5th Advent Candle - A video Devotional

4th Advent Candle - a Video devotional

3rd Advent Candle - A Video Devotional

What capacity

I read an article this week Inc magazine about Evernote a note taking program that works across platforms and syncs on all of them so where ever you are using Evernote the info stored is always the same.  I was reading it because I use Evernote and in fact I was probably an early adopter (which surprised me because I'm normally slightly behind the curve) either way thats not the point I would like to make.  As I read the article I realized once again I have a fairly powerful tool with lots of excellent features that I use very little of.
Which seems to be the story of my life, I have a mac book but only use a few of the features and an Iphone same there, digital camera, video camera, etc the list goes on.  But what about my life?  What skills do I have that I'm only using a portion of the capacity?  What about my talents?  Or spiritual gifts what about those?
At this time of year I like to take a look at the goals I set last year to see how I did (15%) and set new goals for the coming year or extend the old ones for another year.  Sometimes my goals are probably just ideas I would like to pursue and just didn't get around to, but sometimes they are concrete and are things that should be done.  Either way I'm not operating at capacity either at meeting goals or using my gifts and talents.  So then the real issue may be setting realistic goals that are in line with my gifts and talents.
Then to drive home the point while I took a break in writing this post I was checking out our sewing machine and looking for the model number so I could order a manual to see how to repair it.  As I was looking around in the sewing cabinet that houses the machine, I saw some sewing "stuff" (pin cushion, needles, bobbins etc in a compartment to the side.  Well now first of all I didn't know we had that stuff and second I didn't know that drawer actually existed.  How's that for not using things to there capacity.  As I think more about it maybe it has more to do with being impatient than not really fulfilling a capacity.  Because if I took the time to actually be aware of what I had i.e. read the manual or explore all parts, find out what it has, etc... I would probably use it, but then again maybe not.  Maybe I'm just content getting by rather than excelling.  Too many options to explore in this post maybe I'll save that for another time.

2nd Advent Candle - A video devotional

Preparations for the future

I was listening to the Hugh Hewitt show the other day and he had author Eric Mataxasspeaking about his book "Bonhoeffer". Eric stated that he believes God told him to write it and that God's hand has been on the whole process, even in its success. Which led me to ask the question "Why?". The immediate answer (to myself) was that God is preparing us for something to come. The gist of the book and Bonhoeffer's life (not to over simplify but just to make a point) is his stance as a pastor against the Nazi regime and his death at the hands of Nazi concentration camp soldiers. Could it be that God is once again preparing Christians to take a stance against an oncoming world leader or system that is anti-christian and anti-God? Have you seen the video 180 Movie by Ray Comfort you need to. It could happen! The old adage that those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it is true. Having just read a book on the history of the Roman Republic before it became an Empire I see things daily in the news that remind me of the politics prior to the collapse of the republic. I'm not saying that we are doomed to become Nazi Germany but I do believe we will see more open persecution of Christians and others who are willing to take a moral stand against an out of control government and it's "submissive" population. So then the question is are we ready? Am I ready? I don't know that answer but in the years to come I feel that each one of us may have to answer that question for ourselves.