God's Words

This morning in church we had a guest speaker.  He fills in quite often when Pastor is away (as he was this am), and I have come to enjoy those times immensely.  Let me clarify that now!  I did NOT say I enjoy it when Pastor is away! lol  On the contrary, our Pastor feeds us very well and is missed greatly when he is gone.  I was just saying that when Pastor happens to be away I enjoy the gifted speaker with whom he often replaces himself! (How's that for a mouthful?!)  Whew.  Glad we cleared that up!    Anyway.  The speaker this morning was Dr David Beck who teaches at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and also happens to be Pastor's wife's father.  Rather handy that!  =) 

Now on the title of the post.  The sermon this morning was about Loving God and was taken from Deuteronomy 6:1-9.  Because this post is primarily about the text of these verses, I'll make it easy and quote them here: 

Deuteronomy 6:1-9 ESV

“Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord , the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

 

 

As I first read these words today I was reminded how intensely entwined our lives are to be with the Word of God.  ("It struck me so vividly"---for my friends at my home church!)  =) His Words are supposed to be a part of everything in our lives.  Every.Single.Thing.  1. They are to be a part of our heart---part of the very inner place of us, where no one lives except God.  Notice He said that first.  I think that is on purpose, because if God's Words are not treasured there they won't be anywhere else either.  2. God's Words are meant to be taught to the following generations.  Diligently.  Not twice a year, not once a month, not once a week, but diligently.  Think of the thing in life about which you are most disciplined, that one thing you never, ever neglect.  You are diligent about it.  That is how you are supposed to teach God's Words to your children.  (Dr Beck said "You only have to teach your children God's commands when you're at home and when you're away, and when you're awake and when you're asleep.  The rest of the time you can ignore them.")  =)  I am not a parent, so I can't tell you how to go about this diligent teaching.  I'm sure it's different for every parent and child combination.  I do know, however, that a child's Entire life is impacted by how diligently they are taught God's Words.  3.  God's Words are to be woven into the fabric of our lives---in our walking and talking, our sleeping and rising.  But it can't be just quoting the words.  Words that are quoted day after day, but are not allowed to impact your life---those words are meaningless.  These verses are talking about God's Words so woven into our lives that they become alive in us.  We become the walking versions of God's Words.  Does that make sense?   4. God's Words are to govern our lives, our choices.  Dr Beck explained it well, I think.  He said that we don't need to translate this verse literally (though some Orthodox Jews still do).  We don't need to actually paste sections of the Bible to our foreheads and hands/arms, or post Scripture on our gates.  He says that this verse means that we make choices and decisions based on God's Words in our mind and then we act according to the same measure---God's Words in our hands.  Our lives at home and away from home are governed by God's Words (what we do, what we say, where we go, etc).  Whew.  That's a lot!  Can you imagine what our world would be like if all of us lived like that?  Even if all of us who say we are Christians lived like that?!  Our lives all bound up with and interpreted through the filter of God's Words.  Every minute.  I know it would be amazing.

 

So that's what I got from church---well, part of it.  I don't want to sit at this computer typing all day!  =)  It's a lot to think about, to chew on.  A challenge for me, and, I hope, for you too! Don't you love it when God allows His Words to challenge you?  Have a great week eveyone!

Foodie Friday

I discovered a new and delicious recipe this week!  Ooh it's so good!  The other day one of my co-workers mentioned that she had made a new bean salad and I could try some if I wanted.  Free food?  Of course!  Well, let me tell you, one bite of this stuff and I was in love!  Besides that there is nothing unhealthy about it!  So you can pig out without one shred of guilt.  =)  I love foods like that!  Of course, I still pig out on foods that aren't a bit healthy without a shred of guilt either, but we're not talking about that right now! lol  Am I getting to the recipe?  Why yes, as a matter of fact, I am.  Pushy, pushy. 

Here it is (as copied from the back of a foil pack of Starkist low-sodium tuna---right in the aisle at Walmart, don't you know! lol  Yes, I know, you might be a Redneck and all that!  But I just couldn't make myself buy 2.6 oz of tuna for $1.15 just for the recipe when I can buy a can--5 oz-- for $.68!  And the foil pack was low-sodium at that!  Bleck!  So I got out my paper and pen and copied away.)  I'll list the recipe and then add my takes on it below.

Tuna-Black Bean Salad (My title, because I didn't copy down the Starkist title.  Because it didn't change the recipe flavor at all, that's why!)

2.6 oz tuna
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 green onions
1 can black beans
1/4 c canola oil
juice of 1 lime (approx 3 Tbl)
2 T cumin
1/4 c cilantro

Whisk together oil, lime juice and cumin. Set aside.  Combine everything else except cilantro in a bowl.  Pour dressing over and toss.  Chop cilantro and toss with other ingredients. Chill at least 4 hours.

*I did not chill for 4 hours.  Not even close.  I needed supper and could not wait! lol  It tasted fine eating it shortly after it was made and just kept getting better as it sat.

*I don't care for cumin in large doses, so I just sprinkled some in the dressing

*I just used most of a regular ol' onion since I didn't have any of them fancy kind.  Worked fine.

*My co-worker used jalapeno in hers (the jarred kind, chopped) and it was great, so I added some too (though not as "bravely" as she did!)

*Last but definitely not least, of course I added salt!!! And didn't use low-sodium tuna either!  I used about 1 tsp in the dressing, which was a bit salty the first time I ate it--though not too bad, but after sitting in the fridge overnight was perfect.

This is a really flexible salad.  I think it would be fine with canned chicken or salmon, you could switch up the beans with pintos or kidneys, and you could add cucumber or olives (I tried green last night and it was yummy) or tomatoes or avocados or garlic or.......well, you get my point.  You can make it your own!  Which you need to do.  Make your own, I mean.  ASAP.  =) 

Have a great weekend everyone!