First of I hope many

A couple of personal observations- I've been dreading a new course I was asked to teach "study skills". I didn't know how to go about it, but in looking at the material it appears that a lot of personal self reflection and deciding goals and steps to achieve those goals are a very important part of the course. So I will continue the self exploration/ or self reflection I have recently begun. So God probably had His hand in it (definitely). One thing I seem to have difficulty with at this point is goals. I need to think about some specific goals and how I might get there. In the course, the students will have goals around becoming better students primarily, but also some life goals. Hopefully there will be some interesting discussions. One goal I made last year was a review of the New Testament.

I have reviewed the first entry and overall was still pleased with it, and am going to post it here. I will also endeavor to post more of them and continue the reading and reflection. I have not actively done anything with it for six months though. Along with that some personal thoughts, I mainly feel really down, and stressed, to the point I am starting to question my occupation. However another occupation I realize may not be an answer, but rather a distraction. Some people go from one distraction to another their whole lives so as to avoid learning themselves. Maybe they don't like the feelings when they self reflect, maybe they never have. Life can be one distraction after another, and its easy to fall into that mode. I believe I might have.

For some time now God has been laying on my heart the desire to slowly and carefully read the new testament, and later the entire Bible recording my thoughts and prayers as I go. Its not about me but rather about Him, I may not see what He wants me to, or I may not record it the way He wants it recorded. So the Bible remains the final authority (or Christ Himself), but it will be a way to record my understanding and how I perceive Gods position on some of the issues of my day.

Generally speaking the longer I live the more I see that this world needs Gods Holy Spirit leading. Some of the “norms” of my day I have come to completely reject in terms of being what God would want us to do.

It struck me the other day that we as humans don’t listen to God’s leadings as we should. The Bible is full of examples where other people caught a vision of what God purposed to accomplish and then they “helped” God out -like He needed it. Its my prayer that I will faithfully share what He shows me through scripture reading.

I also realize my own wretchedness and that God has anything to do with me is nothing short of amazing. To say “we have all fallen short” is most definitely an understatement. Just “missing the mark” might mean we are in some fashion near what God had intended. The truth is that most of us are woefully short. May God work through me as I get out of the way and let Him.

The first chapter is Luke 1 (chronological by chapter).

Luke 1 That is a long Chapter. Its starts with Zacharias being promised a son (John the Baptist)) Interestingly enough it states he and his wife Elizabeth faithfully followed the Lord for their entire lives. By lot (which God controls) he got to go burn incense before the Lord and an angel appeared to him. It also mentioned others were praying (where 2 or 3 are gathered...). After following the Lord for years he asked for proof that what the angel said was true and consequently his speech was taken. It is difficult to accept changes or new things as we get older because we have that history, and we must be vigilant that God will do what He says, even if we have years of experience and memory that says otherwise.

The next story is the immaculate conception. Nobody has any human experience with a woman becoming pregnant without having sexual relations. I think there are some examples in nature of other species but not human. Mary being young, accepted the word of the angel, and instead of asking for proof asked how it would be done. When God tells you something that your experience makes you skeptical of ask the "how" question instead of demanding "give me proof".

The two stories contrast possible reactions. One from someone who had followed God his entire life, and a young woman (or girl). Life experience on one hand seems to make people less likely to believe God will act or do a certain thing. However life experience makes us cognizant of our own mortality and aware of our shortcomings. Its interesting how we change throughout our life stages.

Elizabeth's baby leaped in the womb upon hearing Mary's voice, who was only at the most a few weeks pregnant. Two examples of God recognizing people as people before they were born.

For me the immaculate conception is easy to believe God is BIG. He knit us all together and for Him to cause Mary to become pregnant is not difficult to believe. Others may say she slept around and got in trouble but they are denying the greatness of God (making Him smaller) and trying to explain the happening based on what they have experienced and not what God said. They also were not there, and neither was I so any discussion of the virgin conception and later birth is a distraction. People will either imagine a God that could bring that about or they will choose not to. It can't be "proven" one way or the other.

Another interesting thought is that news of John the Baptist conception and birth was cause for joy. The people realized God was acting and they praised Him for it. It takes time for a baby to be born grow up and act (or start his/her occupation). In this day we want everything now, we don't want to wait. We want that new car, that fast computer, the latest electronic gadget, and we don't want to wait, its "inconvenient". We know the car will wear out, the computer will be replaced by a faster model, and the electronic gadget will have a better one come out next year. We sacrifice our time and resources (extra resources if we borrow money to get that car -NOW) to get things now. Its interesting that the culture of that time was satisfied to know that God was working out His will and they were alive to see it. From Baby to ministry in Jesus case was 30 years. Is there any person or thing you would rejoice about now knowing a potential 30 year wait lay ahead ? A lifetime of waiting for action based on a promise. In our day we want the follow through NOW.

In conclusion I hope and pray for God's blessings on the reader. He has blessed me a great deal, some of which I only see after the passage of time.

I also need to remember to type things as text, then cut and paste.