Eclectic Envisage

Bible Blog: Psalm 6 – June 5, 2008

2008-06-05T14:13:00.002-04:00

Psalm 6: 1-10 (GNB)

“LORD, don't be angry and rebuke me! Don't punish me in your anger!
“I am worn out, O LORD; have pity on me! Give me strength; I am completely exhausted
“And my whole being is deeply troubled. How long, O LORD, will you wait to help me?
“Come and save me, LORD; in your mercy rescue me from death.
“In the world of the dead you are not remembered; no one can praise you there.
“I am worn out with grief; every night my bed is damp from my weeping; my pillow is soaked with tears.
“I can hardly see; my eyes are so swollen from the weeping caused by my enemies.
“Keep away from me, you evil people! The LORD hears my weeping;
“He listens to my cry for help and will answer my prayer.
“My enemies will know the bitter shame of defeat; in sudden confusion they will be driven away.”
“I am worn out” and “Give me strength Lord” are frequent prayers for me. Reading them here simply reminded me I’m not the only one who struggles with the effects of evil in life. Everyone is impacted by decisions people make, by the physical and emotional attacks that Satan unleashes on us, and even by the repetitiveness routine of life. What I also notice in this passage is that David takes the same path I tend to take when troubled… I start out with a “complaint” mentality, followed with a feeling of resolve, and finally ending in a feeling of satisfaction in my Savior and the knowledge that I am His and He will take care of me. Have you ever wondered about that? Have you ever wondered why you will start off a prayer with “God this isn’t fair!” and end up with “I love You and know You have my life under control.”? I have, the best answer I can give you is the one I tell myself. God is comforting you while you pray. You may start off distressed, but in the end, His love and comfort engulf you and encourage you. Isn’t it wonderful?

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Psalm 5 – June 3, 2008

2008-06-03T12:50:00.000-04:00

Psalm 5: 1-12 (NIV)

“Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing.
“Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
“In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.
“You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell.
“The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.
“You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors.
“But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple.
“Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies—make straight your way before me.
“Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.
“Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.
“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
“For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”

Most of the time a passage like this will bring us to think we should pray first thing every day, or remind us we need to repent from our sinful ways so we can be in God’s presence. Today, for me, verse 9 is the most important, “Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.” Now, I know we can easily look at this and say, “Yeah, I know when that girl calls me fat that she’s just trying to hurt me,” or “well duh, the taunting on the field is just to throw off my game.” What about the taunts and insults that are thrown at us from the spiritual world though? Do we actually cast them off as easily or do we internalize them and somehow believe them to be true? As I’m typing this, I am unemployed and have an ankle injury that is preventing me from being hired at any local firms. Satan has used this as an opportunity to fill my mind with thoughts of uselessness, unimportance, and a lack of value. But here I read, “…with their tongue they speak deceit.” Who speaks deceit more frequently than Satan? Why do I find myself even listening to these words when all I need to do it tell him that God made me, forgives me, and loves me, I’m an heiress to the Throne of Grace… I really can’t have more value than that now can I? For whatever reason though, these thoughts and words are trusted even more than the ones we hear from the people we see each day. We need to cast these aside also and rejoice and sing for our Lord and Savior and not let these negative and deceitful ways permeate our minds and hearts.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Psalm 4 – June 2, 2008

2008-06-02T13:57:00.000-04:00

Psalm 4: 1-8 (BBE)

“Give answer to my cry, O God of my righteousness; make me free from my troubles; have mercy on me, and give ear to my prayer.
“O you sons of men, how long will you go on turning my glory into shame? how long will you give your love to foolish things, going after what is false? Selah.
“See how the Lord has made great his mercy for me; the Lord will give ear to my cry.
“Let there be fear in your hearts, and do no sin; have bitter feelings on your bed, but make no sound. Selah.
“Give the offerings of righteousness, and put your faith in the Lord.
“There are numbers who say, Who will do us any good? the light of his face has gone from us.
“Lord, you have put joy in my heart, more than they have when their grain and their wine are increased.
“I will take my rest on my bed in peace, because you only, Lord, keep me safe.”

I like this version because it really is “basic English” with the possible exception of the word “Selah”. Do you know what that word means? Not many people do. It means we are to stop, meditate on what has just been spoken or read, really pull it apart and digest what is being said and then personalize it and take it to heart. David is challenging us and then telling us to take a break and think about the challenge he has just made… let’s do that…

Challenge #1: How long are we going to take the good things God gives us and turn them into something cheap and meaningless?
Challenge #2: How long are we going to reject the good things God offers and pursue things that don’t matter?
Challenge #3: Search your heart for the cause of your anger and deal with it within yourself and with God before it is mentioned to another.

David doesn’t ask you to meditate on the protection and joy God gives us that is mentioned after the challenges are made, but I think it’s reasonable to reflect on those as well and remember that through it all He keeps us safe. I hope you don’t mind that I am not giving my answers here… this needs to be a personal exercise and time for you to really communicate with God about what He wants you to learn. I pray you will be open to what he reveals to you!

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Psalm 3 - May 31, 2008

2008-06-02T13:56:00.000-04:00

Psalm 3: 1-8 (GNB)

“I have so many enemies, LORD, so many who turn against me!
“They talk about me and say, "God will not help him."
“But you, O LORD, are always my shield from danger; you give me victory and restore my courage.
“I call to the LORD for help, and from his sacred hill he answers me.
“I lie down and sleep, and all night long the LORD protects me.
“I am not afraid of the thousands of enemies who surround me on every side.
“Come, LORD! Save me, my God! You punish all my enemies and leave them powerless to harm me.
“Victory comes from the LORD --- may he bless his people.”

There is so much comfort in this passage! Who among us hasn’t at some time drooped our shoulders and muttered words like “why me?” or “what now?” So many things in life seem to conspire against us, day after day, but through it all, the Lord is good! To see David going through the same type of sentiment, the “what now?” attitude and still turning to God for comfort and trusting that all he needs will be provided is the most encouraging thing I think I could read. Just read over the words for each verse, and remember all the ways God has helped you in these ways… He has protected you from danger, given you a victory, restored your courage, and answered your call for help… I could give countless examples from my own life, but they are not what is important, what’s important is that you know how God does this in your life… I hope you’ll think about it and thank Him for it today.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Psalm 2 – May 30, 2008

2008-06-02T13:52:00.002-04:00

Psalm 2: 1-12 (GNB)

“Why do the nations plan rebellion? Why do people make their useless plots?
“Their kings revolt, their rulers plot together against the LORD and against the king he chose.
"Let us free ourselves from their rule," they say; "let us throw off their control."
“From his throne in heaven the Lord laughs and mocks their feeble plans.
“Then he warns them in anger and terrifies them with his fury.
"On Zion, my sacred hill," he says, "I have installed my king."
"I will announce," says the king, "what the LORD has declared. He said to me: 'You are my son; today I have become your father.
“Ask, and I will give you all the nations; the whole earth will be yours.”
“You will break them with an iron rod; you will shatter them in pieces like a clay pot.' "
“Now listen to this warning, you kings; learn this lesson, you rulers of the world:
“Serve the LORD with fear; tremble
“and bow down to him; or else his anger will be quickly aroused, and you will suddenly die. Happy are all who go to him for protection."

What is rebellion? The best dictionary definition I’ve seen is, “organized opposition to authority; a conflict in which one faction tries to wrest control from another.” Okay, so in the very literal sense, David is referring to his earthly enemies in this Psalm, the people who were trying to overthrow the kingship God established. The message for us today is no different. Every time we try to do things our way, go against what we know God wants us to do in our lives, we are trying to take control away from God. “Why do people make their useless plots?” Our typical answer, “we just can’t help ourselves, it’s our human nature.” Well ladies and gentlemen, when you ask Christ for forgiveness from your sins and ask Him to be the ruler of your life, you are asking HIS nature to take over your life. Instead of answering, “its human nature,” we should be saying, “I’m struggling for power over my own life.” It’s not as easy to admit that though is it? As soon as those words are out we realize we’re sinning and need to change our ways. But as always, there is good news… if we submit to Him and allow Him to protect us, we will find happiness. Maybe not complete happiness while on earth, but when we are in His presence in Heaven one day, we will know joy beyond our capability to imagine.

Hugs & Love

"rebellion." WordNet® 3.0. Princeton University. 02 Jun. 2008. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rebellion>.

Bible Blog: Psalm 1 - May 29, 2008

2008-05-29T13:25:00.002-04:00

Psalm 1: 1-6 (GNB)

“Happy are those who reject the advice of evil people, who do not follow the example of sinners or join those who have no use for God.
“Instead, they find joy in obeying the Law of the LORD, and they study it day and night.
“They are like trees that grow beside a stream, that bear fruit at the right time, and whose leaves do not dry up. They succeed in everything they do.
“But evil people are not like this at all; they are like straw that the wind blows away.
“Sinners will be condemned by God and kept apart from God's own people.
“The righteous are guided and protected by the LORD, but the evil are on the way to their doom."

We have a decision to make; it’s as simple, and as complicated, as it sounds.
Option 1 – God’s way
Option 2 – Man’s way
On the surface this seems so simple; we want to live for God. End of story, right? WRONG!

Every association we have in life, teachers, parents, siblings, friends, every conversation, has the potential to impact our thoughts and perceptions on what things in life are good and what are not so good. Sometimes we can find ourselves strongly convinced to believe in a way contrary to God’s teaching, but we can also find ourselves indifferent to Him. What’s the danger in indifference? Well, when you don’t have an opinion on something, you can’t really have any goals. For example, a neutral opinion on sex before marriage could result in putting yourself into compromising positions and having the decision made for you. Yes, that’s an extreme example, but it’s effective. In addition to not being able to set your goals and boundaries, you will find that your contentment in Christ and your joy in Him will start to fade. If you’re indifferent to His presence in your life you can’t experience the joy and satisfaction of a relationship with Him because it just doesn’t matter.

I have good news for you though… you have a choice!

When we study God’s Word, immerse ourselves in Him, His ways, and His Love, His will becomes obvious to us, His Love restores our contentment and our lives are once again filled with His joy! When we give God our time and attention we become productive, fruitful and we grow. The more we become like Him, the more joy, hope, and grace we experience in our lives! It’s the same idea as making those human associations, except that association is the one where we get to experience perfection through an intimate relationship with the Perfect One! He offers us everything; all we need to do is accept it.

So today, we choose. Do we give our time and attention to others with imperfect hearts and motives and allow ourselves to be complacent and indifferent to God OR do we choose to spend time with our Savior, learning about His desires for our lives and living in His Love and Grace while letting Him mold us and remake us in His image?

Hugs & Love

Poetry

2008-05-29T13:24:00.000-04:00

Did you know that a poet opens his or her mind and heart to provide us with a lyrical and almost tangible account of that person’s inner struggles and desires? The Psalms of the Bible aren’t any different in that aspect. Where they differ is that they illustrate an intimacy with our Savior, the open, honest, free communication that is available to any who call on Him. Isn’t it wonderful? We are free to call upon the most important and powerful being ever to exist with the mundane (toe stubbing, hang nail, split ends) to the problematic (disciplinary issues with children, unemployment) to the emotional (loneliness, depression, joy) to rejoicing (praises, songs of worship, promotions) and anything else we might want to talk with Him about. He wants more than you’d give your best friend on earth, He wants EVERYTHING!

It is my hope that during my journey through the Psalms I will feel comforted, encouraged, but above all, that I develop a deep and intimate knowledge of my Savior, a closeness that I’ve never before known that will remain with me until I meet Him. I also hope that whoever reads my accounts of the Psalms will get from it whatever God intends. Above all, I want to be His servant and do His will.

Hugs & Love

God will take care of you...

2008-05-13T20:44:00.001-04:00

Some background info: I lost my job. I'm not going to get into the story, I'm working on the next chapter of my life right now.

Well, I'm sitting here, starting to wonder which bills to pay, which to hold off on paying, the normal monthly financial situation but with the knowledge that there will not be another paycheck coming in 2 weeks. I start feeling my anxiety level rising, my blood starts pounding, and I pray... yes, I prayed. I asked God to help me through this and His answer? The lyrics (and melody) "God will take care of you, through every day, o'er all the way, He will take care of you, God will take care of you." How wonderful is it to hear the voice of God just by being open to Him?

I know many don't believe God can or will talk with us, but He does, every day, if we take the time to listen. It won't always be as obvious as this situation, and in other cases it will be even MORE obvious, but that still small voice inside of me is my connection to my Savior and I want to listen to it every time it speaks to me. Hope you have moments like this with God, they are wonderful!

Hugs & love

Not Dead...Yet

2008-01-20T20:49:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the delays in posting, most of you were following along with my health status outside of my blog, so I didn't bother posting updates here. I'm finally doing MUCH better!

During my not so willing hiatus from work, I did manage to get out a few resumes and find a new job... and it's the one I wanted! I actually had 2 offers, the first one came, and it didn't "feel" right, they were pushing for an answer, I didn't feel sure of it, and there was as much stress about the possibility of taking that position as there was at the one I had left, ultimately, the company withdrew the offer. About a week later I was called in for an interview for the job I now have which is making about 8k more a year than I was at KCI and 5K more than I would have at the other job offered. I'm still doing plan review work, but I'm in the field now also, I'm going to be sent for training next month so I can do official construction inspections if the need arises rather than just tagging along with a co-worker (although getting stuck in the mud is more "fun" when someone is there to pull you out!) and I'm already given more respect on this job than I had in 2 years at KCI. They are helping me learn because it will help me do my job more effectively and in turn help lessen the burdens of co-workers. From day one they started taking me to meetings and introducing me to local engineers and getting me into the public eye as the new engineer. It is wonderful! The stress is limited to the normal work related stressors rather than personal ones, and the hours and benefits are phenomenal.

That said, when I went back to KCI to clean out my cubical, within 2 minutes of talking with my old boss she had my stress level so high I was ready to scream out "this is why I quit!" What's worse, someone took my calculator and they were treating ME like I was some type of criminal... can you believe it?

Anyway, I've been in meetings with former co-workers for KCI already and they went relatively well, considering that they never made eye contact with me.

I just wanted to let you all know that I am alive, what I've been up to, and that I am about 90% better health wise. I still have flare ups, I still have 3 children to care for, and I still love Jesus... so everything will be fine. I'm back into my Bible study group, oh how I missed those ladies! I am so happy to once again be learning about God with them and discussing Him with them, I missed it so much while preparing for Christmas!

I'm hoping to get back into a good pattern here where I can start blogging my Bible journey as well as anything else I feel relevant. I want to figure out how to long for heaven while at the same time living an abundant life... any thoughts?

Hugs & Love to all, I've missed you!

History of the 2007 War on Mold and Mildew

2007-11-30T15:09:00.001-05:00

History of the 2007 War on Mold and Mildew
by: Alice Maer

In the August heat, on the hottest day of summer, the compressor in the air conditioner broke. The day before, the downstairs neighbors moved out. We were without a cooling system and living in a 3rd floor apartment. The war has begun.

Our first sign of trouble was condensation on the kitchen floor, not just a light mist, but puddles so large that they would soak your entire foot. The children thought this was fun, splashing in puddles in the kitchen, but I knew better, I knew this was a breeding ground for the worst enemies any apartment has ever known, mildew and mold. Oh the kitchen was safe enough; they have windows to help dry the air and floor, but the bathrooms, oh the poor bathrooms! The hall bathroom sustained only minor injury, easily repaired by the maintenance crew, but the master bath, completely enclosed and isolated from any semblance of air circulation; it did not stand a chance against this evil. The maintenance crew came and scrubbed the mold and mildew until the walls were faded to a light pink color… but you could see that the little buggers were still alive and waiting for the next opportunity to strike.

Late in October, the weather became warm again, short sleeves, humid air, everything was perfect for this monster to once again assert itself. The walls, the ceiling, the shower… all covered in a blanket made of mold and mildew after three short days of humidity. They struck for the second time and this time it was personal. I called for reinforcements, Joe, ever ready with a bottle of bleach, a sponge, and gloves approached the bathroom with a warrior’s pride. He strode in with a ladder, scrubbed every possible surface of the bathroom, and managed in 3 hours to remove about a quarter of the offensive scum from the ceiling. The rest remained because our might warrior was tired and needed a much deserved rest.

Time was dragging by, the proud mold and mildew regrouping where the mighty warrior Joe had once devastated their population. We did not concede defeat; never will we allow the mold and mildew bullies to win this war against us! A new plan of attack was formed, and late in November, the mighty Rachel approached for round one with a bottle of chemical warfare in hand. She heartily sprayed every centimeter of mold and mildew infested walls and ceiling with the chemical whose purpose was to remove all signs of their existence. After her first attack, she realized the advantage the mold has over her, they can not smell the chemical warfare, nor can they breathe it in, but it is toxic to them, and soon they will run away, crying for mercy. A few hours later, Rachel the brave enters, armed once again with the chemical weapon for a fresh attack. She sprayed the entire bathroom once more, trying to save the rapidly infected room from total demise. The folly in her plan was soon realized as she started to cough and wheeze, the chemicals were hurting her! She ran for the relief of fresh air, and had to use an inhaler to restore her breathing to normal levels. Upon her retreat she noticed a significant withdrawal in numbers on the mold and mildew side of the war, one or two attacks more and this war will be won, the bathroom saved, and mold and mildew defeated until the next air-conditioning system failure next summer. The call is out, for a mighty warrior to come to the aid of this bathroom, to save Rachel the Brave’s lungs from total ruin during her attempt to decimate the stubborn mold and mildew so ruthlessly attacking her abode. Is there a warrior out there willing to fight this battle and help bring us to victory?

Time is running short, the enemy is approaching, I must send this now and hope for our Knight to come to us and rescue us from this danger. Please, come quickly!

Long anticipated...

2007-11-23T22:17:00.000-05:00

Sorry for such a long delay. I've been so weak and tired that I just didn't know which end was up most days. My medications are now working, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) seems like a happy thing in relation to others that this could have been, and I've gotten the new job with the county! I'm being cleared to return to work on the same day the offer to start at the county is effective and all is well.

God has managed to use me through all of this, much to my surprise, and I'm thrilled He has. I just hope it doesn't take a major illness to get my attention next time!

For the past month or so I've been reading what others have been writing about the Bible, their thoughts and ideas, etc... instead of doing my own digging. I do plan to resume my own study and writing but for now am concentrating on getting better, resting when needed, etc... for those who have told me they miss my input, I'm sorry. I will be back though, I promise!

Hugs & Love

Spoons

2007-10-28T21:24:00.000-04:00

My friend Mei-Ling sent this to me. It is such an effective way to explain my day to day existence that I felt as if I had to share it with you. I hope you'll read it and get an understanding of what it is to live with an invisible chronic illness that impacts everyday activities.

http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/2004/11/the_spoon_theory.php

Hugs & Love

Can't write it...

2007-10-25T21:54:00.000-04:00

I don't know why, but no matter how many times I've tried I have NOT been able to write down the thoughts I have about Daniel 4 in a clear and concise way. I think I'm going to shelf it until tomorrow and see what happens. Sorry.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Daniel 3 – October 22, 2007

2007-10-22T23:22:00.000-04:00

Daniel 3 – “The Image of Gold and the Fiery Furnace”

If I gathered everyone I knew to see the “great big shiny thing” I made and told everyone to sing worship songs to the “great big shiny thing” I’m sure at least a few would force me to have my head examined, a few more would slam me in the head with a spiritual baseball bat, and many would laugh at me… good for them! But I know of three people who would blindly do as I told them to because mommy knows what is right. It may seem like an overly simplistic way of looking at this situation, but it is accurate. King N was educated, knowledgeable in things the common man didn’t know he was missing… much like a parent-child relationship.

It’s easy to see the “trust in the Lord” message from this passage… less obvious is that we need to try to learn how to lead those around us away from the tempting “great big shiny things” of life and towards the arms of our loving Savior. I don’t want to encourage my children to sing praise to anything evil, I want them to sing praises to Jesus… they won’t do that unless they see me doing it.

I need to make sure I haven’t been leading them to any “great big shiny things” lately. I pray I never will!

Hugs & Love

Daniel 3

1. King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.

4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, "This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace."

7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

8 At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! 10 You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up."

13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king."

25 He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."

26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way."

30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Bible Blog: Daniel 2:24-49 – October 12, 2007

2007-10-12T11:15:00.000-04:00

Daniel 2:24-49 – “Daniel Interprets the Dream”

24. Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, "Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him."

25. Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, "I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means."

26. The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), "Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?"

27. Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28. but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these:

29. "As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. 30. As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.

31. "You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32. The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33. its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34. While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. 35. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.

36. "This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. 37. You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; 38. in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.

39. "After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. 40. Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. 41. Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. 42. As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43. And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.

44. "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. 45. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. "The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy."

46. Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. 47. The king said to Daniel, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery."

48. Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. 49. Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.

I’m starting to understand why people say, “Dare to be a Daniel.” This is a very impressive young man! When he went to King N to tell him his dream and the interpretation, he first gave all the credit to God. How often do you or I have something to share with someone that we don’t give even a mention of who is responsible let alone do it up front like that? It is such an easy thing to do, give credit where credit is due, yet we all fail to do it time and time again and here Daniel is giving credit before the explanation. Remarkable!

Of course he goes on to save the day by telling and interpreting the dream and assuring the lives of the wise men are protected and in the process finds himself appointed as King N’s new advisor. He doesn’t turn around and rub it in his friends’ faces either, nope; he goes and gets them jobs as his assistant. It makes sense, they share the same faith in God, have had the same training, and he trusts them… sounds like a perfect fit to me! By doing this Daniel once again showed that his actions are not for his own benefit, he found a way for his friends to be in prominent positions and set everyone up for success.

How do I do this for the ones I love and care for? Do I build them up and give them reasons to grow or do I cut them down for my own gain? Do I give credit to God and others when it is due? It is time to Selah on this. Hope you do too!

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Daniel 2:1-23 – October 11, 2007

2007-10-11T12:14:00.000-04:00

Daniel 2:1-23 – “Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream”

1. In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. 2. So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, 3. he said to them, "I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means."

4. Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it."

5. The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. 6. But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me."

7. Once more they replied, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it."

8. Then the king answered, "I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: 9. If you do not tell me the dream, there is just one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me."

10. The astrologers answered the king, "There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11. What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men."

12. This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. 13. So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.

14. When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. 15. He asked the king's officer, "Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?" Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 16. At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.

17. Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19. During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven

20. and said:
"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.

21. He changes times and seasons;
he sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.

22. He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.

23. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king."

This story is much more amazing to me now than it was when I was a child. We start with power hungry King N (I’m not typing that out more than the one time above) who insists that an interpretation of an undisclosed dream must be provided by the wise men or they will all be executed. YIKES! This is a bit harsh. Understandably the wise men didn’t want to try to interpret a dream they haven’t heard, but the power hungry King N doesn’t care, he wants them to tell him his dream also. When Daniel and his friends were gathered for execution and the reason was explained to them, they didn’t cry or beg, but Daniel requested an audience with King N to reveal and explain his dream to him.

I want faith like that. I don’t know how to get it, but I know I’m going to be praying that my faith increases quite a bit! I know it is a change that needs to take place inside me, that I’m the person at fault for not having that level of faith, but I really don’t know how to change my level of faith… yet.

Anyway, in faith Daniel goes to sleep and King N’s dream and its meaning are revealed to him. When he wakes up he behaves in a rather unnatural way for someone whose life and whose friends’ lives are on the line… he stops and praises God. Isn’t that wonderful? Daniel’s character, which I find inspirational, is revealed in this moment. God is first. There are no exceptions or exclusions that so many of us make “I can do it later” or “He won’t mind if I make sure they live first” no, God is good and God is first. Thank him for the revelation THEN take care of life saving business.

I can’t say that God is always a priority in my life. I think if I were in a similar situation my tendency towards self-preservation would kick in and I’d go make sure I was going to remain alive rather than thank God for the revelation of a dream. But Daniel went and thanked God for the revelation, not knowing if King N was going to actually spare him or his friends. His faith, his quick action, and his devotion to God are examples of things I lack in my own life. I know with God’s help I’ll make it though, and I’m going to work on changing my attitudes and faith.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Daniel 1 – October 9, 2007

2007-10-10T08:49:00.000-04:00

In two days, two people have mentioned Daniel to me, specifically, the story of the handwriting on the wall. I’m going to assume there is something for me to learn in the book of Daniel at this time and start from the beginning to find out what it might be. Hope you enjoy!

Daniel 1 – “Daniel’s Training in Babylon”

1. During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2. The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia and placed them in the treasure-house of his god.

3. Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives. 4. “Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.” 5. The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service.

6. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. 7. The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names:

Daniel was called Belteshazzar.
Hananiah was called Shadrach.
Mishael was called Meshach.
Azariah was called Abednego.

8. But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. 9. Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel. 10. But he responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.”

11. Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 12. “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. 13. “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.”
14. The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.

15. At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. 16. So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.
17. God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.

18. When the training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief of staff brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar. 19. The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the royal service. 20. Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.

21. Daniel remained in the royal service until the first year of the reign of King Cyrus.

Daniel tried to please God in everything. When Judah was overthrown by the Babylonians and he was forced into the King’s service, he used his intelligence to find a way to maintain his devotion to God by suggesting a “trial period” of vegetables and water instead of foods he felt would displease God. He was rewarded with good health, intelligence, and competence as well a the ability to interpret dreams.

I think the most important thing to learn from this passage is that we need to set ourselves apart in appropriate ways while still living within our culture. We need to know our surroundings, strive for excellence in our work, and do it while maintaining our integrity and identity in Christ. Today our “new cultures” can include anything; a new job or relationship, a move to a new neighborhood, marriage, parenthood, divorce, or even a career change. What we need to try to do is follow Daniel’s example and make those changes while maintaining our identity with God.

It sounds simple… too simple. I know that the things that sound easy are often the hardest but also the most rewarding. I hope and pray I’m preparing myself to stay firm in God when a new culture becomes part of my life.

Hugs & Love

Just a Tuesday afternoon...

2007-10-09T15:45:00.000-04:00

What do you get when you put two friends, both female, in a room when one is awaiting a diagnosis that could possibly be cancer?

A. Somber discussion about medical treatments.
B. Prayer session begging God that this isn't going to be cancer.
C. Bible page flipping looking up passages of hope.
D. All the above.

If you answered D, you'd be partially correct... but mostly wrong. Here are some more options to choose from:

E. Abundant laughter.
F. An awesome chuckle inspiring card.
G. Commentary on God's sense of humor.
H. All the above.

H is correct, but still doesn't tell the whole story.

My friend Nancy came over to offer me some support this afternoon because she knows I'm seeing the hematologist tomorrow and she has been through the testing and waiting process in the past and knows how stressful it can be. She showed up with an awesome card, imagine the silly glasses and funny nose attached in card form, I plan to wear this to my doctor appointment tomorrow or at least to dinner if my friends are still taking me. Things became progressively sillier as the afternoon went on.

What I really want to share with you is what had us in stitches and I'm convinced that God was laughing right along with us. Both Nancy and I needed to use the bathroom, fortunately I have two so we parted company. I flushed the toilet, no problem, went to turn on the water and nothing came out. I respond with, "Oh crap, this isn't happening, not now!" to which Nancy comes running thinking her using the water in another room was causing me a problem... soap covering her hands and a concerned look on her face and I realize that she didn't know yet. They had just shut off the water to the building while we were using the toilets. Sure enough we checked every sink, no water to be found anywhere. By now our giggles are filling the whole building as we try to figure out how to get our hands clean. We manage to dry off the soap and find the waterless sanitizer and continue having a good laugh and a discussion about how God made a man pee his pants in the Bible... yeah I'm planning to look that up and it will most likely be a Bible Blog entry.

We decided it was a great time to take pictures, and silly us, we put more soap on our now sanitized hands, held the card in front of our faces (we took turns) and snapped the pictures. We then proceeded to the sink to rinse off the soap... we had forgotten something very important, no water... duh! So another round of giggling and silliness and of course hand cleaning without water (have I mentioned diaper wipes are wonderful things recently?) We then prayed, holding sticky hands, laughing hysterically for God to bring healing and to keep the laughter abundant. And we both felt God's presence, we knew He was laughing right along with us, that He was enjoying that moment with us, the complete silliness and you know what? He loved that we included Him in it! He wants everything from us, not just good, not just bad, He even wants our silly outbursts... isn't that wonderful?

Well, after a round of try to figure out what is wrong with the cell phone (hers, not mine) and finally giving up, she went out the door. I had turned the water faucet in the kitchen on so I would hear when the water started again. Around the time she got to her car, the water started up again. I called her and told her and we continued laughing. God really does have a sense of humor, and this confirms it. He wants us to laugh.

So laugh with me people! If I can get the pictures onto my computer, and get permission from Nancy, I'll post them, otherwise, use your imagination, it's probably just as good.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Obadiah – October 8, 2007

2007-10-08T22:33:00.000-04:00

Why did I choose to read Obadiah? I don’t remember ever reading it before, although I know I must have at some point in time since I read the entire Bible in HS. I didn’t know anything about it, so I read it. Since the whole book is only 21 verses long, I’m including all of it at the end of my ramblings so you can read it. I’m using the Message version this time because the language is more modern and lets you “feel” what is being said a bit easier.

I like that writing styles in Bible times included the author’s name and a brief subject right up front makes it easy to know that Obadiah was a prophet foretelling the destruction of Edom… but again, my Bible history isn’t what is should be, so I have to find out, WHY Edom is going to be destroyed.

In verses 2-4 it seems almost as though Obadiah is taunting the people of Edom, but the reality is he’s pointing out that they’re going to be destroyed for their pride and feelings of superiority. Obadiah is telling them that God is going to take them from being in a lofty, well protected city and reduce them to nothing. In verses 10-14 we find out that it’s because they were violent towards Judah, they allowed foreigners to attack Judah and cast lots for Jerusalem, they rejoiced in the destruction of their family… Judah was filled with the descendants of Jacob and Edom the descendants of Esau, they pillaged during times of distress, they wouldn’t allow refugees to leave, and turned over survivors to the enemy.

It seems to me a good warning for today as well. We are called to love those around us, to help those in trouble, but if we rejoice in their sorrow and pain we are no better than the Edomites who turned over their relatives to the enemy. But as with any warning against evil, it seems God sends along hope as well because He tells of the restoration of Israel in verses 17-21. We are certainly going to face evil in this life; we are going to face it from friends and family, co-workers, strangers, and people with different beliefs. He will punish all sin, but because Jesus died for us, our sins will be overlooked and we will be restored to Him as heirs and heiresses. Isn’t that wonderful to think about?

Hugs & Love

Obadiah

1
Obadiah's Message to Edom from God, the Master.
We got the news straight from God by a special messenger sent out to the godless nations:
"On your feet, prepare for battle; get ready to make war on Edom!

2-4
"Listen to this, Edom:
I'm turning you to a no-account, the runt of the godless nations, despised.
You thought you were so great, perched high among the rocks, king of the mountain,
Thinking to yourself, 'Nobody can get to me! Nobody can touch me!
'Think again. Even if, like an eagle, you hang out on a high cliff-face,
Even if you build your nest in the stars, I'll bring you down to earth."
God's sure Word.

5-14
"If thieves crept up on you, they'd rob you blind—isn't that so?
If they mugged you on the streets at night, they'd pick you clean—isn't that so?
Oh, they'll take Esau apart, piece by piece, empty his purse and pockets.
All your old partners will drive you to the edge.
Your old friends will lie to your face.
Your old drinking buddies will stab you in the back.
Your world will collapse. You won't know what hit you.
So don't be surprised"
—it's God's sure Word!—
"when I wipe out all sages from Edom and rid the Esau mountains of its famous wise men.
Your great heroes will desert you, Teman. There'll be nobody left in Esau's mountains.
Because of the murderous history compiled against your brother Jacob,
You will be looked down on by everyone. You'll lose your place in history.
On that day you stood there and didn't do anything.
Strangers took your brother's army into exile.
Godless foreigners invaded and pillaged Jerusalem.
You stood there and watched.
You were as bad as they were.
You shouldn't have gloated over your brother when he was down-and-out.
You shouldn't have laughed and joked at Judah's sons when they were facedown in the mud.
You shouldn't have talked so big when everything was so bad.
You shouldn't have taken advantage of my people when their lives had fallen apart.
You of all people should not have been amused by their troubles, their wrecked nation.
You shouldn't have taken the shirt off their back when they were knocked flat, defenseless.
And you shouldn't have stood waiting at the outskirts and cut off refugees,
And traitorously turned in helpless survivors who had lost everything.

15-18
"God's Judgment Day is near for all the godless nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you.
What you did will boomerang back and hit your own head.
Just as you partied on my holy mountain, all the godless nations will drink God's wrath.
They'll drink and drink and drink—they'll drink themselves to death.
But not so on Mount Zion—there's respite there! a safe and holy place!
The family of Jacob will take back their possessions from those who took them from them.
That's when the family of Jacob will catch fire, the family of Joseph become fierce flame, while the family of Esau will be straw.
Esau will go up in flames, nothing left of Esau but a pile of ashes."
God said it, and it is so.

19-21
People from the south will take over the Esau mountains; people from the foothills will overrun the Philistines.
They'll take the farms of Ephraim and Samaria, and Benjamin will take Gilead.
Earlier, Israelite exiles will come back and take Canaanite land to the north at Zarephath.
Jerusalem exiles from the far northwest in Sepharad will come back and take the cities in the south.
The remnant of the saved in Mount Zion will go into the mountains of Esau
And rule justly and fairly, a rule that honors God's kingdom.

Teachers In-Service

2007-10-05T16:39:00.000-04:00

I am home with three small children today, not because anyone is sick (other than me) but because the teachers have an in-service day today. School started a month ago, and the children have a day off already? I don't know why but I don't remember nearly as many days off in my school year as a child, snow days when there is a powdering of snow on the ground, in-service days every month, and of course all the holidays that only bankers and government workers get to take off.

At least they are cooperating to some degree here, they've watched the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (for the first time) and Nanny McPhee as well and have been doing kids' level sudoku and word puzzles. They even showered this morning (amazing).

I somehow doubt that I will be able to find the time to have quiet time while they (and I) are awake at the same time (I've been sleeping through the movies, I'm tired of sleeping so much!) and when they are asleep I am pretty sure I'll be asleep also, so please forgive me. So much for my grand plans for having extra quiet time with God during the month of October! Please know I am still reading daily devotionals every day (usually about 4) and that I don't comment on them because they are based on another person's interpretations as well as their readings, not my own.

I will write more soon, perhaps I'll have a friend join me in reading/writing something, that would be fun!

Hugs & Love

Oh well...

2007-10-03T16:10:00.000-04:00

I just woke up, again, about 20 mins ago, and I'm just finishing up getting ready for my next interview... I can't believe I dozed through another whole day without writing anything. It's a bit frustrating that I have all this time but no energy with which to accomplish anything!

I'll try this evening to post something, if I don't fall asleep that is!

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Hope Wanted – October 2, 2007

2007-10-02T12:15:00.000-04:00

Psalm 69:29
I am suffering and in pain. Rescue me, O God, by your saving power.

I’m in pain. Physical and emotional turmoil define my existence right now. So as I was trying to figure out where to go next in my Bible Blog journey my thought was “I need help to figure out what I should do next.” Then I realized what I need right now is HOPE. So today, I’m going to list the messages of hope I have read and enjoyed and thought about today along with some of the thoughts, questions, and if I have them, answers I came up with. Mostly questions though, aimed at myself for my less than perfect reaction to circumstances in my life.

Psalm 42:5
Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!

Why do we allow ourselves to be so discouraged, so sad when God has offered us life through Christ? Why is it that when something goes wrong I wonder what the point of life is on some level even though deep down I know my purpose is to serve God?

Proverbs 23:18
You will be rewarded for this; your hope will not be disappointed.

Isaiah 40:31
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.

I live in physical pain on a daily basis. How I long to have strength, to soar free like the birds, to not grow tired anymore. I don’t know when it is going to happen, but God has promised that I will do exactly what I wish for one day. I am looking forward to a pain-free existence, in His timing of course, but I’m not that patient of a person and have to admit, I want it now!

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.
“They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

This is the exact sentiment I have about my current employment situation. I seriously doubt God has put me where I am right now (top of the candidate list for a really good job) if He has an untimely demise planned for me. He is setting me up for success, and this is just one stop on the journey to get to that success… perhaps so I can learn to lean on others when it’s appropriate instead of trying to be self-sufficient to a fault?

Romans 5:3-4
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials,
for we know that they help us develop endurance.
And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens
our confident hope of salvation.

I need to adopt this attitude of rejoicing when facing problems and trials. Yes, I still believe I should praise God, yes, I still get up and sing with my heart to my Savior, but is it rejoicing when I let the tears fall, when I feel afraid, when I am struggling with my emotions because I am no longer able to control my muscles or voice because of pain and fatigue? What exactly does it mean to rejoice when we have problems? I’m still seeking God, I still talk with Him, and probably more than before, and I’m not upset with Him in any way or blaming Him in any way… what I don’t know is am I doing something wrong by being scared of uncertainty or crying when the pain gets to be too much or is that just part of it?

Romans 15:4
Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us.
And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently
for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

Romans 15:13
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely
with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will
overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I feel confident that whatever this illness is that is attacking my body right now, that I will survive and thrive once we figure out what is going on and how to react to it. I trust that God is going to pull me through this, and my only real concerns are to make sure that everything is in line for my children should I happen to be overly optimistic right now… but despite this confidence, I am still afraid of the unknown, still feel sadness at times. Why am I so afraid?

I Corinthians 15:57
But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is why I am not afraid for my well being. I will be alive in one form or another no matter what happens to me. I have no doubt where I will be should I die. I plan to survive, but I don’t fear death because of this promise. Death has lost its grip on me because of Jesus!

II Corinthians 4:16-18
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying,
our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles
are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that
vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the
troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot
be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we
cannot see will last forever.

Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm,
for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

Hebrews 11:1
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen;
it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

I know that God is faithful; I know He is going to keep His promises, and I know He loves everyone that I love more than I am able. I need to allow myself to really rest in His arms right now so I won’t be overburdened with concerns I don’t need to have, and I don’t know how to do it. I know God will take care of everything because everything is His… I just need to let go a bit more and let Him do His work, and I am having trouble doing it. I want to be able to rest like my children rest when I hold them, peaceful, silent, content, and knowing that I will protect them from anything harmful that comes their way… I know God is that type of a parent, I know He has me in His arms, but for some reason I am still a bit restless, and I don’t want to be.

Okay, before I ramble even more I'm going to get going… sorry this is just a list and questions. Hope you don’t mind too much!

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Romans 15:23-16:27 – October 1, 2007

2007-10-01T11:59:00.000-04:00

How to Behave: Part XIV

I’ve been avoiding trying to finish this “How to Behave” series with the I-don’t-feel-well excuse. My mom didn’t buy it when I was a kid, I don’t let my kids get away with it, and my Daddy God isn’t letting me procrastinate any longer. So, since I have plenty of time, I’m going to finish it now.

Romans 15:23-33

23. But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, 24. I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25. Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. 26. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. 28. So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. 29. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ. 30. I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. 31. Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, 32. so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. 33. The God of peace be with you all. Amen.

A few things jumped out at me when I read this:

1. Paul had a longing for Christian companionship and a time of refreshment. I often hear people say that they worship God in their own way, they don’t need to go to church, etc… While there is nothing wrong with worshiping God in solitude and I think all of us should have our ways of worshiping Him on our own, to do so at the exclusion of interaction with our brothers and sisters in Christ is foolish. I know my church is my family. Without the people at BVBC praying for me, offering emotional support, and even the occasional financial support that they offer, I would be alone. But because I don’t isolate myself from fellow believers, I am blessed with the love that they give me because they are happy to share the love that Christ has given them. When we isolate ourselves from other believers, we isolate ourselves from some of the richest and most meaningful relationships we can ever know.
2. Paul had a desire to share Christ with others. Spain was at the edge of the known world at that time, and Paul wanted to take Christ to the edge of the earth. But, when we think of sharing Christ with others, do we only think of overseas missions and short term missionary projects or do we think of the very real need on our own streets? We are surrounded by people who long to know Jesus, they just need someone willing to show them who He is, and we don’t need to go to China to do that.
3. Asking for prayer is important. We are to rely on each other as brothers and sisters in Christ and share each other’s burdens. If we keep our needs and our burdens to ourselves, how can anyone lift us in prayer or encourage us? We need to swallow our pride and let others help with the hurt we feel. When we do that, we will find that our burdens will be easier to bear and our sorrows will turn to joy more quickly.

Romans 16:1-16

1. I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant[a] of the church in Cenchrea. 2. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me. 3. Greet Priscilla[b] and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. 4. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. 5. Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia. 6. Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. 7. Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. 8. Greet Ampliatus, whom I love in the Lord. 9. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. 10. Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. 11. Greet Herodion, my relative. Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. 12. Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. 13. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too. 14. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brothers with them. 15. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints with them. 16. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.

Obviously, people were important to Paul since he lists friends, family, and other missionaries. One woman in this list stuck out to me though, not because of her achievement, as all that is mentioned is that she worked hard for the Lord, but because Paul calls her “my dear friend Persis”. This is obviously going to be something that is more personal to me than to you, but it is what it is. I have many male friends, and I am a woman. My male friends are closer to me than many of my women friends (and yes, I have quite a few women I consider friends also). But I am often told that men and women shouldn’t be friends, that I should cut all the male friends out of my life and only spend time with women, etc… Here it is, in the Bible, that a man and a woman were not only friends, but they were close friends. They weren’t dating; they weren’t even located near each other! They were FRIENDS! I enjoyed reading this and knowing that the cultural norms of male-female friendships were even breached by Paul. I know, probably not what I should have gotten from this passage, but there you have it.

Romans 16:17-27

17. I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. 20. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. 21. Timothy, my fellow worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my relatives. 22. I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23. Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city's director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings. 25. Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26. but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him— 27. to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Paul is reminding us to keep our eyes open and to avoid deception. It is so easy to just listen to someone else and say “yeah I like that” or “nope, not for me” than it is to look into things and decide for ourselves isn’t it? Yet that is what he is warning us to avoid. If we don’t stay sharp, if we don’t question what we are told, we can easily fall into a trap of deception. I don’t know about you, but I want the glory to go to the only God, who alone is all-wise.

Hugs & Love

October

2007-10-01T10:19:00.000-04:00

It's October.

I feel like September was a huge waste of time. I don't want October to be a waste.

I've decided that I will force myself to write a Bible Blog entry every day even if it takes several hours because I keep falling asleep. I have all the time to do this and nothing else to do except when my children are home on the weekends, so why wouldn't I read AND write about God? Yes, I've been reading my Bible and praying, but it's often interrupted by 2-3 hour long naps. I'm really looking forward to this being done!

I'm going to continue with a project I started 2 weeks ago, I'm going to keep looking up passages of scripture that are associated with songs we sing in church or choir or that I have sung in camp as a kid, etc... It's encouraging to realize I really do know more about the content of the Bible than my memory can recall by just mentioning a passage.

I'm going to set small daily goals for attacking my laundry issue. I still have tons of laundry in bags from the fire we had last year this time. It's still in bags because most of it had been sorted by size and time of year, etc... and was about to be donated then all got mixed up. I have the time to sort it, it's not an overly strenuous task, I should really get to it since I'm home anyway.

I'm going to try to rebuild my strength. I am so physically weak that just walking to the car wears me out. But I want to start dancing again, I miss it a lot! I want to have the energy to go an a hike with the kids, or to play at the playground with them. I want to be able to drive myself to church without feeling like I'm going to fall over by the time I get there!

I'm going to sort through all the toys, also all mixed up because of the fire, and get rid of the things that are no longer age appropriate by donating the good-quality toys to the church (or the Charity George garage sale if it happens) and trashing the rest.

I think that's a pretty ambitious to-do list, don't you? I guess we'll see how October goes soon enough. I hope I am not setting myself up for failure with that list, I know how tired I am still!

Hugs & Love

Towels

2007-09-25T10:39:00.000-04:00

I've reached a new low... I found myself sitting here contemplating if I have enough bath towels in my house and remembering my mother saying that a woman could never have too many towels in her home if she has children. I think that is probably one of the most practical tidbits my mother has ever shared with me. I have, at least, 20 bath towels, 10 bath sheet/beach towels, 40 wash clothes, 10 bath pouffs (the things you use with liquid soap), 10 hand towels, and 10 dish towels. I find myself regularly scrambling trying to come up with towels for everyone to use, and find that the hand and kitchen towels are the hardest to keep up with, mostly because everyone thinks these should be pretty and gave me ones with appliqued designs which make the towel impractical to use... but that's another issue.

I decided I need intellectual stimulation on a daily basis because of my pondering the proper towel balance in life... I don't want to spiral into a world where towel quantities are all I have to think about. I need intelligent conversation to keep me happy... and find myself looking forward to reading "Jan hugged the pug." with my daughter just so I have SOMETHING better than a towel tally to occupy my time. I need to get better so I can go back to work!

Hugs & Love

My Babies are Home!

2007-09-22T13:45:00.000-04:00

If you aren't aware, I've been so sick that the doctor ordered my children away for the past week, they came home last night. I've missed them so much! I'm still quite weak, and struggling to keep up with them, but it is so good to hear their chattering voices, feel their (not so) gentle hugs, and of course cuddling up on the sofa with them while watching a movie or something because I don't have the strength to go to the playground with them (although today is beautiful!)

They are already asking if I'm taking them to church in the morning, and I am hoping and praying that I can! Then in 2 weeks we're doing the hayride with Kairos, and Karl has told me that it's okay to bring them along as long as I don't mind them throwing hay around... what fun is a hayride if we don't include children in a hay war though right? Hope to see you all there!

As for my health, I AM feeling better overall, but like I said, still quite weak. If I'm able to get to church I'm not sure if I'll be singing or if I'll be sitting it out. I'm living moment by moment, and hoping for good news on Monday when I see the doctor again. Please keep in touch!

Hugs & Love

Greetings

2007-09-15T07:50:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to let you all know that I'm not going to attempt to blog what I am reading for the next several days to a week because I'm not feeling well. I spent the better part of yesterday in the emergency room because my doctor's office staff is grossly incompetant and wouldn't get me in to be seen so I could save the trip to the ER.

I have some long drawn out word for a non-communicable throat and neck infection that is possibly being caused from being run down and having had mono in the past (once you have mono it never leaves your system... the only times it re-asserts itself is in immuno-suppressed individuals... go figure). Anyway, my throat and neck are swollen, they have me taking prednisone and benedryl to reduce swelling and congestion, etc... both of those make me sleepy, the rain is making my joints and muscles sore, and the regular meds make me a little groggy, so I expect to be zonked on the sofa for most of the weekend and early next week (although I will go to work and church, etc... just not planning to do anything "extra" for a while).

Hope you are all well, please pray for a speedy recovery and the ability to take care of the kids when they return. When this started they called their father for help because I had fallen and was not responding to them. I'm proud of them for calling someone for help, but feel so badly that they were (and possibly still are) worried about mommy dying. I couldn't respond that first evening, but I heard them saying, "Mommy, we're too young for you to die!" My heart near broke. So please pray for them to feel Christ's comfort right now. To be at peace and know that mommy is alright (I plan to call them and talk with them today at some point so they will get to hear my voice).

I'm rambling, happens when I don't' feel well, sorry!

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Romans 15:14-22 - September 11, 2007

2007-09-11T21:23:00.000-04:00

How to Behave: Part XIII

Romans 15:14-22

Personally, I've been completely satisfied with who you are and what you are doing. You seem to me to be well-motivated and well-instructed, quite capable of guiding and advising one another. So, my dear friends, don't take my rather bold and blunt language as criticism. It's not criticism. I'm simply underlining how very much I need your help in carrying out this highly focused assignment God gave me, this priestly and gospel work of serving the spiritual needs of the non-Jewish outsiders so they can be presented as an acceptable offering to God, made whole and holy by God's Holy Spirit.

Looking back over what has been accomplished and what I have observed, I must say I am most pleased—in the context of Jesus, I'd even say proud, but only in that context. I have no interest in giving you a chatty account of my adventures, only the wondrously powerful and transformingly present words and deeds of Christ in me that triggered a believing response among the outsiders. In such ways I have trailblazed a preaching of the Message of Jesus all the way from Jerusalem far into northwestern Greece. This has all been pioneer work, bringing the Message only into those places where Jesus was not yet known and worshiped. My text has been, Those who were never told of him— they'll see him! Those who've never heard of him— they'll get the message!

And that's why it has taken me so long to finally get around to coming to you.

Paul knows how to compliment people… if someone told me that they thought I knew what I was doing when it came to any area of my life my confidence would grow. Telling me I’m able to guide someone else would encourage me to go and guide someone. And being told I’m needed in an endeavor straight from God would make me feel incredible! After hearing Paul tell them how to behave towards each other and strangers they were told that these were just reminders of how important it is that they continue in these things because it is helping Paul reach the Gentiles with the message of Christ.

Did you ever stop to think about your role in your community? If you are a teacher you are taking on a role that frees someone else to go reach those who have never heard of Christ. If you are behind the scenes babysitting, doing construction work, vacuuming… you are allowing people to do what they need to do to serve Christ in the way they are called to serve instead of sitting on the sidelines because children were demanding, a floor needed sanding, or there were too many chores to do anything else. It may not seem like much, but whatever it is you do, give it to God and He will use it for His glory.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Romans 15:7-13 - September 10, 2007

2007-09-10T22:03:00.000-04:00

How to Behave: Part XII

Romans 15:7-13

7. Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. 8. Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. 9. He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote: “For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to your name.”
10. And in another place it is written, “Rejoice with his people, you Gentiles.”
11. And yet again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles. Praise him, all you people of the earth.”
12. And in another place Isaiah said, “The heir to David’s throne will come, and he will rule over the Gentiles. They will place their hope on him.”
13. I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Okay, once again I’m getting something from this that is probably not so important to anyone else, but God has this gem for me and I plan to treasure it. God is the source of hope. Didn’t we establish that earlier in this “How to Behave” journey? Didn’t I make a big fuss over it then too? Yeah, I know, I did. But for some reason I can only explain as me having a thick skull and not allowing it to become real, I have managed to allow myself to spiral downward once more, staying busy, thinking I’m okay until I’m so far from okay that what I desperately need (God) seems unobtainable despite how simple His love, mercy, and forgiveness are to find.

When I remember to rest in His love and mercy I am full of peace, contented, happy with life and everything around me, yet for some reason at those moments I feel I don’t need to talk with Him every day, one day “off” turns into two, two turns into four, and eventually I find myself doing my next Bible Blog 11 days later because I was “okay”. Let me tell you just how okay I’ve been. I’ve been so okay that I had to have a friend hold me while I cried my eyes out because I was overwhelmed with everything life had been throwing my way. I’ve been so okay that I’ve started to isolate myself from those I love and care about. I’ve been so okay that I’ve been grumpy, irritable, and generally miserable company. And I’ve been so okay that even though my Savior is holding me in His arms constantly, offering the most perfect and intimate relationship anyone has ever known, I found myself feeling alone and unwanted. That’s how okay I am without God. I’m not happy with it… I’m happy with God! When I live in Him and the hope He gives, my life does fill with joy and peace. No, that doesn’t mean that all life’s problems disappear, it just means that I don’t fret over everything and try to control life. I have no control over this life or anyone else living on this planet, why would I try to take control of it?

Tonight I’m giving it all back to God… I don’t want it. He wants me and I want Him and that’s how it should be. I’ve made amends, again… seems like I do that on a daily basis sometimes, and He has once again welcomed me home with open arms. I’m going to go spend some time with my Daddy now… goodnight.

Hugs & Love

Happy Anniversary!

2007-09-03T22:06:00.000-04:00

Okay, so it's a few days late, but no one else is noticing this milestone in my life so I have to notice it myself!

On September 1, 2005, my life was drastically changed. I had gastric bypass surgery. I went into the hospital weighing 365 lbs and today I weigh 175-180 lbs (not sure if I really regained that last 5 or if it's just from the medications yet). Approximately 20-30 of those pounds are from extra skin on my body, and now that I've hit the 2 year mark, I am "clear" to explore skin removal possibilities. I know that there will be tremendous health benefits if I have the skin removed, but there is also the psychological benefit to think about. I don't like looking in a mirror after a shower and seeing traces of who I used to be...

That reminds me of my other huge transformation, becoming a Christian in April 2006. I died with Christ, and He lives in me... but I'm still holding on to remnants of my past. Physically, I want to shed anything that reminds me of my unhealthy past, so why spiritually am I clinging to old behaviors and patterns that are ultimately destructive to my well being and growth as a child of God? Inside & outside, physically & spiritually, I am a different person than I was 2 years ago. I think it's time I shed the skin from my past and moved forward into a completely free and new life.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Romans 15:5-6 - August 30, 2007

2007-08-30T20:30:00.000-04:00

How to Behave: Part XI

Romans 15:5-6

God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we'll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!

I don’t tend to read The Message version of the Bible alone, nor do I tend to use it when quoting scripture, but today, I really liked how these verses are worded, please feel free to go to http://www.biblegateway.com/ if you want to find a different version to read.

The reason I like this version today is that a relationship with God is put into human terms. He is warm and personal… how often do we forget that God wants us to know Him as well as we know our parents, siblings, spouses, children and friends? But he calls us to himself, reminding us that He wants that same closeness, that same relationship with Him. Just as our relationships with our friends and families gradually mold our personalities, He wants our relationship with Him to mold us so that His character is seen through us. He is dependable, He is always there, and He is personally invested in our lives, even when those around us seem to push us aside for their own agenda, He is right there, 24/7 and He wants us to grow a closer and more personal relationship with Him that will allow us to better be examples of Jesus and able to shine His light through this world.

Paul goes on to say that when we achieve this we will praise Him in one voice… but this version is so beautiful and calls to the musician in me… “Then we’ll be a choir – not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!” When I think about all of God’s children as a choir, I think of a HUGE choral production with so many talented voices that each part is clearly heard and resounding so clearly through the air that no one needs amplification, and I imagine an audience of One, smiling, clapping, and thanking us for the worship filled sounds we are singing to Him… but this says it’s not just our voices, but our very lives that will praise Him. Every word, every action, our interactions with each other, how we show love to each other every day… when we are in fellowship with God, our lives will reflect it, our hearts won’t be able to help passing the love He gives us on to others around us, and we will live harmoniously with those around us, even when it doesn’t seem like it should be possible.

Sounds a bit like a utopia doesn’t it? Yet it is promised to us, right after being told that hope is ours through Christ. Wow, I get to hope for a utopia! Is there any doubt that God loves us if He wants this for each of us?

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Romans 15:1-4 - August 28, 2007

2007-08-28T20:27:00.000-04:00

How to Behave: Part X

Romans 15:1-4

1. If our faith is strong, we should be patient with the Lord's followers whose faith is weak. We should try to please them instead of ourselves. 2. We should think of their good and try to help them by doing what pleases them. 3. Even Christ did not try to please himself. But as the Scriptures say, "The people who insulted you also insulted me." 4. And the Scriptures were written to teach and encourage us by giving us hope.

I had to stop reading at verse 4. “And the Scriptures were written to teach and encourage us by giving us hope.” The blunt way the CEV version puts it is why I chose to use it today. Sometimes we just need something to flat out remind us that hope exists, and then to say, “…here it is, in your hands, keep reading!” I’m holding on to my Bible, God’s promises, what better source of hope for my life? Yet so often I look to what my heart desires and allow despair to creep into my mind instead of allowing the hope God offers to permeate my existence.

I often struggle with the word hope… the best definition I found for it is, “to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence.” Well, why wouldn’t we look forward to being with Christ with desire and confidence? It is extremely reasonable to have confidence in His promises for us isn’t it? So why do I struggle with feeling hopeless so often? Because I’m weak, it is a stronghold of mine (ladies in my Bible study, I need to break this stronghold!). I’ve had two friends visit China recently, both went to see different areas of the Great Wall, but both areas are examples of the type of stronghold Paul used to illustrate what a stronghold is… they are high places, easy to defend, difficult to attack. They are build with sturdy materials, house weapons and armor, offer protection. This doesn’t sound too bad though does it? Well, not when used as a defense against the enemy it doesn’t, but when the stronghold is created to keep the enemy IN, the results would be disastrous. A wall built around things that destroy you, keeping it with you, impenetrable, inescapable… hopelessness is this type of stronghold, it holds on to sorrows, negativity, and disbelief, it gives Satan an entrance into your life where he can grab hold and pull you farther and farther away from the hope you can have in God… and all it takes is one moment of hopelessness… and here we have the perfect weapon for that, the Bible! It was written to give us hope! All I need to do is read His word to refresh and renew my hope in Him and that stronghold will eventually disappear, but when I neglect God’s word, that foothold returns, the fortress of doom starts to build around me, and I once again find myself being lured into a state of hopelessness.

I have confidence that God has provided me a way to live in hope. Now that I know how to do this, I am going to go pray some more and ask God to help me to live in His hope every day.

Hugs & Love

Today

2007-08-24T22:04:00.000-04:00

Today I had a new experience. Today, I WROTE an update to the subdivision regulations for one of the towns I work with. Not only did I write the update, it is a completely new section of the regulations, I got to choose where to put it. My boss agreed with my placement. She agreed with the design guidelines I had concluded were the best for this particular component of residential roadway design. Sure, we went through several rounds of rewording, rearranging, etc... but the information was mine, the guidelines that developers in this town are going to be required to follow for the next 20+ years are ones that I wrote. It's a bit intimidating! Think about it, if this design criteria, when put into practice, turns out to be less effective than anticipated or more of a bother than it is worth it ultimately will reflect on me and my engineering capabilities.

I think too much. I'm really quite happy about this. It is a new undertaking I had not yet experienced, and I really enjoyed doing it. I had to do quite a bit of research for it, and I love doing research. I had to work with someone to get the final wording and arrangement figured out, and I like working with someone instead of it being alone. What's better is that because I had done the research for it, I was confident that I knew my designs criteria were appropriate and was able to make recommendations and feel like I was a peer to my boss instead of a peon that serves as an over glorified secretary at times. We actually discussed the merits and drawbacks of certain components, she took my advice on several things, but had experience that lent to some changes on others, and I was grateful for that. It felt so good to feel as though I was competent and that I did a good job on this. Too bad Monday will bring the same old grind back.

Thanks for letting me share my day with you!

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Romans 14:5-23 - August 24, 2007

2007-08-24T21:56:00.000-04:00

How to Behave: Part IX

Romans 14:5-23

5. One person decides that one day is better than another, while another person decides that all days are the same. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind. 6. The one who observes a special day, observes it to honor the Lord. The one who eats, eats to honor the Lord, since he gives thanks to God. And the one who does not eat, refrains from eating to honor the Lord; yet he, too, gives thanks to God. 7. For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8. If we live, we live to honor the Lord; and if we die, we die to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9. For this reason Christ died and returned to life, so that he might become the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10. Why, then, do you criticize your brother? Or why do you despise your brother? For all of us will stand before the judgment seat of God. 11. For it is written, "As certainly as I live, declares the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will praise God." 12. Consequently, each of us will give an account of himself to God. 13. Therefore, let us no longer criticize each other. Instead, make up your mind not to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in and of itself. But it is unclean to a person who thinks it is unclean. 15. For if your brother is being hurt by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not destroy the person for whom Christ died by what you eat. 16. Do not allow your good to be spoken of as evil. 17. For God's kingdom does not consist of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy produced by the Holy Spirit. 18. For the person who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by people. 19. Therefore, let us keep on pursuing those things that bring peace and that lead to building one another up. 20. Do not destroy God's work for the sake of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong to make another person fall because of what you eat. 21. The right thing to do is to avoid eating meat, drinking wine, or doing anything else that makes your brother stumble or become upset or weak. 22. As for the faith you do have, have it as your own conviction before God. How blessed is the person who has no reason to condemn himself because of what he approves! 23. But the person who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not act in faith; and anything that is not done in faith is sin.

This is really an expansion on yesterday’s topic… more of how to avoid conflict and what is right. It also confirms one of my long held beliefs as being something God wants me to do… I had a teacher in high school tell us that our rights end where someone else’s begin. What he meant by that was simple, if a person’s health was in jeopardy because of your actions, your actions are wrong… if someone’s well being would be at risk because of your decisions, you have a responsibility to protect the other person’s interests before your own. I like the GNB version of verse 13 the best “So then, let us stop judging one another. Instead, you should decide never to do anything that would make others stumble or fall into sin.” It is the same thing my teacher had been telling us, but with a spiritual emphasis. If you know a friend has trouble with lusting after women, don’t go around swimming pools where women are wearing bikinis… if you know a friend has trouble with overeating, don’t take him to an all you can eat buffet… the practical application of this is endless.

The verse that REALLY caught my eye in all of this was verse 23b, “and anything that is not done in faith is sin.” Anything not done in faith is sin. The Greek word used for faith here is “pistis” which means moral conviction or religious truth. So anything we don’t do because we are convicted that it is what God wants us to do is sin. That’s a lot to digest right there… I’m going to go selah on that one and see if I can’t figure out how to make it mine.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Romans 14:1-4 - August 23, 2007

2007-08-23T20:47:00.000-04:00

How to Behave: Part VIII

Romans 14:1-4

Accept the person who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of arguing over differences of opinion. 2. One person believes that he can eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3. The person who eats must not despise the person who does not eat, and the person who does not eat must not criticize the person who eats, for God has accepted him. 4. Who are you to criticize someone else's servant? His own Lord will determine whether he stands or falls. And stand he will, because God is able to make him stand.”

Differences of opinion among believers… who would have imagined it was possible? Yet here Paul is writing about division among believers 2000 years ago, and it’s as applicable today as it was then. In the past month or so, I’ve had debates, some heated, some friendly, with people I don’t doubt are my brothers and sisters in Christ about the issue of dating. Some feel it is frivolous of me to want to date, that I should find the “right” person and jump into that relationship and no other while others think that restricting me to only dating one person at a time isn’t really getting the full effect of dating. Strangely enough, of the views I’ve heard, I’m middle of the road in what I thought was a very conservative outlook on dating… the point is that everyone I spoke with about this has been a Christian, someone who professes to know God. No, dating isn’t an issue of salvation and is a minor issue in the grand scheme of things… but it’s an example of this passage in modern context. How timely God is to put this passage on the day that I return to reading His word and writing about it… I had probably one of the most heated responses to someone’s much more liberal viewpoint on dating than mine about 2 hours ago and when I’m done here will probably seek that person out to make sure that we are on good ground and that I wasn’t offensive with my tone.

Our differences in opinion, our differences in personality, they give us character, they challenge us to grow. We aren’t to look down on anyone because they have a different opinion than ours, nor are we to think ourselves better if they are different; we are to lovingly accept that person, their thoughts, etc… If it is something that can be clearly corrected through the Bible, such as sexual promiscuity or murder, then yes, we need to hold fast and show the person what is right and correct them. But when it comes to the small stuff, if you eat meat or not, if you date or not, if you believe in courtship, if you think women should always wear dresses and heels, whatever it might be, as long as it doesn’t create strife between believers or obviously oppose the Bible there is no problem with holding those beliefs.

I think the real challenge here is how we react to those who hold beliefs different than our own. In a heated debate over a topic are you still being loving or are you being pompous and arrogant? It is possible to do both, you can have a spirited conversation with someone and have diametrically opposed standings and still love each other when it’s done (I do that often with a friend who regularly posts on here for me…) or do you allow the passion you feel for a topic to leave another person feeling belittled, angry, defensive… if it’s the latter, we’re not grasping the point of these verses. God is the judge of what we do. He alone will give us the strength we need to stand. Our job as brothers and sisters in Christ is to support each other in love, encourage each other… debate when necessary of course, but not for the sake of fighting, but for the sake of understanding and loving each other better. As a way of growth and a way to learn about each other, other viewpoints, and possibly even come to a compromise that will benefit everyone involved.

I want to leave you with a quote that is in my Bible on this topic because it is so powerful and true. “Our principle should be: In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in everything, love.” I hope you will be loving towards others if you disagree with them. I hope I will be also!

Hugs & Love

Guilty...

2007-08-22T14:08:00.001-04:00

I've been allowing myself to be too busy to read my Bible.

I've allowed myself to become too self-confident to feel a need to pray.

And I've allowed myself to grow distant from the One I need most and it has impacted me in every area of my life these past 2-3 weeks.

This blog, feeling the need to do it, devote time to it, etc... is a wonderful tool for keeping me in touch with God, because unless I feel HE is behind what I'm writing about the Bible, it doesn't get written, it forces me to be in communication with HIM and I need HIM so desperately.

I'm sorry if I let you down. I'm going to try to get back to it and jump back into "how to behave" when I get back from practice tonight.

Hugs & Love

OUCH!!!

2007-08-15T21:32:00.000-04:00

I cut up a hot pepper a few minutes ago...

I didn't get all the oils from the pepper off my hands...

I blew my nose and apparently, touched my nose in the process...

My nose is now painfully stinging and in some places numb...

I didn't care for the pepper either...

I don't want to ever experience this again!

I'm really alive... promise...

2007-08-15T13:39:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure why exactly but this week has been crazy busy everywhere except at work where it's been slow and dragging... guess that's what happens when half the people are out on vacation or have left the company... but that's a different issue.

Anyway, I'm for the first time posting because I have been reading other things in the Bible, not doing my "how to behave" reading/thinking/musing/pondering/reflecting... okay putting the thesaurus away now. My kids have been making me go up a wall, I'm getting back into the swing of things now that I'm off the steroids, and I'm still kinda sluggish from them, but doing MUCH better than even 3 days ago.

Just wanted to say hi, let you all know I'm alive and let you all know I'm praying for you and love you.

HUGS!

Bible Blog: Romans 13:11-14 – August 9, 2007

2007-08-09T21:49:00.000-04:00

How to Behave: Part VII

Romans 13:11-14 (NLT)

11 This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. 13 Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

A few things really struck me as I read this (and I read it in a few different versions before deciding to post this one). The first was that Paul used night and day as illustrations of good and evil. When I thought about it, I realized how many of the temptations and sinful things of life are done under the cover of darkness. Often sexual sins and behaviors take place in the dark, when we are tired our mind is weakened and less likely to fight off evil desires, darkness hides the reality of a sinful situation because it can’t be clearly seen. But when we live in the light, in the day, we can clearly see what it is we are supposed to do, how we are supposed to behave, and how we are to function. The light illuminates our paths, showing us what it is we are about to get involved in, allowing us to make more intelligent decisions, and most importantly, if we give our bodies proper rest at night, during the day our minds are sharper, prepared for thought and action, ready to evaluate the obstacles we face.

The second thing is that we are warned against quarreling and jealousy in the same way we are warned about wild parties, drunkenness, sexual promiscuity, and immorality. On the surface, quarreling and jealousy don’t seem nearly as harmful as the others to our spiritual state, but the reality is, they are probably the most harmful. I’m not saying that the others are good in comparison, because they definitely are not good, but why is it that jealousy and quarreling are important enough to mention? Our attitudes are what others see; our attitudes shape our personalities, our behaviors towards others, and even our actions. If we are jealous because a friend has something we want and know we will never have, we are likely to be less friendly to that person, or worse. If we are lusting after a friend’s spouse, girlfriend, etc… or even if we have genuine feelings for the person, but refuse to keep our jealousy and our attitudes in check, it will put a damper on the relationships involved, no matter how pure those relationships are. The same is true for quarreling. If we allow ourselves to be argumentative, if we always disagree… we aren’t going to be showing love to those around us, and earlier we learned that loving others is the best way to fulfill the law. Our attitudes are who we are. If our attitudes are filled with negativity and sin, we are going to be filled with negativity and sin.

Which brings me to the last point… we are to clothe ourselves with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. What does it look like to put on God? To be His hands, His feet, His arms? We aren’t God. We will never be God. But we are His ambassadors to a world who needs Him desperately. It is against our nature to be like Christ, yet we are to do exactly that. One person once told me that I had to “fake it until I make it”, I needed to go through the motions until it became real to me, until it was really part of me. That has always stuck with me because in a way that’s what this is telling us to do. We’re to show love to those around us when we don’t want to… we’re faking it because it’s what God wants and expects from us. Eventually, if we practice right living, it will become a way of life to us and God will be pleased that we are no longer faking it.

There’s a lot to digest tonight. I hope you find this as interesting as I do!

Hugs & Love

I love my children... really, I mean that!

2007-08-07T23:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, that doesn't sound all that great, but it's true. Right now I am going through ANOTHER war against bad behavior, temper tantrums, disobedience, foul language, inappropriate slang... not to mention the blatant disrespect and the over-developed attitudes of my children who are 7½, 6, and 4½. They are picking up some horrible habits and behaviors at daycare, but I'm not wealthy enough to be able to afford to send them to a daycare that isn't an inner-city low income daycare. The staff does care about the children, yet there are so many times I find my kids coming home feeling as though they're picked on for being "pale", hearing my child called a "cracker" by another child's parents is also annoying. When I've mentioned this to the staff it has always been addressed, but the parents will walk by and say "how do you like it?" Like what? When have I EVER, in my entire life, treated someone differently because of how they look? Look at my dating history if you want to see how important looks are to me, I have a thing for geeks, glasses, balding, usually computer related geeks... and typically they look the part also. Then take it a step farther and look at the fact that the men I've dated have included a black man, an Indian man, Chinese... you get the idea... race and appearance do not make the man, woman, or child the person that God wants them to be, so why on earth do people want to make such an issue out of it? What's worse is that these same people are going to complain when they start hearing someone calling their children an unsavory name even though they are calling mine "cracker"!

All this because these attitudes, behaviors, etc... are seeping into my home as a result of the way people around my children act. I now have to try to find a new daycare, one I can afford, where my children will be treated fairly and hopefully learn something too. My kids are already looking forward to the start of the school year because they want to get away from the way they're being treated by other students. My oldest won the "Christian Character" award last year, in 2 short months she's transformed into a little monster! My other two are following her lead.

Pray for me. Pray for them. I don't know how long I can keep up our strict discipline routine that I put into effect tonight, but I know without it they're not going to get out of these bad habits. Thank you for reading this, I'm frustrated, obviously.

Hugs & Love

Copy Cat Post

2007-08-07T22:58:00.000-04:00

I'm taking David's question and making it my own... who out there is reading my posts but not replying to them? I'm curious. I know I have David and Joanne, they aren't afraid to tell me anything about how they feel or think... but I don't really hear too much from anyone else. So, if you read this, let me know, I'd love to know you're there and what you think!

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Romans 13:8-10 - August 6, 2007

2007-08-06T09:54:00.000-04:00

How to Behave: Part VI

Romans 13:8-10 (BBE)

"8. Be in debt for nothing, but to have love for one another: for he who has love for his neighbour has kept all the law. 9. And this, Do not be untrue in married life, Do not put to death, Do not take what is another's, Do not have desire for what is another's, and if there is any other order, it is covered by this word, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself. 10. Love does no wrong to his neighbour, so love makes the law complete."

Loving each other is a debt we owe? Did you know this? The only debt we're to have is to love each other. But why would love be called a debt? I know we owe God more love than we're capable of giving because of the love He has given to us through Christ and His death, perhaps this debt of loving others is a way to act out our repayment of this love we owe to God. I have to admit, I do enjoy loving other people when I know them, but I'm not so good at knowing how to love people I don't know. So what does this type of love we're suppose to show to those around us look like?

The description in the Bible is the typical "good Christian values" scenario. Helping to meet the basic needs of others, food, clothing, shelter... they're all practical things necessary for life and ways to love others in tangible and practical ways. Add to it trying to safeguard others from pain and suffering, marital issues of any nature, and of course offering comfort to someone in distress are other practical ways to show love. When we know someone, we can extend this love to endless limits, meals for a family in a state of hardship of some variety, a comforting embrace for someone who needs to feel loved, is in pain, or even holding the hand of someone who is scared for a first performance or leaving home for the first time.

God has given each of us unique ways to love those around us just as He's giving us each unique talents. I can only imagine what things would be like if everyone took the time to love the people who live on their block, who work in their offices, or even the person who just started coming to church and is feeling like an outsider, cant' you?

Hugs & Love

Historical Significance in Iraq

2007-08-06T09:50:00.000-04:00

I'm posting this essay (I don't know the author but am willing to give credit if someone tells me who wrote it) knowing the risk of involving myself in a political discussion... read my Bible Blog on Romans 13:1-7 for the significance of this! Hugs & Love

Some of you may not be old enough to remember that nearly every family in America was grossly affected by WW-II. Most of you may not remember the rationing of meat, shoes, butter, gasoline, and sugar. No tires for our automobiles and a speed limit of 35 miles an hour on the road, not to mention, no new automobiles. Read this and think about how we would react to being taken over by foreigners in 2008 or 2009.

This is an excellent essay; well thought out and presented by Raymond S. Kraft, a writer living in Northern California who has studied the Middle Eastern culture and religion.

Historical Significance

Sixty-three years ago, Nazi Germany had overrun almost all of Europe and hammered England to the verge of bankruptcy and defeat. The Nazis had sunk more than 400 British ships in their convoys between England and America taking food and war materials. At that time the US was in an isolationist, pacifist mood, and most Americans wanted nothing to do with the European or the Asian war.

Then along came Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and in outrage Congress unanimously declared war on Japan, and the following day on Germany, who had not yet attacked us. It was a dicey thing. We had few allies.

France was not an ally, as the Vichy government of France quickly aligned itself with its German occupiers. Germany was certainly not an ally, as Hitler was intent on setting up a Thousand Year Reich in Europe. Japan was not an ally, as it was well on its way to owning and controlling all of Asia. Together, Japan and Germany had long-range plans of invading Canada and Mexico, as launching pads to get into the United States over our northern and southern borders, after they finished gaining control of Asia and Europe.

America's only allies then were England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Australia, and Russia. That was about it. All of Europe, from Norway to Italy (except Russia in the East) was already under the Nazi heel.

The US was certainly not prepared for war. The US had drastically downgraded most of its military forces after WW I because of the depression, so that at the outbreak of WW-II, Army units were training with broomsticks because they didn't have guns, and cars with "tank" painted on the doors because they didn't have real tanks. A huge chunk of our Navy had just been sunk or damaged at Pearl Harbor.

Britain had already gone bankrupt, saved only by the donation of $60 0 million in gold bullion in the Bank of England (that was actually the property of Belgium) given by Belgium to England to carry on the war when Belgium was overrun by Hitler (a little known fact).

Actually, Belgium surrendered in one day, because it was unable to oppose the German invasion, and the Germans bombed Brussels into rubble the next day just to prove they could.

Britain had already been holding out for two years in the face of staggering losses and the near decimation of its Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain, and was saved from being overrun by Germany only because Hitler made the mistake of thinking the Brits were a relatively minor threat that could be dealt with later. Hitler, first turned his attention to Russia, in the late summer of 1940 at a time when England was on the verge of collapse.

Ironically, Russia saved America's butt by putting up a desperate fight for two years, until the US got geared up to begin hammering away at Germany.

Russia lost something like 24,000,000 people in the sieges of Stalingrad and Moscow alone . . . 90% of them from cold and starvation, mostly civilians, but also more than a 1,000,000 soldiers.

Had Russia surrendered, Hitler would have been able to focus his entire war effort against the Brits, then America. If that had happened, the Nazis could possibly have won the war.

All of this has been brought out to illustrate that turning points in history are often dicey things. Now, we find ourselves at another one of those key moments in history.

There is a very dangerous minority in Islam that either has, or wants, and may soon have, the ability to deliver small nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons, almost anywhere in the world.

The Jihadis, the militant Muslims, are basically Nazis in Kaffiyahs. They believe that Islam, a radically conservative form of Wahhabi Islam, should own and control the Middle East first, then Europe, then the world. To them, all who do not bow to their will of thinking should be killed, enslaved, or subjugated. They want to finish the Holocaust, destroy Israel, and purge the world of Jews. This is their mantra (goal).

There is also a civil war raging in the Middle East. For the most part it is not a hot war, but a war of ideas. Islam is having its Inquisition and its Reformation, but it is not yet known which side will win, the Inquisitors, or the Reformationists.

If the Inquisition wins, then the Wahhabis, the Jihadis, will control the Middle East, the OPEC oil, and the US, European, and Asian economies.

The techno-industrial economies will be at the mercy of OPEC. Not an OPEC dominated by the educated, rational Saudis of today, but an OPEC dominated by the Jihadis. Do you want gas in your car? Do you want heating oil next winter? Do you want the dollar to be worth anything? You had better hope the Jihad, the Muslim Inquisition, loses, and the Islamic Reformation wins.

If the Reformation movement wins, that is, the moderate Muslims who believe that Islam can respect and tolerate other religions, live in peace with the rest of the world, and move out of the 10th century into the 21st, then the troubles in the Middle East will eventually fade away. A moderate and prosperous Middle East will emerge.

We have to help the Reformation win, and to do that we have to fight the Inquisition, i.e., the Wahhabi movement, the Jihad, Al Qaeda and the Islamic terrorist movements. We have to do it somewhere. We can't do it everywhere at once. We have created a focal point for the battle at a
Time and place of our choosing . . . . in Iraq. Not in New York, not in London, or Paris or Berlin, but in Iraq, where we are doing two important things:

(1) We deposed Saddam Hussein. Whether Saddam Hussein was directly involved in the 9/11 terrorist attack or not, it is undisputed that Saddam has been actively supporting the terrorist movement for decades; Saddam was a terrorist! Saddam was a weapon of mass destruction, responsible for the deaths of probably more than a 1,000,000 Iraqis and 2,000,000 Iranians.

(2) We created a battle, a confrontation, a flash point, with Islamic terrorism in Iraq. We have focused the battle. We are killing bad people, and the ones we get there we won't have to be killed here. We also have a good shot at creating a democratic, peaceful Iraq, which will be a
Catalyst for democratic change in the rest of the Middle East, and an outpost for a stabilizing American military presence in the Middle East for as long as it is needed.

WW-II, the war with the Japanese and German Nazis, really began with a "whimper" in 1928. It did not begin with Pearl Harbor. It began with the Japanese invasion of China. It was a war for fourteen years before the US joined it. It officially ended in 1945,a 17-year war, and was followed by another decade of US occupation in Germany and Japan to get those countries reconstructed and running on their own again . . . a 27 year war.

WW-II cost the United States an amount equal to approximately a full year's GDP, adjusted for inflation, equal to about $12 trillion dollars. WW-II cost America more than 400,000 soldiers killed in action and nearly 100,000 still missing in action.

The Iraq war has, so far, cost the United States about $160,000,000,000, which is roughly what the 9/11 terrorist attack cost New York. It has also cost about 3,000 American lives, which is roughly equivalent to lives that the Jihad killed (within the United States) in the 9/11 terrorist attack.

The cost of not fighting and winning WW-II would have been unimaginably greater - a world dominated by Japanese Imperialism and German Nazism.

This is not a 60-Minutes TV show, or a 2-hour movie in which everything comes out okay. The real world is not like that. It is messy, uncertain, and sometimes bloody and ugly. It always has been, and probably always will be.

The bottom line is that we will have to deal with Islamic terrorism until we defeat it, whenever that is. It will not go away if we ignore it.

If the US can create a reasonably democratic and stable Iraq, then we have an ally, like England, in the Middle East, a platform, from which we can work to help modernize and moderate the Middle East. The history of the world is the clash between the forces of relative civility and civilization, and the barbarians clamoring at the gates to conquer the world.

The Iraq War is merely another battle in this ancient and never ending war. Now, for the first time ever, the barbarians are about to get nuclear weapons, unless somebody prevents them from getting them.

We have four options:

1. We can defeat the Jihad now, before it gets nuclear weapons.

2. We can fight the Jihad later, after it gets nuclear weapons (which may be as early as next year, if Iran's progress on nuclear weapons is what Iran claims it is).

3. We can surrender to the Jihad and accept its dominance in the Middle East now; in Europe in the next few years or decades, and ultimately in America.

or

4. We can stand down now, and pick up the fight later when the Jihad is more widespread and better armed, perhaps after the Jihad has dominated France and Germany and possibly most of the rest of Europe. It will, of course, be more dangerous, more expensive, and much bloodier.

If you oppose this war, I hope you like the idea that your children, or grandchildren, may live in an Islamic America under the Mullahs and the Sharia, an America that resembles Iran today.

The history of the world is the history of civilization clashes, cultural clashes. All wars are about ideas, ideas about what society and civilization should be like, and the most determined always win.

Those who are willing to be the most ruthless always win. The pacifists always lose, because the anti-pacifists kill them.

Remember, perspective is every thing, and America's schools teach too little history for perspective to be clear, especially in the young American mind.

The Cold War lasted from about 1947 at least until the Berlin Wall came down in 1989; forty-two years!

Europe spent the first half of the 19th century fighting Napoleon, and from 1870 to 1945 fighting Germany!

World War II began in 1928, lasted 17 years, plus a ten year occupation and the US still has troops in Germany and Japan. World War II resulted in the death of more than 50,000,000 people, maybe more than 100,000,000 people, depending on which estimates you accept.

The US has taken more than 3,000 killed in action in Iraq. The US took more than 4,000 killed in action on the morning of June 6, 1944, the first day of the Normandy Invasion to rid Europe of Nazi Imperialism.

In WW-II the US averaged 2,000 KIA a week for four years. Most of the individual battles of WW-II lost more Americans than the entire Iraq war has done so far.

The stakes are at least as high. . a world dominated by representative governments with civil rights, human rights, and personal freedoms . . . or a world dominated by a radical Islamic Wahhabi movement, by the Jihad, under the Mullahs and the Sharia (Islamic law).

It's difficult to understand why the average American does not grasp this. They favor human rights, civil rights, liberty and freedom, but evidently not for Iraqis.

"Peace Activists" always seem to demonstrate here in America, where it's safe. Why don't we see Peace Activist demonstrating in Iran, Syria, Iraq, Sudan, North Korea, in the places that really need peace activism the most? I'll tell you why! They would be killed!

The liberal mentality is supposed to favor human rights, civil rights, democracy, multiculturalism, diversity, etc., but if the Jihad wins, wherever the Jihad wins, it is the end of civil rights, human rights, democracy, multiculturalism, diversity, etc.

Americans who oppose the liberation of Iraq are coming down on the side of their own worst enemy!

Bible Blog: Romans 13:1-7 - August 2, 2007

2007-08-06T09:34:00.000-04:00

How to Behave: Part V

Okay, here I am to try to write this out again. Since a friend has requested a passage summary with each entry and I don't really feel like writing a summary each time in addition to my thoughts, I'm going to include the passage or a link to the passage each time for reference. If I forget, remind me please.

Romans 13:1-7 (ISV)

"1. Every person must be subject to the governing authorities, for no authority exists except by God's permission. The existing authorities have been established by God, 2. so that whoever resists the authorities opposes what God has established, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3. For the authorities are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you like to live without being afraid of the authorities? Then do what is right, and you will receive their approval. 4. For they are God's servants working for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for it is not without reason that they bear the sword. Indeed, they are God's servants to execute wrath on anyone who does wrong. 5.Therefore, it is necessary for you to be subject, not only because of God's wrath but also because of your own conscience. 6. This is also why you pay taxes. For rulers are God's servants faithfully devoting themselves to their work. 7. Pay everyone whatever you owe them-taxes to whom taxes are due, tolls to whom tolls are due, fear to whom fear is due, honor to whom honor is due."

My basic thoughts on this were that it was very straight forward. Government is meant as a tool of God, pay taxes, etc... so long as it isn't in direct opposition of God's will of course.

What I got from this passage has nothing to do with giving to the government, nothing at all to do with the actual message of this passage, but it's important for me to know and try to apply to my life, so I'm sharing it.

My general attitude towards anything of a political nature is avoidance. I often form strong opinions on things, but won't speak about them because I don't want a heated debate with someone who believes differently than I do because when I'm in those situations my ADHD will pop up, thoughts fly everywhere, and I end up unable to make my point either because my mind is racing or because I can't remember supporting facts. As a single mom with a fairly conservative viewpoint, anytime I talk about politics I'm assured opposition because as a woman I should be "liberal" and want more freedoms...

The point of this is I'm not prepared. I didn't even want to admit my political avoidance here, but felt it was the right thing to do. Political discussions have a way of opening up doors for theological discussions. When you give your reasons for your beliefs about something, God should be behind it if you are a Christian. Taking the time to know how to have a political conversation and learning how to open up the doors for speaking God's word is always important. I'm not saying every discussion needs to be a cover for a Bible thumping session, just that we're supposed to be prepared with an answer for the hope we have, and ready to justify why we believe how we believe (I Peter 3:15)... if our political views are a reflection of our faith and spiritual convictions it should be evident and we should be prepared to defend what we believe... politically and spiritually.

Like I said, not what this passage would evoke in most people, but it is the message God wanted me to have right now. I'm still trying to figure out how to put this into practice, I suppose getting myself up to date on current events and figuring out how I feel about them is a good way to start, I'm also going to post here an essay that I read and appreciate for you to read... and hopefully won't falter if I need to get into a debate about it!

Hugs & Love

Frustration

2007-08-02T21:08:00.000-04:00

The one night (tonight) I didn't write out my notes before typing in an attempt to save time and things go haywire and I lose what I wrote. I'm exhausted now, and not up to writing it out again, but I will attempt to remember what I wanted to say and write it out and post it tomorrow if I get a chance.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Romans 12:14-21 - July 31, 2007

2007-07-31T21:32:00.000-04:00

How to Behave: Part IV

Verses 14 & 15 are so difficult for my human nature to accept. If someone hurts me, I want to hurt them, if someone is mourning and I'm happy, I don't want to be sucked down into a pit of despair with them. Yet we are told to live in peace, return evil for good, rejoice when others are happy and mourn with them in their sorrow. We are to "live in harmony" with each other... how do we do that when someone always wants to pick a fight?

Verses 17 through 21 sum up this answer along with the most basic concept of our Christian faith... Don't take revenge into your own hands... leave it for God. How do we do this practically? Verse 20 says to feed our enemies when they are hungry, give them drink when they are thirsty, in short, treat them as you would your family and friends. Offer shelter when it is needed, clothing or a coat if they are without. Kindness towards a person who doesn't deserve it will make that person think, and hopefully, repent.

This is one of the hardest things to learn, to show God's love to our enemies, to love them despite the wrong they have shown us. I need to think about this some more, find ways to put this into practice in my life.

Hugs & Love

PS I didn't mention verse 16 because it didn't feel as though I was supposed to at this time. I do have thoughts about it and am willing to write up something about it if someone requests it.

Bible Blog: Romans 12:9-13 - July 30, 2007

2007-07-31T21:25:00.000-04:00

How to Behave: Part III

Five short verses, part of a larger passage that tells us how to love, yet there is so much in just the first few words that to think on it all at once would be overwhelming. Verse 9a "Love must be sincere." We're not talking about the smile we give, the all too easily spoken words, "I'm praying for you," or even the superficial "call me if you need anything," that we so often hear. We are talking about REAL love, God's love, for our fellow man. The kind of love that pushes men and women into full time missions work, the kind of love that burns inside us longing to give others what Christ has given us... a love filled with compassion and understanding, a legitimate and heartfelt interest in those around us.

Verse 13 tells us that one of the ways to do this is by practicing hospitality. For most people, this is focused on the host or hostess, the preparations, the house, the decor. True hospitality is from the heart, can be offering a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at a messy table with too many children in the midst of a chaotic and toy strewn living room just to keep a person feeling involved, included and loved. The other is about the home and appearances, it is superficial, meaningless, but to give of yourself, to listen, be a friend, a shoulder to cry on, to practice hospitality even on a park bench, giving crackers to the homeless and keeping them company as they eat it, this is true hospitality... and it's what God wants from us!

Hugs & Love

What a Beautiful Day!

2007-07-28T22:19:00.000-04:00

Hi all! Today we had the company picnic in Middle River, MD, and I took a friend from church with me (Mike) to help me with the kids and although it was a long afternoon, we had a blast! The kids ate a lot of food... so did Mike for that matter... I ate more than I expected to, but at least I had the experience of having to beat the food out of the crab shell in order to eat it! It was kinda theraputic to whack the little suckers to break the shells! We had ice cream, hotdogs, hamburgers, brownies, crabs, and of course cold cut sandwiches. There was face painting, tug-of-war, limbo (they didn't let adults play though, only kids... I coulda beat them!), characatures (they ran out of time so I didn't get mine... WAH! I wanted to get one with large shoulder blades... private joke... no need to comment on it), a beach, playground, sand... everything you need to come home with three VERY messy children... so we did exactly that, I put them in the tub and scrubbed, and you'd never know they had so much fun today! The weather was good, the company was good, the kids fairly well behaved, and the traffic did eventually cause us to have a detour to get home faster, but all in all an uneventful drive.

Had such a wonderful time, the weather was great for it, and I wish it could have been with all my loyal readers, fans, and of course friends and family rather than the co-workers, but without that it was still a blast!

Hugs & Love

How Cool is God?

2007-07-28T09:31:00.000-04:00

As you know, I'm reading Romans right now and doing the "How to Behave" series. The last post I made (Thursday... and due to the new meds and side effects, not to mention the thunder storm last night I did not do anything... different discussion) was on Romans 12:3-8, I asked you all to consider using the unlikely, painful aspects of your life as a way to please God... I had an opportunity last night to do exactly that!

Because of the pain I am in (although feeling somewhat better today and actually got sleep last night) I went to drop off my prescription at the pharmacy and then took the children to Pizza Hut for dinner while waiting for them to fill the script. I really can't eat pizza, there is nothing at Pizza Hut I can really safely eat because of my gastric bypass, but for whatever reason, when I was trying to decide where to go for dinner, this place kept bursting into my mind as the place to go, so knowing the kids would love it, that's where we went.

When I went to pay the bill I stood next to a woman whom most would overlook. Nothing was flashy about her, she was minding her own business, had a brave smile on her face... but the smile didn't meet her eyes. I asked her if there was anything I could do to help... she told me her story, which I don't feel comfortable posting for the whole world to see so I won't, but many of the trials she is currently facing I have experienced in my own life. Much of the pain she is feeling, I too felt... and I was able to show her my healthy little girl bouncing around the restaurant after successfully enduring the same situation this family is now facing... and it offered her encouragement.

Our trials may seem like burdens at the time we are going through them, but God has a greater purpose for them. I am hoping to be part of leading this family to Christ's love, I was blessed to give this woman a hug (actually several) and know that I was offering her comfort from God, something she desperately needs at this time.

I don't believe this was a chance meeting, I believe it was orchestrated by God as a way to open up this family to the love He has to offer during a time when they are vulnerable and feel the need for the Comforter more than anything else. And it directly ties in with the passage He had me read and the realizations that how I am living is how He wants me to serve Him. How awesome is it that God would offer me affirmation of the legitimacy of an insight in such a real, tangible way in such a short time frame that I was still in the pondering stages and trying to find a practical application of what I feel He was trying to tell me.

I love the Lord so much! This is so awesome! Hope you agree!

Hugs & Love

PS Where are the responses to my posts? I am seeing more of the "light" responses and playful things, but no comments or feedback on the Bible related postings... I do want to know your thoughts, either as confirmation or opposition... I like to know the thoughts of others, it helps me figure out my own!

Prayer Request - July 27, 2007

2007-07-27T14:02:00.000-04:00

I'm sure you've all heard me mention in the past two or three weeks that I'm in a lot of pain, well, yes, I still am in a lot of pain. I just got back to work from my appointment with the rheumatologist and she is putting me back on steroids for about 2-3 weeks because we had already tried temporary use of NSAIDS and it hurt my tummy and didn't help the pain. Please pray that this works... I really don't want to stay in this level of pain much longer, it's starting to get me a bit depressed and I want to enjoy my summer and get ready for bike to the bay (I REALLY want to do it this year and biking is good for arthritis!) but can't do any training while in this level of pain without causing more swelling.

Thanks everyone... love you much! HUGS!

Bible Blog: Romans 12:3-8 - July 26, 2007

2007-07-26T21:25:00.000-04:00

How to Behave: Part II

Do you realize that one of the personality traits everyone has in common is that we all have a sense of self-esteem and it directly impacts our behaviors? As a mom to three small children I can see this so clearly! When my oldest feels inadequate she gets grumpy and mean towards those around her, when my middle child feels over confident she gets bossy and controlling, and when my youngest realizes he can get someone to laugh he plays the part of a clown. They are all behaving according to their perception of their self worth.

In verse 3, Paul warns us about being too prideful or thinking we are better than others, and charges us to "think of yourself with sober judgement." Fortunately, the verses to follow illustrate the worth of everyone within the body of Christ or we could find ourselves tempted to have negative self esteem issues... something which as Christians comes all too easily for us if we read verse 3 alone, so let's continue...

Verses 4&5 point out that our physical bodies have different parts that perform different functions... face it, when was the last time you walked on your eye or typed with your hair? How about lifting with your nose or eating with your knees? Each part has a specific job, a purpose... yes, sometimes those jobs can overlap, but never will you digest food with your brain or hear with your toes! Our bodies are highly specialized, and as a part of the body of Christ, we are each highly specialized, perfectly created to perform the function God wants us to do for Him... how awesome is that?!?!? I doubt I'd be alone in admitting there are times when I say, "If only I could ________, I'd be doing God's will." WAIT! That's NOT right! I should be saying, "As long as I do what God designed me to do I am pleasing Him." As many people who know me are aware, I have a passion for helping under privileged children, the disabled, teenage mothers, and abused women. I want to work with these beautiful people, help them see their worth and help them grow to Be all God wants them to be... but I keep reminding myself that my training is as an engineer and I need to do that work to keep food on the table... that I can't possibly use this desire to help for God's will... WAIT! I AM living my purpose (at least at this point in time) by being an example to the underprivileged, disabled, sing mothers, and abused women of a life that has been turned around through God's grace and mercy. When someone comes to me asking how I can do it all, balance life, keep from going crazy, etc... I give the glory to God and thank Him in front of the person reminding me how He helps me all the time. People can see that I still have physical challenges from my health conditions, that I'm still a single mother to three small children, that I was declared disabled at a young age, and that at the time of my divorce I had no money to take care of the three precious babies God gave me... but then they look to what God has done in my life, I'm an engineer, I make ends meet, I send my children to private school, I'm active in church ministries, and although there are still days of significant illness, they see me singing God's praises through the pain. God has allowed me these trials so I can be an inspiration and a source of encouragement to others facing difficulties of this nature.

That brings us to verses 6-8... but I don't need to list off the traits listed in the Bible. They are valid, but I don't believe that this list, or any other, is an exhaustive list of the gifts and talents God gives us for His purpose. I believe every experience, joyful or sorrowful, is something God can and will use... but only if we let Him!

What unlikely experience might God use from your life? A car accident? Divorce? Rape? Abortion? Jealousy? Temper? Rage? Prejudice? Suicide? All these things on the surface seem negative, and are undoubtedly things you did not enjoy at the time, but growing through them, healing from them, and turning them around to God's glory can make it worth the experience.

I hope you look for God's gifts in your life today. I plan to look for more as I selah on this one!

Hugs & Love

FYI

2007-07-25T14:56:00.000-04:00

Hey there,

I will continue to read, to think, to ponder, etc... but I may or may not be able to post for a while. I'm taking my PC in for repair after work tonight and I don't know when I'll get it back... if my guess about the problem is accurate, I'll have it back tonight... a girl can hope right?

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Romans 12:1&2 - July 24, 2007

2007-07-24T21:05:00.000-04:00

Because today is my parents' 36th wedding anniversary, I set out to read a passage about love and had decided on Romans 12:9-21... but my eyes kept being drawn to the previous page. My Bible is a study Bible and has Romans 12:1 through 16:27 as "How to Behave". I figured I'd read verses 1-8, wrist and comment on them, go on with something else later... God doesn't want that, He wants me to take the "Selah" approach to this and read and digest this portion of scripture... and I believe He wants me to share with you my thoughts, feelings, and questions about it as I go. I'm looking forward to your responses and hoping for good discussion!

How to Behave, Part I

Romans 12:1&2 (GNB)

"So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer.

"Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God---what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect."

Living my faith is something I desire to do every day. I want to please Him, worship Him, and serve Him in all my activities, but what exactly does it look like to accomplish this? What can I do so others can see God in me? How can I be certain that I am in God's will?

In verse 1, we're told to give ourselves to God as a living sacrifice (not a dead, chopped up, worthless carcass), and be holy and pleasing to God. Wow... how many times do we face something where we want something... NOW and neglect to put our desires aside and pick up with God's will? Our desires start to drive us and we turn from God's will and plan for our lives. This can manifest itself in something as small as wanting to eat take out rather than cooking and not having money to offer those in need as a result all the way through a Jonah reaction where we know God wants us to behave or perform in one way and we go completely against His will for us in a blatant act of disobedience. But when we turn from our desires that do not agree with God's desires, and do what He wants us to do instead... it is a form of WORSHIP! Wow again! We worship Him through our actions, they are an outward and obvious sign of our love for Him!

When we change our minds, our ways of thinking about things (verse 2), when we allow the Holy Spirit to move in us and educate us to think, feel, act and behave according to God's will, when we are transformed, we will then be in a perfect place to understand God's will for our lives. We will understand His purpose for us and how he wants us to accomplish His plans. But we also need to beware that this isn't simply an outward transformation, that it's real and heartfelt. We can separate ourselves from obvious evils and snares yet remain trapped by the same strongholds of sin, greed, arrogance and pride if we do not allow the Spirit of the Lord to move in us, mold us, and change us into the people God wants us to be.

I am excited about this. I know Romans 12, and all of Romans really, is studied often... but this is a first for me. I'm going to take my time, follow God's leading for the pace of the "How to Behave" series and present it as I have it presented to me... don't worry, the WOB have not been forgotten, they're just on hold right now while God has me looking at other things.

Hugs & Love

MIA

2007-07-24T13:37:00.000-04:00

Hi, someone mentioned missing me, I'm sorry.

I've had a bad week with pain and it caught up with me. I have been reading my Bible, mostly for encouragement right now, not for learning. I intend to read a passage and pick it apart this evening and hopefully even post on it (assuming the hands cooperate) so you can all see what my brain has been up to.

Hugs & Love,
Thanks for caring!

Bible Blog: Luke 13:10-13 - July 19, 2007

2007-07-19T21:40:00.000-04:00

I've been in a lot of physical pain this past week and a half because of the effects of weather and diet on my fibromyalgia (FMS) and psoriatic arthritis (PA). Some days, like last night and today, the pain is so unbearable that I can't think or focus on anything and often find myself in tears. So, I went looking for a passage to remind me of God's love and compassion in times of physical distress.

I found what I needed in Luke 13:10-13. Yes, the passage goes on in verses 14-17 to make a point about compassion for our fellow humans, but these first four verses, the direct interaction between Christ and a crippled woman are the ones that touched me and reminded me of His promise of healing. I may or may not be cured from my conditions in this lifetime, but I can anticipate His hands on me and hearing the words, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity," because His compassion is so great He WILL relieve me of this pain I endure... it's just a matter of what His timing is for it, I know at the very least, when I walk with Him in Heaven I will have no more sorrow, no more pain... I will be whole, pure, and spotless. If I have to endure this until that time, so be it, but I'm still praying for relief of it sooner. I just need to remind myself it is His timing that matters, not my own.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Joshua 2 - July 17, 2007

2007-07-17T20:59:00.000-04:00

Tonight I read about Rahab, a prostitute in the land of Jericho. God used this woman, her circumstances, and her home for His people and protected her family in return.

Two quotes from my study Bible that struck me are as follows:

"God works through people - like Rahab - whom we are inclined to reject."

"Rahab didn't allow her past to keep her from the new role God had for her."

The rest of what struck me is personal. It is important for my life and growth and I know it was God speaking to me, only me. In Sunday school this past week we learned that relational people like me need to learn to keep some things to ourselves, including personal, intimate conversations and communication. I'm going to practice that right now by keeping this message from my Father to myself.

Hugs & Love

Question for the men...

2007-07-14T20:17:00.000-04:00

Do you guys have any clue what you're doing sometimes?

Okay, that probably sounds a bit confrontational but I'm being serious here. If you like a girl, tell her you like her, be honest with her about your concerns, talk through things like rational adults, don't simply sit on the sidelines lying about your feelings, thoughts, dreams, hopes, etc... And when you do admit you like someone, realize you have already done the hard part! Admitting the way you feel for a woman must be terrifying, especially if the woman has made no indication to you of how she feels, but any woman worth having will react to you lovingly, no matter what her feelings are... I know I would, and I'd rather know up front what someone's thoughts and concerns are rather than sitting around not knowing or worse, knowing there is an interest but that it's not being acted on because of fear that hasn't been admitted or an insecurity that can be dealt with through conversation or soul searching.

No, not every relationship or attraction will turn into a forever thing, but guys, seriously here, grow up and admit things when you feel them, women are no better at mindreading than men are unless the man is being painfully obvious... and even then there are some things that are not understood (underlying motives more than anything).

No, this isn't directed at any one person, it's not directed at any particular incident or anything else... it's just I'm noticing that guys that I consider to be in my "potential" category are typically geeky, shy, insecure males aged 32-42 who don't want to admit things... you can do it guys... really, you can!

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Matthew 17:14-21 - July 13, 2007

2007-07-13T23:42:00.001-04:00

Faith as small as a mustard seed

A friend of mine sent this to me today, it's for his men's Bible study and he can't invite me because I don't know the secret handshake, but he sent me the questions and I'm going to answer them as well as anything else that pops into my head.

Did you ever stop to think how small a mustard seed is? Go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Mustard.png to get an idea... it's very very tiny. So tiny in fact that saying that the disciples didn't have faith that large would have torn them to shreds emotionally, at least, if I were in their shoes I'd feel horrible if my Lord told me my faith was that small!

Here are the discussion questions and my humble opinions based on how I would feel in the same situation:

1. How do you think the disciples felt, in verse 16, that they had been unable to heal the boy?

Based on how the passage is worded, I think they would have felt a bit helpless and sad that they couldn't make this child better, but I think as soon as Jesus rebuked them and told them how much they could do with faith that is as tiny as a mustard seed that they started to feel guilty, insufficient, and as though they were a disappointment to Jesus.

2. What are some of the reasons that the disciples' faith was insufficient to cast out the demon?

Part of it had to be that they were dealing with something unfamiliar to them. When we are uncertain of ourselves and our abilities we often do a lesser job than we are capable of. These men were no different, they were just like you and me, they had average lives, how often have YOU tried to cast out a demon? Could you even identify if a person was inhabited by one? I don't think I could!

3. Are there situations in our lives when our faith is tested and we fall short? Why?

Our faith is tested on nearly a daily basis, trusting God will provide when our paycheck is a bit slim, trusting that His strength can carry us through any situation... the ways we are tested are limitless.... but we fall short because it is not in human nature to trust, it is not in our nature to believe in the unseen, and it's not in our nature to give up control in a difficult situation. We want to fix it ourselves, make it all better, and more often than not, we make it worse.

4. In your estimation, how much faith do you really have and how well do you exercise it?

I want to say I have a lot of faith, I rely on God heavily, every day, every hour. I grumbled on here a few days ago about being lonely and although my longing for a mate is there, God has taken the feeling of hopelessness from me... He provided me with a sense of peace about an ongoing issue in my life, and if that weren't enough, I just have to think back to the fire we had last fall and remember how rapidly He provided our very basic needs and kept me and my children safe. I pray I always live that way, but I know I won't because it's not in my nature.

These questions make you think... a lot... at least, they do if you really want to get something from them! Gotta admit though, these questions would be more interesting as a discussion, I think you can get a lot more out of something when you have someone to discuss it with, well, sometimes you can. That's why I value feedback on here so much, I really do want to know what you think and I want to know if you think I'm off track or something because I don't want to think one thing and find out I'm not even close.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: July 12, 2007

2007-07-12T21:12:00.000-04:00

Grazing

Have you ever just grazed in the Bible, reading through a passage here, a passage there, looking to find what it is you need to find at that point in time? Well, that's what I did, and I found what I needed, but the lesson was so incredibly personal that I don't want to share it at this point in time, not sure if I ever will. It was much needed, I learned a lot about myself, and I am glad God brought it to my attention.

Hugs & Love

Oops

2007-07-12T13:16:00.000-04:00

I'm typing this on my lunch break, so it won't be long (aren't you glad? I know you love how long winded I am!)

Anyway, I am admitting that I didn't read my Bible yesterday. I did pray though. I did the usual dinner with friend(s) on a Wed evening, but because of pain went to my house instead of to prayer with my Bible study so I could take my medications in the safety of my home (instead of needing to drive) one friend joined me and stayed until about midnight, even though I had to have been kinda loopy company. So by the time I locked up I was pretty far out of it and fell asleep quickly.

You know, you COULD actually post just to say hi though if you want to... I wouldn't mind!

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Psalm 139 - July 10, 2007

2007-07-10T21:16:00.000-04:00

The word 'Selah' is derived from a primitive Hebrew root word meaning "to hang" in the aspect of weighing or measuring something. It is most often seen in the Psalms (although not in Psalm 139) and is thought to be an encouragement to stop or pause, to reflect (weigh) what has been said/sung, to meditate on something and make it personal... I couldn't help thinking of the word 'selah' tonight while reading Psalm 139... so much to digest, so much to understand in these 24 verses... so many things that struck me as important to know and remember...

After feeling a bit down in the dumps about my mistake yesterday (which has been forgiven by God) and knowing that this Psalm has enough of a punch to it to make sure I know how important I am to God in it, I thought I'd boost my spirits by reading it. I'm so glad I did. I've found myself searching for every possible translation, hungry to find any commentary on it, wanting to see which translation uses words that impact me and "wow" me the most. My Bible study group (which we have named Selah because we want to take our time and digest God's word and apply it to our lives) is doing a study by Beth Moore right now, from time to time, she has us do an exercise where you take a verse or passage and re-write it to make it personal... here's my version of Psalm 139... I'll make it a different color so if you want to skip it and go on to my comments after it you can do that (although they make more sense after reading my version of this passage):

Verses 1-5: Oh LORD! How do you know so much about me? You know when I shower, when I sing, when I cry, when I hug a friend, when I curse, when I lose my temper... You know when I show your love to others, when I'm selfish with Your love, when I am greedy, when I am weak, when I am living in Your strength... You know my thoughts, good or bad, You know my gut reactions to situations, You know the anger that boils up inside of me and threatens to burst out of me when faced with injustice... You know that I want to serve You, worship You, praise You in all things and how miserably I fail at giving You want I know You deserve... You know when I do things for others with a pure heart, and You know when I do those same types of things out of obligation or to gain a sense of self-satisfaction... You know when my heart is being honest and when I am being cold and lying to myself and lying to You.

Verse 6: You know me better than I know myself! I don't know how to understand this, yet I know it's true or I would never be convicted of things that I do wrong...

Verses 7-10: I can't go anywhere without you being there. When I surround myself with things that are good, clean, wholesome You are there... When I make mistakes and return to my former way of life, no matter how briefly, You go with me and stay with me. Even if I try to run away from You, You follow me and stay with me!

Verses 11-12: No matter what I do or think might hide my actions from You, You can see it, You know my every move, my every breath, my every thought.

Verses 13-16: You know better than I do the aches and pains I have... You put me together so that I could have those pains, even though I don't know the purpose for them. You know I'm tall, have an odd hair color, a large bone structure, but because You made me, I'm a wonderful creature. You made me... not my mom, not my dad, but YOU! You know everything I am, everything I have done, everything I will do, and no matter what lies before me You will be there with me. Even before You put me together You knew what my life would be and how You would use me for Your purposes!

Verses 17-18: There is so much to learn about You Lord! How can I ever hope to learn everything? Every day I want to learn more, I want to walk with You, be with You, know You are with me and learn more about You.

Verses 19-22: I don't like when people speak badly about You, I want to defend You! I want to make known my love for You to anyone who will listen. I don't want to hate people Lord, but when they hurt You, deny You, and turn from You I want to hate them for how they treat You. I want everyone around me to know You and love You!

Verses 23-24: As scary as this is Lord, I want You to keep track of my thoughts, my heart, my mind. I want You to let me know when I think, feel, or do something wrong. If there is something wrong I want You to convict me of it and help me overcome my wrongdoing so I can follow the path that leads to You. I want You to let me know if I am not being fair to someone who thinks differently than I do, I want You to show me my areas of weakness.

Wow... God knows me better than I know myself! What an odd concept! We usually believe that we are the best person to understand our own hearts, thoughts, minds, feelings... yet often we do need an outsider to point out our flaws to us (in love of course) before we can take them to God for help with whatever that flaw might be. Who better to really know us, our desires and longings, our hopes and dreams, our sins and failures than the One who made us? Verses 23-24 are hard to say, especially when you put your own personal weaknesses into it, but if you really mean it and make it a prayer, you will have the One who knows you better than anyone else to ever live or breathe examining you and pointing out to you your areas of weakness and where you need improvement.

What's the point of all this? It's easy to tell if you have a problem with a bad temper, if you tend to be judgemental, a gossip, etc... but often it's not so easy to identify the more subtle things in your own life, things that are the reasons "why" you behave a certain way, what causes your insecurities, what makes you afraid of commitment, why you crave something and push it away all at the same time... yet these underlying subtleties are known by God, even when you don't know about it yourself... do you realize what it means that the Creator of everything knows us that well? It means He loves us, inside, outside, warts and all. He loves us and wants to hold us in His arms. He considers us heirs and heiresses to the throne, His family, His bride, spotless, blameless, perfect in His sight. It is both awesome and humbling to know that the most powerful being to ever exist loves me that much... hope you feel the same way!

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Proverbs 7 - July 9, 2007

2007-07-09T21:30:00.001-04:00

Today I'm not picking apart the text, I'm not trying to make sense of anything... today is a confession... one inspired by this passage, but it was my honest reaction to it when I read it, so I am sharing it with you...

I've been tempted by the "adulteress", drawn in by her deceit and bold attempts to turn me from God. I have given in to her temptation more than I want to admit is possible, yet it left me lonely, empty, and guilt ridden... for those who have read my other post today, a peek inside me... yes, that stemmed from this mistake I made, even if I'm not getting into specifics online.

Lord, keep me strong when I face temptation, help me to know in the moment how to fight it so I don't feel destroyed by succumbing to the pressure I feel.

A peek inside me...

2007-07-09T21:19:00.000-04:00

Today is just one of those down in the dumps days for me, a misunderstanding with a friend, a mistake that makes me feel horrible, and a longing so great that I cry out to God about it almost every day... below you'll read some of what I cry about, my longing, my questions for God...

I feel so unlovable, who wants a second hand woman, and one who can't bear children anymore at that? Who wants a former slut who abused herself in ways physically, emotionally and sexually that people don't even know about? Who wants a woman who comes with 3 kids and an ex husband? Who wants a woman who has chronic pain, is on medications that are as bad as the condition (if not worse) and has no cure? I don't even want my life some days... why would any man look past those obvious "flaws" to get to know the real me and decide to love me anyway and take on those things as his own issues when he really doesn't have to? How can God put any value on me and promise me the desires of my heart when there aren't any men out there who can really love me and accept me and be that desire I have for a husband, a helper, a man to share the best and worst of times and stick to each other while leaning on God together? Does a man really exist who can love me, warts and all, accept my children and help me raise them, and not worry about anything in my past?

For whatever reason, God has me wired to really long for a husband. I don't feel I NEED one, but I really, really want one. Yet everything I typed above looms over my head every time I dare to hope that someone will love me, that God will bring that special man into my life. The realist in me says that I've lost my chance, the handful of people who have gotten to know me, even just as friends, have told me that they couldn't handle raising someone else's children, or that they couldn't handle my health (or rather seeing the pain when it gets bad)... both things I understand. I feel as though I'm being punished on a daily basis, through loneliness, because of the actions of my ex-husband that led to me being a divorced mom... no fault of my own other than my poor health which he wouldn't allow me to get treatment since it was experimental at the time. I even tried for 3 years to give him a chance to turn around before giving up on him! But because of it, I'm probably going to grow old alone, all the while my heart longs for a husband because that's how God has wired me...

Bible Blog: Genesis 21 - July 6, 2007

2007-07-08T21:38:00.000-04:00

Hagar: Part VI (Hagar returns)

Since this started as a Hagar Study, I'm going to concentrate on verses 8-21 which deal with Hagar and Ishmael, but to be honest, I've enjoyed the rest of the story quite a bit also, even if it was just giving background information.

Once again I find myself relating easily to Hagar. She endured cruel treatment for injustices that were thrust upon her. But once again, God sends an angel to Hagar, promising the well being of Ishmael, that he will become a great nation. Despite God's involvement in her life, Hagar still gets her son an Egyptian wife... outside of the beliefs of the God who has protected her and her son in so many ways. Ishmael and Isaac, as well as their descendants, were in conflict, the nation built upon God's promise vs the nation built upon man's attempt to fulfil God's wishes on their timetable.

This is such a hard lesson for me, but we can never be at peace with God if we don't do what He wants when He wants it. Taking matters into our own hands leads to conflict that doesn't necessarily end well unless God is being gracious and allowing that. Just today (Sunday) I experienced this. I felt God saying "this isn't the time for this discussion" yet I was baited into it, and succumbed to temptation and gave a friend an earful as a result. The conversation went poorly, I wasn't emotionally prepared for it, I wasn't in God's will so I didn't have Him on my side, I floundered, my points were not made well, frustration overcame me... but God was merciful enough to allow this conversation to end well enough that this friend and I are still friends, and for that I'll remain grateful. Granted, I won't be sent off into the desert to live in isolation with a child as a result of this conversation, but the point is the same, we need to put HIS desires above our own or there will be conflict, within us and around us. Maybe if I had taken the time to post this on Friday instead of just thinking about it I wouldn't have made the mistake I made today... but making that mistake, no matter how much I wish I hadn't, helped me to learn this lesson... so I'll accept God's forgiveness and strive to live this lesson every day from now on.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Genesis 20 - July 5, 2007

2007-07-05T21:40:00.000-04:00

Hagar: Part V (Honest, she's in the story tomorrow!)

Thankfully, I'm a free child of God and allowed to ask Him any questions I want or I'd be in a lot of trouble right now! The basic run-down of this family is that there is one old man, two little old women who became moms late in life, two little boys who forever will be at war because matters were taken into Sarah's hands, a lot of sore and swollen genitalia because of a covenant made with God, and a multitude of other issues. But when push comes to shove Abraham is afraid to trust in God and His protection and fears death because he thinks Sarah is a little (old) hottie? I do not understand how you can trust God enough to take a blade to a very sensitive region of your anatomy and then not trust Him to keep you and your wife safe. Nor do I understand why a man who loves his wife and think she's a hottie is willing to let that woman out of his sight as the wife of another man for any period of time!

The only thing I do understand about this passage is something that all women need, want and crave from the men they love... Abraham thought his wife, an old woman, was so desirable that he would be killed so other men could have her. Be honest here ladies, we all know that what really counts about ourselves are the creations we become through Christ, that through Him we are beautiful... but every woman wants to be desirable to the man she loves, it's built into us, we want to know that when he looks at us he sees beauty, when he looks at us he wants to find a way to get off work early to spend more time with us, when he looks at us nothing else in the world seems to matter to him. We want to be desirable, we want to be wanted, not needed, we want someone to long for us the way we long for him. Abraham felt so strongly for his wife, that although she was old, past her prime and past realistic child bearing years, that he felt he would be killed so another man could take her, he found her so desirable that he couldn't imagine anyone else not feeling the same way.

I don't think that's necessarily what I was supposed to get from this passage, but that's the part that I understand of it. Would love to hear from you about the rest of it if you'd like to share!

Hugs & Love

Independence Day

2007-07-04T11:04:00.000-04:00

Today, as citizens of the United States of Amarica, we celebrate the freedoms we take for granted all too often. It makes me wonder, have you ever considered what the risk level was to those who signed the Declaration of Independence? Had we not won the warn on tyranny, every man who signed would have been charged with treason and punished accordingly as an example to others. Additionally, these men were not your average farmers and smithies, they were the upper-crust, land owner, weathly, powerful... yet they were willing to put it all on the line for what they believed was right. John Hancock even scrawled his name so large the British wouldn't have much trouble figuring out who he was. These men founded our country in opposition to the work, demanding freedom from opression.

Why, as Christians, don't we learn from this example? No, not all of them were Christians, several were athiests, but they were willing to sacrifice everything for freedom. Living in the United States has given most of us a false sense of security and urgency, an assurance that we can worship as we choose, speak our minds, etc... but this isn't the reality on most of our planet. Friends of mine recently returned from China where they had to hold their tongues on certain topics, live above reproach, and meet with other believers in secret or have a foreign passport to attend a church legally. Followers of Christ in China lay it on the line, willing to give all for Christ every day, and they do it for the love that He has freely given to them. But as a US citizen, can you imagine going to church on Sunday and having someone arrest you for it? This is the reality that faces so many on our planet, yet so many are willing to love God that much anyway, are you? Would you be able to stand strong in your faith under the same circumstances? Can you imagine giving up everything you own to follow Christ?

Today is Independence Day, a day to celebrate our country's freedom... but let's also remember the freedom we have through Christ, His blood, and His resurrection. Let's take a lesson from our founding fathers of our nation and be bold in what we believe, stand firm in the One who has freed us from eternal damnation and slavery and has made us heirs and heiresses to the thrown of God. Here are a few of the Bible's verses about our freedom to think about as we celebrate today:

Psalm 119:32 - "I will go quickly in the way of your teaching, because you have given me a free heart."

Isaiah 61:1 - "The Sovereign LORD has filled me with his Spirit. He has chosen me and sent me To bring good news to the poor, To heal the broken-hearted, To announce release to captives And freedom to those in prison."

John 8:31-32 - "So Jesus said to those who believed in him, "If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples; you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.""

Romans 6:6-7 - "And we know that our old being has been put to death with Christ on his cross, in order that the power of the sinful self might be destroyed, so that we should no longer be the slaves of sin. For when we die, we are set free from the power of sin."

Romans 6:17-18 - "But thanks be to God! For though at one time you were slaves to sin, you have obeyed with all your heart the truths found in the teaching you received. You were set free from sin and became the slaves of righteousness."

2 Corinthians 3:17 - "Now, "the Lord" in this passage is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom."

Galations 5:1 - "Freedom is what we have---Christ has set us free! Stand, then, as free people, and do not allow yourselves to become slaves again."

Galations 5:13 - "As for you, my friends, you were called to be free. But do not let this freedom become an excuse for letting your physical desires control you. Instead, let love make you serve one another."

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it's a good start for reflecting on our freedom in Christ today.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Genesis 19 - July 3, 2007

2007-07-03T22:29:00.001-04:00

Hagar: Part IV (I looked ahead, she really does return to the story, but not until Part VI)

Sodom & Gomorrah/Lot & his daughters

Remember in chapter 18 Abraham bargained for the lives of 10 righteous men? Well, here we see the depravity of Sodom & Gomorrah. In verses 4-7 the men in the town came to Lot's home and demanded the strangers be turned over as sexual objects... the mentality of "let's rape the new guy" is repulsive in itself, then you add the homosexuality to it and, well, it is a repulsive thought! In verse 8, Lot shows us his best and his worst all wrapped into one act... he offered his daughters in place of the strangers to this mob of perverted men. The good side is that he attempted to protect his guests, the worst is obviously his willingness to give his daughters to be raped instead! While I do understand the importance of keeping house guests safe, I would never consider handing my children over in their place! My thought is that Lot had been living among the evil in that town for so long that although his intentions were good (protect the visitors), he was calloused towards his own negative thought on how to protect these men (offering his daughters). He probably wasn't aware of how the perversion around him had impacted his own life and faith. Because of Abraham's plea to protect the righteous, the angels offer Lot, his wife, his daughters, and their fiance's a means of escape from the destruction to follow. Lot's wife turned back longingly and turned to a pillar of salt, the gentlemen laughed at Lot and remained in the town, and Lot found himself with his two daughters.

Now on to more cheerfulness, Lot didn't find the girls new husbands after the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah, he then left the town of Zoar and lived with his daughters in isolation in a cave. The girls feeling responsible for maintaining the family line (there were no brothers) got their father drunk, and bore him sons. Skipping over all the obvious incest issues involved here, these two parts of Lot's life showed me just how important everyday decisions are. If we live in Sodom and adopt that mentality, will we realize we are doing wrong? When we flee from that life, will we take elements of our past with us to pass on to our children? What will those around us learn from us? Will they see someone who lives for God no matter what those around them do or will they see us as one of the crowd who just happens to be a child of God? We're supposed to stand apart from the crowd, to be different, to be a light to a dark world. How can we do that if we indulge in activities that are blatantly sinful? We are to be above reproach, avoid the appearance of wrongdoing... not just avoid doing wrong, but the appearance of it! How I live, no matter what is around me, will have more impact on others (especially my children) than the words I speak of Christ, His love, and salvation... if I don't live it, it means nothing. Take a look at Lot, he tried, but when push came to shove, the lesson his life and actions taught his daughters was to take matters into their own hands and do whatever was "necessary" to get the job done... I don't want my children to learn that lesson, I want them to walk with Christ.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Genesis 18 - July 2, 2007

2007-07-02T21:44:00.000-04:00

Hagar: Part III (But once again, no mention of Hagar, sorry!)

This chapter was broken into two distinct ideas, hospitality, and prayer. I'll go with the one I understood better first, hospitality, verses 1-15.

Just imagine, it's the hottest part of the day, you're resting in the relative coolness of your tent when you see three strangers approaching. Now days we'd think "do they look like they're going to cause trouble?" or "should I go inside and lock the door?" or even just sit and stare at them and watch to see what they do next. Abraham however, rushed to them, bowed to them, and asked their permission to get water for their feet to be washed and to prepare a meal for them to be refreshed and nourished. He had his wife bake a LOT of bread... using the good flour (think using the good china here, same idea, meant to impress), had a servant prepare the finest calf and provided curds and milk (probably what we think of as cottage cheese). This is, by the standards of the time, a superb meal! I don't know about you, but I take the attitude of "if I have if, you're welcome to it", but rarely, if ever, do I go out of my way to make the best thing I have for a guest I'm not expecting, let alone a stranger. But if I know I'm having company, I will go out, buy the best of anything I can afford, prepare the grandest meal I can muster, and try to give my company a wonderful experience... that's what Abraham did for these strangers, only difference, they showed up unannounced, are not close friends, they are foreign to him, yet he treats them with the hospitality that we usually reserve for a special few in our lives.

Yesterday, I discovered my kids have a grasp on this concept already, they invited a friend of mine from church to join us for lunch. I knew I didn't have anything at home, we would have to buy something, he offered to pick it up for us. It was a spontaneous, eager, genuine act of hospitality on my kids' behalf, they wanted to enjoy time with another person, let that person enjoy something different, welcome that person with open arms into their lives and home, make them feel welcome and accepted! We had an enjoyable meal followed with about an hour of rough and tumble time (which my friend graciously used as a reason for me not getting as much housework done as I should by saying "I now see why you are too tired to get things done") . After our guest left, we rested, among the mess that we added to during play time (too many toys in this little place) and were content in it, because our hospitality, although nothing special, was sincere and enjoyable... you might not ever think to go slaughter a fatted calf, to order a fancy meal, or anything else, but just allowing someone to be welcomed is something that is pleasing to God, our hospitality towards others might just give that person the boost they need to get over something difficult in their life, or confirm for them that someone cares. Either way, it makes God happy and that should make us happy!

The second theme, prayer, I have more issue with, it's in verses 16-33. God gave Abraham the opportunity to plead for Sodom, it almost sounded like a negotiation the way it was handled, but Abraham wasn't really changing God's mind, so why is it that God let Abraham feel as though he were doing that? Was it to put emphasis on God's mercy? Was it so Abraham would know that God answers prayer? Could it possibly have been both? The only conclusion I came up with is that it is both, but that could be misleading also, because God doesn't promise that every time we ask for something we will get it, sometimes as a parent, He has to say no for our own good (and it's annoying understanding that from the perspective of a parent now). And what if we get so consumed by what it is we desire that we don't see the real answer that God is giving us because we are trying to impose our will on Him? I really don't know what to take away from this passage. Please, feel free to think about this one and give me answers!

Hugs & Love!

"Take a break from that Mommy!"

2007-06-30T09:13:00.000-04:00

Those words were just spoken by my 7 year old daughter after I let her look at how much I wrote on my blog this week... and I think to some degree I agree with her, not about taking a break from God or reading my Bible, but about posting on it. On the weekends, I'm going to reflect on things I've learned during the week and concentrate on prayer for the areas of weakness I've discovered rather than adding even more for me to digest at a time. Weekends are also a time to relax, unwind, spend time with loved ones, etc... and that is a healthy way of worshipping Christ in our actions, or interactions with others... it's kinda the practical application of what you've learned the past week.

So, now that you know this, you know you can't bust me for not posting on the weekends because it's part of the "plan". Isn't it cool that God used my daughter wanting me to have more time with her as a reminder that application of what I've read is the ultimate reason for reading? In many ways my children help with my spiritual growth and I love them dearly for helping me understand God so much better!

Have a great weekend!
Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Genesis 17 - June 29, 2007

2007-06-29T21:19:00.000-04:00

Hagar: Part II

Disclaimer: What you are about to read has absolutely NOTHING to do with Hagar except that her son Ishmael is mentioned. It deals with a very adult topic, circumcision, if you can't handle a discussion that involves names of private body parts, do not read any further! If however you can appreciate this for the intelligent, clean, hopefully enlightening thought process that it is intended to be, please, read on!

I read through this chapter, thought, I don't have a penis, this doesn't apply to me, let's continue to chapter 18 when I remembered that everything in the Bible is for us to learn from. Then I tried to rationalize that Hagar wasn't even mentioned in this chapter... but that I had decided yesterday to take this one chapter at a time and learn what I could from each one... And once again back to the "I don't have the body parts in question" argument when I remembered a time just before a friend's wedding when I was studying with my small group what it meant to be the bride of Christ and how preparing for that is to look to us when I realized... I asked a few of my guy friends to seriously try to imagine what being a bride is like... I wanted them to think outside the box and put them on the other side and try to get something from it to apply to their relationships with Christ... while none of them did it (or at least none of them told me about it... still waiting guys!) I realized how hypocritical it would be for me not to examine circumcision and it's application to my life if I expect the men in my life to examine what it is to be a bride... so that is the approach I am taking with this, it's a stretch, it's not going to be easy, and in order to try to make sense of things there is going to be mention of male and female equivalent body parts because I am funny that way and try to make things as accurate as possible when trying to visualize them... just please keep in mind this is really not just an excuse to list off genitalia or talk about things of that nature! Don't believe me, read Genesis 17! I DO want to ask any of you guys to please feel free to correct me if I make any incorrect assumptions... like I said, this is not something I usually think about in terms of myself!

I'm going to tell the story as though I am Abram, put myself in his sandals...

I am 99 years old, and God just changed my name to "father of nations". I have one child, Ishmael who is 13, a 90 year old wife, well past her prime, and I'm starting to feel my age. First thing that comes to my mind is that after 99 years, I think I'd be pretty well attached to my name, wouldn't you? But as far as requests God makes of a person, this one is, well, reasonable, so I go along with it... Then God tells me it's time to renew the covenant, that I will be father of nations... okay fine, I suppose this is going to happen through Ishmael right? WRONG, you're gonna get your 90 year old wife pregnant! First things first, even though people lived longer back then, women were pretty much done with the baby making by the mid 5o's... Sarai... what, you're changing her name too? Okay, Sarah is WAY to old to be thinking about kids! It's a humorous thought, I laugh, God tells me to name my son Isaac meaning he laughs.

This is where my conversation with God starts to take a turn I don't like so much... as a sign of my acceptance of this gift, I have to circumcise myself, all my offspring, every worker in my charge, every male in my household. Any male born into my family must be circumcised... but what is this circumcision, certainly not something you would instantly know of! So I look it up (okay this is a little off the story but it's what happened) The word circumcise comes from the Hebrew word mûl (mool) which means "to cut short" the bâśâr (baw-sawr') which means "flesh" of the ‛orlâh (or-law') which is the feminine form of ‛ârêl (aw-rale') which means the loose exposed skin. YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT? I don't know why Abram... excuse me, Abraham didn't ask that very question to be honest... after 99 years, I think I'd be pretty well accustomed to having that particular feature of my anatomy intact, dont' you? No, he thought it more unreasonable for God to say he was going to get Sarai... Sarah pregnant at the age of 90 than that God wanted him to cut off the skin at the end of his penis! I personally don't get this guys... I've always thought that this is a particularly sensitive area of the anatomy for a man, and to draw a parallel for my own reference since I don't have one, it would be like removing the protective hood from around my clitoris... which would make things even MORE sensitive wouldn't it? I don't know about you gents, but if a lady gets rubbed the wrong way by clothing in that area it can be downright painful, without that protective skin around it I can imagine it being even worse... yes I would like thoughts on this, if you want to keep them private you can feel free to email me.

Okay, back to the story, Abraham finishes up the chat with God and goes home, takes Ishmael, a boy Abraham had to ask God to show favor on as well since Isaac was to be the heir, and he just goes right ahead and cuts off his foreskin at age 99, turns to the 13 year old boy who is staring at him wondering what herbs he put in his coffee that morning when Abraham says to him, pull up your robes... again, this story doesn't have enough reality in it, while I can see Abraham having the willpower to circumcise himself, I do not see Ishmael, a 13 year old boy who is starting puberty and just learning what this part of his body can do willingly pulling up his tunic and saying "please daddy, cut it off" what is more realistic is that although willing to follow the "master's" wishes, these men had to have some help with this process... they probably had 4 men, one on each of Ishmael's limbs, and possibly someone else across his stomach to prevent serious harm, not to mention running away which I think in this case I would DEFINITELY do... they didn't have anesthesia back then and wine doesn't numb you that much! This was, without a doubt, a test of loyalty and devotion to God... thankfully little jewish boys undergo this process on day 8 of their lives and never remember it, but those who had to endure this as a teenager or adult? This is not a pretty thing!

Now we have Abraham who has been circumcised, presumably by his own hand, which I couldnt' do and not just because I'm female either, and he's been told he's going to have a son within a year. Let's think about this shall we? If I remember correctly, the calendar they used at that time was not quite as long as the current calendar year (someone help me out here, am I remembering the right calendar or was that the one used before our current one?) anyway, realistically to be before a year is up it would be about 11 months... you need 10 for a pregnancy... yes guys, 10, 40 weeks... but because of our current calendar it appears to be 9 instead of the 28 day month which doctors use for this purpose. That means he needs to get Sarah pregnant immediately... but wait, he just cut his foreskin off of his penis! If you don't know how a child is conceived see me after class and I'll explain the significance of this for you. Assuming a 4 week recovery based upon how long my son's circumcision took to heal (about 3 weeks) and the fact that adults heal more slowly than children and 99 year old men even slower than a 30-40 year old man would and we're talking about some rather precise timing on God's part here. He knew Abraham would obey, would instantly circumcise the household, and from there would recover, lie with his wife, and Isaac would have to be conceived immediately to give birth in a one year time frame... this is rather impressive! It also brings up a lot of questions for me that probably are not appropriate in this context, but I have to wonder,... was it painful for him to have intercourse with Sarah after this? This is a serious question. After the birth of each of my children, the last thing I wanted to think about while healing was having sex, when I was healed and it was time to fulfill my marital obligations again... and after having a baby it is often done as an obligation... it hurt almost as badly as having the baby did! So here is Abraham, he knows he has to get Sarah pregnant to work within God's timeframe, but was he still tender and in pain during the child's conception? I think I'm going to ask him that when I get to Heaven if he seems like he won't be offended at least... I don't really know him yet.

So that's the story told in Genesis 17... what have I taken from this other than a lot of cringing and bewilderment? Abraham was a faithful child of God. I'm not sure I would have been able to follow God's instruction if He asked me to do the same. That really makes me sad. Jesus was willing to DIE for me, yet I can't even conceive of removing an unnecessary part of my body for Him as a sign of devotion... I think I'm going to have to pray about my attitude with such things.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Genesis 16 - June 28,2007

2007-06-28T22:06:00.000-04:00

Hagar: Part I

The story of Hagar takes place over the course of 6 chapters. I'm reading one at a time with the intent of digging deeper into each.

My first questions are legitimately questions, not questions I asked and answered. Hagar was an Egyptian servant, yet God spoke directly to her. Without getting into the whole "everyone is blood related through Adam & Eve or Noah" arguments... God's chosen people were the Jews, Egyptians were not typically thought of as being in God's favor. So, my questions are for anyone with more information on Jewish culture and history than I have available... What is Hagar's significance? She's not Jewish, she's Egyptian; she's not a "wife", she's a servant (and basically slave/prostitute in this situation). What possible reason would God have to go to her through an angel and encourage her to return to slavery and sorrow? I'm speaking only historically and culturally here, but would really like answers!

Obviously, the spiritual significance and symbolism of Hagar being looked after by God is that He loves us all, no matter our heritage, height, weight, political stance, or any other "important" traits that people use to judge us.

I can relate all too well to Hagar. Many of the circumstances of my life are outside my control... I'm divorced because my husband was unfaithful, my son was conceived against my wishes, God allows me to endure chronic pain in the forms of Fibromyalgia and Psoriatic Arthritis as well as the equally difficult treatments... yet I know God is working in me and using me. Just tonight, Alyssa asked me how it's possible to be good when everyone around you is being bad. Such a hard lesson for a 7 year old! But God allowed me to remind her of Daniel, of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, of their faithfulness in difficulty, and we prayed together. If that's not God using me to help shape His kingdom I don't know what is! The point I'm trying to make, although I'm rambling about it, is that God uses the hardships and difficulties that He allows us to face for His glory.

The other aspect I relate to so well is Hagar's desire to run away. Just this past Tuesday I wanted to give up, stop fighting, stop trying. God had something else in mind. At the church's business meeting about Phase III we opened up with a time of confession and prayer. You can't clear the air with the most powerful being to ever exist and say okay, but I'm still running... it doesn't work that way. That's why this blog came into existence... God let me know exactly why I was running, what I was running from, and the reasons I felt inept were 100% related to not giving Him the time He deserves in prayer and studying His word. This is only day 2 and the change is dramatic already!

I know this ending is abrupt... but I only read chapter 16. Tune in next time for Hagar: Part II aka Genesis 17.

Fortune Cookies

2007-06-28T06:54:00.001-04:00

I went to dinner with a friend last night and we had Chinese food... we had each gotten 2 fortune cookies and I've got to say, mine made me think:

"Don't be surprised by the emergence of undiscovered talents!"

"You're transforming yourself into someone who is certain to succeed."

I've actually found myself wondering what talent, if any, I have lately, what it is I'm good at that makes me unique (besides the obvious quirky wit of course). Perhaps the "audition" last night for the Christmas program is just one of the ways to uncover some of my hidden talents. How can I use the talents I've been given to glorify God if I don't know what they are? I really hope there is an emergence of undiscovered talent!

As for transforming myself into a successful person, I'm not the one doing it, God is. The only part I have to play in this transformation is letting God have control so He CAN transform me. I've already become successful, I'm an heiress to the most powerful King ever, a daughter to the Ruler of the universe, Creator of everything wonderful. My mansion is being built already, I am already successful. But I do want to strive to be more Christ-like in my daily life, using what I know of Him to transform my life into something better, something that honors and pleases Him. Even though I'm successful, confident of my faith, I feel there is more to do in this life than just taking that success, my status as child of the King, and letting it stop there. There are so many more people in this world who aren't be heirs or heiresses yet... there is much work to be done!

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Judges 16 - June 27, 2007

2007-06-27T22:59:00.000-04:00

Delilah:

How could God's favor be with a man who is recorded as having slept with a prostitute? I know, some versions say "loose woman" some say "harlot" some say "prostitute"... but they all say he went to bed with this woman, who is not his wife, which is a sinful thing to do, and yet God is with him and protects him from his would be attackers. My first thought was outrage, Sampson did not deserve God's grace and favor... followed by disgust, he was treating a woman like an object... and I continued reading but finally it hit me... God loves me, His favor is on me, I'm no better than Sampson going in to lie with a prostitute, I've done things that are horrible, disgusting, vulgar... but God loves me, His favor and grace are with me every day. He has every right to be appalled by the woman I am, the mistakes I make... He would be justified in turning away from me at any moment... yet His grace, His love, His mercy, His favor are with me every day of my life. Then I thought of my children, how rotten they've been lately, how I've wanted to just get away from them and not look back until they start behaving like the good kids I know are in there (somewhere). My grace, my love, my mercy, my favor has not been with them. I've been judging them and letting my human weaknesses win over the abilities I have through Christ. He wants me to strive to be like Him, yet when my children have made me crazy lately, I've behaved in a way even less pleasing to Him... but I'm supposed to be studying Deililah, not just Judges 16:1.

Some obstacles are to be overcome... lack of home, job, family, faith, or severe illnesses and injuries. But when a person doesn't share with you because it will negatively impact another person and you persist in trying to find out the way Delilah did and nag someone like that it's just wrong. She was manipulative (vs 15 "How can you say, 'I love you,' when you won't confide in me?") and complaining that a man wouldn't confide in her while she was trying to get him to open up so she could harm him... For the guys reading this, let me just tell you, I've never understood this mentality, make them feel bad about something to get what you want. But at the same time, when a woman's heart is sincere, those words, "How can you say you love me, when you don't mean it?"(GNB) ring so true. I could hear her begging voice, pleading with him to open up, to build a closeness between them. Women are designed, by God, to desire an intimacy with a man that can only be obtained by a man opening up to them. For a woman, hearing the words "I love you" without the emotional connection is devastating! But for her to use this very basic, very real emotion and play the role to use this desire women have to manipulate is as unimaginable to me as God standing with Sampson after he slept with a prostitute! Doesn't this woman realize that if a man does open up to her it is a precious gift to be treasured? Men generally don't deal well with emotions, they don't wonder how to get a woman to open up to them because we tend to do it naturally, if anything they want a woman to back off and let them veg in front of the TV while they regroup before spending time together, so to take the gift Sampson, albeit out of annoyance from her nagging, and to use it to have him turned into a slave is revolting.

The last thing that seemed a little odd to me was that God gave Sampson the strength, one last time, to kill a LOT of people, himself included. Now I understand in war situations that there is a possibility of your own death, but to intentionally drop a building on your head and the heads of a huge crown killing more than you ever had in your entire lifetime, while everyone is peacefully assembled? It reminds me of school shootings, planes crashing into the World Trade Center, even an tsunami... devastation without any understanding or realization that your death is near. But this man did it intentionally to so many people, and he did it because God was with him and gave him the strength to do it. Why would God do that? Aren't those people as deserving of the same grace and favor that God gave to the man who slept with a prostitute? Then I had another "ah ha" moment... none of us deserve His grace and favor. Sampson aligned himself with sinners, he became a blinded slave as a result. But he went to God and asked for God to remember him... and God answered Sampson's pray and used Sampson, an ordinary sinner like you and me, to destroy a pagan temple and worshippers.

I use the "Life Application Study Bible" and it provides "mini" commentaries at the bottom of pages on certain topics. The last sentence for verses 28-30 is, "If God could still work in Samson's situation, he can certainly make something worthwhile out of yours." I think I need to remember that. He isn't keeping tabs on every wrong, they're forgiven because of the sacrifice of Jesus... He just wants me to be willing to let Him work, through me, to accomplish His purpose.... no pressure though, He'll love me even when I fail.

WOB

2007-06-27T22:28:00.001-04:00

WOB stands for is "Women Of the Bible". I had started a journey (before the idea of blogging my thoughts as a means of accountability) through some of the different women in the Bible using the 'Character Profiles' in my Bible for the women as a guide. I've always loved learning about different cultures and history, so for me, making a decision to see how women in Biblical times lived their lives, learned about God, and everything else, seemed to be a good way for me to start reading the WORD. So, I'm providing you with the WOB list I have. The * denotes women I have already studied, but that doesn't mean I won't revisit them to blog about them for you... what I can tell you so far... God wants women to wait... a lot. There is nothing more annoying to me than waiting, but the underlying theme for Rachel, Sarah, and Elizabeth was WAIT FOR IT and God will provide. It's getting late and I'm going to try to read about one of these lovely ladies tonight... wonder if the theme will be wait again?

Hugs & Love!

Women of the Bible

Abigail – 1 Samuel 25 – 2 Samuel 2

Deborah – Judges 4 & 5

Delilah – Judges 16

* Elizabeth – Luke 1:5 – 80

Esther – Esther (go figure)

* Eve – Genesis 2:19 – 4:26

Hagar – Genesis 16 – 21

Jezebel – I Kings 16:31 – 2 Kings 9:37

Martha – Luke 10:38-2; John 11:17-45

Mary (Mother of Jesus) – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John… all the birth of Christ stories.

Mary (Sister of Lazarus) – Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; Luke 10:38-42; John 11:17-45

Mary Magdalene – Matthew 27 & 28; Mark 15 & 16; Luke 23 & 24; John 19 & 20

Miriam – Exodus 2; 15; & Numbers 12; 20

* Rachel – Genesis 29 – Genesis 35:20

Rahab – Joshua 2; 6:22 - 23

Rebekah – Genesis 24 - 49

Ruth & Naomi – Ruth (again with the obvious)

* Sarah – Genesis 11 - 25

An idea!

2007-06-27T13:06:00.000-04:00

An idea has formed in my warped little skull... I can use this as a place to keep notes on what I'm learning about God! So, if you see a title that has a Bible passage, that will tell you what passage I had read that day and what my musings were at the time... not necessarily a good thing, but I'm trying to learn more and this is a way to keep me accountable... after all, if I miss a day someone can say "Hey, Sno, where's your Bible Blog from today?" BUSTED!

Hugs & Love!

Welcoming myself

2007-06-27T00:08:00.000-04:00

Just a little hello, I'm not sure how I'm going to do with this blogging thing but figured if I can keep at it it will be a good way to get my thoughts out there for people to read without having to remember all the email addresses and send it to each person individually. Enjoy!