A husband and wife sat together at the kitchen table in awkward silence. They had decided, having trouble getting along lately, that perhaps they should share with one another the frustrations they had with each other by each making a list. After some quiet thought and pencil scratching it was time to share their complaints. The husband read his wife’s first. A long list of his faults filled the page, and then another page. Continue reading
They said three days. So why was I still waiting to hear from them? Granted, Monday happened to be Labor Day, and of course the lab was closed that day, so that didn’t help. If it was nothing I would have heard by now. The not knowing was so hard. If only I knew the situation fully I could face it, but facing an unknown, invisible enemy was awful and seemed impossible. I could hardly keep my mind from trying to figure out or imagine what it was, what the outcome would be. During that time of waiting, the anxiety was so intense that my very nerve endings seemed on edge, all over my body, as if fear was continually pricking my skin. Continue reading
“There is a God. It is not me.”
(The first line of chapter five in the book I’m reading, “The Me I want to Be” by John Ortberg.)
What a great line – that should be my motto. It’s the beginning of true wisdom. To really live in relationship with God, we have to surrender.
Surrender is difficult: it requires a pushing down of my pride and that’s an ongoing battle. I have to admit I’m not in control and that if I really was it would be a disaster; that I need someone else to take control and “drive” my life – someone who is stronger and wiser. It’s an act of denying my selfish wants, opinions, hopes and brilliant plans. It’s a falling back and completely letting go, which is scary! What if God messes up or isn’t paying attention or…? Continue reading
Click the link below to watch a video – watch it all the way through.
What struck me the most after seeing this is how much, how incredibly much, this man’s life was changed by the other man’s monthly gift of only $38. It is mind-boggling. I think I can understand why he was so overwhelmed to meet his friend and “savior” face to face. To be saved from starvation and a life destined to be wrought with struggle and hardship, then set on a path to wholeness, hope, and purpose – how could he fully express his gratitude? He had no words. I would have no words.
Do we realize what we have been saved from by Jesus? Continue reading
I’m sitting in the big comfy armchair in my parent’s family room surrounded by their two sweet doggies – Maggie, a gentle, black Scottie dog and Sophie, a snuggly little Bichon whose fluffiness reminds us of a Q-tip. The sun is brilliant outdoors and shining through all the big windows. My tummy is full of cereal and english muffin, with a splash of diet coke thrown in. My heart is full of relaxation and happiness, being in my parents’ home for a few days and enjoying the comfort of familiarity and their company. It’s so good to get away. Now that we have more flexibility on our weekends we thought we should take advantage of it and come over to see them this weekend and it’s been really good.
We went to the Saturday night worship at their church last night and so today are being lazy, sleep-in, bums still in our jammies. How’s that for a switch for a pastor and his family?
In worship last night God was so close. We sang one of our new favorites, “Glory to God” by Steve Fee. The words are simple but help me so much in focus in my heart – “Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God forever!” It’s all for Him. We also sang the song “Center” by Charlie Hall. I first learned/heard this song here at their church last year and after that we began to use it at New Life in worship. The lyrics, of course, are what move me and remind me of what’s important: “Oh Christ, be the center of our lives, be the place we fix our eyes…You’re the center of the Universe everything was made in You, Jesus. Breath of every living thing, every one was made for You. You hold everything together…” The prayer time was especially moving to me. A lady walked up on the platform with papers in hand and read a beautiful, heartfelt prayer that she had written. It was breath-taking. I would seriously love to have a copy. It was simple and to the point, but clearly coming from a heart that deeply reveres God, deeply loves Him and is rooted in His Word. At the end she was praising God with words similar to those of David in the psalms and my heart just overflowed into tears. What a lovely moment in God’s presence.
My dad is the pastor and his message was right on. He preached about how so many of us are approval addicts and how that’s contrary to what God wants for us. He asked the poignant question, “Who is in your jury box? Who are you playing your life to?” In other words, whose approval are you seeking? The only one whose approval matters is God but so often we find ourselves comparing ourselves, even becoming deceitful to impress others, or in bondage to “playing our lives out” to gain people’s stamp of approval.
The key according to dad’s message? Transparency and secrecy. Two things that sound like opposites. When we realize we have nothing to lose in being completely transparent because our only real audience is God we can be fully vulnerable and honest about ourselves. God already knows everything about us, our mistakes, hang-ups, flaws, and more. Being transparent is scary but freeing. Then you have nothing to hide. No need for any deceit or play-acting.
The secrecy dad talked about is the secrecy we’re supposed to have when we do good for others and are involved in our prayer life. Jesus said that when we give to others or do good we shouldn’t even let our right hand know what our left hand is doing. We only need God’s approval and reward, not the reward or “good thinking” of others who find out what we did. Also, when we pray and fast, we’re not doing it to gain applause or make a good impression, we’re praying and fasting to grow closer to God and become more like him. Then we can portray Jesus to the people around us, being completely free of the need to impress or the hunger for man’s approval. That is true freedom indeed! That’s what I want and need.
Who am I playing my life to? How about you? Who is in your jury box? Don’t fall prey to living your life to please people. Don’t live in that bondage. Be free in knowing you live in God’s love, He has already accepted You and approved of you if you’ve chosen to accept the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice and love. You don’t have to earn His approval. You can just fall into His love. That freedom makes me think of a wide, breezy, sun-lit prairie, spreading my arms out letting the tips of fingers swish through wild flowers as I run without getting tired, enjoying the life and fresh air of knowing that whoever I am, whoever God made me to be is okay and enough. This morning my heart is full with the sunshine of these thoughts and the peace of this weekend away. Thank you, Jesus. Glory to God!
“Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.” Galatians 1:10
“Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.” Colossians 1:22
I saw a news story yesterday about a group of college kids who call themselves the “Atheist Agenda” who set up a table on the campus of UTSA in San Antonio, Texas offering porn to students in exchange for their holy texts. One of the leaders said it was trading smut for smut. He said porn is consensual “unlike religious texts that condone lying and using violence against individuals which is the exact opposite of let’s say anything that is peaceful.” To view the short story click here.
It sounds like he hasn’t read all of the Bible at least and is taking a few instances out of context on which to base his argument – which is ridiculous to me. And why hand out porn in exchange? Does porn stand for peace, for something better than what holy texts offer? That doesn’t make sense. They were just appealing to an urge and desire as a lure to come away from God.
I don’t understand why some atheists feel it is their obligation to enlighten others to the error of their ways if they believe in God or some other diety, or follow a religion. Why should they care? If they don’t believe in God or an afterlife, why would it bother them if someone else believes that way? Seriously. At first I thought they were only asking for Bibles in exchange for porn and that led me to think “is this really an opposition to believing in God or an opposition to Jesus? Why not a Quran? Or one of the Vedas of Hinduism? Or the Book of Mormon?” Is it all to satisfy some need we all seem to have to feel superior to others? To proclaim that we’re right and they’re wrong? Do they feel they are doing a civic duty by leading Christians back to reasonable thinking, back away from following the teachings of Christ, back from their foolish lives of faith in things that are often unseen?
If I share my faith with someone, or testify about something God has done for me, it is because I believe it will benefit them in their life and give them hope. If I knew of a cure for an illness or a medicine that would relieve pain and met someone in great pain or with that illness, I’d want to share what I knew with them to hopefully help them. If I was walking through a really dark place with some others around me and had the only flashlight or torch, I’d walk closer to them and hold out the light to help them see the path. I think it would be odd for someone who didn’t believe in light to come and tell me to snuff out my torch or turn off my flashlight. If they want to walk on their own and find their own way that’s their choice, but why bother to try and convince me I don’t believe in or need the light I have in my hand?
What do you think about the reason behind atheists’ campaigns against people who believe in God?
Another interesting interview with the leader from Atheist Agenda on Youtube
Jogging on the treadmill has to be one of the most boring ways to burn calories but if I have the choice of jogging indoors in a comfortably heated room compared to jogging outdoors through snow and ice in 20 degree windy weather, I’ll take the treadmill. Sometimes I watch the TV in the exercise room or listen to music on my ipod. Today I thought I would put a podcast on and it really helped. Now if I could just have something fun to look at while I jog other than the electrical outlet straight ahead of me on the wall.
One of my new favorite “web pastors” is Craig Groeschel of Lifechurch.tv. I’m in the midst of the series called “Practical Atheist” – about when we claim to believe in God but we live as if He doesn’t exist. The message I heard today was about when Jesus spoke to a church from Laodicea (in the book of Revelation). He said this to them, “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” Rev. 3:15-16 The Greek word used in that last phrase is “emeo” which means to spew, spit or vomit. When we say we believe but live as if we don’t, it makes Jesus want to throw us up. That’s pretty graphic!
According to Craig (and author Francis Chan) Lukewarm Christians:
WOW. That is a tough list. Tough message. The truth truly does hurt sometimes but how absolutely vital it is! Have I become a full-time mom, wife, worker, friend and a part-time Christian? It can happen so easily. I’m backwards much of the time.
Why are we like this? How do we become lukewarm? Many of us had emotional conversion moments when we really felt cleansed of our sin, when we first gave our hearts to Jesus. What makes the difference between someone who has lost that fire and become lukewarm and someone who is still burning with God’s passion and love in their heart? One reason is that it’s so “easy” to believe in God here in our country. There is no price to pay, no sacrifice compared to believers in countries where it’s against the law to profess Jesus as their Savior, where they may lose their jobs, families or lives for remaining faithful to Christ.
If we read on in Revelation, Jesus offers, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” (v. 20) He was saying that to the “believers” in Laodicea – it sounds like he’s not in yet. They couldn’t really follow and live for Jesus because they didn’t know Him, because they hadn’t let him come in. Think if someone had invited you over for dinner, someone who wanted to get to know you better, but once you arrived they stood in the open door, not allowing you to step inside. Awkward to say the least. It reminds me of how I behave when someone from Jehovah’s Witnesses comes to my house. I don’t want them to come in. I’ll listen to them at the door while they stay outside and then politely tell them I’m not interested. Sometimes we’ve even ignored their knocking on the door, pretending to not be at home. I know, that’s kind of pathetic isn’t it?
Jesus said he’s knocking. He’s ready and willing to come in and let us know Him, but we have to open the door and let him in. We’re not just talking about letting him stick his foot in the door. He needs to come all the way in. Close the door behind Him. Sit down with Him. Engage in conversation. Listen to Him. There is no in between, no halfway, no little bit of Jesus – either you ask Him all the way in or you leave him outside on the porch.
Come in, Jesus, please.
To watch Craig’s message, click here.
I pulled into the parking lot at work this morning and thought to myself, “How did I get here?” My head was pounding from a sinus headache and my body evidently switched into autopilot to transport me from point A to point B. The office is very quiet – on Wednesdays I’m usually the only one here – and so the whir of the heating system and the quiet clicking of the keys on my keyboard were the only sounds I heard for a while. Even though my head was still hurting, the quietness was welcome and gave me peace.
God reminded me yesterday that fretting over the future or letting fear creep in robs me of the peace He has for me. Continue reading
Have you seen ads for a new show on TV called “Undercover Boss”? In a reality show format, a boss or CEO of a company suits up in the uniform of his/her employees and works side by side with them. They won’t know it’s their boss. I want to see it sometime. I can imagine a couple of possible outcomes: one – the employees might get embarrassed or worse, even fired, if the boss sees that they goof around all the time or cheat or some other unethical choices, two – after working in their shoes for a while the boss might gain more compassion, appreciation or respect for them and treat them better afterward, three – boss and employees could have a much better relationship after their worlds intersect more closely for a while and after the boss gains some new perspective.
I saw this bumper sticker once and it made me laugh. Jesus is coming again someday, true, but He already came and walked with his people, lived side by side, and stood in our shoes. It’s so hard to comprehend God, who is not limited in any way, who made everything that exists (so He must be bigger than it all), who can be everywhere at once and knows everything, putting skin on and becoming one of us. It’s almost as if He said, watching people mess up and live broken by sin, “I need to take care of this myself.” How did He shrink Himself down? How awkward would that be for Him to be enclosed, to be limited, to be in a body that could be sick or damaged? Continue reading
Along the Narrow Path 