Do Not Worry

Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, they have neither a storehouse or a barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one more minute to his life? If you are not able to do the least, then why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin. Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God clothes the grass, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? Do not seek what you should eat or drink or have an anxious mind. For these things are what the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things before you even ask. But seek the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you. Do not fear, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you own and provide for yourselves that which des not grow old, a treasure that does not fail, that no thief can
steal, or moth can destroy. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

The Enduring Truth

I am writing this post because I cannot sleep. I have been reading this book, the aforementioned UnChristian, and it has caused an overload of mental intake. Don't misunderstand me, I am not writing this post on the defense because I don't feel the need to defend anything that I believe in. I think my faith defends itself, but I am writing out of my forward-looking insight to alleviate that mental intake I was talking about. Let me start by saying that I do not associate myself with any denomination of
religion. I attended a baptist church when I was a child. When I was a teenager, I did not attend church at all. As an adult, I chose to attend a nazarene church. I believe in the Holy Bible as God's spoken word and I believe that everything in it is Truth. I am a follower of Jesus, not any man, doctrine, or religion. For those of you that need a category, that would make me a christian I guess. Also, let me say that I do not follow Christ because it seems like a nice set of life principles to live by. As a matter of fact, it's really hard. Some might ask me why then, do I follow a faith that is hard for me, or that is typically known for it's religion, rules, and standards. The answer is simple. I believe that Jesus is the only legitimate path to a dynamic spiritual world that goes far beyond my five senses. To me, and many others, christian faith offers a sophisticated, livable response to the nature of the world and how everything fits together. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and my only connection to God. I love Him because He first loved me.
I am 28 years old. My generation (not everyone, but statistically speaking) views christianity as sheltered, clueless, dull, flat, and lifeless. I can understand why. I regularly attend church and my husband is a senior pastor, and I see why a younger generation is having a hard time embracing the church. They have found that christians don't even speak on the same level as everyone else, that we use words that no one else uses or understands unless they go to church. People that are my age and younger are living in a very different world than people were twenty years ago. Young adults find it difficult to resonate with the vision of christianity, especially since our society is fast-paced and ever changing. The youth of today have lives that consist of a patchwork of diversity, perspectives, friendships, and passions. They are willing to try a little bit of everything to see where they fit in, and they are not bothered by contradictions, uncertainty, or ambiguity. A faith that that does not effectively address life's current issues seems out of tune with a generation asking big questions, expressing their doubts, and searching for their significance. Diverse lifestyles, family structures, casual sex, and drug abuse are just a few of the issues that I can think of that plague our young people today. Christianity seems really out of touch with confronting these issues. Sure, the christian faith is known for taking a stand against being immoral, but young people have significant needs that push the boundaries of conventional lifestyles. Why is this important and why should people that profess to be christians care? We should care because if we push it aside, we will fail to connect with a younger generation. We are responsible if we fail to represent a holy, just, and loving God. I believe that all people should own up to and be accountable to change the negative image that christianity has, and not just view it as a negative perception that we can do nothing about. We can do something. We can stop walking around projecting self-importance, making others feel minimized if they are outside of our faith. In scripture, God shows little or no use for people who walk around acting like they have it all together. We can stop being judgmental and hypocritical, insensitive to other people's needs, and talking words that are confusing to them. I am not suggesting that we portray the image of Jesus as a big-hearted, open-minded hippie that tried to be friends with everyone. He taught tough truths about human beings and their sin. Reshaping the gospel in order to not offend people or promoting a less offensive faith as a response to objections is not the right way to change the reputation of christianity. Honestly, my suggestion is to stop trying to convert everyone as if we are in an exclusive social club, and start listening. Find out who people are before you start pushing your belief system onto them. Try to understand where people are coming from and why they are in the situations they are in before you go handing out advice on how they can make their lives better. The reason people don't want to follow Christ is because they have seen for themselves, those who follow Christ outwardly, but not inwardly. Where did we go wrong? How can we put the enduring truth of love into practice in our lives and in our churches? Are we waiting on the world to change, or are we passionate enough about Jesus to change the world?

UnChristian

I am reading a book right now called UnChristian, a book of groundbreaking research from the Barna Group, written by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. This book touches base on what a new generation thinks about Christianity...and why it matters. If I could, I would buy this book for every single person that I know. I am asking all of you to at least entertain the idea of purchasing this book and reading it. You will not be sorry that you did, I guarantee it.

Tiny Footsteps

Abigail is starting to walk. She is eight months old and ready to conquer the world, at least what she sees of it. She often falls and cries for me to come pick her up, but she keeps getting back up. She keeps trying. There's a lesson to be learned here.

The Song Remembers When.

Music is in my soul. I am almost always, playing a song over in my mind. For as long as I can remember, I have been a very musical person. My appreciation for music is unsurpassed by my love for it, and I believe my passion for it comes from somewhere so deep, it is almost unexplainable. To me, a song can be reminisent of an experience, a moment, a state of mind. Songs can take us to another place in time, bring back memories if you will. I believe that music can be so powerful, that it can emotionally shake you to your core and physically affect the way you function at any given moment. One example of this happening to me was on the day that I married my Michael. Our song, we danced to it and it was the only dance there was that day. "I once was lost, but now I'm found...so far away, but I'm home now, I once was lost, but now I'm found...I once was dead, but now I live, now my life to you I give." I could barely stand during that song. Luckily, I didn't have to. Mike was there to hold me.
And then there's The Cathedral Quartet. Sandi would take the low part, and I would take the high part and we would sing and laugh at ourselves in the car. "Step into the water (to the water), wade out a little bit deeper (a little bit deeper), Wet your feet in the water of His love..." That's not the only one either, there were so many. As musically diverse as I am, she liked some music that even I had never heard of. I loved giving her a hard time about it. I still question some of her musical tastes to this day. (come on Sandi, feed my sheep?)
There are songs that take me back to childhood. The day my sister left home and never came back, it was...."wake me up, before you go go, cause I'm not planning on going solo..." On our annual trip to Florida, we would pile up in that cramped up RV. My mom loves old southern gospel music and she loves country classics like George Jones, Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and Kenny Rogers. I still remember being rudely awakened by, "the race is on and here comes pride in the backstretch, heartache is going through the inside, my tears are holding back and trying not to fall..." I still love those songs today and I know them all by heart.
All creation is a song, don't you think? All creation worships. The birds that sing, the winds that whisper, the waters that rush; they are all a part of an intricate sound. One created to glorify. As a matter of fact, everything that exists sings. Music can make you fall in love, it can build a bridge, melt a hardened heart, and communicate an expression that maybe words alone could never do. It can make the wrong thing right by chasing away sorrows, just like prayer. Then again, prayer can be a song all in itself too. People forget, but the song always remembers when...
"The moon is high and the sunset fades. The lullabies have all been sung. We’re tucking in another day, and stars appear now one by one. The stillness moves and the silence yields, yet not a single beat is lost. You can hear the chorus in the fields, taking up where we left off. And Your praise goes on, rising to Your throne, where You guard us while we dream. Past the stars they fly, Your praises fill the sky, until You wake us with the dawn, and Your praise goes on. Now bring your warmth, Oh morning sun. Chase the stars and the moon away. Wake us with your brightest song, and add our voice to your refrain. Now rise up everything that lives, flap your wings and leap for joy. Oh, forest lift your arms and sway, clap your hands you ocean waves! And Your praise goes on, rising to Your throne, where You bless our toil and play. Through the clouds they rise, Your praises fill the skies, until the setting of the sun, and Your praise goes on. And when my final breath You lend, I’ll thank You for the life You gave. But that won’t mean the praises end, Cause I won’t be silenced by the grave. And Your praise goes on, I’ll be running to Your throne, every nation, tribe and tongue. To Your arms I’ll fly, I’ll gaze into Your eyes. Then I’ll know, as I am known... And Your praise goes on."

A Grateful Heart

Believe it or not, some of my most intimate moments with the Lord happen when I am in Abigail's room, rocking her to sleep. Sometimes I sing to her quietly, or sometimes I whisper to her and tell her over and over how wonderful she is. But most of the the time, I pray. Tonight, I realized why my prayers in her room are different than my prayers most any other time. My prayers in her room are ALWAYS prayers of thanksgiving. I hold her and squeeze her tight, and I thank my Heavenly Father who lovingly created her. I search my heart each night for words to express how grateful I am for the life that I have with my family, and the life that He has planned for us that we don't even know about yet.

I found myself praying for her spouse tonight. No, I am not trying to rush her out of the house just yet, but I think about all of the temptations that children go through in our world today and I want her to have a husband that respects her decisions. Even if they aren't the same as his. I want her to know that she is worthy of things that are good and she doesn't have to settle for anything less than extraordinary. I even pray for her teeth to grow in straight. I know that sounds funny, but I don't want to forget about her teeth by leaving them out.

It's during these quiet times of reflection that I am reminded of what's most important. I need God's grace to get through every moment of the day. I need it in order to handle my emotions, and I need it so that I can respond in a godly manner towards my husband and daughter. Sometimes I don't always exercise my ability to be graceful, but He knows I am trying.

When I lay her down in her bed, kiss her goodnight, and leave her room, I know that He is the keeper of her health. He holds what is in her dreams, and the breath that gives her life. I haven't always prayed, but I have always needed to. Knowing this, I thank Him again...for second, third, and even fourth chances.

Intelligent Design

For Christmas, Mike bought me a dvd called Planet Earth. It is a film from the discovery channel that took seven years to make. The film makers traveled to parts of the world and different continents that have never before been filmed. There are five dvd's in the whole set, each entitled after it's region, for instance, "water, mountain, jungle, etc." These videos are absolutely incredible. The way that life was created is astonishing to me. "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard." Because of modern technology, we are now able to view areas of the universe going back millions of light years. The incredible vastness of the universe and its formation is staggering. To accept all of this as happening by chance, would take a mountain more of faith than to believe it all happened by intelligent design by a Divine Creator. Still, the atheist says there is no God.
If I say there is no God, I make myself the final voice of authority and there by take on the role of God in my own life. I become a god unto myself. Furthermore, the more we learn about life and the more educated we become, the more I realize how little I know about this world, let alone, about the vast expanse of our universe. I believe that nature laughs at our so-called scientific knowledge … it is obvious that we don't understand one millionth of one percent about anything compared to the big picture. Don't misunderstand, I do believe that God gave us the ability to obtain knowledge, understanding, and truth. But I believe it is so that we can discover His glory, not form our own conclusions about how the world was made.
Undoubtedly, there are many factors as to why we believe what we do. For many, much is shaped by their upbringing and what they were taught in their formative years. One's belief system is also affected by how personally honest or dishonest we are with our inner truth. For instance, if I have unresolved negative emotions, the defenses I have developed to protect myself from being in touch with those painful emotions, gives me warped lenses through which I view life's events. In turn, I end up with a distorted world view. Every unshed tear and buried emotion is a prism through which all of life's hurts are distorted.
In the end we believe what we choose to believe—often what is the most convenient for us. If I choose to believe in God, I know in my own heart that I am morally responsible. On the other hand, if I choose not to believe in God, I delude myself into thinking I am not morally responsible for anyone but myself and I can live as I please. What if one were to believe that Christianity was true, but refused to accept it because it would interfere with his or her lifestyle? In time, they could overcome that objection and became a Christian, which, given the evidence, is the only rational thing to do in my opinion. I would dare to suggest that maybe, their honesty led them in their choice to make a commitment of their life to God and become a Christian. How can someone look into the eyes of a newborn baby, and not believe in God? How can they see a sunset, a flower bloom, a cloud form, a raindrop, or a butterfly, and not know that these were beautifully made out of love from a magnificant Creator? So, I ask you this... is atheism an intellectual or a moral problem?

Reframing The Picture

"You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me." Acts 1:8. A pastor I know and love is discouraged. Although he is diligent in prayer and works hard, his church remains small while a congregation nearby is rapidly developing into a megachurch. Yet, when I think of the alcoholics, drug addicts, and sexually immoral people he has led to Christ and a new way of life, I see him as one who witnesses in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Because of what happened on the Day of Pentecost, we tend to associate the the Holy Spirit's presence and power with amazing phenomena and large numbers. We forget that a little later, those same people filled with that same Holy Spirit, were flogged, rejected, and imprisioned, even executed. But through all of that, they were powerful witnessess. That same power can be evidenced in a dynamic preacher who attracts great audiences. It is seen as well, in the volunteer who carries on a one-on-one prison ministry, or in the person who witnesses to a co-worker or neighbor, and in the Sunday school teacher who is faithful week after week.
The power of Pentecost is not especially reserved for those who are highly gifted. Rather, it is available to all the belivers in Christ who wish to serve Him. The power of God's spirit gives power to our witness.

A Choice to Make

For faith to grow and be strengthened, it must pass through moments of choices. I am for certain that I am not the only one who has discovered that those choices always carry with them, a matter of obedience. Most of us prefer spaces of time between testing, but that is not up to us unfortunately. This is where our heart and character are revealed. The conflict that we endure does not make character; it reveals what's in the heart.
I am learning to guard my heart, and in the process I am learning the Heart of God. I notice the activity of God in the midst of the choices I make, and because I have chosen to be a servant, my choices in turn, reflect the understanding of that relationship. With God, there are no easy ways to maturity or short cuts to avoiding your real life situations. As far as I know, our lives on earth will always bring some measure of pain, conflict, sorrow, and even battle. I believe it is our perseverence through these battles that ultimately develop our character, especially our faith in Him. On a more personal level, I have battled since my family and I have entered into this new season of our lives of pastoring a community of believers. But even now, I know that regardless of my abilities, only God can give me the victory in overcoming my struggle with the change. God is looking for a heart in me, that will be loyal to Him, so He can show Himself strong on my behalf. Too many of God's people fail to relate to Him as His servants. When God is silent, they get upset or even angry, and they often jump to the conclusion that God has abandoned them. Then they begin to make demands of God, and too often forsake His words. Others just work themselves to death with good deeds using their human reasoning. They create their own vision and then proceed to ask God to bless them. It is part of God's covenant to bless us, and I believe He wants to before we even ask for it. When you want to be blessed, remember to bless someone else. I have found in my own life, that His blessings have never been late or short when He knows that He can trust me with the gifts He is giving. Love never witholds anything when it's appropriate. Love longs to give and flow forth. The more we respond to God's call through the choices that carry us farther along, this will ring true with more assurance. "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth, as You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes, I sanctify Myself, so that they may also be sanctified by the truth." John 17:15-19.
Having knowledge of this truth should affect the choices that we make. We can choose to be obedient, even not knowing what the outcome our situation will be. The more we choose to do this, the more we see God's loving grace abound in our lives and our faith in Him is strengthened.