A Cornicopia Blog of Sorts

I don't really know what I'm going to say, so I'm just gonna let it all hang out today and see what happens. But I do have two very important things I want to get off my chest.

First, Yoplait has come up with this new yogurt that has twice the protein and no fat. It's called Greek yogurt. If you haven't tried it yet, run as fast from it as you can. It tastes terrible and has the consistency of paste, and since I'm no longer in Kindergarten I don't actually enjoy that.

Second, there is a new member of our household. His name is Ninja-Kydan. (He also goes by Ninja Pirate, Pirate Ninja, or Pirate Ninja Kydan.) He is a regular fixture in our house, and has been for the last 4 days. Everyone has seen him except Kydan, who has no idea what we are talking about. Ninja Kydan "sneaks" around (I put that in quotes because I'm not sure any of my kids know the meaning of "sneak.") in a ninja hood with a ninja sword and jumps around a lot. He takes his sword and will try to saw off various body parts of his victims. The other day, Ninja Kydan clocked Dan in the head so hard that two days later there is still a lump. He never talks, so we aren't really sure what he wants with our family. I look forward to sharing any adventures that may come from Ninja Kydan's visit.

So I've been praying a lot lately. I've been making some choices in my life that I'm not exactly comfortable with but feel that God is leading me to make. That is very hard to do, and I'm not really sure I've ever done it. I believe that, for the most part, I've done my best to follow God's will, but up until now His will seemed to line up with mine pretty consistently. Right now, however, we are kind of at odds, and since I know His will is right, I've decided that I might as well surrender to it and make my life easier. It doesn't help that the choice I have made is meeting with a lot of opposition, and I feel like my personal character has been attacked because of it. Other people's opinions on my decision has even caused me to think that maybe I'm not doing the right thing.
I am so amazingly grateful for a loving, faithful God. Every time I come to Him regarding this decision He patiently reaffirms that I am within His will. He hasn't gone so far as to tell me what my next step is, but I've found that I don't really need to know that right now. That is such a strange concept for me. I usually want to know what's next, RIGHT THIS SECOND. It is freeing to be within the safety of His boundaries- the same way it is freeing to live within a budget. Yes, it can be frustrating, but you know that you know that you know that you are doing the right thing, and in the end things are going to work out the right way.

I typically read the Bible or do a Bible study every morning. Lately it has just been a Bible study, and if I am completely honest, lately it hasn't been every morning. Today I recommitted to that and I started reading Isaiah. (Talk about someone who's life choices met with a lot of opposition.) Isaiah doesn't waste a whole lot of time easing the people of Israel and Judah into what is going to be some harsh warnings. He cuts right to the chase:
Stop bringing me meaningless offerings! your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations- I cannot bear your evil assemblies. (1:13) I believe God is saying that He HATES it when we come to church and give him our offerings (or raise our hands, or pray) if we aren't in His will. He HATES it when we come to church!!!! That doesn't make any sense, unless you try and look at it through His lenses. How frustrating is it to hear your child say "I love you mommy. I will do anything to make you happy," while at the same time taking off his muddy boots and leaving them in the middle of the floor and running off to watch TV even though they KNOW they are supposed to do homework first. It's the same thing. Well, not really, but you get the idea. God doesn't love the rituals and habits that we have taken up to honor His name. God loves our HEART behind the rituals and habits that we have taken up in order to honor His name. It is such a vital difference that I think so many people miss. I know I've missed it a lot. And right now I'm going to do everything in my meager human power to get right back in the middle of His glory so when I worship Him, He and I both know I am doing it wholeheartedly. I pray that I stay strong enough to honor Him in every aspect, including talking with those who believe I've made the wrong decision.