2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Praise God!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Taste and See that the Lord is Good!
I have a dear Sister that was assigned to me... That's right, she was directed to take me on and love me. It reminds me of my dad's saying when he would joke with us, "You were so goofy looking when you were little; we had to tie a pork chop around your neck so the dog would play with you!" We kids thought that was so funny, and we would laugh and laugh. Anyway, I was such a mess in my twenties and early thirties, spiritually, that no one would have wanted to be tasked with loving me no matter what delicacy was dangling from my neck!
Don't get the wrong idea here, I am not feeling sorry for myself at all. When I look back and think of all the trouble I had gotten myself into, and how much I wanted others to see my "plight" and feel compassion for me on my terms... I wonder how this dear Sister was able to stick it out with me. But then, she never told me what I wanted to hear either, she told me the Truth. As she walked with me, and faithfully told me God's Truth in Love, I began to gain an appetite for it.
This dear Sister invited me to call her anytime, day or night... I think back to this open ended invitation and it floors me. She is a wife and home school mother to three, while keeping another part-time job. Her plate was full and I know sleep had to be a scarce and sacred commodity. Yet, when I called in the wee hours of the morning and drug her out of her cozy bed and away from the nearness of her husband, she never complained. She simply readied herself to listen and answer honestly in Truth. As painful as it was to hear sometimes, I always went away feeling as though my malnourished heart and mind had been fed a healthy and satisfying meal. I left with a good taste in my spiritual mouth and could fall asleep and rest, as my heart digested the Word and wisdom God faithfully spoke through her. Her and her family's selflessness and sacrifice was true love, used by the Father to help save me and spur me on down the path I had wandered so far from.
I often think of my Sister's marvelous ability to relate all the blessings and Truths of God's Word to food. The Word says in Psalm 34:8, "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him," and that is exactly how she related God's Word to me through those years, and still today. God, in His clever and awesome orchestration knew full well how I would respond to those illustrations. Those that know me best understand that in my mind, all things pleasurable revolve around good food and conversation. God gave me the gift of a friend that is closer than a brother and could teach me to feast on the Word of God.
You might hear her say of a good book or testimony, "Yum! That was so chalk full of Truth, I had to munch, crunch and chew on that for a few days... Delicious!" In passing, you may think she was talking about her most recent and delightful gastronomic experience, when in fact; it is actually her spirit that is devouring delectable dishes of Truth. It is her spirit that she keeps well fed, which in turn, continues to grow a strong and healthy faith, steeped in the blessings and riches of Christ. Her carefully trained and sensitive palate relishes the sweet milk of God's Word, while sipping on the tender love and gentleness of the Father. Carefully, mulling over, tasting and testing each glorious promise, savoring each enticing aroma of hope, grace and salvation.
Yet, she also has a great appetite and sturdy gut for the bold, rich fare of meat in God's Word; meat that smacks of careful and honest reflection. Her devoted heart demands that nothing is wasted and that her spirit receives and responds to all that the Father holds for her. Robust and sharp flavors linger, flavors that need time and discipline to become acquired tastes of the heart and spirit. Sometimes shocking piquant morsels, that others may purposely ignore or miss, are sought after to wake the spirit and provoke growth and broadened understanding.
This is who I want to be. One that truly hungers and thirsts for the righteousness of God, desiring His Truth at the cost of complacent comfort. Thank you, Sister, for your love, example, and testimony. Thank you for your heart and belly for Jesus!
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Isaiah 55:1-2 Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
All Bible references taken from the New International Version.
Don't get the wrong idea here, I am not feeling sorry for myself at all. When I look back and think of all the trouble I had gotten myself into, and how much I wanted others to see my "plight" and feel compassion for me on my terms... I wonder how this dear Sister was able to stick it out with me. But then, she never told me what I wanted to hear either, she told me the Truth. As she walked with me, and faithfully told me God's Truth in Love, I began to gain an appetite for it.
This dear Sister invited me to call her anytime, day or night... I think back to this open ended invitation and it floors me. She is a wife and home school mother to three, while keeping another part-time job. Her plate was full and I know sleep had to be a scarce and sacred commodity. Yet, when I called in the wee hours of the morning and drug her out of her cozy bed and away from the nearness of her husband, she never complained. She simply readied herself to listen and answer honestly in Truth. As painful as it was to hear sometimes, I always went away feeling as though my malnourished heart and mind had been fed a healthy and satisfying meal. I left with a good taste in my spiritual mouth and could fall asleep and rest, as my heart digested the Word and wisdom God faithfully spoke through her. Her and her family's selflessness and sacrifice was true love, used by the Father to help save me and spur me on down the path I had wandered so far from.
I often think of my Sister's marvelous ability to relate all the blessings and Truths of God's Word to food. The Word says in Psalm 34:8, "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him," and that is exactly how she related God's Word to me through those years, and still today. God, in His clever and awesome orchestration knew full well how I would respond to those illustrations. Those that know me best understand that in my mind, all things pleasurable revolve around good food and conversation. God gave me the gift of a friend that is closer than a brother and could teach me to feast on the Word of God.
You might hear her say of a good book or testimony, "Yum! That was so chalk full of Truth, I had to munch, crunch and chew on that for a few days... Delicious!" In passing, you may think she was talking about her most recent and delightful gastronomic experience, when in fact; it is actually her spirit that is devouring delectable dishes of Truth. It is her spirit that she keeps well fed, which in turn, continues to grow a strong and healthy faith, steeped in the blessings and riches of Christ. Her carefully trained and sensitive palate relishes the sweet milk of God's Word, while sipping on the tender love and gentleness of the Father. Carefully, mulling over, tasting and testing each glorious promise, savoring each enticing aroma of hope, grace and salvation.
Yet, she also has a great appetite and sturdy gut for the bold, rich fare of meat in God's Word; meat that smacks of careful and honest reflection. Her devoted heart demands that nothing is wasted and that her spirit receives and responds to all that the Father holds for her. Robust and sharp flavors linger, flavors that need time and discipline to become acquired tastes of the heart and spirit. Sometimes shocking piquant morsels, that others may purposely ignore or miss, are sought after to wake the spirit and provoke growth and broadened understanding.
This is who I want to be. One that truly hungers and thirsts for the righteousness of God, desiring His Truth at the cost of complacent comfort. Thank you, Sister, for your love, example, and testimony. Thank you for your heart and belly for Jesus!
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Isaiah 55:1-2 Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
All Bible references taken from the New International Version.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Daughter of the King or Drama Queen?
Have you been sucked in by the drama of Housewives? Either in the semi-reality display on our cable TV or in the comfort of our own neighborhoods, sometimes even in our church families, it plays out. We would like to pretend that we have risen above our seventh grade antics of gossiping, ugly stares, cold shoulders, cliques and the rest... But, have we really, or have we just graduated into more expensive shoes and bigger bras? If we don't actively participate in the shenanigans, it can be tempting to gawk from the sidelines for a giggle or a snicker.
Chicks are tough, there is no doubt about it. From a very early age, the female mind can size up another person in seconds flat, determining everything from taste and status to confidence and likability. Of course the scale or measuring stick is completely subjective and subject to instantaneous adjustment by the assessor. However, in the female world, subjective is king or should I say, "queen."
Sadly, all of it... and I mean ALL of it, stems from feelings of insecurity. Even more tragic, is that it passes from mother to daughter with more ease than most genetic traits. Daughters quickly pick up on their mother's responses and reactions and begin to deal with the world and women around them in a very similar way. Catty responses slide off the tongue with greater ease as the years pass. What should bring admiration for the complexity and diversity of God's creation in other women, instead begins to beckon disdain and irritation. It becomes simpler to dislike someone for what makes them special than to explore the gift God has offered there. Walls are built, and a few "Besties" or "BFFs" are allowed inside. Often though, these "close" friends never truly search out the depths of each other's spirits, because to expose a soft side to anyone could be social suicide.
Sisters, if we don't take the time to expose and correct these lies in our own hearts and minds and truly learn who we are in Christ, we run the risk of sending our own daughters down a road of dissatisfaction, discontentment, and disappointment. If we place our confidence and worth in anything other than our Lord and Savior, we are setting ourselves up for nothing but regret. What an empty offer to our daughters.
If your daughter's confidence is in her beauty, she will be disappointed because it is fleeting and flawed, even though those flaws may be difficult for you to see. If her confidence is in her intellect, she will be disappointed when she is stumped in its limitations. If her confidence is in her popularity, she will be disappointed when someone else upstages her since infatuation is fickle. If her confidence is in her wealth, she will be disappointed when she finds it cannot buy her love, security, friends or faithfulness. If her confidence in her position, she will be disappointed to find there is always someone above her. If her confidence is in her sexuality and ability to seduce, she will be disappointed when the man she desires is looking for more depth than she can offer; and hurt when she realizes that the men who are drawn to her are not interested in her heart, but only their own selfish gratification.
All the things that the world holds in esteem are only empty promises of satisfaction and happiness. The thrill WILL be temporary and won't provide lifelong fulfillment, joy or peace. In fact, because these worldly ideals are temporal and ever changing, they only create feelings of fear and anxiety... A girl will eventually know deep down that there is no real security in these things, but because she has never experienced the true acceptance of Christ, she will continue to work tirelessly to produce acceptance from the world. Fear of rejection can override all common sense and is the cause of countless casualties of virtue (Proverbs 11:22).
Insecurity grabs hold as the heart looks to avoid the world’s rejection and self-preservation is sought at all costs. Girls learn early that they must be the best, and if they are not, they must bring down those getting in their way. You know the drill; this is where "Mean Girl" meets "Victim Girl." It is hard to not be one or the other, unless you are the girl who is sucking up to the "Mean Girl," in attempt to keep her off of your own back. The drama unfolds as the female mind convinces herself that if she draws attention to other people's flaws, the focus of the world audience will shift, and hopefully, no one will notice her own. It becomes an endless cycle that isolates women from others, when God has actually wired us to grow and thrive in relationships. In the insecure heart lives a girl who never really rests and trusts, knowing more loneliness than she would care to admit.
If we allow ourselves to believe that anything is more important about us than how God views us, we will be insecure for as long as we believe it, and so will our girls. They may not be able to express it fully, but deep down they understand that their beauty and abilities are limited, finite, and unreliable - no one can fully rest and trust in themselves or their own flawed human frailty. Only Jesus is limitless, infinite and totally reliable. He is where we can truly rest, trust and find confidence (2 Corinthians 12:9).
A daughter of the Most High God, who knows where her true value lies, has a grace, assurance and confidence that are not shattered by the world's definition of beauty or value. Harsh words, mean stares and cold shoulders of cruel, insecure girls are only inconvenient, not catastrophic. She understands that their response to her is immaturity and insecurity. She can learn to see them as God sees them, and have compassion and sympathy for them in their fruitless pursuits. She can love them with Christ’s love, as He first loved her. She can see their perspective as a lack of Christ in their lives, recognizing that they are not fully trusting in God for their value and leading. She knows that only her God is unchanging and only His perspective, plan and purpose matter! Despite what anyone says or thinks - peace, joy and contentment come in the knowing that He has a future and a hope for her (Jeremiah 29:11)
The Lord desires to show you His Truth that will protect your heart and not allow the destructive lies of the world to derail your self-worth... or maybe better put, your "God-worth." He is ABLE!
Proverbs 31:30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Galatians 1:10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Romans 8:37-39 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
All Bible references taken from the New International Version.
Chicks are tough, there is no doubt about it. From a very early age, the female mind can size up another person in seconds flat, determining everything from taste and status to confidence and likability. Of course the scale or measuring stick is completely subjective and subject to instantaneous adjustment by the assessor. However, in the female world, subjective is king or should I say, "queen."
Sadly, all of it... and I mean ALL of it, stems from feelings of insecurity. Even more tragic, is that it passes from mother to daughter with more ease than most genetic traits. Daughters quickly pick up on their mother's responses and reactions and begin to deal with the world and women around them in a very similar way. Catty responses slide off the tongue with greater ease as the years pass. What should bring admiration for the complexity and diversity of God's creation in other women, instead begins to beckon disdain and irritation. It becomes simpler to dislike someone for what makes them special than to explore the gift God has offered there. Walls are built, and a few "Besties" or "BFFs" are allowed inside. Often though, these "close" friends never truly search out the depths of each other's spirits, because to expose a soft side to anyone could be social suicide.
Sisters, if we don't take the time to expose and correct these lies in our own hearts and minds and truly learn who we are in Christ, we run the risk of sending our own daughters down a road of dissatisfaction, discontentment, and disappointment. If we place our confidence and worth in anything other than our Lord and Savior, we are setting ourselves up for nothing but regret. What an empty offer to our daughters.
If your daughter's confidence is in her beauty, she will be disappointed because it is fleeting and flawed, even though those flaws may be difficult for you to see. If her confidence is in her intellect, she will be disappointed when she is stumped in its limitations. If her confidence is in her popularity, she will be disappointed when someone else upstages her since infatuation is fickle. If her confidence is in her wealth, she will be disappointed when she finds it cannot buy her love, security, friends or faithfulness. If her confidence in her position, she will be disappointed to find there is always someone above her. If her confidence is in her sexuality and ability to seduce, she will be disappointed when the man she desires is looking for more depth than she can offer; and hurt when she realizes that the men who are drawn to her are not interested in her heart, but only their own selfish gratification.
All the things that the world holds in esteem are only empty promises of satisfaction and happiness. The thrill WILL be temporary and won't provide lifelong fulfillment, joy or peace. In fact, because these worldly ideals are temporal and ever changing, they only create feelings of fear and anxiety... A girl will eventually know deep down that there is no real security in these things, but because she has never experienced the true acceptance of Christ, she will continue to work tirelessly to produce acceptance from the world. Fear of rejection can override all common sense and is the cause of countless casualties of virtue (Proverbs 11:22).
Insecurity grabs hold as the heart looks to avoid the world’s rejection and self-preservation is sought at all costs. Girls learn early that they must be the best, and if they are not, they must bring down those getting in their way. You know the drill; this is where "Mean Girl" meets "Victim Girl." It is hard to not be one or the other, unless you are the girl who is sucking up to the "Mean Girl," in attempt to keep her off of your own back. The drama unfolds as the female mind convinces herself that if she draws attention to other people's flaws, the focus of the world audience will shift, and hopefully, no one will notice her own. It becomes an endless cycle that isolates women from others, when God has actually wired us to grow and thrive in relationships. In the insecure heart lives a girl who never really rests and trusts, knowing more loneliness than she would care to admit.
If we allow ourselves to believe that anything is more important about us than how God views us, we will be insecure for as long as we believe it, and so will our girls. They may not be able to express it fully, but deep down they understand that their beauty and abilities are limited, finite, and unreliable - no one can fully rest and trust in themselves or their own flawed human frailty. Only Jesus is limitless, infinite and totally reliable. He is where we can truly rest, trust and find confidence (2 Corinthians 12:9).
A daughter of the Most High God, who knows where her true value lies, has a grace, assurance and confidence that are not shattered by the world's definition of beauty or value. Harsh words, mean stares and cold shoulders of cruel, insecure girls are only inconvenient, not catastrophic. She understands that their response to her is immaturity and insecurity. She can learn to see them as God sees them, and have compassion and sympathy for them in their fruitless pursuits. She can love them with Christ’s love, as He first loved her. She can see their perspective as a lack of Christ in their lives, recognizing that they are not fully trusting in God for their value and leading. She knows that only her God is unchanging and only His perspective, plan and purpose matter! Despite what anyone says or thinks - peace, joy and contentment come in the knowing that He has a future and a hope for her (Jeremiah 29:11)
The Lord desires to show you His Truth that will protect your heart and not allow the destructive lies of the world to derail your self-worth... or maybe better put, your "God-worth." He is ABLE!
Proverbs 31:30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Galatians 1:10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Romans 8:37-39 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
All Bible references taken from the New International Version.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Food, Fun and Freedom
For years I looked forward to the fourth of July for the food, fun and lit up night sky. The sound of birds chirping, flags flapping in the breeze, and squeals from squirt gun fights. Little ones entranced with the marvel of holding sparklers, while simultaneously feeling anxious at the gradual procession of flame down the wand toward their chubby fingers. The air smelling of seared meat, citronella, sunscreen, burnt matches, cut grass, and sweaty kids; a marvelous concoction that can lour even the biggest Party-Poop out and into a lawn chair. A reason to miss work and the expectation to make a mess, irresistible!
It wasn't until I was in my thirties and married to a career Navy-man, that I actually began to consider the celebration in a different light. The turning point for me was one of many opportunities to see my husband salute the flag and stand at attention for the National Anthem... In that moment I began to realize the full weight of symbolism our flag and great hymn of freedom held, being won at the loss of dearly loved husbands, fathers, sons and brothers. The often gruesome endings these patriots realized while never expecting their names to be written on a monument or found in a history book. Yet they gave all they had, that we might enjoy the freedoms we know today.
How often do we think of the lives lost so that we might read God's Word without fear of being thrown in prison or even killed? Do we ever consider in the car on the way to church, that people died so that we could come together in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ? Do the fireworks remind us of what they were intended to symbolize, "the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air," and the death of freedom fighters who paid the ultimate price so that our opinions and beliefs might be protected and heard? It is sobering, isn’t it? Yet, still a marvel to celebrate! What a heritage, what a country, what a gift to live in the United States of America! A land where each citizen holds an inheritance that grants them the opportunity to realize their dreams. An inheritance left by selfless people who sacrificed their life to make their dream of freedom real for you and I, while never having the opportunity to experience liberty themselves. Incredible.
If you have the opportunity this weekend or in the days to come, thank a soldier or veteran for the selfless decisions they have made to protect and serve, so that we might continue to enjoy the land of the free and the home of the brave.
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
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My 95 year old Grandpa sends me pictures to remind me of home :) I love his perspective and thoughtfulness.