Burn

Have you ever heard the saying "Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me"?

I just finished Genesis today (Hooray!), and I am left pondering the significance of Joseph's forgiveness of his brothers for throwing him into a pit and allowing him to be made a slave. The Daily Walk for today asks: Am I a forgiving person? Am I quick to forget offenses against me? It says that true forgiveness means that you totally put the wrong suffered unto you out of your mind. That's what God does after all. I thought I was a forgiving person, but now I'm having trouble with this whole forgiveness concept. I feel like if I forgive and forget, I will be abused. I don't want to be abused. But if that's what it takes, I guess that's what I need to do. If that's what it takes to live for God, that's what I will do. I have a feeling I'll be thinking about this for the next few days.

On Eagle's Wings

Second semester is here, and I am prepared to work hard. I have a lot of great plans and goals that I looking forward to. I usually get really excited around this time of year, and I make big plans, but I tend to leave God out of a lot of them. This semester I have a great set of goals that I can see going down the tube. I know what I am doing wrong, and I know if I want to keep to my goals then I will have to rely on my Father A LOT. One big goal I have is to keep up with the Bible reading plan that I'm on. I want to be realistic about it. I am HORRIBLE at sticking to something for more than a week. I have gone through those teeth whitening kits three times and never made it half way through about a six week treatment. I'm not sure why I keep buying them. I'm not comparing reading the Bible to whitening my teeth, but I am comparing my ability to stay on a simple teeth whitening system to doing something extremely important. I started a two-year Bible reading plan last Spring. That lasted about 4 months - not too bad.

I just read yesterdays reading and it referenced Isaiah 40:31. I ordered the Road ID bracelet that Daniel gave me a gift card for and I had put that verse on it.

"...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." -Isaiah 40:31

Isaiah 40:31 inspired the hymn "On Eagle's Wings," which was my favorite hymn as a child. I need to remember that verse. It could help me out a lot this semester especially when I'm putting focus on a few things rather than running around doing a million things at once. The game plan has changed this semester, and I need to keep focused. I need to rely on The Lord.

Goals (Rough Draft)

1) Keep up with “The Daily Walk Bible.”
a. Give Built to Last Donation
b. Attend Fellowship Kids
c. FOCUS ON GOD
d. Focus on a few friends and Chris
2) Health
a. Work out 4 days a week
b. Keep to food journal every day
c. Do one day a week indulgence diet
i. Bad food list: fried food, sugar, ice cream, pop, etc…
d. More fruit and veggies!!!
3) Finances
a. Eat out only twice a month (once with Daniel)
b. $5 a month spent on Daniel
c. $20 a month on other friend
d. FBC offering (should I count Built to Last?)