?....are my ears open...am I really listening....?

So yeah...I've been trying to read the entire Bible and so far all I have left is Acts and Revelation left in the NT. The OT I'm going to tackle next...leaving out Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes, as I read them out of order. I read some verses yesterday and today in Revelation where the different churches are being addressed and repeatedly the churches are being asked "Are you ears awake? Listen!" It goes on to say in chp 3 to Sardis, "I see right through you work. You have a reputation for vigor and zest, but you're dead, stone dead. Up on your feet! Take a deep breath! Maybe there's life in you yet. But I wouldn't know it by looking at your busywork; nothing of God's work has been completed. Your condition is desperate. Think of the gift you once had in your hands, the Message you heard with your ears--grasp it again and turn back to God. If you pull the covers back over your head and sleep on, oblivious to God, I'll return when you least expect it, break in to your life like a thief in the night." Revelation 3:1-3 (MSG)
It made me think about this holiday season, and all the craziness in Matt and I's life just trying to get Christmas presents for everyone and also the time that I've put into making alot of them for individuals. What work have I done for Christ this past month? We're approaching HIS BIRTH!, and I'm busy running around without my head half the time.
I've also been comtemplating another issue with myself. I sat in Cedar Creek Church a couple of months ago, and the topic was dealing with sufferings in your life. They showed a video clip showing many evils in the world: 9/11, the Iraq war, homelessness and poverty...(insert your own experiences with suffering) And I began to think, "WHY ISN'T GOD DOING SOMETHING ?! WHY IS HE JUST SITTING BACK WATCHING!?" And all of a sudden it hit me like a ton of bricks: Why aren't I doing anything? Why aren't I giving my time and money to bring aid to these people. Not just 5 minutes here and there writing a check, but really GIVING my time....even just to pray for them. Wouldn't I want people to bring me aid and also pray for me if I was in their situation? Maybe God allows all of this junk to happen in our lives to make us want to step up and do HIS work. The work that he can definetly do without us....why aren't we taking the responsibility to try to make it right? Maybe God's giving us this opportunity to act, and it grieves Him to know we aren't doing anything....nothing....


On a lighter note though, we had a wonderful weekend at my parents place the 16th and 17th. It was my grandma Jones' 85th birthday! It was so nice to see her and to also see our family that we don't see much.
On Saturday we went with my mom, Britney, Tim and Tyler to downtown Dayton to take a wagon ride. Tyler's so cute! (he's 3) I told him that the horses had big booties and he looked me straight in the eye and corrected me saying that the horses have "big bottoms!" Very cute! We miss him when we're gone...


Here's some pics from the weekend trip down with our new camera!