Excitement to Execution

This morning... and most mornings of the past week, I have been allowing other things to get the very first part of my morning. This cuts into my devotional time. I must, as the Chinese like to say, insist that before all else I will read & pray.

Yesterday
Jaime met me outside the gate at 12:40 with lunch from Subway so I could run to the International SOS to finish the series of rabies vaccinations after my 3 hours of Chinese. Had a nice chat in Chinese with a professing Christian cabbie on the way there. He was born and raised in Beijing, too. On the way home I stopped into Lion Mart to buy some measuring cups and spoons and had a lovely chat with a couple of Christian ladies. I then went to the flower market and bought 3 strands of LED Christmas lights for the tree - totaling 100RMB. Chatted with the taxi driver who knows nothing of Jesus and nothing of church, but learned that his daughter has graduated college and works in Beijing. Got home just in time to ride the elevator up with Sal, and find Gary patiently waiting for the door to be opened for our men's study group, when Andrey arrived. Great timing! We then went to dinner with friends from English Corner. They told us jokes... more than a few, all pretty good. I tried to relay the idea on this T-shirt: "Hold the 没有!" but it didn't work out... they laughed politely, but didn't really understand. I think they have even been a little offended because China can't provide everything America does... like size 14 (49) shoes. During dinner I got a call from a doctor that wants to attend our worship services! I am relaying details for our Christmas party.

Luke 1-4
From excitement to execution. Luke 4:16-30, the passage where Jesus is telling the people that he has fulfilled the prophecy in their hearing. He goes on to tell them they aren't going to be happy with him, will tell him to heal himself, and that he is going to bless the Gentiles, so they take him by force to a cliff attempting to throw him off! They forgot all the passages that talk about the Messiah being a blessing to the nations, not just to the Jews. They were so focused on their chosenness that it became an idol and they didn't want the Messiah to bless anyone else!

Power of a Praying Husband - Moods
This chapter reminds me of the Luke passage just mentioned (jokingly). But in reality, a women goes through so many changes every day, carries with her all the emotional impact of her lifetime, and has such an interwoven emotionally charged memory that can be a major blessing, but also has a negative side. Being sensitive to the current running through Jaime, I need first to pray for a compassionate response when there is a flare up of the negative side of these moods. On the blessing side... she is able to connect, remember, and work through things in ways I sure can't. God has given women such sensitivity for a reason, I just pray I can lovingly encourage the blessedness of this gift.

Prayer
Praying without ceasing these past few days has really been a blessing. I am so thankful to God for the peace in my heart, the joy of overcoming obstacles with incredible ease, and the softening of my heart to sharing Jesus with more people each day.