Just like many of my students who can't seem to focus and stay on task, I often find my mind running rampant - especially when I pray. I will start off praying, and then my mind goes off in all these other directions! Why? Does anyone else have this problem?
Since I haven't written in a while, I will share a few bullet point moments of what I've experienced the last few days...
- Our son David underwent a long week of testing to see what jobs he may be able to do. He has worked for Kroger's for over two years, but, for many reasons, it was time for a new working experience. Bill is at home now (no work for over a month!) and it was wonderful that he was able to drive David downtown morning and pick him up again in the afternoon. We will get the results of the testing in about two weeks. David has made GREAT strides in the past three years and so we are very curious to find out what the tests reveal.
- I have a new student named Cheryl. She is so full of the joy of the Lord and God is using her beautiful spirit to be a true blessing to me. She is going to college for the first time as a forty-something year old. Her goal is to become a teacher. Cheryl struggles with grammar and sentence structure and needs help to get ready for an English placement test. She is my last student on Mondays and as I enter her home oh-so-tired and weary, her warm and welcoming smile energizes me! Last Monday, she paid me an extra $10.00 and said, "I want you to have a special lunch tomorrow on me!" It doesn't take much, does it, to do small yet thoughtful things for others?
- Bill and I are studying The Sermon on the Mount. It's a wonderful learning time for us. I remember when I was a senior at Trinity, I was asked to give the very first chapel service of the year. For the service, I spoke about the very first beatitude. Blessed are the poor in spirit... I remember being struck by the fact that many people that day, hearing Jesus preach these words of hope, probably listened more intently when they heard the word "poor". Many people in the crowd were poor...a type of poor that is far removed from our idea of poverty. No government programs to help them out...no unemployment benefits, so social security...they were poor, poor, poor, with no hope. But what Jesus wants ALL of us to realize is the fact that we are all poor in spirit. The meaning of the word “poor” in Greek means one who has nothing and is completely empty. Was Jesus saying the economically poor are blessed? No, for there is no spirituality in poverty. Poverty in itself is not blessed, because the poor can be as arrogant and as ungodly and as lost as the rich. So what does it mean to be poor in spirit? It means that the poor are those who realize that they can never achieve salvation on their own and instead put their complete faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Sorry...enough preaching!
And, speaking of Trinity, I will be flying up to Chicago on Thursday for a board meeting and homecoming events. The highlight of the trip, however, is spending some time with our daughter Elise.
Okay, that's a few of my highlights from my life...how are YOU?????
