While my son was away at a summer internship opportunity I sent encouragements to help him throuh his stressful,"nose to the grindstone" moments. He was never far from my thoughts nor was the fact that his experience was but another mile along the journey God will map out for him. Although I have edited out elements specific for him the message is the same for all of us Christians who have said, " yes" to the call.
If we are obedient to God's direction in our lives, He will ask of us things that are outside our comfort zone. If we embrace these tasks, we will grow in ways we never expected.
God bestows talents upon everyone that He will use for His purpose, if you allow. Your experiences add to, or grow, your gifts. With this in mind how are you being stretched?
You may be stretched environmentally by moving away from the comfort zone of your home and people who know you. You have to establish a new routine in a new place.
You may be stretched emotionally by being away from people who understand you. People, who share your humor, get your references and like you warts and all.
You may be stretched socially by having to interact with all types of personalities, in different situations, with different priorities and personal needs.
If you are obedient to God’s call, doing so in love and on His behalf you experience immeasurable growth. Pray for wisdom, courage, patience and peace for this journey designed especially for you.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (KVJ)
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
The Daily Schedule
For a majority of people, excluding active government agents, those who travel frequently and new mothers, our lives are steady and usual. Each weekday is so similar that a schedule is maintained. It is within the ordinary for this schedule to vary only minor degrees from month to month. For those steadfast individuals it may continue on into years without interruption.
A bomb comes in many varieties. It is always explosive but that explosion can be physically non-destructive, moving us physically from our home, our job or a relationship. Physically it can explode within our health causing damage that requires doctor’s visits, surgeries or hospitalization. A bomb can explode emotionally causing heartache and/or hurt feelings. I will quickly agree that there can be a positive bomb but that’s another blog.
For today’s purpose I refer to a bomb, not necessairly good or bad, but that explodes and changes the course of your daily schedule. What is usual and ordinary; your current schedule ceases to exist. What do you do?
My usual and ordinary changed on June 6th. It was not an unexpected change but I didn’t know exactly how the explosion would affect my daily schedule. Now that it is several weeks into the change I’m going to label the affect a “refocusing”. I have been refocused. Several items that were scheduled before June 6th have lost their place on the list and ceased to be addressed. These tasks I once monitored daily/weekly are currently gathering dust, unnoticed. My blog is among those items that grow dusty in the aftermath of the bomb change.
My small band of followers and subscribers are the motivation that keeps me honing my skill as a writer. Your interest affirms my desire to write; to share my words and thoughts. Although the bomb has shifted the daily schedule it has not removed the desire. As with most ‘bombs’ Helen Steiner Rice says it best, “This Too Shall Pass”.
When another bomb drops, or change occurs, and my schedule shifts once again my blog will reappear on the weekly list. I look forward to finding you all here.
“If I can but keep on believing
What I know in my heart to be true,
That darkness will fade with the morning
And that this will pass away, too” Helen Steiner Rice
What ‘bombs’ have shifted your daily life?
A bomb comes in many varieties. It is always explosive but that explosion can be physically non-destructive, moving us physically from our home, our job or a relationship. Physically it can explode within our health causing damage that requires doctor’s visits, surgeries or hospitalization. A bomb can explode emotionally causing heartache and/or hurt feelings. I will quickly agree that there can be a positive bomb but that’s another blog.
For today’s purpose I refer to a bomb, not necessairly good or bad, but that explodes and changes the course of your daily schedule. What is usual and ordinary; your current schedule ceases to exist. What do you do?
My usual and ordinary changed on June 6th. It was not an unexpected change but I didn’t know exactly how the explosion would affect my daily schedule. Now that it is several weeks into the change I’m going to label the affect a “refocusing”. I have been refocused. Several items that were scheduled before June 6th have lost their place on the list and ceased to be addressed. These tasks I once monitored daily/weekly are currently gathering dust, unnoticed. My blog is among those items that grow dusty in the aftermath of the bomb change.
My small band of followers and subscribers are the motivation that keeps me honing my skill as a writer. Your interest affirms my desire to write; to share my words and thoughts. Although the bomb has shifted the daily schedule it has not removed the desire. As with most ‘bombs’ Helen Steiner Rice says it best, “This Too Shall Pass”.
When another bomb drops, or change occurs, and my schedule shifts once again my blog will reappear on the weekly list. I look forward to finding you all here.
“If I can but keep on believing
What I know in my heart to be true,
That darkness will fade with the morning
And that this will pass away, too” Helen Steiner Rice
What ‘bombs’ have shifted your daily life?
Monday, June 7, 2010
Another Treasure of the Heart
This weekend my husband and I took our seventeen year old to attend a five week, internship program, six hours away, at a major university. It is a perfect trial run at "off to college" and we all handled ourselves well at the moment of departure. In recognition of this I'd like to share another excerpt from my Treasures of the Heart. Luke 2:51, “Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.” NIV
January, 2004
Mrs. Brower works with the special ed. kids and brings them into Logan's 5th grade homeroom for mainstreaming. During my volunteer time today she said to me, "I don't remember what we were studying but Mrs. Brammer was asking about the connection between forgiveness and eraser. Your son raised his hand and said, 'Forgiveness is like the eraser for your soul.' I thought that was really deep for someone this age."
Do you have a treasure of the heart you'd like to share?
January, 2004
Mrs. Brower works with the special ed. kids and brings them into Logan's 5th grade homeroom for mainstreaming. During my volunteer time today she said to me, "I don't remember what we were studying but Mrs. Brammer was asking about the connection between forgiveness and eraser. Your son raised his hand and said, 'Forgiveness is like the eraser for your soul.' I thought that was really deep for someone this age."
Do you have a treasure of the heart you'd like to share?
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Long Suffering in Marriage; How long is too long?
I don’t follow public figures as a “fan.” I understand the concept of being a “fan.” As a teenager, I was enamored with the cover boys of Teen Beat Magazine but I left that behind with my teens. This being said I cannot express my disappointment when I read that Al and Tipper Gore have chosen to separate after 40 years of marriage.
They have chosen a public life along with representation of national and global issues. This has definately brought intense public scrutiny over many years. It is understandable that this alone would be a heavy burden on a marriage but to add the standard day to day issues every marriage goes through it is no surprise that there has been tough times. Ending a marriage after 40 years begs to ask the question, “why?” Is there nothing worth salvaging? After 40 years, has the weight become so heavy there is no other alternative?
I am disappointed at the message they are sending to so many. I don’t know what the spiritual lives of the Gore’s are but such a public couple undermines marriages across the gamut. My husband is teaching a course entitled “Understanding Christian Marriage”. He asked his class, “What is a Christian marriage? Christ wasn’t married so how could a marriage be Christ-like. Is it two Christians being married?”
I believe a Christian marriage is ourselves being Christ-like in our marriage. It is difficult to find a full example of a ‘good’ marriage in the Bible. Even the example of Christ as the bridegroom and the church as the bride, the bride is adulterous.
The positive example we must take from the Bible on marriage is how long-suffering God is in his relationship with his adulterous bride. We sin and keep sinning and God continues to show mercy and forgiveness, taking us back again and again. At what point in our marriages do we decide we have no more mercy, no more forgiveness. When do we decide that we have suffered enough and we will suffer no more? At what point do we want God to decide he has suffered over us enough?
What the Bible shows is that all relationships are difficult. All relationships require long-suffering. If we are Christ-like in our behavior and work on our relationship perhaps we will not “grow apart" and our lives won’t get “more and more separated”; we won’t reach a “mutual and mutually supportive decision” to break the vows we made to each other. Gary Smalley is the author of the book “Making Love Last Forever.” It is highly recommended for every couple whether your marriage is strong or weak.
When do we want God to decide that He has suffered enough? When do we want God to decide he has no more mercy or forgiveness for us?
Matthew 7:2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (NIV)
Unequal Yoking Equals a Rough Journey
They have chosen a public life along with representation of national and global issues. This has definately brought intense public scrutiny over many years. It is understandable that this alone would be a heavy burden on a marriage but to add the standard day to day issues every marriage goes through it is no surprise that there has been tough times. Ending a marriage after 40 years begs to ask the question, “why?” Is there nothing worth salvaging? After 40 years, has the weight become so heavy there is no other alternative?
I am disappointed at the message they are sending to so many. I don’t know what the spiritual lives of the Gore’s are but such a public couple undermines marriages across the gamut. My husband is teaching a course entitled “Understanding Christian Marriage”. He asked his class, “What is a Christian marriage? Christ wasn’t married so how could a marriage be Christ-like. Is it two Christians being married?”
I believe a Christian marriage is ourselves being Christ-like in our marriage. It is difficult to find a full example of a ‘good’ marriage in the Bible. Even the example of Christ as the bridegroom and the church as the bride, the bride is adulterous.
The positive example we must take from the Bible on marriage is how long-suffering God is in his relationship with his adulterous bride. We sin and keep sinning and God continues to show mercy and forgiveness, taking us back again and again. At what point in our marriages do we decide we have no more mercy, no more forgiveness. When do we decide that we have suffered enough and we will suffer no more? At what point do we want God to decide he has suffered over us enough?
What the Bible shows is that all relationships are difficult. All relationships require long-suffering. If we are Christ-like in our behavior and work on our relationship perhaps we will not “grow apart" and our lives won’t get “more and more separated”; we won’t reach a “mutual and mutually supportive decision” to break the vows we made to each other. Gary Smalley is the author of the book “Making Love Last Forever.” It is highly recommended for every couple whether your marriage is strong or weak.
When do we want God to decide that He has suffered enough? When do we want God to decide he has no more mercy or forgiveness for us?
Matthew 7:2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (NIV)
Unequal Yoking Equals a Rough Journey
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Lifeline Timeline
It is an interesting exercise to do a timeline of your life. There is the basic timeline of the high points, i.e. birth date, school milestones, college, young adult milestones, marriage, children etc. There are other more specific timelines which could be your career, family or spiritual timelines. The older you are the more time you have to chart, or the more explicit you want your timeline to be, can cause your timeline to be very long, and/or, full.
I did this exercise shortly after my Parable of the Two Salads event. That was almost nine years ago. All of these timelines would have more moments to record or new titles for some events. Hind-sight allows for additional, in-depth reflection and a different point of view often brings different perceptions.
My only child will be leaving for college soon. The requirements in the life of a 24/7 mom are about to change drastically. In order to embrace this change I've begun looking over my timeline to glimpse any discernible re-direction.
There are well traveled paths I would never have predicted nine years ago. I visibly see what God has been doing in my life and how I got where I am today. There are discernible paths moving forward, some traveled and some untried, but apparent.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Backyard Gethsemane
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.In an effort to keep up with what my son is learning in school and help with homework I read the books required for his literature class. While on vacation, the current novel was Life of Pi by Yann Martel. An interesting tale with much to recommend it. Following is a passage worth remarking on.
On our Christian walk, we come across moments of doubt; situations in our lives that make us wonder and question. Yann Martel addressed the topic from an interesting perspective:
“Doubt is useful for a while. We must all pass through the garden of Gethsemane. If Christ played with doubt, so must we. If Christ spent an anguished night in prayer, if He burst out from the Cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” then surely we are also permitted doubt. But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation.” Life of Pi, pg. 36.
Doubt is inevitable. When it visits it must be recognized and addressed but it cannot be allowed to stay. Faith cannot grow when doubt is present. One is essentially the opposite of the other. Doubt hesitates to believe where faith is belief based not on proof. The last line of Yann's quote is the pivotal statement, "To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation." Faith moves us forward towards the work Christ calls us to do and doubt keeps us standing still questioning the call. As mature Christians we know that God is going to call us out of our comfort zone. He will move us forward but He also gives us the choice to stand still.
We can move forward because of the assurance of the Holy Spirit. John 14:16, 26 16"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." Don't let doubt lock you in place. Don't deceive yourself into thinking that your doubt is deepening your faith. Christ understands our frailties and has provided the Holy Spirit to see us through our doubt.
Be sure of what you hope for, be certain of what you do not see; have faith.
Check the health of your spiritual heart.
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Sunday, May 9, 2010
They'll Know We are Christians . . .
This past holiday season television shows and commercials, once again, brought to my mind human action and Christian inaction. This particular issue glares brighter under the lights of the holiday season likely because goodwill is brokered so openly.
I watched two television series do their Christmas shows, a situation comedy and FBI/pathologist series. Both had many individuals with varied religious/non-religious beliefs. Each person showcased their opinion about the holiday and how they would, or would not, be celebrating. Although the overarching theme was traditional Christmas pageantry the story lines and dialogue were almost the opposite.
When it comes to the selling of ‘gift giving’ and goodwill holiday commercials can be the most disturbing. In particular, there was a gift card advertisement that leads toward an selfless, philanthropic outcome. Flashes of people exhorting us to “give”, give without boundaries, give unselfishly and the last “give style” with the plug to purchase gift cards that can be spent anywhere in the mall. Jewelry commercials tend to paint females as mercenary, diamond mongers who will not be satisfied if her gift does not come from a renowned jeweler.
It would be easy to sit in disgust of the worldly ways of the media and shake our heads in shame at what evil is being fed to us and our children through the television. Instead, I have to wonder why the Christian community has lost so much. The easy answer is to blame “them” . . . who is anyone but “us”.
Western Europe, once a cornerstone of Christianity, has been closing churches and declining in membership.
The United States appears to be following hard on their heels, but why? What are we doing, or not doing, that diminishs the kingdom?
In Rome during the persecution Aristides, an official, wrote to explain how difficult it was to punish people who acted in the way of the Christians. These Christians were known by their actions. They were easily identified because they “acted” so completely different than the surrounding culture and community. They were known because they showed love, kindness, patience, the fruits of the spirit, when all others were not. They were acting in a way that brought people to them. People who wanted to know what they had and how they, too, could participate.
Can you identify a fellow Christian by their actions? Do Christians act any differently than the surrounding crowd? Is there such a display of the fruits of the spirit that you can be identified as a follower of Christ? What difference does it make what the media displays if we do not act differently?
From the hymn “They’ll Know We are Christians” the verse says "they’ll know we are Christians by our. . .” what? How do they know you are a Christian? Is it our fault that Christianity is diminishing? Is it due to our own apathy and lack of commitment to the kingdom? Do we provide examples that draw others to Christ; live in such joy that people want to know what we know? What are you known for?
The blame cannot be placed on media or other religious/non-religious groups alone. Be angry at our tepid community of faith. Do your part. Display the fruits of the spirit, live a life of joy in Christ, act like the child of God you are called to be and the rest of world will want to follow.
Proverbs 20:11 Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right.
I watched two television series do their Christmas shows, a situation comedy and FBI/pathologist series. Both had many individuals with varied religious/non-religious beliefs. Each person showcased their opinion about the holiday and how they would, or would not, be celebrating. Although the overarching theme was traditional Christmas pageantry the story lines and dialogue were almost the opposite.
When it comes to the selling of ‘gift giving’ and goodwill holiday commercials can be the most disturbing. In particular, there was a gift card advertisement that leads toward an selfless, philanthropic outcome. Flashes of people exhorting us to “give”, give without boundaries, give unselfishly and the last “give style” with the plug to purchase gift cards that can be spent anywhere in the mall. Jewelry commercials tend to paint females as mercenary, diamond mongers who will not be satisfied if her gift does not come from a renowned jeweler.
It would be easy to sit in disgust of the worldly ways of the media and shake our heads in shame at what evil is being fed to us and our children through the television. Instead, I have to wonder why the Christian community has lost so much. The easy answer is to blame “them” . . . who is anyone but “us”.
Western Europe, once a cornerstone of Christianity, has been closing churches and declining in membership.
The United States appears to be following hard on their heels, but why? What are we doing, or not doing, that diminishs the kingdom?
In Rome during the persecution Aristides, an official, wrote to explain how difficult it was to punish people who acted in the way of the Christians. These Christians were known by their actions. They were easily identified because they “acted” so completely different than the surrounding culture and community. They were known because they showed love, kindness, patience, the fruits of the spirit, when all others were not. They were acting in a way that brought people to them. People who wanted to know what they had and how they, too, could participate.
Can you identify a fellow Christian by their actions? Do Christians act any differently than the surrounding crowd? Is there such a display of the fruits of the spirit that you can be identified as a follower of Christ? What difference does it make what the media displays if we do not act differently?
From the hymn “They’ll Know We are Christians” the verse says "they’ll know we are Christians by our. . .” what? How do they know you are a Christian? Is it our fault that Christianity is diminishing? Is it due to our own apathy and lack of commitment to the kingdom? Do we provide examples that draw others to Christ; live in such joy that people want to know what we know? What are you known for?
The blame cannot be placed on media or other religious/non-religious groups alone. Be angry at our tepid community of faith. Do your part. Display the fruits of the spirit, live a life of joy in Christ, act like the child of God you are called to be and the rest of world will want to follow.
Proverbs 20:11 Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right.
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