Mike recommended David Allen’s book “Getting things done”, and has given me a copy to read. It’s not explicitly a spiritual book, but Mike knows many people who recommend the book as a help in getting things organised and priorities set. We’ll be working through it together in the coming weeks, and I’ll be recording my thoughts and experiences here, starting today.
The book says basically that existing methods of organizing our lives are no longer good enough, because of the changes in society, and particularly work, which have happened in the past decades. In order to be concentrated on what we are doing, we need to be sure that we’re not forgetting anything important to us. We need a system to help us with that. The book aims to help people develop such a system.
The basic requirements for such a system, the author claims, are: Continue reading “Getting things done”
Day: August 12, 2005
Philippians 3:12
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me“.
That is an interesting statement! For what did Christ Jesus take hold of us? The cross-reference in the NIV points to Acts 9; Paul’s conversion. There, Jesus says to Ananias “This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.” Ananias probably told Paul that. Do we know why Christ Jesus took hold of us? We often tend to think that it is so that we can have eternal life and our relationship to our Father be restored. However, that is what Christ did for us, not something which we must “press on to take hold of”, except in the sense that we must “finish the race”. Finding out what it is in my life is part of what I’m trying to do here in Colorado.
What is it in your life?
Beautiful blue Colorado sky!
A photo just for Mary-Anne, who was complaining about the weather in Basel:
Isn’t that beautiful? 😉
Still not well
It’s now my second full day here, and I’m still feeling the effects of my cold and the jetlag.
Yesterday was both frustrating and interesting. Frustrating because, as Mary-Anne already wrote, my notebook turned out to be very unreliable. I have managed to order the replacement part for the other notebook, though, so things should improve next week.
Mike is off fishing with his son today and tomorrow – they invited me to go along, but the way I’m feeling now, that would not be a good idea. Continue reading “Still not well”
Abraham: der Glaube empfängt die Verheissungen Gottes
“Der Herr sprach zu Abram; ich will dich segnen; und du sollst ein Segen sein.” 1. Mose 12.2
Dieses Wort steht in der heutigen Losung. Abraham musste warten so wie auch wir Steven und ich warten müssen, bis wir uns wiedersehen.
Zum Losungswort möchte ich einige Gedanken für den heutigen Tag “zu Papier” bringen:
Abram, der “Vater des Glaubens”. Der Erste, der von Gott konkrete Verheissungen über seine Zukunft und Nachkommen erhalten hatte. Gott verhiess Abraham Land und einen Sohn, durch dessen Nachkommen der Eine kommen werde, der als Erlösung für die ganze Welt gedacht war. Abraham wurde aber auch über alle Massen getestet, ob er diesen Versprechungen Gottes Glauben schenkte. Sein ganzes Leben bestand aus einem Test und war zugleich Ausdruck seines Glaubens, der sich im Akt des Gehorsams, nämlich zu Warten (nicht Aktivität, nicht Programm) bestand: Würde Gott sein Versprechen halten, ihm einen Sohn geben? Sein Leben bestand aus Warten auf diesen Sohn und unterwegs zu sein; denn auch erst durch die Nachkommen dieses Sohnes käme es zum Landbesitz. Dieses Verhalten Abrahams kann man “Glaubensgehorsam” nennen; ein Handeln, das sich ausrichtet auf das, was Gott gesagt hat, an diesem festhält trotz aller gegenteiliger “Beweisführungen der Natur” (Sarah war unfruchtbar und dennoch sollte durch sie der Erbe kommen). Continue reading “Abraham: der Glaube empfängt die Verheissungen Gottes”