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Facebook (FB), are you on it yet? If not, I am sure you have received a gazillion requests to be a friend to someone. I started my own FB page because my children convinced me that I would be able to see what they are doing all day. What mother doesn't want to know what their children are doing at all times?
It has been a month since I plastered myself on FB and I have 56 friends already. Who would have guessed that I even knew that many people. Honestly, half of our FB friends are people that you don't ordinarily talk to, they are just acquaintances. And it is nice to have an acquaintance ask you to be their friend, giving you the "key" to the door of their life.
So is it good that we are better able to communicate with people and learn more about them and their lives? Or will FB become the only avenue we use to reach out to our friends? Jesus says in John 15: 12-14 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you." Do you believe that He meant for us to just drop a post online and you are obeying this commandment? Hmmmm.
I know the jury is still out for me. I have found that since I have been on FB, I am not calling people to check on them as much because I just have to go on and see what they have written. I have noticed that I can see where my time with God is decreasing and FB time increasing, so FB is becoming a stumbling block for me, which means that I need to step away from the computer more. But in the same breath, when I am on FB and able to see what is going on with my 56 friends. Not because I am nosey, but through their FB posts I am more aware of their joys and heartaches and can then contact them. Yes, there is a whole lot of goofing around on FB, but in my circle of friends, it is a fun kind of goofing.
So you tell me your thoughts about FB - good or bad and why. Am I keeping His commandment via FB, or am I just trying to convince myself something that isn't true? I know most of you posts on FB - but post here this time!
Blessings,
Becky
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
It's Not Fair!!
If I were to guess, everyone of us has said "It's not fair!" more than we can count. I know I have said those very words so much that you would think I was two years old. And if I'm not saying it, I am thinking it.
Recently one of our sermons was on Matthew 20:1-16, the parable about the landlord who goes out and hires workers to work in his vineyards. Grab your bibles and read through it. The farmer goes out in the street at 8am and hires a few men and promises them a certain wage. At noon, he see more men that were looking for work and he gives them a job. Later he goes into the village and spots a bunch of men just standing around and asks why they are not working, and they tell him it is because they don't have a job. So the farmer says that he could use them in his vineyards and tells them he will pay them well. When the day is over, all of the laborers stand in line to get paid. The men who began working at five pm were the first to be paid, then the men who started at noon, and finally the men who had worked all day. Well the men who started working early in the morning was paid the same wage as the men who only worked a couple of hours, and they were not happy. They protested loudly that it wasn't fair they didn't get more. The way they saw it was that they were out in the hot sun for ten hours, so their paycheck should be a lot more than those dudes who just worked a couple of hours. Makes sense to me. I think we would all be questioning the farmers fairness here.
I could go deeper than you or myself would want to go with this parable. Truthfully Jesus told this parable for us to see that the workers he had contracted at the beginning of the day represent Israel and the workers who didn't have a contract represent the Gentiles. And that man looks at the quantity of the service where as Jesus looks at the quality of the service. He is saying that salvation becomes available to all through faith in Jesus Christ; Israelite or Gentile; and not how much we try and work our way into heaven.
But back to the "not fair" issue here. The way our pastor put it was "yeah, so what." There are things in life that just isn't fair. I know people who have a bigger houses and fancier cars. I know people who are able to jump on planes and fly off on vacation every year. I even know people who can walk without pain medicine or crutches miles at a time. And I admit that I have at least thought it wasn't fair that I my neighbor buys the best and nicest cars every two years. I admit that I have thought it isn't fair my sister is flying to Florida next week and the last place we went on vacation was to the 1000 Islands four years ago. And I also admit (ashamedly) that I will see people jog past my house and have even said that it isn't fair that I don't have two good legs.
Well God wasn't going to let me get away with that big pity party! He reminded me that yes, there are bigger homes than mine and smaller ones. That people fly here and there and others who are confined to nursing homes unable to even go outside. More importantly that there will always be people who will run faster than a speeding bullet, but I need to stop whining and start praising Him for being able to walk as much as I can.
He doesn't promise us a rose garden, but He does promise to be right there to lift us up when life sends us those moments when we say "it's not fair". Truthfully, I wonder if He was nailed on that cross saying, "this isn't fair"? Talk about something not being fair...look what He did for you and me so that we would be saved.
In His Love,
Becky
Recently one of our sermons was on Matthew 20:1-16, the parable about the landlord who goes out and hires workers to work in his vineyards. Grab your bibles and read through it. The farmer goes out in the street at 8am and hires a few men and promises them a certain wage. At noon, he see more men that were looking for work and he gives them a job. Later he goes into the village and spots a bunch of men just standing around and asks why they are not working, and they tell him it is because they don't have a job. So the farmer says that he could use them in his vineyards and tells them he will pay them well. When the day is over, all of the laborers stand in line to get paid. The men who began working at five pm were the first to be paid, then the men who started at noon, and finally the men who had worked all day. Well the men who started working early in the morning was paid the same wage as the men who only worked a couple of hours, and they were not happy. They protested loudly that it wasn't fair they didn't get more. The way they saw it was that they were out in the hot sun for ten hours, so their paycheck should be a lot more than those dudes who just worked a couple of hours. Makes sense to me. I think we would all be questioning the farmers fairness here.
I could go deeper than you or myself would want to go with this parable. Truthfully Jesus told this parable for us to see that the workers he had contracted at the beginning of the day represent Israel and the workers who didn't have a contract represent the Gentiles. And that man looks at the quantity of the service where as Jesus looks at the quality of the service. He is saying that salvation becomes available to all through faith in Jesus Christ; Israelite or Gentile; and not how much we try and work our way into heaven.
But back to the "not fair" issue here. The way our pastor put it was "yeah, so what." There are things in life that just isn't fair. I know people who have a bigger houses and fancier cars. I know people who are able to jump on planes and fly off on vacation every year. I even know people who can walk without pain medicine or crutches miles at a time. And I admit that I have at least thought it wasn't fair that I my neighbor buys the best and nicest cars every two years. I admit that I have thought it isn't fair my sister is flying to Florida next week and the last place we went on vacation was to the 1000 Islands four years ago. And I also admit (ashamedly) that I will see people jog past my house and have even said that it isn't fair that I don't have two good legs.
Well God wasn't going to let me get away with that big pity party! He reminded me that yes, there are bigger homes than mine and smaller ones. That people fly here and there and others who are confined to nursing homes unable to even go outside. More importantly that there will always be people who will run faster than a speeding bullet, but I need to stop whining and start praising Him for being able to walk as much as I can.
He doesn't promise us a rose garden, but He does promise to be right there to lift us up when life sends us those moments when we say "it's not fair". Truthfully, I wonder if He was nailed on that cross saying, "this isn't fair"? Talk about something not being fair...look what He did for you and me so that we would be saved.
In His Love,
Becky
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Hello.....do you hear me???
Good afternoon. I am sitting at home with snow swirling all around my driveway, forcing me to stay put today. So when I am not running people here and there, I actually think. Yep - it's true. And I have been receiving emails about the Loungo's all day and that got me to thinking and praising.
This is going to be quick because I have cookies in the oven. I believe that everyday of our lives, as believers, God gives us at least one opportunity per day to be His servant. And if you are like me, it is so difficult to be able to listen and hear Him when He calls upon us. Everyday life really can drown out His voice and we miss so much of what He wants to say to us. And sometimes I do hear Him, but I try to push His voice to the back of my mind because I have way too much to do already. But I also believe that our pure offering to Him is to step up and to obey that voice.
So what did you do today for Christ? What did He lay on your heart to do for Him? I know He gives us opportunities every day. It could be as simple as a phone call to someone who needs encouraging, or taking on a major project for a family in need. What have you done today? I personally called and talked to my mother in law who has been home sick with pnemonia since Jan. 16th. And it made her day just to have someone call and show they cared. That small gesture is sharing His love with someone who needed it.
Post it! Nothing is more inspiring than to read what others are doing for Christ. Please bless all of us with a post!
Lovingly in His service,
Becky
This is going to be quick because I have cookies in the oven. I believe that everyday of our lives, as believers, God gives us at least one opportunity per day to be His servant. And if you are like me, it is so difficult to be able to listen and hear Him when He calls upon us. Everyday life really can drown out His voice and we miss so much of what He wants to say to us. And sometimes I do hear Him, but I try to push His voice to the back of my mind because I have way too much to do already. But I also believe that our pure offering to Him is to step up and to obey that voice.
So what did you do today for Christ? What did He lay on your heart to do for Him? I know He gives us opportunities every day. It could be as simple as a phone call to someone who needs encouraging, or taking on a major project for a family in need. What have you done today? I personally called and talked to my mother in law who has been home sick with pnemonia since Jan. 16th. And it made her day just to have someone call and show they cared. That small gesture is sharing His love with someone who needed it.
Post it! Nothing is more inspiring than to read what others are doing for Christ. Please bless all of us with a post!
Lovingly in His service,
Becky
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