I'm a Mommy Again!!!
15 years ago
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas. I wish you sunshine along with the rain. I wish you peace, and I wish you joy.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Reflection
The majority of what you see in the photograph is a reflection. Nothing seen on the surface of the water is really there except for a few floating leaves. Yet there is beauty in the water because of the combination of circumstances that led up to the day and time of this photograph. I had nothing to do with any of the circumstances other than being in a particular location at a particular time - with a camera.
The creek channel was formed by floods over many years. One tree at the edge of the channel has grown in this location for decades, and others for only a short time. I have walked along this creek for over fifty years and yet it is different this year.
Beavers have returned to these streams. They have cut trees and moved mud, causing the water level to be higher than it has ever been in my memory. The water was calm and still, allowing the surface to reflect a true picture of the scene above. Winter has arrived and the leaves are no longer on most of the trees, clearing the view of the blue sky above. The position of the sun played a part in capturing this image. I was in this same location four days earlier at an earlier time of day and the image in the water did not begin to show the vivid blue of the sky. Had I forgotten to bring my camera it is likely that I would not have focused my attention on the beauty of the reflection.
Circumstances of life shape the image we reflect to others. The storms of live can wash us away in despair or can deepen the channel of our soul. The busy beavers that come to live near us can be viewed as a nuisance or as an agent of change. The winters that come can be viewed as drab or as time of rest and revitalization. I can, should and do question the timing of events that take place and may never understand them. Rather than be in turmoil, I can find peace and quietness of soul by reflecting the love that can be seen in the life of Jesus Christ, God's only Son whose birth we celebrate tomorrow.
The water in the picture only reflects its surroundings. May our surroundings be such that what we reflect is the image of the Savior we worship. The beginning words of the song Here I am to Worship say we see what is lovely only because of Him.
Light of the world,
You stepped down into darkness.
Opened my eyes, let me see.
Beauty that made this heart adore you
Hope of a life spent with you
And here I am to worship,
here I am to bow down,
here I am to say that you're my God
You're altogether lovely,
altogether worthy,
altogether wonderful to me."
Here's a link to the complete song if you wish to hear it.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Turf or Truth
Following the death of Lazarus, Jesus performed a miracle, restoring the physical life of his friend. What ensued after the miracle is a sad testimony to the desire of mankind to protect the familiar, comfortable turf we feel belongs to us.
John 11:45-48 (New English Translation) “Then many of the people, who had come with Mary and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and reported to them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said, ‘What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs. If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary and our nation.’”
The physical temple in Jerusalem and the nation (organization) to which the Jewish leaders belonged were priority turf to certain members of the Jewish leadership. The words and miraculous deeds of Jesus were viewed as a threat rather than as the ultimate truth.
For the Jews of Jesus day, their spiritual scotoma (blind or dark spot in the visual field) related to religious practices. Failure to follow truth led to spiritual loss and within a few years the loss of their temple and their nation – the loss of both turf and truth.
What turf am I trying to protect? How can my blinders be removed? Could it be that proper placement of priorities on pursuit of God’s will instead of my own is the answer?
Jesus said in Matthew 6:25, 31-34: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing? … So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.”
John 11:45-48 (New English Translation) “Then many of the people, who had come with Mary and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and reported to them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said, ‘What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs. If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary and our nation.’”
The physical temple in Jerusalem and the nation (organization) to which the Jewish leaders belonged were priority turf to certain members of the Jewish leadership. The words and miraculous deeds of Jesus were viewed as a threat rather than as the ultimate truth.
For the Jews of Jesus day, their spiritual scotoma (blind or dark spot in the visual field) related to religious practices. Failure to follow truth led to spiritual loss and within a few years the loss of their temple and their nation – the loss of both turf and truth.
What turf am I trying to protect? How can my blinders be removed? Could it be that proper placement of priorities on pursuit of God’s will instead of my own is the answer?
Jesus said in Matthew 6:25, 31-34: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing? … So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.”
Monday, November 5, 2007
Fasting – More than Missing a Meal
A significant number of references to the word “fast” or the word “fasting” in scripture are connected to the concept of humbling oneself before God. How then do I humble myself? Is it by giving up my priorities and agenda for what God deems to be important?
What then is important to the God of the universe? Are any of the following on the list of God’s priorities?
• Doing something about injustice?
• Working against exploitation of people?
• Freedom for oppressed people?
• Helping people to break out of the downward cycle of spiraling debt?
• Finding ways to feed the hungry?
• Should one go so far as to invite a homeless person to stay the night?
• Finding clothing for those who have need?
• Giving priority to one’s family?
• Stopping the gossip and malicious talk about others?
• Giving time rather than just financing to help those who have real needs?
Could it be that fasting involves more than the giving up of some sort of nourishment for the body? Could fasting also involve the giving up of my priorities and pride to serve those less fortunate than myself? Could it be that getting out of my personal comfort zone in order to serve others may be the better way for me to humble myself before God - a fast not of food, but of personal comfort?
Why should I even consider such a path? Realistically I need to understand why this is something I should do – what’s in this for me?
In Isaiah 58: 6-11, the Lord declares the kind of fast that is acceptable to Him – that we prioritize the needs of those less fortunate as well as the needs of those He has given us as family. This passage provides promises for those who undertake the proper fast -
• The light of understanding will turn on.
• Serving others will help to heal the hurts we have.
• Our right standing with God will help to pave the path we are to follow.
• Prayers will be answered.
• God will be with us, helping us to see what we need to see about living life.
• Even in the tough places of life, God will give the strength to be resource to help others.
Are these not the actions and results of a man called Jesus? How about Mother Teresa? How about a lady named Daisy Cox who has devoted her life to the care of those who are very ill? Daisy was caring for my Dad about this time last year in his last few days on this earth. Having read the passage below from Isaiah, I now have a better understanding of how she was able physically, mentally and spiritually to do what she so capably does.
Isaiah 58:6-11 NIV
6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
What then is important to the God of the universe? Are any of the following on the list of God’s priorities?
• Doing something about injustice?
• Working against exploitation of people?
• Freedom for oppressed people?
• Helping people to break out of the downward cycle of spiraling debt?
• Finding ways to feed the hungry?
• Should one go so far as to invite a homeless person to stay the night?
• Finding clothing for those who have need?
• Giving priority to one’s family?
• Stopping the gossip and malicious talk about others?
• Giving time rather than just financing to help those who have real needs?
Could it be that fasting involves more than the giving up of some sort of nourishment for the body? Could fasting also involve the giving up of my priorities and pride to serve those less fortunate than myself? Could it be that getting out of my personal comfort zone in order to serve others may be the better way for me to humble myself before God - a fast not of food, but of personal comfort?
Why should I even consider such a path? Realistically I need to understand why this is something I should do – what’s in this for me?
In Isaiah 58: 6-11, the Lord declares the kind of fast that is acceptable to Him – that we prioritize the needs of those less fortunate as well as the needs of those He has given us as family. This passage provides promises for those who undertake the proper fast -
• The light of understanding will turn on.
• Serving others will help to heal the hurts we have.
• Our right standing with God will help to pave the path we are to follow.
• Prayers will be answered.
• God will be with us, helping us to see what we need to see about living life.
• Even in the tough places of life, God will give the strength to be resource to help others.
Are these not the actions and results of a man called Jesus? How about Mother Teresa? How about a lady named Daisy Cox who has devoted her life to the care of those who are very ill? Daisy was caring for my Dad about this time last year in his last few days on this earth. Having read the passage below from Isaiah, I now have a better understanding of how she was able physically, mentally and spiritually to do what she so capably does.
Isaiah 58:6-11 NIV
6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
Monday, October 22, 2007
The Key to God's Treasure
Isaiah 30 (NIV)
15 For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said,
"In repentance and rest you will be saved,
In quietness and trust is your strength."
But you were not willing,…
18 Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you,
And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you
For the LORD is a God of justice;
How blessed are all those who long for Him.
19 O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you.
Isaiah 32
17 The fruit of righteousness will be peace;
the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.
Isaiah 33
5 The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high;
he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness.
6 He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.
15 For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said,
"In repentance and rest you will be saved,
In quietness and trust is your strength."
But you were not willing,…
18 Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you,
And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you
For the LORD is a God of justice;
How blessed are all those who long for Him.
19 O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you.
Isaiah 32
17 The fruit of righteousness will be peace;
the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.
Isaiah 33
5 The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high;
he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness.
6 He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.
- God is waiting to have compassion on us and He longs to be gracious to us. 30:18
- To hear from God, we must fear and reverence God and call on Him in repentance. 30:15
- Our key to God’s treasure is the fear of God. 33:6
- He answers after we call on Him. 30:19
- Our salvation comes through repentance and rest in Him. 30:15
- God is the only secure foundation for our time here on earth. 33:6
- People are blessed who long for God. 30:18
- Our strength comes to us in quietness before God and through our trust in Him. 30:15
- The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. 32:17
- May it not be said of us as was said of Israel “But you were not willing” 30:15
Monday, October 15, 2007
Fear Factor
A Gallup Poll conducted in 2005 reveals the most common fears of teenagers in the United States. The top 10 list goes like this: Terrorist attacks, Spiders, Death, Failure, War, Heights, Crime/Violence, Being alone, The future, and Nuclear war. Other common fears include public speaking, going to the dentist, pain, cancer and snakes.
Most of the items listed above have to do with lack of control; however, the word failure brings to mind the fear of not being good enough – not meeting others expectations or our own expectations.
The Message (MSG) Isaiah 8:11-15 “God spoke strongly to me, grabbed me with both hands and warned me not to go along with this people. He said: ‘Don't be like this people, always afraid somebody is plotting against them. Don't fear what they fear. Don't take on their worries. If you're going to worry, worry about The Holy, Fear God-of-the-Angel-Armies. The Holy can be either a Hiding Place or a Boulder blocking your way, The Rock standing in the willful way of both houses of Israel, A barbed-wire Fence preventing trespass to the citizens of Jerusalem. Many of them are going to run into that Rock and get their bones broken, Get tangled up in that barbed wire and not get free of it.’"
If one chooses to define failure as the inability to meet the expectations other people, fear of failure is guaranteed to be a constant worry – a worry that is characteristic of the most everyone. If instead my fear, worry and awe are focused on God, He becomes a place of safety in the turmoil of life. The writer of Ecclesiastes indicated that he had tried about everything there was to try in this life and his conclusion as to what was the essence of life could be summed up as follows: Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NIV) “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”
If fear of failure is based upon meeting personal expectations, one can put himself in the position of looking back in time, regretting the poor choices made and blaming others for plotting against him. Another peril of personal expectation is to define goals in life that may seem to be great achievement, work diligently to achieve the goals, and fall just short of what was defined as “success.”
The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians indicates that knowing Christ personally as Master is the true definition of success in this life. We will never totally achieve in this life, but we can be assured that the one who perfects our faith is here for us.
Philippians (3: 7-16 The Message) “The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God's righteousness.
I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.
I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.
So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.”
The cure for fear is a well-formed, totally committed love of God.
1 John 4:17-18 (The Message)
“God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.”
Lord, help us to love as You love us.
Most of the items listed above have to do with lack of control; however, the word failure brings to mind the fear of not being good enough – not meeting others expectations or our own expectations.
The Message (MSG) Isaiah 8:11-15 “God spoke strongly to me, grabbed me with both hands and warned me not to go along with this people. He said: ‘Don't be like this people, always afraid somebody is plotting against them. Don't fear what they fear. Don't take on their worries. If you're going to worry, worry about The Holy, Fear God-of-the-Angel-Armies. The Holy can be either a Hiding Place or a Boulder blocking your way, The Rock standing in the willful way of both houses of Israel, A barbed-wire Fence preventing trespass to the citizens of Jerusalem. Many of them are going to run into that Rock and get their bones broken, Get tangled up in that barbed wire and not get free of it.’"
If one chooses to define failure as the inability to meet the expectations other people, fear of failure is guaranteed to be a constant worry – a worry that is characteristic of the most everyone. If instead my fear, worry and awe are focused on God, He becomes a place of safety in the turmoil of life. The writer of Ecclesiastes indicated that he had tried about everything there was to try in this life and his conclusion as to what was the essence of life could be summed up as follows: Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NIV) “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”
If fear of failure is based upon meeting personal expectations, one can put himself in the position of looking back in time, regretting the poor choices made and blaming others for plotting against him. Another peril of personal expectation is to define goals in life that may seem to be great achievement, work diligently to achieve the goals, and fall just short of what was defined as “success.”
The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians indicates that knowing Christ personally as Master is the true definition of success in this life. We will never totally achieve in this life, but we can be assured that the one who perfects our faith is here for us.
Philippians (3: 7-16 The Message) “The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God's righteousness.
I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.
I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.
So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.”
The cure for fear is a well-formed, totally committed love of God.
1 John 4:17-18 (The Message)
“God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.”
Lord, help us to love as You love us.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Faith Journey
I've been reading Reaching for the Invisible God: what can we expect to find? by Philip Yancey. The author states in chapter 6 "A record of God's faithfulness in the past combines with hope of a better future for one end: to equip us for the present."
Hebrews 11:1-2 The Message (MSG)
The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.
The writer of Hebrews then cites examples of faith through the history of God's people, concluding with verses 39-40 "Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours."
These verses are a reminder that my actions in the present (today) have the potential to become a part of the faith legacy of generations, but only if I place my complete trust in God and live my life on His terms. The difficulty is in the application of the concept.
For some things, the Bible speaks very clearly with regard to a specific course of action I am to take - I am to worship God only and love people. I don't have a problem loving people in general, but there are some specific persons who call themselves Christian that test me in the specifif call to patience and longsuffering. It takes an act of faith to deal with these folks as God would have me do, because I may never see any change in them - but maybe, it's me that God is trying to change!
When people I love experience pain, my natural reaction is to ask God to solve the problem for them. Sometimes He does, but many times the problem does not go away. "If only they could see - if only I could see - how differently God views the earth...God never commissioned us to remove all bad things from the world, to undo the Fall; God calls us to redeem the bad, transforming it into something good." (Reaching for the Invisible God: what can we expect to find? by Philip Yancey)
Hebrews 11:1-2 The Message (MSG)
The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.
The writer of Hebrews then cites examples of faith through the history of God's people, concluding with verses 39-40 "Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours."
These verses are a reminder that my actions in the present (today) have the potential to become a part of the faith legacy of generations, but only if I place my complete trust in God and live my life on His terms. The difficulty is in the application of the concept.
For some things, the Bible speaks very clearly with regard to a specific course of action I am to take - I am to worship God only and love people. I don't have a problem loving people in general, but there are some specific persons who call themselves Christian that test me in the specifif call to patience and longsuffering. It takes an act of faith to deal with these folks as God would have me do, because I may never see any change in them - but maybe, it's me that God is trying to change!
When people I love experience pain, my natural reaction is to ask God to solve the problem for them. Sometimes He does, but many times the problem does not go away. "If only they could see - if only I could see - how differently God views the earth...God never commissioned us to remove all bad things from the world, to undo the Fall; God calls us to redeem the bad, transforming it into something good." (Reaching for the Invisible God: what can we expect to find? by Philip Yancey)
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