I can do all things through Him who strenghens me.

Philippians 4:13

This verse took on a totally new meaning for me during a Bible Study I was involved with a couple of years ago. Growing up, I thought this verse was pretty much the same as all the adults who tell children "you can be anything you want to be". I saw it as my power source to achieve.

However, through the Bible Study, I learned that the Philippians were suffering intense persecution for their belief in Christ. The verse is a promise that we can survive anything through the strength of Christ. No matter what we're going through, with Christ strengthening us, we can make it through. I love that promise!!

Here's Matthew West's take on the verse - awesome song!

There's a website out there that takes people from every walk of life and puts them in front of a camera to tell their story. The stories I have watched are truly inspirational. Here is Scott Hamilton's...

http://www.iamsecond.com/seconds/scott-hamilton/#

Waiting for God is hard.

People have all kinds of advice. Here are a few we've heard recently.

"Pray and then make the best decision you can. God will make it obvious if you choose wrong." Sounds good. But what if God wants you to do nothing? This truly isn't helpful to someone who is really seeking to know what God wants from them.

"God's word will guide you." This is true. Especially about how to live and how to treat others. But I've looked, and it doesn't say one word about whether to take this job or that one. It just doesn't.

"Pray." Very good advice. Nothing wrong with it. But if you don't get an answer right away, you're back at the start. Waiting.

Waiting for God is hard.

When it feels like he isn't guiding and directing, it's easy to feel like he isn't there. Like he isn't paying attention. Like he doesn't care. That's where faith comes in. We have to trust him because he's been trustworthy in the past. We need trust him because he asks us to in his word. We must trust him, because if we don't, then we've definitely missed his will for us. And that is what we were looking for to start with.

But it's not easy. Most things in life that are worthwhile aren't easy.

Here are some verses that have helped me to trust when I couldn't hear him. Hopefully they will help some of you. Because...

Waiting for God is hard.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

We've all heard our kids say it, "I'm bored." The first time Connor ever said it, I wondered where in the world he'd ever heard such a thing. We make suggestions, give them chores, stop and play with them. All wonderful, valid ideas for a bored kid.

But what do we do when we're bored? 

Sometimes I find myself complaining about it. But usually I find myself playing games on Facebook. Or channel surfing our 900 channels without ever really watching anything. 

Why?

With all the stuff we have to do, with a child to attend to, with chores to be done, with media screaming at us from dozens of personal devices... why are we bored?

And what should we do about it?

I think that sometimes we're bored because we have no vision. No idea of who we want to be in five years. Or five days. Or five minutes.

What would happen if every time we felt bored - we went to talk to God? We went to read his words to us? We prayed for the people on facebook? We called a friend we haven't seen in awhile? We wrote an email?

Our lives are so full of cyber-content that we've forgotten how to connect. Maybe that feeling we call boredom isn't really boredom at all. Maybe it's isolation. 

Find a way to connect with a REAL LIVE person the next time you fell bored. I intend to. Expect a call.

It's been awhile. Sometimes it just seems like a lot of work to come here and put my thoughts down. So I don't. 

I also seems repetitive, since I usually post the really exciting stuff on facebook. 

I am also convinced that many of my friends are better writers. Are witty-er. Have more interesting and more valuable things to say. 

But I also feel that God is telling me that he's given me things to say. And that I need to say them. So here goes. I'm going to blog more often. I'll think of something to say.

And if it isn't witty. Or interesting. It's still what I have to share. And since that's what God wants me to do, it will be enough.