James 1

In small group us girls have decided to start memorizing Scripture passages and share them with each other on Wednesday nights and I decided that the book of James is a powerful book that I want to start committing to memory. This week I'm working on James 1:2-8.

Yesterday, I got caught up on the word "steadfastness" in verse 3-4. "for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." So I looked it up in my concordance and here are the cross references that I found to help shed some light on the topic of steadfastness:

1. It is something a man of God should pursue (I Timothy 6:11)
2. God shows "steadfast" love to those who pursue Him (Dueteronomy 5:10)
3. God's love is steadfast (Ps. 27:3, 51:1, 86:13, 100:5 and Lamentations 3:22)
4. "...Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." (I Corinthians 15:58)
5. It is purduced by testing of your faith (James 1:3)

Success!!!!!

So coming off a summer of NO TV and maybe a movie on the weekends when I came back to school I went through sensory overload. After 2 days of actually watching TV on my computer I was struck with the realization that I didn't like it. I don't like feeling like I need to keep up with a show or I'm missing out on something. SO I decided not to watch TV for the entirety of soccer season and that movies would be an occasional occurrence but not a constant presence in my life (TV shows on DVD were one of my exceptions but even then they were treated like movies).

Looking back I have succeeded the only TV I've actually watched was a couple minutes of Sports Center and I can't believe the freedom I feel. Don't get me wrong there are several TV shows that people talk about occasionally and I think "hmm I wish I could watch that". But I am so thankful for God's faithfulness and although I can't exactly say how I was rewarded/blessed over the last couple of months with the extra time I am so thankful for the freedom that I feel and the significantly less garbage that I didn't put into my mind. (to the point that when soccer finished yesterday I wasn't even sure if I wanted to watch those shows again)

So to sum up this post, it is definitely something that if you struggle with that I would challenge you to do. I've decided that I will extend my TV show fast until the end of the semester and pray that God will work in my life and continue to change me into the person He wants me to be.

So the other day I took an adventure to the Como Zoo/Conservatory because it was beautiful, warm and I needed some time alone with my thoughts and God :)
Here's some pictures from that adventure:

So some days I wish I was better at this. It's one of those things that definitely gets pushed to the last thing on my to do list and therefore gets done oh maybe every once in a while :)
Thanks to the small group I've been going to I've started memorizing Scripture each week (the girls in the group are keeping each other accountable) it was interesting to see how last week God totally brought the verses to mind and I would find myself contemplating them. (I memorized Daniel 2:20-24)

Well this week I'm memorizing James 1:2-8 (I'm going to start working through James, I find it to be a very powerful book)

² Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ⁶But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

I wonder why I write this, but who knows someday I can look back on it/maybe someone reads it and gets something out of what I'm writing... :)