When you are saved you do not have a new part to your life...you have a new life. God is not part of my life, He is my life. These words are really easy to say and think but they are often hard to live out.
If I truly believe that Christ is my life, then by default He should be Enough. He should be sufficient. A screamingly obvious sign of sin is that I am so often not content with Him. Outwardly I make all the right decisions. I go to school, then go to work, then go home. I go to hang out with other believers my age on Thursday nights and Sunday nights I hang out with kids from my church. Its the inward reaction to these decisions that shows my lack of contentedness (is that a word?)
If Christ is my life and if He is sufficient for me, then when I don't see my life working out the way I always though it would, it shouldn't sadden me, rather it should fill me with joy. God is working out my life in the way He wants me to go rather than the way I want to go. And I'm just saying right now that its a good thing he is. I don't always have very good judgment about the ways I think my life should go. Like I said, I know intellectually that where I am now is where I am supposed to be. I know in my head that I should be glorifying God for where He has me.
I've always been good at having the right intellectual reaction to life, but I've never given the emotional part much thought. I don't handle emotions very well so I usually just try to ignore them. Yeah, I know. Remember earlier when I said I don't always have the greatest judgment? Well I won't repeat myself then. I wasn't making the connection that its not enough to just outwardly obey the Lord, you have to want to obey the Lord.
And I do, I really do want to obey God. He is my life and I am very much aware that without Him I have nothing. Therefore I am beginning to strive to teach myself to be emotionally content rather than just outwardly content. I am starting in little steps, by humbling myself to friends and seeking forgiveness for any outward signs of non-contentedness.
This has been very much on my heart lately (to steal my dad's phrase) and I wanted to share it with you. Everyone has something in their lives that they wish was different. Sometimes several somethings. If we say that we love the Lord, but do not find our happiness solely in Him and what He has determined to give to us, then we are in sin. This was hard concept for me to get through my head because sin seemed like such a hard term. But at the end of a lot of wrestling I realized that God meant it when He wrote in His commandments, "Thou shalt have no other god before me."
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
How Your Husband/Fiancé Proposed…Contest!!
Alisha’s bridal shower devotion from Jasmine got me thinking about weddings. I love weddings! They’re interesting events…two completely different families coming together (or not) for one common purpose…to celebrate the union of two souls!! The couple…well, let’s just say the honeymoon sometimes seems to have started at the wedding, and that can either be the most romantic thing you’ve ever seen or the last thing you’ve ever wanted to watch.
But before one can get to say ‘I do’ some guys have gone through a great deal of trouble to make sure that they proposed in a very unforgettable way or maybe you just can’t forget about it because he didn’t go through the trouble….Either way, we would love to hear about how your husband or fiancé proposed marriage to you.
For those of you who are single we welcome any story you have permission to share.
We will pick our favorites and post them here the week of July 8th.
We ask that you please submit your article by Friday, July 5th, to our e-mail at truewomenblog@gmail.com, and include pictures if you can.
Our grand prize giveaway will be one of these books:
Passion and Purity by Elizabeth Elliot
OR
Passionate Housewives Desperate for God by Jennie Chancey and Stacey McDonald. Here are reviews of the books.
But before one can get to say ‘I do’ some guys have gone through a great deal of trouble to make sure that they proposed in a very unforgettable way or maybe you just can’t forget about it because he didn’t go through the trouble….Either way, we would love to hear about how your husband or fiancé proposed marriage to you.
For those of you who are single we welcome any story you have permission to share.
We will pick our favorites and post them here the week of July 8th.
We ask that you please submit your article by Friday, July 5th, to our e-mail at truewomenblog@gmail.com, and include pictures if you can.
Our grand prize giveaway will be one of these books:
Passion and Purity by Elizabeth Elliot
OR
Passionate Housewives Desperate for God by Jennie Chancey and Stacey McDonald. Here are reviews of the books.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Sins of a Father
So the other day I was reading in 1 Samuel 30 and 31 about Saul & Jonathon, as well as David & the worthless men that hung around him. As I was reading about Saul and the end which he came to, it caused me to pause and meditate on how the choices we make really do have great effect on those around us, particularly our children. How sad it is to see Jonathon, who by all appearances was a godly man, die because of his father's sinful choices. In contrast though, I can also see how our choices for good pleasantly affect those around us. David is a man who is humble and seeks God. As a result, he is blessed by God and the Bible says that even the worthless men who followed him were blessed as well (at least temporarily while they were with David) (Chapter 30 of 1 Sam).
I wondered to myself: Why would God allow the actions of the proverbial righteous man and proverbial wicked man to affect so greatly those around them? Various thoughts proceeded from this.
Maybe the answer is to build into people an understanding of community, how we need others and they need us. Ultimately, being created in the image of God, who is three in one, and relating to Him perfectly and continually, perhaps we are made to reflect that through our relationships on earth and fail miserably because of the fall. That is, in our selfishness we want to be free to sin with impunity and very little consequences (or no consequences). In our pride we want to live a happy life without the influence of others and as a "lone wolf". But maybe God made this principle of our sin/obedience affecting others, because He wants us to see our need of Him and our need to work alongside the body of God-followers for the good of all and God's glory.
In my limited view of the story of Saul & Jonathon, I may look at a situation like theirs where a son (and entire lineage) suffers because of the sins of Saul their father, and focus on the kids, thus saying "THAT'S NOT FAIR!" However, if I take a few steps back, I may see that the point isn't the suffering kids. The bigger issue is that God is showing us the seriousness of our sin and causing it to adversely affect those around us so we'll see that we're a part of a body. Everyone is a part of some kind of body: As a Christian I'm a part of the body of my husband (Ryan), then of the Ryan Aldrich family (my kids), then of the greater Aldrich family, then of the local church body at TBC, then the greater universal church body and ultimately all of mankind. All of which I affect either for good or evil by either submitting to God or rebelling against Him. Even an unbeliever is at the very least a part of the greater body of mankind and his rejection of and rebellion to God affects mankind.
So then my thoughts go to our American society... which has endeavored to change this God ordained truth/principle of cause & effect. For example, if a father won't work, we'll feed his kids so they won't starve because of their father's laziness. As such, many men don't feel the need to get a job they can stay at home and get welfare and food stamps and energy assistance and even rent assistance. They can even get tax relief and nice sized tax returns for money they could have earned, though they didn't work (and as such didn't pay taxes) because they have lots of kids that they aren't able to support. That's just one of many examples that come to mind. I am sure that our government is (or was when they enacted so many of it's laws) trying to show compassion to the "underdog" and be helpful. But it seems that we have taken our eyes off the ball and so removed the consequences of sin, that we are in reality encouraging sin. I can also see a distinct lack of trust in God in so many of our laws and programs that seek to rescue the "underdog" by relieving the consequences of the person practicing the wickedness (not that I expect our government or society to trust God). Certainly Jonathon suffered because of Saul's sinful choices, but he had the same opportunity to either submit to God or rebel against God (even in his suffering). He chose (seemingly) to submit and though he suffered temporarily and even died in the process, ultimately (I believe) he was rewarded eternally; which is much to be preferred.
Mind you, I am not "preaching" government reform necessarily (I too have benefited in lean times from many of the helpful programs our government offers and understand that nothing is perfect), but I am trying to see beyond the immediate story of Jonathon & Saul & David, to the ways of God and it's effects and application in our daily lives, this age and our perception of things. I hope to see and understand God more as I read His word and these are my thoughts for the day from this particular passage.
I wondered to myself: Why would God allow the actions of the proverbial righteous man and proverbial wicked man to affect so greatly those around them? Various thoughts proceeded from this.
Maybe the answer is to build into people an understanding of community, how we need others and they need us. Ultimately, being created in the image of God, who is three in one, and relating to Him perfectly and continually, perhaps we are made to reflect that through our relationships on earth and fail miserably because of the fall. That is, in our selfishness we want to be free to sin with impunity and very little consequences (or no consequences). In our pride we want to live a happy life without the influence of others and as a "lone wolf". But maybe God made this principle of our sin/obedience affecting others, because He wants us to see our need of Him and our need to work alongside the body of God-followers for the good of all and God's glory.
In my limited view of the story of Saul & Jonathon, I may look at a situation like theirs where a son (and entire lineage) suffers because of the sins of Saul their father, and focus on the kids, thus saying "THAT'S NOT FAIR!" However, if I take a few steps back, I may see that the point isn't the suffering kids. The bigger issue is that God is showing us the seriousness of our sin and causing it to adversely affect those around us so we'll see that we're a part of a body. Everyone is a part of some kind of body: As a Christian I'm a part of the body of my husband (Ryan), then of the Ryan Aldrich family (my kids), then of the greater Aldrich family, then of the local church body at TBC, then the greater universal church body and ultimately all of mankind. All of which I affect either for good or evil by either submitting to God or rebelling against Him. Even an unbeliever is at the very least a part of the greater body of mankind and his rejection of and rebellion to God affects mankind.
So then my thoughts go to our American society... which has endeavored to change this God ordained truth/principle of cause & effect. For example, if a father won't work, we'll feed his kids so they won't starve because of their father's laziness. As such, many men don't feel the need to get a job they can stay at home and get welfare and food stamps and energy assistance and even rent assistance. They can even get tax relief and nice sized tax returns for money they could have earned, though they didn't work (and as such didn't pay taxes) because they have lots of kids that they aren't able to support. That's just one of many examples that come to mind. I am sure that our government is (or was when they enacted so many of it's laws) trying to show compassion to the "underdog" and be helpful. But it seems that we have taken our eyes off the ball and so removed the consequences of sin, that we are in reality encouraging sin. I can also see a distinct lack of trust in God in so many of our laws and programs that seek to rescue the "underdog" by relieving the consequences of the person practicing the wickedness (not that I expect our government or society to trust God). Certainly Jonathon suffered because of Saul's sinful choices, but he had the same opportunity to either submit to God or rebel against God (even in his suffering). He chose (seemingly) to submit and though he suffered temporarily and even died in the process, ultimately (I believe) he was rewarded eternally; which is much to be preferred.
Mind you, I am not "preaching" government reform necessarily (I too have benefited in lean times from many of the helpful programs our government offers and understand that nothing is perfect), but I am trying to see beyond the immediate story of Jonathon & Saul & David, to the ways of God and it's effects and application in our daily lives, this age and our perception of things. I hope to see and understand God more as I read His word and these are my thoughts for the day from this particular passage.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Witty Wednesdays
Here's some belated Father's Day Humor for you all.
A company held a contest for kids with the theme: "The nicest thing My Father Ever Did For Me." One kid answered "He married my mother." ~~~~~~~
In the frozen foods department of our local grocery store, I noticed a man shopping with his son. As I walked by, he checked something off his list, and I heard him whisper conspiratorially to the child, "You know, if we really mess this up, we'll never have to do it again." ~~~~~~~
Did You Know?
There are more collect calls on Father's Day than any other day of the year. An estimated $1 billion is spent each year in the United States for Father's Day gifts, but Dad is still paying the bill when it comes to telephone calls from the kids. ~~~~~~~
Fathers Day Quotes
Bill Cosby:
If the new American father feels bewildered and even defeated, let him take comfort from the fact that whatever he does in any fathering situation has a fifty percent chance of being right.
Fathers Day Quotes
John Aubrey: "Sir Walter, being strangely surprised and put out of his countenance at so great a table, gives his son a .... blow over the face. His son, as rude as he was, would not strike his father, but strikes over the face the gentleman that sat next to him and said, "Box about: twill come to my father anon." (In more modern words: you slap the guy next to you and keep it going around the table... it'll come around to my father, but it won't have been me that hit him)
A company held a contest for kids with the theme: "The nicest thing My Father Ever Did For Me." One kid answered "He married my mother." ~~~~~~~
In the frozen foods department of our local grocery store, I noticed a man shopping with his son. As I walked by, he checked something off his list, and I heard him whisper conspiratorially to the child, "You know, if we really mess this up, we'll never have to do it again." ~~~~~~~
Did You Know?
There are more collect calls on Father's Day than any other day of the year. An estimated $1 billion is spent each year in the United States for Father's Day gifts, but Dad is still paying the bill when it comes to telephone calls from the kids. ~~~~~~~
Fathers Day Quotes
Bill Cosby:
If the new American father feels bewildered and even defeated, let him take comfort from the fact that whatever he does in any fathering situation has a fifty percent chance of being right.
Fathers Day Quotes
John Aubrey: "Sir Walter, being strangely surprised and put out of his countenance at so great a table, gives his son a .... blow over the face. His son, as rude as he was, would not strike his father, but strikes over the face the gentleman that sat next to him and said, "Box about: twill come to my father anon." (In more modern words: you slap the guy next to you and keep it going around the table... it'll come around to my father, but it won't have been me that hit him)
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Are You Like Coming Home To a Celebration?
Some people wanted the written form of my devotion that I did at Alisha's ( Mike Miller's fiance) bridal shower. So here it is......
Psalm 128:3- Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house. (Read the whole text)) In Psalm 128 the wife is compared to a vine, she is like a vine. This is in reference to grapes that are grown to make wine and use it for celebration and refreshment. This passage is saying that the wife in the house of a man who fears the Lord will be a refreshment to him. Yes, this is in reference to the physical relationship that sacredly and enthusiastically exists between a husband and wife that results in children, but not that alone. She refreshes him body, soul and mind. This woman is like coming home to a celebration; she causes him to forget the toils and troubles of the day. She is the wise woman who builds her house rather than tears it down with her own hand like a fool. Proverbs 14:1 (Read)
So, how does a women build her house so as to be a fruitful vine to her husband? Well, we know this woman is wise; therefore she fears the Lord. Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...
This women trembles at the One who can cast the body and the soul into hell. This womans fear moves her to take refuge in Jesus Christ Himself and draws her near to Him, not away from Him. This woman knows God is to be taken seriously and all that she is, does and attains to, begins, continues and ends with God. She delights in His law and sees His word as Sweeter than honey and more precious than money. Her awe filled delight in the Lord causes her to act- to obey. The woman who fears the Lord sees the verse that says: And the wife must see to it that she respects her husband..... (Eph 6:33) and she takes it seriously. She gets busy seeing to it!
This wise woman cultivates a heart of respect toward the man she is married to. This verse is an imperative, a command, it is telling us that we must continually choose to respect our husbands. Meaning we are called to: Notice him, regard him, honor him, prefer him, praise him, esteem him, love him and admire him exceedingly!
We must respect his position as our head. 1 Cor. 11:3
Our respect will be obvious.
A. Our speech will reflect our respect. The tone of voice, even the words we use. We can easily evaluate how our words are reflecting our heart of respect. Do you interrupt him? Talk in a condescending way to him? Contradict him in front of others? If you do any of these things, you do not respect him.
B. Do not compare him unfavorably to other men or to yourself. Be content with your own husband no matter what. Phil. 4:11
C.Listen carefully to him, and seek his counsel.
A contentious and argumentative woman can by no means be like coming home to a celebration! Proverbs 21:9,Proverbs 19:13
D. Submit! IF you respect him you will obey him as unto the Lord. If you have a hight view of God you will put yourself willingly and joyfully under the God given authority of your husband. Entrust yourself to God and do not be frightened about doing so. God is good and His commands are not burdensome to those who love Him. We know it is for our good and His glory.
So in faith, respect and obey.
We must also cultivate a love for our husbands.
In Titus 2 the older women are to teach the younger women to love their husbands so that the word of God will not be dishonored. The phrase love their husbands is the greek word, Philandros. Philandros means literally "love of man." It is two words, phileo and andros. Phileo means tender affection and andros means man or husband, in this context it is obviously, husband. Your husband must be dear to you. He is your beloved and cherished friend. This means you think about him often and tender feelings come to you. Your heart leaps for joy at the sound of his voice and you long to be in his presence. It is primarily an emotional bond.
If we as younger women must be taught or trained to love our husbands this way, it means we need to have open ears and willing minds to learn and practice and cultivate this love continually.
We can cultivate this love by consistently putting him first. Put him before your girlfriends, ministry, children, job... whatever. Prefer him and come alongside his goals, hopes and dreams and add to them by being helpful, creative and enthusiastic about his plans and ideas. Truly loving your husband is going to mean humbling yourself and thinking of him as better than yourself and putting on the heart of a servant.
Do nice things for him. It can be simple so as to keep it consistent. Make food he enjoys for dinner. Ask him what he wants to eat. Write little notes to show your appreciation to him. Make it a habit to say "I love you." Look for things to thank him for and then thank him. Keep a running list of things you like about him so that when times are tough and you start having unkind thoughts about him, you can fight it by looking at your list and remembering his good qualities.
In order to keep growing in our love we must guard against bitterness. Bitterness will destroy you and your marriage. The Bible says: See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble... Heb. 12:15-17
We must be women who forgive. Love covers a multitude of sins. We must not keep a record of wrongs. Do not keep playing sins that your husband commits over and over again in your head. Put on a heart of forgiveness. God takes forgiveness very seriously. ( talk briefly about slave that was forgiven and then would not forgive) Matthew 18: 35 My heavenly father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from the heart. This is serious stuff! We have been forgiven much through the death of our sinless Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Eph. 4:31-32 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other just as God in Christ has forgiven you. Jesus absorbed the wrath that God rightfully should direct toward us for falling short of His glory by not worshiping Him and thinking about Him as we ought. We are sinners who neglect to love God and obey Him. And because of that we earn something: Death. But those who believe and put their trust in Jesus shall be saved because HE took our death, He died in our place. Now we are forgiven! Our Sins are not counted against us. They are cast away from us as far as the east is from the west! Now we say with the Psalmist, Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity! If God sent His own son to be crushed for our sins and His beloved and only son willingly paid for them and now we are given a clean slate, completely forgiven, not condemned with nothing held against us; rather we are considered righteous because of Jesus our righteous, perfect, pure sacrifice or payment. If we are given His right standing before God as if we are the righteous ones, how can we hold another's sin against us,against them. If we consider the good news of the forgiveness we have received, we will be more eager to forgive others. We must forgive our husbands, we must not hold their sins against them or we will tear down our home with our own two hands and be fruitless vines.
If we want to be wise woman who are a true refreshment to our husbands let us walk in the fear of the Lord, respect and obey our husbands, love them and forgive them.
Psalm 128:3- Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house. (Read the whole text)) In Psalm 128 the wife is compared to a vine, she is like a vine. This is in reference to grapes that are grown to make wine and use it for celebration and refreshment. This passage is saying that the wife in the house of a man who fears the Lord will be a refreshment to him. Yes, this is in reference to the physical relationship that sacredly and enthusiastically exists between a husband and wife that results in children, but not that alone. She refreshes him body, soul and mind. This woman is like coming home to a celebration; she causes him to forget the toils and troubles of the day. She is the wise woman who builds her house rather than tears it down with her own hand like a fool. Proverbs 14:1 (Read)
So, how does a women build her house so as to be a fruitful vine to her husband? Well, we know this woman is wise; therefore she fears the Lord. Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...
This women trembles at the One who can cast the body and the soul into hell. This womans fear moves her to take refuge in Jesus Christ Himself and draws her near to Him, not away from Him. This woman knows God is to be taken seriously and all that she is, does and attains to, begins, continues and ends with God. She delights in His law and sees His word as Sweeter than honey and more precious than money. Her awe filled delight in the Lord causes her to act- to obey. The woman who fears the Lord sees the verse that says: And the wife must see to it that she respects her husband..... (Eph 6:33) and she takes it seriously. She gets busy seeing to it!
This wise woman cultivates a heart of respect toward the man she is married to. This verse is an imperative, a command, it is telling us that we must continually choose to respect our husbands. Meaning we are called to: Notice him, regard him, honor him, prefer him, praise him, esteem him, love him and admire him exceedingly!
We must respect his position as our head. 1 Cor. 11:3
Our respect will be obvious.
A. Our speech will reflect our respect. The tone of voice, even the words we use. We can easily evaluate how our words are reflecting our heart of respect. Do you interrupt him? Talk in a condescending way to him? Contradict him in front of others? If you do any of these things, you do not respect him.
B. Do not compare him unfavorably to other men or to yourself. Be content with your own husband no matter what. Phil. 4:11
C.Listen carefully to him, and seek his counsel.
A contentious and argumentative woman can by no means be like coming home to a celebration! Proverbs 21:9,Proverbs 19:13
D. Submit! IF you respect him you will obey him as unto the Lord. If you have a hight view of God you will put yourself willingly and joyfully under the God given authority of your husband. Entrust yourself to God and do not be frightened about doing so. God is good and His commands are not burdensome to those who love Him. We know it is for our good and His glory.
So in faith, respect and obey.
We must also cultivate a love for our husbands.
In Titus 2 the older women are to teach the younger women to love their husbands so that the word of God will not be dishonored. The phrase love their husbands is the greek word, Philandros. Philandros means literally "love of man." It is two words, phileo and andros. Phileo means tender affection and andros means man or husband, in this context it is obviously, husband. Your husband must be dear to you. He is your beloved and cherished friend. This means you think about him often and tender feelings come to you. Your heart leaps for joy at the sound of his voice and you long to be in his presence. It is primarily an emotional bond.
If we as younger women must be taught or trained to love our husbands this way, it means we need to have open ears and willing minds to learn and practice and cultivate this love continually.
We can cultivate this love by consistently putting him first. Put him before your girlfriends, ministry, children, job... whatever. Prefer him and come alongside his goals, hopes and dreams and add to them by being helpful, creative and enthusiastic about his plans and ideas. Truly loving your husband is going to mean humbling yourself and thinking of him as better than yourself and putting on the heart of a servant.
Do nice things for him. It can be simple so as to keep it consistent. Make food he enjoys for dinner. Ask him what he wants to eat. Write little notes to show your appreciation to him. Make it a habit to say "I love you." Look for things to thank him for and then thank him. Keep a running list of things you like about him so that when times are tough and you start having unkind thoughts about him, you can fight it by looking at your list and remembering his good qualities.
In order to keep growing in our love we must guard against bitterness. Bitterness will destroy you and your marriage. The Bible says: See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble... Heb. 12:15-17
We must be women who forgive. Love covers a multitude of sins. We must not keep a record of wrongs. Do not keep playing sins that your husband commits over and over again in your head. Put on a heart of forgiveness. God takes forgiveness very seriously. ( talk briefly about slave that was forgiven and then would not forgive) Matthew 18: 35 My heavenly father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from the heart. This is serious stuff! We have been forgiven much through the death of our sinless Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Eph. 4:31-32 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other just as God in Christ has forgiven you. Jesus absorbed the wrath that God rightfully should direct toward us for falling short of His glory by not worshiping Him and thinking about Him as we ought. We are sinners who neglect to love God and obey Him. And because of that we earn something: Death. But those who believe and put their trust in Jesus shall be saved because HE took our death, He died in our place. Now we are forgiven! Our Sins are not counted against us. They are cast away from us as far as the east is from the west! Now we say with the Psalmist, Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity! If God sent His own son to be crushed for our sins and His beloved and only son willingly paid for them and now we are given a clean slate, completely forgiven, not condemned with nothing held against us; rather we are considered righteous because of Jesus our righteous, perfect, pure sacrifice or payment. If we are given His right standing before God as if we are the righteous ones, how can we hold another's sin against us,against them. If we consider the good news of the forgiveness we have received, we will be more eager to forgive others. We must forgive our husbands, we must not hold their sins against them or we will tear down our home with our own two hands and be fruitless vines.
If we want to be wise woman who are a true refreshment to our husbands let us walk in the fear of the Lord, respect and obey our husbands, love them and forgive them.
Monday, June 23, 2008
The Myth of Adolescence
1 Corinthians 13:11 "When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things."
Jasmine, Betsy, and I attended the Do Hard Things conference this weekend put on by Alex and Brett Harris, authors of the Rebelution Blog, and their father, Greg Harris. In the one day conference, they discussed the myth of adolescense, that in todays world we tend to add on to 1 Corinthians 13:11, 'When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I was a teenager, I looked like a man, had the abilities of a man, but still spoke, thought, and reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.'
Their message was simple: teenagers today need to learn how to do hard things. They listed several examples from our nations history of extraordinarily hard working teenagers who went on to become adults that went down in history. My favorite example was of David Farragut, the U.S. Navy's first admiral. When he was twelve, he was made captain of a captured ship and was given the responsibility of seeing it safetly back to America along with its crew and captain - which he did. Alex and Brett argued that these people did not have extraordiary teen years because they were going to be famous later on in life, but that they were famous later on in life because they prepared themselves properly during their 'teen' years.
The brothers spent the majority of their conference defining this 'myth of adolesence' and then encouraging fellow teenagers to do hard things. They gave much practical advice of how teenagers can do this, including reading good (hard) books, stepping out of comfort zones, and working beyond what is expected of you.
Alex and Brett have their own list of 'doing hard things' credentials, which they laid out for us at the beginning of the conference. It was pretty impressive and served to show young and old alike that they were not just full of ideas, but that they acted on their ideas successfully. They also reminded listeners again and again that they were able to accomplish these things because of the work that God did in them, none of it was of themselves. The glory was always given right back to whom it belonged.
The twins also showed that they believed so strongly in what they taught that they not only followed it themselves, but they provided many opportunities for others to do the same. An example of this is their conferences this year. They were put on by teenagers. Every worker we saw working at the conference, be it signing people in, selling t-shirts and books, working the cameras, or helping to lead times of singing, were younger than I am. The brothers assured us that all the work that is done behind the scenes is done by teenagers as well. And let me assure you, the conference was very well done. Everything ran smoothly. The only problem I could find the entire day (and I was looking for problems) was that during times of singing, the power point with the words on it was a little slow in switching from slide to slide.
Greg Harris, the twins father, shared the gosple. I was so glad that they did this! At a conference for young people, it is always wise not to assume that all present are saved. Mr. Harris did a great job preaching the gosple in a way that was beneficial to believers and non-believers alike.
I would encourage everyone to read their book, Do Hard Things. It is not a difficult book to read. But it will encourage young people to take their time as teenagers seriously. It will encourage parents not to have low expectations of their children. It will give families ideas of how they can grow together and raise up strong men and women of the Lord.
I am very glad that I was able to go to the Do Hard Things conference. It backed up a lot of feelings that I have been having for a while and gave me lots of ideas of how to work these feelings out in action. I think that the message preached applies to everyone, not just teenagers, and am excited to see how the Lord uses it to work in the lives of those who went to the conference with me.
Jasmine, Betsy, and I attended the Do Hard Things conference this weekend put on by Alex and Brett Harris, authors of the Rebelution Blog, and their father, Greg Harris. In the one day conference, they discussed the myth of adolescense, that in todays world we tend to add on to 1 Corinthians 13:11, 'When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I was a teenager, I looked like a man, had the abilities of a man, but still spoke, thought, and reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.'
Their message was simple: teenagers today need to learn how to do hard things. They listed several examples from our nations history of extraordinarily hard working teenagers who went on to become adults that went down in history. My favorite example was of David Farragut, the U.S. Navy's first admiral. When he was twelve, he was made captain of a captured ship and was given the responsibility of seeing it safetly back to America along with its crew and captain - which he did. Alex and Brett argued that these people did not have extraordiary teen years because they were going to be famous later on in life, but that they were famous later on in life because they prepared themselves properly during their 'teen' years.
The brothers spent the majority of their conference defining this 'myth of adolesence' and then encouraging fellow teenagers to do hard things. They gave much practical advice of how teenagers can do this, including reading good (hard) books, stepping out of comfort zones, and working beyond what is expected of you.
Alex and Brett have their own list of 'doing hard things' credentials, which they laid out for us at the beginning of the conference. It was pretty impressive and served to show young and old alike that they were not just full of ideas, but that they acted on their ideas successfully. They also reminded listeners again and again that they were able to accomplish these things because of the work that God did in them, none of it was of themselves. The glory was always given right back to whom it belonged.
The twins also showed that they believed so strongly in what they taught that they not only followed it themselves, but they provided many opportunities for others to do the same. An example of this is their conferences this year. They were put on by teenagers. Every worker we saw working at the conference, be it signing people in, selling t-shirts and books, working the cameras, or helping to lead times of singing, were younger than I am. The brothers assured us that all the work that is done behind the scenes is done by teenagers as well. And let me assure you, the conference was very well done. Everything ran smoothly. The only problem I could find the entire day (and I was looking for problems) was that during times of singing, the power point with the words on it was a little slow in switching from slide to slide.
Greg Harris, the twins father, shared the gosple. I was so glad that they did this! At a conference for young people, it is always wise not to assume that all present are saved. Mr. Harris did a great job preaching the gosple in a way that was beneficial to believers and non-believers alike.
I would encourage everyone to read their book, Do Hard Things. It is not a difficult book to read. But it will encourage young people to take their time as teenagers seriously. It will encourage parents not to have low expectations of their children. It will give families ideas of how they can grow together and raise up strong men and women of the Lord.
I am very glad that I was able to go to the Do Hard Things conference. It backed up a lot of feelings that I have been having for a while and gave me lots of ideas of how to work these feelings out in action. I think that the message preached applies to everyone, not just teenagers, and am excited to see how the Lord uses it to work in the lives of those who went to the conference with me.
Friday, June 20, 2008
to my big stud
•Right after Jon and I had bought our first home, his parents thought that would be a good time to bring over all the “treasures” Jon had collected over the years; there were boxes upon boxes of these “treasures.” My sneaky way to get rid of some of that non sense was to offer to help him go through it all (wasn’t I helpful?!). Well, after a lot of work and no sign of ever giving up anything, I asked “Jon, what do you call those people that hold on to EVERYTHING?” (I couldn’t remember what it was, don’t forget English was my second language.) Without hesitation, and with a subtle look on his face, he answered “big stud”. “Yeah, you big stud…” I proceeded to call him. And He responded with “call me that again”…and I did! This wasn’t shaming him as I thought it would, so I asked…again “what’s a stud?” Yeah, the joke was on me!!
•My ignorance and his clever sense of humor has more often than not been a recipe for fun memories.
•His “treasures” are now our kids’ toys and he watches with great delight the joy that they bring to their silly little faces.
To my big stud and to all others out there
Happy Belated Father’s Day!!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
My dad...
Before you read my post, you should know that I have been reminded, on several different occasions by several different people, that my dad is not perfect. I was reminded this because I tend to think that, really, he is. I mean, I know that he isn't but I usually think that if ever anyone was close to being perfect, it would be him. However, I still don't think its bad for a daughter to have a high view of her father.
One of my favorite things about my dad is that he is always fair. My sisters and brother and I have always been able to go to him and give him "the story" and know that we will be treated fairly. If we were in the wrong, well, sucks to be us. But if someone else told the story wrong, or the story was misunderstood, he was always ready to hear a clarification and change judgment. It is an incredible blessing, to have a father who always has time to listen, a father who we never need to be afraid to go to.
Another thing I love about my dad is how much he loves his family. He absolutely adores my mom. He loves her so much and shows it in hundreds of ways. Us kids never had to wonder how he felt about her, because it was obvious. One of the worst things one of us kids could ever do was disrespect our mom. A father who loves his wife in this way is one of the greatest blessings a child can have growing up. He also loves his kids. None of us has ever had to wonder how our dad felt about us. We've never felt like we weren't a priority for him. We've never been afraid of him.
My dad loves his Lord, most of all. He is a man who acts out this love in everything he does. When I was really little, my dad was in college, then seminary. When I was ten, he became the pastor at Temple and has been ministering there ever since. I've always loved that he is a pastor. He is a walking concordance and reference book. His job was a great opportunity for us to learn to have a high view of the importance of ministering. Our church body is very dear and important to my dad and he taught his kids to feel the same way.
My dad has always provided for his family. I know when I was really little we had very little money. Fortunately, kids rarely know these things. I never had any idea until years later when he told us. Don't get me wrong, we don't have loads of money now, but its more than then. We have never gone wanting, have never been hungry. We are amply provided for in every imaginable way.
My dad is a humble man. He is always ready to seek forgiveness. This is such a crucial attribute for a father to have. A father who is willing to seek his children's forgiveness is an amazing father. We have benefited from this immensely.
I could go on forever, but this is getting kind of long. I hope that I have been able to convey to you how much I love my dad. He's an awesome person. He loves the Lord and loves his family. I couldn't ask for a better dad.
One of my favorite things about my dad is that he is always fair. My sisters and brother and I have always been able to go to him and give him "the story" and know that we will be treated fairly. If we were in the wrong, well, sucks to be us. But if someone else told the story wrong, or the story was misunderstood, he was always ready to hear a clarification and change judgment. It is an incredible blessing, to have a father who always has time to listen, a father who we never need to be afraid to go to.
Another thing I love about my dad is how much he loves his family. He absolutely adores my mom. He loves her so much and shows it in hundreds of ways. Us kids never had to wonder how he felt about her, because it was obvious. One of the worst things one of us kids could ever do was disrespect our mom. A father who loves his wife in this way is one of the greatest blessings a child can have growing up. He also loves his kids. None of us has ever had to wonder how our dad felt about us. We've never felt like we weren't a priority for him. We've never been afraid of him.
My dad loves his Lord, most of all. He is a man who acts out this love in everything he does. When I was really little, my dad was in college, then seminary. When I was ten, he became the pastor at Temple and has been ministering there ever since. I've always loved that he is a pastor. He is a walking concordance and reference book. His job was a great opportunity for us to learn to have a high view of the importance of ministering. Our church body is very dear and important to my dad and he taught his kids to feel the same way.
My dad has always provided for his family. I know when I was really little we had very little money. Fortunately, kids rarely know these things. I never had any idea until years later when he told us. Don't get me wrong, we don't have loads of money now, but its more than then. We have never gone wanting, have never been hungry. We are amply provided for in every imaginable way.
My dad is a humble man. He is always ready to seek forgiveness. This is such a crucial attribute for a father to have. A father who is willing to seek his children's forgiveness is an amazing father. We have benefited from this immensely.
I could go on forever, but this is getting kind of long. I hope that I have been able to convey to you how much I love my dad. He's an awesome person. He loves the Lord and loves his family. I couldn't ask for a better dad.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Witty Wednesday
My sister and I were over at Jasmine's house a couple weeks ago and her daughter Noelle was sitting on the couch reading. When we realized how she was sitting, we had to take pictures. Oh to be young and flexible again! Enjoy!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
In Honor of Ryan: my husband
My husband is a carpenter and we get up early…. painfully early. Right now we get up at 4:45 am. Lately, we haven’t been getting to bed on time because we have been helping various friends with their home improvement projects. So last night when we got home at 9:35 pm, we were SO tired and really looking forward to going straight to bed. However, God had other plans for my husband. And it is in this divine appointment that my husband’s character shows. (To God be the glory!)
As we were driving into our driveway, we noticed a man sitting on a small patch of weeds that is just between our fence and our driveway. He had some bags around him and was doing nothing special. As we drove in, he simply leaned back but didn’t move. He seemed to be drunk. Well, we don’t live in the best neighborhood so this raised suspicions in our minds. We discussed in the car what "we" should do. (And by “we” I mean Ryan) Should we tell him to go away? Should we talk with him? Should we just call the police and let them deal with him? First we decided to let the dog out into the yard and see if that would scare him away. Malachi (my dog) didn’t even notice the guy. So Ryan heads out. He asks the man (whom I called a bum), “Sir, are you waiting for someone?”. The man goes on to reply that he is indeed waiting for the woman who lives across the street (who is the mother of his two sons) to return with his boys, so that he can take them somewhere… but they had a fight earlier and the cops were called, so he can’t wait on the front steps of her house. Thus he is using our yard as his resting place.
Why do I mention all of this? I am writing a Father’s day article to bless and honor my husband… what does a bum have to do with that? Well, here’s why: my husband stood outside and listened graciously to this guy tell him all his problems (and there was a lot of them) late at night when he was very tired and sleep deprived, after working a very physically demanding job all day. He didn’t cut him off or send him on his way. He looked with eyes of faith and saw that God had given him this time to share the gospel and the love of Jesus with a bum, whom He had brought right to our fence. And so Ryan was faithful to the task that God had given him. He is truly a friend to sinners just like Jesus is.
Ryan is really a blessing to me and has many wonderful qualities that the Holy Spirit has produced in him since salvation, but the one that stands out so often is his real desire and pursuit of building relationships with people who have no concept of Jesus or salvation, for the sake of witnessing to them. He diligently seeks to befriend the carpenters and other tradesmen that he works with for the sake of the gospel. He has had many opportunities to share Christ with the guys from work, as well as to spend time building those relationships with them outside of work, because he really cares for them and it shows. When we are invited to one of their backyard cookouts, Ryan reminds us that we are there to build the relationship for the purpose of sharing Christ with these guys and their wives. We’re not there simply to relax or to “just have fun” (though we do have fun on these "missions"). This heart attitude has not been without its consequences. Ryan has had to give up his free time as well as step out of his comfort zone, but he does it without complaint.
God has really done a work in my husband and I am so blessed by him. He is faithful, loving, generous, morally courageous, and bold. He genuinely cares for peoples' souls. He is a hard worker and loves to serve the people from our local body. He is a good daddy to our boys. He wrestles, plays Legos, talks with them about Jesus and teaches them how to do “man stuff”. He is a wonderful husband to me. He is strong and not steam rolled by my stubborn pride. He doesn’t back down from a challenge (he’s been married to me for almost 14 yrs now and hasn’t broken yet)! He is my lover and my friend. He dreams BIG about where God might lead us and use us. I can see God at work in my husband making him more like Jesus through the Holy Spirit… and it fills me with hope and joy. Thank you God for Ryan and thank you Ryan, for daily trying hard to live out Christ before our eyes, to His glory!
As we were driving into our driveway, we noticed a man sitting on a small patch of weeds that is just between our fence and our driveway. He had some bags around him and was doing nothing special. As we drove in, he simply leaned back but didn’t move. He seemed to be drunk. Well, we don’t live in the best neighborhood so this raised suspicions in our minds. We discussed in the car what "we" should do. (And by “we” I mean Ryan) Should we tell him to go away? Should we talk with him? Should we just call the police and let them deal with him? First we decided to let the dog out into the yard and see if that would scare him away. Malachi (my dog) didn’t even notice the guy. So Ryan heads out. He asks the man (whom I called a bum), “Sir, are you waiting for someone?”. The man goes on to reply that he is indeed waiting for the woman who lives across the street (who is the mother of his two sons) to return with his boys, so that he can take them somewhere… but they had a fight earlier and the cops were called, so he can’t wait on the front steps of her house. Thus he is using our yard as his resting place.
Why do I mention all of this? I am writing a Father’s day article to bless and honor my husband… what does a bum have to do with that? Well, here’s why: my husband stood outside and listened graciously to this guy tell him all his problems (and there was a lot of them) late at night when he was very tired and sleep deprived, after working a very physically demanding job all day. He didn’t cut him off or send him on his way. He looked with eyes of faith and saw that God had given him this time to share the gospel and the love of Jesus with a bum, whom He had brought right to our fence. And so Ryan was faithful to the task that God had given him. He is truly a friend to sinners just like Jesus is.
Ryan is really a blessing to me and has many wonderful qualities that the Holy Spirit has produced in him since salvation, but the one that stands out so often is his real desire and pursuit of building relationships with people who have no concept of Jesus or salvation, for the sake of witnessing to them. He diligently seeks to befriend the carpenters and other tradesmen that he works with for the sake of the gospel. He has had many opportunities to share Christ with the guys from work, as well as to spend time building those relationships with them outside of work, because he really cares for them and it shows. When we are invited to one of their backyard cookouts, Ryan reminds us that we are there to build the relationship for the purpose of sharing Christ with these guys and their wives. We’re not there simply to relax or to “just have fun” (though we do have fun on these "missions"). This heart attitude has not been without its consequences. Ryan has had to give up his free time as well as step out of his comfort zone, but he does it without complaint.
God has really done a work in my husband and I am so blessed by him. He is faithful, loving, generous, morally courageous, and bold. He genuinely cares for peoples' souls. He is a hard worker and loves to serve the people from our local body. He is a good daddy to our boys. He wrestles, plays Legos, talks with them about Jesus and teaches them how to do “man stuff”. He is a wonderful husband to me. He is strong and not steam rolled by my stubborn pride. He doesn’t back down from a challenge (he’s been married to me for almost 14 yrs now and hasn’t broken yet)! He is my lover and my friend. He dreams BIG about where God might lead us and use us. I can see God at work in my husband making him more like Jesus through the Holy Spirit… and it fills me with hope and joy. Thank you God for Ryan and thank you Ryan, for daily trying hard to live out Christ before our eyes, to His glory!
Monday, June 16, 2008
A Father of Faith and Fear
I asked the kids to write something about you and this is what they said:
Noelle: I love you so much. I love you because you love me. I love you because you take care of us. You teach us about Jesus and God the Father. Thank you for showing me how to have a servants heart. Be safe at work. You are the best daddy in the whole world!
Calvin: I love you daddy. Thank you for teaching me to pray.
Jackson: I love you daddy. I hope you can hold someone down and pepper spray someone. I hope that you could have a nice day and night.
I am thankful that you are the best daddy in the entire world. You showed me how to pray and how to have servants heart and how to be a hard worker. I am glad you can take us to church. I am glad that you are our Pastor.
Silas: All he said was," daddy" with great excitement in his voice, then he began to say, "where daddy, where daddy"?
Honey, Thank you for being a father of faith and fear of the Lord.
You may not be the kind of dad that rolls around wrestling the boys or plays games, but you a bedrock of faith and the temperate, gentle, humble dad that they need - the man that I need.
You are the kind of dad that plays nature videos from You Tube to show the children the greatness of God as creator. You are the kind of dad who reads out loud to your children. You are the kind of dad that doesn't mind answering questions like, " what is a harlot"? and " why do girls mostly birth boys"? You don't tell you daughter, "go ask you mother". You do all of this in faith. You have entrusted yourself to our great God and Savior Jesus Christ and fully believe that God is faithful and that His way is best; and you live that out in your role as a father.
You consistently remind me to discipline and train in faith. You encourage me to trust that God's way is best and that we will see Him at work as we discipline in faith. I am thankful that you don't just preach it to me, but live it out.
Thank you for being the kind of man that doesn't have "bad days". We do not have to wonder, is now the best time to approach him? You have so cultivated a heart of thankfulness that you are always pleasant to be around and easy to please.
Thank you for being the kind of man that sees all the spiritual disciplines and acts of service as ways to pursue humility,and thank you for pursuing it. It's hard not to admire a man who believes that I think more highly of him than I ought to think, and is pretty sure that no matter what he thinks of himself it is most likely more than he should. It shows in your devotion to us and others. It shows in your demeanor. It shows in your willingness to examine any criticism anyone brings before you, and in your eagerness to confess sin and seek forgiveness.
Thank you for being the kind of man/dad that I feel comfortable saying, "I still mean every word I wrote last year".
We will follow you and we eagerly support you in your pursuit of becoming a more equipped shepherd because we know it to be an act of faith. We have considered your faith and it is worthy to follow.
We love you babe and pray that the Lord will bless you as you walk in faith and fear.
Psalm 128:1-4 How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
Who walks in His ways.
When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands,
You will be happy and it will be well with you.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in your house,
Your children like olive plants around you table.
Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD.
Noelle: I love you so much. I love you because you love me. I love you because you take care of us. You teach us about Jesus and God the Father. Thank you for showing me how to have a servants heart. Be safe at work. You are the best daddy in the whole world!
Calvin: I love you daddy. Thank you for teaching me to pray.
Jackson: I love you daddy. I hope you can hold someone down and pepper spray someone. I hope that you could have a nice day and night.
I am thankful that you are the best daddy in the entire world. You showed me how to pray and how to have servants heart and how to be a hard worker. I am glad you can take us to church. I am glad that you are our Pastor.
Silas: All he said was," daddy" with great excitement in his voice, then he began to say, "where daddy, where daddy"?
Honey, Thank you for being a father of faith and fear of the Lord.
You may not be the kind of dad that rolls around wrestling the boys or plays games, but you a bedrock of faith and the temperate, gentle, humble dad that they need - the man that I need.
You are the kind of dad that plays nature videos from You Tube to show the children the greatness of God as creator. You are the kind of dad who reads out loud to your children. You are the kind of dad that doesn't mind answering questions like, " what is a harlot"? and " why do girls mostly birth boys"? You don't tell you daughter, "go ask you mother". You do all of this in faith. You have entrusted yourself to our great God and Savior Jesus Christ and fully believe that God is faithful and that His way is best; and you live that out in your role as a father.
You consistently remind me to discipline and train in faith. You encourage me to trust that God's way is best and that we will see Him at work as we discipline in faith. I am thankful that you don't just preach it to me, but live it out.
Thank you for being the kind of man that doesn't have "bad days". We do not have to wonder, is now the best time to approach him? You have so cultivated a heart of thankfulness that you are always pleasant to be around and easy to please.
Thank you for being the kind of man that sees all the spiritual disciplines and acts of service as ways to pursue humility,and thank you for pursuing it. It's hard not to admire a man who believes that I think more highly of him than I ought to think, and is pretty sure that no matter what he thinks of himself it is most likely more than he should. It shows in your devotion to us and others. It shows in your demeanor. It shows in your willingness to examine any criticism anyone brings before you, and in your eagerness to confess sin and seek forgiveness.
Thank you for being the kind of man/dad that I feel comfortable saying, "I still mean every word I wrote last year".
We will follow you and we eagerly support you in your pursuit of becoming a more equipped shepherd because we know it to be an act of faith. We have considered your faith and it is worthy to follow.
We love you babe and pray that the Lord will bless you as you walk in faith and fear.
Psalm 128:1-4 How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
Who walks in His ways.
When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands,
You will be happy and it will be well with you.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in your house,
Your children like olive plants around you table.
Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD.
Friday, June 13, 2008
The Discipline of Worship - Part 2
Worship should be a continuous part of the Christian's life. We shouldn't set aside a portion of our day for worship and then not 'worry' about it for the rest of the day. Instead, we should always be looking for opportunities to bless the name of the Lord.
There are hundreds of opportunities for us to worship throughout our days. I am blessed every morning by driving past Lake Michigan on my way to school. I am amazed that it looks different every day, rough and gray yesterday, calm and bright blue today, then green and deep blue tomorrow. If I am looking for opportunities to worship, instead of simply enjoying the view, I can praise God for giving it to me. I can thank Him for His grace in allowing me to see it and appreciate it and marvel at His involvement with creation.
If I am running late for work or church and all the lights are green, I should take a moment to thank God for making it so. If all the lights are red, instead of getting anxious and angry, I can worship God being a God who keeps His promises - specifically the one where He promises never to give us more than we can handle. I use being late as an example because I am a spaz about being on time. Being late somewhere is one of the worst things I can imagine. :)
The basic point is to be looking for ways to worship God throughout the day. Look for times where it is consistently hard to worship and find a way to make it easier
For example, I am not a morning person. If I had my way, the world would stay up until 3am and not wake up until 11am. That would be great! Unfortunately, that is not the way it works and I usually have to get up at (gasp!) 7am to get to school on time. By the time I am in my car and on my way to school I really hate the world. So I got in the habit of making sure that I had Christian music in my cd player the night before set to a song that praises God for who He is. When I get in the car, and hear the music, it helps me tremendously to bring my heart and mind under control and focus it on worship. We all have bad times, but if we are looking for ways to worship in those bad times, it will be so much easier.
Attending church is a really obvious way to worship. Most people would agree that that is the main purpose of attending church. We sing before hearing the sermon at my church (and pretty much every church I've ever heard of) which is great in helping us to prepare our hearts for worship. But a lot of people I talk to think that that is the end of the worship. Once the singing stops, so does the worship. I can still remember a time last fall. I decided to try going to InterVarsity at my school to get to know some Christians my age. Most of my friends are a bit older than me....and married....and have children. :) I thought it would be cool to get to know people my own age. One night, as I was arriving, a friend came up and told me that we weren't going to be having any worship that evening. I honestly thought he was telling me that InterVarsity was canceled that evening. It turned out though, that all he meant was that we had a guest speaker coming in and he was going to talk for so long we didn't have time to sing.
This made me sad, that the act of hearing the Word was not considered worship. I wondered how we were able to worship without knowing the Word. If you remember from yesterday, we are to worship in spirit and in truth. Its not enough for us to get really psyched up because we like the music and the songs etc. If the emotion we are filled with is not gratitude, awe, humility, reverence, and love for our Lord THEN IT IS NOT WORSHIP!! Hearing the Word of God preached is an extremely important part of worship because without it we do not have the knowledge to worship. How can I thank God for His creation if I do not know He created it? How can I thank God for getting me to work on time if I do not know that He is sovereign?
As our knowledge of God and His works grows, so will our worship. As Jesus becomes more and more beautiful, our worship will become sweeter.
To wrap this series up, I would just like to say that all of the spiritual disciplines are very closely related. As you desire to grow in each one, the others will naturally grow as well.
There are hundreds of opportunities for us to worship throughout our days. I am blessed every morning by driving past Lake Michigan on my way to school. I am amazed that it looks different every day, rough and gray yesterday, calm and bright blue today, then green and deep blue tomorrow. If I am looking for opportunities to worship, instead of simply enjoying the view, I can praise God for giving it to me. I can thank Him for His grace in allowing me to see it and appreciate it and marvel at His involvement with creation.
If I am running late for work or church and all the lights are green, I should take a moment to thank God for making it so. If all the lights are red, instead of getting anxious and angry, I can worship God being a God who keeps His promises - specifically the one where He promises never to give us more than we can handle. I use being late as an example because I am a spaz about being on time. Being late somewhere is one of the worst things I can imagine. :)
The basic point is to be looking for ways to worship God throughout the day. Look for times where it is consistently hard to worship and find a way to make it easier
For example, I am not a morning person. If I had my way, the world would stay up until 3am and not wake up until 11am. That would be great! Unfortunately, that is not the way it works and I usually have to get up at (gasp!) 7am to get to school on time. By the time I am in my car and on my way to school I really hate the world. So I got in the habit of making sure that I had Christian music in my cd player the night before set to a song that praises God for who He is. When I get in the car, and hear the music, it helps me tremendously to bring my heart and mind under control and focus it on worship. We all have bad times, but if we are looking for ways to worship in those bad times, it will be so much easier.
Attending church is a really obvious way to worship. Most people would agree that that is the main purpose of attending church. We sing before hearing the sermon at my church (and pretty much every church I've ever heard of) which is great in helping us to prepare our hearts for worship. But a lot of people I talk to think that that is the end of the worship. Once the singing stops, so does the worship. I can still remember a time last fall. I decided to try going to InterVarsity at my school to get to know some Christians my age. Most of my friends are a bit older than me....and married....and have children. :) I thought it would be cool to get to know people my own age. One night, as I was arriving, a friend came up and told me that we weren't going to be having any worship that evening. I honestly thought he was telling me that InterVarsity was canceled that evening. It turned out though, that all he meant was that we had a guest speaker coming in and he was going to talk for so long we didn't have time to sing.
This made me sad, that the act of hearing the Word was not considered worship. I wondered how we were able to worship without knowing the Word. If you remember from yesterday, we are to worship in spirit and in truth. Its not enough for us to get really psyched up because we like the music and the songs etc. If the emotion we are filled with is not gratitude, awe, humility, reverence, and love for our Lord THEN IT IS NOT WORSHIP!! Hearing the Word of God preached is an extremely important part of worship because without it we do not have the knowledge to worship. How can I thank God for His creation if I do not know He created it? How can I thank God for getting me to work on time if I do not know that He is sovereign?
As our knowledge of God and His works grows, so will our worship. As Jesus becomes more and more beautiful, our worship will become sweeter.
To wrap this series up, I would just like to say that all of the spiritual disciplines are very closely related. As you desire to grow in each one, the others will naturally grow as well.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
The Discipline of Worship - Part 1
Psalm 95:6 "Come, let us bow down in worship. Let us kneel before the the Lord our Maker."
It is really hard to adequately define what worship is, so I am going to give you Don Whitney's definition, "To worship God is to ascribe the proper worth to God, to magnify His worthiness of praise, or better, to approach and address God as He is worthy. As the Holy and Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, the Sovereign Judge to whom we must give an account, He is worthy of all the worth and honor we can give Him and then infinitely more."
In order for us to be worshiping, we have to be focused on God, who He is and what He has done. Worship is how we respond to that knowledge. Worship is not about us.
Worship is to be done in spirit and in truth. There needs to be a balance of these two things. It cannot be just truth, where we are only focusing on facts about God and His works without any kind of heartfelt reaction about these 'facts.' It cannot be simply emotion directly vaguely towards that which is spiritual. Worship has to be a sincere reaction to our knowledge of who God is.
It is not always easy to worship God. We all have hard days and trials that make worshiping God. It is by remembering who God is and what He has done that we are able to worship during these hard times. Its easy to worship when life is good and things are going our way. We need to press on in worship even when times are hard.
Don't wait until you 'feel' like worshiping. If necessary, start by focusing on your Savior, Creator, Sustainer, and Father. Start by thinking about the works of God, what He has done in your life and the lives of those around you. Read the Old Testament and look for passages where God does tremendous and miraculous things to make His Name known. As you turn your mind towards the things of God, your heart will naturally follow.
Tomorrow we will discuss different opportunities for worship.
It is really hard to adequately define what worship is, so I am going to give you Don Whitney's definition, "To worship God is to ascribe the proper worth to God, to magnify His worthiness of praise, or better, to approach and address God as He is worthy. As the Holy and Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, the Sovereign Judge to whom we must give an account, He is worthy of all the worth and honor we can give Him and then infinitely more."
In order for us to be worshiping, we have to be focused on God, who He is and what He has done. Worship is how we respond to that knowledge. Worship is not about us.
Worship is to be done in spirit and in truth. There needs to be a balance of these two things. It cannot be just truth, where we are only focusing on facts about God and His works without any kind of heartfelt reaction about these 'facts.' It cannot be simply emotion directly vaguely towards that which is spiritual. Worship has to be a sincere reaction to our knowledge of who God is.
It is not always easy to worship God. We all have hard days and trials that make worshiping God. It is by remembering who God is and what He has done that we are able to worship during these hard times. Its easy to worship when life is good and things are going our way. We need to press on in worship even when times are hard.
Don't wait until you 'feel' like worshiping. If necessary, start by focusing on your Savior, Creator, Sustainer, and Father. Start by thinking about the works of God, what He has done in your life and the lives of those around you. Read the Old Testament and look for passages where God does tremendous and miraculous things to make His Name known. As you turn your mind towards the things of God, your heart will naturally follow.
Tomorrow we will discuss different opportunities for worship.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Jas' is celebratin'
Here are some fun pics of Jas, Esme, Nichole and I at the Texas Roadhouse celebrating Jas' birthday. She just turned 29 but was sort of wary of the upcoming big 3-0 , so we decided to break her in to it early. We told the waitress that she was turning 30 soon and so when we were done with our food, they wheeled out a glorified wooden sawhorse with a real saddle on it and announced to everyone that she was celebrating her 30th birthday. Then they/we made her saddle on up and everyone wished her a happy birthday with a warm Texas Roadhouse "YeeHaw!". You should have seen the look on her face. Priceless.. so we took pictures. She was a great sport and we all had a really fun time! Here are the pics for y'all to enjoy. Afterwards, we did tell the waitress that though Jas' 30th birthday was really not quite a year away, it still seems very soon for Jas'.Tuesday, June 10, 2008
The Discipline of Service - Part 2
Yesterday we learned that service to others is expected of anyone calling themselves a Christian. We also discussed a few suggestions on how we can serve the people in our church body. But we are called to serve and love our neighbors, not just the church body.
Remember, ‘neighbors’ is referring to anyone we come into contact with. In the parable of the good Samaritan, which was given by Jesus to define ‘neighbor’, the Samaritan did not know the man he helped. He did not know him, did not know someone who knew him, and was not related in any way to him. Even more, the Samaritans and the Jews were known for hating each other! Therefore, we are to serve anyone we come into contact with.
This can be acted out in a myriad of ways. We don’t have the time or space to list them all here, but I will discuss a few ways I have found and you can use them as a sort of starting point for yourself.
- We need to serve our families. Sometimes the hardest people to serve are the ones we live with! Be it our brothers and sisters or our husbands and children, serving our family is not always easy. There always seems to be a fight over who gets to sit where, who gets to pick what channel to watch, whose turn it is to sit up front, who has to do the dishes, the list goes on and on! If we are actively trying to serve others, then we will be the ones to volunteer to do the dishes and we will be the one who says, “That’s okay, brother, you can have the remote.” When your sister comes home tired after a hard day at work, the serving sister will volunteer to clean the bathroom for her. When your husband isn’t feeling well, the serving wife will go out of her way to make him comfortable. Keep in mind, though, that we are serving others. It is easy to get caught up in serving someone the way we would want to be served and not the way that person wants to be served. Remember that the purpose of serving others is to benefit the person who is receiving your service and serve accordingly.
- We need to serve at our workplace. For those of us who work, this one is a hard one. This one is usually a little bit harder. This means that we are willing to do the jobs no one else wants to do. This means that we are kind even when we want to punch someone. This means that when everyone else is gossiping about the new person, we serve her by not participating, and even asking others to stop. This means being cheerful and helpful even when you are having a bad day. This means not backstabbing others to ‘climb the ladder.’ Serving others in our workplace is not always easy, but it is a great way to witness to our co-workers.
- We need to serve our friends. The key to serving anyone is by remembering that we are to treat others as we would want to be treated. Help your friends to submit to their husbands and fathers, don’t discourage or tease those who desire to be obedient. Always be looking for ways to be helpful, cheerful, and pleasant.
Finally, I would like to mention the six motivators that Donald Whitney gave in his book Spiritual Disciplines for the Spiritual Life. These are really helpful to keep in mind when we don’t feel like serving those around us!
- We should be motivated by obedience. God has commanded us to serve others and therefore we should serve others out of a desire to be obedient.
- We should be motivated by gratitude. When its hard to love others more than ourselves, consider the work that Jesus did on the cross for us. This is always an excellent way to be humbled and in a better position to serve.
- We should be motivated by gladness. We are not called simply to serve, but to serve with a joyful heart. Does your salvation and knowledge of the Lord give you joy? Use that joy to motivate you as you serve.
- We should be motivated by forgiveness rather than guilt. Don’t serve others in an attempt to make up for some past sin. Rather, serve others because your sins have been forgiven.
- We should be motivated by humility. This is probably my most-used motivator. Every time I am in a situation where I know I need to be serving someone but it is the last thing I want to do, I try to remind myself of who I was before Jesus saved me and who I am now because of that salvation. The humility that comes with that reminder is an excellent way to serve with joy. So often the biggest road block to service is our pride and if we can remember to fight that by teaching ourselves humility daily, service will become easier and easier.
- Finally, we should be motivated by love. As Christians, we have a love for Jesus and we are commanded to love others. Service is the means by which we show our love.
If you are a Christian then you are commanded to serve with gladness. We should actively be looking for ways that we can serve the people around us in an effort to obey God and show the love of Christ.
Monday, June 9, 2008
The Discipline of Service - Part 1
“Oh boy, today I get to serve people!” This is probably not a thought that most of us wake up with. In today’s society, serving people is looked down on. No one wants to do it. We enjoy being served, but not serving others. However, as always, the Lord expects differently from his followers.
If we call ourselves Christians then we should be actively looking for ways to serve others. Psalm 100:2 says “Serve the Lord with gladness!” and in Mark 23:31 we are reminded that the second greatest commandment (after loving God) is to love our neighbor as ourselves. Therefore, if we enjoy being served, we should make every effort to serve those around us. And even if we don’t enjoy being served, we are still called, not only to serve, but to serve with gladness.
There are two major ways that we can serve others. The first is by ministering at your church. Every week, the pastor serves his congregation by delivering a sermon. Every week the worship leader serves the congregation by leading music and the pianist/worship team/band serves by playing instruments. Not all of us, however, can be pastors or worship leaders or know how to play an instrument. This does not mean that we are exempt from the serving commandment. There are a myriad of ways the rest of us can serve the church body.
- Volunteer for nursery duty. No, it’s not always fun to
- Sign up for the cleaning crew! You wouldn’t believe how messy a church can get after a Sunday. Crumbs, candy wrappers, and bulletins will be scattered throughout the sanctuary and the lobby and sinks will have dirt smudges and toilet paper rolls will be empty. It’s not a fancy job and probably most people won’t know you are doing it, but it is an excellent (and always needed) way to serve the church.
- Work in the building ministry. We have a small group of guys at our church who are working to get projects done around our building. There are too many projects and not enough workers. Be willing to give up a Saturday morning once every few months and work to improve your church building.
- Finally, next time there is an announcement Sunday morning that a special service is needed, Jane just had surgery and her family will need some meals, Mark’s car broke down and he will need a ride to work the next couple of days while it is being fixed, Sara needs a babysitter, someone is needed to fill in here, a task needs done there, be the person to volunteer! Don’t just assume that someone will do it; actively pursue the opportunity to serve others!
This is not an exhaustive list of ways we can serve our church body, so feel free to look for other ways to serve. There is always plenty to go around and no one has an excuse not to serve.
Tomorrow, we will discuss how we can serve others outside the church body and what some motivators are to make this service easier and more enjoyable.
Friday, June 6, 2008
A Hunger for God…Through Fasting Part IV
In Matthew 6:16-18 we’re given more guidelines about how to fast: “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth they have received their reward in full….And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you”
Don’t look like you’re suffering. Don’t draw attention to yourself. Don’t look like you’ve had a rough day. Give no reason to be asked why you look so bad. This is especially hard for me…I live in a perpetual state of tiredness. I look run down everyday. So looking better than I normally do would get people asking why I look so good…LOL!! Not really, but I do have to make an extra effort to look as normal as I otherwise would.
Keep it private. As in praying, we are called not to pray as to be seen so that others think highly of us. God sees the motives of your heart so beware when telling others about your fasting. Also, be reminded that fasting is not a sacrifice that earns us anything and/or worse, bends God’s Hand to do our will. John Wesley puts it this way: “The man who never fasts is no more in the way to heaven than the man who never prays.” However, there is plenty of support in the Bible for corporate and group fasting in Joel 2:15 it calls the people of Zion to gather together and “declare a holy fast…” When you’re married or live with others it will be very hard to keep that a secret, again it is your motive that makes it sinful…not that people find out.
There is a reward! It is just like giving; the more you give, with the right heart attitude, the more reward you store in heaven. John Piper says it better: “…He {God} rewards acts that confess human helplessness and that express hope in God, because these acts call attention to his glory.”
I sure pray that the Lord through the Holy Spirit has impressed upon your heart to seek Him in fasting, and that through fasting your heart will be revived as mine was. We also look forward to hearing from you and your testimonies of answered prayer and found joy in Christ.
“I am thirsty, but you are the Fountain of Life.
I am weak, but you are strong.
I am poor, but you are rich.
I am foolish, but you are wise.
I am broken, but you are whole.
I am dying, but your steadfast love is better than life,” (Psalm 63:3.)
Thursday, June 5, 2008
A Hunger for God…Through Fasting Part III
Then HOW should you fast?
1) How long should you fast? God didn’t ordain the length of time we should fast. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist denomination, fasted every Wednesday and Friday and required all of his clergy to do the same. So whether the Holy Spirits leads you to fast for only one meal or forty days, the important thing is that your heart is driven by a godly purpose.
What type of fast you should do? Knowing how long you’ll fast, will help you determine what type of fast you may want to do. I could spend another day or two just talking about types of fasts. But for the sake of time and attention span…I’m just going to mention the most commonly known (among people I know) “normal fast” which is abstaining from all food, but not from water. Just remember the point IS to get hungry!
2) How to fast safely? You need to consider your health. If you’re pregnant, diabetic, or have any other chronic health problem this is not for you. When doing a rather lengthy fast I would recommend to consult with your doctor first.
3) How do you prepare? Plan, Plan, and Plan. Without planning to do it in the first place—it will not happen.
a. Have an eternal perspective. Without an eternal perspective it will be near impossible to endure the hunger and you will be tempted to give up at the first sight of hunger.
b. Plan what and who you’ll pray for. When I go in “hunger mode” I don’t have to search the files in my head as to what or who to pray for. I’ve gone from “I’m really hungry…oh yeah, I’m suppose to be praying” to “Lord, thank you for reminding me to pray for…”
c. Wean yourself. Resist the urge to pig out on your last meal. I start by not having anything to eat or drink the night before I fast. Waking up hungry allows me to hit the floor running, so to speak, no time to think, no turning back.
4) How do you explain to friends and love ones? My mind goes specifically to people working outside the home and I can suggest you simply saying “I have other plans for lunch today.” Of course, plan ahead and if you expect to be going out to lunch with co-workers, vendors, etc. just do it on a day that there will be less explaining to do. For Christian friends, we should just be able to answer with a simple “I’m fasting today.” My husband is learning not to ask anymore why I’m not eating…what he doesn’t know is that sometimes I don’t have what they’re having simply because I don’t like it…
Please join me tomorrow as I wrap this up.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
A Hunger for God…Through Fasting Part II
Why should we fast?
Dr. Whitney gives these reasons (and more in his book) as to why to fast:
1) It is ordained by God. In Matthew 6:16-17 it says: “And when you fast…But when you fast…” By giving us instruction on what to do and what not to do when we fast, Jesus assumes that we will fast.
2) To humble oneself before God. In Psalm 35:13; Ezra 8:21 “I humble myself through fasting”.
3) To strengthen our prayer. Nehemiah (in 1:4) “fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.”
4) To seek God’s Guidance. In Acts 14:23 Paul and Barnabas prayed and fasted before appointing elders in the churches they founded.
5) To express grief. After King Saul’s burial in 1 Sam 31:13 it says that they the men of Jabesh Gilead mourned and “fasted for seven days.”
6) To seek deliverance or protection. Queen Esther (in 4:16) said “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me.”
7) To overcome temptation and dedicate yourself to God. In Matthew 4:1-11 we’re told Jesus fasted for “forty days and forty nights”. He knew how Satan was going to tempt him and that’s how he prepared himself for the temptations to come.
Could you find any reason to fast?
As I mentioned before, my main reason for fasting was prayer. But with more reasons to fast, I have found myself increasing the number of days I fast per week - I’m hooked! While fasting, everything is magnified, becomes urgent, and captures my senses. My dull and boring prayers are suddenly revived with a great sense of love and care for the lost and God’s people. Overall, my sense of expectation and hope has been renewed through fasting. There has been a trickled down affect into other areas of disciplines like reading my Bible consistently and meditating on the Word.
Please join me Thursday as we tackle HOW to fast.
Dr. Whitney gives these reasons (and more in his book) as to why to fast:
1) It is ordained by God. In Matthew 6:16-17 it says: “And when you fast…But when you fast…” By giving us instruction on what to do and what not to do when we fast, Jesus assumes that we will fast.
2) To humble oneself before God. In Psalm 35:13; Ezra 8:21 “I humble myself through fasting”.
3) To strengthen our prayer. Nehemiah (in 1:4) “fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.”
4) To seek God’s Guidance. In Acts 14:23 Paul and Barnabas prayed and fasted before appointing elders in the churches they founded.
5) To express grief. After King Saul’s burial in 1 Sam 31:13 it says that they the men of Jabesh Gilead mourned and “fasted for seven days.”
6) To seek deliverance or protection. Queen Esther (in 4:16) said “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me.”
7) To overcome temptation and dedicate yourself to God. In Matthew 4:1-11 we’re told Jesus fasted for “forty days and forty nights”. He knew how Satan was going to tempt him and that’s how he prepared himself for the temptations to come.
Could you find any reason to fast?
As I mentioned before, my main reason for fasting was prayer. But with more reasons to fast, I have found myself increasing the number of days I fast per week - I’m hooked! While fasting, everything is magnified, becomes urgent, and captures my senses. My dull and boring prayers are suddenly revived with a great sense of love and care for the lost and God’s people. Overall, my sense of expectation and hope has been renewed through fasting. There has been a trickled down affect into other areas of disciplines like reading my Bible consistently and meditating on the Word.
Please join me Thursday as we tackle HOW to fast.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Hunger for God - Through Fasting
There’s been a revival in my spiritual life through fasting. Before, I’d been at best on “survival mode,” practicing here and there the spiritual disciplines of the faith. With the exhausting task of raising four little boys, the distractions and lack of energy left very little time for God. At best, I’d prayed and read my bible out of duty rather than obedience and faith. Sadly, I had lost my first love in Christ.
However, early this year I read a post on fasting that caught my attention immediately when it said “my hunger reminds me to pray…” I thought about this a lot and I concluded that if I had to starve myself to pray then that’s what I needed to do. Previously, fasting had been out of the question for I had been pregnant for a few years in a row and the rest of the time I was just trying to keep it together. As I watched parents struggling to influence their children to fear God and obey Him, I realized more and more that I needed to pray, and to pray with urgency as if my kids were going astray now. But I couldn’t fabricate those prayers; the need in my heart to pray that way just wasn’t there.
I knew fasting was to be done for spiritual reasons and reasons I had: The salvation of my children and others, and that really got me exited. I began to fast with what little I knew. But as time went on I had a sneaky suspicion that I needed to know more about it for I began to have all kinds of questions. One of them being; what was fasting in the first place? So I pulled out Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney and there it was plain and simple:
“…is a Christian’s voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes. It is Christian, for fasting by a non-Christian obtains no eternal value because the Discipline’s motives and purposes are to be God-centered. It is voluntary in that fasting is not to be coerced. Fasting is more than just the ultimate crash diet for the body; it is abstinence from food for spiritual purposes.”
Though I still have three kids in diapers fasting has enable me to attend to their needs while meditating, praying, and interceding for others in prayer. Hunger has caused me to get in tune with the Holy Spirit, if you will, and thus grow me spiritually.
Please join me tomorrow as we learn more about WHY we should fast.
However, early this year I read a post on fasting that caught my attention immediately when it said “my hunger reminds me to pray…” I thought about this a lot and I concluded that if I had to starve myself to pray then that’s what I needed to do. Previously, fasting had been out of the question for I had been pregnant for a few years in a row and the rest of the time I was just trying to keep it together. As I watched parents struggling to influence their children to fear God and obey Him, I realized more and more that I needed to pray, and to pray with urgency as if my kids were going astray now. But I couldn’t fabricate those prayers; the need in my heart to pray that way just wasn’t there.
I knew fasting was to be done for spiritual reasons and reasons I had: The salvation of my children and others, and that really got me exited. I began to fast with what little I knew. But as time went on I had a sneaky suspicion that I needed to know more about it for I began to have all kinds of questions. One of them being; what was fasting in the first place? So I pulled out Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney and there it was plain and simple:
“…is a Christian’s voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes. It is Christian, for fasting by a non-Christian obtains no eternal value because the Discipline’s motives and purposes are to be God-centered. It is voluntary in that fasting is not to be coerced. Fasting is more than just the ultimate crash diet for the body; it is abstinence from food for spiritual purposes.”
Though I still have three kids in diapers fasting has enable me to attend to their needs while meditating, praying, and interceding for others in prayer. Hunger has caused me to get in tune with the Holy Spirit, if you will, and thus grow me spiritually.
Please join me tomorrow as we learn more about WHY we should fast.
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