Color Me Manual?

My brother was showing me how to drive a manual car today. One thing about it is being careful to make sure you are in the right gear or the car will stall or even cut off. That got me to thinking about my life. How often do I put myself in the wrong gear of being distracted or out of focus and then wonder why my life comes to a stand still or sputters? I am sad to say a lot. I need to focused. I need to be in the right gear for the speed I am needing to go. Sometimes life is faster and sometimes it slows down a little, but whatever the speed I need to be in the right gear to accomplish whatever I am being called to.

Color Me Blessed.

I have so many blessings in my life. I have a job that I can honestly say I love going to everyday, two amazing churches(one at home and one here), a wonderful family...the list goes on and on. God throws in incredible sunsets and phone calls from friends just because. I feel full to overflowing with love and blessings lately. My God is good. He was good when I did not have a job and He is good now. He is always good no matter what my life is like and I will forever worship Him.

Color Me Fluent.

So I am experiencing culture shock right now. I am already learning Korean from church and I am studying Greek and Hebrew to get a better understanding of the Bible and NOW I will be learning German because my new job is at a German restaurant. Wow, this is very exciting. God, give me the ability to absorb all of this knowledge and help me to be a light in this new work place. Help me to be Your hands and feet. Thank you Jesus for all of the blessings.

Color Me Obsessed.

And I don't mean about anything bad. I am obsessed with the Word. I have been reading more because I want to be able to share as much as I can with the girls in my Sunday School class and although I have read the Bible so many times, for the first time, it is coming alive! The words are leaping off the page at me and I am overwhelmed by the awesomeness of them all. I was reading about Abraham and how we have always placed him on this pedestal like his faith was so unobtainable for us, but dig deeper and you see Abraham acquired his rock solid faith through some very shaky, very unlikely, very painful times. He was beginning to doubt that God was going to fulfill his promise to him when God appears and says that He is Abraham's shield and he will be richly blessed. The first thing Abraham replied was " God what can you give me?" What?! God just promised him a son and to be his shield and many blessings and Abraham asked God what could God possibly give him because he was old and had no son? God showed himself to Abraham at that time and just like with Job, Abraham was satisfied. He was not satisfied with God's answer, but with God himself and it was then that his faith was built. Guys, when God shows up, we don't need answers. We may get some, or like Job we may not, when that happens, when you enter the presence of God you won't be looking for answers, He will alone satisfy you. Nothing else will matter. It doesn't mean we will never be afraid or never doubt. It doesn't meant that those things will disappear, but that they won't matter anymore, He alone will matter. Dig in guys, there are some beast stories in this Gem we have called the Bible.

Color Me Responsible.

Sunday school yesterday was awesome and not because I did any good teaching or even that my girls were completely responsive, but they blew my mind for sure. I asked them what they wanted to learn about most and to be honest, I expected them to say something vague or typical. Boy was I wrong. They responded "Can't we just learn the whole Bible? Like start at Genesis and learn the whole thing?" There is no words to describe my response in my mind. Haha! And now I have begun to try to begin this teaching of the whole Bible and this is my new response---- AAAHHHHHHH!!!! How to even begin? I began reading Genesis and there is much I do not even understand let alone know how to explain to young girls. Lord, reveal Your word to me. I am fumbling around in a sea of knowledge too lofty for me to obtain. Explain to me so that I can explain to them. I am so lost without You.

Color Me Distracted.

I think satan tries to get me with this more than anything else. It is the one thing that requires constant discipline. I am suffocated with distractions every minute. If it isn't thoughts it is emotions or memories or family issues or friends or worry or fear. I can't afford to be distracted. Being burdened is one thing, even being overwhelmed for others I can understand, but the other distractions I don't need. I don't want anything slowing me down, I don't want anything hindering me or disqualifying me. I want to run this race I have been given. I want to be faithful. I want to accomplish this awesome purpose I have been given. Lord, strengthen me with Your strength. I want to be consumed with Your desires. I want to keep my eyes on You because You alone are worthy and matter. Consume me with You Lord. Only You.

Color Me Raw.

I am in agony right now. I feel consumed and overwhelmed and burdened. I feel the weight of others on my shoulders. I feel their lostness, I feel their hurt, I feel their raw need. I have what they are looking for. Lord, ignite me with Your courage, consume me with Your passion, set me ablaze with Your desires. Break my heart every hour if that is what it takes for me to be diligent. Bring me to me knees every minute if that is what it takes for me to remember others. Carve Your longings into me. Open my eyes to see others as You see them. Make me more aware of the needs of others. Nothing less.