Monday, January 16, 2006

Monday, 16 January 2006

What a day! After work I spent a great deal of time figuring out how to use USPS, print invoices and package items that I sold for Vanessa on Ebay. We have sold three of her four outfits we listed.

Vanessa is spending the next three days with a friend in Fort Worth so she will be closer to attend three days of a real estate class.

Walked 2.5 miles today.  I hope to get back in the swing of things. Going to the horses tomorrow. Will ride while I’m there this time.

Doyle had Men’s Meeting tonight. I had to work at Drive Safe. It was crazy at work tonight. I stayed an hour longer than I was supposed to. It was busy when I got there and it didn’t get any better. I was soon alone and couldn’t get it all done. I have a hard time with that. 

I was looking forward to a crop at my Creative Memories Rep’s house on Friday but got an email that there has been a family emergency. One of her cousins was in an accident at work and is now on life support. He is in his late 20’s with a wife and his first child that was born in November. So she may have to cancel. She said she would keep everyone posted. I think whether she has a crop or not I’m going to crop!
 
Another great devotional today from “The God Chasers Network”.
 
Love: the Heart of Worship Mark 12:28-34
Nothing warms the hearts of parents more than to receive the pure, undiluted love of their children. Every time any of my daughters flashed her “I love you, Daddy” smile at me, my heart simply melted. There’s something about the innocent, unaffected love of a child that makes a parent willing to do almost anything for her.
 
God is much the same way. He loves to give good things to His children. Giving is His nature and He gives lavishly. But God especially loves it when we come to Him and spend time with Him not because we want something but simply because we love Him and want to be with Him.
 
In the eyes of the world, love usually comes with conditions: “I’ll love you if…” or “I’ll love you when…” or “I love you because…” Love with no strings attached and no ulterior motive is a rare commodity in the world. I’m talking about unconditional love, the kind of love that says, “I love you…period.” This is the kind of love that God shows toward us. It is also the kind of love He is looking for us in return.
 
The Westminster Catechism, one of the classic historical confessions of the church, says, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” How do we glorify God? By doing what He created us to do. And He created us to love Him. Loving God is more important than all the various things we “do” that we sometimes call “church.” Loving God is the heart of worship.
 
Few Christians ever reach this level of worship for God. Usually our love for God extends as far as our gratitude for what He has done for us. The real challenge is to keep pressing upward into the rarefied atmosphere of those who love God simply for who He is, totally apart from anything He has done. Loving and worshiping God at the level of thanksgiving for blessings and favor is okay. But there is a deeper level – the level of praise and adoration – available for those who dare to press into it. This is the level where the deepest intimacy and fellowship occurs. This is the level of true friendship with God.
 
Loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength means loving Him with everything you are every moment of the day. It means abandoning yourself to a radical, reckless, passionate love for Him. A love in which your greatest happiness comes in simply being in His presence.
 
Are you up to the challenge? Take the plunge. Come back to the heart of worship. With everything you are, love God simply for who He is!
 
Father, I accept the challenge to unconditionally love You. I am eternally grateful to You for all that You have done for me, but I want to move beyond that level. I want to enter the heart of worship and love You for who You are – with all that I am!
 
Sorry for posting the entire devotional but it was too good not to.

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