January 16th

Today's lesson is the perfect response to Keith's "boggle the mind" from yesterday. 55:8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares The Lord". So hard for us to grasp yet that's what causes us to to continue to seek The Lord and call on him (55:6).

At Hartland we sang a song about this verse.
When we make choices we should think/pray about if we should be doing it or not.If not think about what God would like you to do
and pray.

What the daily bread is saying is sometimes we don't know why God wants us to do something because God has a great and powerful mind.Todays lesson reminds me of another verse "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" Proverbs 3:5.



By the way I am no longer in my special reading class. YEA!

Don't do what you think is best for you, do what God thinks is best.

? How do you know what God thinks is best? Listen when I pray, and talk to God.

?How do you talk to God? By praying



Go to God!

Yet Jesus interrupts us in the midst of our routines and calls us to a new and better way. But beware! This encounter with the ways of Jesus will be challenging.

It can be very challenging to follow the ways of Jesus, at least for me.

and suffering has purpose (5:10-11).

This is one of the harder lessons to learn.

Throughout the Bible we see stories where God is given human characteristics so that we might have a better understand of his nature. We read about "Shepard-Lamb" relationship or "Father-Son" relationship or numerous others that try to help us understand. Unfortunately we then begin to limit the role of God to these examples. We begin to personify Him. The fact is that the nature of God is so overwhelming that we are not capable of truly grasping it. We also want to "personify" our expectations in prayer. "A just God would..." Not having the capability to comprehend we easily get frustrated. In the words from an old hymn, all we can do is Trust & Obey.

Emily and I were talking the other day about how I should respond to a complex situation at work. Generally, if its a touchy situation that requires an email, I'll have her filter it BECAUSE MY FIRST REACTION IS ALWAYS WRONG (or at least my anger is not subtle enough!) So I get out what I want to say, throw it away, and start over. So this last week, she told me to "go with my gut." I said I'd say out-loud, at home, what my gut is, and it would be wrong. Then I'd go into work and do the opposite, and I'd probably do OK. Turns out doing the opposite of my instinct is generally a wiser, less emotion-filled choice.

I wonder if it is that way with God. Sometimes I feel like if I want to do it God's way, I should start out with my instinctual reaction, then turn a 180 and I'd probably be facing a better direction.

PS - I'll try to remember to take the laptop to San Mateo next week so I don't miss WED & TH