tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54148051644598028062024-02-06T23:03:56.467-06:00Kitchen WindowAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.comBlogger229125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-74082014338869172032015-07-06T09:43:00.000-05:002015-07-06T09:43:00.161-05:00Helping PeterAs you grow in Christ, you come to know His voice. If you hear God as angry and condemning, I am writing this blog entry for you. Romans 8:1 says, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." The word "therefore" means "pay attention to what comes before this." At the end of chapter 7, Paul talks about his struggle with sin, how he doesn't always behave how he wants.<br />
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Do you struggle with your behavior? There is no condemnation for you if you are in Christ Jesus. It is one thing to read this verse; it is something else to see it worked out. I want to look at Jesus, to see what it means to have no condemnation.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPqKedfglvIjxftuJyO7PZEUT5uAs3VhXGhHj5mW0oyRTEUxObghoMP__GoxBIt1AtVHPhGNE9uf8C3F_94V3dDomRx97i1LuFqqwKEDF-BsaOIh8J6dvG8cJOD_-45Nlm1xRT5QP1do/s1600/jesus_clears_the_temple_with_a_whip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPqKedfglvIjxftuJyO7PZEUT5uAs3VhXGhHj5mW0oyRTEUxObghoMP__GoxBIt1AtVHPhGNE9uf8C3F_94V3dDomRx97i1LuFqqwKEDF-BsaOIh8J6dvG8cJOD_-45Nlm1xRT5QP1do/s320/jesus_clears_the_temple_with_a_whip.jpg" /></a></div>The group of people that Jesus criticized most sharply, over and over, were the Pharisees. These were religious leaders who, honestly, had very good answers to all the important questions of the day. Jesus criticized their hearts, saying "Woe! Woe!" to them, calling them blind guides, hypocrites, and snakes. That's condemnation: Jesus did not approve of their right thinking and hard hearts. We know that Jesus does indeed condemn.<br />
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Then there's Peter. Peter betrays Jesus. Now, Jesus may have tweeted, "Peter, SMH," that day, but the Lord and Savior doesn't actually condemn him. Jesus was always helping his disciples with important bits of information, like, "Hey, dudes, I'm going to die in Jerusalem. One of you will betray me." It was compassion and leadership that caused Jesus to share this information with them: not going to be a party in the capitol. Be prepared. <br />
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That kind of news, however, is shocking. Jesus said it over and over, so it would slowly sink in, but it really was appalling. What if your mom said at breakfast, several times over a few weeks, "Hey, kids, I'm going to die of a heart attack in early August. Don't worry, though, I have things covered. You'll be okay." <br />
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"Hey, Mom, that's a real downer with my Fruit Loops. Can Aaron and I have money for the water park?" We hear the words, but they don't register; something deep within us might now be more prepared, but our surface reaction is often odd.<br />
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When Jesus says, in Matthew 26:23, that one of the disciples will betray him, they one by one ask, "Is it me?" This reminds me of the Old Testament king who heard a prophet say the kingdom would be destroyed, but not until after he died. "Whew, not my problem," the king thought with relief.<br />
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The disciples want to personally escape from Jesus' really sad news about betrayal. "Not me, right?" But later in the evening, Jesus tells them that they will all abandon him. And Peter, who is a leader, says, "No! Even if everyone else runs away, I never will."<br />
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Every sermon you have ever heard wants to lead you to Peter's enthusiastic declaration of loyalty: "I will always follow! I will be the good one!" And you've resolved in your heart, you <b>will </b>this time, you will indeed have a good week, not cuss, not be tempted, not skip your devotionals, blah blah blah.<br />
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Jesus looks at Peter and says, "This very night, you will disown me three times." I don't hear these words in the same tone as "Woe to you, blind guides!" or "You have made my house a den of thieves!" It is the gentle tones of a shepherd: dear child, you will mess up.<br />
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And Romans 8:1 says, don't worry, I got this. Signed, God. <br />
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Peter is not a slacker. When Jesus is arrested, he draws his sword and attacks. When the disciples flee the arresting mob, Peter makes his way to the house where Jesus is held. He does not abandon Jesus. Do you see his resolve? He said he would follow Christ, and he is staying close, he is persisting. Points for Peter.<br />
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But through the window, Peter can see the religious leaders slapping and punching Christ. The chief priest has torn his robe and declared Jesus a blasphemer. Things are going very badly. If Jesus himself wept in the garden and begged God not to make him walk this path, you can bet that Peter had reason to be afraid. *slap* "Who hit you?" *slap* "Prophecy to us!"<br />
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And then the servants, huddled with Peter around the fire, say, "Hey, guy, aren't you one of Jesus' followers?" Peter is just protecting himself; he, of all the disciples, is right there within ear shot of Christ, but he doesn't want to join in as a punching bag. When the rooster crows, he realizes what Jesus said has come to pass: he has indeed denied his Lord.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0EFAQ-mPqXv39s_FkvvNLqlgTg2Z0f8rxwAkfAyjM_VM6d-052WLE1FP9TqcB_M1gxK5Xt_0Zs2s_znVKHyn1hu0UbLksDd5aMUEdUjoLd6irmI-NF3uoMR5IcHSCwezQVI1CeaSBDI/s1600/10-Jesus-Galilee-Boat-Peter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0EFAQ-mPqXv39s_FkvvNLqlgTg2Z0f8rxwAkfAyjM_VM6d-052WLE1FP9TqcB_M1gxK5Xt_0Zs2s_znVKHyn1hu0UbLksDd5aMUEdUjoLd6irmI-NF3uoMR5IcHSCwezQVI1CeaSBDI/s320/10-Jesus-Galilee-Boat-Peter.jpg" /></a></div>And Peter, like all of us who did not keep our enthusiastic Sunday morning/church camp resolve, beats himself up. He decides to go back to fishing; he's no good at this Jesus thing. He's failed. And the risen, triumphant Christ restores him: don't worry, Peter. I got this. <br />
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When Jesus says to Peter, to all his closest disciples, "You will mess up," maybe he is also speaking to us. You are not going to be as good at this as you think. Even the best of you will verbally curse and walk away from me. <br />
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But that is why Jesus died. Not to condemn us for being weak and failing--to rescue us when we do. We know the law; we know we do not measure up. But he did, and he has made a way for us to be clean and whole before God.<br />
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The way is not our good behavior; it is him. He is the way to God.<br />
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So today, you are going to mess up. I am not telling you this to condemn you; it is a fact. When you do, look at your heart: are you trusting your own goodness, or are you trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to redeem you?<br />
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<blockquote><i>Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4)</i></blockquote><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-63755423519500830852015-06-29T10:32:00.001-05:002015-06-29T10:32:58.389-05:00Retreating into the Word of GodSocial justice issues interest me. I read a lot about world poverty, environmental responsibility, the LGBTQ community. I am a follower of Christ, and I am interested in these things the way my husband is interested in science articles--God wired us with a certain bent, and we are called to surrender to Him so that we can use our bent to build up His body (see <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+corinthians+12%3A4-11&version=NIV">1 Corinthians 12:4-11</a>). I had resolved to take a break from all my issues reading, however, because I have been growing weary. Retreat is sometimes necessary for renewal. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Iynsz2HNr3ur4INr5nX7PZBtKUm7YMExpTZ5Mx3YND5anAmU7ZgHDpM8sbwJVCZMMu7y4GVWYs3NcSGw83eLyVF8HvmCTImfilkSFDM_guS72mEaL2Ads2JNG_5024jnR_SA4PnJBg0/s1600/Floriday+panhandle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Iynsz2HNr3ur4INr5nX7PZBtKUm7YMExpTZ5Mx3YND5anAmU7ZgHDpM8sbwJVCZMMu7y4GVWYs3NcSGw83eLyVF8HvmCTImfilkSFDM_guS72mEaL2Ads2JNG_5024jnR_SA4PnJBg0/s320/Floriday+panhandle.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Then SCOTUS ruled on same-sex marriage, and my Facebook page lit up with rainbows and conservatives. I am so weary of the same Scriptures: the ones addressing homosexuality countered by Matthew 7:1, "Do not judge[insert exclamation mark, although <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+7%3A1-6&version=NIV">the text</a> has a comma]." I am constantly being told to "read my whole Bible," which I do. And frankly, right now, it is all that I want to read.<br />
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One of my favorite verses is Romans 12:1-2, which I memorized when I first became a Christian. Let me pause and say this: I chose to be a Christian. I don't believe we ever have a Christian nation. Our nation can enact laws that honor God, but we are not some blessed, chosen people as Americans, where as a group we safely position ourselves before the Almighty and everything is hunky-dory. I can hear some of you arguing--it will have to wait for another time.<br />
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I chose this path, which Jesus describes as narrow, which few find (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=narrow+path&qs_version=NIV">Matthew 7:13-14</a>). Christians will likely always be the minority in the culture in which we live. The Christian life is not easy, which is why we gather with other believers to be encouraged: "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law--a man's enemies will be the members of his own household'" (Matthew 10:34-36...another verse you don't hear quoted very often).<br />
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So I have been meditating on Romans 12:1-2. I am hungry for spiritual renewal, and this passage is foundational:<blockquote>Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.</blockquote>Paul is speaking to believers (not the world, not all Americans, but me, and those like me who have chosen to be disciples of Jesus). Because we have received God's mercy, paid for on the cross, where Christ physically suffered, we should give Him our bodies, even if it's physically uncomfortable. The second verse says that we should renew our minds. <br />
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Do you want to know God's will? Start with your body and your mind. <br />
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My body has been abused lately, in two specific ways: I drink too much coffee, and I have pushed myself beyond any slim imagining of rest. I have taken on too much work. I have never been good at resting, but this last semester, it is as if God let me pursue my own natural bent, and wow, am I messed up. I desperately need to learn about Sabbath, which is addressed in the Law, the Prophets, and the New Testament. The Christian life does not always look pleasant to outsiders because it involves discipline. It doesn't always look pleasant to the Christian--because it involves discipline. Ugh.<br />
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I need the discipline of drinking more water, instead of having coffee in the afternoon. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKjbVfZgYLQKeqRIXAcAyfhfor52ezKEuDBui-qYrUvaRSoKsyRzFiaTHnSppktFFuNUMerWFKnc20Bgp0ayWhN4HajBOJSEvThFqg1FEpAyEGIG1BsG9jBVG65Kc82p8wLaqsF6daZI/s1600/Floriday+highway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKjbVfZgYLQKeqRIXAcAyfhfor52ezKEuDBui-qYrUvaRSoKsyRzFiaTHnSppktFFuNUMerWFKnc20Bgp0ayWhN4HajBOJSEvThFqg1FEpAyEGIG1BsG9jBVG65Kc82p8wLaqsF6daZI/s320/Floriday+highway.jpg" /></a></div>I need to rest, and I really have no idea what that looks like. Jeremiah 6:16 says, "This is what the Lord says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’" Ouch. Richard Foster's <i>Celebration of Discipline</i> is my starting point for finding "the ancient paths" of my faith. Perhaps I will read the chapter on Solitude...but I seem to have given away my copy.<br />
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And the first step I need to take in renewing my mind is to not dislike the discipline so much. I want to draw closer to God; this is how to do it. Stop griping! Be glad that there is a way, a visible path, and start walking. Anyone who has dieted or started an exercise routine knows the first hurdle is the resolve to begin. That's me, resolving to change my thinking, to rejoice in God's way, to not give in to my own whiney-ness.<br />
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So this post is entirely for me. Those on my Facebook who are yelling at Christians to read our own Bible, the whole thing--well, here I am. This is what it looks like. And while I do not expect the world to see or understand me, I am grateful for those believers who are walking this same path. Thank you, brothers and sisters, for your encouragement and fellowship.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-1730369709754914482015-06-08T09:30:00.000-05:002015-06-08T09:30:47.949-05:00Game Over and the pillow fortI am not one of those Christians who pours over Revelation and has a map on the wall about the end times. I have indeed studied Revelation, and I have opinions, but it is not one of my hobbies.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2CTpDpv9lzEA-eTEOFgo3TlIqCcVErMQXFq2MhRHaMA1Bi6FiEVHw_Op5Mlm_UvZgC5A9qMIF3dvemyDyOwBJCe9XU_AZyjpJOenvecDVaAOkrTBmO13KZzeUhVINiZYDH16tNyjH3g/s1600/sky116003bh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2CTpDpv9lzEA-eTEOFgo3TlIqCcVErMQXFq2MhRHaMA1Bi6FiEVHw_Op5Mlm_UvZgC5A9qMIF3dvemyDyOwBJCe9XU_AZyjpJOenvecDVaAOkrTBmO13KZzeUhVINiZYDH16tNyjH3g/s320/sky116003bh.jpg" /></a></div><br />
That said, I can't wait for Game Over. I have a greater sense of purpose than ever before in my life, and I am convinced that God has work for me still to do, but my heart is with Paul when he says, "I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, but it is more necessary [for one or two people] that I remain in the body" (Philippians 1:23-24).<br />
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Getting to see Jesus means that I can stop striving in half-darkness. 1 Corinthians 13 says that someday I will know as I am known, fully, face to face, not a dim glimpse in a foggy mirror. And I know that I will have failed him, come up short, but his love for me is compelling. I am not afraid to be found wanting--of course I will. That's why I am clothed in the righteousness of Christ; my own clothes are tattered. <br />
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I am like a child trying to keep a pillow fort together. When Jesus comes, I get to drop all of my blocks and attempts and run to him: "I am so glad you're here! I think I've really messed things up."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFs0e1DogW_RXliT4ZHvTgAvtPmcWJPgHVcXAdYCtz7jXnJD3U2EJ7IxR9HNzANrCNHsfILs7wRpqqvsFJrWZhENAMXbhfsPYxNI4d_LrhpwLCJPYcJP4_VQdDay0gdcgIFPQc0AhA8bk/s1600/Pillow-fort-300x169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFs0e1DogW_RXliT4ZHvTgAvtPmcWJPgHVcXAdYCtz7jXnJD3U2EJ7IxR9HNzANrCNHsfILs7wRpqqvsFJrWZhENAMXbhfsPYxNI4d_LrhpwLCJPYcJP4_VQdDay0gdcgIFPQc0AhA8bk/s320/Pillow-fort-300x169.jpg" /></a></div><br />
And he will set all things right: my heart, my thinking, the world, his church.<br />
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So, Lord, I'm going to get up again today, and I am going to try. And I will talk about you and seek your face and walk in your Spirit. But I am genuinely grateful that all of this is almost over. Come soon.<br />
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<i>(The picture of the pillow fort I copied from Steve Ezra's blog. I didn't ask him; he's a Christian, so I hope he forgives me. This is me, bungling through life again. I also grabbed the sky photo from someone--I don't even have a credit for that one. Please come, Jesus. I am such a wreck.)</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-60045078557415148892015-05-16T10:33:00.003-05:002015-05-16T10:33:50.829-05:00My messy houseMy house is a disaster. I would take a photo, but it couldn't capture the level of disorganization. Not only are there dust bunnies in the hallway and crusty stuff under my contact lens case, but things are simply out of place. Groceries not unpacked; school papers and books and assignments scattered over multiple surfaces; daily tasks shoved into corners and mounding with a layer of quiet panic. And of course, my daughter's shoes have been multiplying like rabbits near the garage door.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1EvPJPD_7X3SbaMZepYLQbrM2uTJGVGVCou1IjpYiA9MXRf_OslSZdIPIp_EhKppKjxtS-1djhqUn2zrgUy3lsiXzqIT0f6RuZDs4qdS4ASOC3_ykcIrTlMa_NqXd0KsmqK-4KAFg0Y0/s1600/messy+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1EvPJPD_7X3SbaMZepYLQbrM2uTJGVGVCou1IjpYiA9MXRf_OslSZdIPIp_EhKppKjxtS-1djhqUn2zrgUy3lsiXzqIT0f6RuZDs4qdS4ASOC3_ykcIrTlMa_NqXd0KsmqK-4KAFg0Y0/s320/messy+house.jpg" /></a></div><i>This photo isn't mine-but you get the idea.</i><br />
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I do not always live in such chaos, but if you have any window into my life this last semester, you know it was insane. My house is simply evidence of a life lived too fast, too full. I don't regret it--although now, I must recover from it.<br />
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As I was straightening the bed this morning, I thought about how housework gives me time for meditation. Restoring and refreshing this environment allows my soul to ponder and rest to the steady lapping of my hands.<br />
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Ironically, I don't think I would want to live in a clean house all the time.<br />
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I love the concept, and I may repent of actually writing that down, but messiness is appealing to me. I get the pleasure of cleanliness. For a few hours after we've had company over, I delight in being able to see the kitchen countertops, the vacuum track marks in the carpet, the smell of furniture polish.<br />
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But if I lived in a clean house, I would be most comfortable with...comfort. I would be comfortable with you when you are cleaned up and presentable, with a whiff of polish about you. And honestly, I like being part of the messiness of people. I like the examine the crusty layer that piles up under this belief, the pain shoved off in a corner, the cares that multiply like shoes from a shopping addict. If you clean up before you come see me, you are honestly not very interesting.<br />
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It is still my goal to clean the stupid house. But it won't stay that way, because I want to be comfortable when God sends me into messiness. And if you want to come over while I clean the dishes, I will make us coffee. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-63264970341212075192015-03-10T18:21:00.000-05:002015-03-10T18:21:35.266-05:00One big blessingOften, I will think about Scripture, getting some notion in my head of what it says--and unless I have memorized it, sometimes my "gist" is simply wrong. Recently, I've been studying the beatitudes. In the back burner of my brain, I had begun to think of them as Jesus' words to the downtrodden. Of course, this sermon begins, "Blessed are the poor in spirit..." and it probably goes on to hold up the underdog. Right?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DU-C1Gp8iqYETVSTdFn5NMg0O9SKmo9GSAfX4ry4UMXg1HXLVldiAzq8lW9TCXTD63ODbZ9xosW7McYXM-dyFJuJrMexulZ9XdgpwnecvFGnVDV8s0hu4ZsSdlLI0BQUYfgPfWfX26w/s1600/Church+Pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DU-C1Gp8iqYETVSTdFn5NMg0O9SKmo9GSAfX4ry4UMXg1HXLVldiAzq8lW9TCXTD63ODbZ9xosW7McYXM-dyFJuJrMexulZ9XdgpwnecvFGnVDV8s0hu4ZsSdlLI0BQUYfgPfWfX26w/s320/Church+Pic.jpg" /></a></div>I also thought that Jesus was speaking to different groups of "poor" people. Going back to the Word itself is always a correction for me. Listen to whom Jesus is blessing: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek (always a bad rap, the meek), those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted.<br />
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This doesn't really sound like a social justice list. In fact, it almost sounds like Jesus is talking to...His followers. You and me. And when he says "bless you," just like a good parent, he is telling us something about how we should be.<br />
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"Poor in spirit" means not puffed up, not having it all together. It's comforting to me that I can come to Jesus in my spiritual mess, and he's okay with that.<br />
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"Those who mourn." In recent years, I have found myself grieving: sad with the sin in our poor, broken world, sad with the posturing and missteps of the people I identify with (the church). This Christ-following thing is hard, and it sometimes makes me feel out of step with everyone: church culture, American culture, all of it. Grief has elements of denial, anger, sadness, and bargaining. I think I do all of that. <br />
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"The meek." Sometimes, because I follow Jesus, who describes himself as Truth, I can get pretty puffed up. Jesus says, "Hey, dear child, you are blessed when you are meek." Sigh. What, again, is meekness?<br />
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"Hunger and thirst after righteousness." As someone who loves to study, this blessing has always appealed to me. But as I get older, I am challenged more and more on what it means to love people, what it means to reconcile people to God as an ambassador, what it means to be in the world but not of it. Many things in me have to die in order to be right before God. I do want that, and it is comforting that my Lord says I will be filled.<br />
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"The merciful." How many stories does Jesus tell about forgiveness? I have been forgiven much; I know this. May my face always be full of mercy to anyone who sees me in their journey towards God. He shows me mercy; I get to be merciful.<br />
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"The pure in heart." This one is hard for me. When I think of the beatitudes as speaking to separate groups, I can imagine the Pure In Heart sitting off to the side, with little harps and white robes. I know I don't qualify. My soul is steeped in sarcasm and intelligent wit, sometimes a little too worldly. But if these words of Christ are a blessing for all of his children, then I am called to purity. Now I'm circling back to poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hunger and thirst...<br />
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"The peacemakers." Paul says we are ambassadors for the gospel; we are called to help others make peace with God. Lest we get in our own little cocoon and think all this righteousness is for ourselves, remember: there is a world of hurting people who need to know the love of God. Jesus reminds me I am blessed as a peacemaker--he is sending me out.<br />
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"The persecuted." As he sends me out, it's not always going to go very well. Who says to their followers, hey, this thing won't always be successful, but cheer up, you come from a long line of hated people. Even more ironic: I find these words very comforting. And it reminds me to respond to a hostile world with meekness, poverty of spirit, mercy...see the loop?<br />
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Jesus looks straight at me in this sermon. He tells me that there is a reward. There is comfort. There is a payoff. There is mercy. I will see him. I will be called his child. I am not alone.<br />
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To see the Beatitudes of Jesus, read <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A1-12&version=NIV">Matthew 5:1-12</a>. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-91944412662271912122014-10-15T08:19:00.001-05:002014-10-15T08:19:33.302-05:00See the signRecently, I substituted for one of my fellow adjuncts at the college where I work. She had arranged for a speaker in her Introduction to Christianity course, and he was explaining to the very young adults about the work he supervises at the Gospel Light Mission with the homeless. The topic of panhandling came up, and he gave an account of his interaction with the beggars in his city. He then said, "You must rely on God to speak to you when you see someone panhandling. I don't know their situation; they may really need the money. Let God lead you."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGmbnaByfBU6so8zgN4ZNZ4Pa_p_CIgoWjdSurVJSBue7_RFTNcvnVOlseprF90cduHy3EZ55NPWr1gyZyoXE7aSHCa3Jm4SwcPz_r3ABkj4IY2n6sfjaFDzmKmsDTt449S5wdbaubBL8/s1600/homeless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGmbnaByfBU6so8zgN4ZNZ4Pa_p_CIgoWjdSurVJSBue7_RFTNcvnVOlseprF90cduHy3EZ55NPWr1gyZyoXE7aSHCa3Jm4SwcPz_r3ABkj4IY2n6sfjaFDzmKmsDTt449S5wdbaubBL8/s320/homeless.jpg" /></a></div>I interjected my own experience with panhandling and begging in Tulsa. Almost every time I drive my daughter to school, there is someone holding a sign as we exit the highway: "Anything helps. God bless." I have talked with a few of these people (many are regulars, moving around the city in milder weather), and my acquaintance with them has led me to think this is not how I want to invest my dollars.<br />
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I also relayed to the students an experience I once had at a gas station. While I was filling my car, there was a woman at the pump behind me. She had two small children in car seats; she was getting gas just like me. I had the strongest impression from God that I should give her $20. I did. She was moved to tears and thanked me; I simply said, "God bless you," and went on with my day. <br />
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As I was finishing my story, a student on the back row loudly whispered, "She's the substitute," obviously in response to the query, who is this woman and why is she talking to us? But even if my story meant nothing to the class, it crystallized a message in my own heart.<br />
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The speaker had admonished us to let God lead. And yet I often make decisions based on whatever people ask of me. I have come dangerously close to the end of myself in all I have to do this semester. I cannot ever remember being so busy. And I still find it hard to say no. <br />
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While telling about my experience with panhandling, I realized: God is capable of asking me to give away my money (and likewise, my time and energy). People will always be holding up signs, but God directs me when there are no signs present. The cardboard sign is the individual's request; it is not God's voice.<br />
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This week, when someone has asked something of me, I have pictured them as standing on the corner of Sheridan and the expressway exit, holding a cardboard sign. It helps me differentiate between the noise of a needy world, and my Father's voice. I trust Him to use me, in ways that He knows best. I need to be careful not to spread myself so thin, acting on my own energy and my own best thinking, that I can neither hear Him nor act when He speaks.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-21726371716497886492014-07-20T14:16:00.000-05:002014-07-20T14:19:26.214-05:00Where are your accusersIt always intrigues me when God asks a question. It can't be because he needs information, as if there is something unknown to him lurking inside of me. In part, questions force us to participate in the conversation, to look for the answer and give our best guess to the Master. Something in us doesn't respond as well to a droning lecture. <br />
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Questions invite.<br />
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In John 8:1-11, there is a story of a woman caught in adultery. (Complete sidenote: because this is a rare disputed passage in the Biblical cannon, I researched the topic a bit. If you are interested in puzzling out why scholars debate its inclusion in Scripture, this <a href="http://www.notjustanotherbook.com/disputedjohn.htm">article </a>was helpful to me.) She is brought before Jesus with the expectation that he will condemn her, command her to be stoned as the Law requires.<br />
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After all, she was caught in the <i>very act</i> of adultery. All by herself. Uh huh, really.<br />
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Another <a href="http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=11&article=1277">article</a> I read today talks about how carefully Jesus upheld the Law. He wasn't backed into a corner by the crowd; he stood up for what was right and judged fairly.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2ZMW6fJvA5TWv92EPz-RBGJBJydATVTgMcAyfhOm33iWdrve-UG9OgbSDmEuJS9gLc6Rt1qdWHYCvSocsSHwa4lwTGhdo65L5kHGGDKcOjZHmWsEcKuwPn73QFAmrpZR7aOho-gGmDI/s1600/hammer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2ZMW6fJvA5TWv92EPz-RBGJBJydATVTgMcAyfhOm33iWdrve-UG9OgbSDmEuJS9gLc6Rt1qdWHYCvSocsSHwa4lwTGhdo65L5kHGGDKcOjZHmWsEcKuwPn73QFAmrpZR7aOho-gGmDI/s320/hammer.jpg" /></a></div>So this story may be a lovely tribute to the Law, but readers for centuries have loved it because it speaks of grace. Jesus didn't condemn her, and he surely knew she was guilty. He surely had the right to judge her; her heart was open to him. And yet, after such a public, humiliating spectacle, he says, "Neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin." Until Judgment Day, when we stand bared before a righteous God, we have the opportunity to repent, to turn toward him.<br />
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But Jesus also asks her a question. My translation says, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" (v.10, NIV) The King James says, "Where are your accusers?"<br />
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The answer is "No one is here to condemn me." She is standing before Jesus, and all of the stone throwers have slipped away.<br />
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But what humiliating experience, to be caught in sin and dragged to a public trial. The experience wouldn't leave you easily. You would still see the people who accused you as you went to market, took your clothes to be washed, drew water from the well. And you would know that they are still accusing you in their heads (at least).<br />
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So when Jesus, at this pivotal moment, asks her a question, she is forced to answer: "No one accuses me." And the Righteous Judge, standing before her, sends her away with the command to live better. In that moment, Jesus plants his words in her head, the reminder, the truth she must cling to, as she goes on in her life.<br />
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Who is accusing you? How does the punishment/judgment/grace thing work in the life that we live?<br />
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Who is accusing you?<br />
No one.<br />
Neither do I. Go on, and live repentant. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-89137455495499342892014-07-17T09:04:00.002-05:002014-07-17T09:04:50.572-05:00What do you wantOne of my favorite questions in the Bible was posed by Jesus to a blind beggar. The story is told in Luke 18:33-43. Jesus is walking towards Jerusalem, where he will be crucified. As he is approaching Jericho, a man calls out to him: "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" This man has no name; he is identified as "a blind beggar."<br />
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I wonder what my tag would be? Without a name, if I appeared in a story with Jesus, would I be "the harried housewife?" "A distracted mother?" When this man sat on the side of the road, anyone who saw him knew his flaws: he was blind; he was begging. He had needs that were glaring.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BStIoQZCWyUruu9jKoeW325VyDuJ5qVniu-gtSZKs1ZI3O04grTtAUC4bs4jzgN1jeHFIiDcGU7qPVqdusVzZVqoptHiVIRLYxyhSP8axznG1DjbtlfGjQqydepCvF9mhcbNbwY2PIs/s1600/crowd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BStIoQZCWyUruu9jKoeW325VyDuJ5qVniu-gtSZKs1ZI3O04grTtAUC4bs4jzgN1jeHFIiDcGU7qPVqdusVzZVqoptHiVIRLYxyhSP8axznG1DjbtlfGjQqydepCvF9mhcbNbwY2PIs/s320/crowd.jpg" /></a></div>When he began calling out, the people around him rebuked him, told him to hush, but he shouted even more. I feel like that beggar this morning: Lord, I am in need. I need you. See me, Lord! <br />
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And Jesus says to the man, "What do you want me to do for you?"<br />
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Really, Jesus? The man is BLIND. Duh. What do you think he wants?? Why did Jesus ask this?<br />
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When I am desperate, when I am begging in a crowd for answers to the cry of my heart, I imagine Jesus looking at me and asking, "What do you want me to do for you?"<br />
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Would you have an answer? Do you know the <i>one thing</i> that you want from the Master, if he were standing before you and asked?<br />
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"I just want my life to be good." Very vague. <br />
"I don't want to worry anymore." Very broad. <br />
"I want to run away." Genuine, but is the cry of my heart really just a bed and breakfast somewhere?<br />
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The man answered, "Lord, I want to see." And Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you."<br />
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The man wanted to see, but he could already see his own need when he began calling out to the Lord. Jesus seemed to love people's clarity and boldness.<br />
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I personally do not look as messy as a blind beggar. I work to hold things together, so I am not so obviously needy. It would be a shame if all my efforts to not fall apart kept me hushed, kept me away from the side of the road.<br />
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I don't want to miss his question: "What do you want me to do for you?"<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-10530336544118959462014-07-15T15:10:00.000-05:002014-07-15T15:10:20.263-05:00Where are youThe story of the Fall had to be an oral tradition before it was written down in our Scripture. Every word is so meaty; there is something amazing just in the telling of it. After Adam & Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they sewed leaves together to cover themselves, and then hid when they heard God approach. Genesis 3:9 says, "But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03g5x5PsMZDT3Iw6m1-WrWa47X36pLzOwV6c2kH1-JJ_JN4K1hmIzS-4E_CUlFfH5Az3ZyyGpISNgXKZuf4f2-5UBmoCPQPFxFTmcgJoWzbBb40ydg6Lk6-EbtFmLjhObbwZhe2v0KZU/s1600/garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03g5x5PsMZDT3Iw6m1-WrWa47X36pLzOwV6c2kH1-JJ_JN4K1hmIzS-4E_CUlFfH5Az3ZyyGpISNgXKZuf4f2-5UBmoCPQPFxFTmcgJoWzbBb40ydg6Lk6-EbtFmLjhObbwZhe2v0KZU/s320/garden.jpg" /></a></div><br />
When my kids enter the house, they will call out, "Mom, where are you?" This is not God, slamming the door as he walks into the garden, trying to locate his man. God knows where Adam is. And God knows what Adam has done.<br />
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I think I would have entered the garden with something more like, "Adam Lewis Marcus Godson, you get here this very minute." My child would be terrified to disobey me, and rightly so. I mean, if I were God.<br />
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But God, the all-knowing, asks, "Where are you?"<br />
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A question implies a relationship. The LORD wants Adam to speak with him; he asks a question. Adam's response becomes the basis of what God then says. God speaks in context of Adam's own thinking.<br />
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If you find yourself hiding from God, ask yourself, "Where am I?" Are you anxious about something, and you fear how God would deal with it? Are you sinning and not really wanting to give it up? <br />
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If God rang your doorbell, would you answer, or hide? Would you roll your eyes because you have to stop what you're doing and see what he wants? Would you make excuses for how your house looks, or your hair, or your kids?<br />
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Where are you? <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-5649613051248642752014-07-08T09:43:00.000-05:002014-07-08T09:43:11.418-05:00The most important thingsThe most important things you will ever do are completely unseen. This thought is not startling or new; it has just been impressed on me more and more as I grow older. I think judgement day will turn the world inside out. After all, it is the Lord who said, "The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). Right now, we see appearances: success, accomplishments, possessions, looks, money. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyiZOYWv3YivpPzvuZPyIkgg54iIVqh_vTIi5ZxrMWuQ4_gWd7RbEU0S01A3KzpXMTZXKqe1EML-ixPUuOzAuSUwR_hRoeFCskO60PGQ_RSuDWQCGtikjiTjd0ueoYHRm0dDFHf94L5U/s1600/simplypray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyiZOYWv3YivpPzvuZPyIkgg54iIVqh_vTIi5ZxrMWuQ4_gWd7RbEU0S01A3KzpXMTZXKqe1EML-ixPUuOzAuSUwR_hRoeFCskO60PGQ_RSuDWQCGtikjiTjd0ueoYHRm0dDFHf94L5U/s320/simplypray.jpg" /></a></div>But at judgement day, we'll see hearts: sincerity, love, pride, jealousy, envy, strife. And I don't think there will be any kind of direct correlation.<br />
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God must shake his head sometimes at our mixed-up perception. SMH, he says. <br />
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I've studied a lot of psychology. Some people say you have to think right before you can act right; some people say you have to just do the right thing and your thinking will change. Both are true. Both can be found in Scripture. But God is the only one that really sees the effort I put into my heart.<br />
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Loving my family well. Working to forgive. Praying when it is hard. Calming my temper. <br />
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I think this occurred to me after July 4 weekend. We had company. The food was great; my house is big; everyone was chatting and laughing. And one person there was envious.<br />
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Please: God does not care about my house. God does not care about my hostessing. God cares about my heart.<br />
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If we admire the right things in other people ("she is kind," "he has integrity," "she is faithful"), then we will be inspired to imitate those qualities. If we admire the appearances of others, we will focus on the small stuff.<br />
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The stuff that will be burned up.<br />
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The stuff that man considers important, but God says is just stuff.<br />
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SMH. But if I'm not careful, I will judge and dismiss this person. This one will rankle my pride. And then God will look at my own heart and shake his head.<br />
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Better to pull it out now and do the work that no one will see. The most important work. The kind that will last.<br />
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Lord, give us eyes to see.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-74363014943781510022014-07-06T14:39:00.000-05:002014-07-06T14:39:17.041-05:00Worship and provisionThe worship music was very meaningful to me in church today, one of those times when you pray and sort of lose yourself in the moment. At one point, I was moved to kick off my shoes--the feeling that Moses had when he came across the burning bush, and a voice told him, "Take off your shoes, for you are standing on holy ground."<br />
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I didn't however. What if I got my feet dirty? We worship in a gym; the floor can't be all that clean.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigV-95kbMLzfPvH7JoZ6G20rKF4C4VD1kQke5X20VHnvnMJOG4JBdiJ2COOrIsYCXoxHsAT-GjZiLv2SY-Owo17uIaD0uifFDpyZeiDiGvcLxAT71MJ6Ew7Y2Nb_8YHk6NsCZW5en5AOM/s1600/dirty+feet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigV-95kbMLzfPvH7JoZ6G20rKF4C4VD1kQke5X20VHnvnMJOG4JBdiJ2COOrIsYCXoxHsAT-GjZiLv2SY-Owo17uIaD0uifFDpyZeiDiGvcLxAT71MJ6Ew7Y2Nb_8YHk6NsCZW5en5AOM/s320/dirty+feet.jpg" /></a></div><br />
And the next image in my mind is Jesus, wrapping a towel around His waist to wash the dirty feet of His disciples.<br />
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When we are touched by the holiness of our Father, we become aware of our own dirtiness. Often, it's just the ordinary, everyday kind of dirt, that seems to stick to us no matter how hard we try. But the Savior, knowing our nature, stoops down to serve us, to make us clean.<br />
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God provides for me. He was thinking of me before I was born, before today, before I knew how much I need Him.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-86023467920455904352014-07-01T10:25:00.000-05:002014-07-01T10:25:16.085-05:00Reading in Summer (2014) If you are friends with me on Facebook, you have been seeing my posts as I read this summer. I wanted to collect my thoughts in my blog as well. It has been a surprisingly good summer for books! I have aimed for no spoilers, so my reviews aren't really complete. Just snippets, in case you're looking for something to pick up.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxugNbm5lyXuW6XiwGN9RMjktzwYhpDXNgveo5qZ0EdhioUt3CkpXhpXpYkAaa14pX0yjGlXOGaHtER7qg0XxezXKvbSkU_49aEYFwdHZltcxilhTH8sdTfpD_KLL0HNS0jZNb7SGP_gU/s1600/stack+of+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxugNbm5lyXuW6XiwGN9RMjktzwYhpDXNgveo5qZ0EdhioUt3CkpXhpXpYkAaa14pX0yjGlXOGaHtER7qg0XxezXKvbSkU_49aEYFwdHZltcxilhTH8sdTfpD_KLL0HNS0jZNb7SGP_gU/s320/stack+of+books.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Book 1: <i>The Life of Pi</i> by Yann Manzel. I have not seen the movie, although I remember wanting to, and that impulse moved me to pick up the book. I'm glad I did. The narrator's love of "all religions" was very off-putting to me, and I almost stopped reading it after the confrontation with his parents and the three "holy men." However, his writing about wild animals was compelling to me, since we were adopted by a semi-tame crow in my childhood. Gradually, the psychology of his struggle took over my interest, and I was so glad I read to the end. Old themes that interested me in school popped up again: the unreliable narrator, post-modernism and the telling of story, etc. A good read for varied reasons.<br />
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Book 2: <i>When Captain Flint was Still a Good Man </i>by Nick Dybek. I like books that leave you feeling as if you've lived another life, and this was one of those. Another young boy as narrator, another "coming of age" story, although not quite as uplifting as <i>Life of Pi</i> (I know-if you've read Pi, you shudder. I say this because Pi was so hopeful, and Flint has more of a "things be gloomy" feel). The title is explained early in the story, and sets a fascinating motif. I didn't really like the ending, but I would still recommend it. I have now grown up in a small fishing village and punched my way through a few friendships.<br />
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Book 3: <i>The Unnamed</i> by Joshua Ferris. One of the best books I've ever read; this one will always stay with me. The main character has an illness no one can identify. If you or someone you love has ever struggled with doctors and diagnoses, this is a powerful portrayal of this aspect of real life. Good writing, good storytelling, takes you beyond the day-to-day; it gives words (with all their power) to our experiences. In sharing the words, we share our lives with the author, with other readers; we feel more connected. The book moves beyond the illness and becomes about the marriage, the family relationships. "Hope and denial, the front and rear guard of the chronically ill"...this phrase alone will always be part of my vocabulary.<br />
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Book 4: <i>Crazyheart </i>by Thomas Cobb. Again, I haven't seen the movie. But having read the book, I have now lived as a country music star who is past his prime but still on the stage. And I haven't contracted any std's, like the main character probably has. I enjoyed the pathos and hope in his narrative, his brilliance and the sadness of his choices. He is the kind of person I would strike up a conversation with at IHOP and then keep in my collection of people.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQadD1VtvTLBj7pPCGABqOAa7T1iuDx40jdljeTB0-jZeb8ut58X-JLOn8JrXToSVD8mgEXL2HNPgf-qMuIcDlTMiTK-ILpVUA3IFCuI6EPCCkkdOWdFl5EGxD29-7Om8nUcPDDInSK8/s1600/reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQadD1VtvTLBj7pPCGABqOAa7T1iuDx40jdljeTB0-jZeb8ut58X-JLOn8JrXToSVD8mgEXL2HNPgf-qMuIcDlTMiTK-ILpVUA3IFCuI6EPCCkkdOWdFl5EGxD29-7Om8nUcPDDInSK8/s320/reading.jpg" /></a></div>Book 5: <i>The Good Sister </i>by Diana Diamond. This was the first book I read this summer that wasn't amazing. Her writing is good enough for me to read the whole book, which is not a small compliment. But the book was almost entirely plot driven over character. The topic of sociopaths interests me. I wanted to know who killed who, which is the main reason to keep turning the pages. A good pool-side read.<br />
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Book 6: <i>Sycamore Row</i> by John Grisham. Grisham, pardon the cliche, is a master storyteller, and one of my all-time favorite authors. I love his portrayal of the South, his exploration of racism, the inside look at the tedium and thrill of lawyering. This book was balanced between character-development and plot; his writing is so clean and beautiful. I love Grisham's worldview. If I were giving spoilers, I would expand on his worldview, which played into the two times the book made me cry. It is a sequel to his first novel, A Time to Kill, and I highly recommend it. <br />
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I am resisting the urge to simply go get another Grisham novel. I love reading them; I love telling his stories to my husband, reading select passages that made me laugh. I have a few non-fiction stacked near my reading chair; we'll see if I am able to finish them, or if the lack of story pushes me away.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-16922728931423972822014-05-20T08:43:00.000-05:002014-05-20T08:43:10.409-05:00The Proverbs 31 womanSome people turn to the last chapter in Proverbs looking for encouragement, a model they should follow. But I think a lot of women dislike this chapter. They feel intimidated, pressured. Our reaction is probably a bleed-over from the culture's pressure on us through photographs and discussions of "what women should be doing"--staying home, going to work, sleeping with baby, never sleeping with baby, being super sexy, being super modest, being thin, being okay with our bodies, working out...okay, you get the idea. Women are relational, and we pick up a lot of messages from our yelling culture.<br />
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So Proverbs 31 becomes just another picture of the "perfect woman." When I first started thinking about this blog entry, I considered this chapter from memory, not going back to read it. This is the Bible; shouldn't we be interested in what God has to say about womanhood? <br />
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Maybe Proverbs 31 is what God wants <b>for </b>us, not a list that He wants <b>from </b>us. My children are blossoming into adults, and my husband and I want things for them: a spouse who treasures them, financial peace, good health, a safe place to live, an education, a good work ethic. What if we read this chapter as God's heart for His daughters?<br />
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So I went back to read the chapter. It's always enlightening to me, when I am <i>thinking</i> about the Bible, to actually go and <i>read </i>the Bible. I hope that before speaking authoritatively on Scripture, my teachers are actually studying the Word itself. I hope.<br />
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The portion of Proverbs 31 that describes a noble wife doesn't begin until verse 10. I started with verse 2 (because in my Bible, it's written like poetry, and I figured I could skip the introduction): "Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb!" And that's where I stopped.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnfLntmztcJyLFtDahsyBGXP5IhOs_FJTB1y-hIvEmXkCKjIdQEAE3MKE4Jh7fhv5495p8ozz8zIsGRRM3x0a5Aig8kYRSiavxftWn-d5w_x8N9QyYGuvWa7QObrMbRZGOJeOD7BN0lc/s1600/woman-women-female-184792-o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnfLntmztcJyLFtDahsyBGXP5IhOs_FJTB1y-hIvEmXkCKjIdQEAE3MKE4Jh7fhv5495p8ozz8zIsGRRM3x0a5Aig8kYRSiavxftWn-d5w_x8N9QyYGuvWa7QObrMbRZGOJeOD7BN0lc/s320/woman-women-female-184792-o.jpg" /></a></div>Son of my womb? I am accustomed to thinking of Proverbs as a collection of Solomon's wisdom. And he wrote to his sons. All through the book, it says, "My son, my son, my son." But here is the phrase "son of my womb"--whoa! Solomon, pretty sure, did not have a womb.<br />
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So the intro verse that I skipped over, Proverbs 31:1, says, "The sayings of King Lemuel [which people often take as a pseudonym for Solomon]--an inspired utterance his mother taught him." <br />
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I know that the Bible is God's Word, and when I read it, I come seeking truth from an authority. These words are given to us by God. <br />
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That said, He used human writers, and Proverbs 31 came to us through a woman. In fact, it came from Bathsheba. You can read her story in 2 Samuel 11: the beautiful, bathing woman that King David summoned to himself and impregnated. The woman married to Uriah (a Hittite), one of David's valiant warriors (1 Chronicles 11:41), whom David ordered killed at the battle lines to cover for his sin. The child borne of that affair died, as God's judgement against David. Another child was given to David and Bathsheba, however: Solomon, the heir to David's throne and the builder of the temple.<br />
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Yeah, Bathsheba. We don't hear her voice in that story, but here, in Proverbs 31, Solomon tells us that he is going to give us an inspired utterance that he was taught by his mother.<br />
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Imagine that you, a very beautiful Jew, married a Hittite. Either her family was not all that strict in following the one true God, or she was stepping out a little. Uriah possibly joined David when he was fleeing from Saul, some of the "riff raff" that gathered around him: "All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander" (1 Samuel 22:2). If Uriah was with David in these early days, Bathsheba could have been abducted by a raiding party: "Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old...When David and his men reached Zilag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive" (1 Samuel 30:2-3). When David's kingdom was finally established, all of his men would be elevated with him. She deserved a bath, a little relaxation. Right?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Bzw4ztYsHYbVA92umBsDvk-vG32qhQA8TCFBQiF7QjCyz7Gnt3gBQYYifowsFyHJMFiYTbvyq90wQdERXFKBjUHJMS5eJ5MwCQJ2kdlH2uw5AhsvtLFYzmiYtNMn0tPyGEco_C3vcQU/s1600/flower-rose-woman-209097-o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Bzw4ztYsHYbVA92umBsDvk-vG32qhQA8TCFBQiF7QjCyz7Gnt3gBQYYifowsFyHJMFiYTbvyq90wQdERXFKBjUHJMS5eJ5MwCQJ2kdlH2uw5AhsvtLFYzmiYtNMn0tPyGEco_C3vcQU/s320/flower-rose-woman-209097-o.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I like to listen to women who have scars, who have experienced something in this world and chosen to follow God anyway. If Bathsheba were a harlot in her heart, I don't know if God would have placed her as Solomon's mother--although he likes to use <i>reformed </i>harlots. We really don't know much about her. But to me, she seems like a woman who struggled, who messed up, and who just maybe found her footing in a marriage to a man after God's own heart. A marriage that should never have happened, but one that lasted decades.<br />
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Bathsheba taught her son about what kind of woman she wanted him to marry. We know that eventually, Solomon's wives led him astray, and the kingdom was ripped apart because of it. Bathsheba knew that kings could really mess up in this area. She knew.<br />
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She told him to find someone who worked really hard. Maybe, when she was bathing on the roof, she should have been attending to her household. I don't know. But the wife of noble character that she describes doesn't seem like a roof-bather--she is working <i>all the time</i>. Maybe Bathsheba had learned something. "She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness" (v.27). Even if life had been hard, and she really "deserved" to take it easy.<br />
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We put verse 30 in flowing calligraphy on plaques to hang in our homes: "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." This isn't a pedantic harangue: Bathsheba had tried out charm, possessed great beauty. And she came to value the fear of the LORD. Her desire for her son to have a good wife came from experience.<br />
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Perhaps she overheard Nathan, when he accused David of his secret sin. Perhaps it was just reported to her: the story of a man with great wealth, who took the only lamb of his neighbor, a precious, cared for pet, to slaughter for a guest (2 Samuel 12). <br />
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She was the lamb. And her baby died.<br />
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The woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.<br />
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The next time you read Proverbs 31, read it as advice from a sister who has been through much suffering, suffering as a result of her own sin. And when she tells you to mind your home, know that this is indeed God's heart for you, which He wrapped in a beautiful woman's wisdom. Wisdom that came from trials.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-58233915762745407562014-04-23T08:09:00.000-05:002014-04-23T08:09:13.981-05:00Talking back to a billboardThere is a billboard on my way to school that blasts: "Be the man you used to be."<br />
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Because, as we all know, we are each defined by and reduced to our sexuality.<br />
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I am probably not the only person to cringe at the huge advertising focus to aid our aging population so they can enjoy a never-changing active sexuality. But manhood is not just in your pants.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNH9j04xWdieV3At9GeUyEas3Hv5XxvX3xbbeNS9o_w7Q4zeBq7m5jK1bs2udJdJ5dP2z4lvZ1MFLaXDYkZa1blrZ5jK6CN2DmTzklIv30a0dJqb4LdQ2FRuc_VjLX1for34hZayJQ3I4/s1600/man+with+beard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNH9j04xWdieV3At9GeUyEas3Hv5XxvX3xbbeNS9o_w7Q4zeBq7m5jK1bs2udJdJ5dP2z4lvZ1MFLaXDYkZa1blrZ5jK6CN2DmTzklIv30a0dJqb4LdQ2FRuc_VjLX1for34hZayJQ3I4/s320/man+with+beard.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The man that you are is your character, that compilation of choices in attitude, words, and behavior that has made you a blessing to those around you--or a pain. The man that you are doesn't deteriorate with your physical body, unless you have invested everything you are in a house of temporal flesh.<br />
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So, please: Be the man that you want to be. And let him be strong and kind and wise. That's my favorite kind. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-11786749833393192952014-04-14T11:02:00.003-05:002014-04-14T11:02:56.464-05:00Three types of people<i>reposted from April 2, 2013</i><br />
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My world used to have two types of people: those who followed Jesus, and those who didn't. This is the most important division for me, because what a person decides about Christ determines their relationship with God (either with Him or separated from Him). I believe the Bible is one big story of redemption, of God reaching out to us. Jesus is our gift; we can accept Him or reject Him.<br />
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I've been involved in church since I became a Christ-follower in my teens. I've seen a lot of sin in the church. I've seen plenty of hypocrisy and hurtfulness. Two of the churches we were members of broke apart due to fighting among believers. And still, a church community has remained central in my life. In fact, my husband and I were part of a new church that sprang up in the Tulsa area about ten years ago, and it was one of the greatest blessings in my life. I have learned from church people, been encouraged and supported by church people, and served the needs of others alongside church people.<br />
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This past year, however, something has happened to my worldview. My husband and I have had one theological difference our entire married life. I was saved in a Southern Baptist church, and we were certain that once you were saved, you were always saved. What about those people who walked the walk and talked the talk and then fell into utter sin? Well, either they need to repent, but God's still got them in His hand, or they were never saved in the first place. My husband maintained that a person could lose their salvation, but it wasn't a casual "in and out" with God based on our behavior. My husband believed that if a person lost their salvation, they could never be saved again. Salvation happens once; if it's gone, it's gone.<br />
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We of course referenced Scripture in our discussions, and I was pretty sure I was right: two kinds of people, the saved and the not saved. When a person comes to Christ, he is a new creation. The old passes away, and all things are new (2 Corinthians 5:17). I didn't see how, if you were a new creature, you could ever go back.<br />
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Hebrews 10:26-27 says, "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God." In verse 29, it refers to this group of people as having "treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them." It speaks of them having a disdain for their salvation. The writer tells us, "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded" (v.35).<br />
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The call to persevere once you have received Christ is found all over the New Testament. In 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul says, "I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." I always thought, "Poor Paul! He had no need to worry! How could he be disqualified?"<br />
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I really don't know if someone can "lose their salvation." I have a feeling I'm asking questions that my Father will not answer clearly until I stand before Him. But I have definitely created a third group of people in my worldview.<br />
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In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul says, "No wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve" (v.14-15). Peter warns the believers, "Since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position" (2 Peter 3:17).<br />
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There are people who are serving Satan, and they dwell in the church. My blog entry <a href="http://mrsellis.blogspot.com/2013/03/leaders-who-deceive.html">Leaders who deceive </a>addresses this, and I don't know why I feel compelled to say it again: these people exist. I don't know their standing before God, and it is not my job to sift through everyone I know and assign them a category. However, I need to be alert, because these people, who are in the church, are working against Christ.<br />
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The other day, my youngest asked me about a girl at her school. "She's very religious, but when I am around her, I feel bad. What does that mean?" I told her that she could be having one of two reactions: either she feels convicted about her own walk, which comes from the Holy Spirit and is good, or this girl is something false, and she should stay away from her. My daughter needs to examine her own walk, and if the Spirit does not reveal a problem, the problem might lie with this girl, and she should avoid her. As I'm talking, it becomes abundantly clear that this is the situation I am facing with several fellow church people. Something about them disturbs me deeply; I should not submit myself to their teaching.<br />
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John says, "If anyone comes to you and does not bring [sound] teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work" (2 John 10-11). We are to welcome fellow believers, love them, help meet their needs, encourage each other with true teaching and singing, be gentle, forgive each other, work for restoration of relationships, consider others before ourselves, bless our teachers. But we are also to be perceptive, and avoid false people in the church. I don't know if these people were once saved but have lost their salvation or were never saved and just pursuing wicked schemes with a Christian coating, but the Scripture warns me over and over, they are there. They are among us. Pay attention, church, because the newer converts to Christianity and those who struggle more in their faith can be very wounded by the wolves.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-69657434676176478192014-03-30T09:04:00.000-05:002014-03-30T09:04:26.634-05:00False teachers and the end times<i>originally posted March 3, 2013 as "Leaders who deceive"</i><br />
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I've been a Christian for decades, and so I have done my share of timelines and studying Revelation. I've listened to arguments over whether the church will be raptured before the Tribulation, mid-Trib, or post-Trib. Sometimes, it all gets jumbled in my head: the Tribulation, the battle of Armageddon, the rapture, Jesus returning. I am not an engaged scholar on these matters.<br />
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There are a few things I'm sure of. The "end times" exist. Just as destruction came in the days of Noah, so judgment will come on the earth. Jesus, Paul, and Peter all said that there is a suddenness to the end, a surprising element for those who think that things will always keep on they way they are now (Matthew 24:42-44; 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4, 2 Peter 3:10, Revelation 3:3, 16:15). Christians should not be surprised that this age has an end. When Jesus taught His disciples about the Holy Spirit, He explained that the Spirit would teach us about things we need to understand about sin, righteousness, and judgement. The world in general does not understand nor like to think about judgement. Christians do, because it gives meaning to how we live.<br />
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Aside from Revelation, there are several passages that speak about the end: Matthew 24 (parallel in Mark 13, Luke 21), 1 Thessalonians 4-5, 2 Thessalonians 2, 2 Timothy 3, 2 Peter 3, and Jude. In many of these passages, the author is writing about false teachers, as if a discussion of false teachers, who have been in the church from early days, automatically makes one think about the end. In 1 John 2:18, John says, "Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour." The end and false teachers go hand in hand.<br />
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So here's a question: what does a false teacher look like? These passages give many specific examples, but step back with me for a moment. Jesus said that at judgement many people would approach the throne and say, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?" (Matthew 7:22). These people, whom the Lord told to leave Him, that He never knew them, had successful ministries. If you claim to have driven out demons and performed miracles, it is likely you have really seen something like this happen in your ministry. It seems likely that these ministries might look valid and good to an observer.<br />
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Jesus said, "False messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time" (Matthew 24:24-25). When we see huge earthquakes on the news, don't we think perhaps it is the end times? However, when you hear of miraculous things happening in a ministry, do you consider that this may also be a problem? The church in Revelation is persecuted; the false prophet performs great signs and is exalted and popular. Many popular church people want to say that the church looks mighty and great--well, the antichrist comes from the church, yes, but...do you hear a warning bell?<br />
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"Watch out that no one deceives you," Jesus says in Matthew 24:4. We, possibly even those of us who really know Jesus, are in danger of deception. We're in danger of persecution and, worse yet, mistaking something for Jesus when it is not.<br />
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In Mark 13, Jesus says, "At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Messiah! or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it." I have always had a hard time imagining people claiming to be Jesus, and anyone telling me I should go check it out. And yet in my day, I have seen revivals erupt where Jesus' power is supposedly at work, that cause people to buy plane tickets and go there, to encounter Jesus.<br />
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I feel convicted to build on solid rock. I need Jesus to stir my heart and engage my mind. I am in danger of being deceived by religious things that I might love, things that might compel me because they are powerful and look like God.<br />
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In the end times, we will not be able to avoid persecution. We will not be able to avoid war and natural disasters. Relationships will be strained and painful. The world may fall apart, and I may suffer, but this one thing I know: we have been warned about deception. If Jesus told me to be on my guard, then He does not intend for me to be trapped.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-53001653393154290012014-03-03T09:41:00.001-06:002014-03-03T09:41:33.740-06:00The unbeautiful losers claim the winning ticketThe other day I was leaving Panera after meeting with a friend, and I caught my reflection in a mirror. Our pastor had been preaching on Saul and David, how mankind emphasized outward looks, but the Lord looks at the heart. I thought, "I am not very pretty," but my friend and I had just been encouraging each other in the Lord, in the midst of unpleasant circumstances, and I knew that when the Lord looked at my heart, He saw beauty there. Not because of anything inherent in me, but because of His Spirit in my life. He does indeed make all things beautiful--even me.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpe4hlmVdJontdpC8ykXP_usuZo5N8eTVKJPB-7ccyrStN5Ll5FXzFsuoac2zxY9NB6c0Sil9_N8gmYUaCyZMEwbfAVJxH8PlPDKgqZWzGZu_1mvbcOYLtGJWjaFUtzdc15Yd0Z8ONxdA/s1600/boy+reflection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpe4hlmVdJontdpC8ykXP_usuZo5N8eTVKJPB-7ccyrStN5Ll5FXzFsuoac2zxY9NB6c0Sil9_N8gmYUaCyZMEwbfAVJxH8PlPDKgqZWzGZu_1mvbcOYLtGJWjaFUtzdc15Yd0Z8ONxdA/s320/boy+reflection.jpg" /></a></div><i>(photo by Jesse Millan)</i><br />
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In Luke 14, Jesus tells a story about a man who threw a wedding banquet for his son. All of his invited guests--the pretty people, the ones you thought would accept an invitation to the Oscars--made excuses. The master said, fine (he was pretty angry), and sent his servants out to gather in the poor, the crippled, the blind, the lame. The beautiful people have their own agendas, their own source of confidence. It is the point where you know you have nothing that you realize you do indeed need God.<br />
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I saw a Facebook page the other day called "Hookers for Jesus." This page was an invitation along the lines of Jesus' story: come as you are. Don't wait to clean up and make yourself beautiful; you need Him now. The banquet is ready, and your seat is waiting.<br />
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I was once helping a pastor with a group game at a church event. We were playing a trivia game and awarding prizes, and for some reason, we needed to select a second group apart from the obvious winner. I said, "Choose the table with the lowest score," and the pastor rebuked me with the comment, "No, Angie. We don't reward losers at this church."<br />
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Too bad. God loves losers. It's often the losers who bother to listen to Him. I should make a Facebook page called "Losers for Jesus."<br />
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We do not need to revel in our sinfulness, but don't paint it over and pretend it's not there. Jesus died for us because we are weak and we fail. Our weaknesses qualify us for His table. Bon appetit. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-728404874238668472014-01-02T08:59:00.001-06:002014-01-02T09:50:21.665-06:00How an introvert entertainsIf you just love having people over, if it is as easy for you as falling off a log, then skip this blog entry. <br />
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My husband and I are both content being quiet. I have more need for socializing than he does, but most days saying hi to the checker at Walmart would satisfy my need for people. However, our entire married lives, we have socialized and even entertained in our home. For introverts, it is important to start with why.<br />
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If you would rather be curled up with a good book or cuddle in front of a movie, why bother cleaning the house for company that you won't enjoy? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3__29TryaYjuA-ciTM2BBZqWHq4L5jbPZAJm-zl0Zkj3IY6d4Bu1Pg7EwJOkerP4mkILicNq7bkutQkE_CHSCsLkhNlDjOMr23YpHu2Z1QSYI__kf7rX94PUwzWq868ZM3Advge4jRE/s1600/reading+a+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3__29TryaYjuA-ciTM2BBZqWHq4L5jbPZAJm-zl0Zkj3IY6d4Bu1Pg7EwJOkerP4mkILicNq7bkutQkE_CHSCsLkhNlDjOMr23YpHu2Z1QSYI__kf7rX94PUwzWq868ZM3Advge4jRE/s320/reading+a+book.jpg" /></a></div>Our motivation for entertaining is simple: people matter. The real meaning in life will boil down to relationships. Proverbs 14:4 says, "Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests." Your house will stay clean and your lives will be comfortable with minimal relationships, but it will lack purpose and fruit. <br />
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And so our children's friends are welcome in our home. And we go out of our comfort zone in order to invite friends to share a meal. Here are my tips for entertaining as an introvert.<br />
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1) <b>Stretch.</b> When someone says, "Let's get together" or your child says, "Can so-and-so sleep over?", say yes. If your ladies' group or church group needs someone to host a party, say yes. If your goal is to have people in your home, and you're introverted, it's not going to feel instinctive. You have to train yourself to open the door and smile.<br />
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2) Go <b>small</b>. Introverts use trappings to make us comfortable: the most fantastic meal, incredible decorations, the best party game, the most people. Leave that game behind, because now you know <i>why </i>you are gathering with people: because people are important. Worry less about cleaning and menus and prepare yourself to engage. If you are tired and empty when the company arrives, you won't make connections--which is the entire reason you are doing this.<br />
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3) <b>Stop</b>. Just because you've hosted your small group for two years doesn't mean you have to keep doing it. Just because the sleepover is always at your house doesn't mean it has to be this time. Just because you host a cookie decorating party with your neighbors every December doesn't mean you have to do it this year. Do not be a slave to schedule. God is in charge of your life, not you, and He can make a beautiful connection with work you've already done, or bring back a tradition that you don't have the time for at the moment. Life is always changing; let it change, and look for God's yes, not your own.<br />
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1 Peter 4:8-10 says, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." This passage teaches us that as we are hospitable, we should also be amply forgiving, and we should serve God with the gifts and grace He gives, not out of comparison or compulsion, but with His joy. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdkUXBvWB3sJl6vGTCLx9kyrbRsKhFNWNHzNNq0LGch9h9PFHQBDJHtaFuj2VVEG2ioK9Lx8fXmie-KvWT0Wf0zOc5UEr7y_7T6cAErwuHfF3EPvTdKw6GEKxlegnNgaROm6FjjMO9FA/s1600/oxen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdkUXBvWB3sJl6vGTCLx9kyrbRsKhFNWNHzNNq0LGch9h9PFHQBDJHtaFuj2VVEG2ioK9Lx8fXmie-KvWT0Wf0zOc5UEr7y_7T6cAErwuHfF3EPvTdKw6GEKxlegnNgaROm6FjjMO9FA/s320/oxen.jpg" /></a></div><br />
May God bless your home as you put the oxen of grace and hospitality to work, looking for His harvest in your life and the lives of those around you.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-27529111301023035472013-12-31T10:24:00.001-06:002013-12-31T10:24:46.051-06:00Performance and nose-piercingMy daughter has been sick, and she's been watching a lot of teen drama. Of course we all roll our eyes at teen drama. But there was a moment in this story that was useful to me.<br />
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This teenage girl was going to a poetry slam to try to impress a boy. Her poem was a piece of fluff, and she didn't advance. Afterwards she asked the judge why, and he said, "We were looking for something a little more raw." So she pierces her nose and seeks some angst to make her poetry better.<br />
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This story resonated with me because in my twenties, I wrote and sought to publish my poetry. I'm now in my forties, and I can clearly see why I was so frustrated in those days. The people who were judging my poetry held to values that were completely different than mine. We both respected the craft of language, but I was looking for meaning, and the crowd who judged what was and wasn't publishable wanted an expression of the twentieth-century crisis of meaning in our post-modern chaos. It is very hard to seek the approval of people whose standard is not something I respect. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXLZpFO104X4BWTQCveyHTvAXNbZmZx-_ghqA_MrHTrjdfimc6rikTou4rl4AxZSQPKrhIgkb3MrMjCiWCE7tPn_E9aZpU9psGSQHkV5r5slA6B8Sk3dMg0MPyE-akmsw3ke3fbcyu4I/s1600/poetry+slam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXLZpFO104X4BWTQCveyHTvAXNbZmZx-_ghqA_MrHTrjdfimc6rikTou4rl4AxZSQPKrhIgkb3MrMjCiWCE7tPn_E9aZpU9psGSQHkV5r5slA6B8Sk3dMg0MPyE-akmsw3ke3fbcyu4I/s320/poetry+slam.jpg" /></a></div><i>(The audience at the All Asia Cafe reacts to scores presented for a poem in the preliminary rounds of the 2011 National Poetry Slam. Photo © 2011 Richard Beaubien. I still love poetry.)</i><br />
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Yet I was somehow seeking their approval, like the nose-pierced girl in the story. If they said my poetry was good, then I had a meaningful life. But in order to remain true to myself, I had to convince them that my words were powerful and my old-fashioned sense of God and truth were real, themes they largely rejected. It was like going to a beauty contest and expecting praise for my lovely flute playing but not bothering with the swimsuit and evening gown. <br />
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Then I realized that somehow, I have even been struggling with the values of American television. In another strain of the tv drama, the mother gave a morning-after pill to her son's girlfriend, whose parents would have freaked for religious reasons over her having sex. She bemoaned why he didn't use a condom, when they kept them in the bathroom and always talked with him openly about "wise" sexual choices.<br />
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In this story, I'm the wacko religious parents, who appear in every tv drama and are always belittled. However, I am not seeking to please this crowd. Even though my God is invisible, some day I will stand before Him and answer to how I have raised my children. The world may cast me as stupid, an irresponsible, head-in-the-sand parent, but someday I really believe reality will shift, and "their" opinion is not the one that matters. <br />
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This small epiphany expanded yesterday: I'm also not seeking the approval of my church friends, or family. Voices of approval or disapproval slip into my head very easily, but there is one voice I am listening for. It takes work to constantly tune in to Him. I can miss His conviction, and I can miss His direction if I do not consciously bring my parenting to His altar and listen. I have to be still, and I have to be intentional.<br />
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In this blog article, let me be one small voice encouraging you to listen to Dad. I may need to come back and reread it myself, on those days I feel like piercing my nose and performing for the poetry judges.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-26779468542680041422013-12-30T09:29:00.001-06:002013-12-30T09:29:36.999-06:00Nativity<i>Reposted from December 14, 2009</i><br />
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This year, at my daughters' choir concert, I watched little 6-year-olds march into the church in their adorable sheep and shepherd outfits. Three teenagers carried in gifts, wearing splendid robes, like choir boys carrying the sacred items to the altar.<br />
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We know that celebrations of the nativity like this are not meant to be representations of the actual event. I started wondering...what would an American equivalent be? Joseph and Mary, good, church-attending kids, who got pregnant out of wedlock. Heads shake, because although we hope they do better, we know that so often church kids look just like the world. They drive an Aerostar, handed down in the family, to Kansas City, because Joseph hears they are hiring there, and he desperately needs a job. They don't have enough money for a hotel, and they are run out of several parking lots for vagrancy. One shop owner, locking up for the night, tells them to park behind his rental house, which hasn't been leased yet. He can't let them stay in the house, but they can sleep in their van in the driveway without fear of being run off.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UlbtCMUAL8UsesFmAO-Iz92WkPrsqx7xTJS9M5LopjsFvOMm728a71Jn_shn9prlsKrV-oTR_6H_lAtRIXDWQ092QzAukaK51ohwr3k5fjICekajarmrYVe-nfPQaZZYdMAHrpgmwKo/s1600/Ford-Aerostar-LWB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UlbtCMUAL8UsesFmAO-Iz92WkPrsqx7xTJS9M5LopjsFvOMm728a71Jn_shn9prlsKrV-oTR_6H_lAtRIXDWQ092QzAukaK51ohwr3k5fjICekajarmrYVe-nfPQaZZYdMAHrpgmwKo/s320/Ford-Aerostar-LWB.jpg" /></a></div><br />
In that van, in that borrowed driveway, Mary gives birth to the Savior of the world, whose head is cone-shaped, and he snorts a lot. We don't know His apgar score; they clean Him up as best they can and wrap Him in a blanket that Joseph's mom had bought for them, a beautiful new one, blue because Mary was just "sure" it would be a boy. The Savior, helpless in their arms. He's too tired to nurse, so they cuddle up as best as they can to try to sleep.<br />
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In a bar not too many streets over, some Hispanic landscape workers have stopped to have a beer before heading home. They are laughing and telling stories, the only people there except the owner and a waitress, when suddenly a brilliant light appears from the wall. A form appears in the light and speaks to them: do not be afraid, there is good news. The angel gives them an address, tells them they will find a baby newly born in an Aerostar van, and then suddenly the inside of the bar is bathed in light and angels everywhere, on every wall, across the ceiling, as if the roof has been lifted off and transported them all to heaven, giving glory to God Almighty...and then it stops. It's just a bar again. The men are stunned. They leave their drinks, their expensive equipment and run the few blocks to the place where the angels told them they would find a child. Sure enough! The beautiful blue blanket, the tiny, impoverished family, somehow just like them. The men marvel at the angel's accurate words. What a visitation! What could this mean! They tell everyone they meet, but no one understands it. The media won't even pick up the story, because it's just a group of Hispanics with a wild tale (from a bar, no less). The owner of the bar buys a picture of an angel to hang on the wall; they will never forget this night in this one run-down watering hole. This is the first place Jesus is exalted, God's choice of a church service.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmerpoJexiEAdYfVqwbyTOEb-s1LxCMc40qrz24OAKL1z9WS9AQZzRFKfKejrPygMdUsx4F0Bk0MeH8XSvrRg7yxQuDOme1vSSxKEpm9bD9LxEDGTgsF6lIw78WddT_hcW2gLGh4vvDY/s1600/bar+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmerpoJexiEAdYfVqwbyTOEb-s1LxCMc40qrz24OAKL1z9WS9AQZzRFKfKejrPygMdUsx4F0Bk0MeH8XSvrRg7yxQuDOme1vSSxKEpm9bD9LxEDGTgsF6lIw78WddT_hcW2gLGh4vvDY/s320/bar+front.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Joseph does find work as a welder (his trade), and they rent a small house, and the baby grows. Mary gets a job at a fabric shop and Jesus stays with a woman next door who takes in a few neighbor kids. She's not registered with DHS, but they trust her, and she is very fond of their child. One day when Mary stops to pick up Jesus after getting off work, she finds three men in business suits talking with Jesus' caretaker. They were wanting to know if this was indeed Jesus BarJoseph, born on such and such date. Mary is puzzled and a little hesitant to answer their questions, but God somehow eases her heart, that it is safe to say yes. They have been searching for this child. The white-haired man who seems to be in charge introduces himself as Warren Buffett. Mary does not know who he is, but he says that he has been waiting for this child, and he would like to be a silent benefactor. He has set up a trust fund for the child, to provide private schooling, an allowance for necessary living expenses, and a college education. He would like to finance any venture that the child chooses when He is grown...could they sit and talk? Mr. Buffett has brought his lawyer and accountant. He assures Mary that he wants nothing in return; it is a blessing simply to silently provide what he can. Mary marvels at this. She remembers the immigrant workers who came when Jesus was born, and she stores these things in her heart. Her son will now be able to go to a good school, have decent clothes. How good of God to provide, even before the child is in preschool.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0OzP7IMsEgY4gpkwpuuewCDPiNq4YMVpzVKJ3aZNxkCFHMiRwQQVM3T5WCDJM_G8hFYT1eIhxfowdNo35mJ-1U3ewtl2KePjfYkTvqpgj4X61ikCcIVFjUHWAeJbhEJUwL-C7wqo3TCE/s1600/briefcase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0OzP7IMsEgY4gpkwpuuewCDPiNq4YMVpzVKJ3aZNxkCFHMiRwQQVM3T5WCDJM_G8hFYT1eIhxfowdNo35mJ-1U3ewtl2KePjfYkTvqpgj4X61ikCcIVFjUHWAeJbhEJUwL-C7wqo3TCE/s320/briefcase.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Because Mary and Joseph are not wealthy, the neighborhood where they live is a little rough. They are sometimes harassed for being Middle Eastern. When Jesus is about two, a very bad character begins asserting influence. He is an Asian gang member, recently moved to Kansas City from Los Angeles, and he has some ideas about what should be happening in their corner of the world. As his influence grows, their neighborhood becomes very frightening, and they often find themselves under attack by this new gang. One night, warned in a dream, Joseph is instructed to take their son and flee to Arkansas...<br />
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Wouldn't it be fun to set up a nativity with a tiny model Aeorstar, three figures stuffed inside, Hispanic workers running towards it, sometimes modeled with a weedeater in hand, to show their trade. A figure of Warren Buffet and two other men in suits standing to the side, with briefcases. Our version has a limo that these businessmen arrived in, and there is a stray dog cocking his head and looking in the van, curious like everyone else.<br />
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Merry Christmas. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-4397555102918583102013-12-22T16:33:00.001-06:002013-12-22T16:33:28.922-06:00A gift finds its lifeDuring the holidays, I think about family maybe more than usual--the gift of family in general, but also those who have passed on. And I enjoy where my kids are in the moment: preschoolers with their fascination of boxes (not the gift you actually bought), school-age children who are learning to give and not just receive, or teenagers who are finding their own path. This year, those two sentimental moments collided.<br />
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My daughter, home from college, suggested to my high school senior that they have a party. It was delightful to me to watch them plan food and activities together, contact friends, and work through obstacles. In the two days leading up to it, the girls and I shopped and cooked, and furiously cleaned the house. Yes, they cleaned the house. It was like Christmas-come-early for me, as you might imagine. <br />
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The eldest was telling me the litany of drinks, which included coffee. (Side note: I'm so glad she's the type of college student who came home passionate about coffee instead of alcohol. Way to go, girl.) She was also planning to make punch and asked if I had a bowl.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GeANqYgByCBG9C5LgxC_WX4ZZA7xHMGya1amMy9ddPelORMYgvjjPt-XlZj3Kd_neS7XxpCyyGYzrQPUWqY66txe_M5yjrUJfpCaY75EygGYcyuU_r8adbUOXxbW0nfXagUj-V4r5uU/s1600/IMG_3977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GeANqYgByCBG9C5LgxC_WX4ZZA7xHMGya1amMy9ddPelORMYgvjjPt-XlZj3Kd_neS7XxpCyyGYzrQPUWqY66txe_M5yjrUJfpCaY75EygGYcyuU_r8adbUOXxbW0nfXagUj-V4r5uU/s320/IMG_3977.JPG" /></a></div><br />
In the last year of her life, my husband's grandmother lived with us. I have so many memories of her. She was opinionated and deeply loyal to her family. She always had "suggestions," which she usually sort of forced on you, and yet you still felt loved in all her bullying. (My husband didn't always react so well to her, which is probably the difference of living with her for one year vs. having a lifetime of bossiness.) One time, she showed me this punch bowl that she had and announced, "You're going to need this, with three girls. You'll have parties and weddings and all sorts of receptions. You'll need a punch bowl." <br />
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Right. Of course, she lived decades in Tennessee, raising her daughter in the 50's and 60's. Punch bowls were probably a requirement in her world, but I just didn't see it happening in mine. The punch bowl, filled with glasses, stayed at the top of my husband's closet.<br />
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But when my daughter said, "Do we have a bowl for the punch?" I suddenly remembered it. We dug it out. It was resting on a cut glass plate, and as we unloaded all the glasses, there was something like a candy dish inside. I realized it was a tier: the bowl rested on the odd little piece and then on the tray to make a chalice. She had included hooks for the sides of the bowl, from which you could hang the cups.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOTvzy2VVEK20zeSA0f5A0OVBT9OuPFcHIBKvWZtRE-b2b8QpMR3M4iyxFd42TH2TXjj181XZ2yANQxevp1KFhBTvuQ8UJiQbQJbSZEU5BeZ8N89lqy9A0Vehm62-l0tPek7mTCb09Yo/s1600/IMG_3976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOTvzy2VVEK20zeSA0f5A0OVBT9OuPFcHIBKvWZtRE-b2b8QpMR3M4iyxFd42TH2TXjj181XZ2yANQxevp1KFhBTvuQ8UJiQbQJbSZEU5BeZ8N89lqy9A0Vehm62-l0tPek7mTCb09Yo/s320/IMG_3976.JPG" /></a></div>And all the cups were mismatched. The bowl was this amazing contraption, but the cups were some smooth, some with glass fruit patterns, some cut in all different styles. Two of one pattern, four of another, for a total of 24. I love mismatched things. It feels a bit modern somehow, the hodgepodge of styles, held together with the punch theme.<br />
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And the first time I cared about it was my daughters' first party as young adults. The punch bowl served my eldest's favorite recipe: Hawaiian punch and Sprite, not fancy at all. It was gobbled up by the dozen teenagers in my home (mostly boys, who I'm sure didn't really care about the beautiful little glass punch cups).<br />
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And there was the memory of Grandmother, standing in my kitchen: "I told you that you would need a punch bowl."<br />
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For parties.<br />
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For weddings.<br />
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For all kinds of receptions.<br />
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I guess when I go forward in this life, I will be equipped with the punch bowl I didn't know I needed. Heritage is like that--it gives you things you never knew you would want.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-81715305726251817412013-12-11T08:16:00.000-06:002013-12-11T08:16:57.234-06:00Mary, did you know?At least once during the Christmas season, I spontaneously burst into tears over a Christmas song. Usually, it's "Mary, Did You Know?" but today it was something similar: <a href="http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2xxqRm3Hyg">"You're Here" by Francesca Battistelli.</a> <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kI81umJRqe6NAJc9SxhKrLGJdPLh8h07wVLRygamitrcKKPFYvQmf7jCLTzJ_iJtcq9eSoCSwsp78ICt7gypObdRfgHHuFHDkFmU7LDD0ol5AFpjtph6SqvYf4NUYGZXCuLV4bO25LQ/s1600/hollyberries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kI81umJRqe6NAJc9SxhKrLGJdPLh8h07wVLRygamitrcKKPFYvQmf7jCLTzJ_iJtcq9eSoCSwsp78ICt7gypObdRfgHHuFHDkFmU7LDD0ol5AFpjtph6SqvYf4NUYGZXCuLV4bO25LQ/s320/hollyberries.jpg" /></a></div>The line, "I'll be watching when you change the world" is what started me blubbering. My children are poised on the edge of adulthood. I want to watch them change the world. I've worked to teach them what that looks like: loving people, not seeking your own glory, serving others, listening, committing. I'm not sure if any of us get a "big assignment." We're each a part of the church, this amazing organism that <b>is</b> Jesus Christ in a hurting world. <br />
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But what did it look like, for Mary, when Jesus changed the world?<br />
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I was talking with one of my girls about Christianity in the car the other day. We were talking about how deeply she questions her beliefs, and I simply reassured her: if you seek God, you will find Him. By asking questions, you are making sure that the foundation for your life is solid and worth building on. A solid foundation is worth having, so ask away. She knows that there are claims on your life when you follow God. She struggles with the truth that, as a Christian, you can't just do whatever <i>you </i>want.<br />
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We have three desires for our daughters' future spouses: 1) be kind and respectful, 2) follow Jesus, and 3) be willing and able to support a family. My daughter said that she hoped she would be attractive to a Christian, even though she questions God so much. <br />
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My heart cried out, <i>"Oh, yes, baby. You will be attractive to the kind of man you will need."</i> I really believe that each of my children will grow up to change the world, just because they are so alive and beautiful. They are salt and light. Wherever God takes them, they will bring healing, preservation, and a brightness that is in them because of God.<br />
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The world, however, can be harsh and ugly. And I think the world will hurt them. I've watched it already in the "safe" environment of school and church. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98VsZf4CzHK8_0jqPavN68ZJRN1jSdwbWnDy05BCS9m3OyM16-FMZpGP5ZkyHXjoyi3n235jOmoB6Hf2biLinLdNwNHaVXDzW1Aksn46v0dW5TFTbMhKKVxYs8AogDAvOMl_SX9-VICQ/s1600/crown-easter-jesus-366899-m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98VsZf4CzHK8_0jqPavN68ZJRN1jSdwbWnDy05BCS9m3OyM16-FMZpGP5ZkyHXjoyi3n235jOmoB6Hf2biLinLdNwNHaVXDzW1Aksn46v0dW5TFTbMhKKVxYs8AogDAvOMl_SX9-VICQ/s320/crown-easter-jesus-366899-m.jpg" /></a></div><br />
So when Francesca Battistelli sings, "But I'll be watching when you change the world," I think of Mary at a distance as Jesus is being scourged. I think of her watching him impaled on a cross and hanging naked like a criminal. <br />
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Because He was saving us.<br />
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She had a few people around her who were heartbroken with her, but her heart was so shattered that God warned her in advance what was coming (Luke 2:35), just so she would know that this was not beyond Him: it was actually the plan. <br />
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If I want the Lord to work in the lives of my children, my expectations should be the same as Mary's. I do not believe that they are guaranteed health, wealth, and happiness; I believe that God wants to touch people, and my child will be a part of that. And it might hurt.<br />
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"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him" (Philippinas 1:29). It has been granted.<br />
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"Son though he was, he learned obedience through what he suffered" (Hebrews 5:8). <br />
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"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you [or your children] face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4). Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-67841021510198564442013-11-03T09:04:00.001-06:002013-11-03T09:04:44.785-06:00Read. Live. Learn.I got carried away in Romans today. This book is the core teaching of the gospel in the New Testament. In the introduction/greeting, Paul talks about his desire to preach the gospel in Rome, and then he launches into it: the gospel of Jesus Christ, the gospel Paul preaches. He talks about sin and judgement, and he addresses the Jews, who were always his first audience, the most educated in spiritual truth. <br />
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When I was a teenager and new to the gospel, I remember intentionally studying Romans. Paul's writing is not always easy to understand, and I worked to make sense of what he was saying and why. His reasoning was not a pattern that I was used to. He asks all these questions, that are obvious rhetorical tools, not the structure I had been taught: thesis statements followed by support followed by conclusions. Why does he say this now? How does it relate to what came before? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tstNPCQJRRmCrcDWeuU1ZP7JVHHvYESCCD9Cdp7dclF0UwobgtsWnCVqdsbQfAU7zJyfg-SfY3QfompJ8ijR3wrVCzu6W7kIGxQ1Kr_kVa1XTCSaC-PjWFAHeB4SCNqtunU0tBbPGAk/s1600/magnifying+glass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tstNPCQJRRmCrcDWeuU1ZP7JVHHvYESCCD9Cdp7dclF0UwobgtsWnCVqdsbQfAU7zJyfg-SfY3QfompJ8ijR3wrVCzu6W7kIGxQ1Kr_kVa1XTCSaC-PjWFAHeB4SCNqtunU0tBbPGAk/s320/magnifying+glass.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I learned arguments without knowing why I needed to know them. No one is totally ignorant of God's truth because of creation (Romans 1:20). Abraham was justified before he was circumcised (Romans 4:12). Someone who dies is no longer under the law (duh? Romans 7:1). In classical education, children memorize information before they understand it. Little ones learn the Pythagorean theorem, formulas for area and perimeter, while very small. No one teaches them what they mean; we simply put the information in their brain, so that in middle school, when they encounter the math problems, the basis for understanding is already with them. Likewise, wouldn't it be lovely if Christians learned the Bible, just for the sake of knowing it? Then, when the Spirit needs to reveal something to us, the basis of understanding is already in our brains.<br />
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Earlier this year, I joined Melaleuca, which is an online company that carries vitamins, cleaning products, personal care products, and some food products. When I told my friend that I was interested in the company, I was required to listen to a 30-minute explanation of how it works (you have to pay a membership fee, there is a minimum monthly purchase, etc.). I decided I wanted to try it, knowing I could get out (and what the cost to me would be for exiting--everyone wants to know how to get out of something we sign up for, right?). As I ordered and used products, I came to understand them better, and my life switched to include this new company. Old things fell away and were replaced by new.<br />
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Coming to Jesus is much the same way. Is this the path I want? What does it require of me? Can I get out if I don't like it? You do not understand it all before you "join," but if you do not work to understand something, how can you ever choose? Listening to sermons and reading the Bible are ways to learn what this gospel is. <br />
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This is the second thing that struck me in Romans this morning: Paul did not conclude his gospel with an invitation to follow Jesus. He went straight from explaining what the gospel is to encouraging his listeners to live this way. It is not only evangelical in nature; it is also <i>How Should We Then Live</i>. It is the whole gospel: choose Christ, and keep on choosing Him.<br />
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In the gospel truth, there is information on what it is like to follow Jesus, if that is something you are considering. And in the same gospel, there is information about how to live out what you have already chosen. Renew your mind (8:6). Be obedient (1:5). Have faith (3:28). Die to yourself (7:4). These truths are already buried in me, but as I work it out, they make more and more sense. <br />
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I am amazed sometimes at how an odd piece of information will keep my thinking on track in my walk with God. My daughter often asks after (or during) a sermon: how does the preacher know this? what is his textual support? where does the Bible teach this? If you read this long and diverse book, layer after layer builds up in your thinking so that you recognize error when it pops up. Your mind becomes bathed in it, so that you can explain to people who are questioning.<br />
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I like teaching math. Many people think I'm nuts, because this wasn't their favorite subject, or (if they are my student) they find the work challenging and demanding and tedious. But the order of mathematics is beautiful. The existence of pi simply amazes me. Mathematics is our way of quantifying the brilliant order of creation, a small reflection of the mind of our Creator. I see the same beauty in the word of God.<br />
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Paul, also in the beginning of his letter, repeatedly refers to the power of the gospel. It struck me that many who call themselves by the name of Jesus are not experiencing that power in their lives. If we do not study what we are, how will we ever be who we can be?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-23404674944263991942013-10-28T08:59:00.000-05:002013-10-28T08:59:12.592-05:00RestoredMy life is busy lately, now that I am teaching as well as homeschooling, and I have much less time for reflection. Hence, I have posted less here. I miss being able to process things, to just have time to sip coffee and think. I wouldn't want my life to only, always be this fast-paced, but for a season, it is fine.<br />
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I have written a few times about the process of healing after we left our church. During that time, I struggled with my daily quiet time--those moments of peace, when I would sit with a prayer journal and Bible. Although my husband and I were studying a limited topic very intensely, my own time with God was hollow. <br />
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For years, I had faithfully met with my Father for strength and to lift up others, to take in the Word like nourishment. And now it seemed tainted. I couldn't hear God's voice or feel His presence when I was reading. Part of me thought, "Just do it, feelings don't matter." And I would chug away for a while, and then fall off again.<br />
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I knew God was still with me. I was just hurt, and I didn't see a path out of the problem. When you don't know what to do, what do you DO? I felt like I needed to wait, that God was able to heal me. And I wanted healing; I wanted that relationship back.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRypxyYx0Wi8oztP76Zz26O6QXMT3PsS-DYuPp-IH03cPAhaDWJ2N5EHePtIP-nibLGMfR0J8SI3RIjzgxMMIQ_sWfR3_kePzQ1tZ-ToRIIUzsSbyA43CnTsUBFktDEeV7eIllpT_2hUQ/s1600/tractor+in+ice+storm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRypxyYx0Wi8oztP76Zz26O6QXMT3PsS-DYuPp-IH03cPAhaDWJ2N5EHePtIP-nibLGMfR0J8SI3RIjzgxMMIQ_sWfR3_kePzQ1tZ-ToRIIUzsSbyA43CnTsUBFktDEeV7eIllpT_2hUQ/s320/tractor+in+ice+storm.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<i>(Photo courtesy of Bonnie Camp)</i><br />
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I even led a Bible study during that time. I told my husband that while I loved the Word and knew its value, my own soul just wasn't responding, and I felt hypocritical. Even then, the Lord was faithful to me, and I had an idea for a new format that made the Bible study a huge blessing without burdening my fragile state.<br />
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One day this fall, over a year and a half after the trauma began, everything seemed fine again. I don't know why, but I opened my prayer journal, said the same things I had been saying, then opened my Bible, and it was there. A freshness. A joy. A hunger for that time each day. <br />
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I didn't do anything to deserve this. I kept my heart open to God, and He delivered me from the pit I'd fallen into. He did so in His own time, not on my schedule.<br />
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I am currently reading a book called <i>Making Peace: a guide to overcoming church conflict</i>. Jim Van Yperen writes:<br />
<blockquote>Against this notion [of busy-ness] stands a community that measures who we are and what we do by holiness, not effectiveness. In the church, God is seldom in a hurry. He is leading, perfecting, and changing us like apprentices under the tutelage of a master. (p.77)</blockquote>God is seldom in a hurry. This statement echoes what I know about my own growth in Him. He does not meet my timetable, my own list of priorities. In fact, I must intentionally lay my sense of what is important on the altar before Him. He is Lord; I am not. He moves in ways I don't understand, and I follow Him, not my own understanding.<br />
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I say all of this with the hope of encouraging you. If you are frustrated with God's apparent absence in some area of your life, take heart. He doesn't leave or forsake you, but He also doesn't arrive at the snap of your fingers. May you grow in your time of waiting--grow a more submissive spirit, the fruit of patience and faithfulness. If it is quiet where you are, be assured that He is near. And He is not in a hurry, but will patiently grow you up into the image of Jesus Christ.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414805164459802806.post-37440935322175246732013-09-27T08:47:00.000-05:002013-09-27T08:47:31.837-05:00Say it out loud<i>I originally published this post less than a year ago, October 17, 2012. However, it seems right in tune with what we've been discussing, with Genuine Friends and Anger and Fear. May you be blessed today. </i><br />
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The other day, I had some time to talk with my best friend. Sometimes life gets crazy and we miss those moments. It's especially nice when we have open-ended time, instead of, "I've got ten minutes, let me tell you what's going on." I like conversation that can wander; it allows my heart to unfold.<br />
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I told her the story of finding our pet rat Cookie dead in her cage on Saturday morning. I told her about an incident that, until I told the story, I didn't realize had hurt my feelings. I talked about my daughters. For me, it is theraputic to put my life into words. I think and even feel the emotion of the situation better if I set things into conversation. Are you that way? I don't think it's true of everyone. My youngest likes to withdraw and put her thoughts together. It is important, I think, to keep up with the narrative of your life, whether you need to think about things or talk them out.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5l6hAaonAlowBF5RB8twQ9jCbrutII0bHleQXm6BhNxD6DKN6WaNuB_BjL0eHERHQpcILFnosvreF-er2W28BvIhUKicJ9yUlJGjkQkoL05NBYQCS12dlADc1PX1I3Id2rt_4Cnox5xw/s1600/talking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5l6hAaonAlowBF5RB8twQ9jCbrutII0bHleQXm6BhNxD6DKN6WaNuB_BjL0eHERHQpcILFnosvreF-er2W28BvIhUKicJ9yUlJGjkQkoL05NBYQCS12dlADc1PX1I3Id2rt_4Cnox5xw/s320/talking.jpg" /></a></div><br />
It is also good to acknowledge moments. Always kiss me goodnight, greet me when you come home, say goodbye when you leave...these little habits are worth building into your family. My best friend tells me I am a scientist watching rats in a maze, so for me, being intentional about sentimentality is necessary, and I treasure these things.<br />
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Here's another thing to say out loud: I'm sorry. Does anyone come to mind when you read that? I pray the Holy Spirit would show you your heart, if there is someone you need to be reconciled with. That said, I used to be a compulsive "I'm sorry"-er. I drove my friend nuts in grad school, saying sorry all the time, over everything. I think I was taking responsibility for things that I wasn't truly responsible for. "I'm sorry" also doesn't mean very much if you just want the other person to be happy, but you're not really addressing what caused the situation. Let your "I'm sorry" bring clarity and healing. If you're not sure it's doing that, spend some time talking to God before you talk with that person.<br />
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We mark moments in our lives with little rituals, including those things we bother to say out loud. May your words connect you deeper with the people around you today. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498406200963969051noreply@blogger.com0