BLOGS
This year I drug it ALL out, all the Christmas decorations we own. Last year was left to a bare minimum as we were busy cleaning up after the fire at our business. This year, if it’s red, green, gold or jingles it is on display.
This includes my small nativity collection. At one time I collected nativities a little more seriously. I will still pick one up if it is unique or as a souvenir from travels. I have nativities from Haiti, Indonesia, Honduras, and Guatemala. A glass one from my grandfather, an ugly, cheap set from Wal-Mart (the first one I bought when I was on my own), and a special one hand painted by my mother in law among others. If you were to visit our home this Christmas season, you would notice something different about many of these sets. Nearly all of them are in circles. Baby Jesus is in the middle with his parents, the shepherds, wise men, angel and often even the donkey and sheep all around him. Usually you can’t even see Jesus at all for the crowd that is gathered around him. My son, Peyton, first began this practice years ago when he was around five. I let him set out my old nativity and he bunched it all up in a circle. The control freak in me spread them out neatly like we all envision the scene should look in our minds. I came back a little later and found the circle in place again. This happened a few times and finally I asked Peyton why he kept doing this. He quite logically stated that Jesus is most important and everyone would have wanted to be near him. Boom. Schooled by a little boy. How could I argue with such perfect reasoning? We have had circular nativities in our home ever since. In a child’s mind this is so very obvious. Why would it be any other way? Jesus is who we celebrate at Christmas and everyone should be giving him their utmost attention. What the heck is a birthday party for if it isn’t to honor the one with the birthday? Another great example of why Jesus says, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belong the kingdom of God.” Luke 10:14. So often children get it when adults do not; more sadly, often it is us adults who add in all the excess and confusion to this time of year. Mucking up the purity of the season with excess worldly traditions and materialism. How about you? Are you striving to see Christ more clearly this time of year, or are you too busy striving for the best prices and best looking home? Are you determined to get closer to God Almighty or are you more excited to get closer to family and friends. Are you looking forward to feasting on the Word of God or feeding your flesh with all the treats? These are tough questions but we have to be real with ourselves. There is no sense wasting time playing outside with the sheep when Jesus is right inside the stable. Get in there! Christ is supreme above all. “For by him all things were created…all things were created through him and for him.” Colossians 1:16. We are included as something made “for him”, therefore our existence needs to revolve around Jesus. Does that describe your life? As in Peyton’s nativity where everyone is crowding around Jesus; we need to do the same. Don’t settle for getting “close enough”, don’t settle for just a glimpse from a distance. You can bet those shepherds were vying for position as they tried to get close to Jesus that night in Bethlehem. They had just been visited by a host of angels proclaiming this wonderful news. However it wasn’t until after seeing this baby King for themselves that they began “glorifying and praising God.” Luke 2:20. “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8. Draw closer to your Savior this season, pushing all obstacles and excuses (no matter how legit you think they are) out of your way until you see him clearly. Only then can you bow your knees and truly adore him. Ladies, you are in a mighty position as keeper of the home to ensure it honors God. Maybe it’s time to circle your nativity; more importantly, circle yourself and your home around Jesus Christ this Christmas. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18. These are the words written by the Apostle Paul as he gives his final instructions in his letter to the Church in Thessalonica.
I love Thanksgiving. Where Halloween is surrounded by darkness and plunges into evil, the holiday of Thanksgiving begins the glimmer of light that leads to Christmas. It is the entryway into a season of increased joy and a great way to prepare our hearts for the weeks ahead. Is your heart ready? Notice in the verse above how Paul exhorts the people to “give thanks in all circumstances”. Too often we try to use what is outside of us to transform what is inside of us. We look around and see our family, friends and a table full of food; we have money in our pockets, a car to drive and our health. After evaluating these external factors (counting our blessings so to speak) we determine our lot in life is good, the Lord has dealt bountifully with us and we are able to give him thanks. Is this wrong? By no means! Give God the glory due him, for “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father…” James 1:17. However if these external blessings are what motivates your praise, your heart is in the wrong place and this is very dangerous. Quoting Isaiah in Matthew chapter 15, Jesus says to the Pharisees and scribes “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” (verses 8 and 9). God will not accept “lip service” or artificial gratitude coming from a dead heart. The question is, if you were alone, had no food, no money, no possessions of your own and were sick, would you be praising God? Would you still be thankful? This is difficult to answer. Most of us will never experience being in a position like that. This is why thanksgiving must be from the heart, a heart changed from within. We don’t give thanks to God in light of our material blessings or because he has given us beautiful children and good friends. We don’t look at the less fortunate and thank God we are not like them. We give thanks to God because all praise belongs to him. Our hearts produce thanksgiving toward God in light of what his son, Jesus Christ, did for us on the cross in paying the debt we owe for our sin. In the words of Isaiah: “You will say in that day: I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:1-2. When God has redeemed your heart to be his, it produces supernatural qualities like real gratitude, allowing you to offer up thanksgiving in ALL circumstances. I have traveled to three different third world countries, yet the most impoverished hearts I have witnessed remain those in this country; those too secure in their own wealth to see clearly. I don’t say this to point fingers, because if I did, I would have to point at myself first. I once knelt beside a dying man near my own age, skin and bones, sitting on the edge of a ragged bed in a dirt floor hut with paper walls as he praised God as we prayed. He could confidently say he was thankful in all situations. We need to be more like him. We need to find our hope in God alone through Christ. Thanksgiving is truly a matter of the heart, a heart purchased by God himself. How is your heart this Thanksgiving? I encourage you to dwell on the eternal riches you have in Christ Jesus as you celebrate this year. May your heart be overflowing in gratitude toward the one who holds it in his hands no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. “I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.” Psalms 7:17 Do I really need to say more? It seems quite self-explanatory to me. In our constant pursuit for perfection (or at least as close as we can get) how often do we stop and think what we are really striving for?
We think it would be awesome to be perfect; preferably in as many areas as possible. We want to be Wonder Woman, or Super Mom if you prefer the name, same thing. We want to have a well decorated home, that is well kept and always clean. Same with the kids, hubby and certainly ourselves - well decorated and clean. Physically beautiful and fit? You bet. Wonder Woman so obviously is. And haven’t you ever envied her ability to fly? Wow, I sure have! That has to make life easier. But if I had to guess, being Wonder Woman is probably pretty lonely. Who could measure up to all that? What would you talk about? You probably wouldn’t want to invite her to your home to meet your husband. So why do we find ourselves wishing to be like her? Wanting to be found fantastic and amazing in every way? Oh, how our hearts deceive us so easily. Sinful desires creep in and lead us to into discontent with the blessings God has lovingly assigned to us. It is truly a heart issue. We begin to worry more about what others think of us or even what we think of ourselves over and above what God thinks of us. We forget we are playing for an audience of one and we begin to act out dramatically for an imagined audience in our heads who have no sway over our value or identity. The Bible tells us that we are vessels for him. “For we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” 1 Corinthians 4:7. This treasure is disclosed in the verse prior, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” We are called to let the light of the treasure of Christ shine through our weaknesses, the thin spots in the clay. Often the parts we don’t like on display. How could we show that the treasure (what is truly valuable) belongs to God and not to us if we were Wonder Woman or Super Mom? We would get the credit when the hurting and dying world looks our way, trying to figure out just how we do it all. We would be thieves, stealing glory due to God. The beauty and display of Jesus comes from weak vessels displaying greatness that could only come from someone greater. This is why God tells Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” And Paul says, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Amen to that. We should actually boast in our weakness, ladies, not our strengths. As I think about my closest friends and imagine them next to Wonder Woman, I have to laugh. They don’t compare either, and I love it that way! Praise God, he has been lovingly creative with us. Our lives of imperfection can speak volumes of the grace of Jesus Christ and how he alone makes us wonderful and super. We were not created to be like Wonder Woman or the fictitious Super Mom, we were created to have a need for a savior. Our lives and even our bodies were created exactly the way they are in order to produce the most glory for God possible in our lives. This is what true beauty is all about, reflecting the beauty of Christ. I enCOURAGE you to look for it in those around you, your sisters in Christ. Look for it in yourself. Until very recently, I worked as a nurse supervisor at a blood center where blood is collected to be transfused into patients at local hospitals. When I would tell people this, there would be two common reactions: curiosity or disgust. The latter often accompanied by a comment along the lines of, “I hate needles, how can you stand doing that?” I would laugh and tell them that if didn’t do my job people would die.
Okay, so that may seem a bit over the top, but none the less true. Sure, there is pain involved with donating blood, there is a needle involved after all. If everyone was too afraid to give blood we would be in trouble; people would suffer greatly and many really would die. There has to be willing volunteers to give up some of their blood in order to save others who are in need of it. Someone has to go through pain to allow someone else to experience healing. In the Old Testament times, the Israelites had to sacrifice the best of their animals in order to atone for sin. In order to be right before God, there had to be something given up and blood shed. These animal sacrifices are like the units of blood taken at the blood center. The blood collected helps people stay alive physically and gain health, but it is still just temporary. Everyone still dies eventually. The blood we collect and transfuse is not able to save them from eternal death. Just like the animal sacrifices under the old law were not sufficient to save the Israelites from eternal death. A better way was needed. “For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.” Hebrews 8:7 Imagine if there was perfect blood that we could give to each person that would allow them to have permanent health and eternal life! That is what the Israelites hoped for in Old Testament times. A Messiah to save them from the old law “because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced through which we draw near to God.” Hebrews 7:18-19. This is exactly what the ultimate blood donor, Jesus Christ, did for us (he is the “better hope” spoken of above). God knew the old way (the old covenant) was flawed; he created it that way to point to the need for something greater, a new and perfect covenant. There was need for blood that could truly save. So, God sent Jesus, the absolute perfect sacrifice. Jesus came and gave all of his blood for us. He did this to save us and allow us eternal life forever in glory with him. Some of you may have received units of life-saving blood in the past or know of someone who has. It truly is a precious gift. Eternal life is available to each of us also through the gift of blood. It is the gift of a gracious Savior who wants you to live forever with him. He voluntarily allowed all of his blood to flow out of his body in order to save you from death. His blood alone is sufficient to cover all the sins of each one of us “…since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.” Hebrews 7:27. Do you understand your need for a cure for your sickness called death? The penalty of our sins is death (Romans 6:23). We are guilty and therefore headed toward Hell unless we accept the gift of the blood offering Jesus has made for us. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” Romans 3:23-25. Hebrews 9:22 tells us that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” I enCOURAGE you to allow Jesus to pay this price for you. Allow a transfusion to take place and accept this donation given on your behalf: the perfect blood of Christ, with the power to save. Ladies, today I enCOURAGE you to rejoice with me in the fact that we are forgiven. If you have accepted the gift of sacrifice from Jesus Christ your sins have all been paid for long ago. You don’t need a man dressed in black with a white collar or robes or blue jeans to tell you this. The one and only man who walked this earth who could redeem you and pay your penalty did so long ago, job done. Period.
Forgiveness of sins happened at only one point on our human timeline of history and that was on the cross of Jesus Christ years ago. His blood poured out as he consumed the full wrath of his Father (the wrath we deserve), he then gave up his spirit as he declared, “It is finished!” John 19:30. This is the moment when sin died, mission accomplished. Jesus paid for your sins and mine at that exact moment. It is imperative that you understand this if you are a Christian. Never minimize the sacrifice of our God dying in our place. If you think you can say enough repetitive prayers or do enough good works to earn forgiveness you are gravely mistaken and in attempting to do so, you are spitting in the face of Jesus. How dare you? If his act was lacking than we would have to crucify the Son of God over and over again to accomplish forgiveness multiple times. What a worthless and insufficient god that would be. That is not my God. That is not the God of the Bible. Women, do not fall prey to a deceived way of thinking. If you have accepted Jesus, have turned from your life of sin, and now live for him, you are forgiven. Your sins have been washed away by the all sufficient blood of Jesus Christ. This is what causes us Christians to love our Savior so much and propels us to worship him with unreserved gratitude. Is repentance needed? Oh, yes for sure. When your eyes are opened to your ugly sins and see that they are what keep you from a loving God, you will fall on your knees with a contrite heart seeking mercy and forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. After salvation will we still sin? Yes, to our shame knowing what it cost our Redeemer. It is a true daily battle, but the payment of Jesus still stands good. Once accepted in earnest, all sins have been forgiven. Ladies, when Jesus died, the veil in the temple that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (where only the high priest was allowed to go once per year to atone for the sins of the people) was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). No more earthly intercessor needed, full access granted to the mercy of God because of what Jesus did. “And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” Hebrews 10:11-14. If you have not yet done so, seek this mercy today and turn to God. If you have received this mercy, you are familiar with the awesomeness of this forgiveness that I speak of. Praise him for it! Your freedom has been granted, walk in the victory that Christ has provided, knowing your debt has been paid in full! “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8
o The Bible is the story of Jesus. It is God’s plan through time of the redemption of his people through his son’s ultimate sacrifice and victory over death. o There are 66 different books in the Bible, written by over 40 different human authors. These authors were kings, shepherds, doctors, prophets, fisherman, tax collectors, farmers and more. o The Bible was written over a time period of more than 1500 years. o The Bible is divided into two main sections, the Old Testament and the New Testament. o The Old Testament is the “old covenant” or promise of a coming Savior. It is full of history, laws, stories of kings and judges, poetry, songs of praise and books of wisdom. It also contains writings of the prophets of long ago who foretold the coming Messiah (also called the Christ or Savior). o The New Testament is the “new covenant” or promise. This new covenant comes because Jesus enters the world as a fulfillment of all of the old prophecies. The new promise is that if we believe in him and accept his gift of payment for our sins on the cross, we become part of his family and can live with him in Heaven someday. He also promises to return to earth soon to judge all people and establish his new Kingdom. o The first four books of the New Testament are the four gospels (gospel literally means “good news”). They are four stories from four perspectives of the life of Jesus on earth. They are the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. o After these gospels comes the book of Acts (or Acts of the Apostles). This book tells of what happened after Jesus was resurrected from the dead and went back to Heaven. This is the story of the early church, what they did and how the good news of Jesus began to spread across the world. Also about the persecution that began to rage against Christians. You will find much about Peter and Paul in these pages. o What follows the book of Acts are letters and narratives written by Paul, Peter, James, John, and Jude. These writings expound on why Jesus is the Messiah and how we are to live and act in light of this. o The final book is a prophetic future account of what will happen in the end times (coming very soon according to the Bible). This is the book of Revelation written by John. Where do you start? Get to know Jesus. Pick one of the gospels to read first (John may be my favorite, but all are good). Then read Acts and on to Romans. Reading these three books will give you a solid foundation of who Jesus is and what his life, death and resurrection are all about. But after these, do not stop, just keep going! Why do I trust the Bible? Faith. I have full faith in all the Bible says. This is not blind faith, the scriptures are full of evidence that prove the existence of Jesus and of the events described. Most people are either blind to it, don’t care or are too lazy to open the Bible and see it for themselves. Don’t be one of them; don’t settle for anything less than the truth. Don’t rely on someone else to tell you what it says (even me). Belief is between you and God, pray and ask that he opens your eyes and heart to understand the truth. How do I know the Bible is accurate? A consistent story of one main character written by a variety of authors (who mostly did not know each other), over a time span of 1500 years. Explain that apart from a Holy Spirit’s divine direction. Also, because the Bible says so. “All scripture is breathed out by God.” 2 Tim 3:16. Once you understand the authority the Bible has as the full and inerrant word of God, there is no other source that we can compare it to. If this isn’t enough walk outside, did all of this creation happen by accident and random chance? “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Romans 1:19-20. What does the Bible mean for you? Life or death, and the choice is yours to make… “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 Jesus = Life Above all else, my heart’s desire is that you come to love Jesus. Plain and simple. Yet this has immense eternal significance. Please allow me to walk you through why this is so vitally important and keep in mind, if I didn’t care about you, I wouldn’t waste my time and effort to put this together and give you this gift of God’s Word. How hateful it would be for me to possess the cure for eternal death and not share it with you. Not only the cure for death, but also the only way to experience peace beyond understanding, true joy and full security while on this earth knowing my soul is safe in the hands of a Mighty God who has redeemed me to be his own. So here it is… God is our Creator, he is holy, perfect and just. In his presence joy, peace, and love abound. Where he is is where Heaven is. In order to be with God we must also be perfectly holy, God will not tolerate anything less in his presence. No sin is allowed. “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” – Revelation 4:11 “Since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” – 1 Peter 1:16 Sin enters the world. The very first man and woman God created (Adam and Eve) chose to sin and rebel against God. Since that moment humankind has continued to sin against God. Have you ever sinned? Have you ever told a lie, lusted, wished evil on someone, envied someone? Then yes, you are a sinner. We all are, me too. When we sin, we are rebelling against God and his rules, we are putting ourselves above him. “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” – Romans 3:23 “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” – Romans 3:10-13 God will not tolerate sin. God is a loving God, but also a just God. Sin must be dealt with and brought to justice. What does sin cost? Remember sin cannot be present with God. Someone with sin must be removed from God, that place is called Hell. Since we sin, we deserve Hell. “For the wages of sin is death” – Romans 6:23 “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” – Hebrews 9:27 So is there any hope? Yes! That is why the story of Jesus is called the “good news”! The bad news is we are sinners and the price for sin must be paid or God would not be keeping his word. The good news is, because of God’s great love for us, he had a plan all along to redeem us. He sends Jesus, his son, to put on flesh and come to earth. Jesus lives a perfect life, free from any sin at all (read the gospels to check this out). He then offers himself up to his Father as the one who will take the punishment of our sins upon himself. Jesus will pay for our ugly sins, every single one of them. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” – John 1:14 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” – John 3:16-17 “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God,” - 1 Peter 3:18 We can be forgiven and saved from death! God pours his wrath and judgement upon his own perfect son instead of upon us. Though innocent, Jesus dies a horrible death and is crucified on a cross in our place. God’s wrath is satisfied, the debt is now paid in full forevermore… but only for those who accept this sacrificial gift and believe in Jesus. Those who continue to rebel and live life their own way will be separated forever from God. “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;” - Isaiah 53:5 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” – John 3:36 “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” – John 3:18 When God calls you to be his own and you chose to believe in him, there is no going back. He replaces your heart of stone with a heart of flesh that beats for him. This becomes evident in your new love for Jesus and in how you live your life for him. There will be noticeable changes in your life. You are a new creation and not the same. You have moved from death to life. “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” – Ezekiel 36:26-27 “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” – Colossians 1:13 If this event ever takes place in your life, I want to know it. I want to rejoice with you and praise God with you. Jesus is alive today. Jesus did not stay dead, after three days in the grave he arose, victorious over death. He ascended into Heaven and sat down at the right hand of his Father God, his work was complete. “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,’” – John 11:25 “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,” – Hebrews 10:12 I will be praying that God will open your heart and call you soon. I want you to choose Jesus so badly I will give up anything in my life to see it happen. Call me with questions or to meet to talk. Read about Jesus and make your decision soon. We had just finished breakfast and decided to take a hike in the woods on the “West Lake Trail” behind our campsite. Just me and my two youngest boys. As we entered the forest the world around us changed. It was beautiful. The morning sun was shining through the high leafy branches, sending rays of light beaming onto our path and illuminating the greenery around us. Birds were chirping out their morning songs and squirrels scurried around the hilly terrain.
As I watched my sons interact together on that broad trail in front of me, laughing and sharing imaginary stories, my decision was once again confirmed in my heart. I want more of this. I want to share God’s world with them and stand beside them each day in amazement of God’s creation and orderly plan demonstrated over and over in the details of life. I want to teach them how that light pressing through the trees above hits the plants below, initiating photosynthesis so that these plants can grow and produce oxygen. Why? Because that is how God designed it to be on creation day number three. I want to begin with the Creator, Author, and Perfector of life and not allow him to be a post script at the end of their busy days. I want to share truth with them and allow their natural curiosity to bloom and stir in them a love of investigation. I want them to settle for nothing less than absolute truth in life. I want to teach my children to center their lives around God. So I am. It seems like such an obvious decision. God has sovereignly assigned them to me to nurture, discipline and train. He specifically chose me for this position and yet I have sent them to the World for their formal education, assuming we could “add God in” as needed. I haven’t yet found scripture to support God being a side note to real life or an extracurricular activity that is optional. I only see him commanding to be the main focus of every aspect of our lives (see 1 Cor. 10:31 and Col. 3:17). Despite what I have tried to tell myself over the years, I have come to understand that education is never neutral. Jesus himself said in Matthew 12:30, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” There is no hint of neutrality in those words. Public schools have kicked God out and taken their stand with the World. Therefore it follows that the educational system in our country today (not necessarily individuals) is against God and scatters. What do we truly want for our children? My husband and I made ourselves sit down and seriously answer this question. With an eternal perspective firmly in place, we discussed and wrote down what we desired to see in the lives of our boys. There were no sappy answers of just “wanting them to be happy.” God was the focus of every goal we had and this had to change how we moved forward in raising them. Psalm 127:3 and 4 tell us, “Behold children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.” These arrow-children of ours have great purpose. There is a spiritual battle waging whether we see it or not; whether we acknowledge it or not. I want my arrows to be as sharp and as dangerous as they possibly can be. I want them to pierce the Enemy in such a mighty way that he flees in fear, not of them but of what their Maker can do through them. Having been honed for usefulness by years of sharpening and training. The warriors that hold them are their father and I, given a gift laden with responsibility. So I am leaving a position I have loved for ten years to yield to the calling of becoming a metal worker. I have heard myself telling others that this seems crazy, but as I write this today the opposite seems to be so true. It would be crazy to ignore the call and leave these arrows I claim precious to me, to be dulled by worldly ways and teachings. Trying to do quick, hit and miss sharpening in their ever decreasing spare time. If Christ is what life is all about, then Christ is what I will teach. All else pales in comparison to him and yet is only illuminated by his work. There was a bench overlooking the river at the midway point in our trail that day. I asked my sons to sit next to me and we prayed together for God to guide us in this new venture knowing full well, as excited as we are, it will not be an easy path to take. We then walked on, and as I listened to these two brothers sing made up songs trying to make each other laugh, I again stood in amazement of a Creator who would package up such potentially dangerous weapons in such a joyful (although often ornery) way. Not long from now the bowstring will be pulled tight and these “arrows in the hands of a warrior” will be launched forward into a raging battle. I want them ready in every way to serve their King valiantly. It was one of those days… the kind where everything was out of control. The boys were either being wildly excited and loud or fighting like wildcats and even louder. Every inch of progress I would make seemed to get erased within 10 minutes by the two whirlwinds behind me. There was a reason their Grandmother called them Hurricane Peyton and Tornado Troy.
Although “chaos” would have adequately described my kitchen, I had still managed to get a decent supper on the table by the time Phil got home. My dear hubby could sense my mood as he tried to help get the table ready (yes, good Spidey senses do slowly develop as a husband matures, thank you Lord!). He tread lightly around me, trying not to do or say anything that might accidentally spark my shortened fuse. I finally plopped the last dish on the table and sat down in a huff, feeling quite flustered and exhausted from the long day. Phil began to pray and while I breathed in Jesus (recall that blog?) I tried to remind myself that those praying with me at that moment were really gifts from God (wow is he a creative gift-giver, and with a mighty unique sense of humor I might add). As soon as our heads lifted and our eyes cracked open, my youngest, Troy, stood up out of his chair and grabbed a huge forkful of fettucine, dripping with Alfredo sauce. He held it as far above his head as his arm could reach and slowly began to lower the long swaying strands of pasta toward his big mouth, making wild growling sounds like a hungry wolf about to eat his prey. Suddenly the twisted wad of pasta slipped off the end of his fork and smacked him in the center of his face before falling and managing to hit his shirt, the chair and finally the floor. For the first time all day the whole house was silent. Everyone, fully aware of Mom’s strained mood, turned to me in obvious anticipation of what my reaction would be. I could see the fear in their eyes. In my own mind (as we super-powered moms can do) I quickly assessed the fallout this attention-seeking antic would cause: the cleanup of the floor and the chair and the son, the stain removal from the shirt and the added laundry, the cost of the food he just wasted, and how this child obviously needs better discipline! Would this be the final blow that caused me to (justifiably) erupt…??? Ahh… what the heck… I burst out laughing. Seeing that fettucine bop him in the face and the look of surprise in his eyes was too much. It was seriously funny, and I let loose laughing like a crazy woman. After everyone realized I was not going to freak out, they laughed hard too. The laughs continued and from that moment on the whole tone of the evening changed. It was a split second decision to love instead of be angry; to share joy instead of more angst. I don’t always make good choices in moments like this, but this one taught me a good lesson. Sometime you just need to SHOCK your kids with undeserved grace. It helps them and you at the same time. It is a powerful reminder of the utterly undeserved gracious gift of God that we are given in Jesus Christ. What a truly shocking reality that is. “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8. The love of our Father God should blow us away. He never runs out and is always generous. We should love others the same way, always being full of grace. “And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:16. I challenge you to find ways to shock others with this type of grace. The next time someone wrongs you, forgive them right away. When your husband puts his foot in his mouth… again (those Spidey senses don’t always kick in quick enough), don’t pout and act hurt, decide to laugh, roll your eyes and love him anyway. And every once in a while, give those kids a break and shock them with CRAZY grace! When they know they have done wrong or made a bad decision, grab them, hug them, and tell them you love them and forgive them because God has forgiven you for all of the wrong you have done. Let them feel a small portion of the release and freedom that the power of grace provides. When the opportunity arises, I enCOURAGE you to make a split second decision to love. Sin. Sin is at your door right now. As the Lord said to Cain when his offering did not please him and Cain was becoming angry, “And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:7
Our Pastor recently reminded us of this verse in our Sunday school class. He encouraged us to be more intentional in our prayers for others and to ask them what sin is crouching at their door so we can help pray against it. This thought has stuck with me. Right now Satan desires my marriage. As I prepare to leave for another country this coming Saturday, Satan would like nothing more than to drive a wedge between my husband and me. To have us say bitter goodbyes as we harbor resentment in our hearts toward each other. These ill feelings could continue to stew while we are apart and affect how we minister to others and care for our children. Boom, the enemy wins. I type this as I sit poolside at a hotel watching my husband and boys swim. I have felt the attacks coming one by one all day. From not receiving a compliment after working extra hard to look nice (petty I know), to no help with packing and hauling luggage for our overnight stay and now to the immodest women opposite him in the hot tub. Our enemy can sure hit where it hurts. I find myself at a moment of decision, more accurately a pivotal moment in a battle. I have been here many times before and I'm guessing you ladies have as well. These little digs add up until we feel we have every right to be hurt and angry. A confrontation feels imminent. My inconsiderate and insensitive husband needs to be held accountable for his actions... right? That could be my battle plan and I have chosen that route many times. The Sin at my door I welcomed in and allowed him to have his way in my heart and to direct my hurtful words and actions. I thought I knew better than God and wanted fleshly retribution for my hurt feelings. Praise God that he has lordship over my heart and has patiently been training me over the years that I have been his. Training me for real battle and how to identify the true and only Enemy that I have. This is the Enemy I need to battle against, the Sin at my door, Satan himself. I am beginning to better understand verses like Hebrews 5:14, “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” So I fight. With the Word of God in my hand, I look at Jesus. I remind myself of who he is and what he has done for me. I look at verses like Romans 5:8, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” And Colossians 3:13, Mark 11:25, and Ephesians 4:32. Finally, Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” As I read these verses and fix my eyes on Jesus, his powerful words fight for me. They heal my heart and at the same time kick the Devil in the teeth and order him away from my doorstep. Thanksgiving floods me and my eternal perspective is set right again. Praise my mighty God! Understand this trained (wise) response comes from walking with God and being in his Word for years. I have failed so many times before that it is embarrassing. This demonstrates why it is so important to remain in Christ and to work hard to have his Word implanted within you. How can you fight a powerful Enemy if you are not trained in using the right weapon? Ladies, what sin is crouching at your door desiring to pounce on you? Be obedient to God’s command and “rule over it” in the name of Jesus. Don’t battle flesh; battle the real Enemy that is spiritual evil. It is attacking you in order to steal your attention from God’s good plans for your life. Be courageous and don’t allow this to happen. Allow God to train you for battle with his Word. It is the only way to be victorious. I enCOURAGE you to remain vigilant! Now, Ladies, please excuse me. I have a swimsuit to put on and a husband to enjoy some time with. I believe every woman has a natural desire to be beautiful; a desire to be found attractive and pleasing to others. But what is beautiful? What makes someone truly beautiful? In order to know this we must turn to the book of ultimate standards, God’s word. We, as Christian women, can use no other source as our guide and measuring stick in this or any other area of our lives.
The Bible is full of wisdom, but does it really speak specifically to the physical beauty of women? Our loving God knows what concerns us and does not leave us to wonder how to live. I have not found a topic yet that is not covered in God’s word. So, yes there are scriptures that speak to this topic and quite directly. Last week I discussed modesty and how we need to be aware of how we dress so that we are not selfishly trying to steal attention and glory away from God. Knowing that we need to be modest in our dress leads to questions of whether it is okay to beautify ourselves and should we work at being beautiful? Let’s revisit our scripture: “Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.” - Timothy 2:9-10 Notice the words “women should adorn themselves”. It is certainly okay for women to adorn (to add to or enhance) themselves, but what they adorn themselves with is of utmost importance. This should not be with excessive hairstyling, jewelry or pricy clothing, but with good works. How do you put on good works? Adornment is a verb, a word of action. Our faith is made known by what we do and how we live (see James 2:18, Matt. 7:20). You put on good works by doing good works; by spending yourself on what pleases God and blesses others in his name. When our lives produce fruit in keeping with the Spirit within us, those around us are able to witness an outward demonstration of internal beauty. Adorning yourself with good works makes perfect sense. What is absolute, perfect beauty? God. God in perfect bodily form is Jesus Christ (Col. 1:19). Only when we have Jesus within us can we be beautiful; only when others see Christ evident and manifested in our lives can we be seen as beautiful. This needs to become your new definition of what human beauty is. Christ living within you and shining through you. Peter apparently agreed with Paul. When speaking to women in 1 Peter 3:4 he says, “but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” Who is this “hidden person of the heart”? This is your true self; the heart of who you are that has been redeemed and washed clean by the Savior. We are made into something new and beautiful when Christ chooses us to be his (Col. 3:12). A “gentle and quiet spirit” comes from fully trusting in a God that is unmovable and unchanging, forever perfect and loving. A woman with a gentle and quiet spirit does not get ruffled or anxious because there is no fear of what is to come or what has been. This is a woman who has given herself completely over to the will of God and walks confidently in his grasp. She is kind, peaceful and even tempered. This is a beautiful woman and she is precious in the sight of God. There is no better prize than to be precious to God. A beautiful woman entrusts herself to the Lord and not the world, God alone provides her unwavering standards. Worldly beauty will never satisfy; it is too temporary and fleeting. Godly beauty gets more profound, improves with time and it is promised to be “imperishable”! So yes, Ladies, I enCOURAGE you to work at being beautiful to the best of your abilities. Understand God’s perfect plan to conform you to the likeness of his son. Only then can we experience true beauty as we reflect his. We are to keep our eyes trained on the pure beauty of Jesus Christ and not on our own physical vanity. We need to delight and be fully satisfied “to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord,” - Psalms 27:4. |
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