While Hubs was away, I shared this devotional with ladies from our Brigade who met to pray for our Soldiers. Today, I am circling back to it, applying truth once again.
The past month has been trying for our family. Circumstances have continually tried to get the best of me – things like deployment changes, preparation and departure for training, professional uncertainties, and potential reorganization. Dealing with those stressors on top of all the regular stuff like kids getting ear infections or pink-eye, relationship issues with friends and relatives, or the car needing repair can really tax a person’s ability to rebound after a hard day.
So, how do we deal with these circumstances? Consider the lives of Esther and Paul.
Esther was a Jewish girl who was born into slavery in Babylon. She was orphaned early in life, and subsequently raised by her elder cousin Mordecai (Esther 2:5-7). Esther was added to the King’s harem, and chosen to be Queen. Risking her own life, she approached the King in court without a summons and foiled Haman’s plan to assassinate all of the Jewish people.
That is quite an emotional roller coaster ride! Yet, she understood the truth that each of those circumstances had been woven together by God to accomplish His purpose, as Esther 4:14 so clearly states, “perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this.” She was able to rise above her earthly circumstances to see the bigger picture.
Paul had quite an exciting life as well. He chronicled some of his circumstances in his second letter to the Corinthians:
“Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.”
2 Cor 11:24-28
Then, a few years later, Paul wrote these words:
“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
Phil 4:11-13
How do we achieve this mindset?
In chapter 12 of A Mother's Heart, Jean Fleming challenges mothers to let God be our only circumstance. In other words, don't be distracted by the little things. Instead, focus on the One who is bigger than and above any circumstance that life may throw at us.
Although circumstances are ever-changing, they don’t change the absolutes – that God loves us and has our best interests at heart, that Jesus desires a relationship with every single person on earth, that there are people hurting who need His touch, and that our purpose is to know God and to make Him known. Like Esther and Paul, we can endeavor to make God our only circumstance. In so doing, the chaos that swirls around us will fade and we will find rest in Him.
Showing posts with label musings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label musings. Show all posts
7/29/2010
7/15/2010
In Between
I’m no longer the brunette of my youth, but far from the beautiful silver of my mother and grandmother. The skin is no longer taut, rather stretched and scarred. The weight doesn’t drop off easily anymore, but it’s supposed to in 6 weeks. I see lines where there were none before, brown telling of time in the sun, but age spots replace sun-kissed. In between awake and asleep, never getting enough rest, but not really resting when I do finally fall into bed.
There is the passion of youth and a lack of the certainty and confidence that comes with age. There are big dreams and big responsibilities. In between “When is he going?” and “Is he home yet?”
There are goals and a word and the tyranny of the shoulds and the tyranny of the urgent.
Feeling young still, like I just graduated and got married, but realizing that I’m not that young anymore. And I’m not old enough to have arrived, to have wisdom assumed of me. Wanting and needing to learn so much, yet expected to teach what little I do know. When did I become the older woman? But aren’t I still the younger one?
Letting them crawl into my lap when I really want to crawl in my Daddy’s lap. Becoming the fixer while I need fixing. Trying hard not to look back, but lacking the drive to press forward. Living what I have always dreamed but wondering what to do when that’s done – when boys are men and have wives and kids and dreams and bills. What will I do then? Will that be a new in between?
The days are long and the years are short. But then one day, the years will be long and the days will be short.
Get to where you’re going, but don’t forget where you’ve been.
Mommy, why? Mommy, can I? Wahhh!!!!! Honey, what’s for dinner?
The cleaning and re-cleaning. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
Mommy, look! I caught a fly! Mommy, I have an idea!
Mommy, watch this! Mommy, can I pour my own drink?
An almost crawl. A cry that says he’s hungry. A first reach for me with sweet chubby arms.
And smiles that melt and sticky kisses and dirty faces and stinky feet.
And questions deeper than they know – When will Duchess die? When will Daddy come home? Why?
And sweet prayers and sweet forgiveness and sweet helpers.
The in between? I guess it’s called life, the stuff of memories.
And you’re always in between.
There is the passion of youth and a lack of the certainty and confidence that comes with age. There are big dreams and big responsibilities. In between “When is he going?” and “Is he home yet?”
There are goals and a word and the tyranny of the shoulds and the tyranny of the urgent.
Feeling young still, like I just graduated and got married, but realizing that I’m not that young anymore. And I’m not old enough to have arrived, to have wisdom assumed of me. Wanting and needing to learn so much, yet expected to teach what little I do know. When did I become the older woman? But aren’t I still the younger one?
Letting them crawl into my lap when I really want to crawl in my Daddy’s lap. Becoming the fixer while I need fixing. Trying hard not to look back, but lacking the drive to press forward. Living what I have always dreamed but wondering what to do when that’s done – when boys are men and have wives and kids and dreams and bills. What will I do then? Will that be a new in between?
The days are long and the years are short. But then one day, the years will be long and the days will be short.
Get to where you’re going, but don’t forget where you’ve been.
Mommy, why? Mommy, can I? Wahhh!!!!! Honey, what’s for dinner?
The cleaning and re-cleaning. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
Mommy, look! I caught a fly! Mommy, I have an idea!
Mommy, watch this! Mommy, can I pour my own drink?
An almost crawl. A cry that says he’s hungry. A first reach for me with sweet chubby arms.
And smiles that melt and sticky kisses and dirty faces and stinky feet.
And questions deeper than they know – When will Duchess die? When will Daddy come home? Why?
And sweet prayers and sweet forgiveness and sweet helpers.
The in between? I guess it’s called life, the stuff of memories.
And you’re always in between.
7/12/2009
Fear or Faith?
Fear can be paralyzing: a constant companion, a debilitating force in a person’s life. I have never been a fearful person. Of course, I have been scared before – a nightmare, a movie, a dark street, forgetting to lock the front door while Hubs was deployed. But fear has been fleeting and never a nagging presence. I have always been able to shake it off.
That is until this pregnancy.
When I found out I was pregnant, I had just miscarried a few months before. So I spent the first couple of weeks worried about miscarrying again. Then, I got very sick - a blessing in disguise, because I didn’t have the energy to think about anything besides getting better. A few weeks later, I got to hear the baby’s heartbeat, relieving some of the anxious energy I had been having.
On Wednesday, my midwife called and told me that my quad screen came back with an increased risk for Down Syndrome. I have been scheduled for a Level 2 ultrasound at a hospital an hour away on Monday morning. Quite frankly, the thought of having a child with special needs doesn’t scare me or make me nervous. The thing that I have been thinking about the most is the health risks associated with DS.
I’m just curious why this temptation to give into fear keeps coming up for me. Please understand that I am not being captivated or debilitated by this fear. It just keeps rearing its ugly head more than I like. I decided at the beginning that the only way to deal with it was to take those thoughts captive and replace them with Scripture. This was the only way I survived post-partum depression after Bull was born. Thus far it has worked and has kept the fear at bay on some days and completely defeated on other days.
Hubs and I are choosing faith over fear. The beauty is that we can choose how we will respond to the circumstance laid before us. We are praying that the baby is healthy. If the baby is diagnosed with Down Syndrome, that he/she would have no health problems. Would you pray with us?
Are you facing a similar circumstance in your life? I pray that the scriptures that I have relied on over the last few months will encourage you to choose faith over fear!
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3
“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:11
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." Romans 8:15
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 14:27
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21
That is until this pregnancy.
When I found out I was pregnant, I had just miscarried a few months before. So I spent the first couple of weeks worried about miscarrying again. Then, I got very sick - a blessing in disguise, because I didn’t have the energy to think about anything besides getting better. A few weeks later, I got to hear the baby’s heartbeat, relieving some of the anxious energy I had been having.
On Wednesday, my midwife called and told me that my quad screen came back with an increased risk for Down Syndrome. I have been scheduled for a Level 2 ultrasound at a hospital an hour away on Monday morning. Quite frankly, the thought of having a child with special needs doesn’t scare me or make me nervous. The thing that I have been thinking about the most is the health risks associated with DS.
I’m just curious why this temptation to give into fear keeps coming up for me. Please understand that I am not being captivated or debilitated by this fear. It just keeps rearing its ugly head more than I like. I decided at the beginning that the only way to deal with it was to take those thoughts captive and replace them with Scripture. This was the only way I survived post-partum depression after Bull was born. Thus far it has worked and has kept the fear at bay on some days and completely defeated on other days.
Hubs and I are choosing faith over fear. The beauty is that we can choose how we will respond to the circumstance laid before us. We are praying that the baby is healthy. If the baby is diagnosed with Down Syndrome, that he/she would have no health problems. Would you pray with us?
Are you facing a similar circumstance in your life? I pray that the scriptures that I have relied on over the last few months will encourage you to choose faith over fear!
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3
“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:11
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." Romans 8:15
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 14:27
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21
8/20/2008
Jehovah-raah: The Lord is My Shepherd
(Most of this information came from Kay Arthur’s book, Lord I Want to Know You. Page numbers refer to this book.)
What are sheep like? They are timid, helpless, dumb, feeble, weak, and require constant supervision and care. “The welfare of sheep depends solely upon the care they get from their shepherd.” (p 141) The shepherd’s chief end is to care for his sheep so completely that they are not in want.
Consider Psalm 23:1-6
1 The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
In order for sheep to thrive, there are four needs that must be met. The sheep must be free from hunger, free from fear, free from friction, and free from pests.
Free from hunger (v 2)
I’ve always been confused as to why a sheep would lie down in a green pasture. Shouldn’t they be up eating? Wouldn’t you have to force them to lie down in such a place? In the Hebrew, the word “makes” does not imply force. Instead, it implies that the shepherd lets the sheep lie down, or made the circumstance such that the sheep can lie down. The sheep are so full and satisfied that they can lie down in the middle of a smorgasbord!
As Christians, how can we be free from hunger, to the point of, in human terms, lying down at an all-you- can-eat buffet on Sunday after church? Feast on the Word of God! It is pure milk (1 Pet 2:2), solid food (Heb 5:13-14), the basis for growth (2 Tim 3:16-17), and bread (Deut 8:3; Jn 6:35).
Free from fear (v 4)
The rod and staff of a Shepherd are a comfort to His flock, not a burden. They are used to direct the sheep, to keep them safe, to defend them, and to save them from danger if needed. Also, sheep are not driven from behind, like cattle. Instead, they are led from the front and they follow their shepherd.
The boundaries set by scripture function as our rod and staff. They are there for our benefit, to keep us safe and out of trouble (Ecc 12:13; Ps 119:105), and to provide direction (Is 30:21). Jesus will lead us, but He will not force us. In the same way that He called His disciples, He calls us: “Come, follow me” (Matt 4:19). Because we are following a Good Shepherd, we do not have to be afraid (1 Jn 4:16,18; 2 Tim 1:7; Ps 56:3-4).
Free from friction (v 2-3)
Did you know that sheep will not drink from fast-moving water? It scares them. When sheep are afraid, they are paralyzed by that fear. Shepherds sometimes dam up the stream so that the sheep can drink from “quieted” water. Bear in mind though that the shepherd will not lead them to stagnant water for that would be bad for their health. Instead, he lovingly accommodates his sheep. And whenever there is a ruckus in the flock, all of the sheep are up and moving. Not one of them continues to rest. The shepherd must step in to quiet the flock.
God intends for His church to be unified (Jn 17:11) and functioning as one body (1 Cor 12; Col 3:15). He does not intend for us to be causing a ruckus among the believers (1 Thes 4:11-12). So then, how are we unified? So many scriptures apply here (Matt 6:12,14-15; Matt 5:23-24; Matt 5:44-45,48; Phil 2:3-8) with the most obvious one being “love your neighbor as yourself” (Gal 5:14-15).
Free from pests (v 5)
Sheep have one pest that drives them crazy: the nose fly.
“Sheep can suffer greatly because of the nose fly. This is a fly that seeks to deposit its eggs on the mucus membrane of the sheep’s nose. There the eggs hatch into small wormlike larvae that eventually work their way up the nose into the sheep’s head. As these larvae burrow into the sheep’s flesh, they cause a tremendous irritation, which in turn causes the sheep to thrash and beat its head against anything it can find. A sheep can become so driven to distraction by the irritation that it will actually kill itself in a desperate attempt to get rid of the source of aggravation…Just as there is an oil the shepherd can prepare to protect the sheep from nose flies and their destructive work, so our Shepherd has a way to keep His sheep from such torment.” (p 150)
People are no different! We have an enemy, one who seeks to destroy us physically, mentally, and spiritually (Jn 10:10a; 1 Pet 5:8). As God’s children, we have a shepherd who is able to defend against the attacks of the devil (Eph 6:16). By donning the armor of God (Eph 6), we will be ready for battle. Through His Word we can control our thought lives (2 Cor 10:3-5; Phil 4:6-7; Phil 4:8-9; Is 26:3).
My largest battlefield is that of my mind. One of the ways I was able to gain victory over post-partum depression was through a visual picture that the Lord gave me. I imagined each one of my thoughts written on a leaf with the wind blowing them through my mind. I had to chase that leaf down, scratch out the disobedient thought, and re-write the thought such that it was obedient to Christ (2Cor 10:3-5). Once the thought was obedient, I could release it into the wind again. Sometimes it takes that sort of attention to detail for us to live without the pests of our thought life.
The Voice of the Shepherd
When we were in Israel, we saw a number of shepherds with their flocks. However, there was only one to whom I was close enough to hear him interact with his sheep. The only sound he made was a little click. With that click, the entire herd looked up and followed instantly. Truly the sheep know the voice of the shepherd (Jn 10:4-5). How do we get to know the voice of our Shepherd? We do it by spending time with Him, by spending time in His Word, by listening to His under-shepherds (1Pet 5:2-4), by spending time in fellowship with other believers (Heb 10:24-25), and by spending time in prayer (1 Thes 5:17).
Learn the voice of the Shepherd! This is the result:
“Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Ps 23:6)
An aside
"The LORD" is Jehovah God, the covenant making God of Israel. The compound names of Jehovah in the Old Testament reflect the contents of this psalm.
"I shall not want" — Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will provide" (Gen 22:14)
"still waters" — Jehovah-Shalom, "the Lord our peace" (Judg 6:24)
"restores my soul" — Jehovah-Rapha, "the Lord who heals" (Ex 15:26)
"paths of righteousness" — Jehovah-Tsidkenu, "the Lord our righteousness" (Jer 33:16)
"you are with me" — Jehovah-Shammah, "the Lord is there" (Ezek 48:35)
"presence of my enemies" — "Jehovah-Nissi, "the Lord our banner" (Ex 17:15)
"anoint my head" — Jehovah-Mekoddishkem, "the Lord who sanctifies" (Lev 20:8)
(from The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament © 2001-2004 by Warren W. Wiersbe. All rights reserved.)
What are sheep like? They are timid, helpless, dumb, feeble, weak, and require constant supervision and care. “The welfare of sheep depends solely upon the care they get from their shepherd.” (p 141) The shepherd’s chief end is to care for his sheep so completely that they are not in want.
Consider Psalm 23:1-6
1 The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
In order for sheep to thrive, there are four needs that must be met. The sheep must be free from hunger, free from fear, free from friction, and free from pests.
Free from hunger (v 2)
I’ve always been confused as to why a sheep would lie down in a green pasture. Shouldn’t they be up eating? Wouldn’t you have to force them to lie down in such a place? In the Hebrew, the word “makes” does not imply force. Instead, it implies that the shepherd lets the sheep lie down, or made the circumstance such that the sheep can lie down. The sheep are so full and satisfied that they can lie down in the middle of a smorgasbord!
As Christians, how can we be free from hunger, to the point of, in human terms, lying down at an all-you- can-eat buffet on Sunday after church? Feast on the Word of God! It is pure milk (1 Pet 2:2), solid food (Heb 5:13-14), the basis for growth (2 Tim 3:16-17), and bread (Deut 8:3; Jn 6:35).
Free from fear (v 4)
The rod and staff of a Shepherd are a comfort to His flock, not a burden. They are used to direct the sheep, to keep them safe, to defend them, and to save them from danger if needed. Also, sheep are not driven from behind, like cattle. Instead, they are led from the front and they follow their shepherd.
The boundaries set by scripture function as our rod and staff. They are there for our benefit, to keep us safe and out of trouble (Ecc 12:13; Ps 119:105), and to provide direction (Is 30:21). Jesus will lead us, but He will not force us. In the same way that He called His disciples, He calls us: “Come, follow me” (Matt 4:19). Because we are following a Good Shepherd, we do not have to be afraid (1 Jn 4:16,18; 2 Tim 1:7; Ps 56:3-4).
Free from friction (v 2-3)
Did you know that sheep will not drink from fast-moving water? It scares them. When sheep are afraid, they are paralyzed by that fear. Shepherds sometimes dam up the stream so that the sheep can drink from “quieted” water. Bear in mind though that the shepherd will not lead them to stagnant water for that would be bad for their health. Instead, he lovingly accommodates his sheep. And whenever there is a ruckus in the flock, all of the sheep are up and moving. Not one of them continues to rest. The shepherd must step in to quiet the flock.
God intends for His church to be unified (Jn 17:11) and functioning as one body (1 Cor 12; Col 3:15). He does not intend for us to be causing a ruckus among the believers (1 Thes 4:11-12). So then, how are we unified? So many scriptures apply here (Matt 6:12,14-15; Matt 5:23-24; Matt 5:44-45,48; Phil 2:3-8) with the most obvious one being “love your neighbor as yourself” (Gal 5:14-15).
Free from pests (v 5)
Sheep have one pest that drives them crazy: the nose fly.
“Sheep can suffer greatly because of the nose fly. This is a fly that seeks to deposit its eggs on the mucus membrane of the sheep’s nose. There the eggs hatch into small wormlike larvae that eventually work their way up the nose into the sheep’s head. As these larvae burrow into the sheep’s flesh, they cause a tremendous irritation, which in turn causes the sheep to thrash and beat its head against anything it can find. A sheep can become so driven to distraction by the irritation that it will actually kill itself in a desperate attempt to get rid of the source of aggravation…Just as there is an oil the shepherd can prepare to protect the sheep from nose flies and their destructive work, so our Shepherd has a way to keep His sheep from such torment.” (p 150)
People are no different! We have an enemy, one who seeks to destroy us physically, mentally, and spiritually (Jn 10:10a; 1 Pet 5:8). As God’s children, we have a shepherd who is able to defend against the attacks of the devil (Eph 6:16). By donning the armor of God (Eph 6), we will be ready for battle. Through His Word we can control our thought lives (2 Cor 10:3-5; Phil 4:6-7; Phil 4:8-9; Is 26:3).
My largest battlefield is that of my mind. One of the ways I was able to gain victory over post-partum depression was through a visual picture that the Lord gave me. I imagined each one of my thoughts written on a leaf with the wind blowing them through my mind. I had to chase that leaf down, scratch out the disobedient thought, and re-write the thought such that it was obedient to Christ (2Cor 10:3-5). Once the thought was obedient, I could release it into the wind again. Sometimes it takes that sort of attention to detail for us to live without the pests of our thought life.
The Voice of the Shepherd
When we were in Israel, we saw a number of shepherds with their flocks. However, there was only one to whom I was close enough to hear him interact with his sheep. The only sound he made was a little click. With that click, the entire herd looked up and followed instantly. Truly the sheep know the voice of the shepherd (Jn 10:4-5). How do we get to know the voice of our Shepherd? We do it by spending time with Him, by spending time in His Word, by listening to His under-shepherds (1Pet 5:2-4), by spending time in fellowship with other believers (Heb 10:24-25), and by spending time in prayer (1 Thes 5:17).
Learn the voice of the Shepherd! This is the result:
“Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Ps 23:6)
An aside
"The LORD" is Jehovah God, the covenant making God of Israel. The compound names of Jehovah in the Old Testament reflect the contents of this psalm.
"I shall not want" — Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will provide" (Gen 22:14)
"still waters" — Jehovah-Shalom, "the Lord our peace" (Judg 6:24)
"restores my soul" — Jehovah-Rapha, "the Lord who heals" (Ex 15:26)
"paths of righteousness" — Jehovah-Tsidkenu, "the Lord our righteousness" (Jer 33:16)
"you are with me" — Jehovah-Shammah, "the Lord is there" (Ezek 48:35)
"presence of my enemies" — "Jehovah-Nissi, "the Lord our banner" (Ex 17:15)
"anoint my head" — Jehovah-Mekoddishkem, "the Lord who sanctifies" (Lev 20:8)
(from The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament © 2001-2004 by Warren W. Wiersbe. All rights reserved.)
8/11/2008
My Favorite Passage of Scripture (Part 2 of 2)
“Abraham, Abraham!”
I believe I would have passed out from the relief. That’s not to say I would have made it this far! Can you imagine? It must have been a very loud booming voice that spoke his name. This was a test of Abraham’s faith and obedience. God did not intend for Isaac to be sacrificed because that would have violated His own law (Lev 20:1-5). Abraham stops the sacrifice and after God expresses His pleasure in Abraham’s obedience, a lamb is found caught in the thicket (v 13).
The substitution of the lamb is a direct correlation to Christ’s substitution for humanity on the cross. The Hebrew word ‘olah refers to a burnt offering (v 2). This type of sacrifice was atonement for sin. The blood is spilled and the entirety of the animal is given. Nothing is held back. This is what God required of Abraham. This is what God required of Christ. This is what God requires of me. Abraham obeyed. So did Christ. Will Christie? It is a daily decision I must make. Because of Christ’s death, I do not have to literally die for my sins though I deserve to die (Rom 6:23, 10:9). God wants me to present myself as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1). The catch is this: as a sacrifice that is still living, I can crawl off the altar anytime I choose. I must submit, like Isaac did, and stay on the altar, dying to self and choosing my Father’s will over my own (cf. Gal 2:20, Rom 8:13, 1 Cor 15:31, 2 Cor 5:15).
“Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide…”
When Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem, he built it on Mount Moriah (2 Chr 3:1). Although Solomon’s temple was destroyed in 586 B.C., another temple was built in the same spot by Herod the Great, just before Jesus’ birth.
Please do not miss the significance of this!
In the very place that God revealed Himself as Jehovah Jireh to Abraham and provided the lamb as substitution for Isaac, the Jewish people sacrificed goats, bulls and sheep every year on the Day of Atonement for their sins. Then Jesus was born, and his parents took Him to the temple to present Him to the Lord (Lk 2:21-38). Simeon recognized Him as the Messiah and Anna gave thanks to God, for the redemption of Jerusalem had come. He would return every year for Passover – the very Lamb of God celebrating Passover in the place that God had provided the first substitutionary sacrifice! And when Jesus Christ was crucified, He would be the LAST sacrifice ever needed because the blood of goats and bulls can never take away sins, but the blood of the perfect Lamb of God takes away sin forever (Eph 1:7, Heb 9:11-14, 10:4-14)! Praise God! He has provided!
God has shown Himself to be my Jehovah Jireh so many times, with the most significant being on the day of my salvation as a young child. However, the Name took root deep in my soul in August of 2005. Jason had answered the call of God on his life to go into some type of full-time ministry a year before during the summer of 2004. He started taking seminary classes via distance learning that fall while deploying as a submarine officer. The first class he took was Intro to Hebrew Grammar. He translated and wrote a paper on Genesis 22. When it came time to ask for his next duty assignment, we pursued a job in New Orleans so that Jason could take classes on campus at the seminary. The Lord gave us the job!
When we moved to southeast Louisiana in April of 2005, I was entering my second trimester with Bull and had a 2 year old Gator in tow. We bought a brand new house and quickly got settled. We found an amazing church home at Northshore Church. We were full of expectation for what the Lord had in store for us in this place.
A Category 5 Hurricane is headed for the Mississippi – Louisiana Gulf Coast
On August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina hit, with the eye passing directly over our house, leaving nearly 5 feet of water in our new home. We lost nearly everything, and were evacuated to Tennessee after only 4 months of living in the place that we knew God had called us.
Hubs and I looked at one another with utter confusion. Wait a minute God. You called us into ministry. You gave us the job in New Orleans so we could prepare for ministry. We found a church that fit perfectly. We had so much hope for the time we were supposed to spend there. Why did you take it all away from us?
Over the three years that have passed since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, Hubs and I have found numerous ways that God has made sense of the destruction: the lifelong friends we made in Tennessee… the outpouring of support from the spouses of deployed soldiers… the beauty of the body of Christ healing itself by ministering to our family… the birth of a healthy baby boy exactly two months after the storm… the healing of post-partum depression for myself… the joy of watching my two sons grow up together… the insurance pay out that has allowed us to live off of savings for two years… the lesson learned of praising Him during the worst times and the best times… the amazing faithfulness of my God to provide for His child even though she isn’t sure how He will do it.
Allow God to be your Jehovah Jireh. He will provide. He gave Himself that Name because He wants to be known as the Provider. He has provided His only Son as a substitution for you. Don’t turn your back on His sacrifice.
“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice” (Gen 22:18).
“For Christ died once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Pet 3:18).
I believe I would have passed out from the relief. That’s not to say I would have made it this far! Can you imagine? It must have been a very loud booming voice that spoke his name. This was a test of Abraham’s faith and obedience. God did not intend for Isaac to be sacrificed because that would have violated His own law (Lev 20:1-5). Abraham stops the sacrifice and after God expresses His pleasure in Abraham’s obedience, a lamb is found caught in the thicket (v 13).
The substitution of the lamb is a direct correlation to Christ’s substitution for humanity on the cross. The Hebrew word ‘olah refers to a burnt offering (v 2). This type of sacrifice was atonement for sin. The blood is spilled and the entirety of the animal is given. Nothing is held back. This is what God required of Abraham. This is what God required of Christ. This is what God requires of me. Abraham obeyed. So did Christ. Will Christie? It is a daily decision I must make. Because of Christ’s death, I do not have to literally die for my sins though I deserve to die (Rom 6:23, 10:9). God wants me to present myself as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1). The catch is this: as a sacrifice that is still living, I can crawl off the altar anytime I choose. I must submit, like Isaac did, and stay on the altar, dying to self and choosing my Father’s will over my own (cf. Gal 2:20, Rom 8:13, 1 Cor 15:31, 2 Cor 5:15).
“Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide…”
When Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem, he built it on Mount Moriah (2 Chr 3:1). Although Solomon’s temple was destroyed in 586 B.C., another temple was built in the same spot by Herod the Great, just before Jesus’ birth.
Please do not miss the significance of this!
In the very place that God revealed Himself as Jehovah Jireh to Abraham and provided the lamb as substitution for Isaac, the Jewish people sacrificed goats, bulls and sheep every year on the Day of Atonement for their sins. Then Jesus was born, and his parents took Him to the temple to present Him to the Lord (Lk 2:21-38). Simeon recognized Him as the Messiah and Anna gave thanks to God, for the redemption of Jerusalem had come. He would return every year for Passover – the very Lamb of God celebrating Passover in the place that God had provided the first substitutionary sacrifice! And when Jesus Christ was crucified, He would be the LAST sacrifice ever needed because the blood of goats and bulls can never take away sins, but the blood of the perfect Lamb of God takes away sin forever (Eph 1:7, Heb 9:11-14, 10:4-14)! Praise God! He has provided!
God has shown Himself to be my Jehovah Jireh so many times, with the most significant being on the day of my salvation as a young child. However, the Name took root deep in my soul in August of 2005. Jason had answered the call of God on his life to go into some type of full-time ministry a year before during the summer of 2004. He started taking seminary classes via distance learning that fall while deploying as a submarine officer. The first class he took was Intro to Hebrew Grammar. He translated and wrote a paper on Genesis 22. When it came time to ask for his next duty assignment, we pursued a job in New Orleans so that Jason could take classes on campus at the seminary. The Lord gave us the job!
When we moved to southeast Louisiana in April of 2005, I was entering my second trimester with Bull and had a 2 year old Gator in tow. We bought a brand new house and quickly got settled. We found an amazing church home at Northshore Church. We were full of expectation for what the Lord had in store for us in this place.
A Category 5 Hurricane is headed for the Mississippi – Louisiana Gulf Coast
On August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina hit, with the eye passing directly over our house, leaving nearly 5 feet of water in our new home. We lost nearly everything, and were evacuated to Tennessee after only 4 months of living in the place that we knew God had called us.
Hubs and I looked at one another with utter confusion. Wait a minute God. You called us into ministry. You gave us the job in New Orleans so we could prepare for ministry. We found a church that fit perfectly. We had so much hope for the time we were supposed to spend there. Why did you take it all away from us?
Over the three years that have passed since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, Hubs and I have found numerous ways that God has made sense of the destruction: the lifelong friends we made in Tennessee… the outpouring of support from the spouses of deployed soldiers… the beauty of the body of Christ healing itself by ministering to our family… the birth of a healthy baby boy exactly two months after the storm… the healing of post-partum depression for myself… the joy of watching my two sons grow up together… the insurance pay out that has allowed us to live off of savings for two years… the lesson learned of praising Him during the worst times and the best times… the amazing faithfulness of my God to provide for His child even though she isn’t sure how He will do it.
Allow God to be your Jehovah Jireh. He will provide. He gave Himself that Name because He wants to be known as the Provider. He has provided His only Son as a substitution for you. Don’t turn your back on His sacrifice.
“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice” (Gen 22:18).
“For Christ died once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Pet 3:18).
My Favorite Passage of Scripture (Part 1 of 2)
There is a statue in the Student Center at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary that brings tears to my eyes every time I see it. It is a bronze carving of an aged Abraham hiking an incline with a teenage Isaac carrying a bundle of sticks on his back. The plate below it states: “But Father, where is the lamb?” referencing Genesis 22:7. My heart is torn even now as I think of it. There are so many levels to this story (Gen 22:1-19), so many lessons to learn, and so many truths to take away. And every time I read the account, I glean something new. The Word is living and active (Heb 4:12)!
So, why is a story about a father sacrificing his son my favorite passage of Scripture? Kind of morbid, right? Not when you dig in! I’ll share what I have learned so far.
Three of the most important words in Scripture (at least to me) make their debut in this text: love (v 2), worship (v 5), and obey (v 18). It’s called the “principle of first mention.” And it is so important! Kay Arthur writes, “When a significant word is mentioned for the first time in the Word of God, the principles connected with that word at that point hold true throughout the rest of Scripture.”
When I learned that the word love had not been used in Scripture until the 22nd chapter of Genesis, I thought to myself why did it take so long? Obviously the previous 21 chapters are not void of love. On the contrary, they are replete with examples of love: creation, the first marriage, Noah and the Ark, the list goes on.
“Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and…offer him there as a burnt offering…”
The significance is found within the same sentence, when God instructs Abraham of what he is to do. I can only imagine the thoughts that flew through Abraham’s head. Offer my only son as a burnt offering? What a minute God, this is the son of promise. The whole world is to be blessed by him. He’s my ticket to this “father of many nations” business that we talked about. I waited 100 years for this kid and now I have to sacrifice him? Besides that, God, I love him.
Yet Abraham says nothing.
In fact, his response is action. He rises early (you know he didn’t sleep a wink) in the morning and leaves. Do you think he avoided Sarah like the plague? “Whatcha’ doin’ today honey?” “Oh, we’re just gonna’ head over to Moriah and…” By the way, Moriah is 50 miles away from Beersheba, and that’s on paved roads. It takes a couple of days to walk there.
I don’t think Abraham talked much during the journey. Isaac must have sensed the heaviness of his father’s heart. Maybe he just kept quiet. Kids do that sometimes, especially teenagers. Isaac must have had questions. He wasn’t a stranger to the concept of sacrifice. In fact on the third day, when the entourage of servants had been left behind, he asked his father so as not to embarrass him in front of the servants, “Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? (v 7)” With a heart full of faith, Abraham responds, “God will provide for himself the lamb…(v 8)”
“So the two of them walked on together.”
What a beautiful relationship these two shared. Isaac trusted his father implicitly, to the point of being bound and placed on a pile of sticks, to the point of watching Abraham raise his hand to slay him (v 10). Even though the boy was physically strong enough to resist his aging father, he did not. Following the example of Abraham (v 2-3), Isaac asks no more questions. His response is action. He walks on, together, with his father (v 8).
Christ did the same thing, but He knew that there was no lamb caught in the thicket. God’s Son, His only Son, the Son whom God loved, the One promised by God (Jn 3:16, Lk 3:22, Gal 3:29). Jesus asked once to let the cup pass from him (Mt 26:39). God said no. After that, no more questions. Just obedience to the Father meted out in the action of crucifixion.
Do you realize that Abraham had already sacrificed Isaac in his heart? If not, why make the long journey? Why draw the knife? Abraham was not going through the motions. He was convinced that obedience was the only way. After all, “Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death” (Heb 11:19).
So, why is a story about a father sacrificing his son my favorite passage of Scripture? Kind of morbid, right? Not when you dig in! I’ll share what I have learned so far.
Three of the most important words in Scripture (at least to me) make their debut in this text: love (v 2), worship (v 5), and obey (v 18). It’s called the “principle of first mention.” And it is so important! Kay Arthur writes, “When a significant word is mentioned for the first time in the Word of God, the principles connected with that word at that point hold true throughout the rest of Scripture.”
When I learned that the word love had not been used in Scripture until the 22nd chapter of Genesis, I thought to myself why did it take so long? Obviously the previous 21 chapters are not void of love. On the contrary, they are replete with examples of love: creation, the first marriage, Noah and the Ark, the list goes on.
“Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and…offer him there as a burnt offering…”
The significance is found within the same sentence, when God instructs Abraham of what he is to do. I can only imagine the thoughts that flew through Abraham’s head. Offer my only son as a burnt offering? What a minute God, this is the son of promise. The whole world is to be blessed by him. He’s my ticket to this “father of many nations” business that we talked about. I waited 100 years for this kid and now I have to sacrifice him? Besides that, God, I love him.
Yet Abraham says nothing.
In fact, his response is action. He rises early (you know he didn’t sleep a wink) in the morning and leaves. Do you think he avoided Sarah like the plague? “Whatcha’ doin’ today honey?” “Oh, we’re just gonna’ head over to Moriah and…” By the way, Moriah is 50 miles away from Beersheba, and that’s on paved roads. It takes a couple of days to walk there.
I don’t think Abraham talked much during the journey. Isaac must have sensed the heaviness of his father’s heart. Maybe he just kept quiet. Kids do that sometimes, especially teenagers. Isaac must have had questions. He wasn’t a stranger to the concept of sacrifice. In fact on the third day, when the entourage of servants had been left behind, he asked his father so as not to embarrass him in front of the servants, “Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? (v 7)” With a heart full of faith, Abraham responds, “God will provide for himself the lamb…(v 8)”
“So the two of them walked on together.”
What a beautiful relationship these two shared. Isaac trusted his father implicitly, to the point of being bound and placed on a pile of sticks, to the point of watching Abraham raise his hand to slay him (v 10). Even though the boy was physically strong enough to resist his aging father, he did not. Following the example of Abraham (v 2-3), Isaac asks no more questions. His response is action. He walks on, together, with his father (v 8).
Christ did the same thing, but He knew that there was no lamb caught in the thicket. God’s Son, His only Son, the Son whom God loved, the One promised by God (Jn 3:16, Lk 3:22, Gal 3:29). Jesus asked once to let the cup pass from him (Mt 26:39). God said no. After that, no more questions. Just obedience to the Father meted out in the action of crucifixion.
Do you realize that Abraham had already sacrificed Isaac in his heart? If not, why make the long journey? Why draw the knife? Abraham was not going through the motions. He was convinced that obedience was the only way. After all, “Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death” (Heb 11:19).
7/29/2008
See the morning...
Are you a morning person? Usually I am. Yep I'm one of those people who typically wakes up in a good mood. Growing up, my sister hated it. My mom and I are both morning people. By the time she had gotten out of bed, my dad was already gone to work. So, she had no one on her side. She's different now, but she will still take you up on an offer to sleep in late!
Over the last few weeks, I have been a grump in the mornings. I finally figured out why.
I have two natural alarm clocks that wake me every morning between 5:30 and 6:00:
Over the last few weeks, I have been a grump in the mornings. I finally figured out why.
I have two natural alarm clocks that wake me every morning between 5:30 and 6:00:
When I'm on my game, I let them out, feed them and get my day started. But lately, I've been crawling back in bed. And then, a little later, I am undoubtedly awakened by my other two natural alarm clocks:
And these two hit the ground running. Not a good way to start the day because I'm already trying to catch up. And I'm usually very grumpy as a result.
Part of my morning routine is to have my quiet time with the Lord. When I sleep in later, it is the first thing to go. And if I get around to the quiet time at all, it is late at night when I'm exhausted and can barely keep my eyes open. So it has been over the last few weeks.
There's something special about the morning. The house is quiet. The dew glistens on the grass. The birds chirp. The sunlight streams through the trees and the windows. If I listen closely, I can hear my Lord calling me to come and enjoy the peace that is the morning. The Bright and Morning Star invites me to revel in His new mercies and to understand the symbolism of a new day.
Greet the morning, will you? Don't roll over and try to catch a few more winks. Jesus waits to be with you and your cup of coffee (or tea in my case). Open His Word and the see the morning through His eyes.
See the morning, see it rising
Over the mountains high
See the mercy in the mighty hand of God...
Rejoice, Rejoice
Sing with the angel voices
Rejoice, Rejoice
All Heaven and earth rejoice
-Chris Tomlin
The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
2/09/2008
Lent and Fasting
So, I have been trying to decide what to do for Lent. Given that this is only the second time in my life that I've ever observed it, I am struggling (so much so that I've missed the first few days!).
First, let me make it abundantly clear that the discipline of fasting has nothing to do with salvation because one can not earn a gift (Eph 2:8-9). It has everything to do with sanctification, being set apart for holiness and becoming more like Christ (Jn 17:17, Rom 6:22-23, 1 Thes 4:3). And this is something that believers should pursue on a regular basis. However, I recognize that the Easter season is special, for my hope lies in His Resurrection (1 Pet 1:3-5)!
Now, let me back up. I was raised in a Christian home, but not in a liturgical tradition. So we never observed Lent at our house. Now when Easter came around, we were all about Resurrection Day. And of course, we went all out (in the spiritual and secular sense).
It wasn't until college that I even really understood what Lent was (this goes for Advent too), because I had friends who observed it. Then when we moved back to the New Orleans area and experienced Mardi Gras, my interest was peaked. I still haven't wrapped my head around the idea that people live like hell for a few weeks just because they will give something up for 40 days. God's grace is not license to sin (Romans 6). But I digress.
So last year we observed Lent. We fasted from TV. That was hard though I'm not convinced that it helped me to fellowship in his sufferings (Phil. 3:10), or make me more like Him (Rom 12:2). It did give us more time together as a family and held me accountable for actually parenting my children instead of letting the TV babysit them (even though we don't watch a lot of TV in this house). And though there were more fights, my kids learned to play together in a way that they had never done before. So all those things were good. But did I identify more with Christ because of it? Hmmmm, I'm not sure.
If the point of Lent is to identify more with Christ, how does giving up chocolate (or some other similar item) accomplish that? Don't get me wrong, I love me some chocolate. It's really yummy, but it's loss doesn't make me more like Christ. If I really want to identify more with Him, I should do a water fast for forty days like He did in the wilderness. That would definitely cause me to rely on Him for strength!
I guess it annoys me a bit when people give things up that aren't really a sacrifice. Then I quickly point the finger back on myself (under conviction by the Holy Spirit), and try to figure out what would really be a sacrifice for me. Maybe I should give up blogging for Lent! Ha ha!
Back to the point... Maybe I should give up negative self-talk and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor 10:5) and replace those thoughts with JOY (Jas 1:2)! Maybe I should really get serious about losing baby weight (even though my baby is two years old) so that I can truly present my body as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1), treat it as the temple of the Holy Spirit and glorify God with my body (I Cor 6:19-20). Maybe I should work on the fruit of the Spirit being more evident in my life (Gal 5:22-23). Maybe I should memorize Scripture (Ps 119:11). Maybe I should introduce my children to the discipline of a daily devotion (Deut 6:4-9). These things make me more like Christ.
Maybe the point of Lent isn't always about giving something up. Maybe it's about taking something on. I was recently pointed to Isaiah 58. In this passage God defines a true fast. He summarizes it in verses 6 and 7: "Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?"
Let us think on such things! Let us consider how we can identify with Christ more!
In the meantime I'll be praying and trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do. I think I'll revisit that list above.
For more ideas, check out these blogs: Faydra and Rob.
First, let me make it abundantly clear that the discipline of fasting has nothing to do with salvation because one can not earn a gift (Eph 2:8-9). It has everything to do with sanctification, being set apart for holiness and becoming more like Christ (Jn 17:17, Rom 6:22-23, 1 Thes 4:3). And this is something that believers should pursue on a regular basis. However, I recognize that the Easter season is special, for my hope lies in His Resurrection (1 Pet 1:3-5)!
Now, let me back up. I was raised in a Christian home, but not in a liturgical tradition. So we never observed Lent at our house. Now when Easter came around, we were all about Resurrection Day. And of course, we went all out (in the spiritual and secular sense).
It wasn't until college that I even really understood what Lent was (this goes for Advent too), because I had friends who observed it. Then when we moved back to the New Orleans area and experienced Mardi Gras, my interest was peaked. I still haven't wrapped my head around the idea that people live like hell for a few weeks just because they will give something up for 40 days. God's grace is not license to sin (Romans 6). But I digress.
So last year we observed Lent. We fasted from TV. That was hard though I'm not convinced that it helped me to fellowship in his sufferings (Phil. 3:10), or make me more like Him (Rom 12:2). It did give us more time together as a family and held me accountable for actually parenting my children instead of letting the TV babysit them (even though we don't watch a lot of TV in this house). And though there were more fights, my kids learned to play together in a way that they had never done before. So all those things were good. But did I identify more with Christ because of it? Hmmmm, I'm not sure.
If the point of Lent is to identify more with Christ, how does giving up chocolate (or some other similar item) accomplish that? Don't get me wrong, I love me some chocolate. It's really yummy, but it's loss doesn't make me more like Christ. If I really want to identify more with Him, I should do a water fast for forty days like He did in the wilderness. That would definitely cause me to rely on Him for strength!
I guess it annoys me a bit when people give things up that aren't really a sacrifice. Then I quickly point the finger back on myself (under conviction by the Holy Spirit), and try to figure out what would really be a sacrifice for me. Maybe I should give up blogging for Lent! Ha ha!
Back to the point... Maybe I should give up negative self-talk and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor 10:5) and replace those thoughts with JOY (Jas 1:2)! Maybe I should really get serious about losing baby weight (even though my baby is two years old) so that I can truly present my body as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1), treat it as the temple of the Holy Spirit and glorify God with my body (I Cor 6:19-20). Maybe I should work on the fruit of the Spirit being more evident in my life (Gal 5:22-23). Maybe I should memorize Scripture (Ps 119:11). Maybe I should introduce my children to the discipline of a daily devotion (Deut 6:4-9). These things make me more like Christ.
Maybe the point of Lent isn't always about giving something up. Maybe it's about taking something on. I was recently pointed to Isaiah 58. In this passage God defines a true fast. He summarizes it in verses 6 and 7: "Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?"
Let us think on such things! Let us consider how we can identify with Christ more!
In the meantime I'll be praying and trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do. I think I'll revisit that list above.
For more ideas, check out these blogs: Faydra and Rob.
1/26/2008
A very cool idea...
Have you ever been at a red light, seen a homeless person, and had the inevitable internal conversation: "Should I give him money? What will he do with it? Should I go get him something and bring it to him?" and on an on and on? I am always torn about what to do in that situation. Typically, we go to the nearest McDonald's (or similar establishment) and grab a hamburger and a drink. But that doesn't always work. And how many people actually have cash on them anyway? I know we don't.
So, here's the solution (got it from my Mom). Make a bag of unperishable food items to keep in your car. That way, when you are faced with the dilemma of cash or food, you have the solution right there in your back seat. And, for those with kiddos, it is a awesome teaching opportunity about the "least of these."
Our small group from church decided to take this on as a project. We spent around $65 dollars in supplies and made 24 bags. That comes out to about $2.70 a bag which is less than a combo meal at a fast food place and we got a lot more and much healthier food in those bags than what you would get in a combo meal.
Here is our list of supplies:
good quality gallon size ziploc bags (we used slider bags) - to be reused after the food is gone
bottled water
tuna meals (comes with tuna, crackers and condiments)
small fruit bowls or cans of fruit or vegetables (get pop top cans!)
napkin/utensil combos (we made our own)
chips, pretzels, crackers, etc (100 calorie packs or the kind you put in kids’ lunches)
something sweet (individually wrapped cookies or hard candy)
granola bars or power bars (without chocolate that can melt)
beef jerky
small packages of wet wipes
simple gospel tracts and info about our church
We put them together in assembly line fashion and were done in 15 minutes. Here is a picture of the finished product (all of this fits into a gallon size ziploc):.JPG)
So the next time you go to the grocery store, buy a few extra items and fill a bag to keep in your car. It will do you and someone else a lot of good! And you'll be showing the love of Jesus in a very practical way!
So, here's the solution (got it from my Mom). Make a bag of unperishable food items to keep in your car. That way, when you are faced with the dilemma of cash or food, you have the solution right there in your back seat. And, for those with kiddos, it is a awesome teaching opportunity about the "least of these."
Our small group from church decided to take this on as a project. We spent around $65 dollars in supplies and made 24 bags. That comes out to about $2.70 a bag which is less than a combo meal at a fast food place and we got a lot more and much healthier food in those bags than what you would get in a combo meal.
Here is our list of supplies:
good quality gallon size ziploc bags (we used slider bags) - to be reused after the food is gone
bottled water
tuna meals (comes with tuna, crackers and condiments)
small fruit bowls or cans of fruit or vegetables (get pop top cans!)
napkin/utensil combos (we made our own)
chips, pretzels, crackers, etc (100 calorie packs or the kind you put in kids’ lunches)
something sweet (individually wrapped cookies or hard candy)
granola bars or power bars (without chocolate that can melt)
beef jerky
small packages of wet wipes
simple gospel tracts and info about our church
We put them together in assembly line fashion and were done in 15 minutes. Here is a picture of the finished product (all of this fits into a gallon size ziploc):
.JPG)
So the next time you go to the grocery store, buy a few extra items and fill a bag to keep in your car. It will do you and someone else a lot of good! And you'll be showing the love of Jesus in a very practical way!
12/16/2007
Warning: more serious than normal...
I hope that this rings true with someone out there! I know that I can't be alone in my struggle to balance all the "stuff " in my life. Let's be encouraged! We can do what needs to be done and have a vibrant wonderful relationship with our Lord, our spouses and our kids. That's what matters anyway!
Part of a recent journal entry:
Hello. My name is Christie. It's been 7 days since my last quiet time...
Somedays I am horribly apathetic about my life. My goals are getting the house clean, the laundry done and dinner on the table. IT SHOULD NOT BE SO! I have one of the most precious and meaningful jobs on the planet - raising the next generation of Christ-followers. And yet I reduce it to laundry, cooking and cleaning. The trick is that to raise a Christ-follower, I have to BE a Christ-follower. But I am a Christ-forsaker in many senses.
I forsake Him so I can:
-empty the dishwasher or fold that last load of clothes.
-write my never-ending to-do list for tomorrow.
-have the company of electronic media and celebrities I can't relate to.
I forsake Him when:
-I yell at my kids instead of being gentle with my words and kind with my actions.
-I rely on my Psychology degree or a parenting book instead of His Word and counsel.
-I try to do it on my own without His strength.
-I ignore, badger or complain to my husband instead of respecting him with my time and attention or encouraging him with a word fitly spoken. (Please don't let him go to the corner of our roof! ::smiling::)
-I turn off the alarm clock that beckons me out of bed and instead roll over and go back to sleep.
When will I figure out that if I put Him first all other things will pale in comparison, yet shine so much brighter because of time spent with the lover of my soul?
Forgive me for forsaking and neglecting You, for being too busy "serving" and not loving and knowing You. You are the only way I will have the abundant life and not just the accomplished-I've-checked-everything-off-my-list life. Help me to prioritize and focus my attention on what matters!
Part of a recent journal entry:
Hello. My name is Christie. It's been 7 days since my last quiet time...
Somedays I am horribly apathetic about my life. My goals are getting the house clean, the laundry done and dinner on the table. IT SHOULD NOT BE SO! I have one of the most precious and meaningful jobs on the planet - raising the next generation of Christ-followers. And yet I reduce it to laundry, cooking and cleaning. The trick is that to raise a Christ-follower, I have to BE a Christ-follower. But I am a Christ-forsaker in many senses.
I forsake Him so I can:
-empty the dishwasher or fold that last load of clothes.
-write my never-ending to-do list for tomorrow.
-have the company of electronic media and celebrities I can't relate to.
I forsake Him when:
-I yell at my kids instead of being gentle with my words and kind with my actions.
-I rely on my Psychology degree or a parenting book instead of His Word and counsel.
-I try to do it on my own without His strength.
-I ignore, badger or complain to my husband instead of respecting him with my time and attention or encouraging him with a word fitly spoken. (Please don't let him go to the corner of our roof! ::smiling::)
-I turn off the alarm clock that beckons me out of bed and instead roll over and go back to sleep.
When will I figure out that if I put Him first all other things will pale in comparison, yet shine so much brighter because of time spent with the lover of my soul?
Forgive me for forsaking and neglecting You, for being too busy "serving" and not loving and knowing You. You are the only way I will have the abundant life and not just the accomplished-I've-checked-everything-off-my-list life. Help me to prioritize and focus my attention on what matters!
9/26/2007
More green
After spending 6 weeks surrounded by the beauty of God's creation in the Rockies, I was inspired to find more ways to be kinder to the earth. Here are some more ideas.
* We consign clothes and toys (and make money!), and buy from the same consignment shop.
* We donated some of our old toys to the church nursery (our church lost all the toys in Katrina).
* We use cloth napkins now, unless it's something really, really messy.
* They came today! Find them at http://www.mysigg.com/ or on Amazon. They're aluminum bottles that have leak proof and spill proof lids (a little tough for Bull, but Gator can do it).
* Slowly, but surely, I'm trying to get rid of my plastic storage dishes and replace them with corning ware. We will recycle the plastic, of course.
* I'm using ultra-concentrated laundry detergent, biodegradable laundry sheets (available at Wal-Mart), and only do full loads.
* We use Method brand cleaning supplies. They're available at Target.
* We have reusable lunch bags for when we take our lunch to school or work.
* We also take cloth bags to the store instead of "Paper or Plastic?"
* Even though I tease him incessantly about it (like he does me with the compost pile), Hubs has an electric lawnmower.
* And last, but certainly not the least expensive, we got a new A/C unit. We waited until the old one died, but we've already seen a drop in our electric bill.
How do you get your kids involved?
Our priority is to teach them about stewardship vs. wastefulness in life, not just in consumption. Teach the principle! How you do it depends on the age of the kid. For Gator, it means helping us with the recycling. In fact, just the other day he found a box on the counter, broke it down and took it out to the recycling bin completely on his own! I was so proud! Also, when he asks why we don't, can't, or won't do something that is wasteful, we just tell him that it's wasteful. That may seem obvious, but it's the place to start. As for Bull, he drinks out of a SIGG bottle and sleeps in organic pajamas.
Please consider what you can do to make a difference. For the first installment of living greener, see this.
9/19/2007
An old post...
Here's a post from my myspace blog. I thought that it was appropriate for reposting here. This was originally posted on April 3, 2007.
I've been reading a couple of pretty cool books recently. The first is Living Green by Greg Horn. It offers a boat load of things that everyone can do to help out the environment, and you don't have to spend any money to do most of them. The other book is The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin. It offers ideas for clean dietary living. And while we can't afford to go all out on organic food, we're trying to do some stuff. There's a bonus to most of this stuff too. In many cases, it SAVES you money! Since we're on a strict budget while Hubs is in school and trying to be good stewards, this is important to us.
Here are some examples of what we're doing.
1. We replaced our old school thermostat with a digital thermostat (our furnace had to be replaced this winter). Bonus: lower electric bill
2. We have a clothesline in our backyard that I try to use on laundry day when it's sunny (which happens a lot here). Bonus: lower electric bill
3. We have a compost pile in our backyard. Hubs continues to make fun of me about this one. But I don't care! I know that my garden (when I get around to planting it) will love it. And we aren't sending as much trash to the landfill with the grass clippings and food scraps that we use in the pile.
4. We are buying organic fruit and veggies (when available) with our second choice being locally grown stuff (LA has a lot to offer, who knew?), as well as "yard eggs." Also, I'm trying to stay away from pork and other not-so-great foods, like processed stuff.
5. We try to open the windows as much as possible to air out the house. Also, we turn off lights that we're not using (duh!). Bonus: lower electric bill.
6. We are recycling. For most people, this isn't a big deal. But around here it is. We don't have curbside pick-up anymore (another casualty of Katrina), so we have to take our recycling clear over to Biloxi, MS.You're thinking, doesn't that gas use offset the recycling? In our case, no. We have to go there every month for groceries, and a trip to the retail store on post. So, we just load up the recycling and take it to their center.
7. We have bought organic pajamas for the boys. We will continue to do so as money and need permit. Also, I'm trying to shop at consignment stores for the boys clothes (saves money and is a version of recycling!).
8. The next time I have to buy replacement bulbs, we will buy CFL bulbs instead of incandescent. Bonus: again, the electric bill.
9. Once I run out of my cleaning chemicals, I plan to replace them with good old vinegar and lemon, pending more research on the exact formulation. Bonus: vinegar is A LOT cheaper than the regular stuff.
10. Instead of using chemicals on our lawn, we're pulling all the weeds (there's lots of them) by hand. It helps our compost pile too! Bonus: money saved, no yucky chemicals for our kids and dogs to roll around in.
So, this is proof that a redneck and a stay-at-home mom on a tight budget can be environmentally conscious. I'm sure that you can figure out at least one thing to change. Try it. You may even save some money!
I've been reading a couple of pretty cool books recently. The first is Living Green by Greg Horn. It offers a boat load of things that everyone can do to help out the environment, and you don't have to spend any money to do most of them. The other book is The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin. It offers ideas for clean dietary living. And while we can't afford to go all out on organic food, we're trying to do some stuff. There's a bonus to most of this stuff too. In many cases, it SAVES you money! Since we're on a strict budget while Hubs is in school and trying to be good stewards, this is important to us.
Here are some examples of what we're doing.
1. We replaced our old school thermostat with a digital thermostat (our furnace had to be replaced this winter). Bonus: lower electric bill
2. We have a clothesline in our backyard that I try to use on laundry day when it's sunny (which happens a lot here). Bonus: lower electric bill
3. We have a compost pile in our backyard. Hubs continues to make fun of me about this one. But I don't care! I know that my garden (when I get around to planting it) will love it. And we aren't sending as much trash to the landfill with the grass clippings and food scraps that we use in the pile.
4. We are buying organic fruit and veggies (when available) with our second choice being locally grown stuff (LA has a lot to offer, who knew?), as well as "yard eggs." Also, I'm trying to stay away from pork and other not-so-great foods, like processed stuff.
5. We try to open the windows as much as possible to air out the house. Also, we turn off lights that we're not using (duh!). Bonus: lower electric bill.
6. We are recycling. For most people, this isn't a big deal. But around here it is. We don't have curbside pick-up anymore (another casualty of Katrina), so we have to take our recycling clear over to Biloxi, MS.You're thinking, doesn't that gas use offset the recycling? In our case, no. We have to go there every month for groceries, and a trip to the retail store on post. So, we just load up the recycling and take it to their center.
7. We have bought organic pajamas for the boys. We will continue to do so as money and need permit. Also, I'm trying to shop at consignment stores for the boys clothes (saves money and is a version of recycling!).
8. The next time I have to buy replacement bulbs, we will buy CFL bulbs instead of incandescent. Bonus: again, the electric bill.
9. Once I run out of my cleaning chemicals, I plan to replace them with good old vinegar and lemon, pending more research on the exact formulation. Bonus: vinegar is A LOT cheaper than the regular stuff.
10. Instead of using chemicals on our lawn, we're pulling all the weeds (there's lots of them) by hand. It helps our compost pile too! Bonus: money saved, no yucky chemicals for our kids and dogs to roll around in.
So, this is proof that a redneck and a stay-at-home mom on a tight budget can be environmentally conscious. I'm sure that you can figure out at least one thing to change. Try it. You may even save some money!
9/17/2007
Psalm 95
For the past few weeks I've been reading a Psalm a day for my devotion. Here's what I wrote in my journal for Psalm 95.
Psalm 95:8 refers to the Israelites complaining of no water (see Exodus 17:2-7). Moses, according to God's command, strikes the rock and water comes forth. Jason learned in one of his classes that this was a common practice among Bedouin shepherds. Because of the terrain (lots of limestone) in that area, water would filter down into rocks and eventually calcify providing a well of sorts in the rock. A good shepherd would know how to strike the rock just right for water to come gushing forth.
In verse 7, God calls us the sheep of His hand. It was the shepherd's job to provide pasture (God provided manna and quail) and water (from a rock) for his sheep. Many of the Israelites were shepherds, so they were familiar with the job description. The nation of Israel should have known (and I should know) that if the Lord claims to be the Shepherd, He will provide for the needs of His sheep. It's what shepherds do.
When God told Moses to strike the rock, in effect He was telling the Israelites to remember, in a not-so-subtle way, that He was their Shepherd and He would provide for their needs.
Isn't it funny when God uses regular everyday stuff to remind us that He is God? Striking a rock to produce water was something that many of the Israelites had at least seen, if not done, themselves. The Israelites are an easy target, but I try very hard not to pick on them. The truth is that I am very much like an Israelite. It takes God using the Duh! moments to get my attention. How patient and loving He is with me!
Kinda' like a Shepherd with His sheep...
Psalm 95:8 refers to the Israelites complaining of no water (see Exodus 17:2-7). Moses, according to God's command, strikes the rock and water comes forth. Jason learned in one of his classes that this was a common practice among Bedouin shepherds. Because of the terrain (lots of limestone) in that area, water would filter down into rocks and eventually calcify providing a well of sorts in the rock. A good shepherd would know how to strike the rock just right for water to come gushing forth.
In verse 7, God calls us the sheep of His hand. It was the shepherd's job to provide pasture (God provided manna and quail) and water (from a rock) for his sheep. Many of the Israelites were shepherds, so they were familiar with the job description. The nation of Israel should have known (and I should know) that if the Lord claims to be the Shepherd, He will provide for the needs of His sheep. It's what shepherds do.
When God told Moses to strike the rock, in effect He was telling the Israelites to remember, in a not-so-subtle way, that He was their Shepherd and He would provide for their needs.
Isn't it funny when God uses regular everyday stuff to remind us that He is God? Striking a rock to produce water was something that many of the Israelites had at least seen, if not done, themselves. The Israelites are an easy target, but I try very hard not to pick on them. The truth is that I am very much like an Israelite. It takes God using the Duh! moments to get my attention. How patient and loving He is with me!
Kinda' like a Shepherd with His sheep...
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