3/7/2019 0 Comments Disney Culture: Why I will not be recommending Emily P. Freeman's "The Next Right Thing"
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Ha! You thought my title was going to be "Day 2".
Nope. I'm more creative than that. Just not yesterday. Also, this is not a blog post about the linens Jesus wrapped up in in the grave, or the tablecloth that adorned the table at the Last Supper, or the towel Pontius Pilate dried his hands on after washing them clean of Christ's blood, or anything super spiritual like that. This is a blog post about sorting through my linen closet during Lent... well... the day before Lent, but you know what I mean. Boring. Boring is what I mean. Boring... but beautiful. There is something beautiful in the mundane everyday that we tend to overlook. You probably only remember a handful of the meals your mother (or other caregiver) set before you growing up, but where you be without that life-sustaining food? You probably don't remember any of your pastor's sermons by heart, but where would you be without the Word of God being brought forth to your parched soul every week? You probably don't remember most of the everyday things that bring you life, but does that really make them any less beautiful? So, I'm sorting through a closet, in hopes that by making just this little nook in my house a little bit more beautiful, I am continuing the long line of mother after mother caring for her children and spreading just a little bit of Jesus everywhere I go. Of course... I forgot a before photo... oops. But do you remember the 2 giant baskets of linens that got taken out of the closet yesterday? That was about a third of what I had to work with. And when I opened the door of the linen closet, you know what was staring me in the face? Not white whites. Everyone says, "Just get white sheets so you can bleach them." I do, Karen. I do. They're still trying to pass themselves off as champagne at this point... not even trying for white anymore. So, off they went to get soaked in vinegar water for an hour.
And now... 6 hours later... they're still sitting there. Excuse me. I need to go deal with them.
Ok. I'm back. Sorry about that.
Anyway, next I decided to tackle the quilts. We have TONS! Brian's grandma has a quilting machine the size of a walk-in closet that she can use to write or draw whatever she wants into the quilts. So... we have a lot. I pulled out a few that I think were inherited from when Brian was a baby but weren't made by anyone special and are super 90s and not in a cute way. They're going to Goodwill (don't worry, he approved). Then I pulled out this quilt:
And here's where I had a real Marie Kondo moment...
See, I know it's really pretty. And it was made by some people at the camp Brian grew up attending. Plus, it's a gift from my in-laws. But it's waaaaaayyy too bright for me. It psychs me out every time and I literally cannot sleep if it's on the bed. My house has color, but in subdued tones because peace and safety are my top priority. It's just not us. So, I have convinced myself (and my husband agrees) that it is in the way of our happiness, not aiding it. I have decided to give it to my brother (who is never going to read this... and on the off chance he does, SURPRISE, BIZ!) and his wife for their first anniversary. Based on their wedding registry, I think they will love this. I pulled out a few hand-made baby blankets next:
I am in LOVE with these, and how there's one for a boy and one for a girl (although the blue one could go both ways). I am putting them in storage right now, however, because they are much too small for Nae-Nae. They are being lovingly placed with all the other baby stuff to be used as soon as God stops holding out on us.
Here's the pile of all the stuff not going back in the closet!! Most of it is headed to Goodwill as we got them lovingly used, and now they've been through too many babies to be worth it to keep.
And here's the finished product!
It looks kinda bare right now, but remember that all the white sheets are "now* in the washing machine. Plus, we're only keeping 3 sets of sheets for each of our 4 beds: 1 white set, 1 winter set, and 1 spring set. So my lightweight organic sheets are staying in the back with the linen sheets for the toddler beds, but the flannel and fleece sheets are out front or on the beds already. My pink diamond pillowcases are in the back with the spring stuff as well as they don't go well with my winter bedding. There are a few waterproof pads in the back for when we start Cade's pottytraining, as well as the playpen sheets for out travels. All in all, much more manageable and I found an anniversary present in the meantime! It's amazing what happens when you declutter! Oh, and this is the top of the linen closet. I have 6 towels, 4 hand towels, 4 standard washclothes, and 4 Norwex clothes in circulation at the moment, but obviously not all of them are currently clean. When I tackle the bathroom tomorrow, I intend to move anything I don't want the kids to be able to reach in here since we don't have any upper cabinets in that room. So stay tuned to see the *real* finished product! 3/4/2019 0 Comments Day 1Day 1 of my travel through Lent... and boy was it a doozy. First of all, I think we're all on the verge of coming down with something. My mother-in-law said there was influenza A in her classroom this week... let's hope that's not it. Anyway, I'm so totally zonked, and so are my kids. They did behave pretty well on account of it, but still. But, I was bound and determined! So as soon as I got the kids set up and got my worship music going, I tackled the closet. Uffda. Check this out: Maybe it doesn't seem all that bad, but it was stressing me out nonetheless. And it needed to be dealt with. The first thing I did was gather all the dirty laundry, as well as combine it with the rest from around the house. Have fun, Husband. I'm out! Next, I took out all the bedding I had ambitiously pulled into the closet to sort.... like 4 months ago. For now, it just needed to get out of the way. That's better! On to the stuff hanging in the back that never ever gets worn; in this case: Brian's Eagle Scout uniform, his pirate costume from Junior High we're still hanging on to for some reason, a bridesmaid dress that I have actually reworn once already and keep for super fancy occasions, and a dress I am absolutely in LOVE with and HAVE to wear... but haven't gotten invited to anything that would merit it's glory... In case you didn't catch the hint, PLEASE SOMEONE INVITE ME TO SOMETHING SO I CAN WEAR THIS DRESS!!!!!! Moving on to the land of the sane (who am I kidding?), next I pulled out my husband's sports coats and his "super spiffy" (as my toddler calls it) three-piece navy pin-stripe suit saved for extra special occasions. It's barely March, and this is Minnesota. He'll be wearing much warmer clothing than these for quite some time yet. This is that time of year when I start getting really jealous of all my friends in warmer climates and their new spring decor... I pull mine out on April Fools'. It seems appropriate. Here's another beauty I hang on to for no reason. Turns out, with my new diagnosis, I have to wear compression on my legs all day every day, and even with the wonderful invention of compression yoga pants that expands my options beyond tall stockings, how the heck are you supposed to style this dress with compression-wear underneath it? I'm waiting on a stroke of genius... Next I pulled out all of my husband's dress shirts, pants, ties, and belts excepting the 2 sets he decided to keep out with his suit. Don't judge him for the height of his stack. He's a seminarian. It comes with the territory. We don't have much hanging up for the kids, but I did pull out these two dresses that have been there for months for Nae-nae. The Christmas one got a wear out of it before it was too small, but the other one is surprisingly impossible to style. It's too poofy to put a sweater over, and the only dress shoes she has are black. I'm not about to go out and buy more clothing in order to make this dress work. They're both going to Once Upon a Child to help raise money for a new car. Phew! This is the spot in the basement where I put all of the hanging clothes we are purposefully keeping out of circulation for the time being. We agreed before all of this on the amount of items we would each need to get through a week, and to store all the rest of it in order to cut down on laundry and really get the most of the clothes that we're wearing. I have no idea how long this will last, but I'm excited to stop spending hours of my week addressing laundry. So here's the progress report. Doesn't look like much of a change since last picture, but you saw how much came off the closet rod. On to Brian's shoes. All the one's on the left are headed for the basement, and the ones on the right for the shoe closet along with the brown shoes he was wearing at class during this whole escapade. No more shoes in the closet! Does anyone get keeping shoes in the closet? I don't. You wear slippers around the house, don't you? If you keep shoes upstairs, then they have to sit on the rug downstairs for awhile first before all the snow or mud dries up, and then you have to carry them all the way upstairs. So many extra inefficient steps. What a big old pile of nope! See that! That is the pile of my husband's clothes after I asked him to pare down. Apparently, we have different definitions. Thankfully, we talked about it more in detail on the way home from visiting family this weekend, and we came to a consensus: The goal was to cut down our clothes in everyday circulation to what we could wear in a week with the primary goal of being able to put away all the clothes without folding (except his sweaters). The kids and I were already at that point, simply because our sizes are changing so frequently we don't have a lot of time to accumulate. But he's been the same size for over 10 years now, so it was a bit of a chore. But, we did it! Woo-hoo!! Ugh, life is going to be easier already! And there you have it, folks! The finished product! Well... there's still these... ...but we'll save those for another day.
As Lent 2019 approaches, I am overwhelmed... In this world, there are so many voices, so many opinions, so many "right" ways to do things. And yet... do you ever really know which is right? Yes, I know Jesus is my Savior. That's not what I'm talking about, thank goodness. If there is one thing I am sure of, and have been as long as I can remember, is that God is who He says He is and I need Him. And know I know I have Him, another thank goodness. No, I'm talking about the little things in life; the little questions that riddle our lives. I'm so glad, this year, to have joined up as part of the Launch Team for Emily P. Freeman's upcoming book, "The Next Right Thing", and I know that will offer me many answers to the questions I have been asking. But I also know that my life is too cluttered to really pay attention. The input is relentless, so for Lent, I'm cutting it off and out. I'm cutting social media... for the most part. I made a commitment to Emily's team, and many people only have my FB contact info, so I will be checking in from time to time in order to fulfill my duty to my neighbor. I also intend to share this journey, but since I can do so without actually opening my social media accounts, I'm not exactly counting it. 0 social media input sounds amazing right now. I don't need everyone and their great aunt telling me what to do with my life. I'm cutting all the gurus. Marie Kondo is my favorite, Myquillyn Smith touches my heart, and there are so many other people I listen to usually that I fully intend to reengage with. But I need to figure out what is right for my family without feeling constricted by how the experts say to do it (even though I'm fully aware that my feeling that way from their books is a me thing, not a them thing). I cutting a LOT of things out of my life on a temporary basis; mainly my personal aspirations of being non-toxic, zero waste, minimalist, etc. Today, I just need to be me. In order to get a rhythm of life figured out, I am making everything I can as easy as possible so I can truly focus on grounding one thing at a time. Disposable flatware, paper plates, meals out of a box or a can, repetitive meal plans, are just the beginning of where I'm going. I've loaded up my youtube playlists with kids' books being read aloud, queued Daniel Tiger to play for hours on Prime, filled the bathroom with disposable diapers and stacks of footie jammies, and all the Cheerios are sitting waiting to be devoured. I'm starting with the physical clutter in order to gain confidence in the mental and spiritual clutter, and in order to clear space for the life we actually were made to live rather than the one the world foists upon us. I am going to follow Marie Kondo's order of decluttering simply because it's step-by-step... but I'm downright ignoring everything else she said. Again, no gurus. Just me and Jesus and my family. Let's see where this takes us. Today is the second day of the Philippians 4:8 Challenge, where we spend 8 days focusing on the virtues God calls us to think on in order to ease our anxieties and keep our minds in the right place.
Today being Day 2. we are focusing on the word, "Noble". For me, nobility means to do the right thing in such a way that is above and beyond expectation. One may change a dirty diaper, for example, but rarely would such a thing be called "noble". It is just what is expected of a parent or caretaker. To do something noble is to stand out, to call attention to a greater truth, to demonstrate the Divine nature of God mirrored in us. What is noble for one person may be downright evil for another, but in order for it to be noble, it must be a visible and active way of standing for what is right. So what is nobility? Standing for what is right. Standing for the rights of the unborn child is noble. Standing for the rights of the battered and abused mother is noble. Standing for the rights of the poor man on the street is noble. Standing for the rights of those who have been blessed with great wealth and responsibility is noble. Standing for the rights of those who believe in Christ is noble. Standing for the rights God has mandated for every human being is noble. Standing for Christ is noble. Nobility is doing the right thing, even if you are doing it alone, even if you are persecuted for it, even if you are killed for it, Ultimately, nobility is giving up all your rights, even your very life, for the salvation of those who are screaming for your destruction. May we always remember that what is right is always bigger than what is our right, and that standing for what is right may cause many wrongs to be committed against us. But may we also remember that what is right will last forever, as so will all who stand with it. I have become one of those people who usually avoids social media challenges like the plague. Why? I don't always remember to brush my teeth everyday, let alone post on social media. Because... mom life. For reals, y'all.
BUT this time, I kinda had to. My struggles with anxiety and depression have lead me all kinds of places I never thought I would go, but sometimes they bring me back home and allow me to see it in a new light. In this case, my mind was totally blown after realizing all of the things I had just learned about cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety are summed up in Philippians 4:5-9: "The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence. if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Seriously... mind BLOWN! These verses are exactly what a person with anxiety can do to deal with the root causes and destructive thought patterns that perpetuate the problem. I have been writing these verses out every day as part of my devotion time for a couple weeks now, and just that alone has helped so much with getting my mind in the right place. And this challenge, started by Debi Zahn (www.instagram.com/debizahn/), focuses on one of each of the virtues in verse 8 for 8 days. I am super excited about it! And without further ado: Whatever is good: God is good all the time. And all the time, God is good. Yes. I know it's cliche. But who knew it would take 25 years for me to get it. The only aspect of God's goodness that I got up until recently was that everything is working according to His plan. The aspect that C. S. Lewis speaks to in his book, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe": "Course he isn't safe. But he's good." I heard this quote all the time, but it never rang right in my head. It just sounded like a really lame way of saying, "God does what is best. Who cares if it sucks for you." And "best" was another code word for "best for everyone ever, even if you have to bear the brunt of it all." Kind of like it's portrayed in the song in "Prince of Egypt": "So how can you see what your life is worth or where your value lies? You can never see through the eyes of man. You must look at your life; look at your life through heaven's eyes." For me, "God is good" meant God is looking out for the good of all mankind, and most especially for those who love Him. For some people, maybe even most, that means that good things happen to them all the time. But, for some, they just have to deal with all the crap, and it will mean something great someday. And those who complain about their lot in life just don't get it and need to get their hearts in the right place. I didn't see God as malicious, just as someone who acknowledged that some people's lives have to suck for the good of all mankind. Best illustration I can think of is casting roles in a play. You may have someone who is really really really good at a favorite part and better than anyone else at it, but they're also the only person who can pull off a critical role. So you give the favorite to someone else, and cast the better actor where you need him. It's not that you don't like them, but someone has to be the scapegoat. That's how life works. To be honest... I'm not totally over this yet. I don't think I ever will be. The idea that one day something in us changes and nothing is ever the same is for Hollywood and over-eager Revivalists. Total victory over sin and sinful thoughts doesn't happen this side of Heaven. Every day is a moment-by-moment walk of stepping out in faith, despite our disbelief and our unworthiness, and doing the next right thing even if everything in our being is screaming at us to stop. This is why God's mercies are new every morning. This is why we called to forgive our neighbors unconditionally, even if they don't seem truly repentant. This is why Jesus forgave all sins for all time on the Cross. This is why unconditional love can exist. That being said, however, God is beginning to work in my heart to show me that I am not one of many in His eyes. That I am not the scapegoat for the world, but Christ was. That I don't have to see myself as a sacrifice that no one really minds sacrificing. He's showing me that He made me for more than bearing burdens for others so they never see the damage they're wrecking by their behavior. I don't know where I got all my crazy ideas. God isn't a narcissist who blames me for everything that is going wrong in His world. God isn't bipolar: pleased with me one moment and livid with me the next. God isn't waiting to point out all the ways I messed up and ignoring everything I do right. God doesn't treat me different depending on how I act. God isn't the abusive jerk I thought He was. God is good. God wants what is best for me. God has wept along with my every tear, ached along with my every heartbreak, been there for me when I was abandoned, stayed true to me when I was betrayed, held me in His arms when I quaked at the thought of human touch... He has always always been good. So, yes. It may seem cliche. But.. God is good, all the time. And all the time, God is good. 12/6/2018 0 Comments Life is a journeyLife is a journey.
Yeah... sure... maybe I ought to be considered a total philosophical newb for this to hit me for the first time tonight... but hang with me here. See, in life, or at least here in America, we get this picture in our heads of "someday": "Someday" life will be better. "Someday" things will be different. "Someday" life will be stable. "Someday" all my dreams will come true. And we think of "someday" as a destination, a stopping stop where we can rest for years of glorious peace. But, that's not how life works, is it? Just when things start to look up and you start to find a solid footing on which to build the foundation of your "Someday", something comes along and rips it right out from underneath your feet. And, so, you find yourself once again walking begrudgingly down the road towards the ever-elusive destination of which you have dreamed ever since you can remember. You think to yourself, "I was so close!" or "I thought I had it this time..." or "Will this ever stop?" In this life, no. No, "Someday" will not arrive while you are still alive. No, you won't ever reach that destination. No, things will never stop changing. They were never meant to. There are no rest stops on the road of life. You're either growing, or you're dying. That's all there is to it. There are no utopias this side of Heaven. And praise the Lord for that! If we found our "Someday"s here on Earth, we would be done. Done with walking, done with growing, done with needing Jesus. Our hearts would be at home in this dark and miserable place, and we would be lost to the redemptive work of Christ. And even those who think that they have found their happy place here are only fooling themselves. This world is not our home. This world has no "Someday" for us. This world is nothing but a road from our beginning to our eternity. Every moment, change comes into our lives and pushes us ever further in our journeys. Every moment, something new is coming toward us, waiting to see if we are open to the adventure. Every moment, we are reminded that the true and ultimate "Someday" is waiting for us on the other side. Maybe a road is not even the right analogy, because people stop on roads all the time. Think instead of a river: a great and mighty river that is always flowing and always changing. No matter how hard you try to swim against the tide, it will still move you; it will still change you. The current ever pulls you along whether or not you like it. Might as well enjoy the ride, right? How? By remembering that the great "Someday" is coming. Our perfect life where our hearts are full to bursting, wanting for nothing,when our souls cry for joy and our bodies ache no more, this day is coming for us. We don't have to work for it, we don't have to earn it, we don't have to slave away to know it will be our's. It is promised to all in the faith, not by our merits, but by Christ alone. So let go of all the things you think you need to badly in this life. Stop yearning for ultimate satisfaction this side of Heaven. You won't find them! By the pure and utter grace of God, you won't find them! But you will find peace. You will find joy. You will find contentment. While all of space and time is slipping past, trying to steal them from you, these things will be your's forever. And with them, you walk this journey called life, no longer straining to see a comfortable wayside to park, but knowing that every step you take on this road brings you closer to the destination waiting for you to enjoy for all eternity. Embrace the change. Savor the steps. Enjoy the journey. And rest in the promise of eternal peace. Our culture only cares about one thing: Sex. We, as a Church, are rightfully afraid of that… …so we make it all about sex. While the culture is teaching young people that sex is a necessary and natural part of everyday teenage life, we spend hours preaching about how abstinence and purity are the right way to go. While the culture tells young girls that they own their bodies and should be able to do and dress however they like, we create seminar after seminar on modesty and chastity. While the culture is raving about the wonders of unfettered sex lives, we rant about how the marriage bed is a sacred and beautiful place. In the end, we’re all just thinking about sex. Don’t you think maybe there’s something wrong with that? “Well… teenage hormones!” you reply Yes. Puberty and the glories of God-given sex drive do play a large part in this. But can one really attribute the 4 year-old coming home and talking for hours about her “crush” to puberty? Can one honestly ascribe the 11 year-old “couple” having sex under the junior-high bleachers to teenage hormones? Are we really going to blame the tired elderly man heading to the doctor for a refill on his blue pills simply because he’s afraid his wife will leave him if he can’t “put out” on adolescent sex drive? And even when we contribute things to hormones, do these hormones suddenly render young people incapable of thought? We just assume sex will happen, so we might as well make it as enjoyable and safe for them as we can. We just assume that if a couple can’t keep their hands off each other, then they should get married rather than considering that such childish single-minded stubborn inability to show restraint is probably the very last thing to build a marriage upon and the very first thing that will tear them apart. We just assume that the problem is hormones, not our way of thinking. Contrary to popular opinion, this sex obsession we have in our culture is just that, culture. It’s not universal to mankind, it’s not naturally hard-wired into us, it’s not just the way things are. It’s systemic. It’s created and encouraged by the way our society thinks. And we’re no better. Even as Christians, the first thing we think about ourselves is our sexual status. If we’re not married, there’s something wrong with us. If we’re not in a relationship, there’s really something wrong with us. If we’ve never had a relationship… well… We also identify by our sexual orientation (or whatever term you want to use for it). Being straight is a fundamental part of our lives, and we will stoop to crazy levels to maintain loyalty to other straight people and ostracize homosexuals as though they are their own special brand of sinner. It’s gotten to be so bad that being single has become a statement, rather than just a part of life. Whether you’re “waiting for the right one” or whatever it is you say, you have to come up with some super pious justification for not holding hands with someone when you walk into church on Sunday just to pass the scrutiny of your peers and avoid getting matched with Mrs Tibb’s “wonderful grandson.” Since when did our sexual organs and the regular use of them become something that defined us? Don’t believe me? What dominates the conversation in every political debate, every caucus, every presidential election? Birth control, marital rights, sexual abuse allegations, abortion, and women’s rights (almost universally referring to sexuality). What is the #1 most controversial issue in the public school? Sex ed. What is the moment all parents dread the most? Breaching the sex barrier in conversation. What is the first thought all people think of when they think of teenagers? Sex. The list goes on, and the answer is always the same. No, I am not going all Freudian here. I don’t think human nature is sex-obsessed. I just think American culture is. So, what do we do about it? Stop talking about sex? That would be dumb. It’s societal, it’s cultural, it’s ingrained into our mind deeper than you could possibly imagine. The only thing that comes from not addressing sex is rampant hidden sex. People who don’t talk about sex with their kids are setting their children up for sexual abuse (both as victims and abusers). That’s not to say that sexual abuse is ever the fault of anyone other than the perpetrator, but that there are things parents can do to help protect their children and talking about sex at an age-appropriate level is the main one. So what do we do? We start talking about what really defines a person. See our culture is starving; starving for love, starving for worth, starving for purpose. And right now, we’re finding all of that in sex. Where should we be finding it? If you gave the Sunday School answer, you would be correct. But take a break, pause, think. Don’t just gloss over this as cliché, because it is SO not. We should be finding it in Jesus. Hold on a second. Bear with me here. Before the beginning of time, before there was anything, there was God. And before He did anything, He thought of you. He saw your smile, your dreams, your passions, and He danced for joy. His heart beat with the anticipation of meeting you. And with you in His heart, He created life. He made light by simply speaking it into being. He created the world, and all the glory on it. He thought of everything beautiful and crafted it Himself so that you could enjoy it. He made the first man and the first woman and loved them with His whole heart. He walked with them, and He talked with them. They were His. But one day, they betrayed Him. They chose power over Him, not realizing they were giving up the best thing in the entire Universe. And, in that moment, everything broke. The world, mankind, God’s very heart. And He wept. He had a plan to save them. He had a plan to save you. But He wept for what He had lost: His most beloved children. And, with tears in His eyes, He set that plan in motion. His plan to save you, Dear Heart, costs you nothing. But it cost Him everything. It cost Him thousands of years preparing mankind for His coming, it cost Him coming down from the perfect place He called home to walk this Earth among broken, bitter people in a broken, bitter world. In the end, it cost Him His very life. He died to save you. He, who saw everything about you, all the terrible things you would do and say, died for you. If He, who knows you better than you know yourself, proved you are worthy of sacrificing everything for… why do you think you need to sell yourself to another for approval? If He, the One who holds all things in His hand, made you just the way you are with joy in His heart… why do you think you are anything less than astonishingly beautiful? If He, who waited till the fullness of time to place you here for such a time as this, who gave you your dreams and passions and desires to bring about glorious things only you can do, who has given you everything you need to shine like a star in the Universe, has said your purpose is complete in Him… why do you seek to fill your emptiness with the faltering flicker of human love? No lover could ever complete you, for, in Christ, you already are. No partner could ever give you purpose, for your purpose lies in Christ alone. You don’t have to get married, for Jesus has made you complete. You don’t have to have relationships, for Jesus has made you complete. You don’t have to have sex, for Jesus has made you complete. You are ALL you need to be in Him. He has given you everything you need for the greatest most glorious joy, love, and satisfaction that is beyond your wildest dreams. Why? Because He loves you. He loves you desperately. He loves you just the way you are, and NOTHING will ever change that. THIS is life, and THIS is life in abundance. Imagine how much different life would be in our society if we truly believed that. Imagine how much different life would be if our churches really believed that. Imagine how much different life would be if our families really believed that. Imagine how much different life would be if you believed really that. 9/23/2018 0 Comments The Most Important QuestionThere is one question that must be answered before all others. On this question hinges all truth, all reason, all knowledge, and all love. Above this question, there is no other, and it is the basis of all things: Is God who He says He is? Or, to put it another way, is the Word of God, in Its original text, wholly inspired by God and entirely without error? Any knowledgeable Christian will acknowledge some degree of errors in translation, although we have more historical collaboration of the Word of God than we do that Julius Caesar even existed, over 10 times the documented evidence of every word of the Canon than we do of Homer’s Iliad or even Beowulf, and there is an overwhelming drop-off in history and documentation from these historically indisputable words to those who try to piggy-back on Divine Inspiration. Any knowledgeable Christian will also acknowledge differences in interpretation. But this is not what we are addressing here. The question is: is the Word of God Itself inerrant? There are 2 answers to this question. That’s it. Either the answer is Yes, without qualification… Or it is No. And if the answer is No, in any way shape or form, then God is not who He says He is. Who is He? There is no objective answer. As soon as a person places themselves above the Word of God, they have made themselves their own god. They are now the arbiters of truth. There is no objective standard, no baseline, no way of proving anything. There is just opinion. Opinion is fine. There is nothing wrong with opinions. It is my opinion that Starbucks coffee tastes terrible, but Caribou is a God-send of immense delight. But that is just my opinion. It is no basis for truth. They teach children the difference between opinion and fact in second grade… or, at least, they did when I was of school age. The same is true of defining truth by your own standards. When you determine truth, you have nothing to stand on, no one to back you, and… honestly… in the end… no one who cares. If they disagree with you, they can just say, “Well, that’s just your opinion.” And they would be totally justified in doing so. It is impossible to determine truth on your own. What is your name? You don’t know this of yourself, but only by what people have told you and a document someone else made. When were you born? Same dilemma. Who are your parents? Hmm… If you don’t even know who you are on your own, how can you determine the Universe? You can’t. In order for something to be categorically true, it has to match up to a standard. You have the freedom to chose any standard you want, but you can never know it to be the real one. But, unlike any other standard, the Word of God choses you. It comes to you through the Holy Spirit by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ through the mercy of the Father. It takes your entire outlook on life, and changes it. And It declares Itself to be: “breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” -2 Timothy 3:16-17 You don’t have to wonder if It is true because It says It is. Either you believe that, or you don’t. Either God said it, and so it is… Or it isn’t, and that’s just your opinion. 1/19/2018 0 Comments Reflections on MotherhoodA Baby Shower Devotion Standing up here, there are a lot of things I’m not going to tell you:
I’m not going to tell you all about how kids are… interesting little creatures who have a certain inclination towards sugar and driving their mothers insane. I’m sure you’ve already heard enough horror stories to make a person wonder why anyone ever had children, and yet… here you are. The truth of parenting is, just as Jesus endured the Cross for the joy set before Him, you too would do anything for the little joy literally sitting right in front of you…covered from head to toe in peanut butter. And even though there will be hard days, someday you’ll look back on these years and wish you could do it all over again… or, at least, that’s what they tell me. I’m not going to tell you the practical steps to raising a happy, healthy, well-adjusted kid because the last thing you need is another mother telling you that your child needs to be raised in a minimalist environment… while wanting for nothing. Gluten free… except all the cookies and cake and pizza that every happy child deserves. Screen free… except all the hyper educational shows that are really just…. hyper cheesy. Everyone is already giving you their opinion on how you should raise your kid, and you’re probably going insane. The reality is, there are some days where keeping your children alive is a challenge (trust me, I have two busy boys), and… well… I don’t think a single woman in here would consider themselves totally happy, healthy, or well-adjusted, let alone all three. Our mommas loved us and raised us the best they knew how, and that is really what every child needs. I am going to tell you that there will come a day where it seems like the entire world is coming to an end, you did absolutely nothing right, and you wonder if you’re really the best mother for your child. You’re going to look back on his or her life and see all the times you failed, all the times you fell, all the times you thought more of yourself than of them… and despair. And on that day, I want you to be able to look back on today and remember this: Jesus loves your little baby so much more than you ever could, and He gave them to you. From the beginning of time, God knew all the ways you were going to fail, and yet He knew that the best momma your baby could possibly have… is you. You with all your quirks and foibles, your strengths and weaknesses, your likes and dislikes… you are the best mother for your child. Just the way God made you. Don’t get me wrong. That doesn’t mean you won’t mess up. What it does mean is God will use your failings to make them stronger, to form them into images of Himself. Hasn’t He already promised that He works all things together for the good of those who love Him? Just as God used Joseph’s brothers selling him into slavery to make him into the person to save all of Israel, so will God use your mistakes to do great things. The best mom for your child is you. Hold on to that. Embrace that. Remember that. That moment when you feel tempted to be someone else, to try to be just like THAT mom (you know… the one that everyone looks up to totally unaware of her own faults and mistakes), remember that God made you you (you know… the one that everyone looks up to totally unaware of her own faults and mistakes), remember that God made you you, just the way you are, to glorify Him and fulfill the purpose He has for you, which includes being a mom. Yes, He has a lot of work to do on you yet, just as He does with all of us. But that work won’t change who you are. You are you, and all of that pruning will be to take away the things in your life that keep you from shining bright for Him. So, be yourself and love yourself for Christ’s sake. He loves you enough to sacrifice everything for you! Who are you to tell you that you’re not lovable? Take time to discover your strengths so you can soar. Time to discover your weaknesses so you can grow and ask for help. Time to learn what makes you smile. Often, we get so caught up in being who we think everyone wants us to be that we forget who we are… and therefore lose sight of the glorious plans God has for us. There is a victory for Satan in convincing someone that they are not lovable and to be someone else, for then the plans God has for them sit on the sidelines waiting for them to come home. Sometimes, we just need to take some time to find ourselves again, like Julia Roberts in “Runaway Bride” trying every possible way of cooking eggs to find her favorite. As Dr. Seuss famously said, “You are you. That is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.” Jesus loves you, Jesus loves your baby, and Jesus gave you to each other. |
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