A few years ago, I came across a couple of spiritual inventories to take in the New Year regarding my spiritual growth in the past year. I have been trying to do that since then and, for some reason, I sat down to do that tonight rather than after the 1st. I just was struck by how hard I had to think to come up with some of the answers. This is such a good exercise for me and it made me realize that I must go through much of my life without really engaging myself enough in the activity of the moment to allow a lasting impression. How shallow is that???
I think when I encounter deeply moving experiences with my husband, children and their spouses, and my nineteen grandchildren, I need to allow myself the privilege of savoring!!! I have come to the conclusion that I am too much of a "taster" and not enough of a "savorer"! Life is meant to be enjoyed, says the Preacher in Eccleasiastes. And I am convinced that enjoyment takes time and thought and engagement!!!
So, with that thought, my goal for this new year is to engage myself more purposefully with each encounter with the people God puts in my path, especially those He uses to spiritually impact my life for His glory.
I pray that you have a spiritually prosperous New Year in 2008! If you are interested in these inventoreis, let me know and I can email them to you!! Or, maybe I can get my daughter to help me put them in a link on this post????!!!!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
Communication
Can we realize how dependent we are on things before they are removed from us? Probably, to some extent...........some things. But what I have learned is that not having a home phone is really not that big of a deal for me these days. As I mentioned before, the telemarketers can't reach me (still) and maybe with the constant recording they get from my phone provider, they will even remove me now from their lists. I think we are going on our 6th day now without our home phone and I have no idea who has been trying to get a hold of us............outside our close family who have our cell phone numbers.
But, one thing I have thought about this week, is how bound to communication we really are. God is a communicating God and He has given us that same characteristic........one of the ways we are created in His image. Relationships are sustained by communication. And the more accessible one is to our communication, the easier it is to strengthen the relationship.
LONG PAUSE HERE>>>>>>>>>>>, like 30 hours or so!! Funny thing!! As I was trying to "communicate" my thoughts here, I lost my cable connection which took away my internet and television. ...still residual effects from the power outage. It was like God was trying to reinforce my point............one must have connectivity to communicate and thus properly relate to others. I just smiled and thought once again about Jer 33:3 - God's phone number.........."Call upon Me and I will show you great and mighty things." He is always available to us who are properly "connected" to Him through the perfect sacrifice of God the Son, Whose miraculous connection to humanity we celebrate in this glorious season.
I am now back online, with telephone service and I am sure the whole world at my fingertips on the television, which I have not yet checked. One thing, for certain, is that I will make every effort to "stay in touch" with those who are important to me!!! Especially Jesus!!!
But, one thing I have thought about this week, is how bound to communication we really are. God is a communicating God and He has given us that same characteristic........one of the ways we are created in His image. Relationships are sustained by communication. And the more accessible one is to our communication, the easier it is to strengthen the relationship.
LONG PAUSE HERE>>>>>>>>>>>, like 30 hours or so!! Funny thing!! As I was trying to "communicate" my thoughts here, I lost my cable connection which took away my internet and television. ...still residual effects from the power outage. It was like God was trying to reinforce my point............one must have connectivity to communicate and thus properly relate to others. I just smiled and thought once again about Jer 33:3 - God's phone number.........."Call upon Me and I will show you great and mighty things." He is always available to us who are properly "connected" to Him through the perfect sacrifice of God the Son, Whose miraculous connection to humanity we celebrate in this glorious season.
I am now back online, with telephone service and I am sure the whole world at my fingertips on the television, which I have not yet checked. One thing, for certain, is that I will make every effort to "stay in touch" with those who are important to me!!! Especially Jesus!!!
Thursday, December 13, 2007
The Deceitfulness of Beauty
How can something so beautiful be so deceptive?
When we just experienced our worst ice storm in history here in OKC (or so they are saying) this past week, that question kept coming to my mind. The beauty of the icicles hanging so brilliantly on everything had an almost "Narnia" beauty about it as you looked out at the trees, the roof lines, the patio furniture, the ice covered grass, and even the slick roads. There was something so captivating in the picturesque scenes throughout the city. So, you ask, what is the deception?
It is kind of like the verse in Proverbs about the virtuous woman......31:30 "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain" (or in the NLT...."beauty does not last")!! The superficial look does not say it all...........in women or in icicles!! Both can be very devastating if the "beauty is on too thick"!! In the case of the ice, the destructive effects are still with us. We still do not have the use of our home phone (which I must admit is not all bad!!) Our phone has not been this silent in years!! But.........where would we be without cell phones?? The only ones who really can't reach us are the telemarketers!!
The first day of the storm (Monday) there were over 600,000 homes without power. After about 24-36 hours, that number had decreased to around 400,000. Now, I believe it is about 100,000, and some of those are looking at 30 days before it is restored. That is just an example of the deceitfulness of the "beauty".
If you want to see some visuals of what I am saying, check out some photos from a local source here. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
And as far as the woman........the rest of that verse says "but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised." That is real beauty..........with no deception!!!
When we just experienced our worst ice storm in history here in OKC (or so they are saying) this past week, that question kept coming to my mind. The beauty of the icicles hanging so brilliantly on everything had an almost "Narnia" beauty about it as you looked out at the trees, the roof lines, the patio furniture, the ice covered grass, and even the slick roads. There was something so captivating in the picturesque scenes throughout the city. So, you ask, what is the deception?
It is kind of like the verse in Proverbs about the virtuous woman......31:30 "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain" (or in the NLT...."beauty does not last")!! The superficial look does not say it all...........in women or in icicles!! Both can be very devastating if the "beauty is on too thick"!! In the case of the ice, the destructive effects are still with us. We still do not have the use of our home phone (which I must admit is not all bad!!) Our phone has not been this silent in years!! But.........where would we be without cell phones?? The only ones who really can't reach us are the telemarketers!!
The first day of the storm (Monday) there were over 600,000 homes without power. After about 24-36 hours, that number had decreased to around 400,000. Now, I believe it is about 100,000, and some of those are looking at 30 days before it is restored. That is just an example of the deceitfulness of the "beauty".
If you want to see some visuals of what I am saying, check out some photos from a local source here. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
And as far as the woman........the rest of that verse says "but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised." That is real beauty..........with no deception!!!
Sunday, December 9, 2007
The SOON return of the LORD??
It has been a while since the urge to blog has come upon me...............well, that is not quite true. The urge to do it came the other day, but the time did not. Busy week!!!! But, just this afternoon when I read the article I will add to this, the urge came upon me once again.
The time of the LORD'S return must be soon! I was reading the signs of the end times in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. You must stay away from people like that. NLT
I know that in my six decades of living, it was not always this way. I can well remember the days of my childhood when we left our cars and houses unlocked all of the time. There was not the love of pleasure more than the love of God, even on a national scale. People made covenants with each other with a handshake............and kept them. Marriage was sacred. Courtesy was common. Loyalty was the norm. As children, we would walk everywhere in the neighborhoods by ourselves, no adults, and played for hours together. I would walk to the grocery store and charge the food Mom sent me to get on a ticket that she would come by and pay later, the next time she was in for more groceries. That was less than 50 years ago.
Those of you who are in your 30's, do you not remember that you could play outside, in the front yard..............or even walk a few blocks or even several blocks to your friend's house to play? Would you let your child do that now?
With the shooting today of the young people at the Youth With a Mission training center, I have been saddened by such fear that comes to parents who are training their children to love Jesus and be willing to serve Him wherever and whatever the cost, even in their own schools, malls, or spiritual life training centers. It was not unusual to expect tragedy if they were called to Papua New Guinea or the jungles of Columbia, but Arvada, CO????
I remembered the contrasts between the deeds of the flesh and of the Spirit that God inspired Paul to write in the letter to the Galatians. 5:19-23 19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20 idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. NLT
Participation in demonic activities is what came to my mind when thinking about the recent shootings, and the article I read (click on article for the link). I looked up the Greek word for that again, sometimes translated "witchcraft", and found that it was Pharmakeía, which means the occult, sorcery, witchcraft, illicit pharmaceuticals,(from The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament © 1992 by AMG International, Inc. Revised Edition, 1993) Does that word look familiar to one of our English words?? "Pharmacy" Drugs. I won't bore you with all that I studied about this word, but I found it to be enlightening in the other passages where it is used, like in Revelation 9:21 & 18:23.
I know that "witchcraft" is not a new idea, nor a unique "sign of the times", but the frequency of drug usage is certainly on the rise and, as you can read in the article, the effects are lethal. I am just wondering how will it all end? I seen no way other than the soon return of our LORD. Even so, come quickly, LORD Jesus!!! Amen
The time of the LORD'S return must be soon! I was reading the signs of the end times in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. You must stay away from people like that. NLT
I know that in my six decades of living, it was not always this way. I can well remember the days of my childhood when we left our cars and houses unlocked all of the time. There was not the love of pleasure more than the love of God, even on a national scale. People made covenants with each other with a handshake............and kept them. Marriage was sacred. Courtesy was common. Loyalty was the norm. As children, we would walk everywhere in the neighborhoods by ourselves, no adults, and played for hours together. I would walk to the grocery store and charge the food Mom sent me to get on a ticket that she would come by and pay later, the next time she was in for more groceries. That was less than 50 years ago.
Those of you who are in your 30's, do you not remember that you could play outside, in the front yard..............or even walk a few blocks or even several blocks to your friend's house to play? Would you let your child do that now?
With the shooting today of the young people at the Youth With a Mission training center, I have been saddened by such fear that comes to parents who are training their children to love Jesus and be willing to serve Him wherever and whatever the cost, even in their own schools, malls, or spiritual life training centers. It was not unusual to expect tragedy if they were called to Papua New Guinea or the jungles of Columbia, but Arvada, CO????
I remembered the contrasts between the deeds of the flesh and of the Spirit that God inspired Paul to write in the letter to the Galatians. 5:19-23 19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20 idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. NLT
Participation in demonic activities is what came to my mind when thinking about the recent shootings, and the article I read (click on article for the link). I looked up the Greek word for that again, sometimes translated "witchcraft", and found that it was Pharmakeía, which means the occult, sorcery, witchcraft, illicit pharmaceuticals,(from The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament © 1992 by AMG International, Inc. Revised Edition, 1993) Does that word look familiar to one of our English words?? "Pharmacy" Drugs. I won't bore you with all that I studied about this word, but I found it to be enlightening in the other passages where it is used, like in Revelation 9:21 & 18:23.
I know that "witchcraft" is not a new idea, nor a unique "sign of the times", but the frequency of drug usage is certainly on the rise and, as you can read in the article, the effects are lethal. I am just wondering how will it all end? I seen no way other than the soon return of our LORD. Even so, come quickly, LORD Jesus!!! Amen
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Death and Dying
Now, how is that for an eye-catching, appealing title!! Not so much, huh? But that is where I was all day yesterday with a friend whose mother is in critical condition.
What yesterday did for me was to take me back a few months to the whole dying process of my mother I experienced. I don't know if that happens to all families, but I am seeing a deja vu sort of happening with me. What I observed was the damage of expectations. When a loved one is in the dying process several things happen among family members, not the least of which are expectations. Some are perceived and others are real. But in either case, expectations are imprisoning.
Expectations: I need to be sitting up there every minute......just in case. My family will think I don't care if I go ahead and go to CO to take care of my grandchildren as promised. I haven't been there to visit her often enough. I need to call so and so. I shouldn't be so vulnerable and say how I am really feeling about all of this. ............and the list goes on and on.
When I was having to make a hard decision about going out of town when Mother was so gravely ill, I asked one of the doctors what he thought about it. He said, "Go! You have to keep living with the living and do what God has called you to do. No man knows if she will die in 1 hour, 1 day, 1 month, but most likely not in 1 year. So, Go." Then he reminded me of what Jesus said to a 'would-be' follower of His. Let the dead bury the dead!! That was such wise counsel. I have been able to share that with others who are caring for their elderly parents. (I do not mean to imply that my other siblings, etc. were the dead and were to bury her, but I took from that the wisdom to follow what God was telling me to do, which was minister to the living who needed me at that time.)
And in His perfect timing, she did die when I was on vacation in Jackson Hole, WY with my husband and our precious, godly friends who were of such a great help to me. I was actually able to complete our time there, fly home and be here for her funeral the next day. It was such a good thing that we had made her arrangements over three years before when Daddy was in the dying process, after we made his arrangements with the funeral director.
So, I suppose my final thoughts (at least for right now) are: 1) Kill expectations. Or, at the very least, give them to God. Psa 62:5 - My expectations are in the LORD and in Him only do I hope. 2) Save yourself (or more importantly, your loved ones) a lot of grief and plan ahead for your death. One out of one dies!! Make your burial/funeral arrangements now!! (I have no stock in any funeral home, by the way. This is not a commercial.)
What yesterday did for me was to take me back a few months to the whole dying process of my mother I experienced. I don't know if that happens to all families, but I am seeing a deja vu sort of happening with me. What I observed was the damage of expectations. When a loved one is in the dying process several things happen among family members, not the least of which are expectations. Some are perceived and others are real. But in either case, expectations are imprisoning.
Expectations: I need to be sitting up there every minute......just in case. My family will think I don't care if I go ahead and go to CO to take care of my grandchildren as promised. I haven't been there to visit her often enough. I need to call so and so. I shouldn't be so vulnerable and say how I am really feeling about all of this. ............and the list goes on and on.
When I was having to make a hard decision about going out of town when Mother was so gravely ill, I asked one of the doctors what he thought about it. He said, "Go! You have to keep living with the living and do what God has called you to do. No man knows if she will die in 1 hour, 1 day, 1 month, but most likely not in 1 year. So, Go." Then he reminded me of what Jesus said to a 'would-be' follower of His. Let the dead bury the dead!! That was such wise counsel. I have been able to share that with others who are caring for their elderly parents. (I do not mean to imply that my other siblings, etc. were the dead and were to bury her, but I took from that the wisdom to follow what God was telling me to do, which was minister to the living who needed me at that time.)
And in His perfect timing, she did die when I was on vacation in Jackson Hole, WY with my husband and our precious, godly friends who were of such a great help to me. I was actually able to complete our time there, fly home and be here for her funeral the next day. It was such a good thing that we had made her arrangements over three years before when Daddy was in the dying process, after we made his arrangements with the funeral director.
So, I suppose my final thoughts (at least for right now) are: 1) Kill expectations. Or, at the very least, give them to God. Psa 62:5 - My expectations are in the LORD and in Him only do I hope. 2) Save yourself (or more importantly, your loved ones) a lot of grief and plan ahead for your death. One out of one dies!! Make your burial/funeral arrangements now!! (I have no stock in any funeral home, by the way. This is not a commercial.)
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Heroes
Today I spent two hours with one of my "Real, Live Heroes"!!! I suppose, I should be politically correct and call her my heroine...........but I just never use heroine......and don't even like to write it!!! (Sorry, I just had to throw that small bit of humor in before I go deep!! )
Truly, this woman is an amazing lady. Her name is Kay. It is not her attire that attracts me to her. It is not any accomplishment that she has done that receives my accolades. It is not her physical agility, performance or appearance that makes her my hero, even though she was quite the tennis player into her 7th decade, and has such a beauty that is captivating. It is not her southern drawl (as much as I love it) nor her tri-lingual expertise that has captured my heart and affection for her that compels me to seek her out to spend time with her. And surely, it is not wealth or social status, as she probably gives away more than she has ever owned and her personal belongings are now down to a half of a very small room in a clean, but packed full of elderly people whose average age is about 85, local nursing home. My hero is 92 years old.
So what makes her my hero.............Jesus in her!! She is the modern day personification of what Paul said in the Word "Follow me as I follow Christ"!! Oh, don't get me wrong..........she has never said any such thing to me in the nearly45 years I have known her. And if she were looking over my shoulder right now she would tell me to stop that!! There was about a 40 year span of time that we had no contact with each other. Then a few years ago, God reconnected us into an intimate friendship through a prayer group we attended at 7:00 AM every Tuesday.
To hear her talk to our LORD in her sweet, southern drawl, praying His Word back to Him, is a memory I shall cherish forever. I miss that weekly time with her. Since her health had been failing the past couple of years, she was not able to get out much. So, I would go to her assisted-living apartment every Tuesday afternoon with a few other friends so we could pray together. Then due to some serious health issues, Kay had to be moved into the nursing home for more care.
The past couple of months, I have been so busy that I had not been able to spend time with her until today. When I walked into her room, she looked up at me from her electric scooter, smiled her precious smile, received my hug, and responding to my "How are you?" said her usual........"I can't complain!" After probing her to tell me how she really is, she said, "The LORD is so good to me. I can't complain!" But she did tell me that she is praying about getting a knee replacement!! What a lady!
We love to talk about the difficult things in the Word and come to the conclusion that some of those things are just too hard to understand, but that we believe it, because we KNOW HIM. She is always so quick to praise Him for His grace, His sovereignty, His lovingkindness, His faithfulness, His provision, and His goodness to her all the days of her life. And that comes in the context of living in the jungles of Mexico among illiterate Indians for 30+ years, where she and Ray raised their three sons. They translated the New Testament and certain sections of the Old Testament into their dialect. On more than one occasion when I would go to visit Kay, she would have that translation of the Word open in her lap, praying for those people whom they had served.
And always right next to her chair would be the stacks of prayer letters and prayer lists that she would pray through every day, telling me that there are not enough hours in the days for her to cover all of the prayer needs for these people serving the LORD around the world. And I know that she prays for me. I will miss that when He takes her home.
So, I have no idea what kind of a person you look up to as a hero, but I am quite sure, none can measure up to mine..............Dear, sweet Kay.
Truly, this woman is an amazing lady. Her name is Kay. It is not her attire that attracts me to her. It is not any accomplishment that she has done that receives my accolades. It is not her physical agility, performance or appearance that makes her my hero, even though she was quite the tennis player into her 7th decade, and has such a beauty that is captivating. It is not her southern drawl (as much as I love it) nor her tri-lingual expertise that has captured my heart and affection for her that compels me to seek her out to spend time with her. And surely, it is not wealth or social status, as she probably gives away more than she has ever owned and her personal belongings are now down to a half of a very small room in a clean, but packed full of elderly people whose average age is about 85, local nursing home. My hero is 92 years old.
So what makes her my hero.............Jesus in her!! She is the modern day personification of what Paul said in the Word "Follow me as I follow Christ"!! Oh, don't get me wrong..........she has never said any such thing to me in the nearly45 years I have known her. And if she were looking over my shoulder right now she would tell me to stop that!! There was about a 40 year span of time that we had no contact with each other. Then a few years ago, God reconnected us into an intimate friendship through a prayer group we attended at 7:00 AM every Tuesday.
To hear her talk to our LORD in her sweet, southern drawl, praying His Word back to Him, is a memory I shall cherish forever. I miss that weekly time with her. Since her health had been failing the past couple of years, she was not able to get out much. So, I would go to her assisted-living apartment every Tuesday afternoon with a few other friends so we could pray together. Then due to some serious health issues, Kay had to be moved into the nursing home for more care.
The past couple of months, I have been so busy that I had not been able to spend time with her until today. When I walked into her room, she looked up at me from her electric scooter, smiled her precious smile, received my hug, and responding to my "How are you?" said her usual........"I can't complain!" After probing her to tell me how she really is, she said, "The LORD is so good to me. I can't complain!" But she did tell me that she is praying about getting a knee replacement!! What a lady!
We love to talk about the difficult things in the Word and come to the conclusion that some of those things are just too hard to understand, but that we believe it, because we KNOW HIM. She is always so quick to praise Him for His grace, His sovereignty, His lovingkindness, His faithfulness, His provision, and His goodness to her all the days of her life. And that comes in the context of living in the jungles of Mexico among illiterate Indians for 30+ years, where she and Ray raised their three sons. They translated the New Testament and certain sections of the Old Testament into their dialect. On more than one occasion when I would go to visit Kay, she would have that translation of the Word open in her lap, praying for those people whom they had served.
And always right next to her chair would be the stacks of prayer letters and prayer lists that she would pray through every day, telling me that there are not enough hours in the days for her to cover all of the prayer needs for these people serving the LORD around the world. And I know that she prays for me. I will miss that when He takes her home.
So, I have no idea what kind of a person you look up to as a hero, but I am quite sure, none can measure up to mine..............Dear, sweet Kay.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Revamping My Thinking
Well, I did it!! Last night I finished The Shack by William Young, and stayed up late thinking about the book and what I had just experienced in reading it. As I sat there and thought about my previous blog, I realized I probably overstated my response to what I had read when I said that I had made some paradigm shifts. What actually went through my mind were some examinations of my paradigms and I had to see whether they were founded in Scripture or just in the course of my upbringing and influence of what other people thought.
I loved the book and the way it made me examine myself and what I believe. I do recommend it. You might look at some of what others say on their website. But I would warn you not to read the ones who spoil it by telling you too much of the plot. It is much better reading the story with little to no knowledge of what is going to happen. Honestly, I had to rethink what I had just read to make sure I could decipher what was real and what was not.......rather, what was truth and what was fiction. It is a novel. But I, somehow, had led myself to believe it was a biography. which probably made it even more challenging to my thinking.
The revamping of my thinking has been to review the book afresh through my biblical grid of knowledge from years of studying Scripture. So, if we were able to sit and visit about the book after you read it, it would be great to get into the Word together and find the Truths that were there all the time, just not stated in the way Young expressed it. That is a part of the revamping of my thinking I experience..............seeing Truth with new lenses.
One question I am most often asked when talking with others about the LORD is that one which plagues most people, "If God is such a loving God, why is there so much suffering?" The Shack deals with the hidden concepts that are beneath the surface of that question with amazing creativity, challenging the reader's beliefs about God and His character.
It is not often that I finish a book with the desire to pick it up and start it all over again. I will probably wait until I get my own copy (which I ordered) so I can mark it up with freedom, noting references to Scripture that come to my mind, so I can share them with others.
Before I close this ......... what I consider to be my final comments on The Shack, I have to make a disclaimer now. As with any book, I usually find things with which I disagree and The Shack is no exception. With that said.................go read it anyway!!!! ENJOY!!!
I loved the book and the way it made me examine myself and what I believe. I do recommend it. You might look at some of what others say on their website. But I would warn you not to read the ones who spoil it by telling you too much of the plot. It is much better reading the story with little to no knowledge of what is going to happen. Honestly, I had to rethink what I had just read to make sure I could decipher what was real and what was not.......rather, what was truth and what was fiction. It is a novel. But I, somehow, had led myself to believe it was a biography. which probably made it even more challenging to my thinking.
The revamping of my thinking has been to review the book afresh through my biblical grid of knowledge from years of studying Scripture. So, if we were able to sit and visit about the book after you read it, it would be great to get into the Word together and find the Truths that were there all the time, just not stated in the way Young expressed it. That is a part of the revamping of my thinking I experience..............seeing Truth with new lenses.
One question I am most often asked when talking with others about the LORD is that one which plagues most people, "If God is such a loving God, why is there so much suffering?" The Shack deals with the hidden concepts that are beneath the surface of that question with amazing creativity, challenging the reader's beliefs about God and His character.
It is not often that I finish a book with the desire to pick it up and start it all over again. I will probably wait until I get my own copy (which I ordered) so I can mark it up with freedom, noting references to Scripture that come to my mind, so I can share them with others.
Before I close this ......... what I consider to be my final comments on The Shack, I have to make a disclaimer now. As with any book, I usually find things with which I disagree and The Shack is no exception. With that said.................go read it anyway!!!! ENJOY!!!
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Blessings in Disguise
Sometimes, no.....oftentimes, our blessings are disguised as inconveniences or interruptions. I am reading a book which is one of those that invades my thoughts constantly, challenging my perspective on things such as inconveniences and interruptions. I think I am supposed to blog about this book because I need to put my thoughts about it in writing.
I have made a few paradigm shifts in the reading of The Shack by William Young. It is a book of which Eugene Peterson (The Message) writes: "This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress did for his. It's that good!" That piqued my attention, for sure. And then the fact that Kaylyn, one of our daughters, read it & gave it to me to read, saying she thought I would really like it. But since I was busy taking care of her four children and studying to teach the last few lessons for my Precept class, it just sat in my "to read" pile for a month.
And then it happened..... I was hooked. It is an interesting piece of writing that captured my heart and my mind.....stretching my mind in such a way that I have had to reread several passages to allow for the paradigm shift I mentioned. It has made me think about what I believe to be true about God and how I got that image. The story has taken me into the heart and nature of God in a way that was a bit uncomfortable, but a blessing in disguise.
Okay, with that as background, I can now get to my most recent Blessing in Disguise. Today I had planned (my first mistake............to have an expectation) to finish reading The Shack, even knowing that 3 granddaughters were spending the day here while their parents went to the Bedlam football game. So, I decided to create my own Bedlam here and invited the three other granddaughters who live here to come over and let their parents have some time alone. They went to a movie, and took Poppi with them, and left me here alone with 6 "Inconveniences- turned-Blessing". The only inconvenience was that I didn't finish what I had planned, but the blessing you can see for yourself below.
Does it get any better than that?? Such happy faces with their very own creation of their almost-home-made Gingerbread House!!! How much fun is that??
I have made a few paradigm shifts in the reading of The Shack by William Young. It is a book of which Eugene Peterson (The Message) writes: "This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress did for his. It's that good!" That piqued my attention, for sure. And then the fact that Kaylyn, one of our daughters, read it & gave it to me to read, saying she thought I would really like it. But since I was busy taking care of her four children and studying to teach the last few lessons for my Precept class, it just sat in my "to read" pile for a month.
And then it happened..... I was hooked. It is an interesting piece of writing that captured my heart and my mind.....stretching my mind in such a way that I have had to reread several passages to allow for the paradigm shift I mentioned. It has made me think about what I believe to be true about God and how I got that image. The story has taken me into the heart and nature of God in a way that was a bit uncomfortable, but a blessing in disguise.
Okay, with that as background, I can now get to my most recent Blessing in Disguise. Today I had planned (my first mistake............to have an expectation) to finish reading The Shack, even knowing that 3 granddaughters were spending the day here while their parents went to the Bedlam football game. So, I decided to create my own Bedlam here and invited the three other granddaughters who live here to come over and let their parents have some time alone. They went to a movie, and took Poppi with them, and left me here alone with 6 "Inconveniences- turned-Blessing". The only inconvenience was that I didn't finish what I had planned, but the blessing you can see for yourself below.
Does it get any better than that?? Such happy faces with their very own creation of their almost-home-made Gingerbread House!!! How much fun is that??
Thursday, November 22, 2007
New Beginnings
It never ceases to amaze me how many "New Beginnings" keep occurring in my life. If I sat here long enough, I could probably bore you (and myself) to tears remembering all of the "New Beginnings" I have had. But, this blog stuff is it for me now. Our youngest child, Rachel, has gotten me to try this out because she has had such a great blessing from doing her blog and meeting so many interesting people.
I must admit that I am quite hesitant about doing this, because Nick, Rachel's husband said that I should be prepared to stop my regular journaling .......that this will take its place. That is not an appealing thought to me at all. I love journaling my prayers and I really would not want anything to change that. So, I will have to just try this New Beginning on for size to see if it is a fit for me.
I believe that this is one of the beautiful aspects of walking with the LORD............change!! The Word assures us that He is in the process of changing us from glory to glory and conforming us (by "us" I mean those who are followers of Jesus as LORD) into His image, whatever that may look like. I am certain of that one thing, that He who has begun a good work in me will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ, that day of the final glorification. What a blessed hope that is. So, with that in mind, I may find that this whole new realm of blogging just might fit into that process.
Tonight, the end of a day of Giving Thanks for what He has done, finds me exhausted, but so humbled at how blessed I am. I am thankful for the ability He has given me to learn new things in these later years of my life. It was only a very few years ago that I made the transition to from handwriting my journal to putting everything on computer. Now I can't imagine my life without a computer (or two: desktop and laptop!!!) SO, I am thankful for the people God continually puts in my life to sharpen me (Pr 27:17) ........... like starting a blog!! We will see!
I must admit that I am quite hesitant about doing this, because Nick, Rachel's husband said that I should be prepared to stop my regular journaling .......that this will take its place. That is not an appealing thought to me at all. I love journaling my prayers and I really would not want anything to change that. So, I will have to just try this New Beginning on for size to see if it is a fit for me.
I believe that this is one of the beautiful aspects of walking with the LORD............change!! The Word assures us that He is in the process of changing us from glory to glory and conforming us (by "us" I mean those who are followers of Jesus as LORD) into His image, whatever that may look like. I am certain of that one thing, that He who has begun a good work in me will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ, that day of the final glorification. What a blessed hope that is. So, with that in mind, I may find that this whole new realm of blogging just might fit into that process.
Tonight, the end of a day of Giving Thanks for what He has done, finds me exhausted, but so humbled at how blessed I am. I am thankful for the ability He has given me to learn new things in these later years of my life. It was only a very few years ago that I made the transition to from handwriting my journal to putting everything on computer. Now I can't imagine my life without a computer (or two: desktop and laptop!!!) SO, I am thankful for the people God continually puts in my life to sharpen me (Pr 27:17) ........... like starting a blog!! We will see!
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