Shirlee Abbott

Take the Time (Monday)

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Shirlee Abbott

I know we’re not supposed to envy, but . . . do you see characteristics in other Christians that you wish you had?

Patience, unruffled willingness to wait
Peace (it passes my understanding)
Powerful prayers
Perfect words of encouragement, gentle correction, truth (in love)

These are the characteristics of a mature Christian, yes. Because they are characteristics of Christ. They come not by focusing on the person you admire, but by focusing on Christ. The more time I spend with Christ, the more I become like Him.

I have a long way to go. But I have lots of time. An eternity, in fact.

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Good Morning, America. And Happy Birthday.

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Shirlee Abbott

You’re a big girl, America, all grown up.

Before you were born, America, there was a period dubbed the Great Awakening–religious enthusiasm, profound conviction, joyous redemption. Revival. That’s when you were conceived. God was your Father and the Great Awakening was your mother.

During your life, America, there have been other Awakenings. Spiritual fervor wanes and rises again.

It’s time for another awakening. We pray along with Anne Graham Lotz:

We ask . . . that the church would wake up in its relationship with You and wake up to the urgency of the times in which we live; and that our nation’s attention would once again be so fixed on You that it would return to the faith of our founding fathers.

Good morning, America. Happy birthday.

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Good Morning, America (Thursday)

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Shirlee Abbott

Not a familiar passage, but I like it:

2 Kings 13:17 (NIRV)
“Open the east window,” Elisha said. So he did. “Shoot!” Elisha said. So he shot.

“That’s the Lord’s arrow!” Elisha announced. “It means you will win the battle . . .”

Evil king Jeoash takes a break from war and visits the dying Elisha. The east window faces the rising sun, the new day. “Good morning, King,” Elisha says. “Check out the new day. God wins.”

Good morning, America. Check out the coming day . . . God wins!

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Good Morning, America (Wednesday)

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Shirlee Abbott

From Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, Jan 22:

“Wake yourself up and look to God. Build your hope on Him. No matter how many things seem to be pressing in on you, be determined to push them aside and look to Him. ‘Look to Me . . . .’ Salvation is yours the moment you look.”

Wake up, America! Hope in God. Good morning, indeed!

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Good Morning, America (Tuesday)

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Shirlee Abbott

God: Good morning, America!

Isaiah 60:1
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

Me: [yawn] Soon as I finish my coffee . . .

I’m guessing coffee can’t hold a candle to the glory of the Lord!

Posted in other | Tagged Isaiah 60 | 2 Comments

Good Morning, America (Monday)

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Shirlee Abbott

How do you greet the morning?

Snooze alarm, 10 more minutes
Up and at ’em!
Is it coffee yet?.
Do I have to?

I get up, look out my window and think, “The boundaries have fallen out for me in pleasant places (from Psalm 16). Good morning, America!”

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Secular vs Sacred (Friday)

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Shirlee Abbott

Unity:

body-soul-spirit

food-exercise-rest

praise-Bible study-prayer

No division.

Nuff said.

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Secular vs Sacred (Thursday)

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Shirlee Abbott

I tend to think of my body as secular and my spirit as sacred, with my soul as the referee between them. Not so, God tells me.

Through Scripture:

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NLT)
Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

Through my reading:

From The Strategy of Satan by Warren Wiersbe:
When God saved you, he put the treasure of eternal life within your body.

Through circumstances:

A friend invites me to go prayer-walking with her.

I’m a slow learner.

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Secular vs Sacred (Wednesday)

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Shirlee Abbott

Paul weighed in on the secular/sacred divide:

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)
. . . whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Be careful, you say, about the context. And you’re right. We don’t want to distort Paul’s message. And this particular context is involves eating meat that has been offered to idols, a topic well outside my personal experience.

But if eating meat sacrificed to idols can be done for the glory of God, most of the stuff within my experience can be done for God’s glory too.

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Secular vs Sacred (Tuesday)

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Shirlee Abbott

Holy and mundane–never the twain shall meet . . .

. . . . until I meet up with the ancient writings of Brother Lawrence (ancient, as in the 1600’s):

“We can do little things for God; I turn the cake that is frying on the pan for love of him . . . It is enough for me to pick up but a straw from the ground for the love of God.”

If Brother Lawrence could pull weeds and make pancakes for the love of God, we can mow the lawn or load the dishwasher for the love of God.

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