November 24, 2006

• Some key scriptures I’ve been reflecting on recently:
  

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  Psalm 15
  

  A psalm of David.

   1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
         Who may live on your holy hill?

   2 He whose walk is blameless
         and who does what is righteous,
         who speaks the truth from his heart

   3 and has no slander on his tongue,
         who does his neighbor no wrong
         and casts no slur on his fellowman,

   4 who despises a vile man
         but honors those who fear the LORD,
         who keeps his oath
         even when it hurts,

   5 who lends his money without usury
         and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
         He who does these things
         will never be shaken.

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  **emphasis mine**

  That bolded part really defines Christy and I. We are a little more careful to commit to things nowadays–in the old days, we used to over commit ourselves all the time–but even now, if we say we’re going to do something, even if it hurts-we do it. It’s as simple as that. This quality is fleeting in today’s culture, and it is something we highly value in other people. I truly think that my relationship with Al Clifft would not be as good as it is if I hadn’t read this verse and made a critical decision about one specific concert my sophomore year at APU.  I was going to skip a concert to go to an event for Christy. We were only dating, not engaged or married. This same concert was also one that several other people had decided to skip and I think by the time me and a friend told Al that we weren’t going to be there he was pretty frustrated. I prayed about it, and decided to keep my committment to choir even though that meant skipping Christy’s big thing–although we made this big plan of me racing off to meet her there after the concert. Al noticed–and from that point on he really started investing in me, which radically changed my life forever. Al and I have been a sort of mutual blessing to each other over the past several years, and I really think that it was because of this one time that I showed that I valued my word and my committment. I think if I had made another choice, I would have just been another flakey student…

  I guess we’ll only know once I build my time machine and go back to check it out…a Delorean, anyone?

  Oh yeah, and I made it to Christy’s event just before they honored her–so it actually worked our perfectly…
  

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  Psalm 16:8

     I have set the LORD always before me.
         Because he is at my right hand,
         I will not be shaken.
  

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  Setting the Lord before me…wow, that’s a big task. I believe this has to do with decision making–how many decisions do we make every day? Thousands?
  Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying to pray before you choose whether to have a bagel or oatmeal for breakfast–I do believe however, that what we do in our daily lives should be honoring to the Lord. We mostly fail at this, all of us–but what a great concept, eh? Setting the Lord BEFORE you, instead of acting on whatever you want to do and then saying “I hope God will bless this…”
  There’s a difference. And there are some dynamite books written about it, too. You should read them…

  Happy Busiest-Shopping-Day-of-the-Year Day!

  • 2:26 pm
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