I apologise for my prolonged absence... I honestly have not been on the computer at all.

I'll be writing down another passage from "devotion" by Mike Yaconelli.  It is definately one of my favorite books of devotion.  This passage is over confusion.

"Confusion means you're mixed up, unclear.  In other words, you don't get it.  Confusion happens all the time.  We don't understand what our parents mean; we don't understand the pastor's sermon; we don't understand a Bible verse; we don't understand what we're supposed to do next. Being confused is actually not so bad, because it results in being unconfused.  Often when you're confused you're on the brink of a new insight or new awareness.

Of course, when you're in the midst of confusion, you feel kind of stupid.  You doubt yourself.  You wonder whether you messed up or weren't listening to something important.  Most of the time, though, confusion comes because we don't have all the pieces to the puzzle in front of us.  So we just have to wait for more puzzle pieces.  Meanwhile, don't apologize for being confused.  Admit your confusion, learn from it, and start growing."

Luke 22:14-23

"When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table.  And he said to them, 'I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.  For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fullfillment in the kingdom of God.'  After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, 'Take this and divide it among you.  For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.'  And he took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body given for you; do this in rememberance of me.'  In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new convanent in my blood, which is poured out for you.  But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table.  The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him.'  They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this."

"Trina thought she had prayer figured out.  She had just finished a six-week study on the topic in her youth group.  She learned that prayer isn't just asking for stuff from God; it's much more than that.  It involves listening to God, opening up to him, talking with him.  In other words, prayer is conversation, communion, and connecting with God at a deep level.  For years Trina had seen prayer as a way to get God to do what she wanted rather than as a way for God to get what he wanted from her. 

Trina had prayed for years that her dad and mom wouldn't get a divorce.  Unfortunately, last year they did.  Trina was now able to see that the divorce wasn't God's fault.  She felt better about God than she had in years--until a few minutes ago, that is. 

Jennifer had just called to share her excitement.  'Trina, you'll never believe what's happened.  You know how my mom has cancer and everyone in the church has been praying for her?  Well, she went to the doctor today to get the results of her test, and the cancer is gone!  The doctors can't understand what happened, but we know.  God answered our prayers!' 

Instead of being excited for Jennifer, Trina was angry.  God answered her prayer?  Trina asked herself.  Why didn't he answer my prayer?  Why did I have to lose my family?  What, I'm not a good enough Christian?  I didn't pray enough?  I didn't pray right?  Is this prayer thing some cruel joke that I just don't get?"

Imagine you are Jennifer, and Trina spills all of this on your lap.  What do you say first?

Hello everyone!  I apologize for the long delay.  I have found a passage from a book called "devotion" by Mike Yaconelli.  I think I will share it with you.  It is about Doubt.

"Doubt stems from questions that keep us from believing.  Generally, you have to be very brave to be a doubter, because believers generally don't like doubters.  There are all kinds of doubt, of course.  There are lazy doubters who simply use their questions to avoid the responsibility of belief.  There are cynical doubters who question everything just because they like to shake everyone else's beliefs.  We doubt when we don't know, we doubt when we're afraid to know, and we doubt when we don't want to know.  But most of the time disciples doubt because they are confused or lost."

     "Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.  So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord!'  But he said to them, 'Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.

     "A week later the disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them.  Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!'  Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see my hands.  Reach out your hand and put it into my side.  Stop doubting and believe.'  Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God!'

"Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'"

                                                                             John 20: 24-29

     45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.  46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" --which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

     47When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."

     48Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge.  He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink.  49The rest said, "Now leave him alone.  Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."

     50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

Matthew 27:45-50

It's an awful, empty feeling.  Suddenly you feel totally alone.  Your mom says she and your dad are going to divorce.  Or your grandma dies.  Or your boyfriend/girlfriend breaks up with you.  Or your closest friend ignores you.  It's surprising how many things can make you feel completely alone.  When Jesus hung on the cross, carrying our sins, God the Father himself looked away.  Jesus knows what it feels like to be forsaken.  To be left alone.  But Jesus volunteered to be forsaken.  He went to the cross knowing what it would mean.  Why?  So that even when you feel most alone, you won't be.  No matter what happens, Christ will never forsake you or let you down.

"4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved."

Ephesians 2:4-5