The 4 Outs

Knowing God does not happen by accident. It takes deliberate action.
1 Cor 9:24-Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one gains the prize? Run in such a way that you may WIN.

Winning is giving everything and running as hard as you can. God doesn't give pity prizes.
Thus when you run:
Throw-out: Every excuse for not winning. Excuses are drugs to make us feel better about failing. Here is the evidence:
Heb 12:1- Let us lay aside everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with endurance the race set before us.
Watch-out: Set a guard over your heart. Watch what you put in your eyes and ears. Because the things you look at and listen to effect your heart. Because out of the heart flows life.
Proverbs 4:23- Watch over your heart with all diligence for out of the heart spring the issues of life.
Cry-out: God is not deaf, he is not callused or immune to his children's cries.
Jeremiah 33:3-'Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'
Isaiah 65:24-It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
Lastly,
Stand-out: Don't conform to this worlds standards of living. Have a fig tree standard, Be ready in season and out of season. When Jesus found the fig tree without the figs, he cursed the tree and it died. He expects us to always be baring fruit. Don't substitute excuses for fruit.
2 Timothy 4:2 - Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
So, in short. Be intentional! Use everyday to grow closer to your savior. Put him first and take time to listen to his voice.

Where is my Desire?

So I'm at work reading the latest book my PI gave me, and I'm listening to music as a song I haven't heard in forever came on. It was Close by Jeremy Riddle. And at the end of his song he sings "I must see more of you".
And I got to thinking... When was the last time that I cried out with that kind of passion. I must say I thinks its been awhile. But that is not what I want from my self. The last thing I want is to be a sideline Christian. But at times I think thats where I'm headed. Where is the passion and fire that burn so furiously only a few short months ago. I still want more of God, but I feel like I'm burning with desire anymore.

So homework for MiniMug. Find out were that flame started flickering and rebuild the fire.
-MiniMug

Food in the Desert

So exciting news... I'm all settled in to my summer program a priztker school of medicine. And wow, I could totally see myself here for the next nine years... I think I may be falling in love with a new school... (no offense UW@ Madison). Love my roommate. She is such a sweetheart. She is from Nigeria and quite beautiful inside and out! The other students in my program are great as well. It seems as though we will all be quite close by the end of the summer. It's a interesting feel to be on the complete opposite end of the higher education spectrum, Everyone here wants to be a doctor! And I must admit that for the first time I felt like I was on the right track.  Today we toured the campus and stopped by the Anatomy lab and took a quick look at parts of a cadaver. To be quite honest I didn't know how I would feel seeing a cadaver for the first time, but I only felt eagerness to get in my own anatomy class and learn more. I'm feeling more and more sure that M.D. P.h.D is the right thing for me.. That is EXCITING!! Yay!

So only down side of this summer is the lack of information. They neglected to tell us that we wouldn't have a meal plan when our dorms have no kitchen (except for a community kitchen for the entire building!) soooo they told us that we have to buy all of our own meals (eating out everyday) CRAZY! so I'm planing on buying a refrigerator and cooking in the community kitchen.. That should be quite an experience. But I am thankful for this wonderful oporttunity and I can't wait to see just wait God has in store for me here.

Look to the LORD and his strength;
       seek his face always. 
-Psalm 105:4

Things to Remember

Beauty is-- Not what you are but what you will become

Learning is -- Not how much you know but what you comprehend

Knowing is -- Not just having something in your mind, but in your heart.

Courage is -- Not the absence of fear but the faith and love to over come it

Being is -- Not just existing but Living life to the fullest

Talking is-- Not just commenting about the weather, but what brought you through the storms and how you've grown through them.

Silence is -- Not the absence of noise, but the loudness of the still small voice

Listening is -- not just hearing, but understanding.

Growing is -- not become two inches taller but growing deeper in you faith (thanks Angela)

Loving is -- Not a feeling, but an action you live out every day. (1 Corinthians 13: 4-8)

Winning is -- Not where you place but how you played (giving it your all)

Maturing is -- Experiencing the unknown and dealing wisely and honestly with what life brings you.

Burning is -- Not a just a single flame, but an All Consuming FIRE..

Becoming is -- Not looking at the past, but looking to the future.

It is also -- Not outward, but it starts in the heart.

Falling is -- Dangerous, but at the right time totally worth it.

Breaking is -- Not the end of the world.. but the beginning of a wiser you.

Liking is --  not complicated, its simple.. I LIKE!! (wuv you Pendo ).

Missing someone is -- Not something small, but a hole in your heart and life..

Asking is -- not just stating a question but requiring an answer

Prayer is -- not listing your problems but conversing with your Father

These are things to remember... And of which I need to be reminded of daily!

-MiniMug

His plan... Not Mine

He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
-1 Thessalonians 5:24
You know, some how I always think that I've got this one. And every time I think I've got it down I wind up falling on my face. Wow, how graceful. Thank God that he is full of grace and does not kick me out into the street for being a selfish idiot. I'm humbled by the fact that I'm not perfect...
It happened any recently, I tried to take control of my life and mold it into my plan... And again I was disappointed with the result. I started asking God why things weren't working out for me, and then that quite voice said "Your trying to drive your life without a license..." That usually is a problem and accidents almost always happen with inexperienced drivers. The verse here in 1 Thessalonians 5:24 doesn't say that when you call your self he is faithful, but HE who calls you is faithful.
Hmmmm... That's right he does the calling... there is another slight laps in memory that led to a week of frustration and bad attitude. Wow, thanks God for jogging my memory...

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
-Rom 8:28

But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles
-Gal 1:15-16

'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
-Jer 29:11

Habits only stay Habits if you make a Habit of doing them

So sometimes I forget that even if you have good study habits... habits are only habits as long as you keep them up. It takes many times to build a habit but only one time to break one.

So here is the thing.. I think I forgot this term that you have to keep up the study habits if you want to keep on succeeding. I've been struggling with finding a balance between school, play, God and reaching out. I think I forgot that I'm not just at this school by chance. I'm here for a reason, I'm here to be taught but also to teach. The more time I spend tutoring and mentoring people. The more I'm convinced that its going to have a permanent place in my life.  But recently I've gotten so caught up in the teaching and reaching out, I forgot about the learning.

Today I was reading my devo's and this was a little reminder to me.
2 Timothy 2:15
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

Now the way I saw it today was:
Minimug, be diligent to present yourself approved to me!
First thought that comes to mind is diligence, I have not been employing diligence in my life. I'm been doing a lot of unnecessary things that were not needed in the lest.
Second thought, I haven't "presented" myself to God in the longest time. In fact I think I've been doing a lot of hiding from him.
3rd thought, I don't think he'd approve of a lot of things that I've been doing.. For the past week and a half I have been a grump.... G-R-U-M-P Grump and extremely irritable. (So much so, I find it hard to believe my friends still hang around me!). This needs to change, NOW.
So Next part of the verse:
As a Workman who is need not be ashamed.
Not much to be said here but in the past few weeks I've been ashamed. And that feeling has done nothing for my self esteem or poise. I feel like crap all the time, and not that it should but it causes me to treat other people like crap as well. (Oh, grace and mercy please).
Lastly,
Accurately dividing the word of truth.
I don't think I've done a good job of this lately. Actually I think I've done a pretty sucky one.

In short I've realized again that you have to do the work to get the grade. And I am rightly corrected, and humbly chastened. So this is me going home to study for my test tomorrow and read some of that Good Book that is the word of Truth.

Be diligent and be Blessed!
-MiniMug
 
Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.
2 Tim 2:15

Is God big enough or is he BIG ENOUGH!

So we all know that God is big... He is almighty, omnipotent, all powerful, and well He's GOD.
But do you  know it.. In your time of need is it obvious to you. Is it more than head knowledge that you can trust him in any situation, at any time. Is trusting God habit, second nature, your immediate response? 

We all know that with this life comes trials and rough times, but we are never told by Jesus that we should be depressed and subdued by these things. In fact he tells us the exact opposite, that we are to be undaunted, of good cheer (happy), and CONFIDENT in his authority over the world.

John 16:33
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world.

Lets rewind and read that again.... "I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]" The world and all its trials and hardships are CONQUERED through JESUS CHRIST!! God does not lie and faith expects God to act on his word. Faith expects God to be who he says he is and do what he says he'll do.

Has he come through for you before? Does he change?

Malachi 3:6
For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed

James 1:17
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent;
Has He said, and will He not do it?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

If he came through before... Why wouldn't he come through again? Is he not looking to do good things for his children???

Psalm 35:27
Let those who favor my righteous cause and have pleasure in my uprightness shout for joy and be glad and say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, Who takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.

Isaiah 30:18
And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!

Psalm 68:19
Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation!  Selah

Lamentations 3:22-23
Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassion's fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.

I can't say that I serve a God that is all powerful and good,  if he makes the sun rise every morning but can't solve my finance problems, or my broken relationships. (Now we understand that many of our problems have to do with our fleshly desires and passions. It was that the devil that made you go max out your 10 credit cards on Coach shoes, or Bears Tickets, when you have no way of paying them. That was you yielding to the lust of your flesh...  God works with us and in us to solve many of these problems in our life.)

God is Bigger than your problems believe me..

Job 26:7-14He it is Who spreads out the northern skies over emptiness and hangs the earth upon or over nothing.
⁸He holds the waters bound in His clouds [which otherwise would spill on earth all at once], and the cloud is not rent under them.
 ⁹He covers the face of His throne and spreads over it His cloud.
¹⁰He has placed an enclosing limit [the horizon] upon the waters at the boundary between light and darkness.
¹¹The pillars of the heavens tremble and are astonished at His rebuke.
¹²He stills or stirs up the sea by His power, and by His understanding He smites proud Rahab.
 ¹³By His breath the heavens are garnished; His hand pierced the [swiftly] fleeing serpent.
¹⁴Yet these are but [a small part of His doings] the outskirts of His ways or the mere fringes of His force, the faintest whisper of His voice! Who dares contemplate or who can understand the thunders of His full, magnificent power?
Do you need money??? My god owns the cattle on a thousand hills!!

Psalm 50:10-12
¹⁰ For every beast of the forest is Mine,
         And the cattle on a thousand hills.
 ¹¹ I know all the birds of the mountains,
         And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. 
 ¹² “If I were hungry, I would not tell you;
         For the world is Mine, and all its fullness

Do you need Comfort? I serve the GOD of All Comfort!

2 Cor. 1:3-7 "Blessed be God, even the Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and The God Of All Comfort;
Ps. 23:4 "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.

Do you need Grace? His mercies are new every morning!

Lamentations 3:22:23
Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
²³ They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.