Life comes from death, this is the reason for Easter. That beauty and purpose comes from a seemingly worthless seed is the reflection of Christianity. No other god offers life so abundantly.
Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time. -Martin Luther
Easter Poem
He is worthy.
Not because of how he died, but because of how he returned to life
And brought with him life everlasting
He carried our sins with him to death
And left them there
The filthy rags we adorned ourselves in
Have been replace with robes of pure brilliance
He has made us worthy
He has made us worthy
Through him we have found ourselves
Wrapped in all he intends
Our eyes, once blinded by our own ambitions,
Now see the beauty designed for us
His purpose, brought to fruition through his sacrifice
Our purpose, found in his love
Our faults, now a seed buried in the ground of his forgiveness
Our past, now a beacon of hope for others
Through him we can live
We can live fully
He is worthy.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Friday, March 29, 2013
I obey right away
The other day Sam (my youngest, age 4) looked in the mirror and really saw himself, more specifically saw his ear, for the first time.
He was born with a weird earlobe, the lobe itself is kinda split...like two little lobes on one cute ear. He looked at it and GASPED, "It's broken!!!" Josh laughed and said, "Yeah, isn't it cool!" His little imperfection is cute and gives him character, but most flaws aren't like that. Especially those interior flaws.
Like, TWO years ago or something our church had a series in Children's Church called: I obey right away.
They covered that one topic for a few months. It was awesome!!!! Since then all I need to do is bend down and whisper, "I obey...". Without fail that child will (sometimes grudgingly) reply, "Right Away!" and off he goes...to put clothes away, or sweep, or put legos in the toy room.
Sometimes I give an instruction and the response is, "I don't want to!" To which I reply, "It doesn't matter what you want, what matters is that you obey. I obey..."
They are learning that obedience may be unpleasant, but it is not a choice. I hope it is always so easy for them to put aside their resistance and just do it...just do the right thing!
Recently I have been thinking about obedience in the adult life. As a child obedience is easy. It's expected, enforced; disobedience begets a swat or two (at least in this house). For a kid the consequence is clear cut and immediate. They choose wrong they get a negative result. Simple.
For an adult it's not so crystal. Consequence gets muddled by life. We don't see the result of our rebellion immediately and we deceive ourselves, thinking we have really gotten away with something. Sometimes the result takes years to catch up to our choice, but it always does, and when it does it may not be so obvious that the negative experience is a result of our previous action.
When we don't pay a mortgage payment we are not evicted... immediately.
When we steal from employers we are not fired...that day.
When we disrespect our spouse we don't get divorced...within that hour.
The worst thing about grown up consequence is the grown up pain. It is far reaching and destructive, effecting all of those around us as much as ourselves. Wouldn't you rather have a swat to the rear over an eviction?
I love my boys and want them to mature into self correction, self assessment, into men that see bad behavior in themselves and fix it. Right away! But am I doing that myself!!!???? It's amazing to me how having kids is the ultimate mirror. How you are raising them is a reflection of yourself! I am so challenged by this.
The bible likens itself to a perfect mirror. What the heck does that mean? We look into it and see ourselves like Sam saw himself, broken, needing healing. We see that repentance brings redemption. And with that redemption comes healing. And with that healing come a responsibility to obey His directions, to obey right away. We should see ourselves in the mirror the way Christ does, loved to death by Him.
If my boys can grow and consistently look into that mirror, see who they really are, tweak it if necessary, and continue on, then I will be a very happy momma.
James 1:25
New International Version (NIV)
25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Gay marriage on the dockett!!!
Do I support gay marriage? Does it matter?
I don't hate gay people, as a matter of fact I really love some of them. I am not afraid of them. I don't go around protesting them, or condemning them. I don't treat them differently because of what they do in their private lives. I just have this belief that the Bible is right and I am trying my darndest to live accordingly. It's a daily process...which is the only way I can do it...day by day..day by day...o dear Lord these things I pray...but I digress.
I don't hate gay people, as a matter of fact I really love some of them. I am not afraid of them. I don't go around protesting them, or condemning them. I don't treat them differently because of what they do in their private lives. I just have this belief that the Bible is right and I am trying my darndest to live accordingly. It's a daily process...which is the only way I can do it...day by day..day by day...o dear Lord these things I pray...but I digress.
I believe in an ideal. The "nuclear" family, dad, mom, kids, dog. You get the picture. Ironically, that marriage is made up of humans...therefore it's already flawed! Let's face it, it's not like Christians have corner on the healthy marriage market...over 50% of them are trying to get out of it themselves!! Without intentional, consistent effort it will fail.
What would Jesus say about it all? Probably to not be concerned about the government of today and to make sure your own heart is pure. He was more concerned with life after death than he was about life under Roman rule. The governments of today are passing, eternity is where it's at.
I have a little garden in this world to tend to. Josh and I are guardians of 4 soon-to-be men. We are responsible to train our boys according to the guidelines set up by God. And I figure that should start with the basics, the 10 Commandments.
1. No gods before God. We look to Him first.
2. No worship of things. We put Him above our jobs, our goals, our Wii.
3. No misusing God's name. It's special to Him..we don't debase it by making it a curse.
4. A day of rest. This is a hard one because life is pressing. But we must set aside special time for doing nothing...to enjoy each other and our lives.
5. Obey your parents. We really live by this.
6. No murder. You cannot steal someones life. War is different. Defending yourself is not murder.
7. No adultery.
8. No stealing. No sneaking food, no milking the clock at work, no cheating on taxes.
9. No false accusations against others.
10. No jealousy over what other people have. We are happy for people when they get good stuff.
I think this is a pretty good start and it's definitely enough to keep me busy. Busy enough to not concern myself with what our court system decides. What did Jesus say? Love God first and then treat others the way you want to be treated, love them like you love yourself. Do you love yourself? God?
According to our government we are all free to live as we see fit, providing that doesn't encroach on someone else's freedoms. I am not that free...I am bound to live according to how God sees fit because that is what I choose. Besides, I think He wants me to be happy, healthy, wealthy and wise. I hope we all feel accountable to the Higher power that is our Creator, but we are each responsible for our own ways.
You know in the Bible where it says to live at peace with all people? Well, that's where I'm at. People will do what they do, but I am accountable for myself and how I live.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
the Lord does provide!
I know a woman. For the purpose of this story she shall remain nameless. She was pregnant for almost 4 years straight and now has children running around her, constantly yelling and asking her for food. It sounds just miserable. But this 'friend' once told me a story about the Lord's provision and I think I should share it here... this is a safe place to share stories, right?
So one day she went to the home improvement store with her husband and her father. It was a blustery day and on the way they stopped at QT (QuikTrip) and she treated herself to a decadent hot chocolate. She was midway through her second pregnancy...that means she had a 7 month old at home.
There they were, in the lighting department, gazing above at the dazzling lights, and she, being the klutz she is, knocked over her hot chocolate, spilling it all over the concrete floor. Luckily there was only one other couple in the aisle, an older couple way down at the other end. Disappointment trumped embarrassment over the lost beverage and she immediately began to try to clean up her mess. She had nothing to clean up with! She had left her purse at home! She was at a total loss, but as she bent down to pick up the cup something caught her eye. It was a large white rag like item. Perfect! Then she noticed the waist band.
Immediately she recognized the rag for what it was, a pair of underwear, and thought, 'Seems legit, better use it to clean up my mess and toss it.'
Out loud she said, "I'll just use this to clean it up."
Her husband said, "No! They have people here that can do that!"
Her father said, "What I want to know is why is there a pair of underwear on the floor in the middle of the Home Depot." This was the most obvious question that needed to be answered, but according to my friend it was divine provision for such a time as this! (Before you judge, remember she was very very pregnant.)
The older couple noticed the commotion and came to see what was happening. The woman asked what had happened. She was advised of the accident and reassured that a pair of underwear was being used to clean the spill. She seemed very concerned that this pregnant woman would be using a mysterious and seemingly dirty pair of underwear to clean up hot chocolate.
"Are you sure you should be doing that honey?" she asked.
"Oh yeah, it's fine." my friend said.
The woman mused, "Seems strange that there would be underwear on the floor here."
My friend replied, "Well, the Lord does provide!" and continued her wiping. Amazingly enough the woman nodded and said, "Yes, Yes He does." Then she quickly walked away.
My friend finished her task, threw the now brown pair of undies on the bottom of her cart and quickly walked/waddled to the bathroom where she threw them away and vigorously washed her hands.
Returning to the lighting aisle she began laughing, thinking about all she had just experienced. When she looked up at her husband she whispered, "Those were MY underwear! They must have fallen out of my pant leg!" Too stunned to reply, he just let out a disbelieving scoff. He has since confessed that he was embarrassed for her (and maybe a little for himself seeing as he had chosen to marry her).
So remember, The Lord does provide...for all of our needs!!!
There they were, in the lighting department, gazing above at the dazzling lights, and she, being the klutz she is, knocked over her hot chocolate, spilling it all over the concrete floor. Luckily there was only one other couple in the aisle, an older couple way down at the other end. Disappointment trumped embarrassment over the lost beverage and she immediately began to try to clean up her mess. She had nothing to clean up with! She had left her purse at home! She was at a total loss, but as she bent down to pick up the cup something caught her eye. It was a large white rag like item. Perfect! Then she noticed the waist band.
Immediately she recognized the rag for what it was, a pair of underwear, and thought, 'Seems legit, better use it to clean up my mess and toss it.'
Out loud she said, "I'll just use this to clean it up."
Her husband said, "No! They have people here that can do that!"
Her father said, "What I want to know is why is there a pair of underwear on the floor in the middle of the Home Depot." This was the most obvious question that needed to be answered, but according to my friend it was divine provision for such a time as this! (Before you judge, remember she was very very pregnant.)
The older couple noticed the commotion and came to see what was happening. The woman asked what had happened. She was advised of the accident and reassured that a pair of underwear was being used to clean the spill. She seemed very concerned that this pregnant woman would be using a mysterious and seemingly dirty pair of underwear to clean up hot chocolate.
"Are you sure you should be doing that honey?" she asked.
"Oh yeah, it's fine." my friend said.
The woman mused, "Seems strange that there would be underwear on the floor here."
My friend replied, "Well, the Lord does provide!" and continued her wiping. Amazingly enough the woman nodded and said, "Yes, Yes He does." Then she quickly walked away.
My friend finished her task, threw the now brown pair of undies on the bottom of her cart and quickly walked/waddled to the bathroom where she threw them away and vigorously washed her hands.
Returning to the lighting aisle she began laughing, thinking about all she had just experienced. When she looked up at her husband she whispered, "Those were MY underwear! They must have fallen out of my pant leg!" Too stunned to reply, he just let out a disbelieving scoff. He has since confessed that he was embarrassed for her (and maybe a little for himself seeing as he had chosen to marry her).
So remember, The Lord does provide...for all of our needs!!!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
I long to belong.
Have you ever felt like you were made for something big? Something BIGGER than what you have?
I had a friend named Nathan. He was my husbands roommate for a while and my tenant. He was a Marine Reservist. He lived and breathed Marine life. He would cook a big pot of spaghetti, mix in a jar of sauce and eat out of it for a few days....from the stovetop. That spaghetti didn't need refrigeration, no sir, it just needed a thorough reheat to kill bacteria. We gave him a mattress, he slept next to it on the floor. He kept MRE's in the kitchen...and ate them on a regular basis. He had found something to live for.
He couldn't wait to be called to war, was disappointed every time his unit was passed by. But he finally got his chance. He was called. He couldn't wait to go to San Diego for training.
Life went on, he would call and tell Josh all about preparation in San Diego, how he had been promoted to Lance Corporal, how he had learned the language, he had found his fulfillment.
Nathan came to visit us before shipping out. He came by the house, left his extra supplies, and said goodbye. I remember giving him a big hug in the living room and all of the sudden it hit me and I said, "Oh my gosh Nathan, this could be the last time I see you!" He laughed and said, "Nah, don't say that Tarah, I'll be back." And then he was gone, off to another world. He loved the children in Iraq, loved the people. Loved the purpose he had there.
In the meantime our lives went on. We were newlyweds, settling into our futures and I became pregnant with our first child. One afternoon I was driving home from my favorite place, the library. I had just turned out onto Elm Place and was listening to AM radio when I heard the news. A local Marine had been killed in Iraq, "Cpl. Nathaniel T Hammond was killed today by an IED."
I was shocked.
And then I was at the same house where I had last seen him and my husband walked in and began to weep and we cried together in the same place where Nathan and I had said our last goodbyes. Then there was the doorbell and the news was at our home. We gave a short interview and I said Nathan had given his life the way he would have chosen. He had found what he was searching for, something bigger than himself to be apart of.
http://militarytimes.com/valor/marine-cpl-nathaniel-t-hammond/499407
I think we are all looking for that very thing, something bigger than us, better than our intentions, stronger than our own frailties. And we are wanting to join ourselves to it so that our lives are not as inconspicuous and forgetful as we are afraid they could be.
We join ourselves to a cause, to global warming, to gay rights, animal rights, human trafficking, whatever we like, and then hope, if only to ourselves, that we are important.
But this is a lie, the cause can never make us significant because a cause is manmade and that in and of itself makes it faulty. A cause can never be perfect or even good because mankind is neither perfect nor good! Even when the cause is divinely ordained, it is still prone to the human weaknesses and imperfections of its human leadership. We can only expect disappointment when we put our hopes in a man-run organization.
We cannot be found in a cause, we can only be found in our Maker. He gave his only son for us, and that sacrifice makes us significant. Do you believe that a perfect man, Jesus, would die for someone who was good? Who is worthy enough? He didn't, he died for us, for you and me, with all of our imperfections, and in doing so has given us worth.
He knew our addictions, our evil thoughts, our impure motives, our longing for satisfaction. He saw our greed, our ill intent, our dirty desires.
He hung there bloody, his skin torn from his body, his face swollen beyond human recognition, naked, with a mocking audience yelling at him. He witnessed our rejection, our betrayal of him and he did it anyway. Because he loves us that much and HE thinks we are worth his life. wow.
Us...worth his life.
I cannot fathom that grace. And I surely can't live up to it. I can only receive it, and say, "Thank You, Thank You sir. You have my life, HELP ME!!!! Help me to live it as You wish, and in doing so, finally belong."
I had a friend named Nathan. He was my husbands roommate for a while and my tenant. He was a Marine Reservist. He lived and breathed Marine life. He would cook a big pot of spaghetti, mix in a jar of sauce and eat out of it for a few days....from the stovetop. That spaghetti didn't need refrigeration, no sir, it just needed a thorough reheat to kill bacteria. We gave him a mattress, he slept next to it on the floor. He kept MRE's in the kitchen...and ate them on a regular basis. He had found something to live for.
He couldn't wait to be called to war, was disappointed every time his unit was passed by. But he finally got his chance. He was called. He couldn't wait to go to San Diego for training.
Life went on, he would call and tell Josh all about preparation in San Diego, how he had been promoted to Lance Corporal, how he had learned the language, he had found his fulfillment.
Nathan came to visit us before shipping out. He came by the house, left his extra supplies, and said goodbye. I remember giving him a big hug in the living room and all of the sudden it hit me and I said, "Oh my gosh Nathan, this could be the last time I see you!" He laughed and said, "Nah, don't say that Tarah, I'll be back." And then he was gone, off to another world. He loved the children in Iraq, loved the people. Loved the purpose he had there.
In the meantime our lives went on. We were newlyweds, settling into our futures and I became pregnant with our first child. One afternoon I was driving home from my favorite place, the library. I had just turned out onto Elm Place and was listening to AM radio when I heard the news. A local Marine had been killed in Iraq, "Cpl. Nathaniel T Hammond was killed today by an IED."
I was shocked.
And then I was at the same house where I had last seen him and my husband walked in and began to weep and we cried together in the same place where Nathan and I had said our last goodbyes. Then there was the doorbell and the news was at our home. We gave a short interview and I said Nathan had given his life the way he would have chosen. He had found what he was searching for, something bigger than himself to be apart of.
http://militarytimes.com/valor/marine-cpl-nathaniel-t-hammond/499407
I think we are all looking for that very thing, something bigger than us, better than our intentions, stronger than our own frailties. And we are wanting to join ourselves to it so that our lives are not as inconspicuous and forgetful as we are afraid they could be.
We join ourselves to a cause, to global warming, to gay rights, animal rights, human trafficking, whatever we like, and then hope, if only to ourselves, that we are important.
But this is a lie, the cause can never make us significant because a cause is manmade and that in and of itself makes it faulty. A cause can never be perfect or even good because mankind is neither perfect nor good! Even when the cause is divinely ordained, it is still prone to the human weaknesses and imperfections of its human leadership. We can only expect disappointment when we put our hopes in a man-run organization.
We cannot be found in a cause, we can only be found in our Maker. He gave his only son for us, and that sacrifice makes us significant. Do you believe that a perfect man, Jesus, would die for someone who was good? Who is worthy enough? He didn't, he died for us, for you and me, with all of our imperfections, and in doing so has given us worth.
He knew our addictions, our evil thoughts, our impure motives, our longing for satisfaction. He saw our greed, our ill intent, our dirty desires.
He hung there bloody, his skin torn from his body, his face swollen beyond human recognition, naked, with a mocking audience yelling at him. He witnessed our rejection, our betrayal of him and he did it anyway. Because he loves us that much and HE thinks we are worth his life. wow.
Us...worth his life.
I cannot fathom that grace. And I surely can't live up to it. I can only receive it, and say, "Thank You, Thank You sir. You have my life, HELP ME!!!! Help me to live it as You wish, and in doing so, finally belong."
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| Me, considering moose advocacy. |
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