Beginning - August 6, 2010

What better time to decide to start a blog then when it's 100 or so degrees outside.  Folks keep saying things like, "The heat index is 114 this afternoon".  It gets a little blurry.  Let's just say it's hot.  Has been a few days and apparently will be a few days more.  My car has one of those temperature displays on the dash that has been overwhelmed by all of this.  It throws up whatever temperature it can think of at that moment.  I kind of like knowing the car is just guessing - sort of like the rest of us.
My intent is to use this as a devotional space to interact with the Daily Lectionary Readings as briefly, or not, as seems appropriate to the day.  I'll list the readings as that might be helpful for some - and then make comments, share observations and so on for the day.  Looking forward to giving this a try.

Daily Lectionary - August 6, 2010
Psalm 37
Judges 9:1-16, 19-21
Acts 4:13-31
John 2:1-12

Psalm 37
v. 4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Like verses like this a lot, but think they are sometimes misunderstood.  We jump to the God giving us the desires of our heart part, without considering what the "taking delight in the Lord" might mean.  Taking delight in the Lord - really - might just shape the desires of our heart a whole different way.  It's not God waiting to dispense whatever we can think of - it's us being open to the gifts that God wants to be the desires of our heart.

Acts 4:13-31
The Daily Lectionary has just begun making its way through Acts again which is great because Acts is a such a good read.  In this passage Peter and John are in trouble with the authorities for healing folks, speaking about their faith and other undesirable stuff.  The deicision is made that they really haven't done anything wrong, but they are asked to cut it out - cease and desist.  Peter and John respond, "Whether it is right in God's sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard." (4:19-20)  If faith is alive and at work in us it won't stay in us - we will be compelled to share.

Praying this day for...
The Yard Sale at Hebron Presbyterian Church, today and tomorrow, 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. both days.  Our PW works hard to put these Yard Sales together.  They get a great response from the community and we have folks who we stay in contact with via their visits to our Yard Sale.  The PW supports a lot of great mission work with the proceeds - just the other day they were able to make a donation to help finish a wheel chair ramp for a mobile home used by a Bullitt County helping agency to assist folks who are homeless.  Praying for all the folks who will be working, all those who will be stopping by and all those who will benefit from the PW's gifts.
What are you praying for this day?