I apologize to whoever is out there for my absence. I have no specific excuse; I have been distracted.
It is possible to be overwhelmed by the Lord and by life in general. Seeing life in true reality can be a scary thing, and can tire the mind.
Rather than continue to speak in abstract, let me give you an example. I was watching BBC news the other night. It was about the technology craze in South Korea. Craze is not an accurate word really; perhaps obsession would be a better one. It has literally taken over the country.
Some statistics: there are more than 28,000 gaming parlors in Seoul. Granted, there are over 10 million people crammed in the city, but these parlors generate over $6 billion annually. There are five cable television channels devoted to gaming, showing tournaments, techniques, and new games.
There are several deaths attributed to computer gaming in South Korea. A couple’s four-month-old baby died because the couple was gaming for over ten hours. I read about two men who died from exhaustion; one playing for fifty hours straight. I am sure there are more.
Fifteen million people in South Korea are regular gamers. There is a new craze taking over the gaming world; it is called Cyworld. Cyworld is a virtual world. People create themselves in a virtual room. They add their spouse, children, and pets. They then spend money buying virtual furniture, scenery, decorations. Some people spend hours a day playing in their virtual life; socializing with their real friends in cyberworld. As of now, 1 in 3 South Koreas has a virtual self. One woman said that she gets satisfaction in her cyberworld that she cannot get from the real world.
The most fascinating thing about the piece was a segment about an office building in South Korea. The cameramen zoomed in for a second on a fish tank located in the waiting room of the building. The fish tank was not an ordinary one however; it was a digital fish tank. Digital koi were swimming in digital water.
When asked why he spends so much time in the gaming parlor, one man replied, “It’s a unique outlet for personal expression and a rare chance to be different.” Psychologists call this obsession escapism, detached socializing, and a form of anti-social behavior.
What my point is…
A cursory glance at the situation in South Korea may find nothing really wrong. What is the harm in playing games on the computer? However, I look at the situation and I ask myself, why the need to escape reality? These games are not Pac-Man® or Donkey Kong®. These are role-playing games that involve hundreds and thousands of players. They enter into another dimension and take on the characteristics of their icon. What’s up with real life for these people?
There is no argument here that this world is tough; sometimes it is downright scary. I can see why people want to avoid that reality and seep into something distracting. I have thousands of books that would indicate I have a tendency to do the same thing on occasion. But if it becomes a consuming passion, something is wrong.
There is a force in the world that leads people to distraction. And that force seems to have done its job well, hasn’t it? Cell phones, plasma televisions with cable, email, I-Pod’s, DVD players in the car, Blackberry. Do you pay attention to one single thing at a time anymore? Multi-tasking is a requirement these days.
But there is one thing that is speaking to your heart in a still, small voice. There is a light shining beyond the technology that wants your attention. He will not try to dazzle you with a technological stage show, but He has His ways. Ever watch a full moon blaze orange across the starry sky? Ever watch a mother bird lay on her nest waiting for her precious eggs to hatch?
But even though real life has so much to offer, there is more. There is actually Someone out there that wants to be your permanent distraction. If you were to chuck all those metal cords that want to strangle you, you would be able to encounter an amazing God that wants to consume you in a way you never thought possible.
It’s true. Imagine playing the most incredible reality game ever. It is so far beyond that. Here’s a taste…
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”
“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
And, in a stunning resemblance to the world today,
“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet upon a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.”
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Holy Words Batman!
From the Chicago Cubs’ Harry Carey to Batman’s sidekick Robin, the word holy sure gets around, doesn’t it? ‘Holy cow,’ ‘holy smokes,’ ‘holy moley.’ I cannot even count the number of times I hear something like that every day.
They are as far removed from God as can be. The word holy means nothing when it is said in this context. There is even a definition for the word holy in situations like those that I have listed; it’s called adding emphasis to a statement. For example, “Holy cow was that fish ever big!”
The same can be said for God, can’t it? “Oh my God” has to be one of the most frequent statement uttered on television today. It is said in regards to the taste of food, to a new hairstyle, to a handsome man walking down the street.
The funny thing is, the speaker does not even realize whom they are talking about when they say those kinds of things. I know I didn’t when I used to say them. They were just another way of expressing myself. “Oh my God” was used when I wanted to express shock or surprise and “Holy _____” was said when I wanted to express surprise or wonder.
What I wonder is what God hears when people do this. I know I would not appreciate it if my name was used.
But think about this. It has been bothering me to hear this on television and in conversation lately, but I have another thought on the whole subject. I think they are both used so much because subconsciously, people need God. These words are inherent to our beings; our actual souls. We were born looking for our Savior.
How many times have you heard somebody shout out “Jesus Christ!” when they have been scared or hurt? Do you ever hear anybody shout “Abraham Lincoln!” or “Oh my Gandhi?”
AND HERE’S THE POINT…
The dictionary has several other definitions for holy.
-Awe-inspiring, having a character that invokes reverence.
-Sacred, relating to, belonging to, or coming from a divine being.
-Exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness.
How different are those definitions compared with how the word is used. I believe that deep down inside, everybody is looking for these things. Somebody to be awe-inspiring; to cradle as sacred. We have to be able to reach out to something that really is worth complete devotion.
Here’s what a few Bible writers had to say about God’s holiness.
“Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty,
The whole earth is fully of his glory”-angels in heaven
“The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth.”-Isaiah
“I will show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”-God speaking to the prophet Ezekiel
“For us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”-the apostle Paul.
Finally, one more thought to ponder the next time you open your mouth:
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.” – God in the 10 Commandments
They are as far removed from God as can be. The word holy means nothing when it is said in this context. There is even a definition for the word holy in situations like those that I have listed; it’s called adding emphasis to a statement. For example, “Holy cow was that fish ever big!”
The same can be said for God, can’t it? “Oh my God” has to be one of the most frequent statement uttered on television today. It is said in regards to the taste of food, to a new hairstyle, to a handsome man walking down the street.
The funny thing is, the speaker does not even realize whom they are talking about when they say those kinds of things. I know I didn’t when I used to say them. They were just another way of expressing myself. “Oh my God” was used when I wanted to express shock or surprise and “Holy _____” was said when I wanted to express surprise or wonder.
What I wonder is what God hears when people do this. I know I would not appreciate it if my name was used.
But think about this. It has been bothering me to hear this on television and in conversation lately, but I have another thought on the whole subject. I think they are both used so much because subconsciously, people need God. These words are inherent to our beings; our actual souls. We were born looking for our Savior.
How many times have you heard somebody shout out “Jesus Christ!” when they have been scared or hurt? Do you ever hear anybody shout “Abraham Lincoln!” or “Oh my Gandhi?”
AND HERE’S THE POINT…
The dictionary has several other definitions for holy.
-Awe-inspiring, having a character that invokes reverence.
-Sacred, relating to, belonging to, or coming from a divine being.
-Exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness.
How different are those definitions compared with how the word is used. I believe that deep down inside, everybody is looking for these things. Somebody to be awe-inspiring; to cradle as sacred. We have to be able to reach out to something that really is worth complete devotion.
Here’s what a few Bible writers had to say about God’s holiness.
“Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty,
The whole earth is fully of his glory”-angels in heaven
“The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth.”-Isaiah
“I will show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”-God speaking to the prophet Ezekiel
“For us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”-the apostle Paul.
Finally, one more thought to ponder the next time you open your mouth:
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.” – God in the 10 Commandments
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
who i am
I need to level with everyone reading this blog. I may have mentioned before, but it bears repeating. I was a drug addict. When I was ‘born again,’ Jesus needed to pull me out of a gutter.
I have been using drugs since I was fourteen years old. As a matter of record, I dropped out of my high school ‘Just Say No’ club to smoke pot instead.
I knew better than to start using. I had just watched my mother’s lover die from an overdose a few months before I started. It was one of the most horrific and most intense times I had ever experienced, and it was still not enough to dissuade me.
I used drugs and alcohol to cope with life until Jesus met me. I was hell bent on destroying my family; abandoning my children, to live a life I thought I deserved. I had convinced myself it would even be a better life. And right before I closed the door on my life…
In walked Jesus Christ.
That is the true story of who I was. Why do I bring this up now? Because I never want to start to convince myself I came this far using my own strength, or this is somehow my doing. Even more importantly, I never want anyone reading this blog to assume I started out any differently. I desperately need you to understand who I was, and who I am in Christ.
At times, it is possible to forget that old girl. She was such a fool, while I can attempt to keep things together. I work at a church, I am actively involved in ministry, I have a piece of paper from a school saying I graduated (see profile picture.) And this, my greatest achievement. I have wanted to be a writer since the age of six, and I know it reaches the people intended. And while those are wonderful things, we need to keep our eyes focused on the source from which that all flows. In other words, we need to look at what girl does with her own life, and what Jesus does with same girl’s life.
Why do I bring this up now? Well, my story does a great job in bringing glory and honor to God. Aside from that, if I keep it to myself, it remains a story. But I am finding it more and more important that you know Jesus is not looking for perfection. To paraphrase an idea; how can Jesus fill a glass that is already full? No. Jesus comes for all of us who feel like giving up; who know life is too much to bear alone. It’s that backed up in a corner feeling that He is waiting for you to notice you have been feeling.
There is no such thing as thinking you need to be cleaned up before you search for God. Trust me on that one. You need to take your junk, your baggage, your dirt, and show up at His doorstep. It is so much easier than waiting until life gets better on your own.
Oh, and one more thing. Jesus is a gentleman. He will not barge in. He is waiting on the other side for you to give some indication that He is welcome. Here was my invitation to Jesus, “Ok God. My life is a complete disaster. If you think you can do better with it, it’s all yours. Have at it.”
That was all it took.
I want to share my favorite story that Jesus tells in the Bible. The first time I read it, I knew that I was the misfit Jesus spoke of. I pictured the beautiful way God invites every one of us to be with Him, and how He must feel when some reject His offer. I am thankful I said yes.
The story of the Dinner Party
Jesus said, “There was once a man who threw a great dinner party and invited many. When it was time for dinner, he sent out his servant to the invited guests, saying, ‘Come on in; the food’s on the table.’
Then they all began to beg off, one after another making excuses. The first said, ‘I bought a piece of property and need to look it over. Send my regrets.’
Another said, ‘I just bought five teams of oxen, and I really need to check them out. Send my regrets.’
And yet another said, ‘I just got married and need to get home to my wife.’
The servant went back and told the master what had happened. He was outraged and told the servant. ‘Quickly, get out into the city streets and alleys. Collect all who look like they need a square meal, all the misfits and homeless and wretched you can lay your hands on, and bring them here.’
The servant reported back, ‘Master, I did what you commanded, and there’s still more room.’
The master said, ‘Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full! Let me tell you, not one of those originally invited is going to get so much as a bite at my dinner party.’
I still weep when I think about the amazing love our Maker has for us. He wants to throw a party for us; the imperfect. And for this girl, party’s on!
I have been using drugs since I was fourteen years old. As a matter of record, I dropped out of my high school ‘Just Say No’ club to smoke pot instead.
I knew better than to start using. I had just watched my mother’s lover die from an overdose a few months before I started. It was one of the most horrific and most intense times I had ever experienced, and it was still not enough to dissuade me.
I used drugs and alcohol to cope with life until Jesus met me. I was hell bent on destroying my family; abandoning my children, to live a life I thought I deserved. I had convinced myself it would even be a better life. And right before I closed the door on my life…
In walked Jesus Christ.
That is the true story of who I was. Why do I bring this up now? Because I never want to start to convince myself I came this far using my own strength, or this is somehow my doing. Even more importantly, I never want anyone reading this blog to assume I started out any differently. I desperately need you to understand who I was, and who I am in Christ.
At times, it is possible to forget that old girl. She was such a fool, while I can attempt to keep things together. I work at a church, I am actively involved in ministry, I have a piece of paper from a school saying I graduated (see profile picture.) And this, my greatest achievement. I have wanted to be a writer since the age of six, and I know it reaches the people intended. And while those are wonderful things, we need to keep our eyes focused on the source from which that all flows. In other words, we need to look at what girl does with her own life, and what Jesus does with same girl’s life.
Why do I bring this up now? Well, my story does a great job in bringing glory and honor to God. Aside from that, if I keep it to myself, it remains a story. But I am finding it more and more important that you know Jesus is not looking for perfection. To paraphrase an idea; how can Jesus fill a glass that is already full? No. Jesus comes for all of us who feel like giving up; who know life is too much to bear alone. It’s that backed up in a corner feeling that He is waiting for you to notice you have been feeling.
There is no such thing as thinking you need to be cleaned up before you search for God. Trust me on that one. You need to take your junk, your baggage, your dirt, and show up at His doorstep. It is so much easier than waiting until life gets better on your own.
Oh, and one more thing. Jesus is a gentleman. He will not barge in. He is waiting on the other side for you to give some indication that He is welcome. Here was my invitation to Jesus, “Ok God. My life is a complete disaster. If you think you can do better with it, it’s all yours. Have at it.”
That was all it took.
I want to share my favorite story that Jesus tells in the Bible. The first time I read it, I knew that I was the misfit Jesus spoke of. I pictured the beautiful way God invites every one of us to be with Him, and how He must feel when some reject His offer. I am thankful I said yes.
The story of the Dinner Party
Jesus said, “There was once a man who threw a great dinner party and invited many. When it was time for dinner, he sent out his servant to the invited guests, saying, ‘Come on in; the food’s on the table.’
Then they all began to beg off, one after another making excuses. The first said, ‘I bought a piece of property and need to look it over. Send my regrets.’
Another said, ‘I just bought five teams of oxen, and I really need to check them out. Send my regrets.’
And yet another said, ‘I just got married and need to get home to my wife.’
The servant went back and told the master what had happened. He was outraged and told the servant. ‘Quickly, get out into the city streets and alleys. Collect all who look like they need a square meal, all the misfits and homeless and wretched you can lay your hands on, and bring them here.’
The servant reported back, ‘Master, I did what you commanded, and there’s still more room.’
The master said, ‘Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full! Let me tell you, not one of those originally invited is going to get so much as a bite at my dinner party.’
I still weep when I think about the amazing love our Maker has for us. He wants to throw a party for us; the imperfect. And for this girl, party’s on!
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
laying down
My heart is troubled. I first read about the man being held in Afghanistan in Christianity Today a few weeks ago, before the media got a hold of it. I am sure you have caught wind of the situation by now; a man who converted to Christianity was turned in to police by his family. The major concern of the media seemed to be that the Afghani police could lawfully kill him for his conversion.
While it grieves my heart that any Christian, any person at all really, should be killed for his religion; there is of course more sides to this story. At least, I think there are.
One part I never heard mentioned was that the man was given the chance to renounce Christianity in order to live. Obviously, he rejected that opportunity. There is no doubt in my mind that the media had no idea how to handle that kind of information; to many I suspect the idea of living far outweighs a claim of any one religion. I’ll touch on that again later.
The other thing that troubles me is harder to put into words. It seemed to me that the world went into an uproar, particularly the United States. Calls went to the Afghani government in protest, letters were drafted, and the nightly news took up the cause.
But what about the man in the jail cell? He took up his cause too, didn’t he? He became one in a long line of people to stand up for Jesus and refuse let Him go. While the rest of the world was uprising for this man, what was he doing?
I want to stop a think for a moment about people in history who were willing to lay down their lives for the cause of Christ. The first are biblical: Paul, Steven, Peter, the apostles, to name a scant few. Then we have the early Christians, the young woman at Columbine, and more.
I want to make it clear again that I do not wish the man, or anyone to have to die, but what troubles me is that no one seems to understand why he was willing to die. The media was reporting it like it was a case of a hapless, confused man caught in a barbaric country where there is no religious freedom. While I agree Christians in other countries have it far worse that we do, I never once got the feeling that they were supporting Christianity itself. They never understood why he was willing to die.
What’s the point?
Yesterday, the media reported that the Afghani government released their prisoner. He was released on the grounds that he was mentally incompetent to understand his actions. After all of the roaring, this news came in a thirty-second treatment by the newscaster. I got the impression they agreed.
I want so much for people to understand why someone would lay down their life for Jesus. Not strapping on explosives and taking out a neighborhood, but voluntarily subjecting themselves to a solitary, passive death. I want them to meet the Savior that I know. I do not want Jesus to be caught up in politics, or morality, because it is too easy to lose sight of the truth there. I want you to see what I see when I look at my Redeemer.
However, I do not want to use my words. I have gone through some hard times since I have become a Christian, I will not deny that. I have lost some friends and family, although I know that’s temporary. I would rather use the words that Paul wrote in one of his letters of the Bible. Paul spent most of his Christian life imprisoned, or at least more that a man should desire. But he always kept his eyes focused on the One who saved him. I think he says it best. It might help give some insight to our Afghani brother.
“All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort-we get a full measure of that too.
We don’t want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us…It was so bad we didn’t think we were going to make it. We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally-not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead! And he did it, rescued us from certain doom. And he’ll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing.” 2 Corinthians 1.3-5,8-11
While it grieves my heart that any Christian, any person at all really, should be killed for his religion; there is of course more sides to this story. At least, I think there are.
One part I never heard mentioned was that the man was given the chance to renounce Christianity in order to live. Obviously, he rejected that opportunity. There is no doubt in my mind that the media had no idea how to handle that kind of information; to many I suspect the idea of living far outweighs a claim of any one religion. I’ll touch on that again later.
The other thing that troubles me is harder to put into words. It seemed to me that the world went into an uproar, particularly the United States. Calls went to the Afghani government in protest, letters were drafted, and the nightly news took up the cause.
But what about the man in the jail cell? He took up his cause too, didn’t he? He became one in a long line of people to stand up for Jesus and refuse let Him go. While the rest of the world was uprising for this man, what was he doing?
I want to stop a think for a moment about people in history who were willing to lay down their lives for the cause of Christ. The first are biblical: Paul, Steven, Peter, the apostles, to name a scant few. Then we have the early Christians, the young woman at Columbine, and more.
I want to make it clear again that I do not wish the man, or anyone to have to die, but what troubles me is that no one seems to understand why he was willing to die. The media was reporting it like it was a case of a hapless, confused man caught in a barbaric country where there is no religious freedom. While I agree Christians in other countries have it far worse that we do, I never once got the feeling that they were supporting Christianity itself. They never understood why he was willing to die.
What’s the point?
Yesterday, the media reported that the Afghani government released their prisoner. He was released on the grounds that he was mentally incompetent to understand his actions. After all of the roaring, this news came in a thirty-second treatment by the newscaster. I got the impression they agreed.
I want so much for people to understand why someone would lay down their life for Jesus. Not strapping on explosives and taking out a neighborhood, but voluntarily subjecting themselves to a solitary, passive death. I want them to meet the Savior that I know. I do not want Jesus to be caught up in politics, or morality, because it is too easy to lose sight of the truth there. I want you to see what I see when I look at my Redeemer.
However, I do not want to use my words. I have gone through some hard times since I have become a Christian, I will not deny that. I have lost some friends and family, although I know that’s temporary. I would rather use the words that Paul wrote in one of his letters of the Bible. Paul spent most of his Christian life imprisoned, or at least more that a man should desire. But he always kept his eyes focused on the One who saved him. I think he says it best. It might help give some insight to our Afghani brother.
“All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort-we get a full measure of that too.
We don’t want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us…It was so bad we didn’t think we were going to make it. We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally-not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead! And he did it, rescued us from certain doom. And he’ll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing.” 2 Corinthians 1.3-5,8-11
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
love hopes
I hope that my relationship with my husband will continue to mature and flourish. I hope that my children will grow into wonderful, God-honoring adults. I hope that I will bring Jesus glory for all my days.
Nice laundry list, isn’t it? I have been thinking about hope lately. See, I have this burning hope to be a writer someday. A full-fledged, published writer that is. I have submitted a body of work to a publisher and I am anxiously awaiting their response. Since they have not sent out the rejection letter, I sit in hope; waiting.
So, I looked up the definition of hope in my handy dictionary. Two meanings: 1. a confident expectation that a desire will be fulfilled. 2. wishful trust
Now I want to think about the relationship between love and hope with you. We have been thinking about love since Valentine’s Day, and I see no reason to stop now. Is there a correlation between the two emotions?
I think we first need to establish what hope is. Using the above definitions, I think it is safe to rule out some ways that we commonly use the word hope. Now, I hope the sun is out on the frozen tundra of a state (Minnesota) here tomorrow, but I will not become hopeless if it is not. I hope that my favorite band will come out with a killer CD, but again, no tears if they do not.
Now, can I hope to become a published author? Well, my actual hope is in God. I know He gave me both the desire and the talent to write, and my hope is that He will continue to use me to write for His honor and glory.
If we take the dictionary and the Bible at their word, we need to use the word hope in its correct context; within relationships. Relationships provide confidence, don’t they? Relationships provide trust; especially wishful trust (I love the sound of that.). And if relationships do not provide those essential ingredients, they are deemed hopeless. Think divorce and estrangement.
Now, I am able to have hope in my husband and my children because I love them. Because they are able to fuel that desire in me. Because I can establish a basis of trust with them that enables me to look forward to our future together.
Now, if I were to remove all hope; if I were to take away all desire, what would be the cause to stick around? Why would I want to be in a relationship with them?
What’s the point here?
I think that people approach Christianity without seeing our hope. Heck, in all honesty I think that sometimes Christians themselves forget hope. We have a relationship with Christ; therefore, we have someone to hope in, and something to hope for.
Let me show you a few examples.
“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” (Psalm 40.31) desire fulfilled
”May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15.13” trust
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11.1) so much trust
Since we know we are not talking about the weather, or the latest CD, we must be talking about the kind of hope that only can be generated by a relationship. But there is something else important to consider. Sometimes, my husband’s thoughts and my thoughts do not align. That does not mean trust is gone and hope becomes despair. Same goes for Jesus. I do not profess to know what He is doing. What I do know is that as time progresses, and as He remains an active part of my life; I am learning to trust Him more and more, despite circumstances. I like to think of it as the wishful trust of a child. My children trust me when we are gaily playing, and when they are grounded in their rooms. As well they should.
One more thing to consider; our hope is not for this life alone. If there is one thing every person on the planet has in common, it is death. The greatest hope for a Christian should be for the next life, not this one. Morbid as it may sound in this world consumed with living longer, I have joyous hope in the life that is still to come after this one is over. I have hope that I will live forever with my brothers and sisters, and more importantly, with my God.
Ponder this-
”Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you. (1 Peter 1.3-4)
It is possible to be born again into a living hope, a living wishful trust that would allow you to have eternal security. A hope that promises no matter what this life looks like; the next one will be a complete showstopper. Because Jesus loves, we have hope.
Think about it.
Nice laundry list, isn’t it? I have been thinking about hope lately. See, I have this burning hope to be a writer someday. A full-fledged, published writer that is. I have submitted a body of work to a publisher and I am anxiously awaiting their response. Since they have not sent out the rejection letter, I sit in hope; waiting.
So, I looked up the definition of hope in my handy dictionary. Two meanings: 1. a confident expectation that a desire will be fulfilled. 2. wishful trust
Now I want to think about the relationship between love and hope with you. We have been thinking about love since Valentine’s Day, and I see no reason to stop now. Is there a correlation between the two emotions?
I think we first need to establish what hope is. Using the above definitions, I think it is safe to rule out some ways that we commonly use the word hope. Now, I hope the sun is out on the frozen tundra of a state (Minnesota) here tomorrow, but I will not become hopeless if it is not. I hope that my favorite band will come out with a killer CD, but again, no tears if they do not.
Now, can I hope to become a published author? Well, my actual hope is in God. I know He gave me both the desire and the talent to write, and my hope is that He will continue to use me to write for His honor and glory.
If we take the dictionary and the Bible at their word, we need to use the word hope in its correct context; within relationships. Relationships provide confidence, don’t they? Relationships provide trust; especially wishful trust (I love the sound of that.). And if relationships do not provide those essential ingredients, they are deemed hopeless. Think divorce and estrangement.
Now, I am able to have hope in my husband and my children because I love them. Because they are able to fuel that desire in me. Because I can establish a basis of trust with them that enables me to look forward to our future together.
Now, if I were to remove all hope; if I were to take away all desire, what would be the cause to stick around? Why would I want to be in a relationship with them?
What’s the point here?
I think that people approach Christianity without seeing our hope. Heck, in all honesty I think that sometimes Christians themselves forget hope. We have a relationship with Christ; therefore, we have someone to hope in, and something to hope for.
Let me show you a few examples.
“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” (Psalm 40.31) desire fulfilled
”May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15.13” trust
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11.1) so much trust
Since we know we are not talking about the weather, or the latest CD, we must be talking about the kind of hope that only can be generated by a relationship. But there is something else important to consider. Sometimes, my husband’s thoughts and my thoughts do not align. That does not mean trust is gone and hope becomes despair. Same goes for Jesus. I do not profess to know what He is doing. What I do know is that as time progresses, and as He remains an active part of my life; I am learning to trust Him more and more, despite circumstances. I like to think of it as the wishful trust of a child. My children trust me when we are gaily playing, and when they are grounded in their rooms. As well they should.
One more thing to consider; our hope is not for this life alone. If there is one thing every person on the planet has in common, it is death. The greatest hope for a Christian should be for the next life, not this one. Morbid as it may sound in this world consumed with living longer, I have joyous hope in the life that is still to come after this one is over. I have hope that I will live forever with my brothers and sisters, and more importantly, with my God.
Ponder this-
”Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you. (1 Peter 1.3-4)
It is possible to be born again into a living hope, a living wishful trust that would allow you to have eternal security. A hope that promises no matter what this life looks like; the next one will be a complete showstopper. Because Jesus loves, we have hope.
Think about it.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Love and Compassion Fatigue
I was listening to the radio the other day when I heard the talk show host use a term I had not heard before. The term was ‘compassion fatigue.’
It is a talk show I listen to occasionally; some of the host’s thoughts and comments intrigue me. I was only half-listening that day however, because the topic of conversation was again turned to Hurricane Katrina.
Please do not misunderstand me. I comprehend the blight surrounding the victims of this disaster. I have contributed some things to the relief effort. However, I cannot seem to escape some sort of daily commentary about this subject. It is constantly a subject on the nightly world news, it is discussed on the radio, and it is everywhere on the internet. And the issues these days always seem to run along the same vein; what is going to be done, what about the people, who is to blame, etc. I see the images of New Orleans as it stands today and because I am in another part of the country far away from the city, I am amazed it still lies in destruction.
So, when the words ‘compassion fatigue’ were uttered, my ears perked up. What was this about? Well, it turns out that because of various reasons, people are starting to burnout. But it’s not burnout. It is seeing too much of a disaster that is too big to fix. And in 2005, there were several gigantic disasters; the tsunami, the hurricanes and the earthquake in the Pakistan region. All of these disasters have caused people to become overwhelmed at the catastrophes that happen to others.
If it stopped there, things would be hard enough to bear. But as sure as there’s
Free will and human nature, there is more. Compassion fatigue is also stemming from a rash of phony charitable websites that sprung up all over the internet. One site is funneling their proceeds into their anti-Semitic hate group.
There are also the disaster victims that figure out a way to abuse the system. They are the ones that applied for and received several debt cards the government was giving away. They are the ones that are causing crime rates in Houston to go up, welfare systems to be taxed, and so on.
Compassion fatigue is what the Dalai Lama calls ‘empathy’ and what I call Needing a Savior with Really Big Shoulders.
The Dali goes on to say, “It is the simple compassion a person experiences when they want to see another person free from suffering.” Empathy is the autonomic human response to the pain of another—and yes it can be physically exhausting when we experience too much stimuli without the spiritual wisdom to understand our experience.”
Interesting thought. Perhaps we have seen too much this past year, and we do not understand why these things happen. Perhaps we also do not know how to truly comfort these people, how to heal their land, how to love their lives back. When Billy Graham and his son Franklin were in the New Orleans area last week, it seemed like their visit touched the people there. The show I watched featured a chaplain that was going door-to-door to visit the people rebuilding. The people’s reactions were positive, at least on camera, and they said that know God is with them.
I think compassion fatigue ultimately has to come to grips with why natural disasters happen. It is easier to deal with disaster when you know that there is a God who is in complete control of all situations.
“’I [God] will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” –Paul in Romans 9.15-16
We cannot do anything to control the disaster itself. We all should consider it priority number one to get to know Jesus. He is the one who will carry the burden of disaster; He will suffer the cost for us if we lean on Him. I can speak with absolute certainty that those words are truth. It is not leaning on an imaginary, invisible person for comfort and support. He is an actual, living God who will love and provide strength throughout struggle.
I think the key here is in knowing God never suffers from compassion fatigue. He is the one to run to when things are too much to bear.
“Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
The Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
And His understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.”
-Isaiah 40.28-31
It is a talk show I listen to occasionally; some of the host’s thoughts and comments intrigue me. I was only half-listening that day however, because the topic of conversation was again turned to Hurricane Katrina.
Please do not misunderstand me. I comprehend the blight surrounding the victims of this disaster. I have contributed some things to the relief effort. However, I cannot seem to escape some sort of daily commentary about this subject. It is constantly a subject on the nightly world news, it is discussed on the radio, and it is everywhere on the internet. And the issues these days always seem to run along the same vein; what is going to be done, what about the people, who is to blame, etc. I see the images of New Orleans as it stands today and because I am in another part of the country far away from the city, I am amazed it still lies in destruction.
So, when the words ‘compassion fatigue’ were uttered, my ears perked up. What was this about? Well, it turns out that because of various reasons, people are starting to burnout. But it’s not burnout. It is seeing too much of a disaster that is too big to fix. And in 2005, there were several gigantic disasters; the tsunami, the hurricanes and the earthquake in the Pakistan region. All of these disasters have caused people to become overwhelmed at the catastrophes that happen to others.
If it stopped there, things would be hard enough to bear. But as sure as there’s
Free will and human nature, there is more. Compassion fatigue is also stemming from a rash of phony charitable websites that sprung up all over the internet. One site is funneling their proceeds into their anti-Semitic hate group.
There are also the disaster victims that figure out a way to abuse the system. They are the ones that applied for and received several debt cards the government was giving away. They are the ones that are causing crime rates in Houston to go up, welfare systems to be taxed, and so on.
Compassion fatigue is what the Dalai Lama calls ‘empathy’ and what I call Needing a Savior with Really Big Shoulders.
The Dali goes on to say, “It is the simple compassion a person experiences when they want to see another person free from suffering.” Empathy is the autonomic human response to the pain of another—and yes it can be physically exhausting when we experience too much stimuli without the spiritual wisdom to understand our experience.”
Interesting thought. Perhaps we have seen too much this past year, and we do not understand why these things happen. Perhaps we also do not know how to truly comfort these people, how to heal their land, how to love their lives back. When Billy Graham and his son Franklin were in the New Orleans area last week, it seemed like their visit touched the people there. The show I watched featured a chaplain that was going door-to-door to visit the people rebuilding. The people’s reactions were positive, at least on camera, and they said that know God is with them.
I think compassion fatigue ultimately has to come to grips with why natural disasters happen. It is easier to deal with disaster when you know that there is a God who is in complete control of all situations.
“’I [God] will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” –Paul in Romans 9.15-16
We cannot do anything to control the disaster itself. We all should consider it priority number one to get to know Jesus. He is the one who will carry the burden of disaster; He will suffer the cost for us if we lean on Him. I can speak with absolute certainty that those words are truth. It is not leaning on an imaginary, invisible person for comfort and support. He is an actual, living God who will love and provide strength throughout struggle.
I think the key here is in knowing God never suffers from compassion fatigue. He is the one to run to when things are too much to bear.
“Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
The Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
And His understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.”
-Isaiah 40.28-31
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
what love is not
Once we figure out what love is, (as if that is possible); we must decide what love is not. I thought it might be easier if we start by defining what love is not by looking at ‘traditional’ love relationships. Then, we can move onto defining the love relationship we can have with our Savior.
So- love is not: judgmental. By the time we love another person, we should be past the point of assessing them based on our set of standards. Love is not of a critical nature. We should not find fault with our loved one’s every action. Most importantly, love cannot be forced; not upon another, or forcing yourself to love someone.
This is just a snapshot of ideas I came up with in the last hour. Books and books have been written about how to love and how not to love. Rather than waste your time reading my regurgitated words, let us see what the Bible says about love. The text I am going to refer you to is a popular one. You can find it at weddings, on nifty plaques you can hang in your home. However, do you really remember what comes after, ‘Love is patient. Love is kind.’? Take a closer look at what comes next.
“Love never gives up. (Love is patient.)
Love cares more for others than for self. (Love is kind.)
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always ‘me first,’
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
(1 Corinthians 13.4-7)
I love this. Do you see how many things love should and shouldn’t do? And how many of them we neglect? In fact, we sometimes find pleasure in doing the opposite. That is especially true when we are focusing on protecting ourselves.
While I could spend hours on each line, I want to focus on just one tonight. ‘Doesn’t force itself on others.’
I inadvertently think about that line quite often. I think about it because I question God why people are allowed to get away with so much. I hear blasphemous music on the radio, I know people say some rather blasphemous words, and they are still standing, prospering even. That is one of my biggest ‘why’ questions.
I think about my life. How awful I was for so long. Wouldn’t life have been easier if Jesus could have taken over my life from the beginning and saved me all the headaches?
But, if I were forced, would I have known it? Would I have cared? Worse yet, would I have loved Him back? I would like to say yes, but I know that I am only trying to justify the easy way out, and thus blame Jesus for my old life.
And so, while in another blog I will reveal that Jesus is certainly not passive; He is nonetheless patient. He is a gentle man when it comes to this love; in love with us from a distance, waiting for us to discover and love Him too. If He forced love upon us, if He demanded our attention that would not be love; it would be slavery and coercion.
Love needs to be something both sides agree on. Jesus already has agreed to love you. You the blasphemer, you the atheist, and of course, you the sinner. He is just waiting for us to discover that we love Him too.
So- love is not: judgmental. By the time we love another person, we should be past the point of assessing them based on our set of standards. Love is not of a critical nature. We should not find fault with our loved one’s every action. Most importantly, love cannot be forced; not upon another, or forcing yourself to love someone.
This is just a snapshot of ideas I came up with in the last hour. Books and books have been written about how to love and how not to love. Rather than waste your time reading my regurgitated words, let us see what the Bible says about love. The text I am going to refer you to is a popular one. You can find it at weddings, on nifty plaques you can hang in your home. However, do you really remember what comes after, ‘Love is patient. Love is kind.’? Take a closer look at what comes next.
“Love never gives up. (Love is patient.)
Love cares more for others than for self. (Love is kind.)
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always ‘me first,’
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
(1 Corinthians 13.4-7)
I love this. Do you see how many things love should and shouldn’t do? And how many of them we neglect? In fact, we sometimes find pleasure in doing the opposite. That is especially true when we are focusing on protecting ourselves.
While I could spend hours on each line, I want to focus on just one tonight. ‘Doesn’t force itself on others.’
I inadvertently think about that line quite often. I think about it because I question God why people are allowed to get away with so much. I hear blasphemous music on the radio, I know people say some rather blasphemous words, and they are still standing, prospering even. That is one of my biggest ‘why’ questions.
I think about my life. How awful I was for so long. Wouldn’t life have been easier if Jesus could have taken over my life from the beginning and saved me all the headaches?
But, if I were forced, would I have known it? Would I have cared? Worse yet, would I have loved Him back? I would like to say yes, but I know that I am only trying to justify the easy way out, and thus blame Jesus for my old life.
And so, while in another blog I will reveal that Jesus is certainly not passive; He is nonetheless patient. He is a gentle man when it comes to this love; in love with us from a distance, waiting for us to discover and love Him too. If He forced love upon us, if He demanded our attention that would not be love; it would be slavery and coercion.
Love needs to be something both sides agree on. Jesus already has agreed to love you. You the blasphemer, you the atheist, and of course, you the sinner. He is just waiting for us to discover that we love Him too.
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