Comments on: Personal Update http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/ Random discussions about various topics, with an emphasis on simple church and other out-of-the-box thoughts. Sun, 21 Aug 2011 06:17:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Steve Sensenig http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/comment-page-1/#comment-8698 Steve Sensenig Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:38:27 +0000 http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/#comment-8698 Thanks for the well-wishes in this respect! We do have a great support group here in the county, and have also been hooked up with another foster family for them to be "mentors" to us. Our DSS really tries to give all kinds of support in this way. If we move, I hope the next county is just as good about that. Thanks for the well-wishes in this respect! We do have a great support group here in the county, and have also been hooked up with another foster family for them to be “mentors” to us. Our DSS really tries to give all kinds of support in this way. If we move, I hope the next county is just as good about that.

]]> By: MamasBoy http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/comment-page-1/#comment-8693 MamasBoy Thu, 30 Aug 2007 21:44:48 +0000 http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/#comment-8693 Good luck with the foster/adoptive parent gig. My wife and I were foster parents for a while. Have you found a support group of other foster/adoptive parents to help you navigate the system. In my experience, that would be very helpful. At least in NM, there are the rules you are told and then there is how the system actually functions. The two in my locale were very different, and it was helpful to talk to other foster parents to understand how things really work. MB Good luck with the foster/adoptive parent gig. My wife and I were foster parents for a while. Have you found a support group of other foster/adoptive parents to help you navigate the system. In my experience, that would be very helpful. At least in NM, there are the rules you are told and then there is how the system actually functions. The two in my locale were very different, and it was helpful to talk to other foster parents to understand how things really work.

MB

]]> By: Josiah http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/comment-page-1/#comment-8437 Josiah Sat, 25 Aug 2007 02:34:11 +0000 http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/#comment-8437 Yes I can see how our wisdom must be rooted in God for it to be genuine and therefore a function of doing God's will. I think what I was getting at is that sometimes there are decisions which we are free to make that are also opportunities to seek God. Putting on pants not so much as moving to this city or that...and as for our job its actually a unique situation. We felt God's peace from the beginning and are simply asking for confirmation and acknowledging our need for Him as we listen to hear His voice. Sometimes though I have experienced decisions that seemed cloudy and I needed to know direction for God's peace. Yes I can see how our wisdom must be rooted in God for it to be genuine and therefore a function of doing God’s will. I think what I was getting at is that sometimes there are decisions which we are free to make that are also opportunities to seek God. Putting on pants not so much as moving to this city or that…and as for our job its actually a unique situation. We felt God’s peace from the beginning and are simply asking for confirmation and acknowledging our need for Him as we listen to hear His voice. Sometimes though I have experienced decisions that seemed cloudy and I needed to know direction for God’s peace.

]]> By: Craig V. http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/comment-page-1/#comment-8325 Craig V. Tue, 21 Aug 2007 20:39:42 +0000 http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/#comment-8325 That's a great point. We should think about how humility before God is related to our prayers for direction. I'm not sure I follow your either or, however. It seems to me that using our wisdom (in particular our knowledge of the Scriptures) to make a decision doesn't mean that we are not at the same time seeking God's direction. There are ways of asking for God's direction that are anything but humble just as great pride can be behind our own wisdom. The Pharisees and the Sadducees demanded a sign. A man gets up in the morning and soon faces the decision of whether to put on his pants by starting with his left foot or his right. It seems to me that laying such a decision before God is not so much an example of humility as it is an example of a misunderstanding. Could it be that that same misunderstanding can be the source of some of our most fervent requests? To be truly humble is to let God frame not only the answers but also the questions. By the way, Josiah, if you don’t mind my asking, what was the result of you and your friends praying about your job? That’s a great point. We should think about how humility before God is related to our prayers for direction. I’m not sure I follow your either or, however. It seems to me that using our wisdom (in particular our knowledge of the Scriptures) to make a decision doesn’t mean that we are not at the same time seeking God’s direction. There are ways of asking for God’s direction that are anything but humble just as great pride can be behind our own wisdom. The Pharisees and the Sadducees demanded a sign.

A man gets up in the morning and soon faces the decision of whether to put on his pants by starting with his left foot or his right. It seems to me that laying such a decision before God is not so much an example of humility as it is an example of a misunderstanding. Could it be that that same misunderstanding can be the source of some of our most fervent requests?

To be truly humble is to let God frame not only the answers but also the questions.

By the way, Josiah, if you don’t mind my asking, what was the result of you and your friends praying about your job?

]]> By: Josiah http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/comment-page-1/#comment-8318 Josiah Tue, 21 Aug 2007 18:25:50 +0000 http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/#comment-8318 I was doing some reading about humility and the verse came up, whoever humbles himself like this child will become greatest in the kingdom. In this I see that it is not in being childish but in humility of a child that we mature into the greatness of the kingdom. I use the word mature here to bring the earlier discussion into the light of this scripture. And I think there is an interesting point to be made for humility in decisions. We can either make a decision according to our own wisdom which is not a sinful thing to do or we can humble ourselves before God and ask his direction. Our reward is based according to what we have done, though our lives are blessed as His children in both scenarios. I was doing some reading about humility and the verse came up, whoever humbles himself like this child will become greatest in the kingdom. In this I see that it is not in being childish but in humility of a child that we mature into the greatness of the kingdom. I use the word mature here to bring the earlier discussion into the light of this scripture. And I think there is an interesting point to be made for humility in decisions. We can either make a decision according to our own wisdom which is not a sinful thing to do or we can humble ourselves before God and ask his direction. Our reward is based according to what we have done, though our lives are blessed as His children in both scenarios.

]]> By: ded http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/comment-page-1/#comment-8304 ded Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:10:33 +0000 http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/#comment-8304 I have to admit I once held to the idea of "script" which God had for my life. No longer. I believe He has His divine will, which plays out as we discover what it means to love Him. Much like your husband analogy, Craig. His will is not a script for our natural lives, I think it is more akin to He intends we get caught up in(to borrow from George MacDonald), "the wind from the stars." There is a Truth which is not of this earth, it is of heaven. His will is simply we will live our natural lives hearing the rhythms and melodies of that very different realm and thus be alive here from what is there. Which is a faith position resting solidly on Christ and Him crucified. I have to admit I once held to the idea of “script” which God had for my life. No longer. I believe He has His divine will, which plays out as we discover what it means to love Him. Much like your husband analogy, Craig. His will is not a script for our natural lives, I think it is more akin to He intends we get caught up in(to borrow from George MacDonald), “the wind from the stars.” There is a Truth which is not of this earth, it is of heaven. His will is simply we will live our natural lives hearing the rhythms and melodies of that very different realm and thus be alive here from what is there. Which is a faith position resting solidly on Christ and Him crucified.

]]> By: Craig V. http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/comment-page-1/#comment-8280 Craig V. Mon, 20 Aug 2007 20:55:51 +0000 http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/#comment-8280 I like what ded says about certainty (It doesn’t necessarily produce a certainty to ask for certainty. It is the solid rock of peace in Jesus when our Father, in His inimitable way, makes clear He is “directing our steps” toward the plans of our heart.). Can we push the idea a bit further and ask if our prayer for certainty is a request for certainty at all (at least in the normal sense)? This is implied by some of our comments above. Steve says “Above all, I’m not one to make decisions solely on pragmatism or what seems to be beneficial to me in the short run.” So the point seems to be that he wants to make a decision that flows out of his living relationship with God and not one based on calculating what’s best in the short run. Ded speaks of the solid rock of peace in Jesus and seeing that He is directing our steps. I wrote of knowing God’s presence (not entering the Promised Land without God). Josiah talks of being certain in God for He is our Rock. These remarks, it seems to me, indicate that the prayer for certainty is a normal part of our relationship with God, but it might not be exactly what it appears to be. What it appears to be is a request for a kind of objective knowledge. It’s as if we think that God has a script for each of our lives (a wonderful plan I hear tell) and that we can mess everything up if we don’t follow the script. So when we face a decision, we want to make sure we are following the script which only God has access to. Perhaps the truth is more akin to a husband wanting to please his wife. He asks his wife what she wants because he wants to be certain that he gets it right. What he doesn’t see is that it’s in the choices themselves as well as in the result that he shows his love. I like what ded says about certainty (It doesn’t necessarily produce a certainty to ask for certainty. It is the solid rock of peace in Jesus when our Father, in His inimitable way, makes clear He is “directing our steps” toward the plans of our heart.). Can we push the idea a bit further and ask if our prayer for certainty is a request for certainty at all (at least in the normal sense)? This is implied by some of our comments above. Steve says “Above all, I’m not one to make decisions solely on pragmatism or what seems to be beneficial to me in the short run.” So the point seems to be that he wants to make a decision that flows out of his living relationship with God and not one based on calculating what’s best in the short run. Ded speaks of the solid rock of peace in Jesus and seeing that He is directing our steps. I wrote of knowing God’s presence (not entering the Promised Land without God). Josiah talks of being certain in God for He is our Rock. These remarks, it seems to me, indicate that the prayer for certainty is a normal part of our relationship with God, but it might not be exactly what it appears to be.

What it appears to be is a request for a kind of objective knowledge. It’s as if we think that God has a script for each of our lives (a wonderful plan I hear tell) and that we can mess everything up if we don’t follow the script. So when we face a decision, we want to make sure we are following the script which only God has access to. Perhaps the truth is more akin to a husband wanting to please his wife. He asks his wife what she wants because he wants to be certain that he gets it right. What he doesn’t see is that it’s in the choices themselves as well as in the result that he shows his love.

]]> By: Josiah http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/comment-page-1/#comment-8271 Josiah Mon, 20 Aug 2007 15:36:02 +0000 http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/#comment-8271 Wow, this conversation is definitely timely for me. I am joining together with some others this week in prayer about a new job and our goal to hear God's Voice. Whether we hear Him leave the choice open before us or reveal His will I expect to feel certain in God for He is our Rock. Wow,
this conversation is definitely timely for me. I am joining together with some others this week in prayer about a new job and our goal to hear God’s Voice. Whether we hear Him leave the choice open before us or reveal His will I expect to feel certain in God for He is our Rock.

]]> By: ded http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/comment-page-1/#comment-8197 ded Sat, 18 Aug 2007 00:54:23 +0000 http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/#comment-8197 Not half-baked at all! The older I get, the more I realize life is a paradox of living in the tension between opposite poles. Not half-baked at all! The older I get, the more I realize life is a paradox of living in the tension between opposite poles.

]]> By: Craig V. http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/comment-page-1/#comment-8196 Craig V. Sat, 18 Aug 2007 00:18:09 +0000 http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/08/04/personal-update/#comment-8196 <b>Does He ever release us from the child-like faith that allowed us to enter the Kingdom?</b> I asked myself this very question after posting. The Bible seems to ask us to both mature and to remain children in our faith. Paul and the author of Hebrews, in various ways, tell us to grow up. Jesus tells us that the greatest in his kingdom is like a child. It seems to me that we become more like children as we mature and put away childish things, but this is at best a half baked thought. Your example of cognitive planning, it seems to me, points to a weakness in my original illustration. I left out the community. Thanks for your thoughts. I've pinged Steve for your e-mail address. Does He ever release us from the child-like faith that allowed us to enter the Kingdom?

I asked myself this very question after posting. The Bible seems to ask us to both mature and to remain children in our faith. Paul and the author of Hebrews, in various ways, tell us to grow up. Jesus tells us that the greatest in his kingdom is like a child. It seems to me that we become more like children as we mature and put away childish things, but this is at best a half baked thought.

Your example of cognitive planning, it seems to me, points to a weakness in my original illustration. I left out the community.

Thanks for your thoughts. I’ve pinged Steve for your e-mail address.

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