Simplicity

On Thursday I took A to the Field Museum.  It was a free day and I thought it would be a good learning experience for her.  So after her school, we headed to one of my favorite places on earth... Downtown Chicago...

We had so much fun looking around and we both learned a lot.  But the reason for this entry is a reflection of my time there.

If you have ever gone to the Field, it is a cool place... It has different exhibits that feature history around the world.  And this is where my reflection starts.  I walked through many of the exhibits in awe of how people lived a long time ago.  How did they live in a teepee with those tools?  How did the Egyptians move all those bricks?  Of course they have explanations, but it was just fascinating... I got sad though as I walked along... You see a picture of how people lived so simply a long time ago and worked so hard... And we have all the means to make life simpler than those who lived a long time ago, but we are still so busy and don't have time for the important things in life.

I remember when I was at the age of dating and being serious with a guy, people around me would say how I could tell if a man would work hard by holding their hand.  If their hand was rough and scratchy then he knows hard work, but if a man had soft smooth hands, then they wouldn't know what hard work really was.  So much research shows how more and more people are just sitting behind desks.  Not that sitting behind a desk isn't hard work, but for someone to really wrestle with the earth and get down and dirty is something different.

So going back to my Field Museum reflections... I was sad and felt heavy of the fact that we humans created things to make our lives simpler only to grow farther from the one who created us.  Our lives are so easy and comfortable that we don't need God, we basically could figure it out on our own.

I just want to learn how we balance all that we could have and all that we absolutely need.  I want to  be content with what I have and use my time for the glory of God with the resources that I have...

One thing I thought of was Facebook... Such a great tool to keep up with people and connect with others, but it could really consume my time... I've wrestled with the thought of disconnecting from Facebook, but then thought how I could use it for God's glory... So I've thought of putting praises for my status update.  People will still know about my life, but it's in a way to honor God.

I want to do that more with my life...  Find ways to Glorify God!!  Thanks to the Field Museum...

Are we missing it?

Tonight I took A to Disney on Ice.  Because it was going to be a night event, I knew that she needed to nap during the day to survive this wonderful night that I had planned for her.  So on the way home from picking her up at my friend's house, I told her that we were going to go home, take a nap, wait for Eemo (my sister), go out for dinner and then go to Disney on Ice.  Of course A did not want to nap, so I told her if she didn't nap, she would not be able to go to Disney on Ice.  She in her 5 (now almost 6) year old attitude told me that she didn't want to go.  I'm not one to buy into that, so I told her that was fine and that I would find a sitter for her and Eemo and I would go on our own.  That was not what she was expecting me to say...

I tell this story because as I sat in the show (she ended up taking a nap and apologizing for her attitude), I saw her face full of excitement, joy and amazement, which I knew was going to happen.  I thought about how it would have been if she didn't nap, she would have missed out on this opportunity which I knew was going to be awesome for her.  So then as I thought about that, I thought of how many wonderful opportunities I missed at having a magical experience from God because I didn't want to "nap".  How many times has God challenged me to do something that I didn't want to do, but He knew it was going to be good for me in the long run?  How many magical moments did I miss because I had this attitude?  Are we missing it?

This week I have been talking about the story of the Prodigal Son and his older brother with a friend.  My friend specifically was lamenting the older brothers of this world...  The older brother who stayed at home and didn't mess up and did everything right...  who when his brother was forgiven and brought back into the family as if nothing happened got angry...  I'm not saying that we have to all go out and mess up like the Prodigal Son to really get it, but the older brother really missed the point.  And whether it's attitudes of not wanting to take the "nap" that is going to be good for you or feeling unfairness because the brother was forgiven... Do these attitudes play in to us missing the magical things in life that God has for us?

This is a thought I had before going to bed tonight...  Let's all be people of grace, righteousness and love!!!

Another beginning

Tomorrow my second semester starts.  I am really excited about 2012.  I sense that it will be a great year.  This is going to be a short post... I just wanted to ask for prayer... God has been leading these weeks with two words... Spirit and Truth.  I feel that this is how I am to live 2012, in spirit and truth, not that other years I wasn't supposed to live that way, but I really sense Him bringing those two words clearly into my mind as I spend time with Him.  So please pray as I start this year.... pray that I will live a life lead by the Spirit (Holy Spirit) and Truth (His word).