Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
A Letter to the Brothers
Dear Brothers,
A word of encouragement for you.
In 1 John 2:12-14 it is written:
"12I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
This is God's message to you, a message of strength, power, and victory.
The passage points out 3 groups of people: children, fathers, and young men. But only the young men are called to fight. Why? Because God knows that you are the heart and fire in the midst of an ongoing battle. Children need protection, fathers can provide wisdom and direction, but only you, my brothers are fit for battle. God has made you to be carriers of steady hearts and minds, with courage that demonstrates the capacity to fight and lead others to victory.
As a woman I'm not saying that we cannot do the same. However there is a restless spirit in men that searches for those moments when they can become victorious in one way or another.
Therefore do not be afraid to share your strength with others because it encourages us to fight.
This week I was witness to a powerful display of strength. A brother, humbly bowing his head in prayer, asking God to lead him, and surrendering to the throne of God.
Our culture tells us that to be a man, one must show no sign of weakness (physically, emotionally, even spiritually). That to be a man you must be overly confident in your abilities, outspoken, and rebellious even.
That's not true.
The ability to acknowledge your weakness is what makes you strong. Especially in a world that is so afraid of being considered weak. God's strength is what makes you strong.
Now strength is shown in many different forms. Brothers who have a natural affinity towards people display strength in forming encouraging relationships with others. Brothers who love to read and write help us interpret scripture. Brothers who love music help us worship and praise God. Brothers who can mobilize people help to support the work that God is doing in the world.
And then there are those brothers with strengths that often get overlooked. Like brothers who are the last ones to leave because they stack the chairs and wash the dishes. Brothers that wait to be seated last in order to make sure that everyone else has a seat at the table. Brothers who are always the first to help without even being asked. Brothers who never speak in conversation but in doing so let us know that we matter, because someone actually cares enough to listen.
Every type of strength I mentioned is a characteristic of Jesus. Whatever strength God has given to you, use it fully. You always have something to offer.
As a sister I am encouraged by you (which I don't say nearly enough) and the strengths God has given you.
So thanks. =)
A word of encouragement for you.
In 1 John 2:12-14 it is written:
"12I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
13 I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father.
14 I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
This is God's message to you, a message of strength, power, and victory.
The passage points out 3 groups of people: children, fathers, and young men. But only the young men are called to fight. Why? Because God knows that you are the heart and fire in the midst of an ongoing battle. Children need protection, fathers can provide wisdom and direction, but only you, my brothers are fit for battle. God has made you to be carriers of steady hearts and minds, with courage that demonstrates the capacity to fight and lead others to victory.
As a woman I'm not saying that we cannot do the same. However there is a restless spirit in men that searches for those moments when they can become victorious in one way or another.
Therefore do not be afraid to share your strength with others because it encourages us to fight.
This week I was witness to a powerful display of strength. A brother, humbly bowing his head in prayer, asking God to lead him, and surrendering to the throne of God.
Our culture tells us that to be a man, one must show no sign of weakness (physically, emotionally, even spiritually). That to be a man you must be overly confident in your abilities, outspoken, and rebellious even.
That's not true.
The ability to acknowledge your weakness is what makes you strong. Especially in a world that is so afraid of being considered weak. God's strength is what makes you strong.
Now strength is shown in many different forms. Brothers who have a natural affinity towards people display strength in forming encouraging relationships with others. Brothers who love to read and write help us interpret scripture. Brothers who love music help us worship and praise God. Brothers who can mobilize people help to support the work that God is doing in the world.
And then there are those brothers with strengths that often get overlooked. Like brothers who are the last ones to leave because they stack the chairs and wash the dishes. Brothers that wait to be seated last in order to make sure that everyone else has a seat at the table. Brothers who are always the first to help without even being asked. Brothers who never speak in conversation but in doing so let us know that we matter, because someone actually cares enough to listen.
Every type of strength I mentioned is a characteristic of Jesus. Whatever strength God has given to you, use it fully. You always have something to offer.
As a sister I am encouraged by you (which I don't say nearly enough) and the strengths God has given you.
So thanks. =)
Monday, September 20, 2010
Watermelons
Have you ever noticed the beauty of a watermelon?
My mom was cutting one up into chunks today and as the rinds piled up in the sink I took a look and was struck by the colors. Vibrant green rinds with dark green stripes. Pinkish red interior.
The coloring is awesome.
As I stood there a bit mesmerized, I thought about how watermelons, just like any other fruit is God's creation. Then I thought about pineapples, and just how colorful they are. Spiky green tops with a patterned rind. Bright sunshiny yellow on the inside. How beautiful.
We sometimes take for granted the Genesis story of the 3rd day:
"And God said, Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear. And it was so.
My mom was cutting one up into chunks today and as the rinds piled up in the sink I took a look and was struck by the colors. Vibrant green rinds with dark green stripes. Pinkish red interior.
The coloring is awesome.
As I stood there a bit mesmerized, I thought about how watermelons, just like any other fruit is God's creation. Then I thought about pineapples, and just how colorful they are. Spiky green tops with a patterned rind. Bright sunshiny yellow on the inside. How beautiful.
We sometimes take for granted the Genesis story of the 3rd day:
"And God said, Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear. And it was so.
10 God called the dry ground land, and the gathered waters he called seas. And God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds. And it was so.
12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
13 And there was evening, and there was morning— the third day."
Genesis 1:9-13
Just two simple verses describe every single plant that God created on that day. Every single type of vegetation. Every single type of fruit. I think those two verses don't do God justice. Just looking at the watermelon and looking at the artistry that went into that...it kind of takes my breath away. So much care and creation into that one fruit. God not only made sure it taste delicious, but also made it look beautiful.
What if God had decided to make all fruits black, white, and gray. If the world we lived in was colorless, if nature was not the lush greenery we know it to be. Sure it would still be nice to look at, but would it have as much impact and display so much beauty? I think not.
Two verses describe the creation of the watermelon, showing that it was a deliberate act by God to create fruit to be beautiful. He chose fruit to have the purpose of not only being nutritious and delicious, but pleasing to the eye. Looking at the watermelon, each rind has those dark green stripes that look like a brush stroke. Like a painter, God crafted each fruit to be a demonstration of his creative genius.
The crazy thing is that God was so careful about making a fruit. I mean a fruit is a fruit. You eat it and its gone. You leave it out too long and it gets moldy. It has no mind, no emotion, no spirit.
Unlike us.
Watermelons, as beautiful as they are are nothing compared to us. We are God's masterpiece. Every plant he made was just an addition, to us, his true masterpiece. He created fruit to please US, to bring US joy, to feed OUR hungry tummies and to show US his beauty. Because it's not like God needs fruit to feed his tummy. He created it to fill our need.
1) This first shows that God really KNOWS our needs and wants to fill them. He KNOWS the dreams in our hearts, the hopes that we have, and he wants to help us reach them. Sometimes we think we have to pray and tell him what we want/think we need, or that we need to talk to him in order for him to understand us and where we are.
But he KNOWS us. There is no need to tell him because he KNOWS. Now that doesn't mean he doesn't want us to talk to him and tell him. But it does mean that even when we are unsure, or worried, or confused, God is not. When we are not confident in ourselves, in despair, and downhearted, God is not.
2) Second this shows that God has made us each to be so beautiful and unique.
Think about how many fruits there are and how different each one looks. God spent time crafting each one of them to be different and special, knowing that all of us would have one we call our favorite, one we like to look at etc. It was all purposely done.
And that's how he made us...except with even MORE thought and consideration. We are each made with different rinds, vibrant coloring, soft and hard interiors, small and large sizes, sweet and tart tastes. None of this is by accident. We are not by accident.
The world tells us to fit into a certain mold, that we need to be a certain way to succeed, that we are wrong for wanting to be how God made us. But none of that is true. None of that.
God lovingly created fruit for us to eat, but even more lovingly created us.
How beautiful.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
A Funny Thing That Happened On The Way To the Forum
For those that don't know....is a musical.
Musicals tell life stories (okay maybe not completely TRUE stories but stories nonetheless).
The funny thing that happens on MY way to the forum is that my song begins to reprise itself...even though I thought I had finished it in Act 1.
That reprise never seems to end.
When you let things go, God gives them back to you. When you finally make a hard decision God provides an easier solution. When you think one chapter of your life is finished he starts to rewrite it.
A Funny Thing That Is.
Today I was reminded that discipline, true discipline leads to freedom. Example: When you want to learn to improvise on the piano, you must first learn all the chords and scales so that you have a base from which to pool from. Only after learning all that can you have the freedom to improvise and do whatever you want,
I need to be disciplined. Not just because I WANT freedom, but because I know it's the only way to really get to the heart of God and align mine more with His.
And that's what I want.
I'm realizing that so many of the things I worry about, the things that distract my mind and my heart, could easily be solved by being disciplined. Focusing my mind on what God wants, so that worry and distraction disappears and I am left with God's plan for my life.
Oh how easy that sounds in theory.
I need a balance of heart, mind and (Holy) Spirit because 1) I think God intended for them to all work together, and 2) Because one of them normally ends up winning (and it's not the Spirit).
The "funny thing" that happens is the story you tell when you get to the forum. But I'm hoping that when I finally do get to the forum, I'll need less "funny things" to happen for me to get the message.
Musicals tell life stories (okay maybe not completely TRUE stories but stories nonetheless).
The funny thing that happens on MY way to the forum is that my song begins to reprise itself...even though I thought I had finished it in Act 1.
That reprise never seems to end.
When you let things go, God gives them back to you. When you finally make a hard decision God provides an easier solution. When you think one chapter of your life is finished he starts to rewrite it.
A Funny Thing That Is.
Today I was reminded that discipline, true discipline leads to freedom. Example: When you want to learn to improvise on the piano, you must first learn all the chords and scales so that you have a base from which to pool from. Only after learning all that can you have the freedom to improvise and do whatever you want,
I need to be disciplined. Not just because I WANT freedom, but because I know it's the only way to really get to the heart of God and align mine more with His.
And that's what I want.
I'm realizing that so many of the things I worry about, the things that distract my mind and my heart, could easily be solved by being disciplined. Focusing my mind on what God wants, so that worry and distraction disappears and I am left with God's plan for my life.
Oh how easy that sounds in theory.
I need a balance of heart, mind and (Holy) Spirit because 1) I think God intended for them to all work together, and 2) Because one of them normally ends up winning (and it's not the Spirit).
The "funny thing" that happens is the story you tell when you get to the forum. But I'm hoping that when I finally do get to the forum, I'll need less "funny things" to happen for me to get the message.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Ordinary Day
As I was listening to my Itunes, Vanessa Carlton's "Ordinary Day" came on. It's interestingly similar to another story I know well.
"Just a day, just an ordinary day
Just tryin' to get by
Just a boy, just an ordinary boy
But he was looking to the sky
And as he asked if I would come along
I started to realize
That every day he finds just what he's looking for
Like a shooting star he shines
And he said, "Take my hand
Live while you can
Don't you see your dreams lie right
In the palm of your hand?"
And as he spoke, he spoke ordinary words
Although they did not feel, no
For I felt what I had not felt before
And you'd swear those words couldn't heal that
And as I looked up into those eyes
His vision borrows mine
And I know he's no stranger
For I feel I've held him for all of time
And he said, "Take my hand
Live while you can
Don't you see your dreams right
In the palm of your hand"
Please come with me
See what I see
Touch the stars for time will not flee
Time will not flee, can't you see?
Just a dream, just an ordinary dream
As I wake in bed
And the boy, that ordinary boy
Or was it all in my head?
Didn't he ask if I would come along?
It all seemed so real
But as I looked to the door
I saw that boy standing there with a deal
And he said, "Take my hand
Live while you can
Don't you see your dreams lie right
In the palm of your hand"
In the palm of your hand, in the palm of your hand
Just a day, just an ordinary day
Just tryin to get by
Just a boy, just an ordinary boy
But he was looking to the sky"
Just as much as Jesus was the Son of God, he was also simply a young boy...looking to the stars, knowing that Heaven was there and it was his job to point people in that direction.
Can you imagine, being a little girl, friend of Jesus, running around with him, playing with him, laughing with him, looking up into the stars? It gives us a different picture of Jesus.
He was that little boy...looking to the sky.
"Just a day, just an ordinary day
Just tryin' to get by
Just a boy, just an ordinary boy
But he was looking to the sky
And as he asked if I would come along
I started to realize
That every day he finds just what he's looking for
Like a shooting star he shines
And he said, "Take my hand
Live while you can
Don't you see your dreams lie right
In the palm of your hand?"
And as he spoke, he spoke ordinary words
Although they did not feel, no
For I felt what I had not felt before
And you'd swear those words couldn't heal that
And as I looked up into those eyes
His vision borrows mine
And I know he's no stranger
For I feel I've held him for all of time
And he said, "Take my hand
Live while you can
Don't you see your dreams right
In the palm of your hand"
Please come with me
See what I see
Touch the stars for time will not flee
Time will not flee, can't you see?
Just a dream, just an ordinary dream
As I wake in bed
And the boy, that ordinary boy
Or was it all in my head?
Didn't he ask if I would come along?
It all seemed so real
But as I looked to the door
I saw that boy standing there with a deal
And he said, "Take my hand
Live while you can
Don't you see your dreams lie right
In the palm of your hand"
In the palm of your hand, in the palm of your hand
Just a day, just an ordinary day
Just tryin to get by
Just a boy, just an ordinary boy
But he was looking to the sky"
Just as much as Jesus was the Son of God, he was also simply a young boy...looking to the stars, knowing that Heaven was there and it was his job to point people in that direction.
Can you imagine, being a little girl, friend of Jesus, running around with him, playing with him, laughing with him, looking up into the stars? It gives us a different picture of Jesus.
He was that little boy...looking to the sky.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Walking on Water
Life changes in ways you don't expect.....I feel like thats the theme of this year (or past months rather).
Which way is up, which way is down...hmm...not so sure anymore.
I have to say that the only directions I can focus on is the cross. And I know if I just follow that I'll be ok.
I have a feeling its going to be a huge learning curve for me in this next year (and by year I mean next August).
I hope to have achieved new things by then. Make new friends, introduce some people to God, and grown stronger so that I can walk on water.
It's a delicate balance, walking on water. The splish splash as droplets skip and jump from the flick of my foot as it tentatively taps the water.
Sometimes I'm fond of too much description.
I don't want to swim anymore. I want to walk. Glide on ice without sinking into the abyss.
Which way is up, which way is down...hmm...not so sure anymore.
I have to say that the only directions I can focus on is the cross. And I know if I just follow that I'll be ok.
I have a feeling its going to be a huge learning curve for me in this next year (and by year I mean next August).
I hope to have achieved new things by then. Make new friends, introduce some people to God, and grown stronger so that I can walk on water.
It's a delicate balance, walking on water. The splish splash as droplets skip and jump from the flick of my foot as it tentatively taps the water.
Sometimes I'm fond of too much description.
I don't want to swim anymore. I want to walk. Glide on ice without sinking into the abyss.
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