12/19/07 - Life Journal - Do You Want to be Healed?

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me."
John 5:6,7

This man, paralyzed for 38 years lay beside this pool, Bethesda, on a daily basis just waiting for someone to help him in the water. Jesus approached him with the simple question, "Do you want to be healed?"

How many people around me are waiting for someone to ask, "Do you want to be healed?" Everyone has a life they are struggling with and many feel there is no one who cares. That's my job, that's where my purpose is fulfilled, showing them that there is one, Christ Jesus, that cares for them above no other. If I go through life with blinders on, not building relationships and sharing life with people I'll never know the hurt, worries and pain that are strangling this world and the freedom in Christ that I have will be cut off at the source.

Lord, open my eyes to the people waiting at the water's edge, begging to be healed with no one there to answer.

11/10/07 - Life Journal - Spiritual Gifts

Only as the Lord has assigned to each , as God has called each, in this manner let him walk.
1 Corinthians 7:17

You can look at this verse in two ways; First, that each person has a talent or spiritual gifting place upon him by God and we commit a major injustice towards Him when we squander theses talents. Be it in a ministry at church or in our everyday life and workplace. Second, sometimes because of resources we can be placed in an area we are uncomfortable with. Every effort should be made to avoid this. It makes for unhappy volunteers and disgruntled employees. My pastor in Orlando, David Baxter, called this a passion killer.

We each know our talents and giftings and should strive to put these to use whenever we can. I've been blessed with the gift of music and the love of knowledge. Being involved in the worship ministry is my gifting and it is keeping me passionate. My love of learning is something I have to tend to all the time. If I'm not learning something new, whether at work or elsewhere I virtually go crazy. I get bored and tortured with feelings of discontent which lead to depression. This is something I have to deal with myself. As far as my knowledge leading to teaching, that's something we'll have to wait and see. I'm comfortable in this media (blogging) sharing insights but vocalizing this in a classroom or pulpit forum scares the crap out of me. There's probably a reason I like drumming. I'm hidden behind the drums and in the case of Sunday mornings I have the plexi sound shield in front of me. I know there's something to stepping out of my comfort zone but also to following what God has called me to do.

Lord I thank you for the gifts you have bestowed upon me, I pray that I will use them to their fullest to glorify Your name.