Day 2 – For Real

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Today I don’t feel super spiritual, which is kind of a disappointment.  I thought once I started this 40-day journey to Easter with Jesus I’d be face to face with revelations and epiphanies to share with you, but today was just a regular day.  It was a good day, just kind of ordinary.  I guess there’s nothing wrong with that.  Prepare yourself for randomness…if you’re game, read on.

Jon Acuff, founder of the popular blog, “Stuff Christians Like” and now author of a book by the same title, posted this fantastic, soul-baring post yesterday.  I was moved by his vulnerability and openness and reminded that in openness we are healed, we find freedom.  We don’t have to pretend, we don’t have to hide anything or lie and that is definitely a good thing.  Read this:

http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/02/throwing-up/

I’m always encouraged to remember that we are all fallen and there are no Christian super heroes.  Every single person struggles with sin and temptation.  I’m positive that everyone at one time or another feels like the apostle Paul when he exclaimed, “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate….Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?  Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Romans 7:15-25)

One lesson I hope to learn through this 40-day journey to the cross is how to be less self-absorbed and more focused on others.  Truly!   Following Jesus as he walks this path I’m sure I will see Him compelled by love and sacrifice, by purpose and obedience, by prayer and loyalty to God…not by self.

Now for something completely unrelated…

I also saw this today, something very non-conventional:

http://www.lolcatbible.com/index.php?title=Main_Page

I don’t think I’ll go out and buy it, but it certainly is unique, made my family and I laugh, and I think for the most part, God would get a chuckle out of it, too.    Take, for instance, this version of Romans 8:28, “U no, teh Ceiling Cat, he always doin stuff for ur own gud, if yu luvs him.”

Last night we watched Lindsay Vonn win a gold medal, overcoming a shin injury and a great deal of pain, skiing to victory!  When asked how she felt, she remarked how she had given up everything for this and it made the win so sweet, so amazing.  She really has dedicated her life to this moment in time and to succeed must have been the most beautiful reward.

I think I should go downstairs and sit with John for a while, watching some more amazing athletes do their thing.

Who knows what tomorrow may bring?  Maybe a spiritual  mountaintop?  Maybe an ordinary day.  I just want to walk with Jesus and be there in case He has something special to tell me.   If we end up just walking and hanging out together, that’s fine, too.

Day 1 – Survive or Thrive

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Today is Ash Wednesday and also the first day of Lent.  Not everyone in the Protestant faith practices lent but it can be a great way to prepare for Easter and practice discipline.  I was reminded about it listening to the radio this morning and immediately had the thought that I should probably give up facebook.  I didn’t want to, though!  I love facebook and being connected to everyone.  As I got out of my car and walked into the building the “suggestion” grew inside as I argued with myself so that by the time I got to my desk I decided that God would like for me to do that – take a break from facebook for this 40-day journey to Easter, so, I am.

I’ve been looking for resources online, maybe a printable devotional I could use with my family but haven’t found what I’m looking for yet.  While reading and searching I’ve realized that there can be much more to this journey toward Easter with Jesus than just giving up something for Him.  Some people choose to “add” something to their day-to-day life sometimes, like more intentionally doing something for someone in need, forgiving someone, purposefully spending extra time reading God’s Word or quietly thinking/meditating, intentionally thanking God or journaling praises every day…many possibilities.  This time can be more than just a time to deprive myself of something I like!  That makes it even more appealing to me.

I’ve been restless the last few weeks and I know that is largely due to not spending quality time with God – quiet, alone, on purpose, just to be with Him.  I have friendships, or really acquaintances, in which I don’t really ever get past small talk or pleasantries to really know that person, to dig deeper and grow close to them.  Those surface relationships are okay but don’t really fulfill me, at least not for long (as I’m sure they don’t do much for those friends).  I need much more than pleasant greetings, polite questions of “how are you?” and smiles.  Continue reading →

Spoiler

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I recently started following one of my Olympic heroes Apolo Ohno on Twitter.  He’s fun to follow because he “tweets” all the time, is really positive and enthusiastic.  He seems like he’d be fun to be friends with.  Tonight he tweeted the name of the snowboard race gold medal winner (an American) with excitement.  A moment later he tweeted an apology for giving away that info – he forgot that he is three hours ahead of most of the country and had spoiled it for some of us who hadn’t even seen that race yet!  A few minutes later John and I watched the qualifying round and saw the winner make the finals.  We laughed and remarked, “We already know he’s going to win!”

It’s almost more fun to watch now knowing what the outcome will be – and that it’s one of our USA boys.  I bet he’d love to know that ahead of time!

How would we face the trials and events of our lives if we knew already that we were going to be the victors?  If we knew that ultimately we wouldn’t fail?  I think I would throw myself into it everything more fully, wildly and with abandon.  I know I’m going to win so what’s to lose?  Nothing!  Go for it!

Those of us who follow Jesus would do well to remember that He’s already determined the outcome of this amazing race of life here on earth for his team:  we win.  In a way, Jesus “tweeted” the outcome to us long ago, giving away the beautiful “just what we hope and dream for” ending: living on and on forever with Him in peace.  When we get to the finish line with Jesus, we won’t have to fight the battle against ourselves anymore, won’t have to feel shame at mistakes anymore, won’t have to be afraid of elimination or falling short ever again.   No matter what bobbles I make, close calls, stumbles and errors – I accepted the hand Jesus offered me and joined him so I already know what’s going to happen.  That’s one spoiler I don’t mind hearing about!

This and That

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I haven’t blogged very consistently lately – haven’t had much to say.  I don’t think anyone would want to read something I write just because I feel I should write.  It’s more fun to write when I’ve had a new realization, when God has shown me something new, when something I’ve seen or heard parallels something in my walk with Him and all of you.  I’ve felt somewhat detached at times, not bad, just kind of quiet…it’s hard to describe.  Sometimes I think that the months of emotional ups and downs depleted me and  my emotions are in short supply right now – does that make sense?  I feel good, peaceful, optimistic, thankful, etc. just nothing in extremes now.  Famous last words.  I’m sure now that I’ve actually typed that the floodgates will burst open and I’ll be a blithering idiot spouting emotional exclamations any minute now.

I do have a few things that have come to mind, maybe worth mentioning:

We’re in the midst of winter where I live and it’s been a long, cloudy, cold one.  It’s gotten pretty snowy in the past week or so with a little ice and slush mixed in for fun.  Winter is not my favorite season, in fact it’s my least favorite BUT (and it’s a big but) I have heard God tell me not to complain.  I’ve heard many complaints lately about weather and life in general and it really is a drag.  I feel as if, when we complain, we’re saying to God, “Nope, what you made isn’t good” or “I don’t like what you’re giving me.  Sorry.”  I was reading in Genesis the other day about Noah and the ark and how God promised with his rainbow symbol that from that point on season would follow season, the earth would continue in its pattern without interruption and total destruction.  Continue reading →

Where everybody knows your name

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Do you remember the show “Cheers”?  Funny!  One of my favorite parts was when each “regular” entered the bar and everyone shouted out their name.  “Norm!”   The words of the theme song said it well,

Making your way in the world today
takes everything you’ve got.
Taking a break from all your worries
sure would help a lot.
Wouldn’t you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
and they’re always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same.
You wanna be where everybody knows Your name.

Now that my family and I are without our church family, we’ve realized how important it is to be part of a church – a place where you feel you belong, where you matter, where you can serve and help, where friends know you, and where you can share life’s ups and downs while following Jesus with others.  We realize, too, that we don’t have many friends outside of our church family to hang out with now.  We need to work on that!

Just like Cheers, I think the Church should embrace whoever comes through the door, no matter where they’ve come from or what they’re like.  Just like Cheers, I think the Church should be open with each other, making it easy for each one to express heartaches or hang-ups, relating to each other, listening to each other, being there for each other.  It should be a place where everyone expresses to everyone else, “No one is perfect.  We’ve all got problems.  We’re just doing life together here.”  I think it should be fun, too.  Celebrating life and the free forgiveness we have from Christ should definitely make get-togethers upbeat to say the least!

It goes back to one of my life mottos, which I learned long ago at a seminar by David Ferguson:  my purpose and yours is to help others be less alone.  God doesn’t want anyone to go through life alone, and not just alone in the physical sense, in an emotional/spiritual sense.  Life’s a team sport, a group effort, a shared journey.  At least it’s supposed to be.

I work in an office that supports churches across the state of Indiana.  Sometimes we hear of conflicts arising in a church – either between church people or the people and the pastor.  It is disheartening to watch sometimes…many times.  One time we received a letter from a woman on the board at a church in conflict.  She said the way the others on the board were acting, fighting, and accusing had caused her to question her faith in Jesus and made her want to go back to hang out at the bar where she had friends and felt welcome.  That broke my heart!

We all have to get over ourselves.  We have to say to ourselves each morning as we look in the mirror:  “It is not about me today.”  We have to remember why we are the Church: to draw in anyone who will come and love them in Jesus’ name.  To say to them, “You matter.”  To walk with them as they step closer to Christ.  To hopefully put their hand in His as they accept Him as Lord and gain new life!   It is not about me.  It’s not about you.  It is about Jesus, love, forgiveness, grace, and yes, friendship, camaraderie, acceptance, and (most of the time) fun.

I want Mike to follow me around

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Last night John and I watched “Supernanny”, this time called “SuperMANNY”.  Instead of the assertive Jo from England, confident and caring Mike from the US intervened.  We don’t know if he was just filling in or if the particular situation needed his maleness and expertise.  He offered lots of advice to the parents, of course, about being consistent, keeping their cool when disciplining and being positive.  He especially got on the mom’s case about being negative toward her kids all the time.  She would criticize them but never praise them.  He got after the dad for losing his temper and becoming explosive with the kids.  Hmmmm…both are easy traps to fall into when you’re tired or hurting, which these parents were.

One day while the dad and son did chores and so forth around the house, Mike was right there giving the dad tips about discipline, encouraging him by saying things like, “Go after him, be consistent.  Don’t let him just walk away from you.  Keep your cool.  You’re doing great.”  He followed the dad around all day and helped him.  The day went well and the father and son ended up feeling better about each other in the end.

The next day the mom and the kids went to a nearby mall.  This time, Mike stayed at a distance with a little mini-mic.  Continue reading →

Losers, part II

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My friend, JJ, and I sat in Bible study together a few nights ago during which we discussed the woman at the well (hence my earlier post after more thought and reflection).  When we were asked if we’d ever felt like the outcast I leaned over to her and whispered, “7th grade afro year.  Oh yeah.”  We laughed, then I said, “I would go to the cafeteria after the cool kids left and Jesus was sitting there one day.”  Then JJ said, “Did he ask you for some of your tater tots and then say, ‘If you knew who was asking you you’d ask Him for the everlasting tater tots…’ ” to which I tried to stifle a laugh and almost snorted.  Why is it when you’re not supposed to laugh it’s so hard not to?  It made my day.

Sometimes it helps me to think of the stories in the Bible in modern-day terms.  Sometimes not.  🙂

For all of us losers

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Loser.  What comes to mind when you hear that label?  Nerd.  Dork.  Failure.  Outcast.  Someone to make fun of.   It’s not a title anyone relishes or wants.

Have you ever been the loser at any one point in your life?   Or have you been on the other end, the one giving the loser a hard time?

Jesus met lots of losers when he walked the roads of Jerusalem, Galilee, Nazareth…Samaria.  One time He and his disciples were going through Samaria while heading somewhere else and stopped for a break.  Jesus told the disciples to go on into town to get food while he waited just outside of town by a well.  It was midday and hot.  As he looked out across the stony ground he saw the waves of heat shimmering low and felt the sun baking his already browned arms and hands.  He heard the shuffling of feet drawing nearer and turned to see a woman, all alone, coming to the well for water.  She came in the heat of the day all by herself because she was a loser.  Continue reading →

Snippets

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Just a few recent thoughts…

Last week I went through an awful day of emotion and wrestling with God over the possibility of going to a town or church where I didn’t want to go, where I didn’t think I would be happy, where it wasn’t my “style.”  As I vented to him all the way driving to work, I pretty much heard him say, “So, are you saying you refuse to go if I ask you to go there?  You refuse to obey?”  I remembered that if God’s promises are true, and I believe they are, then going where He says to go will be good in the long run because He promised He has good plans for me and my family.  I also remembered, with his help, that this is not about me!  How many times do I have to learn that lesson?  Sheesh.  I’m sure that is what He is wondering, too.  Just when I think I’ve learned all about surrender, God takes me to a deeper level.  It hurts and it’s hard.  It was a difficult, emotional day but it ended in peace when I finally, in my heart, submitted to Him and said “Uncle” once more.  Whatever you say, God.  Seriously.  I give.   I joked with a good friend that afternoon that sometimes surrender feels like the “S” word to me.  I don’t mean that disrespectfully, just being honest.  Sometimes it stinks (at least it seems to at the moment).  My friend asked, “so what you’re telling me is you’re standing in a big pile of surrender right now?”  We laughed really hard and the day got better from there.

I’ve been thinking more about loving people in their own love language.  Lately God’s been showing me how to love my girls in the way that shows love to them the most.  I’m still trying to figure out one of my girls – I think I know but am not sure.  The other two – I’ve got them nailed.  John and I took assessments this past year and one was the love language profile.  One of my big love languages right now is “acts of service”.  When someone helps me with something it makes me feel loved.  I also love hugs and attention and words of affirmation but at this point in my life, acts of service speak loud and clear.  Once John found out, he’s been helping more around the house and showing more thoughtfulness…and you know what?  It’s true!  I feel so loved and valued by him, more than before.  The biggest reason is that I know he’s doing those things purposefully to show me love, knowing it means something to me.  John’s biggest love languages are touch and time.  I’ve been trying harder to pay attention to him when we’re at home and not get too absorbed in the computer or other things that I just exist in the same house or room with him.   What are the love languages of the special people in your life?  Try to find out and then show them love that way.  Watch what happens!

Yesterday I blogged about this wonderful time of rest God is giving us and how good it felt.  Well, today, I felt restless and kind of weird.  Pesky, fickle emotions!  I think sometimes we rest out of obedience.  God actually tells us to rest and we need to obey, on purpose, and rest…be still.  I feel like He’s telling me that today.  Rest, be still, but don’t just sit there…draw nearer to me, Mimi.  I’m going to work on that.  Wait…wrong choice of words.   I’m going to try more intentionally to just be close, dwell near and in Jesus right now.

What funny, odd, silly creatures we humans are sometimes.

We went to see my grandma on Sunday afternoon.  She was actually pretty perky, sitting up in bed, watching TV.  Rather than greet us when we got there she first asked, “What channel is the game on?”  So we helped her get on the right channel.  She is starting to show some dementia because she asks the same questions from time to time.  She joked about getting her phone and remote (both laying next to her hand on her bed) mixed up and John teased her about pointing the phone at the TV by mistake and accidentally calling someone.  She laughed.  At one point she said, “Too bad I don’t have any games we could play” to which I replied, “That’s okay, Grandma, we’ll just watch the game.”  Then she asked us about our church situation (very coherent and sharp).  John answered her as she turned back toward the TV and seemed to zone out for a moment.  Then she said, “Too bad I won’t have any games for us to play, we could make one up” to which I replied, giggling to myself, “That’s okay Grandma, we’ll just watch the game.”  I love her.  I could just imagine what kind of game that would be.  She’s become thinner and tinier, her blue cowl-neck sweater swallowing up her small shoulders and little frame, but she welcomed our hugs and kisses just as warmly and as we left said, “I love you.”

I better go to bed so I can get up and workout with my Wii coach on the game “Active” which is my new favorite thing.  This simulated personal trainer business reminds me of stuff I saw in Tomorrowland at Disney World when I was younger and thought “Yeah, right, that will never happen.”  🙂

You’re special and God loves you very much.  Good night.

Has it really been all about You, God?

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As I sat on the piano bench a few Sundays before our last Sunday at our church as pastors, I felt that nearness to God that often comes to me when I’m singing, making music, and leading worship with my friends.  There’s nothing like music to lift me into God’s presence, to remind me of how beautiful, holy and amazing He is, to open and soften my heart.  There is definitely nothing like music that enables me to express praise to God, to celebrate Him, to love Him.  It’s just the way my heart and soul are wired, I think.  Music is huge to me – always has been.  I wonder what the spiritual connection really is when we sing for and to God?  I believe God made singing/playing music spiritual and not just pleasing to the ears.

As I sat on the piano bench that Sunday a sadness crept up and over me as I realized this time of leading and singing with these particular friends and in this way was about over.  Even as we sang, my heart was praying, “God, I don’t want to give this up.  Continue reading →