Well I've written three blogs today, it just seems that every time I start writing I get on another side trail that turns into another post. It seems as though my "confessions" post was quite a freeing thing for me...Praise the Lord.
So right now I want to look at the Israelites...ah, the Israelites they really sucked at life a lot of the time. (I guess it's too bad that I'm just like them)
When you look at the story of the Israelites you see that when they are in the wilderness they are all griping and complaining about how they were better off in Egypt. How at least there they had food to eat there. I guess they all forgot about the inconvenience of bondage, torture, and slavery. And they seemed to forget what God promised...seems pretty convenient to me that this place they are going to is called "The Promised Land".
In the story of Israel we don't just see that they question God's promise. We also see that it might even seem that they were better off before God started doing what He wanted to do. Even though we were in bondage and slavery.
Something that the Israelites had a hard time with, and that I see in my own life, is that they all know how to look back, but what about looking ahead? The can look back and see how nice it was to have food in Egypt (even though life sucked there) but they don't look ahead to what God has said He will give them. I've said to God so many times lately that I'm miserable now, I was better of and happier the way I was, I had no cares then. I wasn't happy back then, I was just blind to the fact that I was in bondage and slavery.
I need to get my eyes off of how much better life was in the places I've been in my journey thus far. They were all just stepping stones to become who I am now, they weren't all in God's plan but still He's used them. I need to get my eyes on where I'm going, what God has for me, how He is going to use me for His glory in the future.
Its not always going to be easy, and I'm not going to always make the right decisions but I heard a quote one time I liked. It went something like this:
"How do you know you're moving forward if you never fall on your face"?
The road to come isn't necessarily an easy one, but its the only one I can change. The things I've been through are called experience, the things I've yet to endure are called choices. So I can do nothing else but to through God let my experience effect my choices.
Cheers to the Big Guy for having something bigger. Here's to what the future holds.
Be Thankful For What You've Had, Embrace What You Have, Reach For What Is Next.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
There Once Was A Boy, And A Girl
This is the story of a boy and a girl, I think you'll recognize it.
After God has created everything and finds that it is good, He gives this command:
"You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Gen 2:15-17
Not too long after we see the serpent, a crafty little bugger comes up and says:
"Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
That isn't what God said at all!
Now lets go back to Jesus' baptism, and temptation.
Something I think is worth noticing about this time in Jesus' life is that after His baptism God says: "This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well please"...then the next words spoken by anyone are those of the Devil, he says "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
"If you are the Son of God"?...Wait...God just declared Jesus is his Son!
Does anyone else see a pattern here? I do...Satan will always bring into question what God has said.
Satan knows that God has a plan, and he wants to scheme one of his own. How often in our life do we find ourselves questioning what we know is wrong, justifying what we know is wrong, wrestling with what we know if wrong?
What if we just trusted what God said? What if we just trusted the truth as truth? What if we just trusted what God has said to be better, to actually be better?
So often in my life I find myself wresting with things that when I look back at them seem so simple. One thing you can be sure of when you are making a tough decision. (At the risk of being annoyingly repetitive) Satan will always bring into question what God has said.
Thats why we need to know what God says about us, about who we are, about what we are supposed to do. We need to trust what God has said, because you can be sure that doubt is going to creep in.
The real hope we have is that even though Satan has a plan for us too...God's plan is going to win out in the end.
After God has created everything and finds that it is good, He gives this command:
"You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Gen 2:15-17
Not too long after we see the serpent, a crafty little bugger comes up and says:
"Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
That isn't what God said at all!
Now lets go back to Jesus' baptism, and temptation.
Something I think is worth noticing about this time in Jesus' life is that after His baptism God says: "This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well please"...then the next words spoken by anyone are those of the Devil, he says "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
"If you are the Son of God"?...Wait...God just declared Jesus is his Son!
Does anyone else see a pattern here? I do...Satan will always bring into question what God has said.
Satan knows that God has a plan, and he wants to scheme one of his own. How often in our life do we find ourselves questioning what we know is wrong, justifying what we know is wrong, wrestling with what we know if wrong?
What if we just trusted what God said? What if we just trusted the truth as truth? What if we just trusted what God has said to be better, to actually be better?
So often in my life I find myself wresting with things that when I look back at them seem so simple. One thing you can be sure of when you are making a tough decision. (At the risk of being annoyingly repetitive) Satan will always bring into question what God has said.
Thats why we need to know what God says about us, about who we are, about what we are supposed to do. We need to trust what God has said, because you can be sure that doubt is going to creep in.
The real hope we have is that even though Satan has a plan for us too...God's plan is going to win out in the end.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
On A Lonely Lonesome Highway, East Of Omaha? Or Born To Be Wild?
Well though the post title may hint towards it I'm not going to share with you guys about me turning the next page in my life, mostly because it hasn't arrived yet.
I am about to share with you all one of my deepest struggles, one that I don't feel that I am flying solo in carrying. I bet there would be a lot of people on the plane if we all to a head count.
For most of my life I have struggled with loneliness. That feeling that you're on your own and no one seems to care, no one seems to know what your feeling and going through, and there is no end in sight. The feeling of being (or at least feeling as though you are) alone. Left with yourself to waste away.
Many nights I have laid in bed feeling this way. This is by no means a pity party for me, but I want to unpack this a little bit if I can.
We all know that Satan doesn't want God's people to be united, he wants us to be separated and feel alone. But I think maybe there is more to loneliness that just Satan trying to make us feel separated.
After Jesus is Baptized and God declares that "This is my Son in whom I love; with Him I am well please" (Mt 3:17 NIV) Jesus is then led into the wilderness for forty days, at the end of which he is tempted by Satan, and of course He overcomes temptation.
I guess so often in our lives when we go through hard times we think that it is Satan trying to get us down, or that it is an attack. But in this story we see that Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Spirit. So when we feel like we're under attack, maybe it's just part of God's plan.
Now I'm going to try to draw a line between wilderness and loneliness. I mean Jesus had to be in the wilderness then tempted by the Devil, I believe that it is what had to happen. So what if when we feel lonely it is just God trying to be close to us, trying to develop us so that He can give us what He has for us? I mean think about all the wilderness the Israelites had to go through before the got what God had for them.
I guess I see there are two ways that this can go in times of loneliness, and wilderness, we can try to fill the emptiness and do our own thing and possibly miss out on what God has for us. Or we can embrace it as God wanting to develop us and be close to us. So maybe loneliness is exactly what He needs for me right now to achieve His plan, and fulfill His promises.
His ways are bigger than ours.
"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Phil 1:6 NIV)
One more little addition to this post:
"I'm only lonely on the inside"
-Who could say it any better than Hootie
For most of my life I have struggled with loneliness. That feeling that you're on your own and no one seems to care, no one seems to know what your feeling and going through, and there is no end in sight. The feeling of being (or at least feeling as though you are) alone. Left with yourself to waste away.
Many nights I have laid in bed feeling this way. This is by no means a pity party for me, but I want to unpack this a little bit if I can.
We all know that Satan doesn't want God's people to be united, he wants us to be separated and feel alone. But I think maybe there is more to loneliness that just Satan trying to make us feel separated.
After Jesus is Baptized and God declares that "This is my Son in whom I love; with Him I am well please" (Mt 3:17 NIV) Jesus is then led into the wilderness for forty days, at the end of which he is tempted by Satan, and of course He overcomes temptation.
I guess so often in our lives when we go through hard times we think that it is Satan trying to get us down, or that it is an attack. But in this story we see that Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Spirit. So when we feel like we're under attack, maybe it's just part of God's plan.
Now I'm going to try to draw a line between wilderness and loneliness. I mean Jesus had to be in the wilderness then tempted by the Devil, I believe that it is what had to happen. So what if when we feel lonely it is just God trying to be close to us, trying to develop us so that He can give us what He has for us? I mean think about all the wilderness the Israelites had to go through before the got what God had for them.
I guess I see there are two ways that this can go in times of loneliness, and wilderness, we can try to fill the emptiness and do our own thing and possibly miss out on what God has for us. Or we can embrace it as God wanting to develop us and be close to us. So maybe loneliness is exactly what He needs for me right now to achieve His plan, and fulfill His promises.
His ways are bigger than ours.
"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Phil 1:6 NIV)
One more little addition to this post:
"I'm only lonely on the inside"
-Who could say it any better than Hootie
Monday, September 17, 2007
Reflections Of Things Past...Good, Bad, Or Ugly?
Hmmm...I bet they never expected this to leak onto the internet!
Again, I bid you all a hello. The pictures above are from the former cutest couple in the world. (Who one night, at Kirk's house, thought it would be funny to use my camera to take millions of stupid pictures of themselves kanoodling. These are just a few of them.)
Yes Central Wesleyan, that is your pastoral staff.
Congrats to Jo and Kirk on their recent engagement. I have no pictures of them (sorry, just the cuties above this time) but I gotta say that it is just awesome to watch my life slowly disappear into the endless void of marriage one friend at a time. They come and seem so strong yet one by one they fall. Couples are gross.
In the mean time, feel free to comment.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Confessions Part 1 (Warning, If I Do All My Confessions...There Could Be A Lot Of Parts)
Well, I have to make a confession, something I have to admit before I can proceed any further with my blog.. I received affirmation considering my blog this week. From an individual who I respect very much. Now here comes the good part. The thing was that when this person said it to me, I felt like I needed to post. Not because I really had anything on my mind to share but because I wanted to impress people.
Now if most of you are smart, (I think you are) then you'll should know better than to be impressed by me. But I have to confess that I feel the pressure to blog, often just for the sake of blogging so people will tell me how much they enjoy it.
When I first started this blog it was more of a joke for me...not even a joke, it was something to waste time that I just all of a sudden seemed to have kicking around. But very quickly it turned into something more for me, which I don't think is an accident. I told myself then that I was only going to share my own personal thoughts and lesson that I learned on my journey through life.
And yet time and time again I have had to stop writing posts, delete posts, and have caught myself writing just for the simple reason that I haven't posted in a while. Numerous occasions during the summer I have sat down and began to post, and yet deep down inside I knew I wasn't in the position to be doing that.
Even today I've frantically been trying to find something to post, because I love it, I love learning from God and sharing it with others in this way. (Writing is really my only way of getting out what I'm thinking) And I admit the frustration that has come when I don't get anything to post, but obviously God isn't done showing me something yet, I just don't see the big picture yet, or I've let my pride overtake what is really important (In other words, I want to say what I want to say when I want to say it...Not what God wants to say when He wants to say it). I want to make sure in whatever I do here, whatever I say, that it has God's blessing.
I see this blog as a place of reflection for me, a place where I can record what God has done for me, so that I never forget it. Because when we forget what God has done for us then it is so easy to just stop following him. And even more than that I hope that this can be a place where I share from my journey in life, my struggles, my strong points, the lesson I learn (and even an inside joke here and there) in hopes that it truly will help or encourage someone else.
So that is my confession...well I guess it is a confession.
I pray that I will never let pride come into this, and that it will remain only what God wants it to be. Without God I would have never made it through some very tough times. Without the friends He's blessed me with I would have then encouragement I needed to endure the trials of life.
Now if most of you are smart, (I think you are) then you'll should know better than to be impressed by me. But I have to confess that I feel the pressure to blog, often just for the sake of blogging so people will tell me how much they enjoy it.
When I first started this blog it was more of a joke for me...not even a joke, it was something to waste time that I just all of a sudden seemed to have kicking around. But very quickly it turned into something more for me, which I don't think is an accident. I told myself then that I was only going to share my own personal thoughts and lesson that I learned on my journey through life.
And yet time and time again I have had to stop writing posts, delete posts, and have caught myself writing just for the simple reason that I haven't posted in a while. Numerous occasions during the summer I have sat down and began to post, and yet deep down inside I knew I wasn't in the position to be doing that.
Even today I've frantically been trying to find something to post, because I love it, I love learning from God and sharing it with others in this way. (Writing is really my only way of getting out what I'm thinking) And I admit the frustration that has come when I don't get anything to post, but obviously God isn't done showing me something yet, I just don't see the big picture yet, or I've let my pride overtake what is really important (In other words, I want to say what I want to say when I want to say it...Not what God wants to say when He wants to say it). I want to make sure in whatever I do here, whatever I say, that it has God's blessing.
I see this blog as a place of reflection for me, a place where I can record what God has done for me, so that I never forget it. Because when we forget what God has done for us then it is so easy to just stop following him. And even more than that I hope that this can be a place where I share from my journey in life, my struggles, my strong points, the lesson I learn (and even an inside joke here and there) in hopes that it truly will help or encourage someone else.
So that is my confession...well I guess it is a confession.
I pray that I will never let pride come into this, and that it will remain only what God wants it to be. Without God I would have never made it through some very tough times. Without the friends He's blessed me with I would have then encouragement I needed to endure the trials of life.
I thank Him for who He is, and for what He does for me.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Bigger or Better?
Well...it has been a while since I posted last. Hopefully this marks the official start of my blogging again.
Well the summer for me was one of, drama...uh, that is about it lol. No, honestly though, it has been a good summer indeed, lots of work at the weir (I love it) a little time on the mainland, a great birthday with my friends. And to top it all off, the most beautiful wedding I have ever been to in my life.
So at this time I must take a second to bid the newlywed Branscombes a congratulations. (There ya go, an official shout out from the Scott Ingalls Blog.) Seriously, the best and most beautiful wedding I have ever been to. And to top it all of THE VOWS WERE AMAZING!!!! (I think you know what I mean)
If you want to see pictures you can find them on Stephanie Fitzsimmon's facebook. She did an amazing job. She's got a great eye...and she did have some pretty good subjects to work with.
Now to the point. I've been watching through some of my U2 dvds the last couple of nights. (And Btw, If you don't think U2 are spiritual...uh...you're wrong.)
But in one concert just before the song "Where the streets have no name" Bono quotes a section from the Message translation (I use the term loosely) of the Bible. He quotes from Psalm 116 around verse 12.
"What can I give back to God for the blessings he's poured out on me?
I'll lift high the cup of Salvation, a toast to God
I'll pray in the name of God;
I'll complete what I promised God I'd Do,
And I'll Do It together with His People"
It reminds me of a song I sang once in a Christmas concert against my will...it went like this "what can I give to the King, give to the one who has everything"...ok yes, the song sucked.
But it got me to thinking about what I have to offer God. All I have is this poor excuse for a life and the mess I have made of it. And God still wants it?
It is still rough for me at times, and I wonder what I am to do with my life, what I want for myself, how I will achieve that and how it will all turn out in the end. Everything I have done, seen and endured in the last year has left me to be summed up in one word...TIRED. It has left me to think that there is no salvation from this weariness. Cause I'm nearing the end of the rope.
I realized once again that through all this time God still wants to teach me, and use me (A reminder is always good). The thought occurred to me, God has so much of a bigger plan for me than I could ever have for myself.
When I'm ready to throw in the towel on myself, God still has a bigger plan for me. When I sin, or when I am about to sin, the though occurs to me "something bigger". Right now I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel, and all around me is confusion, more pain and fatigue but God in the midst of it all still has something bigger in His plan for me than I could ever dream up. God wants to blow my mind with what he has for me, if I rely on him.
I don't know if this has seemed clear to anyone else but I hope so. If you are confused, down, angry, or like me, just worn out. Remember, God has a something bigger for you. When you don't want to go on another day, God has something bigger for you, I truly believe that. So trust, hold onto Him, and rest in his promises.
So I leave you with this thought, this hope, this promise:
Well the summer for me was one of, drama...uh, that is about it lol. No, honestly though, it has been a good summer indeed, lots of work at the weir (I love it) a little time on the mainland, a great birthday with my friends. And to top it all off, the most beautiful wedding I have ever been to in my life.
So at this time I must take a second to bid the newlywed Branscombes a congratulations. (There ya go, an official shout out from the Scott Ingalls Blog.) Seriously, the best and most beautiful wedding I have ever been to. And to top it all of THE VOWS WERE AMAZING!!!! (I think you know what I mean)
If you want to see pictures you can find them on Stephanie Fitzsimmon's facebook. She did an amazing job. She's got a great eye...and she did have some pretty good subjects to work with.
Now to the point. I've been watching through some of my U2 dvds the last couple of nights. (And Btw, If you don't think U2 are spiritual...uh...you're wrong.)
But in one concert just before the song "Where the streets have no name" Bono quotes a section from the Message translation (I use the term loosely) of the Bible. He quotes from Psalm 116 around verse 12.
"What can I give back to God for the blessings he's poured out on me?
I'll lift high the cup of Salvation, a toast to God
I'll pray in the name of God;
I'll complete what I promised God I'd Do,
And I'll Do It together with His People"
It reminds me of a song I sang once in a Christmas concert against my will...it went like this "what can I give to the King, give to the one who has everything"...ok yes, the song sucked.
But it got me to thinking about what I have to offer God. All I have is this poor excuse for a life and the mess I have made of it. And God still wants it?
It is still rough for me at times, and I wonder what I am to do with my life, what I want for myself, how I will achieve that and how it will all turn out in the end. Everything I have done, seen and endured in the last year has left me to be summed up in one word...TIRED. It has left me to think that there is no salvation from this weariness. Cause I'm nearing the end of the rope.
I realized once again that through all this time God still wants to teach me, and use me (A reminder is always good). The thought occurred to me, God has so much of a bigger plan for me than I could ever have for myself.
When I'm ready to throw in the towel on myself, God still has a bigger plan for me. When I sin, or when I am about to sin, the though occurs to me "something bigger". Right now I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel, and all around me is confusion, more pain and fatigue but God in the midst of it all still has something bigger in His plan for me than I could ever dream up. God wants to blow my mind with what he has for me, if I rely on him.
I don't know if this has seemed clear to anyone else but I hope so. If you are confused, down, angry, or like me, just worn out. Remember, God has a something bigger for you. When you don't want to go on another day, God has something bigger for you, I truly believe that. So trust, hold onto Him, and rest in his promises.
So I leave you with this thought, this hope, this promise:
Something Bigger
I thank God for his love, faithfulness, His Love. I thank him for hard times. Without Him I don't know where I'd be.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Ta-Da!
Oh where oh where has that little Scott gone? Oh where oh where can he be? Well folks I realize that I haven't been very vocal laitly on my blog...some would even go so far as to call me a slogger, which is both insulting and eye opening to me.
I would like to apologize for my sucktasticallity when it comes to my blog, I have been on a little bit of a hiatus due to reasons that are completely under my control.
None the less I am sorry and I am going to do my best to blog more often and feed all of you maggots once again. (Ok, I hope no one cares that I called you maggots, but you just all seem to be sitting there waiting for me to spit something out so you can eat it up and not post on it. Anyone who knows me should know better than to be offended by this statement. Anyone who doesn't know me should know that offense is the the bait of satan...plus I probably spelled maggots wrong anyway) But no matter what you think of this post, stay tuned because there is more and better things to come...I hope.
I appreciate the faithfulness of everyone who checks this blog regularly for a new post and get disappointed again and again, I shall serve you better in the future.
Ok, Peace out all.
P.S. Comment!!
I would like to apologize for my sucktasticallity when it comes to my blog, I have been on a little bit of a hiatus due to reasons that are completely under my control.
None the less I am sorry and I am going to do my best to blog more often and feed all of you maggots once again. (Ok, I hope no one cares that I called you maggots, but you just all seem to be sitting there waiting for me to spit something out so you can eat it up and not post on it. Anyone who knows me should know better than to be offended by this statement. Anyone who doesn't know me should know that offense is the the bait of satan...plus I probably spelled maggots wrong anyway) But no matter what you think of this post, stay tuned because there is more and better things to come...I hope.
I appreciate the faithfulness of everyone who checks this blog regularly for a new post and get disappointed again and again, I shall serve you better in the future.
Ok, Peace out all.
P.S. Comment!!
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