Impact for Christ

Making Molehills

2012-03-07T09:58:00.000-08:00

We’ve all heard the expression "making mountains out of molehills." In other words, we make small problems into momentous challenges for no good reason. All of us are guilty of this at one time or another. Often our expectations, our emotions, and/or our tendency to complicate the simple are what create those insurmountable peaks. We find ourselves scaling jagged cliffs, holding on for dear life, when we started out on a simple stroll through the woods.

Some of the "mountains" in our lives emerge by surprise overnight, bursting through the surface like hungry lava from a dormant volcano. Loss of loved ones, loss of employment, and serious health issues come to mind. Other times, we create the mountains ourselves by pushing the snowball up the slope until it’s so thick and heavy, it threatens to flatten us at a moment’s notice. Sin in which we’ve become ensnared, resentments that have festered, and guilt that has piled up over the years are examples familiar to me in my own life. Regardless of the cause, a giant obstacle stands between us and freedom.

There is an ample supply of "self-help" books and so-called experts out there with an arsenal of ideas about how to deal with the mountains in our lives. A former colleague of mine was particularly fond of these resources. She would often listen to them on tape in her car, temporarily energized by the latest fad to ease what troubled her. One of her favorite books used this very same mountain analogy. The expert’s advice was to scale that mountain full speed ahead and not stop until you’ve conquered it, planting your flag of dominance firmly at the summit. Mastery and self-control are the only acceptable solutions. Show that problem who’s boss!

Of course, what the self-help books fail to address is what happens once we scale the mountain and plant our flag. Assuming we’ve had the strength to make it there, is it really habitable at the top? Are we to pitch a tent at the summit of our problems, setting up residence on the very source of what plagues us, cut off from all the good in our lives that still dwells like a speck at the bottom? When the rains come – and they will – won’t we be battered more severely with no one and nothing to provide us shelter?

Our God has conquered all this world has to offer, all the mud it has to sling, and all the mountains we create for ourselves. God is capable of parting the waters of the seas and reducing the highest peaks to a pile of pebbles. But more importantly, God has given us the perfect expert to advise us, and His words of wisdom are found in a well-known and accessible book – you can even get it on tape, if you wish. His plan is tried and true, guaranteed to work.

Jesus alone can conquer all the mountains that form in our midst, all the insurmountable peaks we place in our own paths. He does not conquer them by encouraging us to scale them – it is a waste of our time and energy. Nor does He conquer them by removing them completely – all our struggles serve a purpose in our lives. He carefully and deliberately deconstructs them, sifting through the rubble of sin and suffering to leave a meaningful, manageable molehill from which we may grow and fertilize our faith. You see, He climbed all our mountains for us long before they were formed. The spikes that pierced His precious flesh created fissures in the rock of our sin. His cleansing blood left a flat, fruit-filled foundation from which we may build our lives. Here is where we should plant our flag of freedom and faithfulness.

Is a mountain of pain or an insurmountable challenge standing in your path? Join me in putting down that climbing gear, picking up God’s Word, and consulting the ultimate expert. Jesus is ready to make a molehill out of that mountain. Are you ready to let Him? I know I am.

In the Palm of His Hand

2012-03-05T11:26:00.001-08:00

"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand." (John 10:28)

In my years working as a crisis counselor, it took me a long time to get used to ministering to folks in intense circumstances, only to send them on their way and never see or hear from them again. I wanted to know how their lives turned out, and in my own prideful heart, I wanted to know if my presence had made any difference. The majority of the time, I never found answers to those questions. Instead, I learned to turn their care over to God, who would minister to them more fully than I ever could. When my work was finished, I would simply envision these wounded souls enveloped in the strong, warm, comforting palm of God’s immense and loving hand. Knowing that He was in control of their healing and protection was what allowed me to sleep in peace, to let go and move on to the next person in need.

It’s easy for us to see the wisdom of turning to and relying on God on the mountain tops and in the deep valleys of our lives, but what about all the many other points along the slope of life? I don’t know about you, but I’ve been guilty of falling into the trap of believing that my joys and sorrows are not important or urgent enough to bring before a God who hears the anguished cries of so many of His children. How dare I come to God with concerns about work or relationship issues when there are people who have lost loved ones, homes, and their entire livelihoods to tornadoes? How can I voice a prayer about responsibly rearing my child, when folks on the other side of the world lose children daily to AIDS and starvation? I can’t count how many times I’ve prayed openly for others, only to stop short of praying to God about the struggles in my own life, silenced by a faulty feeling of selfishness.

Thought processes like this come from the erroneous practice of applying human terms to a divine God. He is everywhere at all times, a living, breathing part of each of His created children. There is more than "enough" of Him – more than we can fathom – to be fully and lovingly with each of us every moment of every day. We don’t have to put our joys and concerns on a divine waiting list, to be tended to after more pressing concerns are dealt with. In fact, God knows every song in our hearts, every pain carried in our bodies and souls, long before we ever form the words to express them. The only delay occurs when we hesitate to bring it all to Him. No matter what is happening in the world, no matter what time of day or night, God hears us. He hears us even if all we can do is fall to our knees in silence before Him.

If God’s presence is hard for we humans to understand, so too is His love for us. How could He love us so much that He sacrificed His Son for us? Such love may be difficult to comprehend, but it is very real. It is perfect and utterly complete. By hesitating to bring my "insignificant" joys and concerns to God, I forget that if it’s important to me, it’s important to God. To withhold myself from Him in any way is an affront to a love so fierce that it was nailed to a cross for me over two thousand years before I even drew my first breath. Why would He go to such dramatic lengths for me if He had no interest in a relationship with me?

In her revised study "Breaking Free," Beth Moore states, "No matter what time of night you roll over in the bed and become conscious, you will catch God in the middle of a thought about you." What a beautiful and woundrous image. But then... how could He not be thinking of one He loves so much?

The Sweetness of Sacrifice

2012-02-27T10:47:00.003-08:00

Although most commonly associated with Catholicism, the dietary restraint practiced during Lent certainly crosses all denominational lines. The practice of sacrificing something of importance from one’s diet – be it meat or something more indulgent – is meant to center one’s mind on the sacrifice of Christ. Ordinarily, this also accompanies a deliberate, disciplined study of Scripture and/or adherence to prayerful meditation on Jesus.

My husband always “gives up” his three largest culinary indulgences – soda, chips, and dessert. Unlike traditional Lenten guidelines, he abstains from these for all forty days. Although I suspect he is motivated as much by the healthy benefits of the practice as the spiritual ones, it’s nonetheless an impressive feat of will-power and discipline, made more impressive by the fact that he never utters a single word of complaint. Yet in essence, what he’s doing with his physical diet is what we should all consider doing with our spiritual diets – purging what is unnecessary, unhealthy, and even harmful to make way for the nutritive love of our Lord.

Fasting and other forms of sacrifice in honor of God are noble practices that, when executed safely and from a genuine heart, produce a greater understanding of and closeness with God. My mother in-law stumbled on perhaps even a nobler observance of Lent years ago, when she suggested that we focus more on giving to others than on taking from ourselves. Her idea was rendered jokingly, from a humble acknowledgement that despite her love for God, she simply lacked the will-power to sacrifice her favorite foods. But her idea warrants some serious consideration, doesn’t it? After all, serving others from a faithful heart is what faith in Christ is all about.

Whether or not we engage in any specific, formal spiritual practice during Lent, we are called to prepare our hearts for the ultimate sacrifice of our Lord, and for His ultimate victory on our behalf. Dedicating ourselves to prayer, studying the Word, serving others, or sacrificing something of luxury or importance – all of these are good ways to center ourselves on God alone. Despite centuries-old traditions of the church around the globe, the end result of the process matters more to God than the means by which we arrive there.

On Easter Sunday – only after giving thanks and eating the meal his family has lovingly prepared, my husband finally enjoys a piece of carrot cake and perhaps a Mountain Dew. But the sweetness of such treats pales in comparison to the satisfaction of the life found in our risen Lord. Even if we never indulged in a savory dessert the rest of our lives, we can be filled with Jesus. The sweetness of His sacrifice is immeasurable.

Will You Be Mine?

2012-02-14T15:17:00.000-08:00

This is love! It is not that we loved God but that He loved us. For God sent His Son to pay for our sins with His own blood. (1 John 4:10)

Like most ladies out there, I like some flowers or perhaps a little chocolate from my man to celebrate special occasions, like Valentine's Day. It's the day-to-day devotion and commitment that mean the most, but every once in a while, a thoughtful gift from someone you love just plain feels good. My favorite gift to give is a card containing a personalized, hand-written message letting the receiver know how much they mean to me and what is so special about them.

Candy hearts and perfumed roses are lovely, but there is a far greater gift that all of us are able to receive, whether or not we have a significant other in our lives. This gift was given a long time ago, but its impact is every bit as meaningful today. It doesn't smell pretty, nor does it come in a sparkling package. Unlike flowers, which wilt and must be given anew when the circumstances dictate, this gift was given only once but shall last for all eternity. There is nothing we've done to deserve this gift, nor any obligation on the part of the giver to give it. He simply gave this gift to us all for one simple reason: He loves us. It is the unsurpassed gift of God's Son.

From the weathiest among us to the poorest, from the long-married to the lonesome, from the joyous to the troubled at heart...the gift of Jesus is for each of us. The depth of God's love, that He would sacrifice His one and only Son to redeem us, is unfathomable for our feeble and wandering minds to fully comprehend. We are joined to God forever, saved, redeemed and made righteous through His life-giving grace. This gift was costly to God, but given freely from the depths of a love humankind has never known otherwise.

Valentine's Day has a cultural history worth repeating and celebrating, if only to boost the economy through greeting card sales. But on this "day of love," whether you have experienced love from another in this world or not, the ultimate Gift awaits all mankind. It's wrapped in blood-stained burial cloths behind a stone. Cupid's sharpest arrow cannot penetrate the depths of our hearts as can the love of our Lord nailed to a cross on Calvary. The roses will wilt, the chocolate will dry out, the greeting card will wither to dust. God's gift is forever.

The precious ink of Jesus' blood spells a timeless message for us all: My child, will you be mine?

Making Joyful Noises

2012-01-30T16:18:00.000-08:00

I love that the Bible tells us to "make a joyful noise unto the Lord," rather than "make beautiful, melodious noises unto the Lord." You see, I dearly love to sing, but my talent falls far short of my desire. As many of the ladies in the choir will likely confirm, I can sing a small set of notes within the alto range, but only if I have other, stronger voices and/or a CD to guide me. If I were forced to sing a solo, I would sound as off-key as the poor folks in "American Idol" auditions who erroneously believe they have talent.

A couple of years ago, I read the book "90 Minutes in Heaven," by Don Piper, a true account of a minister who died in a car accident and spent an hour and a half in Glory before returning to life on earth in his revived body. I am deeply moved by Mr. Piper’s frustration in finding words adequate enough to describe what heaven is like. One of his descriptions that is especially difficult to comprehend – but no less thrilling – is of the sound in heaven. He describes it as too many voices to count and too many instruments to identify, all endlessly singing and playing different glorious tunes that somehow meld together to create the most perfect noise imaginable. Such untamed noise would be agonizing to us here on earth, but in heaven it is as perfect as the One to whom it is directed. How wondrous a thought!

Of course, it is not just music that creates a joyful noise. As Amy Grant reminds us in her song "Better than a Hallelujah," God longs to hear our voices lifted to Him in a variety of ways – including from the depths of our sorrow. If the noise we create is directed towards communing with our God, He is not concerned with how pretty it sounds. Just as looking put-together and stylish for worship is meaningless to God, so too is the package in which our praise is presented. Any noise lifted to Him from a humble and grateful heart is in perfect pitch.

For many years, I drove forty minutes each way to and from my job. My route took me through mostly rural areas where I felt free to belt out whatever song came across my radio. Songs by Casting Crowns were my favorites, drawing the attention of many a passing cow over the years. Now, I travel a much shorter and busier route to work. I’m still adjusting to the sideways glances and looks of amusement I elicit from other drivers, ever self-conscious of how I must look and sound. Added to that is my daughter’s brutally honest assessment of my singing when we’re at home: when I sing, she covers her ears. It’s enough to humble anyone into silence!

Regardless of what fellow travelers, cows, or even my daughter may think, I have no intention of being quiet. After all, I’m not auditioning in front of millions of TV viewers on "American Idol." If God is the One to whom I sing, then the quality of my voice does not matter. He will not tell me to hire a vocal coach and try again next year. When we all make a joyful noise unto the Lord, we become part of the gloriously perfect melody of His creation, faithfully rehearsing for the choir of the heavenly host. It is silence from God’s people, not noise, that is deafening.

So, sing away, fellow travelers on God’s road! Let me know if you need an alto for your song…

The Hurdle of Self-Forgiveness

2012-01-27T14:12:00.000-08:00

"If My people who are called by My name put away their pride and pray, and look for My face, and turn from their sinful ways, then I will hear from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

We’ve all heard the saying, "It’s easier to forgive an enemy than a friend," something I’m sure many of us have found to be true in our lives. We expect people we know and trust to always treat us well, to never hurt or betray us. When they do, the hurt and betrayal are felt more deeply. But what about forgiving ourselves? I don’t know about you, but I tend to expect more from myself than anyone else. I know what I’m capable of, so I know what to expect of myself. When I make a mistake, when I commit a sin of some kind, it disappoints me greatly, sometimes to the extent that I hold a grudge against myself. Can you relate?

I recently read a story from an inmate who is serving a life sentence for murdering his wife. He has accepted responsibility for what he’s done, and he has accepted salvation through Christ, but he cannot find it in him to forgive himself. Not only did he kill his wife, but he also used and abused countless people in order to facilitate his drug addiction. All of this was a heavy emotional burden for a man already enduring the precarious reality of life behind bars. With the encouragement of a Christian sponsor, this man finally came to the realization that he was being selfish. By refusing to forgive himself – when Jesus already had – he was denying both of them the fullness of a relationship God intends for us all.

If we are unable to forgive ourselves for past sin, we are in essence denying what Christ did for us on the cross. We are claiming a wisdom and judgment above God Himself. God formed us in His image, to glorify Him and to accomplish His will on the earth that He created. He loves us so much that He sacrificed His one and only son on our behalf, so that we may be forgiven and redeemed. If God thinks enough of us to forgive us the sins that required Christ’s sacrifice, then is it not appropriate for us to forgive ourselves? Forgiving sin does not erase its impact. We all have a duty to learn from our mistakes, so that we may follow the Lord more closely. But dwelling on those mistakes – and our "rottenness" for committing them – only keeps us separated from a loving God who gave everything to be with us.

Is there a sin for which you haven’t forgiven yourself? Have you made such a terrible mistake, hurt someone so badly, that you wear it like a scarlet letter? God commands us to forgive one another, but "one another" includes oneself. All our sins - even the ones we deem unforgivable - were nailed to the cross long ago. It's time we left them there and joined Christ in a life redeemed through Him. I may not have murdered anyone, but among the many sins of which I'm guilty is refusing to forgive myself for past wrongs. When Jesus appeared to the disciples after Calvary, His scars were present, but the sins that caused them had been erased. Our perfect God forgives His imperfect, but repentent children. It's time we dare to forgive ourselves.

Between the Black and the White

2012-01-24T16:10:00.000-08:00

I am fascinated by human behavior, always striving to understand the things that people say and do, the things that make them tick. Have you ever taken the time to objectively listen to the arguments of folks who stand firmly on one side or the other of a controversial issue? Most of us have people in our lives, be they friends, family or colleagues, who have polar opposite views on the very same subject. These folks are intelligent, thoughtful, and they raise excellent points in defense of their position. They are all firmly convinced of the wisdom and rightness of their stance, and they cannot comprehend how anyone could feel differently. I find that to be delightfully fascinating.

There is nothing wrong with having a strong opinion about a sticky subject. It’s what has shaped social norms and laws throughout human history. It’s what helps us to figure out who we are as individuals and what we believe. Spirited debate has the innate capacity to be both wonderfully patriotic and intellectually stimulating. Like anyone else, I have my opinions, but I am also wise enough to know that any opinion is foolishly formed without exposure to opposing views. Where the process breaks down, however, is when compassion takes a backseat to being right.

A high school friend of mine who lives in the South has found tremendous success as a registered nurse for pregnant and nursing women. She is a passionate advocate for natural childbirth and breastfeeding, so passionate in fact that she is unable to tolerate those who wish to partake of pain relief and bottles. Many years ago, an acquaintance of hers suffered the devestating loss of a young child to leukemia. My friend commented that if only this woman had chosen to breastfeed her son, he likely would not have died. I found her comment to be quite cruel, and to this day I pray that she did not share her thoughts with the grieving mother. Only a few years after this event, my friend was nearly full-term in her second pregnancy. She was to have a son, but due to an undiagnosed clotting disorder, the child died in-utero. The memorial service that she and her husband held for their lost son was among the most heart-wrenching events I've experienced. Yet despite such an incredible loss, my friend continues to assail mothers who choose not to breastfeed their children. To her, this is a black and white issue for which compassion has no place.

Much like my friend, far too many of us forego compassion and understanding when grappling with tense moral and ethical issues. If I boldy proclaim that someone who chooses abortion is cruel and morally corrupt, then I have blinded myself to the unbearable emotional suffering of the young woman facing an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. If I passionately praise the woman who has chosen to exercise personal choice, then I have refused to hear the heart-broken cries of the infertile, who would give anything to bear a child of their own.

As church folk, we are good at drawing lines in the sand when it comes to morality, and then thumbing our righteous noses at those who disagree with us. We are not as good at remembering the example of our Lord Jesus, who unfailingly demonstrated compassion, rather than condemnation, in the presence of sin. It's okay to have our opinions, to choose the black or the white. But let us not forget that when we approach any issue with the love of Christ, He will make sure we do not approach it color blind. After all, it is in the glorious rainbow of compassion, forgiveness and redemption where Jesus lives and breathes.

More Than Words

2012-01-16T09:20:00.000-08:00

Dear Dr. King,

I was born about a decade after you were killed. The unrest you faced in our nation has been relayed to me only through textbooks and relatives who lived on the outskirts of the turmoil. The words you penned and so bravely spoke inspire me as a writer and a lover of Jesus. I searched through a list of quotes from you, with the plan of using one of them as a premise for this written remembrance of you. Not only is it nearly impossible to choose a single line from your beautifully articulated arsenal, but to simply quote you seems inadequate and perhaps not at all what you intended.

A couple of years ago, I attended a small meeting at the State Library in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to the meeting, I perused the library shelves for something interesting, ever eager to get my hands on good writing. My eye was drawn to a small book that appeared so old that it might crumble to be touched. Inside was a collection of essays from politicians in 19th Century America, outlining the argument for the abolition of slavery. Their arguments were very much the same as yours, and every bit as compelling. All too easily, I shook my head and thought, ‘How could people not agree with this?’

As I write today, our nation is observing your contribution as a great civil rights leader. Reading the quotes I’ve found from you, I again shake my head in disbelief that anyone could challenge the truth of your words. But it occurs to me that believing the truth of something, and choosing to act on that truth, are two vastly different things. Maybe I don’t mistreat people of a different race than me, but what am I doing to combat the mistreatment I see and hear all around me? What am I doing to address the crushing, widespread poverty in this country, in my own backyard? As you were fond of reminding us, apathy is just as bad as perpetration, which makes me as guilty as the lynch mobs of your time. I am a modern-day Saul, checking the coats of those who have come to stone Stephen. I must actively seek God's transformation of me into a Paul.

I admire you as a writer, for expressing truth using a magnificent balance of passion and logic, but I admire you so much more for your fearless adherence to living out that truth through relentless action. The civil rights movement of the 1960s might be long gone, but injustice, oppression and indifference of many kinds are ever-present. The world sorely needs a dose of your courage, starting with me. For, as you said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Rest well, Dr. King. I look forward to meeting you in Glory.

The Answer in the Opportunity

2012-01-13T12:15:00.000-08:00

Recently, I was watching the movie "Evan Almighty," starring Steve Carell as a Washington politician who is called by God to build an ark. At the end of the movie, Evan is standing in a field near a tree talking to God, played by Morgan Freeman. The exact context of the conversation eludes me now, but I was particularly struck by something "God" said. He said (and I’m paraphrasing), "If someone prays for courage, do you think I suddenly endow him with incredible bravery? No, I give him an opportunity to be courageous. If you pray for a closer relationship with your wife, do you think I wave a magic wand that instantly fills you with passion? No, I give you an opportunity to love."

It makes you think, doesn’t it? Oftentimes when we pray, we have a specific problem or issue we’re worried about and we’re seeking a quick and finite answer. We wait impatiently for the miraculous to happen, for God’s extended arm to descend from heaven, literally nudging us in the direction He wants us to go. Even if the answer was not what we hoped for or expected, it would be nice if prayers were answered in such a clear and obvious way. But while we’re waiting for God’s answer to our prayers, we often ignore the pulse of life around us – which is where God lives, breathes, and speaks to us.

For several years, I worked as a crisis counselor for rape and abuse victims, traveling to hospital ERs to support many women, a few men, and lots of teenagers through the painful process of being examined for evidence, treated for injury, and interviewed for the criminal justice process. After about four years of this, I was feeling a little burned out and I prayed to God for guidance. He had called me to this work in the first place, so I felt I needed His permission to even consider leaving. Weeks went by with no obvious answer and I was growing restless.

Then, I was called to the hospital to speak with a young woman who had been victimized. She was convinced that the crime she had suffered was punishment from God for being rebellious, and that she was going to go to hell. From talking further with her, I discovered she believed in Christ and always had. I told her, "I’ve got good news for you – you can’t go to hell. Jesus won’t let you. He loves you too much." She sobbed in my arms for the next hour, broken and bruised, but reassured in the truth of her faith. In eight years, through 600 cases, this was the one and only time a victim chose to discuss his/her faith with me. God was talking. I worked four more years.

Late last year, I gave up my career as a crisis counselor and accepted a completely different job as a grant-writer, a decision fraught with much angst and prayer. Although I felt relieved to leave behind such an emotionally demanding job and to utilize my writing skills more, I still craved God’s input on my decision. Did He understand why I needed to leave? Was He disappointed that I had abandoned the work He had called me to do? Recently, a man who had been indirectly associated with my former workplace emailed me to ask if I’d be willing to help him grow a ministry he had established. The ministry provides support to those who’ve been abused. Among the services I will eventually provide is helping victims to verbalize their emotions, and to tell their stories of hope and recovery - in writing.

Indeed, the answer to prayer often lies in the opportunities God places in our paths, if we are willing to be still and pay attention.

Something to Root For

2012-01-09T12:08:00.000-08:00

If you’re a football fan like me, the attention paid to Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Tim Tebow this season may have piqued your interest. In his debut season, Tebow has surprised many critics who claimed he was not ready for the big stage of the NFL. While he has certainly had his struggles, spectacular games like the one yesterday demonstrate that he’s got what it takes to become a great quarterback. In case you missed it, Tebow threw a touchdown pass on the first play in overtime to defeat the favored Pittsburgh Steelers. Prior to the game, one of the sportscasters stated that he didn’t expect the Broncos to score a single point, let alone win.

What makes Tim Tebow unique among his peers is his unapologetic faith in Christ. While many other players in the NFL are devoted Christians, most are never thrust in the spotlight reserved for winning quarterbacks. Yet even under the pressure and heat of that kind of attention, Tebow has never stopped giving God the glory and the credit, even when doing so has elicited sharp criticism and outright mockery from the media and the public.

I have no idea if God is a football fan, as some have sarcastically suggested in response to Tebow this season. I doubt that God puts a whole lot of divine stock into a game for which He already knows the outcome. There are a couple of things, however, that I can safely assume about God and His place with Tim Tebow in the NFL. First, as Tebow has repeatedly reminded us, all true talent comes from God, including athletic ability. The extent to which any of us hones and utilizes our talents is up to us, but the talent is placed within us by God alone. The fact that Tebow continually gives God the credit for that talent must be pleasing to Him. If I’m unsure about that, all I need to do is examine the extent to which it annoys the living daylights out of just about everyone. Truth has a way of annoying those who refuse to believe it.

Perhaps more importantly, it is fairly obvious that sports in general, and football in particular, have become a god in American culture. There’s a reason 30-second ads during the Super Bowl cost a fortune. Our obsession with sports has become so ingrained that we place star athletes on a pedestal far above personal accountability, such that they come to believe they are like God, entitled to whatever they want, whenever they want it. This travesty can be glimpsed in small doses as early as grade-school age all around the country. How many professional athletes have committed sometimes heinous crimes, only to continue playing and earning their millions? As long as they are winning and generating revenue, owners, coaches and fans are willing to look the other way without a modicum of justice. I doubt you or I would encounter such mercy in our own lives.

Enter Tim Tebow, a young man in the midst of the granddaddy of American sports, the NFL. Now, Tebow is not perfect and he’ll be the first to admit that. At some point, he will likely falter in his personal life and the media will respond, drooling. Certainly he will encounter winning moments and bitter defeats in his football career. I’m simply suggesting that maybe God has chosen Tim Tebow as an instrument through which the false god of the NFL can get a little dose of reality. If you or I were to say, "Football is not God. God is God," we would elicit blank stares, confused looks and shrugged shoulders. For a star quarterback to be saying that is quite another thing entirely. But isn’t that just like God, to use an unlikely person from within to get a point across?

I don’t know if God is a football fan, but to ponder such a thing is missing the point. Tim Tebow is unabashedly bringing God into a godless institution of our society. Regardless of the scoreboard, that’s something I can root for.

Christianity in Politics

2012-01-05T10:47:00.000-08:00

Even if you've successfully avoided the news lately, you still probably heard about the Iowa caucus results regarding the Republican presidential primary. I can't help but to shake my head and let loose of a disgusted sigh. We're now in 2012, a presidential election year, which means we're on a slow and steady march toward mud-slinging, name-calling and fact-bending. I have very little interest in politics, trying most times to avoid them entirely. I do not consider myself a Republican, Democrat or any other label that suggests one set of theories is wholly perfect. In fact, the only time I pay any heed to the political underworld is when the name of God is brought into the discussion.

I have little doubt that there are many politicans who possess a very real, genuine, committed faith in Christ, and that they pray daily for guidance and wisdom. Unfortunately, they are too easily overshadowed by their peers who use Christianity as a ploy for securing funding and votes. If I had a dollar for every time presidential candidates vigorously espouse and defend faith in Christ in the coming months' debates and interviews, I could retire early and buy a nice little time-share on the Gulf. I understand that when candidates are asked about their faith, they feel obligated to respond. The fact that many of them mold their answers based on the particular persuasion of the interviewer or crowd in front of them is what's so concerning. If a candidate is a member of the right kind of church and has the right kind of views on topics of importance to a particular denomination of folks, then the dollars roll in - tens of millions of dollars that could better be spent elsewhere. Such is the sad state of politics in America today.

In a particularly cynical moment a few months ago, I told my Bible study group that I would rather vote for someone who is an atheist and honest about it than someone who professes faith in Christ, yet conducts him or herself in an utterly contradictory manner. I'm not so sure that's true. Unfortunately, honesty is a virtue quickly obliterated by the cutthroat world of politics, even if the honest resolve to remain so from the outset. I dream of a political candidate that, when asked about his faith, replies, "I'm a Christ-follower, plain and simple. Don't read into it, don't make it into something it's not. I believe in Christ, period." Yet even such a refreshing profession of faith would not guarantee sincerity.

In the end, there's really only one thing any of us can do to change the state of politics in our nation, and that is to pray for all those in positions of power, whether we like them or not. To vote is a powerful act by which we select who we think is best to lead and guide us, but our vote cannot begin to compare with the power of prayer. There is no more perfect leader than Jesus. As Daniel 2:21 reminds us, God "sets up kings and deposes them." God knows the outcome of the 2012 presidential election, and all elections to come. As we creep ever closer to next November, let's remember that amid the name-calling and mud-slinging, the Great I Am knows who He is, and through Jesus, we can know Him too. He will set up kings and depose them according to His will. His will, not the will of the people.

Suddenly, that 30-second smear ad on TV has lost its bite.

Topping the List

2012-01-02T10:50:00.000-08:00

A brand new year has begun, so what’s on our minds, besides getting those Christmas decorations stored away? Resolutions, of course! There’s something about turning the page to a year with a different number that inspires change. If you’re like me, losing a little weight is part of that picture. I was recently explaining to a colleague that I now weigh just 15 pounds less than I weighed at full-term with my daughter, and she's not very old! Oh, how time, age, and (I’ll be honest) apathy take their toll!

Weight loss is probably the most common New Year’s resolution, but there are of course many others. Getting one’s home organized is one. There is something so freeing about ridding your home of unnecessary clutter, making room for what we truly need. With the current economy, perhaps developing – and truly living within – a realistic and responsible budget is on the top of the list for many of us. Endeavoring to spend more time with family is a noble and worthwhile goal most of us could espouse, myself included.

Curiously missing from most resolution lists is the goal to grow spiritually with the Lord. Why is that? When we consider resolutions, most of us tend to grasp at the tangible aspects of our lives where improvement is needed – our weight, our home, our finances. These are things we can see, feel and experience in a practical sense on a daily basis. They are things we believe require "immediate" attention, lest we fall deeper into our bad habits.

Regardless of the perceived urgency of our self-improvement needs, let’s be honest – God doesn’t often make the top of our priority list, does He? We go to church on Sundays, we try to do good things for others, and we read our Bibles when we get the chance, so what’s to worry about, right? Doing all these things is good, but we are likely limiting ourselves in ways we don’t fully realize. If I’m trying to lose weight and I walk for 30 minutes every day on a treadmill, I will lose weight. But eventually, I’ll plateau because my body has gotten used to the routine. If I want to continue losing weight, I have to change it up a little – add different exercises at different levels of intensity. It requires focus, energy, and determination. The same goes for my walk with God.

Despite our best intentions, at least half of all New Year’s resolutions are abandoned within the first month. It’s hard to make changes, especially those that are so closely tied to our behavioral characteristics or our environmental constraints. And when you make a list of several very ambitious goals, sticking to them all is unrealistic even for the most motivated among us. Choosing to make spiritual growth a priority is not a goal with specific benchmarks of "success" and a clearly definable end. We are always growing in our walk with God. The moment we stop pursuing Him, we plateau in our faith just like our bodies do in our workouts.

This New Year’s, throw away the list (or at least pare it down some), and instead say a simple prayer that goes something like this: "Father, I want to know you more and follow your ways more closely. Would you please help me to do that each day? I will make an effort to look and listen for your guidance, both in your Word and in my daily activities. In Jesus’ name, Amen." I don’t know about you, but that’s a resolution I’m happy to make – and keep.

Advent Week 4: Love

2011-12-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

"Weak and wounded sinner, lost and left to die, raise your head for Love is passing by."

The above is from the song "Untitled Hymn" by Chris Rice, my all-time favorite Christian pop song. That line speaks so deeply to my heart, I suppose because I was once a weak, wounded and lost sinner who had given up on life. Only Jesus could turn a life around so completely. Such love is incomprehensible to me. It’s like trying to ponder the lengths and depths of the universe. It simply can’t be described, but only accepted, experienced and shared.

When I think of all the times I have sinned against God and man, it makes my head spin and my stomach churn. To know that I directly contributed to the suffering of Jesus on the cross produces an ache in my heart that can only be alleviated by Christ Himself. My Father sent His one and only Son as a humble infant, so that He could walk in my shoes. As a person, Jesus was perfect in every way, a healer, a teacher, a servant, a friend. Yet despite His perfection, despite His willingness to love me unconditionally, I rejected Him, sometimes vehemently. My Father knew that His one and only would die an unspeakable death. God’s Son was beaten, spat upon, His precious flesh nailed to a cross so that little, insignificant me – a weak and wounded sinner – could live. Love seems too dispassionate a word.

I recently read a beautiful narrative by Beth Moore describing God’s sacrificial love: "John 3:17 tells us God gave His Son for the salvation of people by sending Him into the world. You see, God only had one arrow in His quiver. The most perfect arrow ever to exist. This arrow was a masterpiece, priceless to Him. Cherished far above all the hosts of heaven. Nothing could compare. His only heritage, His only Son. But as God looked on a lost world - desperate, needy, and in the clutches of the enemy - His heart was overwhelmed. Though we sinned miserably against Him and few sought Him, God could not love us less. Love reached sacrificially into the quiver and pulled out the solitary arrow. The quiver would now be empty. His cherished arrow in the hands of hateful men. Yes, God so loved the world, but God also loved His only begotten Son with inexpressible, divine affection. The divine dilemma: two loves. And one would demand the sacrifice of the other. Only one weapon could defeat the enemy of the soul - God's arrow. He positioned the weapon, pulled back the bow, steadied His grip, aimed straight for the heart, 'And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger.' (Luke 2:7)."

Christmas is the day to celebrate the night that love descended from the heavens to walk among us and set us free, but each day of our lives should be Christmas and Easter in one. Because Jesus was born in human flesh, we know that we can come to Him with anything. Because Jesus chose the cross and claimed victory over sin and death, we can know that we are not lost and left to die. Jesus pursued me to the depths of my sin and despair, humbled me, and lifted me up into life. Against all odds, against all logic, Jesus has shown me that I am someone worth dying for. So are you, friends.

Love has come in swaddling clothes to a manger. Let us come and worship Him at Christmas and always. Let us allow God’s arrow to pierce our hearts anew, and let us become a human arsenal in His divine quiver. Let us "come to Jesus and live."

Through the Eyes of a Child

2011-12-17T13:09:00.000-08:00

I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. (Luke 18:17)

This morning, my husband, daughter and I joined my in-laws for an annual tradition on the Saturday before Christmas. My in-laws' church provides food baskets and gifts to numerous individuals and families in the Middletown area. Our duty in this annual endeavor is to transport these items to the families' homes. For the past five years, I have not participated, opting to stay home with our daughter instead. This year, however, we felt it was time for six year-old Sarah to join in.

For those who know Sarah, she is a calm, kind-hearted child with a steel trap mind. She is exquisitely observant of nearly all things in her surroundings, so I took some time before heading out this morning to prepare her for what she would see. I knew that she had never encountered living conditions like what she'd see today, and I didn't want her to "comment" about her observations in front of the folks we would meet. I knew that she would not say anything mean-spirited, but I feared comments such as, "Where's your furniture?" I encouraged her to think - but not speak - about the things she would hear and see, to ponder how fortunate she is to have what she has.

Sarah did not keep her comments to herself, but her chattiness was, to my surprise and delight, nothing to be feared. For every person and place we encountered - some extremely humble - she never failed to find and celebrate a common thread. One home had a dog that reminded her of one in our neighborhood. One apartment had a Christmas tree similar to ours. One elderly lady had a cane that reminded her of her great-grandma's. Regarding the people themselves, she said things such as, "Did you see her pajama pants? They had cats on them. I LOVE cats!"

At the end of the day, Sarah declared herself the ultimate ham-carrier (that was her job on our deliveries), and she had so much fun she wanted to do it again. Not even in the privacy of our own car or home did she offer comments of shock or disbelief at the things she had seen. She went about her merry way, playing and laughing as usual, as if this morning had been just another trip out the door with Mom and Dad.

I'm not too proud to say that my daughter humbled and convicted me to the core today. Every year, these basket deliveries leave me feeling happy to have helped, but sad for those who live in such poverty. I try to imagine what life must be like in such conditions, and it brings tears to my eyes. My daughter reminded me, however, that so long as God is part of the picture, it's all about perspective. Regardless of our living conditions, we are all loved and accepted by our Father in heaven.

Each of us is a child of God...sometimes we just need to remember to think like one.

Advent Week 3: Joy

2011-12-13T10:44:00.000-08:00

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)

When we think of birthdays, we often think of fun and games, cake and ice cream, gifts, and lots of smiles. In other words, it’s a joyful time. I’ll always remember our daughter’s first birthday. Sitting in her high chair, she had no clue what to do with the round chocolate cake in front of her – that is, until her daddy gently shoved her chubby little hand deep into the middle of the cake. From there, she seemed to know exactly what was expected of her. Lots of giggles and photos later, she was covered from head to toe in chocolate - a bouncing, delightfully messy embodiment of pure joy.

Why don’t we celebrate Jesus’ birthday with as much enthusiasm? Okay, maybe we don’t need to shove handfuls of cake into our mouths, but why isn’t there more laughing, more fun? December 25th being the birthday of the Savior of the world, we have two important reasons to be joyful and celebratory. First and foremost, we are celebrating the earthly birth of our King. We are acknowledging the amazing gift of God in human form, sent to earth to experience life as we do and to save us from our sins. If ever there was a birth deserving of celebration, surely this is it. Secondly, we are celebrating our rebirth through Jesus. December 25th may not be the exact date that we received Christ, but it’s an appropriate day to express boundless joy for what He has done in our own lives. A life transformed by Christ cannot help but to feel joyful, so let’s express it!

Of course, it’s not always so easy to tap into that joy, is it? Due to personal losses and grief in our lives, Christmas can be a particularly difficult time to summon feelings and expressions of joy. It’s not that we don’t understand and appreciate the gift of our Lord, it’s that the loss feels greater at such a time. God watched His only Son be born in human flesh, fully knowing that He would die an agonizing death at the hands of those He was sent to save. He understands our sorrow and He has provided a pathway to joy through that sorrow.

The day before Thanksgiving, I was helping a coworker decorate one of the Christmas trees in the building. I’d only worked here just shy of two months and my office is somewhat isolated, so this was a good opportunity to get to know a colleague. In the midst of stringing lights on a slender tree near my office, she shared with me that her sister had been killed by a drunk driver on New Year’s Eve a few years ago. She admitted that seeing Christmas decorations always reminds her of that painful loss. The year after her sister’s death, she had debated whether or not to even put up decorations. Her parents had opted not to, overcome by grief. She looked me square in the eye and said, "But then it occurred to me that I don’t put up lights for my sister. I put them up to celebrate the birth of our Lord." It shouldn’t surprise you to know that her office is the most decorative in the building.

Indeed, whether or not our circumstances fill us with joy or grief this Christmas, let us remember that the Light of the world has come to rescue us from our sorrow. He has ushered in an eternal covenant with our Father, a joy that knows no end. We can celebrate by earthly means today while trusting that a celebration beyond our imagining awaits us. For now, I think I’ll grab an extra string of lights…

Advent Week 2: Peace

2011-12-05T12:04:00.000-08:00

You will keep the man in perfect peace whose mind is kept on You, because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3)

There is nothing quite like the modern American Christmas season to keep us from the peace of God, is there? Starting with "Black Friday" (or even sooner, it seems), peace seems to fly out the window. Bargain-hungry shoppers trample each other to get the best deal on the latest gadget, and many of us stress about what special gift to get a special someone in our lives. Meanwhile, there are decorations to put up, parties to plan, cookies to bake, gifts to wrap and cards to mail out, all while continuing to work and fulfill our normal daily obligations. Whew!

This commercialized version of Christmas is an animal that seems to have taken on a life of its own, and none of us is completely immune to it. There's nothing wrong with having parties and buying gifts at Christmas - after all, it is a time of celebration and joy - but it's too easy to get caught up in the process while forgetting the reason. And there's nothing like a major holiday to bring out family stress, am I right? Bitter old resentments have a tendency to bubble to the surface, and even if they don't, the anticipation creates a sense of dread we'd just as soon avoid. I've witnessed family members lose weight and develop migraines over the stress of having to face relatives they'd rather never see again. Even though we realize that this is no way to observe the birthday of our Lord, we can't seem to help ourselves. After all, the human condition is powerful - so powerful that only the Prince of Peace could overcome it.

Whenever I feel my blood pressure rising due to the hectic pace of the Christmas season, I need only ponder what Mary must have felt like. God had chosen her to carry and give birth to the Savior of the world. She was forced to give birth in less-than-ideal surroundings, and shortly after the birth, her new family was forced to flee due to death threats against baby Jesus. I don't know about you, but even the thought of all that is stressful! But Mary had confidence in God. She trusted that He would see her through such an enormous responsibility. What exactly am I so stressed about, then?

It would be nice if the world could live in peace, if war were nothing more than a concept, rather than a reality. But as long as evil exerts his influence, we have no choice but to push back against it. I know I don't have the ability to stop nations from warring against each other, but I do have the power to stop myself from warring against a neighbor, a friend, a relative, even an enemy. In the way I interact with others in my life, I have the ability to choose peace. During this season that celebrates the birth of the Prince of Peace, the least I can do is immulate my Lord as best I can.

Father, keep our minds on You, so that we may be kept in perfect peace. Amen.

Advent Week 1: Hope

2011-11-29T16:24:00.000-08:00

When my husband and I decided to start a family, a fear crept into our minds that many parents-to-be have felt down through the generations. It goes something like this...We love each other and we want a family of our own, but how can we think of bringing a child into this world? With all the violence, all the corruption out there, isn't it more humane, more responsible, to spare a child exposure to such evil? Plus, with overcrowding and depletion of resources, wouldn't we just be adding to the problem?

What parent hasn't had such thoughts? Ultimately, my husband and I decided that to give in to that fear would mean turning our backs on life. It would mean giving in to the corruption of our world, rather than embracing the good in it. It would mean denying ourselves the joy of a child born from the bond of our marriage. Simply put, we chose hope over fear - hope that God would grant us the strength and perseverence to raise our child to be honest, responsible, and compassionate, thus adding weight to the goodness in the world.

Whether it is having a child, escaping bondage, or being delivered from the ravages of disease, we are hard-wired by our Creator for hope. There are times that we are mad at God or we can't understand why He permits some things and disallows others. There are times that we cannot envision an end to the gloom and rain, and it seems the finish line is a million miles away. But if we are faithful, we have hope that God will keep His promises. In the distant past, generations of slaves and families living in godless conditions longed for the Savior spoken of through the prophets. Today, many of us long for the return of Jesus for the same reasons. But regardless of what generation we belong to, we can have hope in our Lord and trust that He keeps His promises. We have undeniable proof that Jesus came as the Savior, so there's no reason to doubt His eventual return.

One of my favorite movies is "Shawshank Redemption," starring Tim Robbins as Andy Dufresne, a soft-spoken, intelligent man wrongfully imprisoned for murder. Despite enduring abuse, cruelty and corruption, Andy never gives up hope that he will one day be both free and redeemed. In a debate with a fellow inmate, Andy says, "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things." The other inmate argues that hope can drive a man mad. I don't know about you, but I tend to think the absence of hope results in madness.

In this first week of Advent, let us remember that God has fulfilled our greatest hope by giving us a Savior to set us free and redeem us. If the corruption of our world gets us down, we can not only hope for Christ's return, we can count on it. The freedom found in Christ surpasses all human strength, all chains and prison bars, all bodily ailments. Having hope means having faith that God keeps His promises, and friends...He does.

Giving Thanks

2011-11-24T06:52:00.000-08:00

As we celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends, stuffing ourselves with delightful dishes and desserts, most of us will feel a sense of gratitude for the many blessings we enjoy. Even for the busy cooks among us, juggling giant turkeys and the countless sides that accompany them, there is at least one moment in the day that gives us pause. There's a moment, perhaps when the kids or grandkids are wrestling apart the wishbone, that we feel in the depths of our hearts the blessings we have.

Maybe we think how blessed we are to have a family at all, or how blessed we are to be able to enjoy such a bountiful meal in a safe, warm home. While we don elastic-waist pants to accommodate our overindulgence, there are many who would give anything just to come in from the cold and rain and eat the crumbs left on our plates. While we watch football on TV and contemplate that second slice of pumpkin pie, there are those too sick and frail to even get out of bed. While we make our Black Friday shopping lists, there are children for whom Santa Claus and Christmas gifts are faraway fantasies. While we enjoy a good slumber with full bellies, there's a soldier standing guard a world away from all that's familiar, having long forgotten what a good night's sleep feels like. While we dream, the families of fallen soldiers from generations past and present quietly shoulder the sacrifices made so that you and I have the freedom to celebrate Thanksgiving at all.

We know we are blessed, and our gratitude is abundant on a day such as Thanksgiving, but what do we do with our gratitude? Serving others, perhaps in a homeless shelter or by inviting a lonely neighbor to dinner, is a lovely way to reflect God's command to love one another. But even if our observance of the day is confined to the walls of our own homes and families, we should take time to be kind to one another, choosing compassion and forgiveness over rivalries and resentments. Above all, we should remember the most important of dinner guests, our Lord Jesus. Christ broke bread with His disciples before sacrificing Himself on our behalf. The least we can do is make room for Him at our table of abundance.

This Thanksgiving, before we partake of the Great American Feast, let us remember the One who has granted us the blessing of such an occasion. Let us remember the One who has blessed us in life on earth, and has promised blessings beyond our imagining in eternity. Let us give thanks first, last, and always to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Happy Thanksgiving with love!

Why Did Jesus Feel Forsaken?

2011-11-20T06:57:00.000-08:00

There are many aspects of the crucifixion of Jesus that are haunting, too many even to list. Despite the beauty of God's ultimate sacrifice on our behalf, the event itself is eerie, disturbing and viscerally painful, as it should be. Such a monumental sacrifice, the ultimate act upon which our redemption is born, cannot by its very nature be palatable. Sin is ugly, and the culmination of the sin of humanity in its entirety goes beyond anything that ugliness could suggest.

For me, the most haunting aspect of the crucifixion has always been Jesus' question to God, "Why have you forsaken me?" When you momentarily disregard the visceral aspects of the crucifixion (if such a thing is possible), the question is perplexing from a logical standpoint. Jesus knew what He would face on the cross long before He arrived there. He knew how awful it would be, yet He also understood both the importance and the ultimate benefit of it. Did He truly feel abandoned by God, even though He knew that He would soon be reunited with His Father? If so, what does that mean?

I had always reasoned this to mean that God cannot be in the presence of sin, therefore He could not be present with Jesus while He was bodily taking upon Himself the sins of the world. But Jesus understood this, so it still does not explain His question. Perhaps there is another explanation that beautifully clarifies Jesus' question, yet makes it no less haunting.

The explanation? God purposefully allowed Jesus to truly feel forsaken because we know what that feels like. After all, Jesus was sent to earth in human form not just to minister to the sinful and broken, not just to preach the news of God's kingdom with His own lips, but also to experience the human condition. God wants us to know that He gets what it's like to be us. He wants us to know that He understands what we face - the good, the bad and the truly awful. He wants us to know that He gets it, and He has a way for us to overcome it.

Who among us has not felt forsaken by God at one point or another? I know I have. What would Jesus' "human-ness" mean if He had not also felt forsaken, as we do? How would He fully understand the human condition if He did not also feel abandoned by God? Physical pain can be horrific - the word "excruciating" clearly indicates Jesus' understanding of that - but there is perhaps no pain worse than feeling abandoned by God when you need Him most. I have known that feeling, and it is equally heart-breaking and reassuring to accept that Jesus knows it, too. He felt it because I do, because you do.

In our darkest times, when it feels as though God is unreachable, as though He could not possibly know or want to know what we are suffering through, we need only remember that He knows all too well. Jesus was sacrificed for our redemption, but that was not all He did for us in His life on earth and in His crucifixion. He felt everything that we feel, no matter how hard or unspeakable, so that we may know one important truth: God gets it and He wants to heal it. He cares so much for us that He not only allowed His beloved Son to be sacrificed on the cross, but He also allowed Jesus to feel abandoned in the midst of that sacrifice. If that does not speak to the depth of God's love for us, nothing can. In the end, we can trust that just like Jesus, we will one day be delivered into our Father's hands and any feelings of abandonment will be replaced by unspeakable joy. Amen!

The Blessing of Silence

2011-11-06T06:51:00.000-08:00

"I'm finding myself at a loss for words, and the funny thing is it's okay. The last thing I need is to be heard, but to hear what You would say." ~ from "Word of God Speak" by MercyMe

If there's one thing that could be said with assurance about me, it's that I am a woman of words. I write for my job, I write here, and by simple virtue that I'm a woman who enjoys people, I love to talk. I'd rather communicate with someone than almost anything. So it goes without saying that for me to have a head cold that provides me with intermittent bouts of laryngitis and unending coughing is, well, annoying to say the least. There are self-deemed brilliant things that I long to add to conversation and can't. There are song lyrics I want to sing spontaneously and at prescribed times (such as at Christmas cantata practice) and I can't. I want to read to and with my daughter, an activity we both greatly enjoy, but I can't.

This is hardly the end of the world, I realize. Some might even call it a blessed time! When I take a step back to appreciate the virtues of voicelessness, I would tend to agree. In the past couple of days, I have discovered that there's a lot that I miss out on when I'm either talking or thinking about what I'm going to say next. The fact that my husband and I tend to laugh at exactly the same things at exactly the same time is one of those little jewels I miss when my laughter (which is louder than his) is all I hear. It reminds me that we are the perfect match for each other, as God intended all along. When I come home from being out, our dog - a truly delightful laborador/golden retriever mix - regales me with a chorus of happy howls. Normally, I howl right back at her. When I was unable to do this Friday afternoon, she howled a second and third time, a priceless canine cantata I would have missed otherwise.

Perhaps the sweetest lesson I've learned in all this came from our 6 year-old daughter, Sarah. Each night at bedtime, we read from her children's Bible. We recently finished the third time through it, so Friday night, we started again at Genesis. I told her she needed to read it, since my voice would not cooperate. When she read, "Let us make people in our likeness," I stopped her and pointed to the words "us" and "our." I had spoken about the importance of these words before and wanted to see if she remembered, but my voice gave out before I could finish asking the question. She said, "I know, Mommy. It's talking about God and Jesus together. Pretty cool, huh?" I was deeply touched by her steel trap of a mind, and by the delight she found in demonstrating her knowledge of God's Word. Had I been able to speak, I probably would have interrupted such a special moment.

The world is full of a lot of noise, isn't it? I was reminded this week of just how much needless noise I create. Sometimes we need a dose of silence so we can hear the sounds we've been missing. It can be simple, like your spouse's laughter, or it can be profound, like the blossoming of God's Word in a child. Keep watch over my tongue, Lord, not just to keep from saying something I shouldn't, but to keep me from missing something I should be hearing...like Your voice, alive and well in my little corner of the world.

Every Hour Since

2011-10-26T05:42:00.000-07:00

You have never seen Him but you love Him. You cannot see Him now but you are putting your trust in Him. And you have joy so great that words cannot tell about it. (1 Peter 1:8)

Do you remember when you accepted Christ as the one and only Lord and Savior? Where were you in your life? What were the circumstances? Was it a small, still voice that spoke the truth to your heart? Or was it a significant event in your life - good or bad - that convinced you of the truth of Jesus? When you look back on that time, what feeling does it spark within you?

I love to hear the testimony of fellow Christians, don't you? I love hearing how the Holy Spirit infected the soul of an ordinary person and transformed him/her from the inside out. One need only encounter a committed Christian to be convinced of the presence and power of God in our world. We are all little miracles in God's kingdom, a direct reflection of His light. How amazing is that?

For me, Jesus became a part of my life on a June night as a young adult. A devastating event in my youth had sent me running from God, and I had all but collapsed under the weight of the godless life I had created for myself. I was tired of running, and so for the first time in over a decade, I spoke to God. I confessed, I screamed, I cried...Have you ever had a talk like that with God? I begged Him to take me back, to heal me and love me. I fell asleep in a pool of my own tears, soul-weary. I awoke to a violent thunderstorm in the night, followed by a morning so glorious, only a fellow Christian could understand without further explanation. Life has been, and always will be, a roller coaster ride, but that night, Jesus set up camp in me and He's never left. His tent was always ready to be pitched - I was just too afraid to open camp.

The disadvantage of finally accepting Jesus as a young adult is that I missed out on His abundance as a teenager. The advantage is that even now, I am finding riches within God's Word that I never knew before. As an adult who can perhaps appreciate it more than a youngster, I absolutely delight in discovering and pondering the unending supply of those riches. What a marvelous thing to hunger for God, and to be both filled by Him and made hungrier at the same time!

When I think back upon that June night, and when I hear the testimony of other believers, I am always reminded of the part of "Amazing Grace" that says, "How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed." How precious indeed! But my brother, a wonderful man and committed Christian, likes to add to that verse by saying, "And every hour since."

Indeed, accepting Jesus into your life is precious and indescribable. But for those who remain hungry for God, every hour since is just as precious. Praise God!

Redefining Random

2011-10-24T11:40:00.000-07:00

Each of us should live to please his neighbor. This will help him grow in faith. (Romans 15:2)

The term "random act of kindness" has become so commonplace in today's world, it ranks right up there with "there's an app for that." We all know what it means: doing something kind and generous - however large or small - for anyone, whether a perfect stranger or someone we know, with positively no expectation of or need for reward or recognition. Such acts make the giver and receiver feel happy, and they restore a sense of goodness and wholeness to humanity. For us chuch folk, they are done as a way of witnessing for Christ, and to make the receivers of our acts wonder (and hopefully ask) from where our generosity comes. Upon thinking about all this, it occurs to me...why are such things "random"?

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines the word random as "without definite aim, direction, rule, or method." So, a random act of kindness is something done spontaneously, out of the joy of one's heart, with no thought to exactly how, when or where it should be directed? That's one way of looking at it, but there are also well-planned acts of kindness, such as Pastor Norm's example of buying a box-full of hot chocolates for fans at the Middies football game. The end result is the same - joy unexpected.

Therein lies the sad part of this discussion: We've come to a point in our society where we don't expect people to be nice. We implore each other to set aside time to be kind to another person, as though it is a chore to be checked off a to-do list. I suspect much of this is because we are afraid...afraid of getting into someone's space, or them getting into ours...fear of making a fool of ourselves...fear of cynicism from those who wonder what we're trying to buy with our good deeds. Or perhaps it's apathy, fueled by an "it's all about me" culture. Whatever the reason, we have found ourselves so disconnected from loving-kindness that we have to be reminded that it's not just our duty, but our joy.

It reminds me of the recent "Play 60" campaign by the NFL. Kids are encouraged to turn off the video games and to "get up and play 60 minutes every day" primarily as a means of reducing obesity and promoting overall health and wellness. I don't know about you, but I never thought we'd get to the point where kids had to be told to play. But I'm also reminded of simpler things, such as women who tell me that my husband is "so wonderful" for spending time playing with and taking care of our daughter. My response: "Why shouldn't he? He's her father."

In the end, it's all about expectations. The gap between what our society does to and for each other, and what God expects of us, seems to widen with each generation. I am as guilty as anyone of too often hiding behind fear or apathy. But God's Word makes it clear how we should treat one another every day. In God's kingdom, acts of kindness are not bullet points on a flow chart. They are a way of life. There's nothing random about that.

The Perfect Partner

2011-10-21T05:31:00.000-07:00

Let us hold on to the hope we say we have and not be changed. We can trust God that He will do what He promised. (Hebrews 10:23)

I heard the most beautiful story on the radio yesterday. A couple in their nineties had been married for over seventy years. They were so enamored with each other that they became engaged after just twelve hours of courtship. They married and built a wonderful life around their love and that of their children. They never left each other's side. Recently, they were involved in a serious car accident. When the hospital called in the couple's son, he found his parents barely clinging to life. It was apparent that they would not survive, so the son had the couple placed in beds side-by-side in the same room. The couple held hands, and the man soon died. The hospital staff did not realize at first that he had passed, because his wife's pulse penetrated the skin on his hand and the monitor that had been attached to him. She died a short time later. In preparation for the burial, the son purchased a specially-made casket that allowed his parents to be buried together, side-by-side.

I'm not one to be overcome by emotion at the telling of such a story, but this one brought tears to my eyes. My husband and I have been a couple for nearly half our lives. It's hard to imagine life without him, and yet our longevity thus far pales in comparison to this couple. As tragic as the end of this couple's life was, it speaks a beautiful story of love and commitment, especially in an era where true commitment is hard to find. I can only hope that my husband and I will leave a similar legacy.

What got to me the most about this story, however, was not the lesson it teaches us about the commitment we have to each other, but rather the commitment we have to God. Human relationships are so important, but they are also so frail. They take a lot of work to keep them healthy and thriving, but sometimes our best efforts are not enough. We make a lot of promises to each other, whether it's on the altar, the death bed, or places in between. Sometimes we keep those promises, other times not.

Despite the imperfection of our human relationships, we can rest assured that God will always keep His promise to love us. He will never turn away from us if we accept Him as part of our lives. He will not forsake us on the altar, on our death beds, or any place in-between, if we invite Him into those places. A relationship with Jesus takes effort on our end, like any other relationship. But unlike ourselves, Jesus won't divorce us due to our imperfections. He is not interested in the fruitless pursuit of worldly perfection. He wants our love, our devotion, and our obedience to Him by faith. He wants us just as we are - imperfections and all.

In life and in death, I hope to always be holding my husband's hand. Regardless, my other hand is always free to hold onto the mighty hand of Jesus. His grip is warm, loving and tireless. He will pull me through whatever I encounter on earth, and ultimately, He will escort me to His very side in heaven. That's a promise I can count on, praise God.

The Sweetness of Doing Nothing

2011-10-10T13:50:00.000-07:00

This week, Pastor Norm's first sermon in the "Strong Challenge" was about the importance of play and rest. As I listened to his message, I was reminded of a scene in a movie that addresses this very issue. The movie is "Eat Pray Love," starring Julia Roberts as real-life divorcee Liz Gilbert, who finds healing and refreshment in a year-long journey in Italy, India and Bali. While in Italy, a native of that country discusses the abject failure of Americans to engage in - and actually enjoy - recreation and rest. Americans feel guilty for taking time off, he says, and when we do, it involves sitting in front of the TV in our pajamas. By contrast, "When an Italian sees a sign that says 'you deserve a break today,' he says, 'yeah, I know.'" Out of this discussion, Liz learns a time-honored Italian phrase: "il dolce far niente" - the sweetness of doing nothing.

I've been known to feel guilty about taking time off. When my work is done, I often actually feel restless and uncomfortable not having anything that "must" be done. I can't count how many times just today I've caught myself looking out the window at work with a frown on my face, deep in thought about the mental "to-do" list I've created. Suddenly, my brain processes the beauty of the leaves changing color and the frown vanishes. How did life get this way? Why do we do this to ourselves?

And then there's eating... What could be more pleasurable than eating good food? Yet, don't we also carry a tremendous amount of guilt about the number of calories or carbs we've consumed? Our afore-mentioned Liz, having learned her lesson on sweet nothingness, offers another nugget of wisdom on this topic. When consoling a friend who's hesitating to eat the fattening pizza in front of her, Liz declares that she's tired of getting on the scale each morning so she can determine how much self-loathing to take with her into the shower. She says, "I have no interest in being obese, I'm just done with the guilt."

But perhaps a friend and former coworker of mine said it best. I worked with Pascale, a massage therapist, in my previous job. She developed bone cancer, which eventually took her life. While dealing with her illness, she was in need of money. When I offered to give her some, she insisted that she earn it by giving me a massage. I'll never forget the uneasy feeling of getting a relaxing massage from someone battling cancer, but even more memorable was what she said to me when I lamented being seen without my clothes on. She said, "Becky, let me ask you something: When you walk up stairs, can you do it without getting out of breath? Can you take a deep breath anytime you want, without any effort?" When I answered both questions in the affirmative, she said, "Then what difference does a love handle make?"

Whether it's from a movie character, a woman battling disease, or our pastor, the message is the same: Life is too short to analyze how much rest and relaxation we deserve to enjoy. God did not make us robots to work incessantly with no sense of joy or refreshment. All work and no play doesn't just make Jack a dull boy, it makes us all ineffective and uninspired for the real work God has called us to do.

Have a wonderful week, and don't forget to engage in il dolce far niente!

The Contagion of Joy

2011-09-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

I will have much joy in the Lord. My soul will have joy in my God, for He has clothed me with the clothes of His saving power. He has put around me a coat of what is right and good, as a man at his own wedding wears something special on his head, and as a bride makes herself beautiful with stones of great worth. ~ Isaiah 61:10

Maybe you're like me and you've never been part of society's "in crowd." I've always been kind of in the middle of the popularity contiuum - neither the most popular, nor the least. I've been content to flourish among a handful of true and faithful friends, secure in a healthy sense of self and humanity that my parents instilled in me from the beginning. But I'd be lying if I denied a certain longing for popularity, particularly in my younger years.

In today's paper, Dear Abby's column addressed this very issue. A reader wrote in to praise Abby's past advice about how to become popular, advice that the reader had practiced and had found to be successful. In a nutshell, Abby's original advice was to pay as much attention to the expression you wear on your face as to the clothes you wear on your body. The more cheerful and pleasant your demeanor, the more others will gravitate toward you. Not bad advice, but it begs the question...what if the reader were asked why she is so cheerful? Is she to answer, "Because Abigail Van Buren told me to be"?

This week, I've had the pleasure of sharing two separate meals with two joyful individuals, one being a certain minister we know and love, and the other being a good friend and sister in Christ. These folks ooze cheerfulness, and not the pretentious kind. Their joy is genuine because it comes from the very source of joy itself. Their faith in Christ is so committed, so complete, that they simply can't hide their joy of being saved by the grace of Jesus. I don't know about you, but I find the Jesus Joy to be more contagious than the most virulent flu bug or YouTube video out there!

I am by nature a somewhat serious person. I laugh and joke a great deal, but typically only among those with whom I am very well acquainted and comfortable. Outside of that, I tend to be quiet and reserved. My sharing of the Gospel has mostly been with those who are heartbroken or suffering, with an appropriately serious demeanor. But my dining companions this week have reminded me that living my daily moments with the visible and audible joy of Christ is perhaps the most effective way of sharing the Good News.

How fun would it be to compel someone in the grocery store or the bank to ask me why in the world I'm so happy? And how marverlous would it be to answer, "Because Jesus has saved me and He is alive in me"? If I try it for the next few days (and beyond), will you join me? Maybe together we can start the "Jesus Joy Club," the best in-crowd around!

Let Not Man Put Asunder

2011-09-11T06:22:00.000-07:00

Ten years after the attacks of 9/11, I am typing on this blog from a well of splendid emotion. I have forced myself to watch the 10th anniversary specials on TV, so as not to succumb to apathy. But it is not the network news events that have moved me so deeply, but rather an experience yesterday that has nothing (and everything) to do with 9/11.

I spent my Saturday in a sanctuary in Fairfield, Ohio participating in a live Beth Moore simulcast. For those who don't know her, Beth Moore is an evangelical writer and speaker who has penned many marvelous Bible studies. Yesterday, she was speaking live from Lubbock, Texas. In typical Beth Moore fashion, she took a couple of verses from Luke and a couple of verses from Acts and turned them into a beautiful sermon about the life and example of Luke in his passion for the good news of Jesus.

The simulcast was organized in segments, with worship music and breaks built in between. While I always revel in a good message, I was particularly struck by these moments of worship. Beth Moore told us that nearly 200,000 people around the world were tuning into her simulcast at the same time, representing 48 states, 31 Canadian sites, and 11 countries. The impact of these numbers flowed over and through me as I witnessed hands and voices raised in worship to the one and only God of this world. At one point, I leaned over to my best friend, who had invited me, and said, "Wow...200,000 people doing this all around the country. Let the terrorists try to take this down."

The title for this blog post came to mind during worship at the simulcast yesterday. We are all familiar with the words in Matthew 19:6..."Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man put asunder." These words are used in marriage ceremonies to remind us of the importance of a relationship formed by God. I think it can also be applied to the church. God has joined us, the body of Christ, together in order to worship, to serve and to spread the news of Jesus Christ to the world. What we can all take away from the events of 9/11 is that while it's natural for us to grieve, to mourn, and to crave justice, the single most important thing in life is Christ. We are the body of Christ, and we cannot let man separate us from the love and call of our God - neither terrorists, nor each other.

Today and always, let's remember the message of another 9/11. Psalm 9:11 tells us, "Sing praises to the Lord, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done." Not what the terrorists have done, but what our wonderful, loving and merciful God has done. Jesus lives in each of us, if we allow Him to. Let that be how we honor this day and all the days the come.

The Beauty of Fellowship

2011-08-28T07:16:00.000-07:00

Today, Pastor Norm spoke about the different steps we should all take as believers in fulfilling the mission and vision of Christ Church, and of God's call for us in the world. One of those steps is engaging in genuine fellowship. I used to think that our time as Christians is better spent among those who don't know Christ, that our only purpose is to get out there and spread the Good News to those who need to hear it. Why spend time among fellow believers? Isn't that the equivalent of "preaching to the choir?"

These questions I used to ask to myself and to others were a way to mask what was lacking within me. I've known all my life that true fellowship is essential to maintaining and growing one's faith, but I was too ashamed of my lack of faith to show it to others. (Wouldn't they be able to tell that I was a fraud?) When I did engage in fellowship, it was far from genuine for me. And my claims that spreading the Good News to others is our only purpose as Christians...well, I knew in my heart that I had never spoken a word of Jesus to unbelievers, because deep down inside, I was one of them. Oh, the power of Satan when we allow him to control us!

Now that Jesus is so much more to me than a Sunday school story, I depend on fellowship to keep me going. Just like exercise programs are so much more successful if they include a buddy system, so too is the strength and power of our faith if we surround ourselves with those who will encourage us and keep on the straight path. The disciples spent a great deal of time spreading the Word to others, but think of how much time they spent together and with Jesus. It wasn't just because they liked each other and enjoyed hanging out. They needed each other for the important work they were called to do. We need each other just as much.

Fellowship brought me out of a deep poverty of faith and utter starvation for God. Now that I've allowed Jesus into my heart and my life, I depend deeply on fellowship for encouragement and discipline. Few things are more profound than a rebuke from a brother or sister in Christ, and few things are as important as learning and growing from it. Certainly, few things are as powerful as followers of Christ who strive to know, love and serve Him more.

Yes, we are commanded to share the Good News with those who do not yet know or accept it. But there's a reason that Christianity thrives, despite the continual assaults against it - there's unparalleled power in the body of Christ when we choose to support each other in faith. Amen!

Being Still

2011-08-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

"Obedience is the fruit of faith; patience, the bloom on the fruit." ~ Christina Rossetti

I don't know about you, but I have a hard time being patient sometimes. I often get frustrated by the little things, such as traffic not moving as quickly as I'd like, or the satellite connection for my TV not rebooting fast enough. Other times, I grumble about the bigger things in life, wondering when certain milestones will be reached, if ever. As faithful as I try to be in my daily life, I am continually guilty of allowing myself to get caught up in the frantic speed of modern life. Can you relate? "There never seem to be enough hours in the day." How many times have you said or heard that? We count on certain things happening at certain times, and when they don't, our schedules (and sometimes our lives) are thrown off track.

I have a Bible verse on the wall of my family room at home. It's Psalm 46:10 - "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth." It's a daily reminder to me that God is in control, so I need only look to Him and be still. Being still is not easy for most of us, certainly not for me. But it can be done.

Last month, my daughter and I visited some friends in Colorado. As we neared the top of Pike's Peak on the cog railroad, I was so overcome by the glory of God's creation, I cried right there in the packed train car. Suddenly, none of the things I fret about in daily life mattered one bit. In that moment, I was fully immersed in the glorious simplicity of being still in God's presence. That very same night, I was awestruck by the sheer number of stars in the sky, having never seen such a sight in the skies over Southwest Ohio.

We don't have to be in the midst of the Rocky Mountains to rest in God's glory. We need only remember that God is our Father, Jesus is our Savior, and the Holy Spirit dwells within us, no matter where we are. If such truth doesn't stop us in our tracks and move us to tears, nothing will. Be still, friends, and know that He is God.

Letters After Our Names

2011-08-13T10:05:00.001-07:00

Recently, I applied for a job with an area college that would have me doing very similar work as to what I do now. The position required a Master's degree, with a Ph.D preferred. I have two Bachelor's degrees, so obviously this was an impediment. I sent my resume anyway, since my experience so closely aligned with the job description. Meanwhile, a friend who knew someone at the college asked her acquaintance if someone with my education would have a chance of landing the job. She was told no, that my lack of an advanced degree would result in a complete lack of respect among my would-be colleagues and superiors. "They wouldn't even take her seriously," she said.

Upon hearing this, I was understandably offended. It seemed that my lack of an advanced degree would not be an obstacle to successfully performing the duties of the job, but rather it would fail to satisfy the elite expectations of those in charge. I truly understand the value of a quality education, as well as the importance of certain credentials for certain jobs. (I would not want someone without a medical degree performing surgery on me). If I had a Ph.D., you bet I would be proud if it. However, I've met more than a few folks whose academic credentials mask an utter absence of common sense and people skills. There are times when having letters after one's name is nothing more than...well, letters.

After I got over my feathers being ruffled, I was reminded of the manner in which God engages His children in the work of His kingdom. While God uses individuals of all skill levels, with all manner of academic achievements, He is perhaps best known for using the "least" among us to accomplish His greatest works. Throughout history, God has consistently used the weak to lead the strong and the humble to overtake the powerful. I fall somewhere in the middle, yet I know that God also has a purpose for my life. My ultimate job is to serve Him and His children.

All of this has brought about a great peace within me that has permeated my job search. I am confident that God will lead me where I am meant to go, and when I get there, I will do my work with an eye on His will for my life and for His kingdom. In the meantime, I just might add some letters after my name: D.O.C., Disciple of Christ. I dare any Ph.D. to challenge the power of that credential. After all, Christ is not a "philosophy." He is the Way and the Truth and the Life.

Satisfying the Thirst

2011-08-07T07:30:00.000-07:00

After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, He said (in order to fulfill the scripture), "I am thirsty." John 19:28

Yesterday, my husband and I met his dad and brother at the Great Miami River bike path in Middletown to walk our dogs. It's a year-round weekend ritual that's been going on for quite a few years now. We walk from the West Middletown bridge to just past the Germantown Road bridge, and back again. Round-trip, it's close to seven miles. When it's hot, as it was yesterday, it can feel like a long seven miles. As we neared the end of our walk, all I could think about was having a tall, cold glass of lemonade when we got home. To say I was parched would be an understatement.

The above verse from the Gospel of John is incredibly telling about the deepest desires of our Lord. I can't begin to imagine the agony of crucifixion, especially for Jesus, who took upon the sins of the world on the cross. It is perfectly reasonable and understandable that in the midst of such agony, Jesus was thirsty. I was longing for a drink at the end of a summer stroll, so how could Jesus not thirst a thousand times more? Yet even though those around Him responded to His statement in a literal way, I suspect that physical thirst is not what Jesus meant.

Every word Jesus spoke while on earth was God-breathed. Everything He said and did while among us was with a clear purpose from God. I believe that for Christ to say "I am thirsty" at such a profound moment of His ministry on earth must mean something more than the desire for His tongue to be cooled. When Jesus knew that all was now finished, He said (in order to fulfill scripture)... His work on the cross was complete, so why was His thirst an important thing to mention?

I believe that Christ's thirst refers to His thirst for the souls of mankind. He had paid the price for our sins on the cross, and having done so, wanted nothing more than for all people to come to Him for salvation. It's why He was sent to earth to begin with. How could His physical thirst ever begin to compare with His thirst for souls?

We can help satisify Christ's thirst in two ways: First, we can satisfy our own thirst for Him. All human beings are created with a soul-thirst for that which we cannot fill on our own. Our attempts at self-fulfillment amount to drinking the waters of the ocean - it fills us with salt, which creates greater thirst and takes us that much closer to self-destruction. Only Jesus can quench us so that we will never thirst again. Secondly, we can lead others to the well-spring of life found in Jesus. The world is full of people who are dying of thirst. If we can usher them to the well of Jesus, then we can satisfy their thirst and that of Christ.

We need God, and God wants us. Isn't that wonderful? By loving and living for Christ, not only are we satisfying our own greatest need, but we are also satisfying God's greatest desire. So, let us take the cup of Christ and pass it on to all we encounter. Let us drink and be filled with His glorious love!

Surrounding Oneself with God

2011-08-05T04:56:00.000-07:00

Plant what is right and good for yourselves. Gather the fruit of lasting love. Break up your ground that has not been plowed. For it is time to look for the Lord, until He comes and pours His saving power on you. (Hosea 10:12)

I have read that as time goes by, Americans are becoming more and more depressed. Despite our relative wealth as a nation, despite technological advances that have made many aspects of our lives easier, we are less happy than we used to be. Why? I don't know, but I would suspect it has something to do with the things with which we surround ourselves. Think about it: The news is full of stories of crime, political backstabbing, celebrity scandals and doomsday predictions. Many television shows are crime dramas that attempt to out-do each other with gore and sensationalism. Many other so-called reality shows afford ordinary people 15 minutes of fame with which to sell their souls in the name of publicity. Our newspapers have full pages devoted to police reports and grand jury results. The fashion world tends to push the false virtue of showing more skin, which only serves to make us feel worse about the way we look. No wonder we're depressed!

I am as guilty as the rest when it comes to some of my entertainment choices. I'm thankful, however, for reruns of "Little House on the Prairie" and "The Andy Griffith Show," which are simplistic (even boring) by today's standards, but at least I'm not traumatized after watching them. It's sad that shows like that would never even be proposed to TV producers today, let alone aired. That speaks volumes about our priorities as a nation, doesn't it?

So what are we to do? Sure, we can throw out our television sets, but that seems a bit impractical. We could refuse to listen to or read the news, but then we might miss out on important announcements. Maybe we should add something to our daily routine - reading our Bibles. In the morning, instead of watching the news while eating our cereal, we could leave the TV off and instead read a few passages in the Bible. What a great way to start the day! In the evening, instead of settling in for the "hottest show on TV," perhaps we could sit on our porches or patios and read the Bible. It's full of plenty of "can't miss" stories!

What we choose to surround ourselves with is a lifestyle choice. If you want to lose weight, you have to make a conscious effort to avoid unhealthy foods and eat healthier ones. It's something that takes a determined mindset and a deep sense of resolve, but if you stick with it long enough, it eventually becomes a habit. Note to America: Want to feel less depressed? Reach for the Bible. Reading God's Word regularly is a habit guaranteed to produce positive results!

Thoughts on Forgiveness

2011-08-02T05:14:00.001-07:00

If the wounds of millions are to be healed, what other way is there except through forgiveness? ~ Catherine Marshall

Forgiveness...If ever there was a topic to stir debate and emotion, it is this one. It is one of the single most important concepts in the Christian faith (and many other belief systems), yet it is as clear as mud for many. I suspect that there are as many definitions for the word forgiveness as there are people on the planet. In a recent discussion of this topic, a family member spoke of the forgiveness of murderers, rapists and other outcasts of society. He said, "Yes, we should forgive them, but they still need to die." Others of us around the table laughed at the contradiction in his statement, but he didn't get the joke. To him, forgiveness has boundaries.

My loved one is certainly not alone, is he? Whether we want to admit it or not, we all have parameters we construct to make the practice of forgiveness fit more neatly into our lives. We all create loopholes based on circumstances we deem inexcusable. The old saying, 'it's easier to forgive an enemy than a friend' has some basis in truth, doesn't it? I was once hurt terribly by an "outcast" I barely knew, but I was able to forgive that person much more quickly than loved ones who had hurt me much less severely. Is the person who hurt me badly more deserving of my forgiveness? Are loved ones who hurt me mildly any less deserving of it?

Therein lies the problem. Jesus never said, "Follow this three-tiered system for forgiveness: If so-and-so falls into category 1, then they deserve your full forgiveness immediately. If so-and-so falls into category 2, then they still deserve forgiveness, but make them sweat it out a while. And if so-and-so falls into category 3, well, I'm sorry but forgiveness does not apply." Jesus calls on us to forgive always, in all circumstances. He calls us to forgive "seven times seventy." No boundaries. No loopholes.

The next time I grapple with my obligation to forgive someone, I need only remember that my sins, the hurt I have caused, are part of the suffering Jesus experienced on the cross, and the reason He died and rose again. Without the forgiveness Jesus gave us on the cross, we would be sentenced to eternal separation from God. If I can be forgiven for playing a part in killing God's only Son, then surely I can forgive one of His children for hurting me. And knowing that Jesus did all this so I could live fully in Him, surely I can also forgive myself. Amen?

It's not easy, but then...what was it Mom always said? Nothing worthwhile ever is.

Passing the Test

2011-07-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

"You will be hated by all people because of Me. But he who stays true to the end will be saved." (Matthew 10:22)

In a recent discussion with friends, the topic arose of one's faith being tested. All of us expressed similar thoughts on the matter - we hope that we would willingly profess our faith no matter what the circumstance or consequences of doing so, but there's a doubt in all of us if we could be that strong. We can all imagine the nightmare scenarios, can't we? "Do you believe in Jesus?" asks the robber as he holds a gun to our head, or to the head of our child. (It's hard for most of us in America to envision such a scenario outside of TV or movies, but similar scenarios are played out every day in parts of our world). Would I have the strength to answer that question truthfully, even if doing so meant certain death? My faith tells me yes, because I know that death is merely the beginning of eternal life, and to die because of faith in Christ is an honor. But faced with terrorizing circumstances, would I have the presence of mind to call upon the wisdom of my faith? Would my love for Christ outweigh my fear?

I am guilty of spending a great deal of my life being afraid of having my faith tested, perhaps because it has been tested and I have failed the test. When the going gets tough, I often turn to my faith for strength and comfort, but I admit that I haven't always reached for Jesus first. I've spent far too much time browsing Satan's storehouse of bitterness. How about you?

As time goes by, perhaps as a function of simple maturity, I realize that to have one's faith tested is not to be feared. Jesus promised that life would be hard, but that He would always be there for us. I hope that I will never have a gun pointed at my head, with my life or that of a loved one hanging on my response to a single question. But if I should be faced with that, or any other challenge (and I will), I hope I will calmly profess my love of Christ. If I'm unable to draw upon my own sense of strength, I can simply call upon the strength of the One who overcame the world. No robber, no illness, no circumstance in life can compete with that.

So friends, in order to pass the test, all we need to do is reach for our Bibles. God's Word is the ultimate study guide.

No In-Between with Jesus

2011-07-21T11:16:00.000-07:00

For it is impossible to be in the presence of Jesus and not be changed. ~ Joanna Weaver

I love apologetics - defending the Christian faith through reasoning and by comparison with other faiths and theories. I'll never forget reading Lee Strobel's "The Case for Christ," a wonderful compilation of evidence and logic authored by a journalist who actually set out to disprove Jesus as Messiah. Instead, he was persuaded to faith in Christ by the tremendous amount of evidence he found supporting Jesus' claims. Lee Strobel has written other similar books about God in general, and other aspects of Christian faith.

When one considers the life and ministry of Jesus, there is irrefutable evidence that He did in fact live as a flesh-and-bone man on earth. Aside from what He did while on earth, there is plenty of anthropological and historical evidence of His existence here. Given that, most arguments against Jesus center not on His existence, but on His divinity. "Jesus was a prophet, a powerful teacher, but he was not the Messiah." In other words, He was a heck of a good guy, just not God's Son. That's the argument I hear most often. How about you?

There's one big, but simple problem with this argument. Jesus never tried to hide His divinity. Not only did He perform miracles, but He continually claimed to be God's Son, the Messiah, the long sought-after savior. His teachings flew in the face of conventional wisdom and tradition. If we ignore other facts, such as His resurrection, the claims that Jesus made were a big part of His ministry. If Jesus is not the Messiah, then He was nothing more than a lunatic or a pathalogical liar who died for good on the cross. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't consider someone who lies about being God to be a "good guy."

What it boils down to is that Jesus is either Messiah, the Christ that we know as our savior and redeemer, or He is a fraud. There is no in-between. Which side of the line one stands on means everything. I am forever grateful to be standing on the side of truth.

End-Times Obsession

2011-07-21T05:32:00.000-07:00

There has been a great deal of speculation recently about the end-times, or more specifically, predicting when the end-times will come. From misguided mathmeticians to Mayan historians, theories abound regarding eschatology - the study of end-times. What are we to think or believe?

It's understandable for human beings to want to be able to predict major events, to plan for all things that will impact our lives. Technological advances have helped us to do that in a lot of ways, from weather forecasting to genetic testing. This technology tells us what is most likely to happen, but not when. It's not knowing the "when" that most challenges our fruitless need to control everything. Similar to modern technology, the Bible tells us how Jesus will return to earth and what will happen when He does, but it does not tell us exactly when this will occur. In a recent Beth Moore study of Daniel, I was fascinated by the idea that since only God knows when the end is coming, then that means Satan does not know. As such, Satan has a candidate for the Antichrist in every generation. Interesting indeed.

Despite our best efforts, there is no way to predict exactly when Jesus will return to us. Scripture tells us that. Because of this, there are many folks out there who are utterly obsessed with the thought that the second coming of Christ could happen tonight, tomorrow, or a month from now. They are so obsessed with this that they forget to live their lives. Indeed, it is important to have your spiritual house in order. You must know what you believe and why, not just because Jesus could return tomorrow, but also because none of us knows how long we have to live on this earth. I could live to be 100 or I could die today. We don't know the "when," so we need to be prepared to meet our maker no matter when that meeting occurs.

There is one fundamental problem with obsessing endlessly about the end-times: Jesus has not yet returned, so that must mean that God isn't done with earthly life in its current state. There must still be good works to be done, still time to impact the world for Christ through our talents and our love. If we spend all our time agonizing over what is yet to come, we will miss what God is expecting us to do for Him and His children today.

Perhaps a man named Richard Bach said it best: "Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't."

Mother Teresa's Secret

2011-07-18T06:36:00.000-07:00

We've all heard of Mother Teresa and the wonderful work she did with the poor in Calcutta, India. She was truly the embodiment of Christ's love in a broken world. Most people don't realize, however, that Mother Teresa carried a secret that often consumed her with pain.

She first received her mission call when Jesus spoke to her directly. He said, "Come be my light." As she was pondering this call, Jesus added a question, "Will you do this for me?" She had all the information she needed to start her mission work - Christ Himself had called her to it! In the process of setting up her ministry in Calcutta, she was in near-constant communication with God. The Holy Spirit filled her and she had never felt closer to God. Then, when her ministry was established, the communication abruptly stopped. Not only was God's voice and the fire of the Holy Spirit suddenly absent, but this absence persisted for the rest of her life. Imagine how awful this must have felt to one so committed to God's call on her life. Consider Mother Teresa's own words, written down in a prayer to God:

"Lord, my God, who am I that You should forsake me? The child of your love, and now become the one you have thrown away as unwanted - unloved. I call, I cling, I want - and there is no One to answer - no One on Whom I can cling. Alone. The darkness is so dark - and I am alone. The loneliness of the heart that wants love is unbearable. Where is my faith? When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven, there is such convicting emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives and hurt my very soul. What are you doing, My God, to one so small?"

Have you ever felt like this? Have you ever felt like a God that you refuse to stop believing in is unable or unwilling to hear you? I think we sometimes carry the false notion that the most pious among us - our mentors, church leaders, even Mother Teresa - could never struggle as we do in communicating with God. Surely they have it all figured out, right? They must have God on speed-dial, while we're left fumbling just to dial the number. Not so, friends. We all struggle in our faith at times, but the key is in maintaining that faith as Mother Teresa did. Remember that Jesus promised never to leave us or forsake us. Even if all we feel is emptiness, expressing that loneliness to God will not fall on deaf ears. If we remain faithful, the emptiness we feel will not be in vain. All things - even answer to prayer - are perfected in God's time.

I think it is wonderfully appropriate that Mother Teresa died in the midst of an electrical outage. Even backup electrical supplies went out, something that had never happened before. When earthly life left the one who had answered Jesus' call to "come be My light," all of Calcutta was plunged into darkness. How poetic and wonderful is our God?