Dear Sisters,
Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted anything new for the Convent. Sure, I have excuses for being absent but they aren't good ones. I've pulled my resources together today, made a pot of tea, and have sat down to update the Convent calendar. Won't you join me for a cup of tea?
As of the publishing of this post, the October Prayer and Bible Reading Calendar has been updated. I'm spending some time going back and filling in the scriptures for previous months because I want the calendar to be complete. I also don't want to have to update these calendar items next year so I'm tweaking the settings to do a yearly repeat. How does your tea taste?
I've been deep in thought about some things lately. The stress at my day job has been high and unfortunately I've been one of the complainers too. Technology seems to be dying all around me: work computer died, my dvd player died, and my personal laptop is limping along. Is your tea too hot or too cold or just right?
I'm missing my friends who live in another state and even the friends that live in this state. Facebook helps a little bit with keeping up with events in my friends lives but it's my own fault for failing to initiate the contact with them to see how they are doing. I stepped out of my usual modus operandi to contact those people I've been missing to see how they are doing. I had some good conversations with them via text which helped me feel better and provided me with some good prayer items that I can take to the Lord on their behalf. Do you need a little sugar for your tea?
There is one friend that I've tried to have a conversation with but it hasn't happened. I've sent texts. Sometimes I get a short response while other times I get no response at all. I know that something isn't okay on their end and I fear that it's because of something I have said that was interpreted incorrectly. I've prayed about it along with asking for the conviction of the Holy Spirit if I have in anyway sinned against this person. I don't believe that I have but I know that something has upset this person. I am aware that they have a lot going on in their life currently, some of it based on things in the present while other things are based on events in the past. I continue to place this person in the Lord's hands because I can't do anything else for them. I also know that for my own sanity and emotional well-being I can't let their problems and lack of contact pull me down into their depressionary pit. I have my own depressionary pits with which to deal. I pray that someday there will be a conversation that clears the air and we can move forward in the direction that God wants our friendship to proceed (Philippians 3:13-14). Would you like a refill of your tea?
I've been struck with the conviction to forgive lately. This came through especially today with a lesson that I had to teach to the young ones at church. The lesson was on the second part of Matthew 6:12 - "...and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors." Take a moment and think about this verse. Now go read Matthew 18:21-35. Seriously, go read it. I'll wait and sip my tea while you read the passage.
Whatever another person has done to me is so small in comparison to what was required to forgive me and all of us of our sins. Christ's life had to be taken, His blood had to be spilt to cover all of our sins in order for God's wrath against me to be satisfied. I have been forgiven so much so I should forgive others for the incredibly big and small things they have done to me. Because on the scale of things, those things I see as big really aren't big at all. Consider Luke 7:47 "Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven -- for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." I have been forgiven so much so not only should I forgive just as much, I should also love much. Do you have trouble loving others and forgiving them? If you're having trouble, it's because you are trying to do it in your own strength. It's not going to work. True forgiveness and true love for others comes through the power of Christ not ourselves.
I pray that we will continue to forgive others as God has forgiven us and to love others with a great love because of the forgiveness that we have received.
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea. Would you like to stay for another cup? I made a fresh pot. :)
Sister Jane
Romans 14:8
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Now for the animal Frank update: My parents don't have any grandchildren so they dote on their grand "cats" instead (these are the Convent cats). They've also decided to help with supplying treats for Frank. The corn cobs came from them while I dashed off to the store to buy a cob holder to hold them. I have my eye on a different kind of squirrel feeder but I need to save up for that one. All I can say is that the Franks and Francines of the area are enjoying the treats. The original Frank is still the friendliest of them all. :)
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