I spent too much time on the Internet, but a lot of emails and connections were required.
Last night, I dreamed of going running to a place in a former dream... meeting people and having experiences that were odd. Just the people that were connected to this dream. I bought a net to use as a ladder. The net had very small fibers, similar to a net for catching minows. Then I bought a case of Dr. Pepper that was quite strange, they were in gourd like shapes coming with an attachment to enable opening and drinking them, which reminds me oddly of an old oil can that needed puncturing with the spout attachment. It was also a distance I haven't run in a long time. I am thinking it is a place reminscent of Shiyan. The mountain I used to bike to the top of ... took about 45 minutes at max speed for a round trip from home. I wanted to run it, but never did. So familiar, so strange. The shop reminded me of a collection of places all merged into one; New York Donuts & Coffee (North gate of our Beijing complex), Clarence Center Coffee Company (coffee shop), and an old gas station.
In thinking about my goals... I need to get to the gym today and tomorrow. I have been doing a little workout at home, but this isn't the same. I need cardio.
The Daily Bible - Genesis 22-23
God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. A ram is provided. Sacrificing the greatest treasure, the only hope of the promise, this is truly putting faith in God... Abraham even says before arriving, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering my son." Isaac was provided by God, so Abraham could be speaking of his son, returning his son from death, or trusting God to miraculously provide a lamb. The Bible makes a reference to the idea of returning him from death, "Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death." - Hebrews 11:19.
Sarah's death and burial - only woman in the Bible with her age mentioned. Is that why women don't ever want to be asked their age, Biblical example? :-)
Boundaries in Marriage - Applying the Ten Laws of Boundaries to Marriage
Law #5: The Law of Motivation
What is the motivation for saying yes or no? If there is fear, this shows that love is not yet perfected in the relationship. "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." - 1 John 4:18.
If any of these fears are present in the decision to say yes or no to a spouse's request, then the decision should be reworked to remove the following fears:
- Fear of losing love
- Fear of a spouse's anger
- Fear of being alone
- Fear of being a bad person
- Fear of one's guilty feelings
- Fear of not reciprocating he love someone has given (thus hurting his or her feelings)
- Fear of losing the approval of others
- Fear of hurting one's spouse because of overidentifying with his or her pain
Choice is God's gift to man. We are blessed with freedom to choose, however with God we know the consequences for our choices before hand. He tells us what is right and what is wrong (not in minute detail, but in the grand scheme and larger details of life).
Since God gives us this gift, we should give it to others. Removing pressure, fear, and other negative relational cues from all of our relationships. There is a proper time and way to apply fear or pressure in parenting and similar relationships, but it shouldn't be placed directly on the individual. Most "parenting professionals" (teachers, etc.) would say to put the pressure on the sin, the problem, to focus on the negative behavior, not the child or the relationship.
Prayer
Thank you Lord for your sacrifice. Thank you for giving us Jesus and freedom. Help us to submit to your will, knowing you love us fully, knowing you give us grace to learn and grow in your love. Thank you Father!
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