Christmas Wrap Up

Well, a triumphant cry echoes throughout the land now: ‘I made it through Christmas!!’  Another season of anxious gift buying, present-wrapping and pithy conversation with relatives has ended.  There were additional stresses of double checking cards to find the Christmas stamp.  Immediate judgment passed if the phrase ‘Happy Holidays’ was used.  Combine that with the absolute insistence to avoid Target stores made the Christmas season that much harder.  Darn them for not allowing the Salvation Army to stand sentry at their doors.
Forgive me if I sound cynical.  I heard too much clarion calling this season; forced Merry Christmases, structured avoidance or tactical boycotting.  I wonder what the goal is for all of this.  Before I go any further, I fear I have to state the necessary clarifications so that my credentials are not questioned.  I support Christmas with every fiber of my being.  Jesus coming to this earth to redeem us, to consider us a treasure worth walking amongst astounds me.  However, I remember a much simpler time: a time when we put on a Christmas pageant in my public elementary school.  A time when Merry Christmas was said without hesitation to anyone and everyone.  It was respectful for members of all races and religions to wish happy tidings of the season without offending or disregarding.  
So, now that it’s forced, what does it mean?  Does a banner waving ‘Merry Christmas’ from a store mean anything if it is contrived and forced?  No, I am not okay with winter solstice witchcraft celebrations at schools.  I also think personally believe that everyone should support the Salvation Army.  Those bell-wringers have been an American icon for as long as I can remember.  
This is just a continuation of a feeling I’ve had for a while now.  Christmas is a perfect season to demonstrate love, not strife.  I can stand for Jesus and say Merry Christmas, and mail a check to the Salvation Army and accomplish just as much for the sake of Christ.  I can smile and share love, and celebrate the birth of my Savior without bringing attention to what is wrong with the world.  
Enough about that.  My real topic for tonight is how I get through the Christmas season.  I did not make it through the family get-togethers without feeling disappointed with myself.  I always feel like I have things to prove.  I was a junkie; a disaster to my family once upon a time.  To the casual observer, one who is skeptical about the power of Jesus, I look like a pull-up-your-bootstraps kind of success story.  I feel this pressing need to prove Jesus to them.  The main reason is that I want them to know how amazing Jesus really is.  I want them to know He is the one who changed my life.  I want eternal joy for my family.
But, I feel like it’s my job to ram that message home.  And when I don’t appear as holy as I want, or my husband and children don’t live up to my expectations, I feel like I’m the one who lets God down.  
If I’m feeling down on myself, I rely on the passage from when Jesus returns to His hometown.  The people are shocked and amazed of who Jesus thinks He is.  They ask, ‘Isn’t He the carpenter’s son?’  They end up offended at Him and not believing who He says He is.  Jesus says to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” (Matthew 13.57)  He says He was unable to perform miracles because of their lack of faith.
FINALLY, THE POINT…
My only point is that love is the key.  Does my striving to make myself, my husband and my children look perfect prove anything?  Actually, it only serves to prove that I’m a phony.  It also perhaps could intimidate someone into believing that Christianity leaves no room to be human and fail.  
Funny thing is, I am a complete sinner, and I always will be.  Yes, God strives to make me more and more like His Son, but I will always be human.  Isn’t that the whole point of the whole story?  We are human, we screw up, sometimes we have bad tempers and our children act up; but Jesus loves me, I am forgiven, and I will always be His child.  What does it prove to my family if I fake perfection?
So, as the year winds up to a close, I take time for personal reflection.  I pray, I read my Bible, I prepare for a month-long fast.  And I hone in on the pure love that is truly the most important,
“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they [His disciples] know that you have sent me.  I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” Jesus in John 17.25-26

Christmas

DIAMONDS…OR SOMETHING ELSE

I was watching a jewelry commercial today.  Of course, during various woman-friendly holidays, jewelry commercials are all the rage.  You see a man dazzling a woman with a sparkling necklace or a nifty tennis bracelet.  
That is all fine and good.  What else does a woman want for Christmas?  It even seems like a win-win for both parties in the deal:  the woman has a new bauble to prove her man’s love and he gets the adoration that accompanies said bauble.
What really made me stop and consider the commercials was the fact that I was not getting any jewelry for Christmas.  With the advent of children, anything shiny under our tree is fallen tinsel.  Just kidding honey.  
What truly struck me about the ads was what the announcer was saying.  He said two things that I could not stop thinking about.  Those two things were:  ‘What would you do for love?’ and ‘Celebrating 100 years of love.’
I started thinking; what would I do for love?  I do not believe for a moment that the cost of the present or the size of the diamond indicates the amount of love, that is not the issue at hand.  And since when are gold and silver sales indicative of a hundred year celebration?   With just a cursory glance at my heart, it would seem that the issue bothering me is the mass commercialization of Christmas.  Of course, that is a big part of it, but I think there is more.  I wish that for my children and for my family that Christmas was not about presents at all.  I do not know about you, but my distraction level is so high around the holiday season that I have to consciously focus on Christ in order to remember the truth.  I have to second guess what the other person will buy, what they will think of my gift, etc etc.  None of this is love in my book.  No, in fact my book describes love very differently.  Here is just a fraction of how important love is supposed to be:

“Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.” Jesus (Luke 6.35)

“The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life-only to take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” Jesus (John 10. 17-18)

“My command is this:  love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus (John 15.12-13)

“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.  I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” Jesus’ prayer to His Father (John 17.25-26)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.” And “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” (John 1.1-2, 14)
And then,
“Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty.’ …When He had received His drink, Jesus said ‘It is finished.’ and gave up His spirit.” (John 19.29, 30)

That love turns diamonds into nothing more than rocks.  I do not find mention of monetary gifts as evidence of love.  This Christmas, we should be celebrating over 2000 years of love.  The Son of God came down here to show us the true, pure, simple yet complex love.  He showed us a love that was many-faceted and a love that sparkles like no other.  
We know the Christmas story, right?  The baby born in the manger.  The man who died on the Cross for us.  But do we think about the Jesus who is alive and active right now, still loving us so completely?  
Where has our love gone I wonder.  Have we been so removed from our simple Jesus birth that we forgot what it means to just love one another?  Will you love me despite the flaws I try to keep hidden?  Will you love me despite my sin and my shame?  
Will I love you the way He commands me to?  
Oh Father, I am on my knees asking for a heart full of wonder this Christmas season.  May every person I see remind me of your love for us.  May I see a reflection of the Word in each man and woman.  Father, pour out love on this world that seems to have lost touch with what love really feels like. Renew in us the love that you intended us to have.  Help me show the love you have for me regardless of my imperfections.  
What will you do for love this year?

Merry Christmas

Give a little bit...

GIVE A LITTLE BIT…

I bring breadstuffs to a housing project in the city every week.  My friends had their inner-city mission closed down to build a restaurant-condo complex.  They did not want to see the opportunity for blessing go to waste, so they asked me if I wanted to take it over.  Of course, there was no need for the bread at the decimated mission, so I was left with finding out exactly who to bless with the bread.  
My friends had mentioned a Native-American housing project in the city that could use the load of bread.  Unbelievably, my thoughts were that the Lord would certainly find me a place closer to my home.  The total drive one way is about sixty miles.  God would never inconvenience me like that, seeing as I’m doing a charitable work for Him, and doesn’t charity begin at home?
So, I started asking around for a place that could use my blessing closer to home.  I made at least half a dozen phone calls, and some of those phone calls were to umbrella organizations with ties to community.  Would you believe that not only could I not find someone who wanted it, but also that no one would even return my phone calls?  Unless there’s a prank phone call going around with fake donations, people surely should have called back I thought.  Heck, I thought they would leap at my generosity.
Finally, with three-day old bread heaped in my van, I made a run down to the city.  I couldn’t stomach the idea that the bread would go to waste, and truthfully, I need to go down there anyway.  I called a friend for support and took her with me to drop it off at the project.  I lugged in the Hefty bags, and my friend stopped to make small talk with an older lady standing in the food shelf area.  I had no desire to engage in conversation that frankly might guilt me into driving this bread down every week.
After a few moments my friend walked out of the room and I couldn’t resist asking her what was said.  My friend said, “Oh, the lady said she was down to her last two loaves for the food shelf and she had no idea what she was going to do next.”
I make that sixty-mile journey every week now.  And I do it with a smile on my face.

WHAT’S THE POINT?

What a point it truly is.  I don’t deny that taking the bread every week is partly an altruistic motion on my part.  I’m only human after all.  But there’s an even deeper, more primal feeling that tells me I’m in the center of God’s will on this one.  Combine that feeling with the closed doors from the other charities and a stranger who speaks God’s words to me and I get the impression that I’m doing what He wants.  
That feels good.  And sure, being generous is with your cash, your time, your available resources, but it’s even more than all that.
The true nature of being generous the way God intends it is with your being.  I feel great taking the bread, and I love getting that smile and thank you from the Salvation Army people when I drop a handful of change.  But do I drop a handful of change because it looks like more?  And am I disappointed when they don’t notice me?  We hardly have the option here of doing things with pure motive, but we sure can try.  Unless we try instead to give all of ourselves to Him.
I take the bread there now because I am doing what God wants me to do.  I am an extension of Jesus on the earth doing what He would have me do.  I enjoy doing it, but I also enjoy the knowledge that His children are being blessed with extra food each week.
Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.  People don’t light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead, they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In that same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5.14-16)
When we give things other than our being, it is just an extension of our light.  Perhaps it’s a flashlight.  Our true lights are found and turned on when we give ourselves to Jesus entirely.  We need to be generous of ourselves in order for the world to see exactly who He is in the Kingdom of God on earth.  Our bodies and our being need to be turned over as vessels to the only One who can properly fill and pour out at the same time.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12.1)
One last thought.  I heard a passage of scripture last week that I can’t get out of my head; and as luck would have it, it ties in nicely here.
“And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness.” (Isaiah 58.10)
Oh, and if you’re reading this and you like to volunteer and be active for causes, but you don’t know Christ; consider this:  Here’s a way to be involved 100 percent without draining yourself.  Here’s a way to do something for a cause that’s truly greater than you are or anything else could ever be.  Here’s a way to have joy and fulfillment no matter the outcome.  Consider being a part of a movement that’s permanently changing humanity one person at a time.  Think about it.    

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

A CHRISTMAS CAROL     

In the spirit of the Christmas celebration, I thought I would revive an old classic with some new lyrics.  I remember, “Santa Claus is coming to Town” from when I was a little girl.  I remember thinking about the lyrics when I was about to break the rules, especially as it got nearer to present time.  Heck, I’ve even used the threat of nothing under the tree on my own kids.
But what if we replace ‘Santa’ with Jesus?  What if we support our change with some scripture verses?  Who is Santa but an idea of a man who is somehow omniscient and omnipresent?  He watches, and he takes notes.  Kind of funny in a sad sense if you think about it.

“You better watch out.”
“The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.” Romans 8.19

“You better not cry.”
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21.4

“You better not pout.”
“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will be rewarded what he has promised.” Hebrews 10.35-36

“I’m telling you why,”
“I want you to know, brothers (and sisters), that the Gospel I preached is not something that man made up.” Galatians 1.11

“Jesus Christ is coming to town”
“Behold, I am coming soon!  My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Jesus Revelation 22.12-13

“He’s making a list”
“All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139.16

“And checking it twice.”
“…Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Jesus Luke 10.20b

“Gonna find out who’s naughty and nice.”
“Righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3.22-24

“Jesus Christ is coming to town.”
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends:  With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3.8-9

“He sees you when you’re sleeping.”
”Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5.14

“He knows when you’re awake.”
“The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” Romans 13.11

“He knows if you’ve been bad or good,”
“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.  I warn you…that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”  Galatians 5.19-22

“So be good for goodness sake”
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3.12,17

Sure, Santa was a nice thought when we were younger.  But eventually, someone broke our little hearts by telling us that he wasn’t real.  Now we have a true Jesus, who is not even comparable to anyone else.  And He makes this song a whole lot better.

GOD BLESS YOU

I started thinking about the subject of blessings recently, and rather than waste the thought, I thought I'd write about it instead. I looked up the origination of 'God Bless you' after a sneeze. Apparently, that was started as a blessing during the plague in the 500's. People were instructed to pray for God's healing and intercession. When someone sneezed, they were immediately prayed for, in hopes the person would not develop the plague themselves.
I find it amazing that simple prayer has lasted thousands of years. Oh sure, sometimes you catch the 'God' being left off, but what else is new? The point is, somewhere, somehow; we still believe in the blessing.
The concept of blessing is not the same for everyone. Webster's writes that it is 'the divine favor or invocation of it.' Perhaps that's why to someone in North Korea, where the persecution of Christians is the highest in the world, it could mean another day of life. Here in America it could mean a prime parking space. I realize that sounds harsh. But it's just fact that life here isn't as hard here. It also fact that people perceive blessings to be anything at all that makes their day or their life better. If you couldn't even be sure you would make it through the day without being killed, where would your priorities be?
Anyhow, that's not the point.

The point it, what's a blessing, and who is it for?
Sure, we're His children and it brings Him joy to bless us. Right? But in the long run, our blessings should serve Him. In Ezekiel, the Lord promises that one day this life full of struggle and tears will all be over and blessings will fall like rain. That's the blessing at the end of the race. What happens until then?
The Lord blessed me by delivering me from drug abuse, restoring my marriage and most importantly, restoring me as a child of His. That sounds good, but it can't be the end. The only true blessing to me is the one that James speaks of. 'Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial.' James 1.12 If I don't redeem God's blessing into a life of service for the Kingdom, was it a blessing at all? If I lose focus on the One who gave His life for me, if I don't bother with the ones who don't know Him yet, then haven't I extorted it? I've deceived myself into thinking I deserved a blessing, or earned it somehow. A blessing must be returned to the One who gave it in order to be a blessing.
Sure, that's done by thanking Him and praising Him. But that's not all either. Throughout each day on earth, we are meant to stand up and persevere with faith, everyday, until the end. Stand up and be counted. Whatever the trial, whatever the lesson to be learned. That's the blessing.

THE TRANSCENDENT TRUTH

There's a lot of hype that's disguised as truth out there. I used to think that articles I read in the newspaper, or things I heard on television were guaranteed to be the objective truth. The same goes for magazine articles. It never occurred to me that the phrasing of a sentence, or the inflection of a word could change tone and meaning. It took me a long time to realize that information is indeed biased.
Let me assure you that changing my mind about objectiveness was not a product of my being liberal or conservative. In a blog not yet written, but congealing in my mind, I would like to argue that this whole politics thing is getting way too old. I resent being categorized, and so should anyone who follows Christ. I think that when Christianity follows party lines it loses it beautiful shine. It detracts from the truth.
And the truth is what this is really all about, isn't it? In a world where you can't believe what anyone tells you, how do you know the truth when it's really in front of you? If you're like me, you can do your best to pick around the bias and the adjectives to find the nugget of truth hiding inside. Or, you can tune out entirely and go about your business at hand. Sometimes I think that would be easier; to live in a haze of busyness and ignore what doesn't directly affect me.
Of course I can't do that. I believe that the actions happening on the other side of the world do affect me. I just have to dig deep enough to find out the truth.

JESUS SETS THE TRUTH IN MOTION
Of course, I know where to find the real truth. If I were smarter, I would go into great detail about how the Bible has been preserved throughout generations. If I were concerned, I would justify just how accurately the text records God's word to us. However concerned I could be, I am only a human who you would choose to either believe or dismiss. The beauty is, God already took care of that for me. Believe it or not, the Bible is a living, breathing Word that transcends human bias. Whether you choose to accept or deny, the Bible will go on being true. With or without your belief, it will be.
Seventy-eight times Jesus says, "I tell you the truth." I guess one could assume He does that to convince. But that's not why. He says that because on the other side of the ring is the father of lies. Jesus is exclaiming the truth each time He says that.

Transcendent: adj. Beyond normal limits, surpassing Being above and independent of the limitations of the matierial universe.

"I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right." -Isaiah 45.19

"We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1.14

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. " Jesus in John 5.24

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. " Jesus in John 14.6

I could list hundreds more, but why? His truth transcends me, it transcends party lines, it transcends media outlets. No one can change God's truth. No one. I simply report on what I know is true. With bias? Sure. I have saving grace and knowledge of He who rescued me. Think about it.

AN OPEN APOLOGY

I can't take credit for this idea myself. I read a fascinating book this weekend. It's titled, Blue Like Jazz and it was written by Donald Miller. I couldn't put it down. Anyhow, he wrote about this time he and some friends were on a college campus, and they decided to set up a confessional booth. But, rather than having the visitors confess their sins, Miller and his friends confessed the sins that people in the name of Christ have done to Christianity. I thought about it and thought about it; all weekend. I've been frustrated for a long time at how fragmented and disingenuous we can appear to people. This isn't how things were meant to be. Take 20 people off the street and ask them what 'Christian' means to them. Wildly different answers I'd imagine. Heck, that is the reason I started writing this blog. Because we go out there and try to do things our own way, and interpret the bible to suit our own theological bent, and we expect everyone else to try and get it.
So, in light of that; here is my confession.

I am sorry that I am judgmental toward others. I am sorry that in some pathetic attempt at false bravado I feel superior to others sometimes. I am sorry that anyone has ever told you that you are going to hell. That isn't something that we can even imagine to presume ourselves. Several years ago, I was headed there too. I am sorry that anyone has ever told you that God hates you. I don't know how anyone could presume to know that either; rather, God loves you. I am sorry that Christ-followers don't appear to believe the same things, that we can tend to be critical and spiteful of one another, and that we mix messages. I am sorry that we've turned the bible and Christian doctrine into 5,602 steps to life achievement. I am sorry to everyone I've ever turned my back on in an attempt to become more spiritual. I am sorry that I hide behind my Christian bumperstickers as a cheap way to tell you the real Good News of Jesus. I am sorry that most of the time I don't put my money where my mouth is. I am sorry for all the killing that has ever been done in the name of Christ. I am sorry that I don't love enough. I am sorry that some of the time I'd rather be alone that around others. I'm sorry that I can tend to forget the greatest commandment.

HERE'S WHAT HE SAID...
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind...Love your neighbor as yourself. That is the greatest commandment" Jesus-Matthew 22.37-39
I don't know about you, but I love myself quite a bit. Heck, I'm on my mind more than anything else. Most of the time anyway. So, if I were indeed to attempt to love the people I come into contact with even half as much as I love myself, how much would that demonstrate to you?

One more, and that's it tonight. The bible is full of passages that speak of how simple things should be. This is about loving others, about caring for the world around us, about sharing Good News. I'm sorry if it's been anything else.
"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these should be lost." Jesus in Matthew 18.12-14
Think about it.

RELATIONSHIP SECRETS!

I wanted to tell this story using hard facts. I even went out and bought this month's trendy women's rag to get some juicy stats. I was reminded why I stopped reading them. Among other things, I found ways to trick a person into loving you, ways to hide who you really are, and thousands and thousands of 'tips' guaranteed to make you or to reel in a better catch.
On the sadder note, doing an internet search for relationship statistics netted me domestic and partner abuse sites.
Well, I have decided to cast statistics aside and write about what all men and women instinctively know. What we are truly looking for in a mate. I have narrowed it down to a top five list.
1. We want our mate to be compassionate. Webster's defines it as 'pity aroused by the distress of others, with the desire to help them.' That's good, to have pity paired with action. We want our mate to care about their surroundings and work to make the world around them a better place.
2. We want to be unconditionally loved by our mate. 'Absolute. Without clarifying conditions.' Everyone wants to be loved in sickness and in health. With or without the extra twenty pounds. Even though we have that irritating way of using the word 'ignorant' when we mean 'rude.' Or, more seriously, we want to be loved when we're obtuse, stubborn and even occasionally mean.
3. We absolutely need our mate to be honest. Webster's says, 'never deceiving, sincere, truthful.' It's usually a deal-breaker when someone violates the other's trust. 'Be honest, no matter what.' People hate being lied to by someone they've given their hearts to.
4. We want passion from our mate. 'intense emotion.' Passion is something that no one should live without, no matter who they are. Passion takes on so many forms, but the passion between two people in love can be remarkable. It's that indescribable, remarkable chemistry. Call it pheromones, call it soulmates; you know when it's there.
5. We need our mate to be faithful. 'Steadfast in faith, loyal, trusting.' Oh sure, this can fall in the honesty category, but who wants to be told their mate was cheating on them? Rather than be honest about cheating, we would rather they don't cheat. We want to be important enough to be cherished and respected.
WHERE IS THIS GOING?

Good question. I have great news for everyone tonight. Your perfect mate has been found! Based completely on the five qualifications, I can point you in the direction of the only one I know that can fulfill them perfectly.
(come on...You know where this is going, right?)

1. Compassionate. Over seventy-five times that word is used in the Bible. Let me give you a few examples of God's kind of compassion for us. "As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him." Psalm 103.13 By the way, that's not the fear as in hide under your bed. Rather, that's the awe and reverence kind of fear. "..With everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you, says the Lord your redeemer." Isaiah 54.8 And finally. The man who had enough compassion to walk among us; "A man with leprosy came to Him and begged Him on his knees, 'If you are willing, you can make me clean.' Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out with His hand and touched the man. 'I am willing,' He said, 'Be clean!'" Mark 1.40-41
2. Unconditional love. Hands down, the Bible has the corner on this one. It is a story of unconditional love. But, if you need a few examples: "...Gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love," Exodus 34.6 Jesus- "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love." John 16.9 "Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens," Psalm 36.5 "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." Psalm 106.1 And, in case you are still unconvinced, the clincher for me; "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5.8
3. Honesty. "All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal." Psalm 119.160 "I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right." Isaiah 45.19 "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." John 1.17 As a side note, Jesus uses the phrase, "I tell you the truth" over a hundred times in the New Testament. He was trying to make a point, I would say.
4. Passionate. God is a lover. I didn't understand this one at first. He was more parental than lover. Let's see if this will help. "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." Jeremiah 31.3 "Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you," Isaiah 43.4 And, Jesus, "He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." John 14.21 I could write more on this. Most of the Old Testament is a passion play. Imagine, you have a lover that you lavish over and are overjoyed with. That same lover goes and tosses you to the side for want of others. That's God, the one who was forsaken. His passionate heart seeks after us when we don't deserve it. Remember that.
5. Faithful. I think we've covered that, haven't we? A faithful One sends His Son to a world to die. A faithful one listens to our prayers, hears our tears, and holds us when we fall. "They will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God." Zechariah 8.8 "He is the Rock,His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He." Deuteronomy 32.4
Well, I could have kept going with examples. There are thousands of testimonies to God's faith, love, passion, honesty and compassion. He can't compare with anything we can see on this earth. He wants to have a perfect relationship with you. Think about it.

SCARED STIFF

I heard a statistic yesterday that sent shivers up my spine. I want you to take a moment to think about what this statistic means: 68% of Britons believe in ghosts and spirits. 55% believe in the existence of God. When asked, a large majority of the ghost-believing group say they do so because of television reality shows and documentary programming.
For those not up on their Christian history, here's an interesting tidbit; Europe used to refer to itself as "Christendom." Europeans built amazing cathedrals to accommodate their acts of worship. As pilgrims, missionaries and conquistadors, they sailed the Earth, to convert heathens to the true faith. Now, only 20% attend church once a week. No one quite knows where religion went to in Europe.
I knew this was going on in Europe. It just stunned me to hear it on the 6 o'clock news. Of course, we are a statistical society. If something is 'mainstream' and the majority of the population accept it, well it must be all right then.
Let's look at the statistics I found in a popular Christian magazine. I found these shortly after I heard the news story about the British.
1.5 million Russian women gave birth last year. 1.6 million had abortions. I did some research and found another site that says conservative statistics from abortion clinics state 3-4 million abortions were performance in Russia last year. They say that the average women has from 3 to 8 a year. The government is trying it's best to curb the number of abortions, as the Russian population is steadily running negative. Officials say they are 'doomed to extinction' if abortions aren't reduced dramatically. Abortion is the most popular form of family planning in Russia. Abortion is a stronghold left from the cold war. If I might add, Communism didn't like religion either. Russians were not allowed to express much of their beliefs.
One more set of statistics tonight. This one is three-part, so hang with me.
71% of Americans consider the U.S.A. a "Christian Nation." 41% of Americans have a favorable impression of the "Christian conservative movement." 45% of Americans have a favorable impression of Muslims.

IS THERE A POINT TO ALL THIS?

Believe it or not, there is. Britons support the supernatural more than the Savior. Russians are in the process of self-genocide, and I know some of that is due to a lack of a Savior as well. Now, the statistics for America appear okay, right? We're still a Christian nation. Sure, but statistics tell us that Americans don't like the messenger much.
Let me tell you what the bible says we should act like:

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good...Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer...Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse...Live in harmony with one another...Do not repay anyone evil for evil...Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone...Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12.9-21

No one should allow a human to represent all that is meant by Christianity. If you see flaws in us it is because we are flawed. Only Jesus is not flawed. He modeled what is meant in those words from Romans perfectly. We are a shadow in the Sahara winds by comparison. Should we try to live those words? Of course, God helps us everyday to grow in Him.
It's easy in these times to not see the forest for the trees. Television and print can portray the Christian as a fundamentalist and not tolerant. Fortunately, the truth is that we are a work in progress. Why God uses humans to represent Him is a mystery, but it's a divine mystery of love on His part.
If you have a desire to know Him more, or know Him better, don't let people get in the way. It's people that caused the statistics for England and Russia. Let the God of the Universe speak to you Himself. Think about it.

WHY IT NO LONGER REALLY MATTERS

"There can only be two basic loves, the love of God unto the forgetfulness of self, or the love of self unto the forgetfulness and denial of God." - Thomas Merton

It's a challenge to step out in faith and live the life God calls the Christian to live. I think that may be the most understated sentences I will ever write. I could write volumes about that subject, but what I'm talking about here is living Christianity in today's world. 'Jesus Freak' used to be an insult, but now it's hip. However, there's a slew of other things that people call Christians that will never be hip. Of course, in parts of the world, not only will the Christian be called names, but there's a good chance they will be killed for their proclimation of the Savior.
I can't pretend to know what that's like. As of now, we are relatively safe in America. Not safe from name-calling and occassional harassment, but safe from death. But what happens here can make it a challenge to witness and speak of the Lord. I know what mainstream media thinks about me. I read the articles that put words like 'alleged' and 'supposed' in front of 'faith' and 'truth.' Heck, I even know what some of my family thinks about me. It took months for me to convince them I wasn't in a cult. Still, when I mention my life, I still hear the unpleasant silence that indicates their uncomfortability.
Nonetheless, I'm called to actively live my faith everyday. I think it's tough to dodge hurled insults; would I last a day when I would fear death speaking the name of the Lord? I used to fear what friends and family would think about me. I tried to tone down the truth. With my in-laws? Forget it. I'll leave the witnessing to my husband.
Then, I thought I'd get really upfront about my love of the Lord. I bought lots of Christian tee-shirts, I plastered my car with witnessing stickers. I would adamtely protest things that were 'Un-Christian.' Give me a break. I don't know who I was trying to be with my 'drive-by evangelism,' but I wasn't being true to my Lord.

SO, DO I HAVE A POINT?

"The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they have been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ." Acts 5.41-42

Do you see that? They were actually happy because the Lord had chosen them to suffer for Him. Can I say that? Here's another. It's long but it really makes a point:

"Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speak and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors, known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything." Paul in 2 Corinthians 6.3-10

Does this life sound easy? No. It's not for someone who likes to blend in with the crowd. Sure, I hear what people say, and I have a good idea of how they think. But my choice, and yours, is who's opinion matters more. To those apostles who gladly wore the scars of shame, and for Paul; their choice is obvious. I want my choice to be obvious too. Think about it.

LETTING THE WORD SPEAK FOR HIMSELF

I thought I would share with you some of my favorite scripture verses. If for no other reason that one may strike you as it struck me. They are in no particular order, other than the first one of course. So, enjoy and think about it as always.

"This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that cam by Christ Jesus." Romans 3.22-24

"Show me O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath." Psalm 39.4-5

"Yet I am always with you; You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? and earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73.23-26

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." Isaiah 43.1-3

This next one is one that the Lord gave me. I love it. Jeremiah the prophet is speaking. He was chosen by God to give the rebellious people of Israel a message, and you can guess he's not popular for it. He wants to give up and run away, but he can't. It sums up how I feel about the Lord.

"But if I say I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name, His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot." Jeremiah 20.9

When the Lord is asked His name for the first time...

"God said to Moses, "I AM who I AM." Exodus 3.14

And the Lord tells us who He is...

"The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin." Exodus 34.6-7

The rest of the New Testament tomorrow...

HOW INSIGNIFICANT

It's fascinating to read all of the speculation of recent. It seems that people really need to figure out what's going on in the world. What with the weather, Israel, Iraq; we rarely have time to focus on one news story for too long these days. If you randomly search websites like I have a tendency to, you'll find all sorts of predictions. Global warming is a big suspicion. Heck, I've even heard a prediction that our military was performing underwater nuclear bomb testing. Of course, I'm sure you know that the predictions of most intrigue to me have to do with end-time prophecy fulfillment. Just last night I researched two sites that discussed what each current event meant for the earth. It would seem that we are spiraling toward the end in a hurry these days. I haven't been the Lord's for that long, but people tell me that according to some folk, we've been heading toward the end for a long time.
Funny, but it seems to me that people miss the point. If the reporters and the webmasters are correct, and we are heading toward the end, what are we supposed to do about it? Let's suppose the Christians are correct for a minute. If we take just the most cursory glance at the Bible, we see that the first few lines make some big claims. "In the beginning, God..." It seems that He made everything. Yes, everything. Then, if we want to keep going, we find out that God even knows the names of the stars! "He (God) determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit." Psalm 147.4-5. Wow. That's an enormous and unfathomable claim. So not only did God make each individual animal and each plant species, but He made and knows all stars and all galaxies.
Well, I have to go one more. He also made everyone of us and calls us by name too. (John 10.3)
WHAT'S THE POINT OF ALL THIS?
The point of all this is that people are focusing on the wrong thing. Re-read what I wrote above. He made all the stars and knows them by name. That's incomprehensible to us, isn't it? Yet, if we just believe that, then think about the fact that He's even interested in us at all. I'd make a horrible god because I'd look out at the stars all proud of myself and forget about foolish people. But He doesn't forget about us because He is an amazing and magnificent God. There are no words to describe our God, but people have been struggling to find the right ones for centuries. He cares about each and every one of us. He wants to share every intimate detail of our lives with us. Do awful things like hurricanes happen? Of course they do. The earth fell subject to sin way back in the beginning too. Is God there with us when they happen? Yes. He promises to love us; to be our rock and our strength in time of need. (Psalm 46.1)
So, whether or not the earth is ending tomorrow is not the correct question. Rather, the question is, DO you want the Lord that knows every star by name to be your Lord too?
Think about it.

THE PRICK WE ALL FEEL

Maybe you notice that sometimes I take quite a while between postings. My original intention when I first started writing this was to post everyday, no exceptions. I love writing, and I wanted this to be something that my readers could go to everyday: an online devotional as it were. However, I am not able to post everyday because of a problem I have.
It's taken a considerable amount of time for me to decide whether or not to write this particular blog. I believe that any decent writer should take risks and go out on the proverbial limbs when creating their work, but that doesn't make it any easier. However, I also am as completely sure as I can be that God needs us to be truthful with one another for anything real to happen.
Enough said. As I continue in my walk with the Lord, I am becoming more attached to the writings of Paul. In the beginning, I shied away from him because I thought he was too expressive, too much. I admired Peter instead. Peter who would have Jesus ask him to walk on water, who would slash off the guard's ear defending his Lord. That was more like me I thought, the brash and fearless defender of the faith. However, as I continue on, I see how much Paul and I are also alike. First and foremost, we are both writers. That alone generates a certain bond. Secondly, he was open and vulnerable in order to help seekers and Christians alike know that we're not perfect; not even close. He does that perfectly in 2 Corinthians 12.
It is there that we read of Paul's thorn. Glory to God and His matchless wisdom for not revealing to us what Paul's thorn was. Oh sure, there has been speculation, but it was never confirmed. Instead, we are left being able to relate to a man who had a thorn in his flesh, one that could very well resemble my own.
"To keep me from becoming conceited...There was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest in me." (2 Corninthians 12.7-9)
What a statement. When I became the Lord's I thought I would be rid of the sinful desires of my past. As a matter of fact, I thought I could rid myself of them if I just tried hard enough. I felt like a failure because I couldn't 'fix' myself of the lusts and cravings that surrounded me.
WHAT'S THE POINT?

The point is that I have a thorn that I have to deal with on a daily basis. Sometimes it causes me to stay away from the internet for a week or two. I have the thorn of pornography that if left unchecked, can lead me to places that I know I should not be. I am not completely safe on the internet, watching television, listening to certain radio channels, or by magazine racks. I've had this problem all my life, it's only now that I know just how dangerous and pervasive it really is. I have prayed for deliverance and blinders and porn is still around.
I have told my husband, and he tries to help me the best he can. I have also told some friends, and they work to keep me accountable. I usually don't go running to them though; something inside of me whispers not to burden them with another saga of my life. I know that's not true, but it is how I think nonetheless. I keep as many safeguards in place as I can, and the victory comes from tearing myself away from the stronghold and running in the opposite direction. Praying of course.
"That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (vs. 10)
Think about it.

THE REST OF THE STORY

So, one morning I woke up and felt this burning desire to go to church. I have to admit, looking back, that a desire to stab a fork in my eye would have made more sense to me. We hadn't been to church in years, and I had given up on God years before. Anyhow, off to church we went, the man, me and our two kids. Well, all good Catholic churches had already started. We drove around town, and found one that would be offering a service at 6pm that evening. We decided to go back then, but we had a few knockdown fights, and by the time 6 rolled around, no one wanted to go but me. So, off I went; determined to find out why I needed to go, and then to have fun at a bar afterwards.
Well, the mass was just as I remembered it; boring songs and repeat-after-me memorization quotes. But, then we settled in for the sermon. I was not expecting anything at this point. Priest got up, and began to talk about the gifts of the Spirit (very unusual for a Catholic). I will never forget this. He held up a glass of white milk, said this is your soul. Then he started pouring in chocolate syrup and said this is what it's like when you are baptized, given communion, and confirmed. He added a spoon and started stirring, saying that this is what your life is like when you use the gifts of the Spirit.
Well, he listed off some of the gifts, and I heard self-control (ha), wisdom and some others. Well, wisdom sounded great to me. I prayed, 'God, I give up. If you're out there, and you think you can do better with my messed-up life, go right ahead. Give me some wisdom so I can figure out what to do.' I left service and went to the bar, not thinking anything about it.
I can sum up what happened next in the biggest understatement ever; Things changed. The first thing I started doing was listening to Christian radio. I knew those people would have some information about what had just happened to me. Through advice I heard on the radio, I decided to start going to Christian counseling. Through him, I started attending a Christian 12-step group and started attending their Evangelical church where I rededicate my life to Christ. I woke up one morning with a burning desire to go to school again, and I just graduated with my bachelor's in Christian Ministry (see picture.) My fiance and I got married finally.
I know that there are other ways to describe what happened to my life. But I was in it. I know how fast it was going down the tubes, and I was ready to let that happen. God picked up my life from a sewer and cleaned me off.
He asks one thing of me; to love Him. To take the time to get to know Him, and be obedient to Him like you would any loved one. He asks me to lean on Him (which I'm not good at) and to trust Him (even worse). When I can't do that, He forgives me.
My life isn't perfect. My husband and I argue sometimes, I still sin. I am only forgiven.
WHAT'S THE POINT?
He loves you as much as He does me. He wants your heart, and your scars and bruises too. If you're His already, He wants the parts of you that you're keeping from Him. He wants ALL of you. I ask you to show me a human that wants every part of any of us; our good, our bad, our ugly. Yet, He does.
Think about it...

WHO I AM

The interesting thing to me is that people feel they are 'too sinful' to commit their lives to Christ. I remember when I used to think that way. When I started in a church, I was afraid to tell my story because I thought people would tell me to leave; that God hadn't really accepted such a sinner as myself. I thought people would gasp in shock at my story. Well, actually, people did gasp at my story. But that's only because you can't look at the person I am now and imagine the person I was.
I think it's only fair to those of you who are reading this know who I am; my 'Christ credentials' if you will. He has done such a mighty work in my life and the lives of those in my family. Every time I write this story, or tell someone, I am humbled and amazed all over again. Why me? Well, that's just His grace and mercy in action. I'll write about those two powerful words another day. For now, my story of His glory.
I could start from the beginning, when I was little, but it would take too long. To sum it up in one sentence; I grew up poor, fatherless and abused. The one thing that happened to me at age eleven was that my Godfather, who was born again, brought me to church where I accepted Christ as my Savior. Then I forgot all about it.
Flash forward to age eighteen. I was by then a drug addict, mostly pot and LSD. I dropped out of college by nineteen and got an apartment. I then met a guy who introduced me to crack. Up to then, I has used coke a few times, and even meth, but it never became a hard addiction. I thought I was safe with crack, invincible even. Boy was I wrong. Crack took me on a death spiral that only God could save me from. My most memorable experience? When a gang of thugs pulled a gun and pointed it at my head. I was in a dark alley late at night, what stopped them from shooting me? I thought back then that I just got lucky, but it was Him.
I had quit using for the twentieth time when I met my now husband. He made it a little harder to use because he was not a junkie. No, quite the opposite; he wanted to be a cop. So, I managed to stay off the drugs, mostly because I became pregnant. Looking back, I can also see that God's hand was involved with my pregnancy and our decision not to abort our unborn child.
Well, my daughter was born, and then I went to work at a bar. Not a great place for someone like me. I was back to smoking pot and also added drinking to the list of addictions this time. I tried to leave my fiance dozens of times throughout this, but somehow we always patched things up. In the middle of all this, our son was born. He did not enter into a great relationship by any stretch. I was out all the time, and my fiance hated it. He was always angry with me, and I could never understand why.
Flash forward through years of drinking and fighting to three years ago. I was ready to leave him for good this time. I had a new man in my life, and we were going to rent a house together. I had enough of the cop at home always telling me what to do and demanding that I get my life in order. The best solution was to get him out of my life for good.
I was thwarted at the last minute. The jerk lost his job. I couldn't stomach kicking a man when he was down. The new man and I decided to postpone our new lives until my soon-to-be-ex could find a new job, then I was out of there. Little did I know what God's plan would be...
THE POINT IS TO BE CONTINUED...

HOUSEKEEPING MEMO.
I have been told that it is tough to post a comment to this blog. I have changed the settings so that anyone can post a comment without setting up a username etc. etc. If nasty spam shows up, I'll have to change it back. For now, I wanted to make it easier to post comments (please) .
THANKS AND GOD BLESS

SO MUCH BLOOD

From the outside looking in, a Christian can resemble a vampire. Or, a member of a blood-fetish organization. What is the deal of our obsession with blood?
When I first became the Lord's, I had no idea why Christ followers talked about the Blood so much. There were songs about it, there were sermons about it, and there were even prayers about it. The prayers were the creepiest to me; people would actually pray to be covered in the Blood of Jesus. I was baffled by the constant references to blood.
I knew nothing of Christianity before I gave my life to Christ. Years of Confirmation classes and even parochial school taught me little of who Christ really was, and what He should mean to me. So, when the Lord called me on that life-changing day, I was completely clueless. I was very much the child that Jesus speaks of in Matthew 18.3. I really enjoyed those days because the only thing I knew was that God was huge, and He was really in my life in a personal, apparent way. I acted on blind faith and He was able to do so much to make things right in my life. Even though this message is on blood, I find it necessary to write about one of the most important things I learned about the Lord early on. He does not force Himself on anyone. He is the utmost of gentlemen. He will always wait until you ask Him in, and then He can do a mighty work. Until then, He waits patiently at the door. He creates circumstances, but He never forces. But remember, you don't know how many days you have to open that door.
So what's with the obsession with blood anyhow? I was uncomfortable, critical, and even a little repulsed; until I found out how important that blood really is.

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT?

Well, what amazingly crucial thing does Jesus Himself tell us about His precious blood?
"This is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matt 26.28) I cannot even count the number of times I heard that in church, and it never meant anything to me. But read it again and think about it. This is Jesus' promise, His vow, His ultimate bonding of His children to Himself. The blood that He shed at Calvary is His precious promise to me, and to you; that the blood washes away our sins and makes us clean again. It allows the Father, who cannot look upon sin, to take in the sight of His children that He loves. Jesus' blood is truly the tie that binds.
But if that's not enough, let's look at another one. Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise Him up at the last day." (John 6.53-54)
Jesus is not referring to the occasional communion meal, where we symbolically remember these words with wafer and juice. As important a fellowship of believers time that is, Jesus is referring to so much more. He is referring to us claiming Him for who He really is. His body and blood was indeed the ultimate sacrifice that allow us to be His. His blood shed is the same blood that flows now through me. I am alive, truly for the first time, and it is because of Him. Before I accepted Christ as my Savior, and embraced His death on the cross, I was dead. Sure, I lived for work, and for fun, but I was a shell of the person God had planned for me to become. When I grasped what He did for us, when I grasped, and began to lean on the cross, I embraced the life that God had for me; and it will last forever.
Don't take my word for it; let's see what Paul had to say about this;
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through Him?" (Romans 5.6, 9)
Think about it.

NO FEAR

I have experienced fear several times in my life. When I was a crackhead I once had a gun pointed at my head, cocked and ready to fire. I almost overdosed several times. I almost lost my children because of my drug abuse. Those all elicited some fear.
Now I'm the Lord's; He has delivered and redeemed me. I should be fearless, right? I wish. Sometimes, I actually have more fear now then I did before. I fear that I will make a wrong decision with my life, that I still harbor unforgiveness, that I judge others. My fear traps me from being more like Christ.
I think that to the outside world, Christians can actually seem indignantly fearless. Sometimes, with just the proper amount of inflection in our voices, we can sound superior about our eternal status. Do we have the potential of appearing smug to 'the unsaved?' I think so. Sometimes, all we want to do is squeak by until the end, without causing too much disruption. However, I find that the children of the Lord who are actually living fearless for God don't have time to be smug.
So, what does the human race think about fear, and what does God say about it? Well, let's start by defining fear. A pastor once defined FEAR as False Evidence Appearing Real. Ok, now take that to a person who's questioning. A very real fear is that he will become a 'Jesus Freak.' Another fear is that she will be alienated by all her family and friends. Still another fear is that God will turn out to be less than expected and he will be hurt again.
What are the believers' fears? That we will become 'overboard', and that life will never be the same if we go too far. That we will 'not fit in' both inside and outside the church. That God will let us down and we will be no 'better off' than we were before Him.
Both side of the gate sound rather similar, don't they?

WHAT'S THE POINT?

Well, for both sides I have a question. Exactly how good is your life right this moment? How well have you played this game all by yourself? What would you risk by making the most important move of your life?

Let's check out what God promises:

"...For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." 1 John 5.4-5

"For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 1 Timothy 1.7

"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the spirit of Sonship." Romans 8.15

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4.18

And Jesus..."He said to His disciples, 'Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?'" Mark 4.17

Over 350 times the Bible tells us not to fear. I think the crucial this is to remember that God has no comparison to our earthly experiences. He cannot be compared to whatever has happened to us thus far. Our fear is keeping us from living the most complete, satisfying, rich life we could possibly imagine. Our fear robs us of joy, of freedom, of truth. As I wrote earlier, when we do it alone we don't do so well.
I think it's downright amazing that you can become a part to a life that has the potential to be lived fearlessly. Knowing right now, in a very real way, that you are never alone. Never. Knowing that there can be a life lived beyond circumstances, beyond situations, beyond feelings. I want that life. Don't you?
Think about it.

WHAT A LOVE STORY...CONTINUED

For those who actually read this on a daily basis, I apologize for the week-long delay of this post. I would love to convince myself that I am invincible, but I am not. I have been dealing with some oppression from the enemy, and I tend to retreat and lick my wounds when that happens. Fortunately, I have amazing friends that the Lord has blessed me with, and they have helped pulled me out of my funk. I also recently lost my job, so if anyone wants to tell Phillip Yancy I'm writing this killer blog, I would be much obliged.

Anyway; enough about me. This isn't about me. I pick up where we left off. God sent His only Son to be the ultimate sacrifice to restore His love to Himself. And His Son goes willingly! He experiences first-hand how petty and self-centered we really are. At times, it seems like the only way to get our attention is to do a great miracle and 'put on a show.' But He keeps on, knowing that by being faithful to His Father, that He will restore all people for all time. Wow.
So, He dies. I come along thousand of years later, and I am not living for Him at all. As a matter of fact, I hardly know He exists. I am caught up in the world and loving it. Or at least convincing myself that I love it. I convince myself that I have my piece of the pie and I deserve even more.
Then, God gets a hold of me in a big way. He turns my whole life around in an instant. He restores so much, and even brings new things. New friendships, new marriages, new passion for life. And, the faithful reader asks;

WHAT'S THE POINT...

Oh, the God that loves me so much still doesn't get the attention He deserves from me. I don't live my life for Jesus. Sometimes, I don't even mention His name when I should. My sister-in-law made a comment about me reading the bible for five hours a day (she was not paying me a compliment either) and I wanted to change her perception of me. I didn't want to correct her because she was mistaken about my dedication, but rather because I didn't want her to think that I was one of those bible-banging Christian types.
But I want to be! I want everyone who reads this blog to understand one thing very clearly: I was a disaster. I was a drug addict that should have died. I was a train wreck of a mother and a partner and they should have abandoned me long ago. And God...Why would He even want to waste His time?
But He did. The God of the universe, the lover of my soul, took me into His arms and changed everything. He loves to do that. He takes the least likely and makes them His. He should be my lover, my best friend, and with me always. But I'm distracted by money, by success, by the stupid television. I can even read about Him more than from Him.
Oh, why be so hard on myself? People need to work, they need to achieve, and then to relax.
Consider this a wake-up call. For those who don't believe...He wants to love you too. He wants to take you into His massive arms and love all the hurt away. He wants to fill the parts in you that ache for something more. He will love you so well, you'll wonder why you wasted so much time getting there.
For those of you who believe...Get up. It's high time that we ready ourselves for our Bridegroom. He's watching...And He'll be coming. We need to starting acting like His children, by living every part of ourselves for Him. I think about all the people who die without Him everyday, and I wonder why we waste so much time hanging out where they don't need our help for their souls. I say this just as much for myself as anyone else. I want to wake up for Him in the morning and go to bed singing Him a song of praise. Revival starts with one heart broken open by the Lord almighty. Let Him in and break you. Think about it.

WHAT A LOVE STORY

I cannot escape the fairytale. I was born into a little girl's world of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Sleeping Beauty. As I got older, I would read the teen romances and dream of the man (prince) that would take me away from my wretched life. If you were a boy, I imagine there's a similar, yet different story. You we told tales of the mighty kings, the handsome princes, and you knew that you wanted to be the man (prince) who slayed the dragon.
So, where are we now? I for one have never tried on a glass slipper, and my husband, while slaying many deer, has never had to kill for my rescue.
But, millions of women flock to the theater to see the same story told in a couple of different ways. Even though today's story is a single mother with four kids who is rescued by her prince, and the rescuing doesn't even necessarily look like the traditional story, it is the same. For the men's movie, they rescue planets, countries, and women. Premise, still the same.
And, what are we looking for at the end of the movie? Well, for my eight bucks, I want to see the boy get the girl and the proverbial ride off into the sunset. For my husband, he relishes the war movie where the good guys sustain less damage and the town is rescued from the evil warlords. We want to see love (good) triumph.

WHAT'S THE POINT?

My point is this...Imagine for a moment that you're God. Don't worry, this isn't a creepy Master of the Universe thing. But the thing that I never realized when I was off chasing love and laughing at Christians was that the Bible is the ultimate love story. No lie. I thought Christians were this bunch of puritanical backward folk. Well, maybe some are, but to each his own interpretation. To others of us, there's this unbelievable romance that unfolds between, get this, God and His people!
I'll be honest. The first time someone suggested God as a lover (hats off and compliments to John Eldredge) I got squirmy. But then I read it for myself. Look:

"God says, 'If a husband divorces his wife and she goes from him and belongs to another man, Will he still return to her? Will not that land be completely polluted? (Jer. 3.1)

"Return...Declares the Lord; I will not look upon you in anger. For I am gracious, declares the Lord; I will not be angry forever..."(Jer 3.12)

"Surely, as a woman treacherously departs from her lover, So you have dealt treacherously with Me," (Jer 3.20)

"And you, O desolate one, what will you do? Although you dress in scarlet, Although you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold, Although you enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you make yourself beautiful. Your lovers despise you; They seek your life." (Jer 4.30)

And on and on it goes. Back and forth; anger and misery. God. I can't imagine my husband doing the same thing for me, nor I for him. Cheating again and again on the One who gave you everything, and His Heart, and going with another. Especially going with another you know is bad for you.
What a true love story. My heart aches for the One who allowed the truth to be written down for all to see. To read about a Heart broken and bleeding for the ones He called His own.
And, to make the greatest true story told even better, He does it again!!!!!!!! This time, He sends His own Son to die, in order to have His love returned to Him. Could you imagine for one instant allowing that to happen to your son? Oh, to only dream of such a love.

But then... I realize that I am that heartless, thoughtless lover.

TO BE ..CONTINUED...

A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH PART 2

Of course I was overjoyed! This diamond was my solid, concrete proof that God was and is actively working in my life. It also signified a covenant with my husband. I think it was no coincidence that God used my diamond for this lesson. My relationship with my husband went through many 'lost' times when it looked like there was no hope. But God had kept us together according to His purposes, and He means for us to stay together for all time.
Ironically, I have not found a new career yet. I know that God has a plan, and I am trying to be patient. When I misplace my faith, all I have to do is look down at my ring and I know that He won't let me down.

"I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness. Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt." Jeremiah 31.3-4

God truly loves everyone that could possibly be reading this right now. He loves you. I am confident that God knew exactly where and when I would find my diamond. And, He knew it before the world began. How? Ha-Ha. I have no idea, and it hurts to even try to think about that.
Stop and think about occurrences that happen in your life that have no explanation. It's not karma, trust me. God does all kinds of things to get our attention. Sometimes, like in my case, we come to a rock bottom in our lives and find that He is there to pick us up. He is constantly trying to draw us into Him. It says in scripture that He wishes none shall perish. But He is a gentleman. He doesn't force Himself upon us, that would be brainwashing, not a relationship. He desires a relationship with us. To me, that's the best part. Where's the joy in being forced to worship something?
What might He be doing to attract your gaze? It's hard at this point in the world to get anyone's attention. Everything vies for a chance, and everybody seems to be focused on themselves. Maybe He needs to keep trying. Look around you. Check out an incredible sunset, or the birds flying South together. Or look at the stars in the midnight sky. Don't they look just like diamonds...
Think about it.

A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

I have a tale to tell today. It's a true story, and it happened to me. I want to tell it because I don't think people hear enough about what God does in the average, ordinary life, and how He loves His children so very much. Maybe in the wake of catastrophic events a story like this one can be read to know that God is very capable of rebuilding and restoring.

My boyfriend and I got engaged sometime between the birth of our first and second child. I wish I could say I remember the date, but I wasn't coherent or responsible back then. In between getting drunk or high, I used to fantasize about getting married to him. Oh sure, I wanted the house and the husband and all that, I just wanted to be in a stupor about the whole thing.
Anyway, if he and I were on the outs, which we often were, I would slip my ring off when I went to the bar. I needed to know if I was still attractive and if I still had 'it.' I did.
I also gave it back to him a time or twenty when I had enough of him and wanted to end the relationship. I tried to bail out of our relationship on a consistent basis. Looking back, that was probably one of the more consistent things about me.
The last time I tried to bail was the worst. I went house shopping with another man, planned to move out on my fiance and take the kids. There was going to be no turning back this time. However, God had a much, much bigger plan. My fiance really begged me to stay, but I said no.
But then, to make matters worse, he lost his job. How could I kick a man when he's down? I told the other man I would stay with my fiance until he got a job, then I was out of there. God had an incredibly different plan. In the meantime, He saved me, sobered me up, sent me to college and my fiance and I were married.
So, I was more than devastated when the diamond out of my ring was lost April of this year. I lost it when my company relocated offices and we were assembling shelving. It was in a warehouse-type setting, so I knew I would never find it again. Funny thing, something told me I would lose it. The weeks before I would catch myself looking at it and thinking how much I would miss it. So when it finally fell out, it was almost anticlimactic.
I made an intense effort to find it, as did my employees. My husband and I discussed our options; our deductible on the house insurance was too high and we couldn't afford to replace it. I kept buying inexpensive bands with an attempt to make up the loss, but they never lasted. I had resigned myself to no more ring. The worst, most ironic thing about the loss was that I hated looking unmarried. Finally, God restores our lives and now I had no proof I was happily married.
About a month ago I was praying when the thought came into my mind, 'When you find the diamond, you can go.' See, I really dislike my job. I would like to write for a living, and counsel people with addictions. My job depresses me. When I heard that thought in my mind, I dismissed it as wishful thinking. As the week went on, I kept thinking about that, and keeping my eyes peeled for the diamond, but to no avail.
Friday rolls around, and I'm supposed to have a meeting with a Christian counselor regarding my future. I was seeking advice for my future pursuits. I was all excited, but at the last minute, she was unable to meet me. I was extremely upset. I called my husband and told him I had enough, and I had given up trying to figure out what to do next with my life. I was angry with God, and I told Him about it.
I was looking around the warehouse, thinking I was stuck there forever when I happen to glance at the dust mop. I thought to myself that I was going to give God a hand at finding that diamond. I swept (for the hundredth time) under all the shelves. Nothing. In angry desperation, I fell to my knees by one of the shelving racks. For no reason whatsoever, I put my head to the ground, and under the shelf I saw a glimmer. With the strength of Samson, I pulled the 250 pound shelf out of the way. There it was, in a crevice on the cement floor. I don't exaggerate when I write that we had looked there dozens of times. But there it was.
MY POINT TOMORROW...

I will be taking a short siesta until the 5th. I will resume then.

God bless and think about things...

WHAT MAKES NEWS

I want to stay away from politics on this blog. I don't want things that distract from the essential messages in the bible. I want to stay away from the hot points in the news that come and go. God's message is timeless, and that is where I want to be.
That being said, I am however compelled to write about Hurricane Katrina. You can't escape coverage on the nightly news, both local and world. This is bigger than a story that comes and goes in a week. This will be with us for a long time.
The book of Jeremiah in the bible accounts the reasons that Israel is going through horrible times. God tells the people outright that He is punishing them for a number of things including worshipping false gods.
That is not where I want to go with this tonight. I am not God, and I am not a prophet like Jeremiah was. I have been given no message from the Lord indicating that the hurricane was an indictment from Him for sins of the people. I also won't believe it if I see anyone else proclaim that message.
So then, why did this happen? Or, more accurately, why did God allow this to happen? Well, I'm not a theologian, but I'll tell you what I believe.
God created a perfect world. No sin, not even any rain. Then that whole thing happened with the apple in the garden. That changed everything. Now, sin reigns on the earth. Is God in ultimate control of everything? Of course He is. But humans started out on earth as immortal. Now, unless you make a choice, you have no chance of eternal life.
So, to sum up the last paragraph, events happen. Funny though, what makes news.

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all you mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12.30-31

When I watch the news coverage about the hurricane, I pray. A lot. For the people who have lost everything, for the missing families, for the rescue people. I pray that the looting and the police efforts don't get too violent. But the other part of the news coverage really makes me notice something.
The things that really make the great stories with the high ratings are the stories of the ordinary heroes. Of the men and women who put their own lives and safety on the line to help another. Of the people who unconsciously act in the face of danger. There are whole segments dedicated to these people. Of course it is a wonderful thing that these people do, I could never deny that. But take another look at those words above that are in red. That is Jesus' answer when asked what commandment is the greatest. Which means that in His eyes, those stories should be commonplace, right? In Jesus' eyes, our neighbors are everyone around us.

WHAT'S THE POINT?

My point is simply this: the last few days I have had a hard time living life as usual. I look around at my house, husband and children, and I feel like I have too much. This isn't the first time this has happened to me either. The famine in Niger causes me much sorrow. Our family is doing one of those World Vision adoption of a child there. If my husband wouldn't stop me, I would drive down to the coastal area and start helping somewhere. But I can find something to do. When something is wrong in my life, my first response should be prayer. I go to the great I AM, my Father, for help. I cry to Him about my situation, and cry and plead to Him for assistance. So, if I am to treat my neighbor as myself, then I pray for the hurricane victims. Then, I should make sure there are some sort of resources of my hand that goes to them. If I have money, that's what I give. If I don't, then I give of my time, or my service.
Those stories on the news are news because they make people feel good, and I think, they let some people off the hook. They are designed to make you feel good, and thus be reassured that there are people in a crisis to solve problems.
Jesus, however, expects more. Think about it...

EVEN WHEN I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT

There are times that I think this whole thing is a crazy fantasy. Am I delusional; convincing myself that there's a God and He cares about me? I have read that children who come from dysfunctional homes (wow, that could be a lot of us) have trouble establishing Christian roots. Our roots will attempt to reach for living water, but when we bump into a 'rock,' we recoil. Recoil, I suppose from fear, from the unknown, from desertion.
As one would imagine, that fear can make our relationship with God struggle. I like to use the messed-up analogy of a 'magic-trick' God. If I perform correctly, of if I don't sin (ha) then He will smile down upon me and grant my wishes and desires.
My personal habit is to have a fight with my husband, or start feeling a little inferior, and stomp away from God like an insolent school girl. Depending on the severity of God's alleged wrongdoing, my pout can last from a day to two weeks. Then, I reach my breaking point, where I realize that He's the only one who can truly save me, and I'm back on my knees, reaching upward like a wayward daughter begging for forgiveness. Of course, the truth is, one apology and all is forgiven. That's the beauty of having God as my Father.
This is an old story of struggling with faith, I know. However, for the person who has yet to reach for and accept a relationship with God, this can seem like an insurmountable task. For the independent types who don't want to fellowship with other people, who can they talk to? Establishing trust and dependence is getting harder and harder in this dog eat dog world.
In Jeremiah 17.9, God asks, "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?" To that I say Amen! I have a deceitful heart, and I know that now.

AND MY POINT IS...

Only God knows my heart. Only when I rely on Him can I find true peace, regardless of the circumstances. Life doesn't become rosy and trouble-free for the saved, it just gets a dramatic facelift. Instead of looking at life with all its ups and downs alone and head on, we look up to the heavens, and He gives us the strength, love and encouragement to get through life.
I don't have to feel anything, I just have to go through life knowing that God has my back. We humans have a habit of living life through our feelings. If you need an example, look at your local liquor store, the meth labs that are taking over America, or the television. If it feels good, do it, right? Well, no actually. Who gave us the right to run rampant doing whatever we feel like? If that's the way you live, that's cool. I just wonder how long the rollercoaster ride will last before you want to get off. I needed to get off when the hangovers outweighed the good times.

Enough with the lecture. I'll let God answer His own question, from Jeremiah 17.10, "I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds."
So, to hear God tell it, He knows our hearts. He's the one who understands our motives, desires, and grieves. He tells us that if we seek Him first, and do things His way, than we will be rewarded. Maybe not here, not now. But I know I need to trust Him and keep my eyes focused on Him. My heart will follow. Think about it.

WHAT'S IN A NAME

I like my name. I grew up in a very large city, and my ethnicity was something I carried as a banner to proclaim who I was. My maiden name was of a Mexican origin, and I was very proud of it. When I moved to Minnesota, I was still proud of it, however, most people had a hard time pronouncing it. I never planned to change my name. I used my race to explain my anger, my defensiveness.
But then, things changed, as both my fiance and my two children had a different last name than me, and I felt like I had to explain something to everyone. I felt like an outsider.
Now I'm married, and the first time I heard someone call me 'Mrs. XXXXX,' I had to stop and think about it. About how far Mr. XXXXX and I had come, and how blessed I am that he stayed with me through it all. I realized that I was clinging to the wrong name for so long because of fear. Now I have the right name, and a new outlook on life.

AND YOU SHALL CALL HIS NAME...JESUS, PRINCE OF PEACE, MIGHTY GOD, WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, HOLY ONE, LAMB OF GOD, PRINCE OF LIFE, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH, ROOT OF DAVID, WORD OF LIFE, AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH, ADVOCATE, THE WAY, DAYSPRING, LORD OF ALL, I AM, SON OF GOD, SHEPHERD AND BISHOP OF SOULS, MESSIAH, THE TRUTH, SAVIOR, CHIEF CORNERSTONE, KING OF KINGS, RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, LIGHT OF THE WORLD, HEAD OF THE CHURCH, MORNING STAR, SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, LORD JESUS CHRIST, CHIEF SHEPHERD, RESURRECTION AND LIFE, HORN OF SALVATION, GOVERNOR, THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, ANCIENT OF DAYS.

WHAT'S THE POINT?

When I first became the Lord's, I knew I had some baggage that shouldn't be coming with on the journey any longer, so I starting seeing a Christian counselor. He was a great counselor, and he helped me to forgive myself and others, and begin down the road of forgiveness. However, he suggested that I start picturing God as my father. For me, and I suspect many, this is a bad choice. I haven't seen my father since I was eight. Fathers just don't have the same reputation that they once had. So, once that association was in my head, I had a tough time disassociating God from my earthly father. I pictured a God that was a violent, punishing god. He would be there for me sometimes, and not be there others.
My counselor made one more mistake. Not knowing my past, he also suggested when things got tough, many people like to picture God holding them on His lap. Since I had been sexually abused as a young teen, that image did all kinds of poor things for God.
None of this was the counselor's fault. These images work for some; but for others, it does not.

But take a look at that list of names. When I saw that list the first time, three of these became my favorite, and they draw me so close to God, that I can cling to Him and worship Him. I am, Ancient of Days, and the Alpha and the Omega. Those names are so packed with power and awesomeness. They command reverence and sovereignty. Those are names that signify my God. Who else can call themselves 'I AM' and need no other explaination? Or try and wrap your mind around 'Ancient of Days.' I love that one because it is so timeless. God cannot be captured in time. He does not have an age. Finally, picture 'The Alpha and the Omega.' The beginning and the ending of all things. They take my breath away.
So, if you cannot connect with God because of some reason or another, or if you have been rejecting Him, try to see Him in a different light. Look at Him through one of those names and just take the time to picture it in your mind. He's worth that, isn't He? We try and picture different races and put ourselves in their shoes in order to show tolerance and to seek understanding. Give God the same consideration. Look at how many different things He can be for you. He truly is your All in All.
Think about it...