Today is Good for Remembering

Good Friday was never my "favorite" but I did welcome the reminder, the tears, the sorrow, the agony. I use today to reflect on the Crucifixion and let it penetrate my heart. In my humanity, I still fail every day. It's called sin. I will not sugar coat it to make me or anyone else feel better. Sin is the reality of our existence. HOWEVER, because of what Jesus chose to do, to be tortured and shamed and put to death...I am not tortured, shamed or put to death because of MY sin.

I am alive and thankful. Grace saved me from the judgement I deserve. It is in the heart of a grateful person where the greatest joy is found. I live and breathe life because I am FREE. Many deny Jesus today. Many denied Jesus while He hung on a cross. As for me, once I discovered truth...there was no more denying. He died to take my place. He died to take your place.

Yes, that time you lied. That time you cheated. That time you stole (yup, even office supplies). That time you hated so deeply you wished someone dead. That time you broke the law (darn those speed limit signs!). That time you envied. That time you disrespected your parents. That time you swore a promise...and then you broke it. The affair with a married man. Your vulgar language. That time you drank so much you don't remember how you got home and did it again the next weekend...for six years. All your addictions, including the ones popular culture says "doesn't hurt anyone". The baby whose life you ended. Every day you let pass without actively pursuing the dream God has placed on your heart. Yes, even wasted time because of laziness is considered failure -- sin.

Can you add to the list? Because that list is mine. I own it.

Thankfully, it does not own me.

Because of the Cross.

Today I review every item on my list and nail it to the Cross. Not because I've been held prisoner to it and have never been forgiven but as a reminder. As a human being I forget. Things go well. Life moves on and I forget. We wouldn't need reminders on our smart phones and calenders and phone calls from the doctor's office if we weren't such a forgetful bunch. So today I remind myself. I remember.

I read the words in Scripture. I picture it in my mind. I imagine the brutality until I feel the remorse. Until my eyes swell with repentance and I rush to nail my list to the Cross, including the new ones I've had to add. Yes, the ones I keep going back to. I beg for forgiveness. I beg for Jesus to be taken down from the Cross.

"Please! No more! He doesn't deserve to die for what I did. Not Jesus. He didn't do anything wrong!"

I try to imagine the confusion. I try to imagine what it must have felt like for Peter, James, Matthew, Thomas...Judas. They were His friends. They breathed in every moment with Jesus for three years. Now He was taken from them and hanging on a Cross. This is not how it was supposed to end!

I imagine Mary, His mother. Her son brutalized and hanging, naked on a Roman execution Cross. But God said her son was the Chosen One. She felt Him move during her pregnancy. She birthed Him. Nursed and clothed Him. She even lost Him once. Joseph died and left her as a widow. What would he say to her if he saw the Child he adopted hanging by nails, flesh dripping? How does a mother grieve when death has not yet snatched life but waits? Does she remember the words Simeon spoke to her at the temple when Jesus was days old?

"...And a sword will pierce your own soul too" 

I imagine John when Jesus entrusts His mother to his care. I imagine the Roman soldiers and the Centurion. Perhaps the same government official whose son was cured was also the one standing at the foot of the Cross, wondering how this could be?

I imagine the Pharisees mocking. And I remember a time I did as well.

I imagine the moment the skies grow dark and the earth shakes and the words "It is finished" echos through hearts as tears form rivers from those who loved Jesus. I feel my own. My heart rips in two as I imagine the curtain in the temple did.

Jesus has died. He died because of the collective me.

What now? Has hope also died? What about the promise? The prophecies? Jesus' words? His miracles? His teachings? His laughter? His presence? His friendship? Agonizing grief of a loved one gone settles in. What now?

I let myself absorb. I remind my heart because it is in the reminding that the forgotten becomes real again, fresh. Today I remember the sacrifice. Today I remember the agony. Today I remember the why. Today I remember death. Today I remember a sealed tomb. Today I remember the hiding and the weeping. Today I remember the anguish.

Today I remember my sins nailed Jesus to the Cross.

Today is Friday...but Sunday's a coming.

A Wise Choice

According to Merriam-Webster, the word FEAR is defined as follows:  to be afraid of (something or someone); to expect or worry about (something bad or unpleasant); to be afraid and worried.

According to the fabulous Merriam, the word INSECURE is defined as follows: not confident about yourself or your ability to do things well; nervous and uncomfortable; not certain to continue or be successful for a long time; not locked or well protected.

These are two words I often use to describe me when I'm challenged to do something new, to step out of my comfort zone.  But when I took a good long look at these words and their definitions, I felt they didn't describe me at all! They might describe how I may feel with the unfamiliar but they certainly don't define me. In that moment I realized a critical truth -- those words are poison.

Scripture says,

"Words kill, words give life;
    they’re either poison or fruit—you choose." (Pr 18:21 Msg)

Words which tear down don't have to be spoken and directed towards another human being to be lethal. Words you speak to yourself, whether a new habit or words you've heard since childhood, can be either life giving or life ending.

Want to know what words I'm savoring now?

CHOSEN: one who is the object of choice or of divine favor;  an elect person
FAVORED: given special advantages over others; preferred over others; considered most likely to win. 

As a woman who follows Jesus and trusts His Word, I believe what Scripture says when it reads I am CHOSEN, called out of darkness into light (1Peter2:9). I was selected, elected. I have divine favor. How? Through baptism in Christ, I chose to leave the old life behind and go the direction of new. I was given a spirit of power and love, not fear and timidity (2Tim 1:7).

I have chosen Jesus and believe what He accomplished with His death on the Cross was for me...and you. And because I believe in His Resurrection, I can confidently say nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).  I believe when I choose to battle the chains of bondage of poisonous words, I am FAVORED to win.

You are too. Let us choose our words wisely.

Time to change the world

I just finished watching our president at a press conference and I couldn't help but get upset. Although I did not vote for President Obama, I do respect the position immensely. I cannot imagine the difficulty and challenges he faces every single day. What upset me was not the talking heads we elect, but us.

We live in a nation where (in general) we salute pro athletes for being "brave" and coming out yet we forget the sacrifices of military spouses who are left here to raise a family on their own. We push for reform so that "at least one child is saved" yet we turn a blind eye to Preemies being allowed to die in the hands of abortionists like Gosnell. The president scolds congress for not passing gun control laws but ignores Benghazi.  This is the same country that is trying to teach tolerance when it comes to Muslims so they don't hate us and try to kill our citizens YET we leave American pastor Saeed in an Iranian jail to be beat and tortured for his faith.

How did we get it so backwards? 

With regards to racism, Attorney General Eric Holder said recently that we must protect innocent ethnic groups from misguided acts of retaliation. If that is true for Americans on this blessed soil, then shouldn't it be true for those Americans abroad as well? Why do we still not know the truth about Benghazi? Why does Iran feel the US won't do anything about Pastor Saeed and can keep him in solitary confinement in a prison that is known for torture? Where is the press? Why aren't we as citizens outraged?

Eric Holder's statement can also be used as the same argument for this nation's unborn. An overwhelming and alarming number of abortions end the lives of African American and Hispanic babies every day. These innocents are suffering "from misguided acts of retaliation" by their uninformed mothers. A woman is faced with a scary and difficult choice to terminate the life of her fetus and all she hears is screams of "it's her right!" or she should "have kept her legs closed!"

Where did we go so wrong?

Government is not our moral compass. It never has been nor should it be, even though it would be great to witness. The fact is that our government is made up of fallible men and women. Sometimes I believe that many in this country hide behind the excuse of powerlessness simply because our government says this, that and the other is legal or illegal.

History shows us that early Christians were under immense pressure and persecution from a pagan government and world. Practically everything they held true and pure and good were challenged and mocked or they were even killed by their contemporaries. However, when there was a need for the outcast like the sick, dying, orphaned, hungry and the unwanted, these very pagans brought them to the doorsteps of early Christians. Why? Because even though this rising group of "radical" Jesus followers were hated by the norm, they were seen as different. They fed the poor. They tended to the sick. They took in widows and orphans. They cared for the dying. They knew the unwanted were valued by the God they worshipped.

Yes I know that in between then and now the Church has had many marks against them. They too are not immune from fallible men and women. I hear the chants of hypocrisy all the time but that doesn't give you or I a pass from our very own hypocrisy.

But what does that mean?

It means we need to be quick to listen rather than judge. It means understanding that the woman mourning her abortion has the right to do so. Don't chastise her sorrow and tell her she did the right thing when every fiber of her being reminds her of emptiness. She and her husband really wanted that baby but it was the doctor who told them "there is no hope".

It means understanding that the young girl was in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong guy. She really did believe him when he said he loved her. Don't yell at her and tell her she should have "kept her legs closed" because the fact is she is very scared. Tell her you'll be there for her and get her to people that can help. Pray for her. She might be thinking adoption and she may need you to be strong while she is very courageous.

It means listening to a gay man and understanding why he wants to marry. You may not agree with him but the thing he needs more than anything else is to know that the God who created him loves him. No amount of screaming "abomination!" will ever get that point across. We all need to wrestle with God to understand what "go sin no more" means. I know God loves me but I still wrestle. Don't you?

So how did we get it all so backwards? I don't know. Our own human nature I suppose.

The reality is that if you and I call ourselves Jesus followers, then we have to be all in. It means we can't hide behind government and insist they feed the poor. We must be part of the solution. It means that if we are going to be outraged by the statistics of abortion, we cannot give the self-righteous glare of indignation to an unwed teen mom. We must be part of the solution. It means that if we are going to show other nations how well we treat their emigrants through immigration reform and tolerance, then we must also demand equal care for our citizens abroad. I know it's easier said than done but I said it already once - Pastor Saeed is in an Iranian jail. His family fears for his life. The media has said nothing. We have to be part of the solution.

We are not given a spirit of timidity, we are called to be strong and courageous. We should be ready for such a time as this by simply looking at the hated early Christians. They were seen as different because they were. In a time when nothing else mattered but self preservation, they gave everything and changed the world.

Isn't it time we did too?

Forgiven

Over the past several weeks, I have encountered women who desperately need to hear these words: You are FORGIVEN.

So for the many more:

Freedom - My lot in life

Life is full of comedy and tragedy.

Shall we cry, stomp our feet and mutter obscenities at every thorn, brier, and pebble in our shoe? I shall not. Yes, I do wince in pain when it comes. Yet I marvel and delight that I'm alive enough to feel it. I love and laugh and love some more and do not quibble over trivial things. Would I not rather have grace and forgiveness course my veins than bitterness and anger? Yes, I am cast off by others' boundries and selfish pride. But I'm empowered because I choose to be free of their judgmental glances and opinions of superiority. I walk where others see no light. I laugh where others see no joy. I dance where others hear no music. I live where others see no hope. I love where love has been forgotten. I forgive because I've been forgiven.

I am free not only because I've been set free but also because I've chosen to walk free.

Freedom is a choice. Freedom to weep and mourn a loss. Freedom to rejoice for new beginnings and opportunities. Freedom to laugh and dance. Freedom to love and forgive. This is my lot in life.

Are you holding someone prisoner by your unforgiveness? Will you not choose to set them free? Maybe you'll discover that prisoner is you.

Labels lie...

Join the movement - People of the Second Chance

I believe in the miracle of grace,

Hold on to Truth

Just when I feel like letting go...

(photo courtesy - People of the Second Chance)

...He holds me a little tighter.

The bar has been set

So yesterday I wrote about lifting my eyes and my spirit by actually setting a goal so low, that I could reach it.

The bar has been set...and the clock has started.

Here we go.

I'm thankful for the example of perseverance in others or even in nature. I give you the Common Milkweed, Asclepias Syriaca.  This little tender shoot is growing right smack dab in the middle of our yard.

To which you could easily ask, "What's the big deal? Don't you grow milkweed anyway?"

Yes, yes we do. But we have an area where we grow them so they are not mowed down like this one will be.  As a matter of fact, it will be mowed down a few times this summer...as it was mowed down last year. It just keeps coming back, like most weeds do. However, if you know me, you know the significance of this particular plant.  It is the sole source of food for the Monarch Butterfly and if you know even a little about the Monarch, you know that it has a long journey every year from its wintering grounds in Mexico to parts as far as Canada during the summer months.

Along the way they need this plant but unfortunately many of the vast fields where the milkweed has grown freely have been almost eliminated by human population or soybean and corn crops. It's not necessarily a bad thing but what is sad is that these plants can grow alongside roads and in parks but they are cut down.

And the Monarchs' numbers are dropping. Drastically.

Of course there are other factors as well, but for the Monarchs that do survive, they need milkweed to lay their eggs.  No other plant will do for their hungry little caterpillars.

Here's the genius part. These different varieties of milkweed, with the common milkweed being the most nutritious (as I'm told), are just that --weeds. They will grow almost anywhere and they multiply like crazy. They come back, year after year, mow after mow. They are persistent plants and they have a sole purpose -- to continue the life cycle of the Monarch.  It's almost like God knew. [wink, wink]

What?!

He knew mankind would flourish and fill the earth, after all God did command it. He knew the fragile life cycle of the Monarch would be compromised at some point. So in turn, God planned ahead and made the Monarch and the Milkweed partners. He provided the migratory encoding and the wintering grounds. All the Monarch has to do is wait out the winter and God would provide a resilient little plant that can stand as tall as 4ft in some places.

The smallest of smalls isn't so small when it has a purpose.

And no matter where I am planted, I have a purpose.  If negative thought mows me down, I need to remember persistence, just like the common milkweed, and keep coming back. I can give thanks to God for the now, and not concern myself with what I am missing out on.

"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers -- most of which are never even seen -- don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works, fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met." Mt 6:30-33 (MSG)

Suffering produces perseverance and perseverance produces character. And if beauty is truly on the inside, then may my character be as beautiful as the Monarch butterfly in the hands of someone who loves it very much.

Blessings for your day,




all photos taken by Lisa Arnold with my Canon PowerShot SX150 IS 14 Megapixel 12X Optical Zoom Black Digital

Sitting is SO overrated

I never thought I would miss this blog so much, but I do. Just when I had gotten myself into a regular pattern of reading, writing in my journal, and a commitment to post...WHAM!

Oops.

I fell down...and broke my tailbone.

Just this morning as I was lamenting not being able to sit and write out a new blog post, the light turned on. Literally.

Matthew - "Mommy! I have no more short sleeve shirts for tomorrow!"

Nevermind that he was already wearing a shirt and there were shirts that needed to be folded.  I simply smiled, kissed him saying "thank you" and told him I would wash more for him today. I figured he was only trying to help me plan my day.

My limited-in-which-tasks-I-can-do day. Another day in where I am completely at the mercy of my pain level and range of motion.  Add to the mix that I must have done something without thinking the other day and my tailbone really hurts again. I mean really hurts.

[grunt]

BUT this is not a pity party. Even if it were...I'm not attending.

Back to the purpose of this post, even if it is just for me.  As I lay in bed feeling sorry for myself and what I cannot do, our son's quick burst into my room and announcement was actually more of a reminder of what has actually been happening in our home. Somehow, instead of feeling worse...I smiled.  I smiled because I recognized that our son knew he had been a HUGE help in our home for the past several weeks.  He was (without saying), letting me know that he needed clean clothes to fold and that he would be willing to get the clothes out of the drying after school.

Why?

Because that has been our routine.

I can't really bend over and if something falls on the floor, I can't pick it up.  I don't have the back support strength to lift grocery shopping bags, sweep, vacuum, carry the laundry basket, clean the bathrooms, empty the dryer or dishwasher...etc.  BUT, I can do things at level while standing like dusting, baking, going through mail, looking out the window, walk short distances...slowly. AND all these things I CAN DO have been done with the children. I've been available to be with them.

This injury has limited me in so many ways that my busyness has dropped down to just above ZERO. My inability to do many tasks has given way to purpose and greater responsibility on our children. Now this isn't to say they didn't have chores before nor that our house is spotless.  It simply means that I have been FORCED to allow the children to go through the learning process of completing a task fully with hidden lessons for myself.

No, I can't simply load the dishwasher because I don't want to wait for the kids to come home. I can't bend over that low and I need to learn patience.

No, I can't just fold all the laundry myself because it would be faster. My back pain won't let me and I need to remember that pride can disguise itself in "just trying to be efficient".

No, I can't vacuum myself because I'll do a better job. I don't have the back strength and I need to teach proper technique with encouragement in order to not break their spirits.

And much, much, much more.

The quality level for these chores had been set low enough that the children are reaching them and they find great joy in accomplishing those tasks. So much so that they are beginning to aim higher and do better work.  It really has become a pleasure to watch and another lesson for myself to learn.

I had a choice. Either let the house go completely or allow a job to be completed with best effort, no matter the final appearance.  After all, isn't that exactly what God asks of me?  He wants my best effort. He doesn't want me to give up just because the things I want to accomplish aren't getting done the way I think they should be.

I have a choice. I can lay around all day and feel sorry for myself OR I can set a goal so low that I will reach it and feel I have accomplished something. Yes, I do have to lay for most of the day. I have to heal. It's not going to happen with me moving around and doing things. I may not be physically able do many things BUT, I can certainly disarm negative thought.

So for now, and because sitting is SO overrated, I'm going to set a small goal for myself. Every day I will find something, anything, that is worth remembering or being grateful for and post here as often as once a day. It may have words or it may just be a picture.  All I know is that I won't have to sit long to accomplish that goal.

This post took me THREE sitting sessions to complete.

Three.

Sitting is SO overrated!

Blessings for your day,

All choked up

I encounter all kinds of people throughout my week, with all kinds of moods. The individuals I am baffled by the most are the bitter, hateful, rude ones. I always wonder what must be going on in their lives that made them that way. Was it a past hurt? Were they told a strong obnoxious character is what they must show or the world would walk all over them? Was it simply because someone was unkind to them?

There is a small, pretty tree called the Chokecherry, Prunus virginiana. It grows in open areas like plains, foothills or mountainous regions and it spreads pretty easily.  Like many plants, the Chokecherry starts to bloom in the Spring and its blossoms then reveal its fruit a little later.

 

Looks yummy, huh.

The thing that many don't know is that the Chokecherry is toxic to ruminant animals like horses, deer and cattle. In addition, to humans the fruit is very bitter and the seed is inedible without being cooked and completely dried.

Why?

Because the plant contains amygdalin which breaks down into cyanide.

Did you catch that? Cyanide.

Cyanide is a poison that can bring great discomfort and pain and in the right amount, has the power to kill.

I am reminded of a verse in Scripture that says:

"Look after each other so that none of you fails to recieve the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many." Heb 12:15 (NLT)

In some translations, for "grace", the Bible says "kindness", "love", "unmerrited favor and spiritual blessing".  Is it then possible that some of the people I encounter during my week have at some point missed God's grace because someone else has failed to extend them kindness?  Is it possible then that the bitterness inside them is what poisons my experience or others?

I believe it may be so.

I have another set of Nine Little Words I use while I'm out. They are:

"What is the most loving thing I can say?"

Often times it's just a "thank you", or using a person's name, or a smile.  I try to never go to a store in a hurry and always try to genuinely ask how the employee I am interacting with is doing.  Trust me, I've gotten the grumpy "not as good as you" remark but often times I've gotten a smile in return.

Like the Chokecherry, I have to remember that my outward appearance may look safe but if my words tear down and don't build up and my fruit is toxic, then I just might as well feed someone cyanide.

I must remember that even in myself, if I allow bitterness to grow and am unable to extend kindness, the very life I may be choking out is that of my own.

Remember to always extend someone kindness. You never know, they may be needing to feel God's grace and love.  If you need to, start today. Look at yourself in the mirror and remind yourself of God's favor.


Blessings for your day,

Do you hear what I hear?

Have you ever heard the expression "A thankful heart is a happy heart"?

I've had the great fortune and abundant blessing of experiencing that truth for the past six months.  I am living and breathing a heart of gratitude every day.  Now this may sound like I'm getting ready to sell you some kind of "happy juice".  The fact is that I was very ill last spring and summer.  I suffered a relapse of a very annoying and pointless disease.  Essentially, my sleeping Epstein-Barr virus "woke up" and put me to bed...for months.

Unfortunately in my case, it causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I was diagnosed with it when I was 15yrs old and every once in a while it rears it's ugly head.  I usually know when it's coming and I take some time to rest so it doesn't take over my body.  Well, last year I was just "too busy" to rest.

Yeah.

My body didn't take that thought process too well and decided to remind me that if I don't slow down, it is going to rest anyway.

And rest it did.

But this post isn't about last year, nor do I like to reflect on the negative things from the past. This is about every morning...and especially this morning.

Ever since I got my strength back, I started to walk again while always being mindful of any possible joint pain.  At first it was just a block but eventually I was strong enough to walk the children to school every morning AND it has been the greatest gift.

Our morning routine is to read the children's devotional -- which is actually all about nature. Then we leave for school. We sing two short praise songs and then start to pray together. We thank God for everything we can think of, starting with our family to finishing up with the school and everyone and every detail in between.

I enjoy this period of time with the children because it opens the eyes of my heart and reminds me to be thankful for the things I often overlook -- not because I'm ungrateful but because I am moving too fast.

This morning we were flooded with things to hear and see. Immediately, one of the praises said was "Thank You God we have ears to hear! How boring would everything be if we couldn't hear!"  We proceeded to thank God for all of our senses, including feeling a little cold and being thankful for warm clothes and shoes and a home with heat!

After I say goodbye to the children, it's my turn. I continue to worship and pray throughout the rest of my walk.  At one point I noted a Blue Jay (our daughter's favorite bird).  It seemed to be following me from point to point. I could hear it singing and then just a little while later I could see it fly in front of me and call out again. By the time I was finishing up my mile, I was laughing.

He really WAS joining me on my walk!

Did he not hear the "thank you" we gave the Creator earlier?  Did he want me to acknowledge his beautiful blue plumage? Was he trying to get me to remember the devotional we read about Blue Jays?

Finally, through a grin and a giggle I said "THANK YOU!"

And that is when I began to hear.

I heard the Blue Jays:



and Cardinals,



and Song Sparrows,



and Robins,



and Black Hooded Chickadees,



and Starlings,



and the first Grackles of spring,



I heard Squirrels warning each other,




neighbor's dogs barking,
cars driving,
trucks passing,
planes flying,
school bell ringing,
keys jingling,
footsteps on pavement,
a passer's "good morning",
trash truck serving,
my heart beating,
phone ringing,
police siren,
helicopter passing,
pedometer counting,
breeze moving.

I heard God say, "I am here. I am in all these things, in all of your steps, in every breath."

Before sitting with the children this morning, I had began my own devotional time thanking God for all of my senses. I thanked Him for my physical hearing and my spiritual hearing.  I had asked Him that my spiritual eyes see His love. That my hands and feet become His hands and feet. That I love with a passion that is only possible through Him, for Him and because of Him. That I see Him in the sinner and not just the saint.

And yet, it took a little Blue Jay to get me to slow down and remember...and truly hear.

Do you hear what I hear?

Be thankful in everything. Everything. No matter the joy or the hardship. Bringing Praise builds a fortress of Love. Being grateful is a powerful tool against any darkness that wants to overshadow you or your day. Know that to God even the darkness is light. He can see you, find you, bring you out of your despair and lift you higher than any discouragement.

Do you hear what I hear?

Sing in your OWN voice.  You are not a Blue Jay or Cardinal, or Robin, or Chickadee, or Song Sparrow, or Starling, or Grackle. Nor am I.

Do you hear what I hear?

He is not the CAUSE of my affliction but He is the SOURCE of my restoration.  I can rejoice and sing just as great as any bird I may see or hear. He is the same SOURCE of restoration for those around me who desperately need Him.

Do you hear what I hear?

If I am well then I can rejoice and be even MORE grateful and share that joy with others. I must remember that along my walk, this Christian pilgrimage, there will be times I need to slow down and look around and listen. Often times I don't have to leave my own neighborhood to find an opportunity. Most times, I don't even have to leave my own home.

"speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts; always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" Eph 5:19-20 (CEB) 

Slow down to listen today. Give thanks for everything around you. Even the smallest of smalls. May your grateful heart bloom into a happy heart.

Blessings for your day,

Happy New Year!

I love butterflies.

I don't mean in the little girl, pretty delicate pink and yellow polka dotted butterflies with sparkles. I mean the gorgeous beauties in nature that fight with every beat of their wings to survive. Most especially I love the Monarch.

I love everything about these beautiful creatures.

I will tell you why.

But not today.

Today I will tell you of one verse.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Cor 5:17)

What a wonderful truth to remember as we ring in the New Year with all the grace He has given us!  Celebrate it. Embrace it. Live it.

Blessings for your new year, 

Opening the mind...and heart

I certainly hope you enjoyed visiting with me while we read Why the Nativity? by David Jeremiah before Christmas. I did. I really, really did.

If you recall, what I loved most was reading his words that painted pictures in my mind and took me back to ancient Palestine.  I believe those images opened my thought process and truly helped prepare my heart for the powerful message of the Nativity.

Now I'm at it again. This time with another author; however, this author is quoting several writings from 1st century Jews and other scholars and writers, while taking me on a trip to understand the culture and perception of the time surrounding Jesus and his contemporaries.

For me personally, it's really mind blowing and also enlightening. And I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

One of the quotes in this book says exactly what I have felt about studying the bible properly in order to truly understand what is being said. As a note, remember what I wrote about looking too close and not enjoying the forest because you're focused on examining bark and only bark. There is a time and place for everything.

But I digress.

Here it is:

"to grab a few lines of Jesus and drop them down on someone 2,000 years later without first entering into the world in which they appeared is lethal to the life and vitality and truth of the Bible."

Did you catch that? Lethal. 

Lethal to the...truth.

Woah.

I'm already almost half way done with this book and the deeper I dig the more I'm discovering on my own.  If I've peaked your interest and you want to know what I'm reading I'll tell you.  Actually, if you don't care stop reading here because I'm going to tell you anyway...silly.

Just know one thing, I've been told all my life I'm a perpetual student and I get bored easily if I'm not challenged.  So with that said, don't be surprised because I've traveled from Why the Nativity? by David Jeremiah to Erasing Hell by Francis Chan.

If that didn't give you whiplash, then you know me all too well.

Blessings for your day,

Preparing for Christmas - Version 12.15.2011

Don't be afraid!

What a very appropriate statement for today's reading.  I'm only teasing because I've caught up to where I left off last year and now these posts will be new. So here goes nothing...being strong and courageous...attacking today's topic.  Ok, maybe not attacking but certainly diving in and enjoying it.

Without further delay, take my hand and 3...2...1...

Preparing for Christmas - Version 12.14.2011

Are you enjoying this just as much as I am?  I am certainly remembering  more than just why I decided to repost these from last year.  I am remembering what moved me, my heart, my emotions, my soul, my longing.

God...continually hearing and continually blessing...even those we think are undeserving.

Preparing for Christmas - Version 12.13.2011

What a special privilege I have to go through this with you again.

One word: Wow.

[face...palm]

Warning:  This is definitely not going to be one of my most creative pieces.

I saw my last post was written in May. I refuse to read it just yet because I shudder to think what I may have written because I was still in the throws of being very ill. One thing is for sure, it must have been something I was passionate about in order to get me online and actually remember my email and password.

Yikes.

So here I am again. Finally.  However, this time my mind is actually "awake" and I know where the letters are on the keyboard.  Oh yeah, and I can see the screen without feeling like the room is spinning.

Good start.

Anyway. The reason I'm here is because last night as my husband and I where watching TV, there it was again. In plain view. For all the world to see. A christian.  And of course, regardless of this man's sincere beliefs, he was made out to be slightly above crazy and paranoid.

[face...palm]

We've all done it haven't we? Not the crazy part. I was born that way. (Thank you Lady GaGa)

The [face...palm] thingy.

You know it. You see or hear something that simply makes you say "Ay, yay, yay!" (well, maybe if you're hispanic...or been around hispanics...or watched hispanic television...or a movie with a hispanic actor...or an actor playing a hispanic saying "ay, yay, yay!") 

[face...palm]

Sorry for that stream of consciousness...but that's exactly what I meant. Something so completely off it makes no sense, yet it does, and yet...it doesn't. And we shake our head and our palm meets our face.

Get to the point Lisa.

(You do realize this is my blog and I can ramble on as long as I'd like. Yes? Good.) 

It's kinda like this:

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ" - Ghandi

I decided last night that I no longer want to call myself a christian. Why? Well, the world is seeing Christians in a different light and I am not who they see. I want them to see who I follow. I want them to see who I love. I want them to know Him for Him...not me for my shortcomings.  I want them to see Jesus.

Yes, Jesus. The radical of his time. The revolutionary. The brown skinned Jewish man who lived in ancient Palestine who gave out free health care. The man who rebuked the religious powerful of his time and ate with those who were considered "sinners". You know...those tax collectors and government officials.

He had a gang of twelve men. He had real friendships. He had enemies. His mother loved him. His brothers hated him. He was fearless and He spoke the truth...in love. Always. Every time. He was tempted. He was victorious. He was followed by many. He was alone when necessary.  He was pursued. He was persecuted. He taught the greatest message of Hope ever spoken by anyone before him or since him. He was tortured and murdered for that very same message.  He died. Yet...He lives.

Many people can snark at that comment "He lives".  And still so many talk about loved ones who "live" because of us...our memories, our conversations, our thoughts, our actions.

[face...palm]

Get it?

He lives. And I'm not just a fan, I'm a Jesus follower.


Blessings for your day,

Speechless

Hello long time ago friends.

I haven't been writing because of some unfortunate health issues over the past few months.  What makes today different?  I'm am gripped in sadness at what I see on the news today and wanted to journal the fewest of thoughts I can muster together to have on my blog...forever.

First I will say this, I will never forget the emotions that laid a hold of me on 9/11.  Second, I never stopped praying for those whose eyes are covered by a veil of hatred -- no matter if it presented itself as religion or justice.

I never rejoiced in Saddam's death.

Nor do I rejoice in the news I received this morning.

Terrorism did not die with Osama. I'm grateful that justice has been served but I do not celebrate in the death...of anyone.

So here are my Nine Little Words for today:

Eternal separation from Almighty God should never be celebrated.

Remember that:

 ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, New International Version, ©2011)

So I ask you to be different from the rest of the world who celebrated when our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters died as a result of the attack on our country -- whether civilian or military.  Honor their memories by understanding that for their families, their lives will never be "normal".  The death of Osama may bring a sense of justice but it doesn't change the past.

Pray for us and the rest of the world.

¹ First, I tell you to pray for all people, asking God for what they need and being thankful to him.² Pray for rulers and for all who have authority so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives full of worship and respect for God. (1 Timothy 2:1-2, New Century Version)

Pray for grace, mercy, and peace.  That all peoples of the world may learn and know the love of one, true, holy and just God.

Blessings for your day.

Preparing for Christmas

For those of us who are parents, most can remember the moments we first saw our children whether they were our own or adopted. We were filled with indescribable emotion.

For those who have adopted, from what I understand, the emotion is usually a combination of nervousness, joy, protection, apprehension, and an overwhelming sense of..."finally the wait is over".  Next comes the paperwork, and until those documents are signed there is always a chance the hopeful adoptive parents and child would have to part ways.

All of my life, I've been surrounded by adoptions and have five in our family circle.  I have friends who have adopted and have counted down the days with them.  All you can do is wait...and pray.

For those of us who have given birth to our own children, we all have similar emotions while waiting but we also wonder who the baby will look like. Some of us secretly hope that the child will look like "our side of the family".  But all of us hope for a healthy baby and we count all fingers and toes when the baby finally makes his or her appearance.

I used to stare at our babies.  I would study their faces and imagine what they would look like when grown up.  I would dream of conversations I would have in raising a little lady.  I would also think of all the ways I would teach our son to be a gentleman.

Imagine Mary and Joseph.

They had both waited for the coming of the Messiah.  They had heard the prophecies. They had heard the songs and the poems. They expected so much of the promised King.

Now they were told the Messiah would come, but arrive as an infant.

Imagine Mary and Joseph.

Imagine their anticipation as to who the Child would look like. Would he look like any other infant?

The baby boy is born, Son of God.  The waiting for the Messiah was over.  Mary and Joseph counted fingers and toes.  But what now?  How long before this Child is no longer theirs?  Joseph is now the adoptive father. Do you think they knew the boy Mary delivered would be the One who delivers them both?

Can you imagine waiting as parents..."until further notice"?

I certainly couldn't.

From the book Why the Nativity? by David Jeremiah


Question #13

"Why did Jesus come as a baby?"

He writes:

"In that regard, we have seen that the Virgin Birth is the sign of his [Jesus] divinity. He comes to the earth from outside, pure and clean, and is in no way a product of this world. Now we see that, in the same way, the infancy of the Child is the sign of his humanity.  He is one of us in every way. He arrives from heaven with perfection and godliness of which no man or woman is capable -- yet he takes the full human journey, which even God in heaven had not taken. How could we follow his footsteps as a man if we hadn't seen him crawl as a child? How could we believe he had undergone all the temptation we have faced if he had bypassed the most difficult years in which we struggle to earn our adulthood?

To make the full sacrifice on our behalf, Jesus had to make the full commitment."

Wow.

Get the book Why the Nativity? to read the rest of David Jeremiah's words.


Next:  Why the shepherds?





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Blessings for your day,

Preparing for Christmas

(Forgive me. Battling sickness is not fun...but I'm back and pushing through! And I'm changing the format slightly.)
...

How many times have we read it in an encouraging note, or a bumper sticker on a car?

"...with God all things are possible" (Mt 19:26)

But how many times have I really stopped to think about it and really reflect?  I always hear it. I know it. But have I ever really believed it? 

Have you?

What a perfect time of year to do a little digging into the biblical statement "with God all things are possible" that was spoken by Jesus himself, than while preparing for Christmas!

From the book by David Jeremiah, Why the Nativity?

Question 12

"Why was Jesus born of a virgin?"

He writes (and quotes Oswald Chambers...enough said!)

"The answer centers on the identity and mission of Jesus Christ. Even though Jesus lived among us as a fully human individual, he was also fully divine -- a pre-existing, eternal person.  Human parents are temporal and finite and they can pass on only limiting characteristics. 'He existed in the beginning with God' (John 1:2). He has always existed, and he always will. Therefore, as Oswald Chambers has pointed out, Jesus was born into this world, not from it. He is in no way a product of the natural earth or the union of a human father and mother. Instead, he is the eternal person of the Lord himself, the infinite one who created the universe, taking on the limited form of a human being."

I quoted David Jeremiah's words from the beginning parts of this chapter because as I read his thoughts and observations that followed, I felt like I was watching a rose bloom into its glorious created beauty.

Try to describe a rose to someone who has never seen one.  It's nearly impossible.  You can come close but until that person has actually come face to face with what you are trying to describe, they will not get it.

A similar thing happened to me while reading Dr Jeremiah's insightful answers to question #12 from Why the Nativity?  I've always known about the Virgin Birth. I've always known that Jesus was fully God and fully man. I've always known with God all things are possible.

But I think I missed fully understanding, because I've somehow lost my child-like wonder and overlooked a significant detail.

A Virgin Birth was necessary but impossible with man. But with God all things are possible.

All things.

Not just some things...but all things.

What is more mysterious than the miracle of life? We've already read about the miraclulous babies of older parents who were past child bearing age. But this baby had the absolute need for a Virgin Birth because Jesus was not a new creation.  With our finite human minds, we cannot comprehend how this is possible. It's completely impossible.

But God tells us that with Him...all things are possible.

I believe our Creator is constantly trying to tell us He is faithful and can be trusted. He proves Himself over and over again in words poured out in the pages of Scripture. We simply have to look, do a little digging, open our hearts...and believe.

In your life and in mine...all things are possible. All.

Per David Jeremiah's suggestion in the book Why the Nativity?:

For further study: Read Colossians 1:15-17 and Hebrews 1:1-3.  How do these passages support the necessity of the Virgin Birth?

Next, "Why did Jesus come as a baby?"






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Blessings for your day,