Monday, December 31, 2012
Comment
I need to comment on my last blog post: in order to experience the power of the Holy Spirit, I'm going to have to sit still and pay attention to Him long enough to receive it. There's the challenge!
Sunday, December 30, 2012
MORE!
I was wondering, does God really want to bless us, and if so, how much? This verse came to mind:
"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32).
If God freely gives us all things, then why would we ask for small things?
I have prayed that my family would know the Lord. Now I will pray that we'll know Him so well that when people are with us, they will experience the presence of Jesus.
Every day I pray that God will speak to me through the Bible. Now I will pray that God's word will reach my heart instead of bouncing off my brain, and that His word will come to me in power, in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance (1 Thessalonians 1:5). Here's an example of the Lord doing just that, even though I didn't pray for it: I was listening to the radio in the van when I had a teachable moment, or what Jesus called "ears to hear." The song was about the love that Jesus showed us when He died for us. Not a new message, but I was amazed all over again that because Jesus saved me, I am not rejected by God, but instead I'm His beloved. Oh that the Lord's voice would always hit me with such power! It could.
One more prayer topic comes to mind: I always pray for my husband Jeff and I to have a good marriage. Now I will pray that he and I will be one as God and Jesus are one (John 17:22).
Pretty exciting!
"Those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing" (Psalm 34:10).
Saturday, December 29, 2012
A Quote
Here's a quote from Irenaeus, who was a disciple of the apostle John: "The glory of God is the human being fully alive, and the life of the human consists in beholding God." (Against the Heresy of Gnosticism).
Friday, December 28, 2012
Counselor
"His name will be called....Counselor" (Isaiah 9:6, NKJ)
I love it when my husband takes me out to a coffee shop and gives me his full attention for an hour or so. It makes me feel loved, important, and valued. Jesus does this 24/7.
"You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off,
You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it."
(Psalm 139:2-6)
I love it when my husband takes me out to a coffee shop and gives me his full attention for an hour or so. It makes me feel loved, important, and valued. Jesus does this 24/7.
"You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off,
You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it."
(Psalm 139:2-6)
Thursday, December 27, 2012
A New Heart
I'm going to quote some good thoughts from John Eldredge's book Waking the Dead:
"You have been ransomed by Christ. Your treachery is forgiven. You are entirely pardoned for every wrong thought and desire and deed. This is what the vast majority of Christians understand as the central work of Christ for us. And make no mistake about it--it is a deep and stunning truth, one that will set you free and bring you joy. For a while."
"But the joy for most of us has proven fleeting, because we find that we need to be forgiven again and again and again. Chirst has died for us, but we remain (so we believe) deeply marred. It actually ends up producing a great deal of guilt. 'After all that Christ has done for you....and now you're back here asking forgiveness again?' To be destined to a life of repeating the very things that sent our Savior to the cross can hardly be called salvation."
"Think of it: you are a shadow of the person you were meant to be. You have nothing close to the life you were meant to have. And you have no real chance of becoming that person or finding that life. However, you are forgiven. For the rest of your days, you will fail in your attempts to become what God wants you to be. You should seek forgiveness and try again. Eventually, shame and disappointment will cloud your understanding of yourself and your God. When this ongoing hell on earth is over, you will die, and you will be taken before your God for a full account of how you didn't measure up. But you will be forgiven. After that, you'll be asked to take your place in the choir of heaven. This is what we mean by salvation."
"The good news is...that is not Christianity.".....
"God promised in the new covenant to 'take away your heart of stone.' How? By joining us to the death of Christ. Our nature was nailed to the cross with Christ; we died there, with him, in him. Yes, it is a deep mystery--'deep magic' as Lewis called it--but that does not make it untrue. 'The death he died, he died to sin once for all...In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin' (Rom. 6:10-11). Jesus was the Last Adam, the end of the terrible story."
"You've been far more than forgiven. God has removed your heart of stone. You've been delivered of what held you back from what you were meant to be. You've been rescued from the part of you that sabotages even your best intentions. Your heart has been circumcised to God. Your heart has been set free."
"And there is even more."
"Most people assume that the Cross is the total work of Christ. The two go hand in hand in our minds--Jesus Christ and the Cross; the Cross and Jesus Christ......."
"The cross is not the sole focal point of Christianity....."
"We say Christ died for us, and that is true. But Christ was also raised for us. His resurrection was as much for us as his death was."
"For if, by the trespass of the one man [the first Adam], death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.(Rom. 5:17, emphasis added)"
"We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life...In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 6:4, 11)"
"But because of his great love for us, God...made us alive with Christ. (Eph. 2:4-5)"
...."Adam was a pattern of the One to come. He was the root and trunk of our family tree. Our hearts fell when he fell. We received our sinful nature from him. So we now receive a new nature and a new heart from Christ, our Second Man. We have been made alive with the life of Christ. Just as we received our sinful nature from Adam, so we now receive a good and holy nature from Christ. It has always been God's plan not just to forgive you, but to restore you: 'Make a tree good and its fruit will be good' (Matt. 12:33)"....
"The new covenant has two parts to it: 'I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh: (Ezek. 36:26). God removed your old heart when he circumcised your heart; he gives you a new heart when he joins you to the life of Christ. That's why Paul can say 'count yourselves dead to sin' and 'alive to God in Christ Jesus' (Rom. 6:11)."
"The resurrection affirms the promise Christ made. For it was life he offered to give us: 'I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full' (John 10:10). We are saved by his life when we find that we are able to live the way we've always known we should live. We are free to be what he meant when he meant us. You have a new life--the life of Christ. And you have a new heart. Do you know what this means? Your heart is good."
......"Paul teaches us in Ephesians that 'Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (3:17). God comes down to dwell in us, in our hearts. Now, we know this: God cannot dwell where there is evil. 'You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell' (Ps. 5:4). Something pretty dramatic must have happened in our hearts, then, to make them fit to be the dwelling place of a holy God."
"Of course, none of this can happen for us until we give our lives back to God. We cannot know the joy or the life or the freedom of heart I've described here until we surrender our lives to Jesus and surrender them totally. Renouncing all the ways we have turned from God in our hearts, we forsake the idols we have worshiped and given our hearts to. We turn, and give ourselves body, soul, and spirit back to God, asking him to cleanse our hearts and make them new. And he does. He gives us a new heart. And he comes to dwell there, in our hearts."
Thank You Lord!
"You have been ransomed by Christ. Your treachery is forgiven. You are entirely pardoned for every wrong thought and desire and deed. This is what the vast majority of Christians understand as the central work of Christ for us. And make no mistake about it--it is a deep and stunning truth, one that will set you free and bring you joy. For a while."
"But the joy for most of us has proven fleeting, because we find that we need to be forgiven again and again and again. Chirst has died for us, but we remain (so we believe) deeply marred. It actually ends up producing a great deal of guilt. 'After all that Christ has done for you....and now you're back here asking forgiveness again?' To be destined to a life of repeating the very things that sent our Savior to the cross can hardly be called salvation."
"Think of it: you are a shadow of the person you were meant to be. You have nothing close to the life you were meant to have. And you have no real chance of becoming that person or finding that life. However, you are forgiven. For the rest of your days, you will fail in your attempts to become what God wants you to be. You should seek forgiveness and try again. Eventually, shame and disappointment will cloud your understanding of yourself and your God. When this ongoing hell on earth is over, you will die, and you will be taken before your God for a full account of how you didn't measure up. But you will be forgiven. After that, you'll be asked to take your place in the choir of heaven. This is what we mean by salvation."
"The good news is...that is not Christianity.".....
"God promised in the new covenant to 'take away your heart of stone.' How? By joining us to the death of Christ. Our nature was nailed to the cross with Christ; we died there, with him, in him. Yes, it is a deep mystery--'deep magic' as Lewis called it--but that does not make it untrue. 'The death he died, he died to sin once for all...In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin' (Rom. 6:10-11). Jesus was the Last Adam, the end of the terrible story."
"You've been far more than forgiven. God has removed your heart of stone. You've been delivered of what held you back from what you were meant to be. You've been rescued from the part of you that sabotages even your best intentions. Your heart has been circumcised to God. Your heart has been set free."
"And there is even more."
"Most people assume that the Cross is the total work of Christ. The two go hand in hand in our minds--Jesus Christ and the Cross; the Cross and Jesus Christ......."
"The cross is not the sole focal point of Christianity....."
"We say Christ died for us, and that is true. But Christ was also raised for us. His resurrection was as much for us as his death was."
"For if, by the trespass of the one man [the first Adam], death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.(Rom. 5:17, emphasis added)"
"We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life...In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 6:4, 11)"
"But because of his great love for us, God...made us alive with Christ. (Eph. 2:4-5)"
...."Adam was a pattern of the One to come. He was the root and trunk of our family tree. Our hearts fell when he fell. We received our sinful nature from him. So we now receive a new nature and a new heart from Christ, our Second Man. We have been made alive with the life of Christ. Just as we received our sinful nature from Adam, so we now receive a good and holy nature from Christ. It has always been God's plan not just to forgive you, but to restore you: 'Make a tree good and its fruit will be good' (Matt. 12:33)"....
"The new covenant has two parts to it: 'I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh: (Ezek. 36:26). God removed your old heart when he circumcised your heart; he gives you a new heart when he joins you to the life of Christ. That's why Paul can say 'count yourselves dead to sin' and 'alive to God in Christ Jesus' (Rom. 6:11)."
"The resurrection affirms the promise Christ made. For it was life he offered to give us: 'I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full' (John 10:10). We are saved by his life when we find that we are able to live the way we've always known we should live. We are free to be what he meant when he meant us. You have a new life--the life of Christ. And you have a new heart. Do you know what this means? Your heart is good."
......"Paul teaches us in Ephesians that 'Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (3:17). God comes down to dwell in us, in our hearts. Now, we know this: God cannot dwell where there is evil. 'You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell' (Ps. 5:4). Something pretty dramatic must have happened in our hearts, then, to make them fit to be the dwelling place of a holy God."
"Of course, none of this can happen for us until we give our lives back to God. We cannot know the joy or the life or the freedom of heart I've described here until we surrender our lives to Jesus and surrender them totally. Renouncing all the ways we have turned from God in our hearts, we forsake the idols we have worshiped and given our hearts to. We turn, and give ourselves body, soul, and spirit back to God, asking him to cleanse our hearts and make them new. And he does. He gives us a new heart. And he comes to dwell there, in our hearts."
Thank You Lord!
Monday, December 24, 2012
Trust/Beautiful Eyes
Trust
Psalm 22:9 is a beautiful picture of trust:
"You are He who took me out of the womb; You made me trust while on My mother's breasts. I was cast upon You from birth; from my mother's womb You have been my God."
Babies are utterly dependent; without love and care, they die. Babies who are lovingly cared for have no worries about their helplessness. Our heavenly Father lovingly cares for our every need, like a nursing mother. And we don't need to fear harm or our neediness; we can trust Him and be at peace like a baby sleeping in Mom's arms.
Sarah Young, in Jesus Calling, said, "Your neediness, properly handled, is a link to My [Jesus'] Presence."
Beautiful Eyes
Colton Burpo, shortly before he turned four, almost died. While he was near death, he saw Jesus. One of his comments about this experience was that Jesus has beautiful eyes. I think His eyes are beautiful because He loves His bride so much. Last night we watched the last part of The Sound of Music on tv. The captain and Maria were so in love with each other that they just stared at one another with that smitten look on their faces. Reminds me of some verses in Song of Solomon: in chapter 5, verse 12 the Shulamite says, "His eyes are like doves." In 4:9 Solomon, the bridegroom, says, "You have made my heart beat faster, my sister, my bride; you have made my heart beat faster with a single glance of your eyes, with a single strand of your necklace."
That's how Jesus feels about us!
Psalm 22:9 is a beautiful picture of trust:
"You are He who took me out of the womb; You made me trust while on My mother's breasts. I was cast upon You from birth; from my mother's womb You have been my God."
Babies are utterly dependent; without love and care, they die. Babies who are lovingly cared for have no worries about their helplessness. Our heavenly Father lovingly cares for our every need, like a nursing mother. And we don't need to fear harm or our neediness; we can trust Him and be at peace like a baby sleeping in Mom's arms.
Sarah Young, in Jesus Calling, said, "Your neediness, properly handled, is a link to My [Jesus'] Presence."
Beautiful Eyes
Colton Burpo, shortly before he turned four, almost died. While he was near death, he saw Jesus. One of his comments about this experience was that Jesus has beautiful eyes. I think His eyes are beautiful because He loves His bride so much. Last night we watched the last part of The Sound of Music on tv. The captain and Maria were so in love with each other that they just stared at one another with that smitten look on their faces. Reminds me of some verses in Song of Solomon: in chapter 5, verse 12 the Shulamite says, "His eyes are like doves." In 4:9 Solomon, the bridegroom, says, "You have made my heart beat faster, my sister, my bride; you have made my heart beat faster with a single glance of your eyes, with a single strand of your necklace."
That's how Jesus feels about us!
bethlehemstar.net
One thing I forgot to mention in yesterday's blog: to learn more about the star that the wise men followed to find baby Jesus, go to bethlehemstar.net. It's fascinating.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Christmas Thoughts
I've been enjoying the Christmas story in the Bible, and I wanted to share a few thoughts. Before Mary was told that she was to be Jesus' mother, an angel announced to Zacharius that he would be the father of John the Baptist. The interesting thing about this is that the angel said that Zacharius and Elizabeth would have a son as an answer to Zacharius's prayer. Now if you were the husband of a woman who was past menopause, would you be praying for a child? I tend to doubt that God will answer prayers that I'm no longer praying, but Zacharius was probably receiving an answer to a prayer that he had prayed long ago. God does not forget our prayers, and if He hasn't granted our requests yet, it doesn't mean He won't ever.
Zacharius had doubts about the angel's message, but his weak faith didn't stop God from blessing him richly. He and his wife not only were parents, but their son was a very godly man.
Of course the next famous baby in the Bible was Jesus. The birth announcement came from angels, to whom? Not the religious leaders. The angels told ordinary shepherds. God likes to speak to humble people. "The humble He teaches His way" (Psalm 25:9). I love this, because not everybody can make it into the Who's Who of the world, but anybody can be humble.
The angel said to the shepherds, "I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Sin destroyed the fellowship between mankind and God; Jesus died and resurrected to bring us His gifts of forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7), righteousness (Romans 5:17), and reconciliation (Romans 5:10). There is no greater joy than to be friends with God.
Other than the heavenly host that visited the shepherds, the birth of Jesus was without fanfare. God came to earth in His characteristically quiet and humble way.
"How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is giv'n!
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heav'n.
No ear may hear His coming, but, in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still the dear Christ enters in."
The birth of Jesus was a fulfillment of a prophecy in Isaiah 9:6-7: "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder......Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end." I really like that last part. Heaven won't be boring because His government and peace keep increasing. It will just keep getting better and better!
When Jesus was about a month and a half old, He was taken to the temple and presented to the Lord. One of the people who greeted Him there was Anna. Anna was an interesting person. She was a prophetess, an elderly woman who never left the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. When Anna got to the end of a day, she couldn't see the fruits of her labor with her eyes. She didn't sew or grow vegetables or care for children. She just prayed, and the Lord records this as service to Him. Again I was encouraged that prayer isn't a waste of time.
Last Sunday at church, we watched a funny video about a man who was preparing to be Joseph in a living nativity scene. At the end he became serious as he looked at his baby son and said that he couldn't let his son die as God let His Son die. It made me think about the sadness of the Father as He watched His Son be crucified. The world was covered with darkness for three hours that day, and maybe this was God's way of showing His grief at the death of His only Son. Our heavenly Father understands grief, because He has experienced it Himself.
I pray that we can all get to know the Lord better during the holidays.
God bless us, every one!
Zacharius had doubts about the angel's message, but his weak faith didn't stop God from blessing him richly. He and his wife not only were parents, but their son was a very godly man.
Of course the next famous baby in the Bible was Jesus. The birth announcement came from angels, to whom? Not the religious leaders. The angels told ordinary shepherds. God likes to speak to humble people. "The humble He teaches His way" (Psalm 25:9). I love this, because not everybody can make it into the Who's Who of the world, but anybody can be humble.
The angel said to the shepherds, "I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Sin destroyed the fellowship between mankind and God; Jesus died and resurrected to bring us His gifts of forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7), righteousness (Romans 5:17), and reconciliation (Romans 5:10). There is no greater joy than to be friends with God.
Other than the heavenly host that visited the shepherds, the birth of Jesus was without fanfare. God came to earth in His characteristically quiet and humble way.
"How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is giv'n!
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heav'n.
No ear may hear His coming, but, in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still the dear Christ enters in."
The birth of Jesus was a fulfillment of a prophecy in Isaiah 9:6-7: "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder......Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end." I really like that last part. Heaven won't be boring because His government and peace keep increasing. It will just keep getting better and better!
When Jesus was about a month and a half old, He was taken to the temple and presented to the Lord. One of the people who greeted Him there was Anna. Anna was an interesting person. She was a prophetess, an elderly woman who never left the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. When Anna got to the end of a day, she couldn't see the fruits of her labor with her eyes. She didn't sew or grow vegetables or care for children. She just prayed, and the Lord records this as service to Him. Again I was encouraged that prayer isn't a waste of time.
Last Sunday at church, we watched a funny video about a man who was preparing to be Joseph in a living nativity scene. At the end he became serious as he looked at his baby son and said that he couldn't let his son die as God let His Son die. It made me think about the sadness of the Father as He watched His Son be crucified. The world was covered with darkness for three hours that day, and maybe this was God's way of showing His grief at the death of His only Son. Our heavenly Father understands grief, because He has experienced it Himself.
I pray that we can all get to know the Lord better during the holidays.
God bless us, every one!
Monday, December 10, 2012
Righteous in Christ
I am reading Abide in Christ by Andrew Murray. Murray speaks of the Christian's union with Jesus and His gift of righteousness in Christ:
"He [the Christian] is not now content with only thinking of the imputed righteousness as his robe; but, putting on Jesus Christ, and seeking to be wrapped up in, to be clothed upon with Himself and His life, he feels how completely the righteousness of God is his, because the Lord our righteousness is his. Before he understood this, he too often felt it difficult to wear his white robe all the day: it was as if he specially had to put it on when he came into God's presence to confess his sins, and seek new grace. But now the living Christ Himself is his righteousness--that Christ who watches over, and keeps and loves us as His own; it is no longer an impossibility to walk all the day enrobed in the loving presence with which He covers His people."
"He [the Christian] is not now content with only thinking of the imputed righteousness as his robe; but, putting on Jesus Christ, and seeking to be wrapped up in, to be clothed upon with Himself and His life, he feels how completely the righteousness of God is his, because the Lord our righteousness is his. Before he understood this, he too often felt it difficult to wear his white robe all the day: it was as if he specially had to put it on when he came into God's presence to confess his sins, and seek new grace. But now the living Christ Himself is his righteousness--that Christ who watches over, and keeps and loves us as His own; it is no longer an impossibility to walk all the day enrobed in the loving presence with which He covers His people."
Receiving/Weakness
Receiving
I was trying to love God as Brother Lawrence did, but I couldn't manufacture it, which quickly led to discouragement. The Lord reminded me of 1 John 4:19: "We love, because He first loved us." When I remember the Lord's love for me, it's easy, even automatic, to love Him back.
Ephesians 2:6-7 says that God raised up His people with Christ and seated us in the heavenly places in Christ, so that He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. According to this verse, the reason God saved us was to display His rich kindness by being kind to us believers. I'm so glad I signed up for that! His kindness and love really do bring us to a place of overflowing, heartfelt gratitude.
Weakness
Since it's the Christmas season, I was thinking about baby Jesus and his smallness and helplessness. Also, when He died, He was helplessly hanging on a cross, the ultimate in physical weakness. He was the perfect example of God's power being perfected in weakness. When Christ's body breathed its last, sin, Satan, and death were defeated. Now that's power.
Speaking of power, I've been amazed as I have been reading in my daughter's science book about the vastness of God's creation. A galaxy is a star system containing from millions to billions of stars. Astronomers presently estimate that there are over 120 billion galaxies! Mind boggling. That's the power of God, and that's the power that is at work in His people: "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the POWER that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21).
I was trying to love God as Brother Lawrence did, but I couldn't manufacture it, which quickly led to discouragement. The Lord reminded me of 1 John 4:19: "We love, because He first loved us." When I remember the Lord's love for me, it's easy, even automatic, to love Him back.
Ephesians 2:6-7 says that God raised up His people with Christ and seated us in the heavenly places in Christ, so that He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. According to this verse, the reason God saved us was to display His rich kindness by being kind to us believers. I'm so glad I signed up for that! His kindness and love really do bring us to a place of overflowing, heartfelt gratitude.
Weakness
Since it's the Christmas season, I was thinking about baby Jesus and his smallness and helplessness. Also, when He died, He was helplessly hanging on a cross, the ultimate in physical weakness. He was the perfect example of God's power being perfected in weakness. When Christ's body breathed its last, sin, Satan, and death were defeated. Now that's power.
Speaking of power, I've been amazed as I have been reading in my daughter's science book about the vastness of God's creation. A galaxy is a star system containing from millions to billions of stars. Astronomers presently estimate that there are over 120 billion galaxies! Mind boggling. That's the power of God, and that's the power that is at work in His people: "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the POWER that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21).
Monday, December 3, 2012
God's Presence
I just finished reading The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, one of my favorite books. Brother Lawrence said that maintaining an experience of God's presence happens by the heart and by love rather than by understanding and speech. It made me think that my busy brain could be getting in the way of knowing the Lord. I have tried being still and focusing on His love, and this has really helped me to experience His loving presence, which puts a great peace in my heart. Also, fixing my eyes on Jesus and His love shows me how to love others like He does.
I pray that we will all know His love more.
I pray that we will all know His love more.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Christian Love
"Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments" 1 John 5:1-2.
God, who delights in His people (Psalm 149:4), teaches His children to love and esteem one another. It has been hard for me to believe that my sisters and brothers in the faith love me, but it's true; they love me because God gave them loving hearts.
What about the grumpy believers who criticize and judge? Well, like all of us, they haven't yet completely become who they are. Sounds like flawed logic, but Hebrews 10:14 says, "by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." Christians on earth are still growing into the righteousness that they've been given; therefore they show love imperfectly. Nonetheless, the God who is love lives in them.
Some of my perfectionist tendencies have been driven by the fear of being rejected by other Christians. But I'm beginning to see that rejecting others is not a normal thing for Christians to do. Believing this takes away my fear. This is a huge, lifechanging breakthrough for me!!
God, who delights in His people (Psalm 149:4), teaches His children to love and esteem one another. It has been hard for me to believe that my sisters and brothers in the faith love me, but it's true; they love me because God gave them loving hearts.
What about the grumpy believers who criticize and judge? Well, like all of us, they haven't yet completely become who they are. Sounds like flawed logic, but Hebrews 10:14 says, "by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." Christians on earth are still growing into the righteousness that they've been given; therefore they show love imperfectly. Nonetheless, the God who is love lives in them.
Some of my perfectionist tendencies have been driven by the fear of being rejected by other Christians. But I'm beginning to see that rejecting others is not a normal thing for Christians to do. Believing this takes away my fear. This is a huge, lifechanging breakthrough for me!!
Friday, October 26, 2012
Dog Tales
We're dog-sitting for a boxer mix named Daisy. This dog makes me laugh. At an early hour this morning, she woke me up with whimpering. She wanted out of her kennel. I let her out, and after she went potty in the backyard, I left her loose in the house. Next thing I know she's whimpering outside our bedroom door. Then I heard her sniffing under the door. More whimpering. I'm getting a kick out of this, but Jeff wanted to sleep, so he got up and went to get his robe. Evidently Daisy heard him coming, because the next sound from her was her tail thump-thumping against the wall. That critter knows how to make a person feel wanted!
This afternoon I took a nap on the couch. When I woke up and looked down at Daisy, who was on the floor next to me, she got right up in my face, so I turned away. When I turned back toward her, there was her snout an inch from mine--she's so friendly :)
Sunday, October 21, 2012
The Hound of Heaven
I've been reading Yours, Jack, which is a compilation of C. S. Lewis's writings. Lewis was an atheist early in his life, and it was encouraging to read his testimony of when he became convinced that there is a God: "You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him of whom I so earnestly desired not to meet." He went on to tell that when he admitted that God was God, he knelt and prayed, "perhaps...the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England." Soon he came to understand and appreciate the amazing humility and mercy of the God who accepts someone with such an attitude.
I, too, hesitated in my journey toward God. Very early in my freshman year at Iowa State University, the Lord sent several Christians to me, and they asked me if I had accepted Jesus. I knew that I hadn't given myself to Him. I wanted to be in charge of my own life because I thought the Lord would lead me into a life of boredom, and that if I preached the gospel (which I knew He wanted me to do), I'd be labeled a Jesus freak and would lose my friends. However, I began to fear hell, which was a gift of God's mercy and the beginning of His pursuit of me. Later He showed me that He was with me always, because He wanted to be. And that's how He won my heart.
The scripture shows us what happens when people run from God. For instance, Jonah, who ran straight into the belly of a fish, where he had no recourse but to turn to the Lord and ask for help. And the Lord was right there, listening to him.
If the Lord is this willing to pursue those who run from Him, how much does He pursue those who run to Him? Don't ever think that God doesn't want to speak to you, because He really, really does.
Here are some wonderful Scripture verses about God pursuing people, even those who aren't pursuing Him:
"God is faithful, by whom YOU WERE CALLED into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:9).
"If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me" (Psalm 139:9-10).
"He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though HE IS NOT FAR FROM EACH ONE OF US" (Acts 17:26-27).
"Compel them to come in" (Luke 14:23).
This is the Lord's heart.
I, too, hesitated in my journey toward God. Very early in my freshman year at Iowa State University, the Lord sent several Christians to me, and they asked me if I had accepted Jesus. I knew that I hadn't given myself to Him. I wanted to be in charge of my own life because I thought the Lord would lead me into a life of boredom, and that if I preached the gospel (which I knew He wanted me to do), I'd be labeled a Jesus freak and would lose my friends. However, I began to fear hell, which was a gift of God's mercy and the beginning of His pursuit of me. Later He showed me that He was with me always, because He wanted to be. And that's how He won my heart.
The scripture shows us what happens when people run from God. For instance, Jonah, who ran straight into the belly of a fish, where he had no recourse but to turn to the Lord and ask for help. And the Lord was right there, listening to him.
If the Lord is this willing to pursue those who run from Him, how much does He pursue those who run to Him? Don't ever think that God doesn't want to speak to you, because He really, really does.
Here are some wonderful Scripture verses about God pursuing people, even those who aren't pursuing Him:
"God is faithful, by whom YOU WERE CALLED into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:9).
"If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me" (Psalm 139:9-10).
"He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though HE IS NOT FAR FROM EACH ONE OF US" (Acts 17:26-27).
"Compel them to come in" (Luke 14:23).
This is the Lord's heart.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Christ in Us
I've been reading Hearing God by Dallas Willard. Here's an interesting quote from the book: "When Peter and John were confronted with the lame beggar as they entered the temple in Acts 3, Peter commanded the man in the name of Jesus Christ--that is, he commanded him on Jesus' behalf--to rise up and walk (v. 6). Then Peter took the lame man by the hand and pulled him to his feet (v. 7). Peter did not kneel down and pray for him, nor did he pass by saying, 'We'll be praying for you!' He put his whole bodily self on public display as an agent of Christ."
My thought is that our union with Christ as believers and our participation in His work does not depend on saying a prayer. Certainly it requires trust in the Lord's power and in His presence with and in us, but perhaps nothing more than that. This is way outside the religious box, yes?
My thought is that our union with Christ as believers and our participation in His work does not depend on saying a prayer. Certainly it requires trust in the Lord's power and in His presence with and in us, but perhaps nothing more than that. This is way outside the religious box, yes?
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Update on my New Job
Thanks so much to those who have been praying for me to learn my new job. Things have been going better, so God is answering your prayers! The Lord has also been using this situation to strengthen my faith and to help me get over perfectionist thinking. I have been encouraged by Psalm 103:13-14. It really helps to know that Father is compassionate.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
One Spirit with God
"He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him." 1 Corinthians 6:17
I've been reading Destined for the Throne by Paul Billheimer, and this book explains 1 Corinthians 6:17 pretty well. Billheimer says that our bodies derive their reality from their relationship to the spirit; therefore, the spirit is the real us. And because the Christian's spirit is joined to the Lord, in our essential beings we are seated with Christ in the heavens, as it says in Ephesians 2:6. We are united with Christ as members of His body, and because of this we are partakers of all He is and all He has. In other words, EVERY blessing and EVERY good thing that we read about in the Bible and EVERYTHING that Jesus has and is is ours too. Think about that for awhile! (See also Ephesians 1:3).
For example, Jeremiah 31:12b says, "Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, and they shall sorrow no more at all." I used to think this referred to heaven and wasn't for now. But now I think it does apply to us now. Galatians 5:22 says that the fruit of the Spirit is joy, and certainly God's people have His Spirit now. I'm not saying that we always feel joyful. But God turns our sorrow to joy. I have experienced this. I was discouraged because of struggling to learn my new job (at Lifeway Christian store). I felt like a worthless failure. I asked Jesus to speak to me about this. He took me to Romans 8 where it says that He is for me, God gave His infinitely valuable Son for me (thereby placing infinite value on me), and He will, with Christ, freely give me all things. The Lord also showed me that my job isn't the important thing. What's important is that I believe Romans 8, that my boss connects with Jesus and finds peace, and that the Lifeway customers are loved and respected (and they may have to learn patience!). My discouragement turned to joy.
My father's funeral wasn't a happy time; all of us were grieving. Yet the Lord comforted me and gave me peace in my heart, and there's joy in that.
These thoughts are amazing to me, and I'd love to get your comments about this.
Blessings,
Sandra
I've been reading Destined for the Throne by Paul Billheimer, and this book explains 1 Corinthians 6:17 pretty well. Billheimer says that our bodies derive their reality from their relationship to the spirit; therefore, the spirit is the real us. And because the Christian's spirit is joined to the Lord, in our essential beings we are seated with Christ in the heavens, as it says in Ephesians 2:6. We are united with Christ as members of His body, and because of this we are partakers of all He is and all He has. In other words, EVERY blessing and EVERY good thing that we read about in the Bible and EVERYTHING that Jesus has and is is ours too. Think about that for awhile! (See also Ephesians 1:3).
For example, Jeremiah 31:12b says, "Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, and they shall sorrow no more at all." I used to think this referred to heaven and wasn't for now. But now I think it does apply to us now. Galatians 5:22 says that the fruit of the Spirit is joy, and certainly God's people have His Spirit now. I'm not saying that we always feel joyful. But God turns our sorrow to joy. I have experienced this. I was discouraged because of struggling to learn my new job (at Lifeway Christian store). I felt like a worthless failure. I asked Jesus to speak to me about this. He took me to Romans 8 where it says that He is for me, God gave His infinitely valuable Son for me (thereby placing infinite value on me), and He will, with Christ, freely give me all things. The Lord also showed me that my job isn't the important thing. What's important is that I believe Romans 8, that my boss connects with Jesus and finds peace, and that the Lifeway customers are loved and respected (and they may have to learn patience!). My discouragement turned to joy.
My father's funeral wasn't a happy time; all of us were grieving. Yet the Lord comforted me and gave me peace in my heart, and there's joy in that.
These thoughts are amazing to me, and I'd love to get your comments about this.
Blessings,
Sandra
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Persevering Trust
The Lord likes perseverance. Jesus told a story (Luke 11:5-13) about someone coming to his friend late at night to ask for bread. He said that the man in bed might not get up because of friendship, but would give the bread because of the pestering. Jesus wants us to believe the truth that He'll give to us because of friendship. But He loves to wait until the last minute to meet the need, because that gives us the greatest opportunity for faith, and faith results in eternal rewards (1 Peter 1:6-7). We need to be confident that the one who hopes in Him will not be disappointed. Like when I was a little child and I was very sure that Daddy would always bring home all the groceries we needed, and even some treats! I am praying for all of us that we'd have that childlike trust in the Lord for the long haul.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
A Crazy Dream
Friday night I had a dream that I went to the store to buy fresh parsley for someone. I got this stuff with leaves as big as elephant ears, but when I went to check out, I discovered that it was way expensive, so I didn't buy it. Then I got some normal parsley and chopped it up and put it into a bag. When I went to pay for it, there was a bunch of purpley-red stuff in the bag too, which looked like chopped red leaves. I had no idea how that had gotten there. I separated red from green and proceded to the checkout counter. Then I discovered that I had picked up one black child-size shoe and had brought it to the cash register with me. So I had to put that away before I could buy any parsley. All the while, my family was waiting for me, and I was going to be late to go somewhere.
Jeff thought this was a funny dream, but I wasn't laughing. This dream was an expression of my anxieties which are caused by life being unpredictable, messy, and out of my control. In the dream, it was all on me to make things work, and, in spite of my best efforts, things went haywire. Honestly, it feels like my waking hours are like that too. Why don't I rest in the Lord and trust Him to lead me through life's messiness? I think that I have to make every little thing go well or else I'm a bad person and I'm going to make everybody mad. Pretty irrational.
The truth is that as a Christian, I have been given the gift of righteousness, and nothing I do will make me a good or bad person. Also, God allows bumps in the road of life to give each of us opportunities to trust Him to bring us through it all. This walk of faith is what pleases Him and brings praise, glory, and honor when we get to heaven.
Jesus showed me that when I feel under pressure to do everything quickly and perfectly, He is right at my side helping me. And He's not angry, impatient, or demanding. He's patient and totally happy to be with me. How encouraging.
Jeff thought this was a funny dream, but I wasn't laughing. This dream was an expression of my anxieties which are caused by life being unpredictable, messy, and out of my control. In the dream, it was all on me to make things work, and, in spite of my best efforts, things went haywire. Honestly, it feels like my waking hours are like that too. Why don't I rest in the Lord and trust Him to lead me through life's messiness? I think that I have to make every little thing go well or else I'm a bad person and I'm going to make everybody mad. Pretty irrational.
The truth is that as a Christian, I have been given the gift of righteousness, and nothing I do will make me a good or bad person. Also, God allows bumps in the road of life to give each of us opportunities to trust Him to bring us through it all. This walk of faith is what pleases Him and brings praise, glory, and honor when we get to heaven.
Jesus showed me that when I feel under pressure to do everything quickly and perfectly, He is right at my side helping me. And He's not angry, impatient, or demanding. He's patient and totally happy to be with me. How encouraging.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Liberty
"So speak and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty." (James 2:12)
Do the words judged, law, and liberty really belong in the same sentence? I think of law as being rules that are TOO HARD for me to obey, and I'm sick of trying and failing. It's discouraging to even think about it.
I think that the law of liberty refers to the commandment that Jesus gave in John 15:12: "Love one another, just as I have loved you." ( I think this commandment sums up all of them.) Again, I have tried to do this and have failed, at least some of the time, and this is discouraging. Is God determined to frustrate me and make me feel bad about myself?
First, God loves His children as we are, and He doesn't expect us to live perfect lives. Phew, that's a relief.
Second, Christ lives in His people (Galatians 2:20). We have the power to love! Finally, good news.
So, when people ignore me, disrespect me or devalue me, I am able to forgive and love unconditionally because love is a fruit of God's Spirit within me.
When I am tempted to ignore, disrespect or devalue others, I can choose to love.
I can even stop complaining, because of the cheerful, thankful Spirit that God has put in me!
Praise the Lord, what a gift!
Do the words judged, law, and liberty really belong in the same sentence? I think of law as being rules that are TOO HARD for me to obey, and I'm sick of trying and failing. It's discouraging to even think about it.
I think that the law of liberty refers to the commandment that Jesus gave in John 15:12: "Love one another, just as I have loved you." ( I think this commandment sums up all of them.) Again, I have tried to do this and have failed, at least some of the time, and this is discouraging. Is God determined to frustrate me and make me feel bad about myself?
First, God loves His children as we are, and He doesn't expect us to live perfect lives. Phew, that's a relief.
Second, Christ lives in His people (Galatians 2:20). We have the power to love! Finally, good news.
So, when people ignore me, disrespect me or devalue me, I am able to forgive and love unconditionally because love is a fruit of God's Spirit within me.
When I am tempted to ignore, disrespect or devalue others, I can choose to love.
I can even stop complaining, because of the cheerful, thankful Spirit that God has put in me!
Praise the Lord, what a gift!
Monday, July 30, 2012
Love Bears All Things
The Lord reminded me that love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. The best example of this is Jesus, who was crucified and took on all the sins of the world because of His love for us all. I have not yet suffered to the point of shedding blood in my pursuit of loving others. The Lord knows what it feels like to be mistreated and betrayed. "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds...His understanding is infinite (Psalm 147:3,5). And He's always there for us, holding our hand (Psalm 73:23).
The Lord's Spirit lives in His people, so, as Christians, we have His power to love with a love that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, and never fails. Praise the Lord for that amazing gift!
The Lord's Spirit lives in His people, so, as Christians, we have His power to love with a love that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, and never fails. Praise the Lord for that amazing gift!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Honor
Our accuser has plenty of bad things to say about us, so I'm going to just quote some scripture which tells us the good news about God's people:
John 12:26 "If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor."
Isaiah 43:4 "you are precious in My sight...you are honored and I love you."
Psalm 16:3 "As for the saints who are on the earth, they are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight."
Isaiah 60:1 "Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you."
Psalm 21:5 "His glory is great in Your salvation."
Psalm 18:35 "Your gentleness has made me great."
Romans 8:30 "Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
1 Peter 2:5, 9-10 "you also, as living stomes, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ....But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy."
God has made us His bride: Hosea 2:19-20 "And I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion, and I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the Lord."
John 12:26 "If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor."
Isaiah 43:4 "you are precious in My sight...you are honored and I love you."
Psalm 16:3 "As for the saints who are on the earth, they are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight."
Isaiah 60:1 "Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you."
Psalm 21:5 "His glory is great in Your salvation."
Psalm 18:35 "Your gentleness has made me great."
Romans 8:30 "Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
1 Peter 2:5, 9-10 "you also, as living stomes, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ....But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy."
God has made us His bride: Hosea 2:19-20 "And I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion, and I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the Lord."
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Neediness
I've read a number of Henri Nouwen's books and have been very impressed by the way his writings minister to my emotional needs. I discovered what I consider to be the secret of Nouwen's effectiveness in comforting and encouraging me: his neediness. At one point in his life he had an emotional breakdown and went to a retreat center where a daily spiritual routine and psychotherapy addressed his deep need to be physically held and emotionally affirmed. In his book Finding My Way Home, Nouwen wrote, "...in our weakness our familiar ways of controlling and manipulating our world are being stripped away and we are forced to let go from doing much, thinking much, and relying on our self-sufficiency. Right there where we are most vulnerable, the peace that is not of this world is mysteriously hidden."
This is good news for me, because as I look at my life, I see issues and neediness. I was a pathologically shy child--extremely quiet. I was scared to talk to the popular kids or adults. Any time someone was more skilled than I, socially or otherwise, I felt inferior. My way of dealing with this was to be a perfectionist. But perfection was impossible and even excellence was only achieved in some arenas. When Jesus came into my life, I should have rejoiced in His unconditional love, which I did to some extent. But I also became a Christian achiever. I accepted God's forgiveness, but my heart didn't understand that God accepted me unconditionally in every day life; nor did I fully believe that God made me righteous in Christ, and self-made righteousness was unnecessary/impossible (Romans 5:17, Philippians 3:9). I'll never forget the peace that flooded my heart the first time I said no to the lie that I have to do everything right to be a good person, and yes to the truth that Jesus has given me the gift of righteousness, and that is what makes me a good person. As Nouwen said, this peace is not of this world, and it comes to us right where we are most vulnerable.
This is good news for me, because as I look at my life, I see issues and neediness. I was a pathologically shy child--extremely quiet. I was scared to talk to the popular kids or adults. Any time someone was more skilled than I, socially or otherwise, I felt inferior. My way of dealing with this was to be a perfectionist. But perfection was impossible and even excellence was only achieved in some arenas. When Jesus came into my life, I should have rejoiced in His unconditional love, which I did to some extent. But I also became a Christian achiever. I accepted God's forgiveness, but my heart didn't understand that God accepted me unconditionally in every day life; nor did I fully believe that God made me righteous in Christ, and self-made righteousness was unnecessary/impossible (Romans 5:17, Philippians 3:9). I'll never forget the peace that flooded my heart the first time I said no to the lie that I have to do everything right to be a good person, and yes to the truth that Jesus has given me the gift of righteousness, and that is what makes me a good person. As Nouwen said, this peace is not of this world, and it comes to us right where we are most vulnerable.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Praise
Yesterday in church we were singing a song about praising the Lord all day long, and my analytical mind was wondering, how does one do that? God reminded me of Psalm 40:3: "He has put a new song in my mouth--praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord." As God's people, we don't have to manufacture praises to Him; He has already put His praises into our mouths. Love it!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Messy Mistakes
Today I asked Jesus about all the messes that I create for myself. I worry about a lot of little things: will I cook something that the family doesn't like? Break the crystal vase? Forget an appointment? Lose my walllet? Waste 20 minutes (or more) on worthless daydreaming? Waste 15 minutes reading all the greeting cards on the rack? Leave typos on my blog? Laugh if you want to, but I worry about this kind of stuff. What if I had cerebral palsy and couldn't even feed myself? Would the Lord still take care of me? This is what Jesus said: "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Commands
"All Your commands are righteous" (Psalm 119:172)
God's commands aren't just a bunch of rules. They tell us of His character. We can actually get to know God better by learning and obeying His commands. I think this is why King David got so excited about God's law; he loved God and knew that the commandments were a reflection of who the Lord is.
Since God's people have received His Spirit, we have the power to live according to His commands. As we depend on the Spirit rather than trying to make ourselves righteous by fleshly efforts, we find that God's commandments aren't at all burdensome. This goes against human thinking, but it's true, and as I've begun to believe truth, it has brought me joy.
God's commands aren't just a bunch of rules. They tell us of His character. We can actually get to know God better by learning and obeying His commands. I think this is why King David got so excited about God's law; he loved God and knew that the commandments were a reflection of who the Lord is.
Since God's people have received His Spirit, we have the power to live according to His commands. As we depend on the Spirit rather than trying to make ourselves righteous by fleshly efforts, we find that God's commandments aren't at all burdensome. This goes against human thinking, but it's true, and as I've begun to believe truth, it has brought me joy.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Still Reading!
While on a road trip to Iowa with my family, I read Get Out of that Pit by Beth Moore. Here are some good thoughts from the book:
"One of the biggest mistakes that we could ever make is to assume that passionate desire is wrong, and that the goal for godly people is not to feel. Nothing could be further from the truth. We were created out of holy passion for holy passion. So perfectly fitted for passion are we that we will find it one way or another. If we don't find it in Christ, we'll find it in things like lust, anger, rage, and greed."
"Each of us will ultimately do what we want to do."
"Like Adam and Eve, we let the enemy taunt us into believing God is holding out on us. Our drive for the proverbial forbidden fruit is our innate belief that what we are denied is exactly what we want most."
But the Bible says that what we want is God: "O God, Thou art my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly; my soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee.....Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise Thee.....My soul is satisfied" (Psalm 63:1-3). In Hosea 11:4, God says, "I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love." Maybe Chris Rice was thinking of this verse when he wrote this phrase: "My heart's held hostage by this love" ("Deep Enough to Dream").
Augustine said, "Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee." I believe that the human heart is made for falling in love with Jesus, and there is no other way to satisfy its longing. Makes me think of that song, "Hopelessly Devoted" that Olivia Newton John sang. And ladies, Jesus is much more exciting than John Travolta.
Jesus Love-of-Our-Life,
Please let us know Your love that is better than life.
"One of the biggest mistakes that we could ever make is to assume that passionate desire is wrong, and that the goal for godly people is not to feel. Nothing could be further from the truth. We were created out of holy passion for holy passion. So perfectly fitted for passion are we that we will find it one way or another. If we don't find it in Christ, we'll find it in things like lust, anger, rage, and greed."
"Each of us will ultimately do what we want to do."
"Like Adam and Eve, we let the enemy taunt us into believing God is holding out on us. Our drive for the proverbial forbidden fruit is our innate belief that what we are denied is exactly what we want most."
But the Bible says that what we want is God: "O God, Thou art my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly; my soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee.....Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise Thee.....My soul is satisfied" (Psalm 63:1-3). In Hosea 11:4, God says, "I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love." Maybe Chris Rice was thinking of this verse when he wrote this phrase: "My heart's held hostage by this love" ("Deep Enough to Dream").
Augustine said, "Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee." I believe that the human heart is made for falling in love with Jesus, and there is no other way to satisfy its longing. Makes me think of that song, "Hopelessly Devoted" that Olivia Newton John sang. And ladies, Jesus is much more exciting than John Travolta.
Jesus Love-of-Our-Life,
Please let us know Your love that is better than life.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Bad Things Turned Around for Good
I've been reading 90 Minutes in Heaven, which is about Don Piper, who was in an accident, died, went to heaven for 90 minutes, then came back to life. After a long recovery from his injuries, he has a lot of pain, but he's been an encouragement to many people. Here is one example from his book:
"Two years after the accident, when I still wore leg braces and walked with crutches, I took a group of our young people to a conference at Houston's First Baptist Church....."
"As happens when you work with teens, we were late in leaving South Park Church. I didn't say anything, but I felt extremely irritated with the delay. I had wanted to arrive early because I knew the best seats would be taken if we didn't get there at least an hour before starting time."
"I tried not to let it show, but I was still upset by the time we reached First Baptist Church in Houston. Once we went inside the huge building, we realized--as I had expected--that all the seats on the lower floor were filled. We'd have to climb the stairs."
"I groaned at the thought of having to do more walking. Even though I was mobile, wearing those braces and the pressure of the crutches under my armpits tired me out. To make it worse, the elevator wasn't working. If that person hadn't been late, I kept thinking, I wouldn't have to hobble up all those stairs."
"It wasn't just clumping up the stairs, but the auditorium was so full that the only places left to sit were in the top rows. Our young people, naturally, raced ahead to claim those seats. They promised to save one for me on the end. I counted 150 steps as I painfully made my way up."
"By the time I finally reached the top, exhaustion had overcome me. I could hardly walk the last flight and across the back of the auditorium to the seat the kids had saved for me. Before I sat down--which also demanded a lot of effort--I rested by leaning against the wall. As I tried to catch my breath, I asked myself, What am I doing here?"
....."At that moment self-pity took over. As I continued to lean against the wall, my gaze swept over the auditorium. Two sections over I spotted a teenage boy in a wheelchair. He was sitting with his head in his hands, his back to me. As I stared at him, I knew I had to go over and talk to him. Suddenly I didn't question my actions and I forgot about being tired."
"I leaned my crutches against the wall and then slowly, painfully made my way across to his section and down the steps. He was a large, good-looking kid, maybe sixteen years old. When I got closer, I realized why I needed to talk to him. He was wearing an Ilizarov frame--which I hadn't been able to see from where I had stood. My tiredness vanished, along with my anger and self-pity. It was as if I saw myself in that wheelchair and reexperienced all the pain of those days."
"He was looking away from me when I laid my hand on his shoulder. His head spun around and he glared at me."
"'That really hurts, doesn't it?' I asked.
"He looked at me as if to say, What kind of fool are you? Instead he said, 'Yeah. It hurts very much.'"
"'I know.' I patted his shoulder. 'Believe me, I know.'"
"His eyes widened. 'You do?'"
"'I do. I had one too.'"
"'It's horrible.'"
"'I know that. It's just horrible. I wore one on my left leg for eleven months.'"
"'Nobody ever understands,' he said plaintively."
"'They can't. It's not something you can talk about and have anyone understand your pain.'"
"For the first time I saw something in his eyes. Maybe it was hope, or maybe just a sense of peace because at long last he had found someone who knew what he was going through. We had connected, and I felt privileged to be standing next to him."
"'My name is Don,' I said, 'and you've just met somebody who understands the pain and the discouragement you're going through.'"
"He stared at me, and then his eyes moistened. 'I don't know if I'm going to make it.'"
"'You're going to make it. Trust me, you'll make it.'"
"'Maybe,' he said."
"' What happened?' By then I'd realized it hadn't been a voluntary surgery."
"'I had a ski accident.'"
"I noticed that he was wearing a letter jacket. I asked,'You a football player?'"
"'Yes, sir.'"
"Briefly I told him about my accident, and he told me more about what had happened to him. 'I'm going to tell you something,' I said. 'One day you will walk again.'"
"His face registered skepticism."
"'You might not play football again, but you'll walk.' I handed him my business card. 'My number is on the card, and you can call me anytime, day or night, twenty-four hours a day.'"
"He took the card and stared at it."
"'I'm going to walk back up there to my kids.' I pointed to where they sat. 'I want you to know that one day you will walk too.' I laughed. 'And I'll bet you'll walk better than I do.'"
"He reached up, grabbed me, and hugged me. He held me tight for a long time. I could feel his constricted breathing as he fought back tears. Finally he released me and mumbled his thanks."....
"That boy needed somebody who understood. I don't know that I had much to offer, but I had my experience and I could talk to him about pain. Had I not gone through it myself, I'd just be telling him, 'I hope you feel better. You're going to be okay'--well-meaning words that most people used."
"When I reached the top row, perspiration drenched my body from all the effort, but I didn't care. I turned around. He still stared at me. I smiled and waved, and he waved back. The dejection and despair had left his face."
"Over the next six months, I received three calls from him, two just to talk and one late at night when he was really discouraged. They were phone calls I will always cherish, one struggling pilgrim to another."
I found this very encouraging. Our hard times are not wasted.
"Two years after the accident, when I still wore leg braces and walked with crutches, I took a group of our young people to a conference at Houston's First Baptist Church....."
"As happens when you work with teens, we were late in leaving South Park Church. I didn't say anything, but I felt extremely irritated with the delay. I had wanted to arrive early because I knew the best seats would be taken if we didn't get there at least an hour before starting time."
"I tried not to let it show, but I was still upset by the time we reached First Baptist Church in Houston. Once we went inside the huge building, we realized--as I had expected--that all the seats on the lower floor were filled. We'd have to climb the stairs."
"I groaned at the thought of having to do more walking. Even though I was mobile, wearing those braces and the pressure of the crutches under my armpits tired me out. To make it worse, the elevator wasn't working. If that person hadn't been late, I kept thinking, I wouldn't have to hobble up all those stairs."
"It wasn't just clumping up the stairs, but the auditorium was so full that the only places left to sit were in the top rows. Our young people, naturally, raced ahead to claim those seats. They promised to save one for me on the end. I counted 150 steps as I painfully made my way up."
"By the time I finally reached the top, exhaustion had overcome me. I could hardly walk the last flight and across the back of the auditorium to the seat the kids had saved for me. Before I sat down--which also demanded a lot of effort--I rested by leaning against the wall. As I tried to catch my breath, I asked myself, What am I doing here?"
....."At that moment self-pity took over. As I continued to lean against the wall, my gaze swept over the auditorium. Two sections over I spotted a teenage boy in a wheelchair. He was sitting with his head in his hands, his back to me. As I stared at him, I knew I had to go over and talk to him. Suddenly I didn't question my actions and I forgot about being tired."
"I leaned my crutches against the wall and then slowly, painfully made my way across to his section and down the steps. He was a large, good-looking kid, maybe sixteen years old. When I got closer, I realized why I needed to talk to him. He was wearing an Ilizarov frame--which I hadn't been able to see from where I had stood. My tiredness vanished, along with my anger and self-pity. It was as if I saw myself in that wheelchair and reexperienced all the pain of those days."
"He was looking away from me when I laid my hand on his shoulder. His head spun around and he glared at me."
"'That really hurts, doesn't it?' I asked.
"He looked at me as if to say, What kind of fool are you? Instead he said, 'Yeah. It hurts very much.'"
"'I know.' I patted his shoulder. 'Believe me, I know.'"
"His eyes widened. 'You do?'"
"'I do. I had one too.'"
"'It's horrible.'"
"'I know that. It's just horrible. I wore one on my left leg for eleven months.'"
"'Nobody ever understands,' he said plaintively."
"'They can't. It's not something you can talk about and have anyone understand your pain.'"
"For the first time I saw something in his eyes. Maybe it was hope, or maybe just a sense of peace because at long last he had found someone who knew what he was going through. We had connected, and I felt privileged to be standing next to him."
"'My name is Don,' I said, 'and you've just met somebody who understands the pain and the discouragement you're going through.'"
"He stared at me, and then his eyes moistened. 'I don't know if I'm going to make it.'"
"'You're going to make it. Trust me, you'll make it.'"
"'Maybe,' he said."
"' What happened?' By then I'd realized it hadn't been a voluntary surgery."
"'I had a ski accident.'"
"I noticed that he was wearing a letter jacket. I asked,'You a football player?'"
"'Yes, sir.'"
"Briefly I told him about my accident, and he told me more about what had happened to him. 'I'm going to tell you something,' I said. 'One day you will walk again.'"
"His face registered skepticism."
"'You might not play football again, but you'll walk.' I handed him my business card. 'My number is on the card, and you can call me anytime, day or night, twenty-four hours a day.'"
"He took the card and stared at it."
"'I'm going to walk back up there to my kids.' I pointed to where they sat. 'I want you to know that one day you will walk too.' I laughed. 'And I'll bet you'll walk better than I do.'"
"He reached up, grabbed me, and hugged me. He held me tight for a long time. I could feel his constricted breathing as he fought back tears. Finally he released me and mumbled his thanks."....
"That boy needed somebody who understood. I don't know that I had much to offer, but I had my experience and I could talk to him about pain. Had I not gone through it myself, I'd just be telling him, 'I hope you feel better. You're going to be okay'--well-meaning words that most people used."
"When I reached the top row, perspiration drenched my body from all the effort, but I didn't care. I turned around. He still stared at me. I smiled and waved, and he waved back. The dejection and despair had left his face."
"Over the next six months, I received three calls from him, two just to talk and one late at night when he was really discouraged. They were phone calls I will always cherish, one struggling pilgrim to another."
I found this very encouraging. Our hard times are not wasted.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Angels
Last week someone asked me if I believed in angels, and I said yes. In my lifetime I have had a few experiences where I think angels were present to help me through. I would like to tell you about these times:
I went to college at ISU in Ames, Iowa. One time I was on my way to campus on a borrowed bike. I was speeding downhill on Welch Avenue when I discovered that the bike's brakes didn't work. I was headed for Lincoln Way, a busy intersection. Yikes. When I got to the corner, I leaned left and made a very fast turn while crashing to the ground. There was no harm to persons or property, and I am quite sure that angels helped make that happen.
When I left Ames, I moved to Colorado. I lived in Ft. Collins for eight months, then moved to Northglenn. I got a job cooking at a sorority at DU. I didn't have a car, so I decided to take the bus to work. It took me two hours, but I got to work on time. When it was time to go home, I took the bus to the middle of downtown, where I had to transfer to another bus. I was sitting at a bus stop in the middle of the block, and there was a bar on each corner. A guy walked up to me and started talking to me, and then a white-haired man joined us and said to me, "Is this man bothering you?" And he started telling the other guy that alcohol is from diablo (Spanish for devil). He gave me a Decision magazine, then my bus came and I left. I think the white-haired man may have been an angel, but even if he wasn't, he was surely God's representative in that situation, and I was grateful that he had shown up. After that day, I carpooled to work with my roommate, and eventually I bought my own car.
My third experience with angelic intervention is from a few years ago. I was driving with four of my children back to Colorado from Iowa, in the winter. My husband was in Missouri with my oldest daughter. They had gone to a church conference while the rest of us visited relatives. We were on Interstate 80 in Nebraska, and there was freezing rain. It was evening, and in the dark I could see ice on the fences along the road. But the interstate didn't seem slippery, and I was able to go about 50 mph while passing a lot of semis that were going much slower. I think it was Kearney, NE, where we decided to stop for some supper. When I got to a stop light, it was evident that the street was pretty icy. We pulled into a Subway parking lot, and at that point I became utterly unable to control my mini van. The parking lot was a sheet of ice, and it was sloped. We slid down to the bottom of the parking lot, and I believe there was an angel who kept us from hitting the other vehicle that was parked there. I knew we weren't going to drive farther before morning, and I wasn't sure if we were even going to get out of this parking lot. We got sandwiches, and, hallelujah, there was a Ramada Inn across the street. We walked over there and into the crowded lobby. When it was my turn in line, I rented the last vacant room. Jehovah Jireh Himself showed up for that merciful provision. I surely didn't have any interest in driving around town hoping to find a vacancy in another motel. I even was able to get the van across the street to the Ramada Inn parking lot, though I think I may have had to drive over the edge of the parking lot, down the curb, and into the street. Our room had two queen size beds, so I had the three youngest girls sleep crosswise on one bed, and Liz and I had the other bed. Everyone was able to rest comfortably for the night. The next day I scraped a lot of ice off the van, and then we were able to make the rest of our journey without mishap, for which we were very grateful. That day I really appreciated the fact that Colorado has a drier climate than Nebraska; the road conditions got better as we traveled west.
The Bible is full of angelic visitations on earth; I believe that angels show up here in the 21st century also. We are not alone; our Shepherd and Protector is here, and so are His servants.
I went to college at ISU in Ames, Iowa. One time I was on my way to campus on a borrowed bike. I was speeding downhill on Welch Avenue when I discovered that the bike's brakes didn't work. I was headed for Lincoln Way, a busy intersection. Yikes. When I got to the corner, I leaned left and made a very fast turn while crashing to the ground. There was no harm to persons or property, and I am quite sure that angels helped make that happen.
When I left Ames, I moved to Colorado. I lived in Ft. Collins for eight months, then moved to Northglenn. I got a job cooking at a sorority at DU. I didn't have a car, so I decided to take the bus to work. It took me two hours, but I got to work on time. When it was time to go home, I took the bus to the middle of downtown, where I had to transfer to another bus. I was sitting at a bus stop in the middle of the block, and there was a bar on each corner. A guy walked up to me and started talking to me, and then a white-haired man joined us and said to me, "Is this man bothering you?" And he started telling the other guy that alcohol is from diablo (Spanish for devil). He gave me a Decision magazine, then my bus came and I left. I think the white-haired man may have been an angel, but even if he wasn't, he was surely God's representative in that situation, and I was grateful that he had shown up. After that day, I carpooled to work with my roommate, and eventually I bought my own car.
My third experience with angelic intervention is from a few years ago. I was driving with four of my children back to Colorado from Iowa, in the winter. My husband was in Missouri with my oldest daughter. They had gone to a church conference while the rest of us visited relatives. We were on Interstate 80 in Nebraska, and there was freezing rain. It was evening, and in the dark I could see ice on the fences along the road. But the interstate didn't seem slippery, and I was able to go about 50 mph while passing a lot of semis that were going much slower. I think it was Kearney, NE, where we decided to stop for some supper. When I got to a stop light, it was evident that the street was pretty icy. We pulled into a Subway parking lot, and at that point I became utterly unable to control my mini van. The parking lot was a sheet of ice, and it was sloped. We slid down to the bottom of the parking lot, and I believe there was an angel who kept us from hitting the other vehicle that was parked there. I knew we weren't going to drive farther before morning, and I wasn't sure if we were even going to get out of this parking lot. We got sandwiches, and, hallelujah, there was a Ramada Inn across the street. We walked over there and into the crowded lobby. When it was my turn in line, I rented the last vacant room. Jehovah Jireh Himself showed up for that merciful provision. I surely didn't have any interest in driving around town hoping to find a vacancy in another motel. I even was able to get the van across the street to the Ramada Inn parking lot, though I think I may have had to drive over the edge of the parking lot, down the curb, and into the street. Our room had two queen size beds, so I had the three youngest girls sleep crosswise on one bed, and Liz and I had the other bed. Everyone was able to rest comfortably for the night. The next day I scraped a lot of ice off the van, and then we were able to make the rest of our journey without mishap, for which we were very grateful. That day I really appreciated the fact that Colorado has a drier climate than Nebraska; the road conditions got better as we traveled west.
The Bible is full of angelic visitations on earth; I believe that angels show up here in the 21st century also. We are not alone; our Shepherd and Protector is here, and so are His servants.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Mom
My mom believes in me, and she is always happy to talk to me and/or be with me. That is why she is one of the few people that I feel comfortable with.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Blue Like Jazz
Jeff and I went to see the movie Blue Like Jazz. I think it's an interesting movie because it's based on the actual life of Don Miller, and it shows how God revealed truth to Don even when he left the church. (He left because he was angry about the hypocrisy he saw.)
The scene which I found most interesting was a debate between an atheist and a man who believed in God. The atheist said that human love can be explained by chemical reactions in the body. He said that love encourages reproduction and perpetuation of the human species. Don then asked him, "What about meaning?" His reply was, "If you want meaning, look in the dictionary." I do appreciate an honest atheist, but he was so tragically mistaken. If there is no meaning to life, that makes us sad, doesn't it? We hope that there's something good to be gained by living life. We hope that good will triumph over evil. We need a reason to believe that this will happen. The good news is that God lets us know that He exists and that He's good. Jesus died and resurrected, proving that He's God. He did it to save us, proving that He is kind. Romans 1:19 says that God reveals Himself to people so they can know Him. He did that for Don Miller, and he certainly did that for me too.
I feel bad for atheists. But if they wholeheartedly seek truth, God will lead them to Himself (Jeremiah 29:13). Amen, so be it!
The scene which I found most interesting was a debate between an atheist and a man who believed in God. The atheist said that human love can be explained by chemical reactions in the body. He said that love encourages reproduction and perpetuation of the human species. Don then asked him, "What about meaning?" His reply was, "If you want meaning, look in the dictionary." I do appreciate an honest atheist, but he was so tragically mistaken. If there is no meaning to life, that makes us sad, doesn't it? We hope that there's something good to be gained by living life. We hope that good will triumph over evil. We need a reason to believe that this will happen. The good news is that God lets us know that He exists and that He's good. Jesus died and resurrected, proving that He's God. He did it to save us, proving that He is kind. Romans 1:19 says that God reveals Himself to people so they can know Him. He did that for Don Miller, and he certainly did that for me too.
I feel bad for atheists. But if they wholeheartedly seek truth, God will lead them to Himself (Jeremiah 29:13). Amen, so be it!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
APS Adventures
I've been working as a nutrition services sub at Aurora schools since October, and it's been fun. I wanted to share some of the memorable moments:
In October I spent a week at Peoria Elementary. It's interesting to hear people tell why they work at APS. Lisa said that she had been on disability because of breathing problems, but she went back to work to escape boredom.
11-3-11 at Vista Peak K8: We served quesadillas and I gave a little boy one with melted cheese that had oozed out of the tortilla just a little. I told him it was a smile with the tongue sticking out; so then he showed it to all his friends.
In November at Frontier K8: We were serving lasagna and focacia bread. One little girl said, "You're pretty." I, in my hairnet, thought she was talking about someone else. Kathy had to tell me that she meant me :)
11-7-11 at Elkhart Elementary: these ladies have a way-too-tiny kitchen which they endure with amazing patience! Next year they're getting a new kitchen which they desperately need.
11-17-11 at Central High School: At our lunch break, Samantha prayed, "Jesus, bless the people who prepared this meal." Amen!
Thursday, 11-18-11 at Gateway High School: Awesome Thanksgiving turkey for lunch!
My favorite memory at Gateway was watching Shaun rock out to tunes while scrubbing sheet pans with great zeal. Wish I had that much energy!
While I was at Gateway, I helped in the snack line. I accidentally called a male student "honey". Don't know what he thought of that.
11-30-11 at Vista Peak K8: Before I woke up on this morning, I had dreamed that I was in a kitchen with a walk-in cooler that had a temperature of 51 degrees. That was a nightmare!
I always get a kick out of the sign on the milk box at Vista Peak. It says: Do Not Play in the Milk Box. Actually, the sign is there for a reason, but it just makes me laugh.
When I was serving the kindergartners, one little boy was having a hard time handling the tongs. He served himself one piece of lettuce, then gave up. Instead of getting his greens, he got his green.
12-16-11 Still inspired by Shaun at Gateway H.S. Today chicken was on the menu and I got to scrub those nasty sheet pans.
Beginning in January, I became a regular at the Aurora Hills brand new middle school.
On Jan. 12 one of my coworkers was choking from an allergic reaction to chicken, and Victoria rescued her by doing the Heimlich. Thank God for Victoria and her CNA skills.
1-20-12 We were trying to guess when Fikreta's baby would be born. The due date was mid-February. Mary guessed Jan. 29th; the rest of us guessed nearer the due date. Fikreta's baby girl was born on Feb. 3. Nobody guessed it.
2-1-12 Another day of busy people in tight spaces. I heard a loud "Oh!" Elaine, carrying a pan of buns, had collided with Maria. There was laughter.
2-16-12 The February birthday cake was chocolate with white and chocolate swirled frosting, chocolate sprinkles, and cherry chips. Beautiful!
Alex was making sweet and sour chicken in the tilting skillet. She asked me to get four-inch pans, but I thought she said orange pans. That hood fan is noisy!
We learned that if green bananas are refrigerated, they'll never ripen.
One coworker asked me if I wanted to go to the beefcake review. My husband told me that I have a beefcake review at home.
Friday, Feb. 17. There was bubble wrap with the tostada shells, so I took it home and we stomped on it to celebrate Friday.
2-24-12 My mother-in-law was in the hospital and had stopped breathing, so they had put her on a ventilator. I got this news while at work. When I told Sonja, one of our subs, about it, she said that her thoughts and prayers would be with me. That meant a lot. BTW, my mother-in-law is now recovering nicely, which is a wonderful answer to many people's prayers.
Feb. Sometimes I'm good at stating the obvious, like this: "It's a lot colder in the freezer than in the walk-in cooler."
2-29-12 I have met some interesting people while working for APS. Cherry plays violin for the Aurora Symphony Orchestra. Tawnya is a hair stylist who does a lot of weaves.
3-1-12 Lunch break conversation: Merna says that celery helps cure insomnia. And recently one of our subs told me that the white membrane on a grapefruit helps clear up mucus when you have a cold.
March: Being tall is nice, because I can help Rocio get stuff off the top shelf of the walk-in.
Won't mention any names, but I heard that at one cafeteria, a kitchen employee was sweeping dirt into the cafeteria for the janitor to clean up. And the janitor was sweeping her pile of dirt into the kitchen and leaving it there. But that's all in the past.
That's all I've got for now. Thanks for the memories, APS.
In October I spent a week at Peoria Elementary. It's interesting to hear people tell why they work at APS. Lisa said that she had been on disability because of breathing problems, but she went back to work to escape boredom.
11-3-11 at Vista Peak K8: We served quesadillas and I gave a little boy one with melted cheese that had oozed out of the tortilla just a little. I told him it was a smile with the tongue sticking out; so then he showed it to all his friends.
In November at Frontier K8: We were serving lasagna and focacia bread. One little girl said, "You're pretty." I, in my hairnet, thought she was talking about someone else. Kathy had to tell me that she meant me :)
11-7-11 at Elkhart Elementary: these ladies have a way-too-tiny kitchen which they endure with amazing patience! Next year they're getting a new kitchen which they desperately need.
11-17-11 at Central High School: At our lunch break, Samantha prayed, "Jesus, bless the people who prepared this meal." Amen!
Thursday, 11-18-11 at Gateway High School: Awesome Thanksgiving turkey for lunch!
My favorite memory at Gateway was watching Shaun rock out to tunes while scrubbing sheet pans with great zeal. Wish I had that much energy!
While I was at Gateway, I helped in the snack line. I accidentally called a male student "honey". Don't know what he thought of that.
11-30-11 at Vista Peak K8: Before I woke up on this morning, I had dreamed that I was in a kitchen with a walk-in cooler that had a temperature of 51 degrees. That was a nightmare!
I always get a kick out of the sign on the milk box at Vista Peak. It says: Do Not Play in the Milk Box. Actually, the sign is there for a reason, but it just makes me laugh.
When I was serving the kindergartners, one little boy was having a hard time handling the tongs. He served himself one piece of lettuce, then gave up. Instead of getting his greens, he got his green.
12-16-11 Still inspired by Shaun at Gateway H.S. Today chicken was on the menu and I got to scrub those nasty sheet pans.
Beginning in January, I became a regular at the Aurora Hills brand new middle school.
On Jan. 12 one of my coworkers was choking from an allergic reaction to chicken, and Victoria rescued her by doing the Heimlich. Thank God for Victoria and her CNA skills.
1-20-12 We were trying to guess when Fikreta's baby would be born. The due date was mid-February. Mary guessed Jan. 29th; the rest of us guessed nearer the due date. Fikreta's baby girl was born on Feb. 3. Nobody guessed it.
2-1-12 Another day of busy people in tight spaces. I heard a loud "Oh!" Elaine, carrying a pan of buns, had collided with Maria. There was laughter.
2-16-12 The February birthday cake was chocolate with white and chocolate swirled frosting, chocolate sprinkles, and cherry chips. Beautiful!
Alex was making sweet and sour chicken in the tilting skillet. She asked me to get four-inch pans, but I thought she said orange pans. That hood fan is noisy!
We learned that if green bananas are refrigerated, they'll never ripen.
One coworker asked me if I wanted to go to the beefcake review. My husband told me that I have a beefcake review at home.
Friday, Feb. 17. There was bubble wrap with the tostada shells, so I took it home and we stomped on it to celebrate Friday.
2-24-12 My mother-in-law was in the hospital and had stopped breathing, so they had put her on a ventilator. I got this news while at work. When I told Sonja, one of our subs, about it, she said that her thoughts and prayers would be with me. That meant a lot. BTW, my mother-in-law is now recovering nicely, which is a wonderful answer to many people's prayers.
Feb. Sometimes I'm good at stating the obvious, like this: "It's a lot colder in the freezer than in the walk-in cooler."
2-29-12 I have met some interesting people while working for APS. Cherry plays violin for the Aurora Symphony Orchestra. Tawnya is a hair stylist who does a lot of weaves.
3-1-12 Lunch break conversation: Merna says that celery helps cure insomnia. And recently one of our subs told me that the white membrane on a grapefruit helps clear up mucus when you have a cold.
March: Being tall is nice, because I can help Rocio get stuff off the top shelf of the walk-in.
Won't mention any names, but I heard that at one cafeteria, a kitchen employee was sweeping dirt into the cafeteria for the janitor to clean up. And the janitor was sweeping her pile of dirt into the kitchen and leaving it there. But that's all in the past.
That's all I've got for now. Thanks for the memories, APS.
How to Impress the Lord
I've been thinking about Matthew 15:22-28 where a Canaanite woman whose daughter was demon-possessed asked Jesus to heal her daughter. Jesus said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel....It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."
I don't think Jesus really thought that this woman and her daughter were dogs. I think he saw the woman's faith and was setting her up with an opportunity to show even more faith. And she passed the test with flying colors. Her response was, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."
I see here humility, desperation, the intense love of a mother, and a lot of faith in the one who heals and who is willing to heal. This wasn't lost on Jesus. He was very impressed with this Gentile mommy and commended her for having GREAT faith.
I'm a Gentile mommy myself, and the thought that I could impress God by believing that he is a kind healer makes me very happy.
I don't think Jesus really thought that this woman and her daughter were dogs. I think he saw the woman's faith and was setting her up with an opportunity to show even more faith. And she passed the test with flying colors. Her response was, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."
I see here humility, desperation, the intense love of a mother, and a lot of faith in the one who heals and who is willing to heal. This wasn't lost on Jesus. He was very impressed with this Gentile mommy and commended her for having GREAT faith.
I'm a Gentile mommy myself, and the thought that I could impress God by believing that he is a kind healer makes me very happy.
A Girl Issue
Guys, bear with me; this is not a problem that men usually deal with, though sometimes I have wished that they did. But many of us women struggle with it, and I have suffered years of stress and anxiety because: I think my house has to be perfectly clean. Last night my daughter was reading a book at the kitchen table, and she was using the pepper shaker turned sideways on top of the book, to keep it open while she read. I envisioned pepper spilling everywhere, got angry, took the pepper shaker away, and said, "Hold the book open yourself." This morning when I was confessing my sins to the Lord, that attitude came to mind right away.
This runs very deep in me. When I was a child, I didn't enjoy watching the Three Stooges because they made messes and didn't clean them up. No kidding.
Mom gave my sister and me Saturday cleaning chores. I remember complaining that my sister didn't straighten up the place well enough, and I would go around behind her and put away all the stuff that she had neatly stacked. It was a jealousy thing; I wished I could be as popular and well-liked as my sister was, but socializing wasn't my strong suit. So I decided to be the one who did everything right. What self-esteem I had was built on that.
And all these years later I found myself still believing the lie that I couldn't be a good person unless I kept the house perfectly clean. But Romans 5:17 says that righteousness is a gift that we receive from Jesus. For free. So, next time I see a mess in my house, Lord, please remind me that you took away my old, sinful self and gave me the gift of righteousness, and I don't have to do any work to keep that gift.
This runs very deep in me. When I was a child, I didn't enjoy watching the Three Stooges because they made messes and didn't clean them up. No kidding.
Mom gave my sister and me Saturday cleaning chores. I remember complaining that my sister didn't straighten up the place well enough, and I would go around behind her and put away all the stuff that she had neatly stacked. It was a jealousy thing; I wished I could be as popular and well-liked as my sister was, but socializing wasn't my strong suit. So I decided to be the one who did everything right. What self-esteem I had was built on that.
And all these years later I found myself still believing the lie that I couldn't be a good person unless I kept the house perfectly clean. But Romans 5:17 says that righteousness is a gift that we receive from Jesus. For free. So, next time I see a mess in my house, Lord, please remind me that you took away my old, sinful self and gave me the gift of righteousness, and I don't have to do any work to keep that gift.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
What I Would Preach
I got a good night's sleep and I feel healthy for the first time in four days, for which i'm very thankful.
I came across a quote from Brother Lawrence: "If I were a preacher, I would preach nothing but practicing the presence of God."
Which set me to thinking about what I'd preach if I were a preacher.
I'd start by preaching that Jesus died for our sins, and that He puts to death our sinful selves and makes us new, righteous people when He comes to live in us.
I'd teach people to give up on self-sufficiency and to depend on Jesus.
Then I'd preach practicing the presence of God. And that's all I would preach.
I came across a quote from Brother Lawrence: "If I were a preacher, I would preach nothing but practicing the presence of God."
Which set me to thinking about what I'd preach if I were a preacher.
I'd start by preaching that Jesus died for our sins, and that He puts to death our sinful selves and makes us new, righteous people when He comes to live in us.
I'd teach people to give up on self-sufficiency and to depend on Jesus.
Then I'd preach practicing the presence of God. And that's all I would preach.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
A Blessing
I've got a bad cold which comes with a lot of aches. So I went to Wal Mart to get a pain reliever. I was looking at the Tylenol when I heard the resounding of about thirty wind chimes. A mom had bumped her cart into the display, much to the delight of her small daughter. I smiled at the little girl and said, "That sounds pretty, doesn't it?"
The girl stood by the display for several minutes, making them chime quietly. It was such a sweet moment--God knew I needed some cheering up.
The girl stood by the display for several minutes, making them chime quietly. It was such a sweet moment--God knew I needed some cheering up.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Jesus Likes Us
I've been working 25+ hours a week in addition to homeschooling two children, so unfortunately I've had less time to listen to the Lord and share the thoughts He gives me. But this morning I awoke very early with issues to deal with, and the Lord gave me some encouragement, which I would like to share:
I have a tendency to assume that people don't like me, though that is rarely the truth. I could tie my heart in knots trying to test that hypothesis, but really the only opinion of me that matters is the Lord's, because He's God and He only thinks truth. I know that Jesus loves us unconditionally and sacrificially, but I wanted to know if He likes me, so I asked Him. He assured me that He does like me. Then I wanted Him to let me know why He likes me. His answer: because you are mine; also because a relationship with each and every person is the main thing I've ever wanted.
I then asked Him if He likes me even though I'm not mature yet. He told me that He thoroughly enjoys walking with me as He matures me. He reminded me of Psalm 149:4, which says, "The Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation." He likes to see us grow as He makes our souls more beautiful.
I would really like to parent the way our heavenly Father does. If my daughter had a fleshly moment, how wonderful it would be to just celebrate that it's part of the growing process and that the Lord will be faithful to complete the work He's begun in her. The Lord still delights in us even when we're not following Him or even paying attention to Him. I would love to be that way with my children!
One more thought: there is glory in where we're at right now. Christ lives in all of His people and that makes us all amazing, even if we are newborn believers or if we wake up at 5 a.m. on a Sunday with issues bugging us (Gal. 2:20, 2 Cor. 3:18 GLORY to glory). It just gets better tomorrow, the day after, and here on out till we see Jesus and become fully like Him.
I have a tendency to assume that people don't like me, though that is rarely the truth. I could tie my heart in knots trying to test that hypothesis, but really the only opinion of me that matters is the Lord's, because He's God and He only thinks truth. I know that Jesus loves us unconditionally and sacrificially, but I wanted to know if He likes me, so I asked Him. He assured me that He does like me. Then I wanted Him to let me know why He likes me. His answer: because you are mine; also because a relationship with each and every person is the main thing I've ever wanted.
I then asked Him if He likes me even though I'm not mature yet. He told me that He thoroughly enjoys walking with me as He matures me. He reminded me of Psalm 149:4, which says, "The Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation." He likes to see us grow as He makes our souls more beautiful.
I would really like to parent the way our heavenly Father does. If my daughter had a fleshly moment, how wonderful it would be to just celebrate that it's part of the growing process and that the Lord will be faithful to complete the work He's begun in her. The Lord still delights in us even when we're not following Him or even paying attention to Him. I would love to be that way with my children!
One more thought: there is glory in where we're at right now. Christ lives in all of His people and that makes us all amazing, even if we are newborn believers or if we wake up at 5 a.m. on a Sunday with issues bugging us (Gal. 2:20, 2 Cor. 3:18 GLORY to glory). It just gets better tomorrow, the day after, and here on out till we see Jesus and become fully like Him.
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