Despising the Day of Small Things

A little over a month ago, I headed off with a group of around 20 women to "retreat" to the mountains near Ashville, NC.  It wasn't much cooler than Columbia, but enough so that you could actually sit outside for a while!  As usual, it was a power-packed weekend filled with the Word, fellowship and food! 

The time away was based on a passage from Zechariah 4:6-10.  The key verse is verse 10 ~ "For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel."

To catch you up on the Scripture - these are the Israelites who started rebuilding the Temple about 15 years prior to this.  We know from Haggai 1:4-6, that they've been busy building up their own houses, eating and drinking, spending money and working.  In the meantime, the Temple sits unfinished, a foundation not even noticed.  What a powerful picture of how easily we can become distracted from the work of God in our lives - distracted by our daily doings...

One of the questions posed to us for further consideration was this:
"How do you monitor/guard changes in your life in order to make sure they are from God?"

Have you substituted your own plans, setting aside what God has called you to do? Is He your one pure and holy passion, your magnificent obsession? 

52life

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MIA for the summer?

Hard to believe how quickly the summer is passing by!  I haven't had much time to think, much less blog...  but it has all been good.  In fact - I'm working on pulling together some highlights of thoughts from the summer - conference sessions I've attended, a women's retreat - good stuff! 

Can't remember if I've mentioned before - but this summer I have been feasting on biography audios by John Piper.  Each year, for their pastor's conference, Piper highlights a Christian "great" and gives a talk.  He's covered those such as CS Lewis, John Owen, John Calvin, Athanasius, William Wilburforce and many others.  They are incredible!  I find them interesting and challenging - and they make me want to run the race with endurance and press on with all that I have.  If you are interested, click here and then scroll down until you get to the section "Biographies on Christian biography".  They have all been great! 

So - stay tuned for more - and I will be blogging on a more regular basis again. 
Grace and Peace to you, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Andrea

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Birthday flowers!