MARCH 31, 2012~~ REFLECTIONS ON JOSHUA AND PANCAKES...?...
I missed several days of blogging recently, but as I continued to read the book of Joshua, I did feel some important words stepped out of the pages. One verse that hit me like my made from scratch pancakes on an empty stomach was Joshua 22:5. I used to make pancakes from scratch for Michael when we first got married. Although this seemed like a wonderful thing for a newlywed wife to do for her husband, in this case, it wasn't. My recipe apparently lacked the balance of the ingredients, and although they looked edible, and going down they tasted fine, I would say good, they sat like a rock and we felt the heaviness of them in our stomachs. Ha! Ha! Why do I tell you that? Well, the following verse although very appetizing, sounds so easy and sounds so much like something we would WANT to do..even Strive to do...wouldn't we just eat up every opportunity to "keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you; to love the Lord your God, (oh, that is easy, right!) to walk in all his ways, (mmm, did he say ALL?) to obey his commands, (I got this! There are only 10, right? and I'm no murderer and Of course I'm not a thief!--my momma taught  me better than that!) to hold fast to him and to serve him with all of your...(ouch, here it comes...) heart and (yikes...is he gonna use that word again?) ALL your soul. (lump in my stomach--like the pancakes...gulp.)
Why when I have been blessed to have been raised in a Christian home from a child do I find myself sighing at the final words of that verse? Why do I feel like I serve him but without ALL of my heart and ALL of my soul? I could list a number of excuses. mmmm, I'm so busy! It's just our culture, we are sidetracked in so many directions! Don't make me go on.  I could list the truths...I'm lazy, I put other things first, I am afraid to go wholeheartedly forward because I can't do this alone and sometimes the people around me are not yet on the same page as I am (or are they and I am not allowing them to shine because of my attitude?)...mmm excuses. Lame.
Well, I could stop right there because the words are clear. I could condemn myself and remain unchanged, or I can choose to move forward each day reaching to put more of my heart into my relationship with God and more of my soul into serving him. That is the beauty of God. He always forgives, always takes me back, always gives me another chance to follow. So,
Did I mention that the verse starts out with .." BUT BE VERY CAREFUL TO..." I have since found a recipe for pancakes that delights from box (that's right, box!) to body. They are truly light and fluffy, and my family feels satisfied, but not sick, after eating them. Each day I am blessed to wake in this world I am given the opportunity to start anew and no matter how many mistakes or neglects I have from the past...I can choose (and I do) to go to the perfect recipe--THE BOOK) and to move forward. Each triumph is satisfying.

PSALM 90 ~~ MAKING EACH DAY COUNT
Today's date shouts the truth--time flies. We are dancing into Spring, however, I can barely remember Winter. I am forging in to the week but I can barely remember yesterday. My days are filled with the aimless activities of life and my mind overflows in constant motion like a waterfall spilling over a mountaintop into the misty pool below. And yet...amidst all the things we deem necessary to carry on, the best days we have are all but (vs.10) "trouble and sorrow...for they quickly pass, and we fly away."( vs.4,9)  "For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by..all our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan."
I often look around and know how blessed I am to be healthy, to have my family, to live in a free country. But, do I truly appreciate it? Most often my days are filled with the humdrum monotony of daily existence and I rarely take the time to glance around me and experience the wonders God has set before me or to look for that moment he may place in my hand to make a difference in someone's life. I don't think this is what we exist for--to exist. That is no existence at all.
What can I do to resolve this? Focus on my attitude. My mind says, feel sorry for yourself if noone paid special attention to you today, dwell on the little problems and worries that plague you, you are alone, other people's lives are perfect (Wow! Who came up with that one? The father of lies!) But what if I fought my attitude? What if I prayed for the following, even as Moses prayed this thousands of years ago... (vs 12) "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom...(vs 14) satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. (vs 17) ...establish the work of our hands for us..
If we let the Lord establish the works of our hands, he can (vs 15) make us glad for as many years as we have seen trouble. He can turn what seems to us as an unrewarding day or moment into moments we can celebrate. I want to wake up singing joy and be glad in this day and the next and the next.
(17)May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon (me) (you) us.

Deuteronomy 29:1-31:29 ~~ Human Nature or Self Gratitude?
Having not joined this blog group from the beginning of the Bible, I feel I have missed out a bit. We are reading at a pretty furious pace for our busy lifestyles...I mean three chapters a day, right? Well, for me that means if I miss one day because I think my messy house is top priority or because I have to go to work early that day, I run the risk of falling multiple chapters behind. Should this cause me to quit in defeat? Well, according to what I read today, human nature has a tendency to lose interest and slip back into their old ways.
The Lord reiterates several times in the earlier chapters of Deuteronomy (I mean isn't it wasting valuable space in the Bible? It is pretty thick as it is! hah) "be careful that you do not forget the Lord..." (6:12), "Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord..." (6:17), "Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today..." (8:1), Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands..." (8:11) and clearly he repeats himself that even though he tells the people over and over...obey, listen, make sure there is no man, woman, clan or tribe whose heart turns away to worship other gods, they are bound to say "I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way."
Is that human nature of just self gratitude? Or is that one in the same? My favorite verses of today's chapters may be from chapter 30. " ...what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach...No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it." "I have set before you life and death...now choose life, so that you and your children may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life..."
Well, life goes on for the Israelites, and they hear what the Lord has said and the Lord knows that they will fail him, even before he's done talking. How true is that. But he gives them a chance, there is always a chance, to come back. 
What I would like to remind myself today is that:
 * the Lord is my life (not the dishes, laundry or stacks of paperwork that need going through...not the win your wedding contest or facebook :)
  *this is not too hard for me--three chapters?!  ( God's word is right here--in several forms and dusty translations, it is me that needs to make the choice to put him first.)
  *When I get lazy or distracted and fall away from him, but I return to him with all my heart and soul, he shows compassion and gathers me back even from the most distant land under the heavens.
So, no need for me to give up! No need for me to quit because I fall behind a few chapters...keep going!..then the Lord will again delight in me! ...and will make me most prosperous in all the work of my hands. Sounds like a good start to the day? Right? 

An introduction from Pamela...

Thank you for visiting ~Reflections/snoitcelfeR~. My purpose is to blog my way through the scripture. Though our views may be different, our goal should be the same...Honor God, Listen to his Word, and Grow closer to Him. Thank you to my friend and sister in Christ, Deby, for inviting and encouraging me to grow closer to God in this unique way. This invitation is extended to all and any of you who wish to join us for this purpose and along the way may I bring a smile to our Creator as I attempt to share my thoughts, observations or personal reflections on the words He has entrusted us with.