It's been a while since I blogged about explicitly spiritual things. With the closing of 2007 and praying through the year, I realized God had taken me through some new and different trials. One of which was sleep deprivation, and walking with Him when I couldn't connect with Him or anyone on a deep level because I was simply exhausted. It was really hard! I had grown accustomed to having time with God whenever I wanted/needed, and now with baby, I do not get to do what I want when I want. Moreover, when I have free time (i.e. Joy goes down for a nap) I often would have to nap with her. These things have been good for me in lots of ways--challenging how I see myself and find worth--but it's definitely shaken things up a bit.

Quick baby update: Fortunately, Joy has been sleeping a lot better lately. It was rough for a few weeks, due to her two little teeth that popped up on the bottom around the end of the year, but now she only gets up once a night. She is getting very close to crawling and gets around quite well by rolling and pivoting on her belly. She can scoot backwards on her belly, and she'll rock and lunge in the crawl position, but hasn't figured out how to coordinate her arm and leg movements. Needless today, we are busy baby-proofing our home. Joy has also started babbling--saying ba-ba-ba-ba, wa-wa-wa-wa and ma-ma-ma-ma. It's pretty funny.

But I was talking about explicitly spiritual things. (I believe that everything is spiritual and even the little mundane things are spiritual and have spiritual ramifications, but we'll save that discussion for another time.)

Mike and I have been talking a lot about obedience lately--specifically, obeying God. A dear friend was praising the Iowa City church to me--rejoicing in how God has blessed this church for their obedience. I mentioned this to Mike who mentioned how they are getting to the basics--spending time with God and looking for something to obey that day, (Mike heard it in one of their podcasts). I remember Rick Whitney sharing that at one of the first Faithwalkers. Reminds me of something one of the teachers at Faithwalkers this past year was really pushing for: obey what you know. "Knowledge puffs up..." but if we obey what we know, we grow. When I heard that I thought it sounded like something that would be really good for my life, so that's something I've been really trying to do. In the past, for my daily times with God I just spill my guts, pray over ugly things that pop up (like anger, impatience, etc.) and try to plan my day with the Lord. I'd try to find a verse that "speaks to me" at least on some level, write that down, and then try as I might to be full of the Spirit that day, I usually get wrapped up in things and forget what I had read earlier that day.

So I've found it really refreshing to my daily Bible reading to look for something to obey that day. When I find my eyes glossing over the Bible, I remember "I haven't found anything to obey today." and it makes me stop, pray, and seek what God would have me read and obey that day. It's been refreshing to have something specific to try and do rather than try to do everything I've ever learned I'm supposed to do to be like Jesus. How far we fall short in so many ways!  Good thing that if we've accepted Christ, our actions don't really affect our standing with God or His love towards us--those are secured.

Last night I listened to Hershel Martindale's teaching on Love from the other Faithwalkers conference. One of the parts that struck me was his talk on walking by the Spirit. He compared it to getting drunk, very humbly. I'm not going to be able to say this as well as he did, but I'll try to recount it: To get drunk, one must make a choice to drink alcohol, then one feels the effects and walks in them. Similarly with the Spirit--one must make a choice to be filled with the Spirit, and then one feels the effects and walks in it.

Now it's only been about half a week since I've tried doing this, and I liken it to Hershel's teaching because he was saying that most people deliberately try to walk in the Spirit for a while, but soon forget about it. (In his example, he told some people to try walking in the Spirit for a specific amount of time (days) and for the first week people were okay, but by the second week days had gone by when they forgot about it altogether.) Anyway, I know that with anything we do, that we are weak and I'll be forgetful. But the more I can be aware and make choices to walk towards/with God, the better. I know there's no formula--it's all about walking with God, but the more I can put into practice that I read, the more I'll be like Christ and have His peace.

Anyway, today I was reading in Philippians where Paul shares, "Convinced of this, (that it's better for his brothers and sisters that he is alive and with them than with the Lord), I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith." (Phil. 1:25 ESV). I was struck by how Paul is concerned not only with their progress in the faith but also their JOY. And this morning Mike was sharing a verse with me about how joy and obedience are linked.

John 15:9-11 NIV 9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Anyway, this different way of trying to find something specific in God's word to obey that day has brought me joy, and I thought I'd share it in hopes that it may encourage you in your progress and joy in the faith.