Know this, my beloved brothers: let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak, & slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. -- James 1:19-20
I've often heard people claim a "life verse" for themselves. I'm not so sure I like that concept, because of its implication that this is a particularly special verse, when in fact all of Scripture is God-breathed &, therefore, special. That being said, I do know that there are verses that seem to come up again & again in our lives. There are verses, chapters, & even whole books that I turn to again & again for comfort, for peace, for reassurance, for strength, for correction, etc. James 1:19-20 are two verses that I go to repeatedly because I can often be the exact opposite of what they call me to be. A fact that I need to be reminded of so that I can repent -- turn the other way & behave contrary to the way my flesh wants me to behave.
"Be quick to hear". How often am I not really listening to my husband, mother, sister-in-law? How often do I hear what they're saying (as in, "am cognizant of the words that are being spoken"), but not really listening to what they're saying (as in "giving careful thought & consideration to the words that are being spoken")? How often am I busy formulating my answer, my rebuttal, my example from my own life? I need to silence the thoughts that are whirling around in my head while others are speaking. I need to give them my undivided attention, just as I want them to do for me. After all, how can I really minister to others if I'm not doing this?
Have you ever asked someone - pointedly - to listen to you? I have, & I had a revelation this morning that when I do that, my meaning is sometimes - often? - not just "listen to me", but "do what I'm saying". When I am giving my opinion on how I think my husband should handle a particular situation, I can often become quite adamant that he "listen to me" when it becomes apparent that he's going to handle it differently than I'm suggesting. It struck me this morning that him choosing another way doesn't mean he's not listening to me. It means he doesn't agree with me. . .& that's okay! Maybe instead of focusing so strenuously on being heard, I should apply this verse & be the listener. How much angst in life would be alleviated by simply following this one command in Scripture -- "be quick to hear"?
"Be...slow to speak". *Sigh* I am one of those people that struggles not to pop off at the mouth whenever something irritates me. In evaluating my speech, I've also noticed that, in addition to speaking rashly & angrily, I can easily revert to:
-conceitedly speaking of just myself (dominating a conversation)
-pridefully boasting about some accomplishment or spiritual insight
-talking too much
-gossiping
Now, that's not to say that my speech always falls into one of these categories, but it often can if I'm not careful. Sometimes, I don't give much thought to what I want to say or what effect my words will have; I just say it. And, I just have to say, that each & every time I do this, I regret it. In being slow to speak, I'm to give careful consideration to my words. I'm not to simply say the first thing that I think of. I'm to step back, especially in an emotionally-charged situation, read Scripture, meditate on it, & pray before entering into dialogue. Then, when I do speak, my words are to be "gracious, seasoned with salt" (Col. 4:6), not rash or harsh. And, of course, my words should show that I have the Spirit living in me, so the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control, & gentleness should be ever-present when I speak. My mother (& others, I'm sure) has said that God gave us 2 ears & 1 mouth because we're supposed to listen more than we speak. Another Scripture verse that comes to mind here is Proverbs 10:19, which says that "when words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent." Lord, help me be slow to speak!
"Be...slow to anger". Now, this is a sore spot. I have quite a temper. Of course, I'd like to blame my pedigree (Scotch-Irish, German, & Comanche is not a good combination if you want to be one of those even-tempered people). However, I know that the real culprit is me; I'm sinful, bottom line. It is a fact that some people have a temperament that is more disposed toward anger; I anger much more easily than Michael. He's much more laid back that I am. I don't know how in the world he just lets things roll right off him, but he does. I'm the opposite. I'll get my hackles up faster than lightning over even the littlest thing. I am thankful that God blessed me with a more even-tempered husband because he's a wonderful model for me. He's used in God's sanctification of me in this area regularly. I used to just dismiss my temper as a part of my personality that didn't really matter much & certainly wasn't sin. Typically, I believed that the fault lay with the person whose behavior angered me. The only problem is that God's Word says differently. According to this very verse, I should be slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. I want to be righteous, I want to reflect my Lord. So, that means that I can't get angry at the drop of a hat. As a matter of fact, I shouldn't ever allow unrighteous anger to bubble up. The problem for me is that I can't do anything but that; I'm absolutely helpless to do anything but that! I'm so grateful to God, though, because whereas I can't overcome my temper, God can & is sanctifying me so that progressively fewer things elicit an angry response from me. There is no way that I could possibly white-knuckle it & change. So, I'm exceedingly thankful that He's doing that work in me, & I really look forward to the day when He's perfected me & I am finally cleansed from all my sin, including anger!
As always, I want to be very clear here, that in no way, shape, or form does adhering to this verse - or any verse - earn my favor with God. There is nothing that I could ever do apart from Christ that would please God & save me from His wrath toward my sin. Even if I never failed to listen & was always slow to speak & anger, God would not be pleased with me if I strove to do this apart from Christ. The only way that I am saved is through the perfect life, propitiating death, & bodily resurrection of my Lord Jesus Christ. He earned my salvation & granted me faith. . .& He will keep me in that faith. "For those whom He predestined He also called, & those whom He called He also justified, & those whom He justified He also glorified"! (Romans 8:30)
*Our most gracious heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. Thank You that You've given us a way to know You -- to know who You are, to know what You're like, to know how You relate to us, to know Your Son whom You sent to redeem us from our sin so we could be Your children. Thank You for the gift of Your Word, the gift of Your Son, the gift of You. Conform us into Your image. Help us to cherish & wield the Sword of the Spirit to kill sin in our lives. We love You, Lord. Help us to love You more. In Christ's holy name we pray, Amen.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Recipe of the "Week"
Okay, so, this recipe's name is misleading. In my family, we call it "BBQ Hamburger", even though there's no BBQ sauce involved. It's really more like a Sloppy Joe, but I guess we had to get all cutesy & original. Blame it on Granny; it's her recipe.
Ingredients:
-1 lb. ground meat
-1 small chopped onion
-1/2 c. ketchup
-2 T Worcestershire
-2 T prepared mustard
-1 tsp. sugar
-1 c. boiling water
Directions:
- In a large skillet, cook meat thoroughly until it turns a nice brown & is very crumbly. (I don't like big gobs of meat, so I chop mine up finely while it's cooking. It's a personal preference, but it does make the meat go further, as well.)
-Add the chopped onions & cook until they are clear. (I chop these up finely in my little hand-held Cuisinart chopper; I don't like big gobs of vegetables any more than meat!)
-Add all other ingredients to the meat & onions & combine thoroughly.
-Simmer with lid on until done to a spooning consistency. It will darken & firm up while it's cooking. (As a side note, if you don't have a lid - like me - a splatter guard works beautifully.) Remember to stir occasionally as it's "drying out" to prevent sticking.
-Toast your bread or buns & serve open-faced or like a hamburger.
-Don't forget your fries!
This is a wonderful summer-time meal, especially if you make home-made ice cream for dessert. Just remember to invite us, too! ;-)
BBQ Hamburger
-1 lb. ground meat
-1 small chopped onion
-1/2 c. ketchup
-2 T Worcestershire
-2 T prepared mustard
-1 tsp. sugar
-1 c. boiling water
Directions:
- In a large skillet, cook meat thoroughly until it turns a nice brown & is very crumbly. (I don't like big gobs of meat, so I chop mine up finely while it's cooking. It's a personal preference, but it does make the meat go further, as well.)
-Add the chopped onions & cook until they are clear. (I chop these up finely in my little hand-held Cuisinart chopper; I don't like big gobs of vegetables any more than meat!)
-Add all other ingredients to the meat & onions & combine thoroughly.
-Simmer with lid on until done to a spooning consistency. It will darken & firm up while it's cooking. (As a side note, if you don't have a lid - like me - a splatter guard works beautifully.) Remember to stir occasionally as it's "drying out" to prevent sticking.
-Toast your bread or buns & serve open-faced or like a hamburger.
-Don't forget your fries!
This is a wonderful summer-time meal, especially if you make home-made ice cream for dessert. Just remember to invite us, too! ;-)
Friday, May 21, 2010
Kate Rusby - Who Will Sing Me Lullabies
This was my very first exposure to Kate Rusby, & I fell instantly in love. Her songs either make me sigh with contentment, cry from the sad story, laugh at the silliness, or gush over how adorable she is. She has such a pure, sweet voice, & I love her vibrato & the way she trills her notes. And have I mentioned her accent?! I positively love her!
Now that you've heard this song, check out a few of my other favorites from Kate: Fare Thee Well (live), Blooming Heather (the 7-minute-long version), Falling, Canaan's Land, The Yorkshire Couple (live), & Let Me Be (below).
Kate Rusby - Let Me Be
I go around the house "la-la-la"ing constantly when I've listened to this song. Careful, or you will, too! (It's okay, though, it's a good thing!)
Saturday, May 15, 2010
A Proverbs 31 Woman
-funny (she makes me laugh all the time)
-beautiful (I mean, just look at the picture!)
-loving (she loves fiercely, not only emotionally, but in action as well)
-smart (this speaks for itself)
-wise (she knows how to handle situations & people in the most amazing way!)
-sacrificial (she'll give anything she has to in order to meet the needs of others)
-fun (she's just fun to be around, even when we're doing nothing in particular)
-godly (she loves God & raised me to love Him as well, something for which I am deeply grateful)
-hardworking (she always has something going on)
-protective (mama bears have nothing on her!)
When I first moved to GA, people would say to her, "But you & Chrissy are so close!" - implying that I should therefore be unable to move so far away. Her response: "We're still close." It hasn't always been that way. I was very difficult from 11-14. Very. VERY. She says the day I turned 14, I did a total reversal & was her Chrissy again. I actually remember that day. Suddenly the anger was gone. Simply gone. And I could enjoy my family once more. I also remember the day that it dawned on me that Mama knew more than I did about life, & perhaps I should listen to her. It was around the same time I came out of my "difficult" (again, that's putting it mildly) stage. From then on, our relationship just simply blossomed. I loved to be with her so much that I would follow her from room to room like a puppy dog - something I still will do when we visit.
Now, I'm living closer to home than I did when I lived in GA, but it's still a 6 hour trip. I don't get to see Mama as much as I'd like, but we talk - sometimes for hours - every day. We share our struggles with each other, laugh over some funny tale, reminisce about the past & loved ones who are gone, & talk about God's endlessly beautiful character. I got to spend Mother's Day weekend with her this year. We met halfway in Pearl, MS. We didn't do much of anything other than talk, but we had a great time. We ate out together. We worshipped God together. We cried together. We hunted for a Wal-Mart together, which you wouldn't think would be so difficult to find. Of course, we laughed together.
I prayed over our lunch on Mother's Day & cried as I thanked God for making me her daughter. As I was talking with a friend one day, I mourned over the fact that I don't have as close a relationship with one of my family members as she has with her corresponding family member. She gently reminded me that she doesn't have the relationship with her mother like I have with mine. It's rare, I think, for mothers & daughters to be as close as Mama & I are. I'm not sure why that is. Mothers are God's gift to us. I'm grateful beyond measure that God gifted me with my Mama. She's my best friend. She's the best Mama ever. And I love her more than words can say.
Note the 2 fingers that she's holding up behind my head while sporting a completely innocent look on her face. Bad Mama! ;-)
Friday, May 14, 2010
Recipe of the "Week"
Have I confessed my inexperience with cooking before? That's probably not the best confession to make prior to sharing a recipe, but they say that honesty is the best policy. The unvarnished truth is that before I became a wife, I knew how to make only 2 things really well: cheese enchiladas & lemon ice box pie. Since then, I've expanded my repertoire, while keeping these 2 favorites, of course. I'll have to remember to fix them soon so they can be featured here. That day is not today, though. Today is another of both Michael's & my favorites. And today, you get 3 for 1! Drum roll, please, for. . .
Ingredients for BBQ Chicken Sandwich:
-2 lb. chicken breasts
-18 oz. favorite BBQ sauce (I used Cattlemen's Golden Honey, which was basically divine)
-hamburger buns
Directions for BBQ Chicken Sandwich:
-Spray the bottom & sides of a 9" x 13" casserole dish with cooking spray.
-Pour just enough BBQ sauce to cover the bottom of the dish.
-Lay out the chicken breasts side by side & slightly overlapping, using a fork to poke holes all over the breasts.
-Pour the entire bottle of BBQ sauce over the chicken breasts & spread it out with the fork so that they are covered.
-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees; while the oven is preheating, the chicken has time to marinate in the BBQ sauce.
-Bake at 400 degrees until the chicken is a reddish brown, turning the chicken every now & then so both sides are browned.
-Once chicken is done, cut the undesirable parts off of each piece & discard.
-Using 2 forks (1 to hold the chicken in place & one to tear with) shred the chicken & then mix it with the BBQ sauce that is in the bottom of the dish.
-Serve over hamburger buns (which are great toasted slightly on the grill).
Ingredients for Home-made Fries:
-6-8 golden potatoes
-cooking oil
-salt
Directions for Home-made Fries:
-Under lukewarm water, scrub the potatoes thoroughly.
-Cut off any bad spots on the potatoes.
-Slice each potato in half lengthwise. Place the potato on its flat side & cut lengthwise again. You should now have 4 quarters of a potato.
-Now place the potato on one of its flat sides & cut it into wedges.
-Turn the potato as one onto its other flat side & slice the wedges in half. (optional - this gives you fries instead of wedges, but it's a personal preference)
-Pour enough oil into your skillet to almost cover the fries, then lay the fries out in the skillet (I like to put them in when the oil is not hot so that I don't get splashed with hot oil.)
-Cook the fries between medium high & medium until they are a golden brown.
-Lay them out, batch by batch, on a plate covered in paper towels & sprinkle with salt. (A slotted serving spoon works very well for scooping them out of the hot oil & for putting your next batch into the hot oil.)
Ingredients for Grilled Corn on the Cob:
-fresh sweet corn on the cob
-stick of butter
-pepper
-salt
Directions for Grilled Corn on the Cob:
-Shuck the corn cobs (including breaking off the bottom end of the cob) & use a scrubber under lukewarm water to get off as many of the remaining strings as possible.
-Tear off square pieces of aluminum foil large enough to wrap each corn cob in & place each cob on its own foil square.
-Unwrap the stick of butter about half way & rub butter all over each corn cob. (It will get softer with each cob & the wrapper will protect your hand from getting all buttery along with the corn.)
-Sprinkle each cob with a little bit of pepper & salt.
-Wrap up the corn in the foil & then grill it in the top of the grill for about 7 minutes on each side.
This meal is so good (in our opinion), "it'll make ya wanna slap yo' Mama"! Although I wouldn't recommend doing it. Maybe you shouldn't invite her to dinner. . .
BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with Home-made Fries & Grilled Corn on the Cob
Ingredients for BBQ Chicken Sandwich:
-2 lb. chicken breasts
-18 oz. favorite BBQ sauce (I used Cattlemen's Golden Honey, which was basically divine)
-hamburger buns
Directions for BBQ Chicken Sandwich:
-Spray the bottom & sides of a 9" x 13" casserole dish with cooking spray.
-Pour just enough BBQ sauce to cover the bottom of the dish.
-Lay out the chicken breasts side by side & slightly overlapping, using a fork to poke holes all over the breasts.
-Pour the entire bottle of BBQ sauce over the chicken breasts & spread it out with the fork so that they are covered.
-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees; while the oven is preheating, the chicken has time to marinate in the BBQ sauce.
-Bake at 400 degrees until the chicken is a reddish brown, turning the chicken every now & then so both sides are browned.
-Once chicken is done, cut the undesirable parts off of each piece & discard.
-Using 2 forks (1 to hold the chicken in place & one to tear with) shred the chicken & then mix it with the BBQ sauce that is in the bottom of the dish.
-Serve over hamburger buns (which are great toasted slightly on the grill).
Ingredients for Home-made Fries:
-6-8 golden potatoes
-cooking oil
-salt
Directions for Home-made Fries:
-Under lukewarm water, scrub the potatoes thoroughly.
-Cut off any bad spots on the potatoes.
-Slice each potato in half lengthwise. Place the potato on its flat side & cut lengthwise again. You should now have 4 quarters of a potato.
-Now place the potato on one of its flat sides & cut it into wedges.
-Turn the potato as one onto its other flat side & slice the wedges in half. (optional - this gives you fries instead of wedges, but it's a personal preference)
-Pour enough oil into your skillet to almost cover the fries, then lay the fries out in the skillet (I like to put them in when the oil is not hot so that I don't get splashed with hot oil.)
-Cook the fries between medium high & medium until they are a golden brown.
-Lay them out, batch by batch, on a plate covered in paper towels & sprinkle with salt. (A slotted serving spoon works very well for scooping them out of the hot oil & for putting your next batch into the hot oil.)
Ingredients for Grilled Corn on the Cob:
-fresh sweet corn on the cob
-stick of butter
-pepper
-salt
Directions for Grilled Corn on the Cob:
-Shuck the corn cobs (including breaking off the bottom end of the cob) & use a scrubber under lukewarm water to get off as many of the remaining strings as possible.
-Tear off square pieces of aluminum foil large enough to wrap each corn cob in & place each cob on its own foil square.
-Unwrap the stick of butter about half way & rub butter all over each corn cob. (It will get softer with each cob & the wrapper will protect your hand from getting all buttery along with the corn.)
-Sprinkle each cob with a little bit of pepper & salt.
-Wrap up the corn in the foil & then grill it in the top of the grill for about 7 minutes on each side.
This meal is so good (in our opinion), "it'll make ya wanna slap yo' Mama"! Although I wouldn't recommend doing it. Maybe you shouldn't invite her to dinner. . .
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Recipe of the "Week"
Mama used to make this when I was growing up. The easiest way is to cook it in the crock-pot on low for the day. I cooked it this time in the crock-pot for ~2 1/2 hours on high, which worked beautifully. The best part? Michael raving about it while we ate. . .& then getting seconds! I hope you enjoy it just as much!
Chicken Spaghetti
Ingredients:
-spaghetti
-4-5 chicken breasts (you can use more or less depending on how "chickeny" you want it. We buy frozen chicken breasts in 2 lb. bags, which comes out to about 8 breasts, & I put all of them in)
-dry minced garlic
-2 cans pasta sauce (I used two 32-oz. jars of Classico Tomato & Basil because Michael likes a lot of sauce. One jar definitely would have sufficed to make it more "chickeny".)
-Italian seasoning
-1 T sugar
Directions:
-If you're not cooking this in a crock-pot, you need to bake or sauté the chicken. This step isn't necessary if you are cooking it in the crock-pot. I'm going to write the directions as if the crock-pot is being used, & you can tweak them for yourself if you're not using this method.
-Empty the sauce into the crock-pot. A trick to opening the jars is to slide the blade of a dinner knife under the edge of the top & slightly twist the knife. Sometimes it takes a couple of twists, but you will hear it pop, letting you know the vacuum seal has been broken. It's super easy to twist the top off now! (Michael taught me this trick; isn't he great?!)
-Sprinkle the garlic & Italian seasoning over the top of the sauce & add the sugar, then stir it all together.
-Turn the crock-pot on low if you're going to cook it all day or high if you're going to be ready to eat in 2-3 hours.
-Trim the fat off of the chicken breasts & then cut them into pieces & drop them into the sauce.
-Stir the sauce so that the chicken is completely covered & let the crock-pot do the rest. Every now & then, stir the sauce, particularly if you're cooking it on high. It's ready when the chicken is done. The longer you cook it, the more tender the chicken becomes, even to the point of just falling apart.
-Serve over the pasta of your choice. Spaghetti works well; last night we used rotini, & it was wonderful! Of course, parmesan cheese & a side of garlic bread are a must!
ENJOY!
Sunday, May 2, 2010
From a Ransomed Sinner, With Love - Part 2
In this post, I would like to address some of the responses that I received from my first letter. I have addressed them privately already, but know that some others may have the same views, so I am addressing them here, too. The responses are in bold italics, & my answers to them follow.
"I am on my spirtiual journey, & no two are alike, so I cannot & don't want to travel anyone else's but mine." It is absolutely correct that no one's journey is exactly the same as anyone else's. That's very true. God leads all of His children through different circumstances because we all have different areas in need of sanctification. A very important question to ask ourselves here is who's leading my journey? All journeys have an ending, a destination. So, another question to ask ourselves is where's my journey leading? There are only 2 options -- heaven or hell. Only 1 way leads to heaven, & all other ways lead to hell. Think of it like this: God's Word says that the way to salvation is a narrow path that few people find. Each of God's children journey down that same path, but there are different obstacles that each person will overcome by God's grace & in His strength. Only God's children travel this path, though. Those who don't belong to God travel the other path, & the fact that it's wide is an indication that more people travel this path leading to hell than the narrow one leading to God. All paths don't lead to God; rather, each person on that one narrow path is going to God but will experience different things along that path. (Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan perfectly illustrates this, & it is such an enjoyable book!) Even with our different experiences, there are marks of true believers, characteristics that all true followers of Christ have in their lives that show them to be true followers. I spoke of these in my first letter. In our culture, in our world, it is commonly believed that there are many ways to God. My road may lead through riches & indulging in the things of this world, my neighbor's road may lead through numerous sexual relationships, & that stranger standing in front of me in the grocery store may have a road that leads to God through Buddha (or any other false religion or god), but they all eventually lead to God. It sounds lovely, that everyone can be right & no one is wrong, but that's just not true. Jesus explicitly says that no one can come to God the Father apart from Him, apart from His sacrificial death. To be perfectly straightforward here - & please know I say this in love - if your journey is not based on an accurate interpretation & application of Scripture, then it does not include, nor is it leading to, God. He says so in His Word, & we must believe what He says. If we don't, it's at our own peril.
"The rules of God are pretty basic." They are, but not in the way people mean. They are basic in that they are laid out in His Word. We keep coming back to this point, because without an acknowledgment that His Word is the basis for our understanding of Him & for how we live our lives, then both are skewed. Without this basis, we have no true understanding of Him, no true relationship with Him, & we're simply living our lives by our own rules, even if we claim to follow God. Some people do it with man-made rules in the name of Christianity, while others do it by discarding all rules in the name of tolerance. Without sounding too "hell-fire & damnation" here, this leads to nowhere but. . .well. . .hell. Here's an example of how not acknowledging God's Word in our lives plays out & hurts us in the end: "I have learned if I live by the positive things I have been taught & not so into what is expected of me & do what feels natural & right then I am living what God wants me to." But living your life this way means that you're basing your relationship with God - & therefore your standing before Him - on how you feel & what your experiences are, rather than what Scripture says. And what does Scripture say? That Jesus Christ is the only way to have a right relationship with God, that only trusting in His sacrifice for us redeems us from our sin & exhausts God's wrath toward that sin. It may seem like an acceptable way of approaching God, to just do what feels right & comes naturally, except that Scripture bears out that "what feels natural & right" to us is sin. It feels natural to have anger when someone wrongs us, but the Bible says that God sees anger as tantamount to murder. It feels good for us to look at a man's body with appreciation (lust), but the Bible says that looking at someone in lust is the same as adultery. It feels right to tell someone what they want to hear so that we don't upset them with the truth, but the Bible says that's lying. The Bible also says that it is innate (natural) in man to sin. Not here & there, but all the time. Even the things we do right are tainted with sin. The Bible says that even our "righteousness" is as filthy rags (used tampons is a modern-day comparison) before God. Bottom line here is that we can't trust what feels right to us, because it will lead us to sin.
"The world just seems to put more into [religion] & makes it seem so rigid & unfun when it's really not that way. I am having too much fun & feeling too much joy & happiness on my own journey. I am adventuresome, positive, free, & living life to the fullest." There are those who believe the focus of life is to be on having fun. Their life is supposed to be joyful, positive, & devoid of anything serious or difficult. It sounds like a wonderful way to live; the only problem is that these happy feelings aren't based on truth. Is this you? If so, in believing the lie that you are free, you have been blinded to your bondage. Again, I don't say this with malice, but in love & with an almost overwhelming sadness. A lot of people, maybe even you, believe what this world says about God, about who He is & how we can relate to Him. And this world lies about God with each & every breath. The world is not a friend of God. I understand that so many people have been scarred by those who claim Christ & behave as anything but. I know that. I've been there, too. I had to finally realize that I can't judge God by - nor can I base my understanding of Him on - the words, actions, & lives of those who misrepresent & distort Him. So, I had to learn to ignore what the world is saying about God & ignore what those who misrepresent Him in the church say. I have to take Him at His own Word. He's told us everything about Him that we need to know. Who He is, who we are, what He's done for us, what He'll do at the end of time to His enemies, how we can be set free from our sin & be His children - even how to recognize true believers. God doesn't try to squeeze you into an "unfun" & "rigid" mold. He created you with your personality. He doesn't want to change your personality, He wants to change your heart. Christianity is not about following some list of rigid rules where you can't dance or have a daiquiri or wear makeup. Some try to make it about that, but they're wrong. Christianity is about God showing mercy & undeserved love to rebellious enemies by sending His Son to die on a cross to rescue us from our sin & His wrath. In response, we love Him & joyfully serve Him. Did you catch that? Joyfully! Christianity - truly & faithfully serving God - is wonderfully freeing & infinitely joyful! Does God have expectations of His children? Doesn't every parent? He's our Father, & He lays down guidelines for how our lives work best just like any human parent does for their children. The bottom line for our lives is not about us & our fun, it's about Him & His glory. Incredibly, in loving Him & living for His glory, we are so blessed! He's glorified & we're blessed! It's amazing to think of! The thing is, God will be glorified in each person's life, whether by their salvation or by their damnation. That may sound harsh, but that's the truth. And I love you enough to tell you the truth, because I'd much rather that He be glorified in your salvation.
I want to pose a few questions to you. Give them some thought & answer them for yourself. These are questions that come from one of my favorite books, Stepping Heavenward. It's fictional, but accurate & very edifying. Every time I read it, God uses it to convict me, encourage me, & strengthen my faith. 1) Do you love God? Not the god of your own making (as is prevalent in the world, even among those who claim Christ), but the God who has revealed Himself to us in the Bible. I laid out a thorough description of the true God in my last letter. Do you love Him? 2) Do you love to be with God? To commune with Him in prayer & Bible reading? To fondly think of Him during the day? 3) Do you love to hear others speak about Him in an honoring, praising way? Do you love to talk about Him yourself in this same way? 4) Do you love to try to please Him with your thoughts, words, & deeds? Do you love to live your life in a way that pleases & reflects well on Him? Remember, as I said in my first letter, none of us will ever do this perfectly, nor will we earn His favor in living this way. His favor was earned for us at the cross. Saying yes to these questions does not earn us our salvation. If we love God, if we pray & read our Bibles, if we adore Him with our speech, & if we live holy lives -- these are the fruits of salvation, these are the evidences of our salvation, not the way to earn our salvation.
Why have I written this? Model after model is given in Scripture of the saints earnestly defending the faith & correcting error. I want God to be glorified in the salvation of sinners; & I say that humbly, as a sinner who sees my need for Him every single day. I want you to know the truth about Him, & not just to know it, but to rejoice in it, to revel in it, to trust in it! There is such joy, freedom, & blessing to be found in Him! For years, I've seen people searching for joy & meaning. They've moved from one place to the next, from one job to the next, & from one relationship to the next in this quest. And each place, job, & relationship has left them empty & still searching. This positive-thinking, "let's just have fun" ideology that seems to be so rampant will do the same. You will not have true joy or true meaning - nor will you have a true relationship with God or true salvation - by following this path. I know it may make people angry for me to say this, but while y'all fume at me, please seriously consider what I'm saying. And think about what it takes for me to say it. I love you enough to tell you the hard truth, & I'm praying you will heed my words. I've been on the receiving end of truth that I didn't want to hear, & it can be hard to take. It's incredibly difficult to humble yourself & admit that you're wrong or misguided. It's very uncomfortable. But know this: Know that I love you. Know that I don't want to hurt or anger you. Know that I want what is best for you, what will lead to your ultimate good. That's why I had to write this. I do love you, & I've tried to be as gentle & humble as possible without watering down God's truth. As before, I pray you receive it in the spirit in which it's written, & that God may somehow use this letter to reveal Himself to you. You're in my prayers, & I'm here for you if you want to talk.
"I am on my spirtiual journey, & no two are alike, so I cannot & don't want to travel anyone else's but mine." It is absolutely correct that no one's journey is exactly the same as anyone else's. That's very true. God leads all of His children through different circumstances because we all have different areas in need of sanctification. A very important question to ask ourselves here is who's leading my journey? All journeys have an ending, a destination. So, another question to ask ourselves is where's my journey leading? There are only 2 options -- heaven or hell. Only 1 way leads to heaven, & all other ways lead to hell. Think of it like this: God's Word says that the way to salvation is a narrow path that few people find. Each of God's children journey down that same path, but there are different obstacles that each person will overcome by God's grace & in His strength. Only God's children travel this path, though. Those who don't belong to God travel the other path, & the fact that it's wide is an indication that more people travel this path leading to hell than the narrow one leading to God. All paths don't lead to God; rather, each person on that one narrow path is going to God but will experience different things along that path. (Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan perfectly illustrates this, & it is such an enjoyable book!) Even with our different experiences, there are marks of true believers, characteristics that all true followers of Christ have in their lives that show them to be true followers. I spoke of these in my first letter. In our culture, in our world, it is commonly believed that there are many ways to God. My road may lead through riches & indulging in the things of this world, my neighbor's road may lead through numerous sexual relationships, & that stranger standing in front of me in the grocery store may have a road that leads to God through Buddha (or any other false religion or god), but they all eventually lead to God. It sounds lovely, that everyone can be right & no one is wrong, but that's just not true. Jesus explicitly says that no one can come to God the Father apart from Him, apart from His sacrificial death. To be perfectly straightforward here - & please know I say this in love - if your journey is not based on an accurate interpretation & application of Scripture, then it does not include, nor is it leading to, God. He says so in His Word, & we must believe what He says. If we don't, it's at our own peril.
"The rules of God are pretty basic." They are, but not in the way people mean. They are basic in that they are laid out in His Word. We keep coming back to this point, because without an acknowledgment that His Word is the basis for our understanding of Him & for how we live our lives, then both are skewed. Without this basis, we have no true understanding of Him, no true relationship with Him, & we're simply living our lives by our own rules, even if we claim to follow God. Some people do it with man-made rules in the name of Christianity, while others do it by discarding all rules in the name of tolerance. Without sounding too "hell-fire & damnation" here, this leads to nowhere but. . .well. . .hell. Here's an example of how not acknowledging God's Word in our lives plays out & hurts us in the end: "I have learned if I live by the positive things I have been taught & not so into what is expected of me & do what feels natural & right then I am living what God wants me to." But living your life this way means that you're basing your relationship with God - & therefore your standing before Him - on how you feel & what your experiences are, rather than what Scripture says. And what does Scripture say? That Jesus Christ is the only way to have a right relationship with God, that only trusting in His sacrifice for us redeems us from our sin & exhausts God's wrath toward that sin. It may seem like an acceptable way of approaching God, to just do what feels right & comes naturally, except that Scripture bears out that "what feels natural & right" to us is sin. It feels natural to have anger when someone wrongs us, but the Bible says that God sees anger as tantamount to murder. It feels good for us to look at a man's body with appreciation (lust), but the Bible says that looking at someone in lust is the same as adultery. It feels right to tell someone what they want to hear so that we don't upset them with the truth, but the Bible says that's lying. The Bible also says that it is innate (natural) in man to sin. Not here & there, but all the time. Even the things we do right are tainted with sin. The Bible says that even our "righteousness" is as filthy rags (used tampons is a modern-day comparison) before God. Bottom line here is that we can't trust what feels right to us, because it will lead us to sin.
"The world just seems to put more into [religion] & makes it seem so rigid & unfun when it's really not that way. I am having too much fun & feeling too much joy & happiness on my own journey. I am adventuresome, positive, free, & living life to the fullest." There are those who believe the focus of life is to be on having fun. Their life is supposed to be joyful, positive, & devoid of anything serious or difficult. It sounds like a wonderful way to live; the only problem is that these happy feelings aren't based on truth. Is this you? If so, in believing the lie that you are free, you have been blinded to your bondage. Again, I don't say this with malice, but in love & with an almost overwhelming sadness. A lot of people, maybe even you, believe what this world says about God, about who He is & how we can relate to Him. And this world lies about God with each & every breath. The world is not a friend of God. I understand that so many people have been scarred by those who claim Christ & behave as anything but. I know that. I've been there, too. I had to finally realize that I can't judge God by - nor can I base my understanding of Him on - the words, actions, & lives of those who misrepresent & distort Him. So, I had to learn to ignore what the world is saying about God & ignore what those who misrepresent Him in the church say. I have to take Him at His own Word. He's told us everything about Him that we need to know. Who He is, who we are, what He's done for us, what He'll do at the end of time to His enemies, how we can be set free from our sin & be His children - even how to recognize true believers. God doesn't try to squeeze you into an "unfun" & "rigid" mold. He created you with your personality. He doesn't want to change your personality, He wants to change your heart. Christianity is not about following some list of rigid rules where you can't dance or have a daiquiri or wear makeup. Some try to make it about that, but they're wrong. Christianity is about God showing mercy & undeserved love to rebellious enemies by sending His Son to die on a cross to rescue us from our sin & His wrath. In response, we love Him & joyfully serve Him. Did you catch that? Joyfully! Christianity - truly & faithfully serving God - is wonderfully freeing & infinitely joyful! Does God have expectations of His children? Doesn't every parent? He's our Father, & He lays down guidelines for how our lives work best just like any human parent does for their children. The bottom line for our lives is not about us & our fun, it's about Him & His glory. Incredibly, in loving Him & living for His glory, we are so blessed! He's glorified & we're blessed! It's amazing to think of! The thing is, God will be glorified in each person's life, whether by their salvation or by their damnation. That may sound harsh, but that's the truth. And I love you enough to tell you the truth, because I'd much rather that He be glorified in your salvation.
I want to pose a few questions to you. Give them some thought & answer them for yourself. These are questions that come from one of my favorite books, Stepping Heavenward. It's fictional, but accurate & very edifying. Every time I read it, God uses it to convict me, encourage me, & strengthen my faith. 1) Do you love God? Not the god of your own making (as is prevalent in the world, even among those who claim Christ), but the God who has revealed Himself to us in the Bible. I laid out a thorough description of the true God in my last letter. Do you love Him? 2) Do you love to be with God? To commune with Him in prayer & Bible reading? To fondly think of Him during the day? 3) Do you love to hear others speak about Him in an honoring, praising way? Do you love to talk about Him yourself in this same way? 4) Do you love to try to please Him with your thoughts, words, & deeds? Do you love to live your life in a way that pleases & reflects well on Him? Remember, as I said in my first letter, none of us will ever do this perfectly, nor will we earn His favor in living this way. His favor was earned for us at the cross. Saying yes to these questions does not earn us our salvation. If we love God, if we pray & read our Bibles, if we adore Him with our speech, & if we live holy lives -- these are the fruits of salvation, these are the evidences of our salvation, not the way to earn our salvation.
Why have I written this? Model after model is given in Scripture of the saints earnestly defending the faith & correcting error. I want God to be glorified in the salvation of sinners; & I say that humbly, as a sinner who sees my need for Him every single day. I want you to know the truth about Him, & not just to know it, but to rejoice in it, to revel in it, to trust in it! There is such joy, freedom, & blessing to be found in Him! For years, I've seen people searching for joy & meaning. They've moved from one place to the next, from one job to the next, & from one relationship to the next in this quest. And each place, job, & relationship has left them empty & still searching. This positive-thinking, "let's just have fun" ideology that seems to be so rampant will do the same. You will not have true joy or true meaning - nor will you have a true relationship with God or true salvation - by following this path. I know it may make people angry for me to say this, but while y'all fume at me, please seriously consider what I'm saying. And think about what it takes for me to say it. I love you enough to tell you the hard truth, & I'm praying you will heed my words. I've been on the receiving end of truth that I didn't want to hear, & it can be hard to take. It's incredibly difficult to humble yourself & admit that you're wrong or misguided. It's very uncomfortable. But know this: Know that I love you. Know that I don't want to hurt or anger you. Know that I want what is best for you, what will lead to your ultimate good. That's why I had to write this. I do love you, & I've tried to be as gentle & humble as possible without watering down God's truth. As before, I pray you receive it in the spirit in which it's written, & that God may somehow use this letter to reveal Himself to you. You're in my prayers, & I'm here for you if you want to talk.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Flip-Flops, Mud, & Tornados - A Bad Combination
This has been one heck of a week, thanks to my new need for crutches & what I call my "space boot". It's actually a funny story, if "funny" means "filled with pain, crying meltdowns, & frustrating dependence". Oh, yeah, & "family making fun of you hobbling along in your space boot". You may have heard about the storms that swept through our area last Saturday. We got lots of rain here, but the tornado warnings just danced around us without ever really twirling too close. Until late that evening. Michael had been at work for a couple of hours at this point, & according to the local stations, we were pretty much in the clear. Even so, I kept our weather radio next to me & the radar pulled up on the computer, just in case. Then, it happened. The radio blared that scary "emergency broadcasting system" noise that has never failed to unnerve me & started talking about a tornado warning for our area. I pulled up the radar &, sure enough, there it was - the first red block heading right for us. Heading right for us & supposed to be here in 15-20 minutes. Now, at this point, you wouldn't think that a girl who was raised in Tornado Alley would freak. But you'd be wrong. I freaked. I have yet to see a tornado, & I do not have any intention of disturbing this happy pattern. So, I ran around the house - frantically, I might add - gathering my things & ushering the dogs outside so I could stuff them in the car. 'Cause I ain't leavin' my babies. I would have taken the cat, too, but she had stubbornly hidden herself under the bed, & I didn't have time for a 20-minute furniture moving party. So, the dogs are waiting on the back patio, Ginger almost overcome with excitement because she somehow instinctively knows that she's about to go for a car-ride, one of her all-time favorite pastimes. Jake's not so sure about this whole thing, because he's the opposite of his sister. He's the only dog I've ever met who actually gets carsick. Literally. But we have to go. Michael & I have an agreement that I go to the hospital parking deck to wait out tornado warnings because he feels like concrete & steel are safer in that situation than wood on a crawlspace. Crazy man. Okay, so my sweeties are waiting on the patio while I run out to open the car doors so I can drag them over (I also couldn't find their leashes in my panic to flee from the wrath of the approaching tornado). Remember, it's been raining. Rain means mud. Mud that creeps over the edges of the carport & makes concrete slippery. Especially for flip-flops. Perfectly suited for those times when you're in panic rush-mode. The mud & my flip-flops became fast - though fleeting - friends. My left leg flew out to the side, & my right leg collapsed underneath me, sending me crashing to the slippery concrete, banging my knee really hard & twisting my ankle with a fabulous "pop" in the process. I'll spare you any further details about hobbling each of my darlings out to the car & driving to the hospital's deck while sobbing & shaking from the pain. I won't bore you with reminisces of my attempts to walk around my house later - attempts which ended with my collapse on the bed in complete emotional meltdowns because of the pain. Oh, & the tornado from which I so frantically fled? Yeah, it fizzled out before it ever reached us, before I even left the parking deck to drive home.
All sarcasm aside, as I was indulging myself in a moment of self-pity, I began to think of all the things I had to be thankful for in this situation. I'm a pretty optimistic person, & I do believe that there is always something good that comes from even the worst situations, always some lesson to learn. So that I wouldn't forget, I wrote them down & would like to share them with you. I want to give glory to God here for blessing me, even in this situation - which pales in comparison with those who were hit by tornados that night.
I'm thankful to God for:
-rain to water the grass & plants
-His protection from tornados
-a home that protects us from the weather
-radars & warning systems to alert us of bad weather
-Michael being able to sleep for work (due to lack of seriously severe weather)
-a safe place to go to during bad weather
-protection against possible danger in a public place
-the loving care of my husband
-medicine & bandages to kill & protect from germs & infection
-ice packs & Ace bandages
-a momentary reprieve from pain when I cried out to Him for help
-pillows to prop my foot up on
-my dogs' concern when I have a meltdown
-talking with a godly friend (right after one of my meltdowns) who shows sincere concern & points me to God
-Advil
-God's Word
-prayer
-sleep
I wrote all of these that night. Since then, I've found even more things to be thankful to God for:
-cooler weather that followed the storms
-thorough, caring doctors
-the continued loving care & help from my sweet husband
-crutches
-the workout my arms & back have gotten from the crutches
-a sprained, instead of broken, ankle
-my "space boot", which takes the pressure off so I can (oh so slowly) walk
-Advil (yes, I know I've already mentioned it. I'm very thankful for it!)
-take-out food (it's impossible to cook when you can't put weight on your foot)
-my foot is healing fairly quickly
-the care & concern of family & friends who have called to check up on me
*My most gracious heavenly Father, thank You for all of these things & so much more. Most of all, thank You for being my God & Savior. I love You. In Christ's holy name I pray, Amen.
All sarcasm aside, as I was indulging myself in a moment of self-pity, I began to think of all the things I had to be thankful for in this situation. I'm a pretty optimistic person, & I do believe that there is always something good that comes from even the worst situations, always some lesson to learn. So that I wouldn't forget, I wrote them down & would like to share them with you. I want to give glory to God here for blessing me, even in this situation - which pales in comparison with those who were hit by tornados that night.
I'm thankful to God for:
-rain to water the grass & plants
-His protection from tornados
-a home that protects us from the weather
-radars & warning systems to alert us of bad weather
-Michael being able to sleep for work (due to lack of seriously severe weather)
-a safe place to go to during bad weather
-protection against possible danger in a public place
-the loving care of my husband
-medicine & bandages to kill & protect from germs & infection
-ice packs & Ace bandages
-a momentary reprieve from pain when I cried out to Him for help
-pillows to prop my foot up on
-my dogs' concern when I have a meltdown
-talking with a godly friend (right after one of my meltdowns) who shows sincere concern & points me to God
-Advil
-God's Word
-prayer
-sleep
I wrote all of these that night. Since then, I've found even more things to be thankful to God for:
-cooler weather that followed the storms
-thorough, caring doctors
-the continued loving care & help from my sweet husband
-crutches
-the workout my arms & back have gotten from the crutches
-a sprained, instead of broken, ankle
-my "space boot", which takes the pressure off so I can (oh so slowly) walk
-Advil (yes, I know I've already mentioned it. I'm very thankful for it!)
-take-out food (it's impossible to cook when you can't put weight on your foot)
-my foot is healing fairly quickly
-the care & concern of family & friends who have called to check up on me
*My most gracious heavenly Father, thank You for all of these things & so much more. Most of all, thank You for being my God & Savior. I love You. In Christ's holy name I pray, Amen.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
From a Ransomed Sinner, With Love
We are all sinners. Every single person on this planet is a sinner. All of us, including you & me, have sinned against God. We have chased after money & possessions, we have harbored anger & unforgiving attitudes, we have had sex outside of marriage, we have not been thankful to Him for His innumerable provisions, we have ignored Him, we've been prideful, & the list goes on. None of us should be self-righteous, because we're all equally guilty of these things - you, me, & everyone else in this world. The difference between true believers & the rest of the world is that we rely on Jesus Christ's righteousness as our own. I know you know the story, but please read it with fresh eyes, as though you didn't, & try to picture it in your head. God has existed from eternity past. He is holy, righteous, & just. He is our Creator. He created the earth in perfection, without sin. But, when Adam & Eve rejected His authority over them, they sinned against Him, & all of creation - including us - have been in bondage to sin ever since. And we can't get out. We are slaves to sin, dead in our sin, completely unable to free ourselves. In order for us to be free, we must have a Redeemer, someone to buy us back from the slave master that is sin. The whole Bible is the story of redemption, of God's plan to save mankind. Not because we are worthy (Scripture shows mankind's repeated rebellion against God, which we carry on today), but because He is merciful. He saves us because our salvation brings Him glory. Glory that is rightfully His, as our holy & just Creator. At just the right time, Jesus Christ became part of His creation in His incarnation. He became human, but He wasn't just any human. He was both fully God & fully man. Fully man to represent us & fully God to be a sinless sacrifice for us. Only God is sinless, & only a man can stand in the place of another man. Therefore, Jesus had to be - & was - both. He lived a perfectly sinless life. No unrighteous anger, no malice, no sexual impurity or immorality - perfectly sinless. He lived in perfect communion with God, day-in & day-out. His every word, thought, & deed was perfectly righteous & one with the Father. That's what makes His death for us so heart-wrenching & so beautiful at the same time. When He cried out in the garden for God to remove the cup from Him if it was His will, He wasn't focused on the beatings & crucifixion He was about to endure. He cried out in agony & sweat drops of blood because, for the first time in all of eternity, His oneness with the Father was about to be severed. God can have no part of sin, He can't even bear to look on it, because of His perfect holiness. Jesus was about to become sin for us. He was about to bear our sin & God's wrath toward that sin on the cross. For the first time in all of eternity, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was going to be utterly alone. Why did this have to be? Why did Jesus have to die? God shows all through the Scriptures that sin requires a sacrifice. Not because He's some sadistic deity, but because He is holy. He is righteous. The opposite of righteousness is evil, & evil must be punished. We all want that, too, don't we? We all want murderers punished. We all want child molesters, rapists, & thieves punished, for things to be set right. The only time we seem to have a problem with it is when we're the guilty ones. Then, we want mercy. But just as any judge who just let a rapist or murderer go with an apology is considered corrupt & unjust, so would be God if He simply let us go when we've sinned against him. Even more so, because while sin against another human is evil, sin against the only One who is perfectly holy & righteous is infinitely more evil. Sin has to be paid for, & the only One who could pay for our sin had to be both God & man. Only Jesus could ransom us from sin & exhaust God's wrath. How do we know that He accomplished this? Because after laying in the grave for 3 days, the Father raised Him from the dead. Some people don't think this is all that significant when you realize that other people were raised from the dead - Lazarus, for instance. The difference is that each of these other people died again. Only Jesus alone was resurrected & still lives. This is how we know that His sacrifice paid for our sins, exhausting God's wrath & justifying us.
My question at this point isn't, "Do you believe this?"; after all, an awful lot of people claim to believe this & they continue in their sin. My question is, "Do you see your sin as repugnant & worthy of damnation? Do you feel sorrow & grief over your sin?" If so, repent! Repentance is not just an apology for sin, it's a deliberate turning away from sin towards righteousness. Repentance also isn't a one-time thing - "I repented of my sin when God saved me, but never since." No, our problem isn't that we sin, it's that we've never done anything but sin. So, repentance is something we do over & over throughout our lives, as God convicts us of our sin. And repentance is His gift to us. Without His Spirit's work in us, we can't feel sorrow over our sin & be led to repentance. Without that understanding, it's easy at this point to begin a works-salvation practice, where I have to white-knuckle it to be good enough. But we can never be good enough. This isn't cause for despair, though, it's cause for celebration, because for the believer, Christ has already won the victory. We can't be good enough, we can't be holy enough, but Christ already is for us! When Christ lived His perfectly sinless life in complete oneness with the Father, it's as though the believer who truly trusts in His sacrifice, lived that life. God the Father sees His Son when He looks on us. His righteousness is credited to us! That's the other side of the coin: we repent & we rely on His righteousness in our stead & His strength to enable us to turn from our sin. I'm coming to realize that this is a life-long process, & I'll never be completely rid of my sin in this life. But a believer's life is characterized by a fighting against sin. We hate the sin in our lives, & we fight against it. Not in our own strength & power, but with the Word of God & with prayer. He helps us to overcome it, & little by little, we reflect Him more & more.
If you feel this sorrow over your sin, don't despair. Yes, our sin is reviling & we can sometimes feel hopeless that we will ever be rid of it. I certainly can feel this way at times. But, if you feel sorrow, you can take heart, because it's an indication that God is working in you, that He loves you & wants to redeem you. And God always accomplishes His will! Sin won't have the victory over a believer. Christ already won that victory, & now we can live from that victory!
I'm writing this letter to you for one reason: if you are not a true believer in Christ as your Lord & Savior, I pray God uses this letter to bring about conviction & sorrow over your sin, as well as hope & freedom in His saving grace. I pray that you come to know Him, love Him, cherish Him, & rejoice in Him with all of your heart, soul, mind, & strength. What joy, freedom, & love is to be found in Him! If you are a true believer, then I pray that you will take this time to evaluate yourself & your life. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says to "examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?---unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" We are all called to hold up our lives next to Scripture & examine to see if our lives reflect God & His Word. In any area that we do, we should praise God for His sanctification in our hearts that reflects itself in our lives. In any area that we don't reflect Him, we must conform our lives to His Word through His power. We conform to Him, we don't expect Him to conform to us. He is the standard. Matthew 7:17 reminds us that "every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down & thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits." And Galatians 5:22-23 says that "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." These are the characteristics that we are to aspire to, out of love for God. Remember, no one is ever able to do these things perfectly. You will never look at your life & see perfection. Not this side of heaven. The important thing is to rely on Christ's righteousness & His power to overcome your sinful desires as they rear their ugly heads. And to repent when you fail to overcome them, relying on His forgiveness.
*Our most gracious heavenly Father, thank You for Your salvation. Without Your sacrifice for us in the death of Your Son, Jesus Christ, we would be under Your wrath for our sin for all eternity. Thank You for Your mercy, grace, & adoption of us as Your sons. We love You! We praise You! We worship You! Lord, for anyone reading this who is not Your child, please reveal Yourself to them & save them. And please remind all those who are truly Yours to always examine ourselves by Your Word, so that we continue in the faith. In Christ's holy name we pray, Amen.
My question at this point isn't, "Do you believe this?"; after all, an awful lot of people claim to believe this & they continue in their sin. My question is, "Do you see your sin as repugnant & worthy of damnation? Do you feel sorrow & grief over your sin?" If so, repent! Repentance is not just an apology for sin, it's a deliberate turning away from sin towards righteousness. Repentance also isn't a one-time thing - "I repented of my sin when God saved me, but never since." No, our problem isn't that we sin, it's that we've never done anything but sin. So, repentance is something we do over & over throughout our lives, as God convicts us of our sin. And repentance is His gift to us. Without His Spirit's work in us, we can't feel sorrow over our sin & be led to repentance. Without that understanding, it's easy at this point to begin a works-salvation practice, where I have to white-knuckle it to be good enough. But we can never be good enough. This isn't cause for despair, though, it's cause for celebration, because for the believer, Christ has already won the victory. We can't be good enough, we can't be holy enough, but Christ already is for us! When Christ lived His perfectly sinless life in complete oneness with the Father, it's as though the believer who truly trusts in His sacrifice, lived that life. God the Father sees His Son when He looks on us. His righteousness is credited to us! That's the other side of the coin: we repent & we rely on His righteousness in our stead & His strength to enable us to turn from our sin. I'm coming to realize that this is a life-long process, & I'll never be completely rid of my sin in this life. But a believer's life is characterized by a fighting against sin. We hate the sin in our lives, & we fight against it. Not in our own strength & power, but with the Word of God & with prayer. He helps us to overcome it, & little by little, we reflect Him more & more.
If you feel this sorrow over your sin, don't despair. Yes, our sin is reviling & we can sometimes feel hopeless that we will ever be rid of it. I certainly can feel this way at times. But, if you feel sorrow, you can take heart, because it's an indication that God is working in you, that He loves you & wants to redeem you. And God always accomplishes His will! Sin won't have the victory over a believer. Christ already won that victory, & now we can live from that victory!
I'm writing this letter to you for one reason: if you are not a true believer in Christ as your Lord & Savior, I pray God uses this letter to bring about conviction & sorrow over your sin, as well as hope & freedom in His saving grace. I pray that you come to know Him, love Him, cherish Him, & rejoice in Him with all of your heart, soul, mind, & strength. What joy, freedom, & love is to be found in Him! If you are a true believer, then I pray that you will take this time to evaluate yourself & your life. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says to "examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?---unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" We are all called to hold up our lives next to Scripture & examine to see if our lives reflect God & His Word. In any area that we do, we should praise God for His sanctification in our hearts that reflects itself in our lives. In any area that we don't reflect Him, we must conform our lives to His Word through His power. We conform to Him, we don't expect Him to conform to us. He is the standard. Matthew 7:17 reminds us that "every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down & thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits." And Galatians 5:22-23 says that "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." These are the characteristics that we are to aspire to, out of love for God. Remember, no one is ever able to do these things perfectly. You will never look at your life & see perfection. Not this side of heaven. The important thing is to rely on Christ's righteousness & His power to overcome your sinful desires as they rear their ugly heads. And to repent when you fail to overcome them, relying on His forgiveness.
*Our most gracious heavenly Father, thank You for Your salvation. Without Your sacrifice for us in the death of Your Son, Jesus Christ, we would be under Your wrath for our sin for all eternity. Thank You for Your mercy, grace, & adoption of us as Your sons. We love You! We praise You! We worship You! Lord, for anyone reading this who is not Your child, please reveal Yourself to them & save them. And please remind all those who are truly Yours to always examine ourselves by Your Word, so that we continue in the faith. In Christ's holy name we pray, Amen.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Recipe of the "Week"
Michael & I LOVE this recipe! He loves it so much, he wants me to always have it on hand, which, the way we eat it, means making it every other day or so. It's such an easy recipe, though, that this is a request I am only too happy to grant. The original recipe comes from Slashfood, & I've made a few little changes to suit our tastes. Play with it yourself, or follow the recipe to the letter. Either way, I hope you enjoy it!
Ingredients:
-2 c. rolled oats (old-fashioned)
-1 c. almonds
-1 c. pecans
-1/2 c. sunflower seeds
-1/4 c. flax seeds
-1/4 c. wheat germ
-1/4 c. cooking oil
-1/2 c. honey
-1/2 c. each raisins & any other dried fruits you desire. I use craisins & apricots in addition to the raisins.
Directions:
-Mix oats, nuts, seeds, & wheat germ in a large bowl.
-Measure the oil into a measuring cup & swirl it around (this will aid the honey in exiting the cup), then add it to the granola.
-Measure the honey in the same unwashed cup & add it to the granola as well, stirring until the granola is evenly coated.
-Pour the granola into a 13"x9" baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
-Bake @ 300 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
-Remove from oven & add the raisins & other dried fruits, stirring gently several times to prevent clumping.
Granola
Ingredients:
-2 c. rolled oats (old-fashioned)
-1 c. almonds
-1 c. pecans
-1/2 c. sunflower seeds
-1/4 c. flax seeds
-1/4 c. wheat germ
-1/4 c. cooking oil
-1/2 c. honey
-1/2 c. each raisins & any other dried fruits you desire. I use craisins & apricots in addition to the raisins.
Directions:
-Mix oats, nuts, seeds, & wheat germ in a large bowl.
-Measure the oil into a measuring cup & swirl it around (this will aid the honey in exiting the cup), then add it to the granola.
-Measure the honey in the same unwashed cup & add it to the granola as well, stirring until the granola is evenly coated.
-Pour the granola into a 13"x9" baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
-Bake @ 300 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
-Remove from oven & add the raisins & other dried fruits, stirring gently several times to prevent clumping.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire
The conversation went something like this:
Me - "So, they're just going to keep lying?"
Friend - "Oh, they're not lying."
Me - "Withholding information is lying."
Friend - "No-ho-ho! No it's not. I don't tell you everything."
Me - (jokingly) "What kind of unethical people are y'all?!"
After that point, I didn't give the conversation much thought until much later. Since then, though, I've been mulling the issue over. It's been ingrained in me my whole life that omission, not just fabrication, is lying. But my friend has a good point. Do you have to tell someone everything to keep from lying? If she doesn't tell me what she had for breakfast, who she talked to on the phone, & where she went after supper, does that mean she's lying? Not if I'm not entitled to that information. So then, what exactly constitutes a lie?
My first stop in resolving this issue for myself was Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language. It was a wedding gift from my brother- & sister-in-law. Upon giving it to us, they said that it's very important to have an accurate definition of words, for they do shape our lives & families. I heartily agree. So, what did Mr. Webster have to say about lies? Lies are an "intentional violation of truth"; their goal is "to exhibit a false representation; to say or do that which deceives another, when he has a right to know the truth, or when morality requires a just representation"; they are "a false statement or representation. . .intended to deceive, mislead, or injure". I think this speaks for itself, & makes it quite clear that omissions that fit these definitions are, in fact, lies.
To really drive the point home, though, I've come up with a few scenarios that, I hope, highlight how simple omissions can "deceive, mislead, or injure":
1) I pull up in Amanda's driveway & park my car next to hers, apparently a little too closely. When I open my door, it accidentally hits her passenger door & leaves a scratch. I don't tell her, though, because I don't want to upset her & possibly ruin our time together. A week later, she tells me that someone at the grocery store must have opened their door into her car, because she's just found a scratch on her passenger side door. Once again, I say nothing about the fault being mine. Now she has to pay to have it fixed.
2) Beverly knows she's not allowed to touch her mother's china. It was passed down to her from her grandmother & is very special to her. She only uses it on holidays or particularly meaningful occasions. But, she's only going to take one quick look while the plates are sitting out for tomorrow's dinner. Mom's out getting the mail; it'll only take a second & she'll never know. As she picks up a dinner plate, she accidentally drops it. It doesn't completely break, thankfully, but it does have a small chip on the back of the rim. She quickly picks it up, puts it on the bottom of the pile, & scampers off just as her mom comes in. She never says a word, even when she hears her mother lamenting over how she must have chipped it when she was washing it as she's cleaning up after dinner the next day.
3) Sarah is a 15-year-old girl from a loving, stable home. David is a 19-year-old boy who is nothing but trouble. Sarah's parents have met David & taken an instant dislike to his arrogance, rudeness, & over-all rebellious attitude. Not to mention he's almost a man, while she's barely a teenager. They can't fathom what has attracted Sarah to him. They tell her their concerns & forbid her to continue the relationship. She pretends to comply, & they believe her. They don't want to upset her - they know she really liked him - so they don't bring the subject up again. She lets them remain blissful in their ignorance, never telling them that she's continuing to talk to him on the phone after they're asleep at night & that he comes to see her at school before classes begin each day. After all, what they don't know won't hurt them.
The ultimate goal of a lie is to deceive someone, to lead them away from the truth. Fabrications do the job well, & so do omissions. When we have information that directly affects someone & we withhold it from them, that's a lie. If it was my car that got a scratch, I'd want to know that it was an accident caused by my friend. If it was my china that got a chip, I'd want to know that my daughter accidentally did it while admiring her future inheritance. And if my 15-year-old child was secretly dating a "bad boy", I'd want to know that, too, so I could nip it in the bud. I'm betting you would, too.
Stop, drop, & roll.
Me - "So, they're just going to keep lying?"
Friend - "Oh, they're not lying."
Me - "Withholding information is lying."
Friend - "No-ho-ho! No it's not. I don't tell you everything."
Me - (jokingly) "What kind of unethical people are y'all?!"
After that point, I didn't give the conversation much thought until much later. Since then, though, I've been mulling the issue over. It's been ingrained in me my whole life that omission, not just fabrication, is lying. But my friend has a good point. Do you have to tell someone everything to keep from lying? If she doesn't tell me what she had for breakfast, who she talked to on the phone, & where she went after supper, does that mean she's lying? Not if I'm not entitled to that information. So then, what exactly constitutes a lie?
My first stop in resolving this issue for myself was Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language. It was a wedding gift from my brother- & sister-in-law. Upon giving it to us, they said that it's very important to have an accurate definition of words, for they do shape our lives & families. I heartily agree. So, what did Mr. Webster have to say about lies? Lies are an "intentional violation of truth"; their goal is "to exhibit a false representation; to say or do that which deceives another, when he has a right to know the truth, or when morality requires a just representation"; they are "a false statement or representation. . .intended to deceive, mislead, or injure". I think this speaks for itself, & makes it quite clear that omissions that fit these definitions are, in fact, lies.
To really drive the point home, though, I've come up with a few scenarios that, I hope, highlight how simple omissions can "deceive, mislead, or injure":
1) I pull up in Amanda's driveway & park my car next to hers, apparently a little too closely. When I open my door, it accidentally hits her passenger door & leaves a scratch. I don't tell her, though, because I don't want to upset her & possibly ruin our time together. A week later, she tells me that someone at the grocery store must have opened their door into her car, because she's just found a scratch on her passenger side door. Once again, I say nothing about the fault being mine. Now she has to pay to have it fixed.
2) Beverly knows she's not allowed to touch her mother's china. It was passed down to her from her grandmother & is very special to her. She only uses it on holidays or particularly meaningful occasions. But, she's only going to take one quick look while the plates are sitting out for tomorrow's dinner. Mom's out getting the mail; it'll only take a second & she'll never know. As she picks up a dinner plate, she accidentally drops it. It doesn't completely break, thankfully, but it does have a small chip on the back of the rim. She quickly picks it up, puts it on the bottom of the pile, & scampers off just as her mom comes in. She never says a word, even when she hears her mother lamenting over how she must have chipped it when she was washing it as she's cleaning up after dinner the next day.
3) Sarah is a 15-year-old girl from a loving, stable home. David is a 19-year-old boy who is nothing but trouble. Sarah's parents have met David & taken an instant dislike to his arrogance, rudeness, & over-all rebellious attitude. Not to mention he's almost a man, while she's barely a teenager. They can't fathom what has attracted Sarah to him. They tell her their concerns & forbid her to continue the relationship. She pretends to comply, & they believe her. They don't want to upset her - they know she really liked him - so they don't bring the subject up again. She lets them remain blissful in their ignorance, never telling them that she's continuing to talk to him on the phone after they're asleep at night & that he comes to see her at school before classes begin each day. After all, what they don't know won't hurt them.
The ultimate goal of a lie is to deceive someone, to lead them away from the truth. Fabrications do the job well, & so do omissions. When we have information that directly affects someone & we withhold it from them, that's a lie. If it was my car that got a scratch, I'd want to know that it was an accident caused by my friend. If it was my china that got a chip, I'd want to know that my daughter accidentally did it while admiring her future inheritance. And if my 15-year-old child was secretly dating a "bad boy", I'd want to know that, too, so I could nip it in the bud. I'm betting you would, too.
Stop, drop, & roll.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Recipe of the "Week"
I remember eating this meal sitting at my Granny's table in her eat-in kitchen in Ringgold, LA when I was a little girl. There's nothing I like better than recipes passed down from my Mama & Granny! Michael heartily agrees; his favorite recipes from our kitchen originated (at least for me) in Granny's & Mama's!
Ingredients:
-1 small onion, chopped
-1 small bell pepper, chopped (I use 1/2 of a large bell pepper, as I can never find a small one!)
-1 1/2 to 2 lbs. ground meat
-salt & pepper to taste
-1 T beef bouillon granules (2-3 cubes)
-1 c. water
-1 T flour
Sauce:
-cream of mushroom soup (if you despise mushrooms, as I do, you can easily pick them out before digging into the biscuit roll.)
-milk (start with 1/4 c. & add to as needed for desired consistency.)
-any left-over meat mixture
Directions:
-Brown ground meat in large skillet, then drain, rinse, & return to skillet.
-Add onion & bell pepper & sauté until onion is clear.
-Add beef bouillon & water & stir until bouillon is dissolved.
-Add flour to thicken mixture & simmer to spreading consistency.
-Cool completely.
-While meat is cooling, prepare biscuit dough (use your favorite recipe).
-Roll dough into a rectangle on a floured surface & spread cooled meat mixture over dough, minus about 1/2 to 1 inch of edges.
-Roll into jelly roll & slice into 1-inch thick slices with large bread knife.
Biscuit Roll
-1 small onion, chopped
-1 small bell pepper, chopped (I use 1/2 of a large bell pepper, as I can never find a small one!)
-1 1/2 to 2 lbs. ground meat
-salt & pepper to taste
-1 T beef bouillon granules (2-3 cubes)
-1 c. water
-1 T flour
Sauce:
-cream of mushroom soup (if you despise mushrooms, as I do, you can easily pick them out before digging into the biscuit roll.)
-milk (start with 1/4 c. & add to as needed for desired consistency.)
-any left-over meat mixture
Directions:
-Brown ground meat in large skillet, then drain, rinse, & return to skillet.
-Add onion & bell pepper & sauté until onion is clear.
-Add beef bouillon & water & stir until bouillon is dissolved.
-Add flour to thicken mixture & simmer to spreading consistency.
-Cool completely.
-While meat is cooling, prepare biscuit dough (use your favorite recipe).
-Roll dough into a rectangle on a floured surface & spread cooled meat mixture over dough, minus about 1/2 to 1 inch of edges.
-Roll into jelly roll & slice into 1-inch thick slices with large bread knife.
-Place slices meat side up on foil-covered & greased cookie sheet.
-Bake @ 375 degrees until golden brown.
-Top with sauce & serve with a side of English peas, carrots, & a fruit salad.
-Top with sauce & serve with a side of English peas, carrots, & a fruit salad.
ENJOY!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Uncertainty Made Certain
Sometimes, life just makes sense. Everything falls into place easily, without so much as a hint of uncertainty. Meeting & marrying Michael was like this. We had a whirlwind courtship lasting just 4 months from meeting to marriage. And neither of us doubted for one second that our union was God-ordained & -blessed. However, uncertainty absolutely preceded our meeting - where was my future husband, when would he come along, would he come along, what was God's plan - all of this swirled through my head & heart for years before that glorious day that God brought Michael to me. But then, on that day, all my years of waiting suddenly made sense. All that time was not just idle waiting. Even when I was in the throes of despair that I would always be alone, God was working out His plan for my life. There were times, too, when I knew that. Times when I had faith that God was perfectly in control & knew what He was doing. I couldn't see that, but because I know Him, I knew it to be true. My single years were preparation for me. God used that time to prepare me for marriage, for being a good wife. How? Mainly by showing me how great of a sinner I am. He showed me my selfishness, pride, & independence - things that have no place in a godly marriage. But He didn't leave me there. He showed me my need for Him. He brought me to repentance & sanctified me, an ongoing process that He continues in me today. He also used that time to strengthen my faith in & love for Him, to the point that I knew that if I never married, He would be enough. So, those uncertain years weren't wasted, & in one fell swoop, God made all things clear.
Right now is another uncertain time for Michael & me. We are barren, childless. For some people, this might be a wonderful thing, but for us, it's sorrowful. We love children, we dream of & plan for children, we pray & cry for children. We have names picked out & even outfits bought for children. But we don't have children. Our arms are empty & our home devoid of the laughter & playing of children. Just a few months shy of a year ago now, we began a journey of adoption. We began this journey full of joy & anticipation, sure that this was God's will & plan for us to become parents. Now, we're not so sure. We still want to adopt, that hasn't changed. But circumstances have. We've had the money required to complete our home study twice now, & both times, that money's had to be spent on necessities. That the money was there for those necessities was a gift from God, there's no doubt about that, & we are very thankful for His graciousness in providing for us. But, at the same time, we were so sad that it meant a set-back in our adoption process. To be honest, "sad" doesn't quite cover it. Heart-breaking grief comes closer. When I realized that our adoption was going to have to be put on hold, maybe stopped altogether, I went off alone & sobbed out all of my longings & my grief. I cried out to God, begging Him to either bless us with the children I so desperately want or to take away this down-in-my-very-bones longing for them. So far, He hasn't done either, but He has granted me peace, for which I'm thankful. Not being allowed to move forward has led us to doubt our certainty that our adoption is God's will, too. Months have gone by since we were able to save up that money, & I wish I could say that we have it all figured out now, but we don't. We don't know what God's plan is. Although we hope & pray that our future includes children of our own - both biological & adopted - we don't know that it does. We're so uncertain of the future. But we are certain of God. He is working everything out according to His marvelous plan, which will be for our good & His glory. This uncertain time, even if it be years long, is not wasted time. He is preparing us for the future, for the fulfillment of His plan. And I know, with ever fiber of my being, that once His plan has come to fruition, we will know that it was worth the wait.
*Our most gracious heavenly Father, oh! how we love You! Thank You, thank You for being our God! For being sovereign over our lives & for not giving us the control. You work all things out in the best way. In all things, You receive glory, but - amazingly - You also love to work things out for our good! You are loving & merciful, & we praise Your holy name! Thank You for Your assurance that, even when we don't understand the events of our lives, You are in control. Michael & I both pray for children. We so long to love them, hold them, play with them, & tell them about You! But we know that Your plan is better than ours. If You give us children, we will praise You. And if You don't give us children, we will praise You. Please, Lord, please give us such a love for You, that even if our heart's desire for children is not fulfilled, that You will be enough. We love you, Lord, but - as always - give us more love for You. Fill us up to overflowing with love for You, & we will have all we will ever need. In Christ's holy name we pray, Amen.
Right now is another uncertain time for Michael & me. We are barren, childless. For some people, this might be a wonderful thing, but for us, it's sorrowful. We love children, we dream of & plan for children, we pray & cry for children. We have names picked out & even outfits bought for children. But we don't have children. Our arms are empty & our home devoid of the laughter & playing of children. Just a few months shy of a year ago now, we began a journey of adoption. We began this journey full of joy & anticipation, sure that this was God's will & plan for us to become parents. Now, we're not so sure. We still want to adopt, that hasn't changed. But circumstances have. We've had the money required to complete our home study twice now, & both times, that money's had to be spent on necessities. That the money was there for those necessities was a gift from God, there's no doubt about that, & we are very thankful for His graciousness in providing for us. But, at the same time, we were so sad that it meant a set-back in our adoption process. To be honest, "sad" doesn't quite cover it. Heart-breaking grief comes closer. When I realized that our adoption was going to have to be put on hold, maybe stopped altogether, I went off alone & sobbed out all of my longings & my grief. I cried out to God, begging Him to either bless us with the children I so desperately want or to take away this down-in-my-very-bones longing for them. So far, He hasn't done either, but He has granted me peace, for which I'm thankful. Not being allowed to move forward has led us to doubt our certainty that our adoption is God's will, too. Months have gone by since we were able to save up that money, & I wish I could say that we have it all figured out now, but we don't. We don't know what God's plan is. Although we hope & pray that our future includes children of our own - both biological & adopted - we don't know that it does. We're so uncertain of the future. But we are certain of God. He is working everything out according to His marvelous plan, which will be for our good & His glory. This uncertain time, even if it be years long, is not wasted time. He is preparing us for the future, for the fulfillment of His plan. And I know, with ever fiber of my being, that once His plan has come to fruition, we will know that it was worth the wait.
*Our most gracious heavenly Father, oh! how we love You! Thank You, thank You for being our God! For being sovereign over our lives & for not giving us the control. You work all things out in the best way. In all things, You receive glory, but - amazingly - You also love to work things out for our good! You are loving & merciful, & we praise Your holy name! Thank You for Your assurance that, even when we don't understand the events of our lives, You are in control. Michael & I both pray for children. We so long to love them, hold them, play with them, & tell them about You! But we know that Your plan is better than ours. If You give us children, we will praise You. And if You don't give us children, we will praise You. Please, Lord, please give us such a love for You, that even if our heart's desire for children is not fulfilled, that You will be enough. We love you, Lord, but - as always - give us more love for You. Fill us up to overflowing with love for You, & we will have all we will ever need. In Christ's holy name we pray, Amen.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Recipe of the "Week"
Before I met & married the love of my life, pretty much the only thing I knew how to cook was frozen dinners. Cooking for one is just not all that fun to me. Then, Michael came along, & all of a sudden, I had a passion for cooking! There are very few things that thrill me more than hearing my sweet husband "ooh" & "ahh" over something I've fixed while his eyes roll back in his head in delight. In a spirit of sharing the love, I've decided to include a "Recipe of the Week" segment here on our blog. Hopefully, our favorite recipes will become some of y'all's favorite recipes, complete with the adoring utterances & eye-rolling rapture. Now, if you've kept up with our blog, you know that we don't actually update this thing every week. So, this might actually turn into more of a "Recipe of the Month" venture. Okay, without further ado, I present to y'all our inaugural recipe. . .
Dry Ingredients:
-1 3/4 c. flour
-1 1/2 c. sugar
-1/4 tsp. cinnamon
-1/8 tsp. nutmeg
-1 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. salt
Wet Ingredients:
-3 ripe bananas, mashed
-1/2 c. oil
-1 tsp. vanilla
-1 c. buttermilk (I make sour milk with lemon juice & milk)
-2 eggs
-1 c. walnuts, coarsely chopped (not "wet", I know, but it still goes here)
Directions:
-Thoroughly sift together dry ingredients in a large bowl & make a well in the center.
-Combine bananas & wet ingredients (minus walnuts) in a medium bowl.
-Add banana mixture to the dry ingredients & mix together thoroughly.
-Fold in walnuts.
-Line a 9"x5" loaf pan with foil & spray with cooking spray.
-Pour batter into loaf pan & sprinkle with Streusel-Nut Topping (optional).
-Bake @ 325 degrees for 1 hour, then cover with foil to prevent burning & cook an additional 20 minutes or until golden brown & a fork comes out clean when inserted into the center.
Streusel-Nut Topping
-Combine 1/4 c. brown sugar & 3 T flour in a small bowl. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in 2 T butter (not too soft) until coarse crumbs form. Stir in 1/3 c. chopped walnuts.
*Of course, it's wonderful warmed up, with a little butter & a tall glass of cold milk. I hope y'all enjoy it as much as we do!
Best Ever Banana Nut Bread
Dry Ingredients:
-1 3/4 c. flour
-1 1/2 c. sugar
-1/4 tsp. cinnamon
-1/8 tsp. nutmeg
-1 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. salt
Wet Ingredients:
-3 ripe bananas, mashed
-1/2 c. oil
-1 tsp. vanilla
-1 c. buttermilk (I make sour milk with lemon juice & milk)
-2 eggs
-1 c. walnuts, coarsely chopped (not "wet", I know, but it still goes here)
Directions:
-Thoroughly sift together dry ingredients in a large bowl & make a well in the center.
-Combine bananas & wet ingredients (minus walnuts) in a medium bowl.
-Add banana mixture to the dry ingredients & mix together thoroughly.
-Fold in walnuts.
-Line a 9"x5" loaf pan with foil & spray with cooking spray.
-Pour batter into loaf pan & sprinkle with Streusel-Nut Topping (optional).
-Bake @ 325 degrees for 1 hour, then cover with foil to prevent burning & cook an additional 20 minutes or until golden brown & a fork comes out clean when inserted into the center.
Streusel-Nut Topping
-Combine 1/4 c. brown sugar & 3 T flour in a small bowl. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in 2 T butter (not too soft) until coarse crumbs form. Stir in 1/3 c. chopped walnuts.
*Of course, it's wonderful warmed up, with a little butter & a tall glass of cold milk. I hope y'all enjoy it as much as we do!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Transforming Love
When we started this blog, my first post was about a difficult person that I have to deal with. I have no choice in the matter; she's in my life whether I like it or not. Thing is, I didn't like it. As a matter of fact, I hated it & wished with all of my might that the situation was such that somebody else had her role in my life. Somebody sweet & kind, who would love me & be always pleasing to deal with. Like Kate Mortimer (Stepping Heavenward), I'm not always the easiest person to get along with. My temper flares up easily enough without an intentionally belligerent person pushing my buttons, thank you very much! Therefore, I need to be surrounded by pleasant people who will not draw out my flaws & tempt me to sin, people who will make my path to glory easy. . .or so went my thinking at the time.
Well! God gave me a rude awakening when He placed this person in my life. And yes, I do believe that her role in my life is the work of His all-knowing, all-merciful hand. He knew what I didn't, that this person would be a refining fire for me. That He ordained her verbal jabs & tiresome behaviors to push my patience & temper to the brink, forcing my sanctification in both of these areas. He knew that she would grate on my nerves so badly that those rough edges would eventually be filed smooth. I didn't see it - or appreciate it - then, but I do now.
In just a moment, when He allowed me to see this person through His eyes that one evening, God transformed my heart from one of begrudging acceptance to one of love. I wondered if it would last, if my feelings would flee at the next trying interaction with her, but they didn't & still haven't. Amazingly, thankfully, I now have a true, heart-stirring, compassionate, merciful, forgiving, God-given love for her! The way this love has worked itself out practically is even more amazing. I no longer shy away from hugging her, & I even tell her I love her each time I leave her presence. . .& I mean it. Now, it truly gladdens my heart to help her. In the name of honesty, I have to admit that's not always the case; there are still times when I view helping her as an inconvenience. However, on those occasions - rather than justifying my sinful response as I used to - God's hand is heavy on me until I face my sin & repent. My view used to be that her hurtful actions had certain consequences, that if she was going to be malicious, then she could just do for herself rather than expecting us to do for her. By & large, God has cured me of this sin. Of course, by no means have my "rough edges" been completely worn smooth; no, we still have quite a ways to go! There are still times when I allow her words & behaviors to offend & anger me. However, God has begun to work in me so that I no longer hold onto my hurts & nurse a grudge. He shows me, each time, how my thoughts, feelings, attitudes, words, & deeds are sin. Then He brings me to repentance & I bask in His forgiveness, knowing that one day He will fully separate me from the sin that His death on the cross has already cancelled. This process is not easy, but it is done by Him in love & is healing.
By no means is His work done, as I am not nearly fully sanctified! My love for her is not a perfect love; no earthly love is. But it is genuine. It is truly a miracle that He has done this for me. I asked Him for this love, & He granted my request. Not only that, but I also know that He will continue to grow His love in me until I am completely transformed into His image. And for that, I'm truly thankful.
*Our most gracious heavenly Father, thank You for showing me my sin, not just in dealing with this person, but each sin that I commit day in & day out. I know that each sin that I commit, while affecting others, is ultimately against You. I am sorry for my unloving, unforgiving, angry attitudes toward this person. Please forgive me. I thank You so very much for changing my heart, for giving me a love for her. I know this love comes from You, for it was definitely impossible for me to love her on my own. Thank You for this! Thank You for freeing me! And thank You for Your continuing work in me, for continuing to sanctify me so that one day my love for You & for all people will be perfect. I love You, Lord. Make me love You more. In Christ's holy name I pray, Amen.
Well! God gave me a rude awakening when He placed this person in my life. And yes, I do believe that her role in my life is the work of His all-knowing, all-merciful hand. He knew what I didn't, that this person would be a refining fire for me. That He ordained her verbal jabs & tiresome behaviors to push my patience & temper to the brink, forcing my sanctification in both of these areas. He knew that she would grate on my nerves so badly that those rough edges would eventually be filed smooth. I didn't see it - or appreciate it - then, but I do now.
In just a moment, when He allowed me to see this person through His eyes that one evening, God transformed my heart from one of begrudging acceptance to one of love. I wondered if it would last, if my feelings would flee at the next trying interaction with her, but they didn't & still haven't. Amazingly, thankfully, I now have a true, heart-stirring, compassionate, merciful, forgiving, God-given love for her! The way this love has worked itself out practically is even more amazing. I no longer shy away from hugging her, & I even tell her I love her each time I leave her presence. . .& I mean it. Now, it truly gladdens my heart to help her. In the name of honesty, I have to admit that's not always the case; there are still times when I view helping her as an inconvenience. However, on those occasions - rather than justifying my sinful response as I used to - God's hand is heavy on me until I face my sin & repent. My view used to be that her hurtful actions had certain consequences, that if she was going to be malicious, then she could just do for herself rather than expecting us to do for her. By & large, God has cured me of this sin. Of course, by no means have my "rough edges" been completely worn smooth; no, we still have quite a ways to go! There are still times when I allow her words & behaviors to offend & anger me. However, God has begun to work in me so that I no longer hold onto my hurts & nurse a grudge. He shows me, each time, how my thoughts, feelings, attitudes, words, & deeds are sin. Then He brings me to repentance & I bask in His forgiveness, knowing that one day He will fully separate me from the sin that His death on the cross has already cancelled. This process is not easy, but it is done by Him in love & is healing.
By no means is His work done, as I am not nearly fully sanctified! My love for her is not a perfect love; no earthly love is. But it is genuine. It is truly a miracle that He has done this for me. I asked Him for this love, & He granted my request. Not only that, but I also know that He will continue to grow His love in me until I am completely transformed into His image. And for that, I'm truly thankful.
*Our most gracious heavenly Father, thank You for showing me my sin, not just in dealing with this person, but each sin that I commit day in & day out. I know that each sin that I commit, while affecting others, is ultimately against You. I am sorry for my unloving, unforgiving, angry attitudes toward this person. Please forgive me. I thank You so very much for changing my heart, for giving me a love for her. I know this love comes from You, for it was definitely impossible for me to love her on my own. Thank You for this! Thank You for freeing me! And thank You for Your continuing work in me, for continuing to sanctify me so that one day my love for You & for all people will be perfect. I love You, Lord. Make me love You more. In Christ's holy name I pray, Amen.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Are We Really Any Different?
This is the story of two adorable eight-year-old boys. One lives in a large, ornate house with his parents, sister, & a host of servants while the other lives in a squalid hut with more people than will fit. One is privileged to at least three meals a day with a variety of foods to choose from, while the other is always hungry because of the scarcity of food. One dresses in a different clean & pressed outfit daily, while the other dresses in the same dirty, oversized, & thin rags every day. Both live in Germany, but one's father is a Nazi commandant, while the other's father was a Jewish watchmaker before they were imprisoned in the "work camp".
I am emotionally devastated after watching "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas". Devastated because of the truth behind this fictional story. There was a time when some men were thought of as not really human - evil vermin worthy of eradication simply because they were Jews (you could insert "Native Americans" or "African" here as well). As I raged at this injustice, it struck me that things aren't really any different now. The evil that lurked in the hearts of the Nazis is no different from the evil that dwells in our hearts as well. Evil is evil, & because of the sin that is innate within us, we are all capable of heinous acts. It is only by God's grace that we are no longer debtors to our sin & have freedom in Christ. In the midst of my sobbing over the shared fate of these two boys, & the fate of millions of Jews in reality, I also wondered something. There were Nazis that were guilty of mass murder because they actually pulled the trigger, or administered the gas, or performed any number of other unspeakable crimes against their fellow man. But. . . what about the ones who stood by, fully cognizant of what was happening, but too afraid to take a stand against these evils - were they any less guilty?
Are we? All over the world right now, there are thousands of people dying every day. Thousands. Every. Single. Day. They're dying from starvation while we gorge ourselves at our dining tables or at fast-food restaurants. They're dying from diseases that could be prevented or treated while we have multiple pharmacies in practically every town & overflowing medicine cabinets. Children - both boys & girls - are being sold into slavery, some for labor, some for sex. And what do we do with this knowledge? Change the channel. Flip the newspaper page. Put such unpleasant thoughts out of our minds & focus on our own comfort.
So, are we really any different? We may not be killing people in gas chambers or firing squads, but are we any less guilty of their deaths if we turn a blind eye to their well-known plight? Now, before anyone gets their hackles up, please understand that I'm not drawing parallels between us & the Nazis. No, in fact, I'm comparing us to those Germans who just kept their heads down while millions were slaughtered. Truth be told, I actually find their silence more understandable than ours (although no less guilt-ridden), because their silence preserved their own lives & the lives of those they loved. We cannot say the same. No, our silence does nothing but preserve our own comfort & ease. We'd love to help, really we would, but surely we're not expected to go without cable or that nicer car or more clothes or a larger house or...the list goes on. There were people in Nazi Germany who risked everything to save some. They put their own lives & the lives of their loved ones on the line to hide or transport Jews away from the danger. They realized that more was at stake than their own comfort, & they stood in the gap to protect innocent people from annihilation. There are those today who are doing the same; people who are giving up everything, eschewing all modern comforts that this life affords us, even risking danger & death to be Christ's hands & feet. However, these people are rare, with the majority of us not doing nearly what we are capable of doing. Some of us are doing nothing at all. So I wonder: would we be so nonchalant about their deaths if they were our spouse? Our parent? Our child? Would that cable TV, nicer car, & bigger house be more important then? Aren't we, by our very indifference & inaction, proclaiming loudly that their lives are not as significant or worthy as ours? We can't claim not to know, because we do know. We can't say we don't see them, because we do see them. And because we know & see, if we choose to do nothing - or even just enough to assuage our consciences - we shouldn't be so foolish as to claim to be Christians. But don't take my word for that. Take God's.
"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed & lacking in daily food, & one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed & filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." James 1:14-17
"Then He will say to those on His left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil & his angels. For I was hungry & you gave me no food, I was thirsty & you gave me no drink, I was a stranger & you did not welcome me, naked & you did not clothe me, sick & in prison & you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, & did not minister to you?' Then He will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Matthew 25:41-46
*Our most gracious heavenly Father, bring us to repentance for neglecting Your Word. Some of us have never had our eyes opened to the truths seen in these Scriptures; some of us have seen these truths, but have chosen not to heed them. Forgive us our sins. Please open our eyes to Your commands & soften our hearts to joyfully minister to those around us, both near & far, out of loving obedience to You. Help us to be ever-mindful that our works don't save us, but that they do show our profession of Christ to be true. Please remind us that we can't have true works apart from faith any more than we can have true faith apart from works. Sanctify us & strengthen our faith so that our love for You & for others will overflow into works that benefit others & glorify You. Equip us to be Your hands & feet to this dying world, forsaking our own comfort & ease in favor of sharing with them not only bread to feed their bodies, but the Bread of Life to save their souls. Help us to realize that these are not options, but commands that all true followers of Christ are to joyfully obey. Thank You for being our God, for leading us, disciplining us, forgiving us, & saving us. We love You. Please help us love You more. In Christ's holy name, Amen.
I am emotionally devastated after watching "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas". Devastated because of the truth behind this fictional story. There was a time when some men were thought of as not really human - evil vermin worthy of eradication simply because they were Jews (you could insert "Native Americans" or "African" here as well). As I raged at this injustice, it struck me that things aren't really any different now. The evil that lurked in the hearts of the Nazis is no different from the evil that dwells in our hearts as well. Evil is evil, & because of the sin that is innate within us, we are all capable of heinous acts. It is only by God's grace that we are no longer debtors to our sin & have freedom in Christ. In the midst of my sobbing over the shared fate of these two boys, & the fate of millions of Jews in reality, I also wondered something. There were Nazis that were guilty of mass murder because they actually pulled the trigger, or administered the gas, or performed any number of other unspeakable crimes against their fellow man. But. . . what about the ones who stood by, fully cognizant of what was happening, but too afraid to take a stand against these evils - were they any less guilty?
Are we? All over the world right now, there are thousands of people dying every day. Thousands. Every. Single. Day. They're dying from starvation while we gorge ourselves at our dining tables or at fast-food restaurants. They're dying from diseases that could be prevented or treated while we have multiple pharmacies in practically every town & overflowing medicine cabinets. Children - both boys & girls - are being sold into slavery, some for labor, some for sex. And what do we do with this knowledge? Change the channel. Flip the newspaper page. Put such unpleasant thoughts out of our minds & focus on our own comfort.
So, are we really any different? We may not be killing people in gas chambers or firing squads, but are we any less guilty of their deaths if we turn a blind eye to their well-known plight? Now, before anyone gets their hackles up, please understand that I'm not drawing parallels between us & the Nazis. No, in fact, I'm comparing us to those Germans who just kept their heads down while millions were slaughtered. Truth be told, I actually find their silence more understandable than ours (although no less guilt-ridden), because their silence preserved their own lives & the lives of those they loved. We cannot say the same. No, our silence does nothing but preserve our own comfort & ease. We'd love to help, really we would, but surely we're not expected to go without cable or that nicer car or more clothes or a larger house or...the list goes on. There were people in Nazi Germany who risked everything to save some. They put their own lives & the lives of their loved ones on the line to hide or transport Jews away from the danger. They realized that more was at stake than their own comfort, & they stood in the gap to protect innocent people from annihilation. There are those today who are doing the same; people who are giving up everything, eschewing all modern comforts that this life affords us, even risking danger & death to be Christ's hands & feet. However, these people are rare, with the majority of us not doing nearly what we are capable of doing. Some of us are doing nothing at all. So I wonder: would we be so nonchalant about their deaths if they were our spouse? Our parent? Our child? Would that cable TV, nicer car, & bigger house be more important then? Aren't we, by our very indifference & inaction, proclaiming loudly that their lives are not as significant or worthy as ours? We can't claim not to know, because we do know. We can't say we don't see them, because we do see them. And because we know & see, if we choose to do nothing - or even just enough to assuage our consciences - we shouldn't be so foolish as to claim to be Christians. But don't take my word for that. Take God's.
"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed & lacking in daily food, & one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed & filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." James 1:14-17
"Then He will say to those on His left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil & his angels. For I was hungry & you gave me no food, I was thirsty & you gave me no drink, I was a stranger & you did not welcome me, naked & you did not clothe me, sick & in prison & you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, & did not minister to you?' Then He will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Matthew 25:41-46
*Our most gracious heavenly Father, bring us to repentance for neglecting Your Word. Some of us have never had our eyes opened to the truths seen in these Scriptures; some of us have seen these truths, but have chosen not to heed them. Forgive us our sins. Please open our eyes to Your commands & soften our hearts to joyfully minister to those around us, both near & far, out of loving obedience to You. Help us to be ever-mindful that our works don't save us, but that they do show our profession of Christ to be true. Please remind us that we can't have true works apart from faith any more than we can have true faith apart from works. Sanctify us & strengthen our faith so that our love for You & for others will overflow into works that benefit others & glorify You. Equip us to be Your hands & feet to this dying world, forsaking our own comfort & ease in favor of sharing with them not only bread to feed their bodies, but the Bread of Life to save their souls. Help us to realize that these are not options, but commands that all true followers of Christ are to joyfully obey. Thank You for being our God, for leading us, disciplining us, forgiving us, & saving us. We love You. Please help us love You more. In Christ's holy name, Amen.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wisdom Cries Aloud
Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing & fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called & you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand & no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel & would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm & your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress & anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. Because they hated knowledge & did not choose the fear of the Lord, would have none of my counsel & despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, & have their fill of their own devices. For the simple are killed by their turning away, & the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to me will dwell secure & will be at ease, without dread of disaster. Proverbs 1:20-33
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. Proverbs 12:15
"For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are 'wise'--in doing evil! But how to do good they know not." Jeremiah 4:22
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:17
*Our most gracious heavenly Father, Your Word "is living & active, sharper than any two-edged sword". Please use this Word to "pierce the division of soul & of spirit, of joints & of marrow, & discern the thoughts & intentions of our hearts". We want so much to be sanctified by Your truth, by Your wisdom, as found in Your Word. Please continue to instruct us, so that we will be wise people who follow hard after You, seeking to do Your will & walk in Your ways in all of our thoughts, words, & deeds to the glory of Your holy name. Show us the areas in our lives where we are being foolish, & then give us the strength to conform our lives to Your Word. We love You so much, please help us to love you more. In Christ's holy name, Amen.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. Proverbs 12:15
"For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are 'wise'--in doing evil! But how to do good they know not." Jeremiah 4:22
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:17
*Our most gracious heavenly Father, Your Word "is living & active, sharper than any two-edged sword". Please use this Word to "pierce the division of soul & of spirit, of joints & of marrow, & discern the thoughts & intentions of our hearts". We want so much to be sanctified by Your truth, by Your wisdom, as found in Your Word. Please continue to instruct us, so that we will be wise people who follow hard after You, seeking to do Your will & walk in Your ways in all of our thoughts, words, & deeds to the glory of Your holy name. Show us the areas in our lives where we are being foolish, & then give us the strength to conform our lives to Your Word. We love You so much, please help us to love you more. In Christ's holy name, Amen.
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