New Year thoughts (on the fly :P )

You know, I'm not superstitious by any means, but I think there truly is significance (psychologically, spiritually, etc) in the passing of one year into the next. For me personally it is always a time of reflection and looking forward. Reflection at the incredible, unexpected ways God has gotten me through the last 365 (give or take ;) ) days; reflection at how different it turned out than I expected, but at how perfectly He worked things out. And looking forward to what He may have in store; to what I know He is calling me toward; to those things that I think will happen one way but deep down I know it will probably be nothing like I planned.
This morning I was crunching some numbers, just on the visible side of things. My mind was absolutely blown at some of the things God has done! Things I never would have thought possible through my highly-finite little self; yet there were the cold, hard facts, right in front of my face. And I know there are probably just as many things I can't see yet or may never see.
This past week I've been thinking about the things that happened through the year. There have been some major events (like becoming an aunt, gaining another sister-in-law, and getting to see lots of family) and some events that seemed major at the time, but not so much with the haze of the passing months. There are some things I didn't get to do that I would have liked (like taking a fun trip somewhere cool to visit awesome people... fly on an airplane and all...), and a few disappointments and rough times throughout the year. But despite it all as I look back over 2013 I realize that God knew what He was doing. I realize that He has been preparing me for things He's been cooking up. And despite all the things I would have liked to include in my year, I know it contained exactly what I needed. I had to do some more painful growing in some areas I really didn't want to work, but I survived and I do believe I'm better off because of it.
Now looking ahead to 2014. First of all, in case anyone missed it, I GET TO GO FOR AUNTIE ROUND 2! New nephew or niece on the way, July 1ish!
As for the rest of the year: I know it's going to require some big sacrifices, big steps, and big growth spurts. It holds no promise of being easy. But it does hold promise of more, bigger, exciting things that God is going to take me through. In some areas of my life it will be a bit of a "Sabbath" year, and in other areas 2015 will hold some "Sabbath" symbolism for me. And by Sabbath I certainly don't mean I'm gonna be doing much of any kicking back. I just mean, there are things where God has had me waiting or working where He has promised me "rest" soon.
As some of you already know, I've been accepted to Charis Bible College in Colorado for fall 2014, so one of my big steps will be heading to the beautiful Rockies for.... well, I don't know how long. But it could be something of a "long haul", I suppose. There are a lot of big, big things that have to fall into place for this, and a lot of pressures from various sources with which I will be saddled (some of them I'm already packing). I know that things will feel restricted for a while and it will require giving up some comforts to which I've become accustomed. But I think the struggles will give way to an incredible new dimension of God's grace as I trudge down the path where He is leading me. And to that I am very much looking forward! :)
So here's to the big '1-4, a year of great growth and change--for the best! And it will be the best year ever! :D

Reflecting on 2012 and looking forward to 2013

I was actually going to write this a few days ago, but got busy with end-of-year things, so here it is now. Still the beginning of the year, so it's not too late to join the crowd and reflect on the old and look forward to the new :)
I do not make New Year's resolutions, because I do not have within me the power to effect the changes for which I resolve. Instead, I make effort to receive revelation for the new year (at the risk of sounding mystical or spirtual-er-than-thou ;) ) and set daily resolutions to do God's bidding, whatever the cost.
I make the distinction because rather than focusing on me and what I need or want to do as a person, I focus instead on what God may have for me in the coming 12 months. I find that if I make a resolution to do [task], it is me setting a goal for me, which goal I ultimately fail because I lack resolve. Alternately, if I seek for a revelation of what God has for me, I find infinite motivation in the knowledge that God is working in me to acheive HIS goals for me, and I have peace in knowing that even when I screw up and fail miserably in my daily resolutions He is still working on me and perfecting me. I still have the daily responsibility to focus on Him and the tasks He gives, but the bigger picture is in the hand of the One who is painting it.

Reflecting on 2012.....
At the end of 2011 and into the beginning of 2012, God revealed to me some incredible promises that, from my perspective were absolutely out of reach. However, I felt an indescribable confidence that He would bring it about. So I chose to trust Him and to take some risks that would require a lot of stretching and growing on my part. Of course, as the year wore on I realized that those "risks" were in fact, not truly risks from a spiritual standpoint. Because God had given me a promise, I knew that those steps of faith toward His promise would be sure steps, and the risks would be secure. I admit, a lot of times it felt like I was stepping out onto nothing and would fall on my face. God caught me every time. I learned that you have to be willing to fall on your face if you want God to catch you. He can't catch you if you don't fall on Him.
2012 involved a whole lot of being outside my comfort zone. I had to learn a lot about who I am apart from my family and friends and how to depend on God alone, rather than on people. I've never felt freer from the ties of earth and so ready to do any crazy thing God asks of me. I also discovered what God can do through me when I lay aside my fears and am willing to risk everything to do what I feel He calls. Putting the fear of God above the fear of man is by far the most effective way to get things done!
In the end, the things God had for me in 2012 were far above and beyond the amazing things He revealed at the beginning of the year. If He had shown me everything He had planned, I might have passed out from exhaustion at the thought of it all. He always exceeds my expectations, of course. It made me feel sort of silly for wondering how it would all pan out in the end. But that's what happens when the finite mind tries to comprehend infinite things. Mind. Blown.
Now here I am, looking toward 2013, faced with a lot of the same uncertainties and awe-inspiring promises with which I am faced every new year. But just as in years passed, I feel I have a deeper sense of revelation of God's amazing faithfulness & power than the year before. I am once again caught up in the wonder of the things He is cooking up to serve me this year, and am excited by the knowledge that more than likely He will far exceed these amazing "impossible" things He has been laying on my heart lately. Every mountain I climb, every challenge and hardship I face will be like mere dust to Him who sees the whole picture. I know He will help me through it and in the end I will be amazed once again at what God can do when I yield all control to Him.
2013 is going to be the best year yet!

Excellent

Excellence. It is nearly a lost art in today's society. Oftentimes it is thought of as something only for the elite. People in the big hotel business should strive for excellence in service. But the average person? "You should just be you. Be real."
But what if the "real" you--the everyday, average you can be excellent? What if your ordinary is extraordinary? Somehow it has come to be in our society that being "real" trumps all else. If you lie, cheat, steal, or are just a jerk in general, you still get some kind of kudos for being real. As if being honest, hard-working, or excellent is a phony facade.
True, if you go to a fancy restaurant or some place, their standard of excellence could probably be called a phony facade. Most of the spotless waiters who never drop a tray and always smile pleasantly at customers may very well be regular people with all the regular problems of the average person. They have to maintain the image of excellence in order to keep their jobs so their place of employment can keep their glowing ratings that allow them to make more money.
What about in the church? Do we strive for a standard of excellence or do we strive to be real, down-to-earth, and accessible? Do we pursue one to the exclusion of the other?
I submit that there does not have to be a dichotomy. Why should we paste on fake smiles and pretend things are just ducky when they aren't? Why should we show off our shortcomings and brag to the world we are no different from them?
Truth be told, neither route shows the saving power of grace. If God is so wonderful in your life, why would you have to fake joy in trials? If God is so powerful in your life, why would you be no different from the world? Being fake or being real...
But why should our reality not be excellent? Being saved by grace makes you different by necessity, for you are no longer born of flesh, but born of spirit! You can have joy and strength in hard times and be real about your weakness--for it is in your weakness that God shows His power.
The problem comes down to this: We always either want a laundry list of to-do and to-don't, or we want to have no rules at all. We create in our minds a picture of how we think we should look and try to copy it rather than looking into the mirror (the Bible) to see if we look like the standard (Jesus) living through us. Not only will we not look, but we don't want feedback from onlookers ("don't judge me!").
Therefore we create the false dichotomy: to be real or to be excellent. But if your reality is Jesus Christ living in you then your reality will be excellence. Seek Him and everything else will follow.
It's simple, but it isn't easy.

Paying attention.

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? ~Hebrews 2

I was reading a blog today where the writer mentioned something that is an extremely common problem for myself, and I believe is a problem for many if not all people. That is, the writer said that he was reading a somewhat familiar passage and something donned on him--but it was something he already knew. It had just gotten lost in some corner of his brain. How well I know that story.

It reminded me of the above passage in Hebrews. I find it no accident that we are reminded many times in Scripture to meditate on God's Word. There is much to be said for constantly recalling God's Words to us and meditating on them and remembering them. It builds faith as it reminds us of God's promises, His faithfulness, His character, His plan, etc. This passage in Hebrews is a very strong reminder to "pay [very close] attention" to the things we have heard in God's Word, for the consequences of drifting away are pretty grim. Even in the short-term, I realize just how many sticky or embarrassing situations I could have saved myself if I simply dwelt on the Word a little more. This is part of why I feel prompted to listen to so much Scripture throughout my day. Not only does it build my faith when I do so, but it tends to keep me out of trouble. After all, it's a little difficult to sin when you're thinking about God (unless you're a pretty hard person, in which case I don't know if there's hope for you).

As long as I live in an imperfect world I will probably have to re-learn things all the time, but in the mean time I hope to do my best to retain the things I have heard from God. I know they will keep my foot from slipping and will bless my life. I will not neglect this great salvation!

Hope.

Sometimes there are certain words that seem to pop up more than others. It's like something is lurking in the shadows that I'm supposed to find and these recurring words are my clue. So whenever I notice a common theme in stories, verses, or sermons that I encounter, I tend to pay attention. 

Lately the word Hope has been following me around. It literally pops up everywhere. It's one of those words I never really paid much attention to because we use it all the time. "I hope it rains," or, "we're hoping for the best," or "I hope I can find some chocolate before I faint." It often comes with the connotation of uncertainty in our language. It's as if hope has taken on a meaning of chance. Consequently, when I hear someone talking about sharing hope with victims of a disaster or read a verse about hope, I guess that's just how my brain subconsciously interprets it. 

Recently I had one of those "of duh" sort of moments. I suddenly realized, "DUH! that's not what hope is." At least, that's never how the word "hope" is used in the Bible. Certainly not any time I can think of. When God says in Jeremiah 29:11 that He will give you a hope and a future, He surely is not talking about giving you a chance at good future. When the Bible talks about putting your hope in God, it surely is not a thing of uncertainty. After all, with all the uncertainties of life, why would you throw in your lot with more uncertainty? No, in fact, when hope is mentioned in the Bible, it is very much a thing of expectancy and anticipation.

God gives us certain promises in His Word in which we can have expectant hope, knowing He will do what He has promised because He is faithful. It's not a matter of "I hope God comes through," but a matter of "God said He will do this and He will!"
I ordered several things online recently from a certain well-known website using a gift card with which I had been blessed. Since it was a gift, I didn't have to pay for the items--they had already been paid for. All I had to do was use the card to cover the cost of what I needed. Then it was just a matter of waiting for my packages to arrive. I was waiting with an expectant hope and much anticipation! One of my packages took entirely too long to arrive. Eventually it did arrive, but if it had not arrived I would have had every right to write the company and complain and demand they make it right. Even if it wasn't the company's fault things didn't go right, I have a guarantee that they will deliver.

To me this is a perfect example of the hope we have in God's promises. I had redeemed my prize that someone else paid for and now the items were mine. All I had to do is wait for them to arrive. I may have had to put in a little effort to fight for my right if things didn't go as planned, but that would be an exception to the general rule of how things work. So it is with the promises of God. He paid for them. Now it's up to us to take possession of what He has given us. Sometimes it requires a long wait and a lot of patience. Sometimes it takes a bit of a battle to keep the enemy from running interference. But we can know with a confident hope that God does provide what He promises and He will come through for us!

Friendship vs Servanthood

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.   ~John 15:15

"What are you doing today to serve God?" Ever hear that question? Or have you ever sat and listened to an incredible missionary presentation and wished you could go serve God overseas? I have. When I was younger I'd hear my grandma tell many stories of serving as a missionary in South America, or stories of missionaries she knew. I always felt like in order to be important in God's kingdom you had to be a pastor or a missionary (or, in my case as a girl, the wife of a pastor or missionary). And of course I wanted to be important. But I didn't particularly feel called to be "in the ministry." At least, not in the traditional sense.
I remember the relief I had as I got a little older and realized that God uses people of all vocations, and furthermore He needs people in every walk of life to be useful for Him. I realized that God calls everyone who follows Him to certain tasks. But I still couldn't shake the mindset of servanthood. I would practically beg for God to use me as His servant to do His bidding. I didn't care if He sent me to live in a mud hut and eat strange foods and go through all sorts of hardships. I just wanted to *do* something for God. I wanted to do *anything* for God. But something was missing.




There is nothing wrong with seeking servanthood. The Bible speaks plenty of being a servant. It's associated with humility and selflessness. Paul often refers to himself as a bondservant of Christ--indebted to Him because of the price He paid. But if we get to the point where we seek the service rather than seeking the One we serve, we have swung the proverbial pendulum off-target.


I think Jesus' wording was very precise when He told the disciples they were not just His servants, but His friends. He makes the distinction, and I think we should take note. A servant is concerned only with managing whatever department they are entrusted with. They are list-keepers, so to speak. They have a set regime of tasks to complete in order to fulfill their duty. There is little relationship with "the boss." A friend, on the other hand, has close relationship. A friend serves, but a friend's service is born out of love. There is no pressure to perform in order to maintain a status and get paid. There is only the desire to please. You know what your friend has in mind, their likes and displeasure, and out of your love for your friend you do what you can to please them. Not out of fear of rejection; out of love.
Imagine if your mother when you were a child was so fixated on feeding you and keeping your face and clothes clean and neat and keeping the house clean and neat that that was all she ever talked about and all she ever paid attention to you or had fun with you. Chances are if you had that childhood, you probably don't have very fond memories of it. In contrast, if your mother lets you play in the mud and make a mess in the kitchen once in a while, you will probably grow up with great childhood memories. Why? Because in the first example it's all about the house and the clothes and appearances and keeping rules. In the second example it's about enjoying life together. There is relationship.


That is the friendship vs servanthood distinction. It's about relationship. It's about love and mutual respect. So serve God and serve Him well, but let it all be done out of your love and appreciation for all He's done for you. By the way, He did it for you out of love.


P.S. sorry for the weird background highlighting. I don't know why it's doing that and it won't stop.

O LORD, Be Gracious to Me

Copied from Bible Gateway in the English Standard Version

Psalm 41

O LORD, Be Gracious to Me

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

^1(A) Blessed is the one who considers the poor!^[a]
(B) In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him;
²the LORD protects him and keeps him alive;
he is called blessed in the land;
you^(C) do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
³The LORD sustains him on his sickbed;
in his illness you restore him to full health.^[b]
4As for me, I said, "O LORD,^(D) be gracious to me;
^(E) heal me,^[c] for I have sinned against you!"
⁵My enemies say of me in malice,
"When will he die, and his name perish?"
⁶And when one comes to see me,^(F) he utters empty words,
while his heart gathers iniquity;
when he goes out, he tells it abroad.
⁷All who hate me whisper together about me;
they imagine the worst for me.^[d]
8They say, "A deadly thing is poured out^[e] on him;
he will not rise again from where he lies."
⁹Even my^(G) close friend in whom I trusted,
who^(H) ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
¹⁰But you, O LORD, be gracious to me,
and raise me up, that I may repay them!
¹¹By this I know that^(I) you delight in me:
my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.
¹²But^(J) you have upheld me because of^(K) my integrity,
and^(L) set me in your presence^(M) forever.
^13(N) Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!

Amen and Amen.

I have calmed and quieted my soul

Sometimes I have a tendency to obsess over things and over-think things. I have to remind myself to keep my mind on the Lord and let Him take care of things for me.

Psalm 131

A Song of^(A) Ascents. Of David.

¹O LORD, my heart is not^(B) lifted up;
my eyes are not^(C) raised too high;
I do not^(D) occupy myself with things
too great and^(E) too marvelous for me.
²But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned^(F) child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me. ^3(G) O Israel, hope in the LORD
from this time forth and forevermore.

He Will Not Forsake His Saints

One of my favorite passages :)  From the ESV, copied from Bible Gateway

Psalm 37

He Will Not Forsake His Saints

^[a] Of David.

^1(A) Fret not yourself because of evildoers;

be not^(B) envious of wrongdoers!

²For they will soon^(C) fade like^(D) the grass

and wither^(E) like the green herb. ^3(F) Trust in the LORD, and do good;

^(G) dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.^[b]

^4(H) Delight yourself in the LORD,

and he will^(I) give you the desires of your heart.

^5(J) Commit your way to the LORD;

^(K) trust in him, and he will act.

^6(L) He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,

and your justice as^(M) the noonday.

^7(N) Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;

^(O) fret not yourself over the one who^(P) prospers in his way,

over the man who carries out evil devices!

^8(Q) Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!

^(R) Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

^9(S) For the evildoers shall be cut off,

but those who wait for the LORD shall^(T) inherit the land.

¹⁰In^(U) just a little while, the wicked will be no more;

though you look carefully at^(V) his place, he will not be there.

¹¹But^(W) the meek shall inherit the land

and delight themselves in^(X) abundant peace.

¹²The wicked^(Y) plots against the righteous

and^(Z) gnashes his teeth at him,

¹³but the Lord^(AA) laughs at the wicked,

for he sees that his^(AB) day is coming.

¹⁴The wicked draw the sword and^(AC) bend their bows

to bring down the poor and needy,

to slay those whose^(AD) way is upright;

¹⁵their sword shall enter their own heart,

and their^(AE) bows shall be broken.

^16(AF) Better is the little that the righteous has

than the abundance of many wicked.

¹⁷For^(AG) the arms of the wicked shall be broken,

but the LORD^(AH) upholds the righteous.

¹⁸The LORD^(AI) knows the days of the blameless,

and their^(AJ) heritage will remain forever;

¹⁹they are not put to shame in evil times;

in^(AK) the days of famine they have abundance.

²⁰But the wicked will perish;

the enemies of the LORD are like^(AL) the glory of the pastures;

they vanish—like^(AM) smoke they vanish away.

²¹The wicked borrows but does not pay back,

but the righteous^(AN) is generous and gives;

²²for those blessed by the LORD^[c] shall^(AO) inherit the land,

but those cursed by him^(AP) shall be cut off.

²³The^(AQ) steps of a man are^(AR) established by the LORD,

when he delights in his way;

^24(AS) though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,

for the LORD^(AT) upholds his hand.

²⁵I have been young, and now am old,

yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken

or his children^(AU) begging for bread.

²⁶He is ever^(AV) lending generously,

and his children become a blessing.

^27(AW) Turn away from evil and do good;

so shall you^(AX) dwell forever.

²⁸For the LORD^(AY) loves justice;

he will not forsake his^(AZ) saints.

They are preserved forever,

but the children of the wicked shall be^(BA) cut off.

²⁹The righteous shall inherit the land

and^(BB) dwell upon it forever.

³⁰The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,

and his tongue speaks justice.

^31(BC) The law of his God is in his heart;

his^(BD) steps do not slip.

³²The wicked^(BE) watches for the righteous

and seeks to put him to death.

³³The LORD will not^(BF) abandon him to his power

or let him^(BG) be condemned when he is brought to trial.

^34(BH) Wait for the LORD and keep his way,

and he will exalt you to inherit the land;

you will look on^(BI) when the wicked are cut off.

^35(BJ) I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,

spreading himself like^(BK) a green laurel tree.^[d]

³⁶But he passed away,^[e] and behold,^(BL) he was no more;

though I sought him, he could not be found.

³⁷Mark the blameless and behold the upright,

for there is a future for the man of^(BM) peace.

³⁸But^(BN) transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;

the future of the wicked^(BO) shall be cut off.

^39(BP) The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;

he is their stronghold in^(BQ) the time of trouble.

⁴⁰The LORD helps them and^(BR) delivers them;

^(BS) he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

because they^(BT) take refuge in him.

Heaven

Last night a friend of mine passed away after a long battle with cancer. It's always hard to know what to say at times like this. For all of us left behind there's always questions of why, and oftentimes no answers. I'm glad to know he's finally whole and gets to bask in the glory of God forever, completely uninhibited by mortal flesh. I'm a bit jealous, too. Not that I so dislike life on earth, but oh to be free from this body and its limitations, to see the most glorious thing--far beyond anything I can begin to comprehend.
When I was younger I often marveled at the apostle Paul's words when he described the battle within between wanting to depart and be with God or to stay on earth and minister to people. I understood the sentiment but it was something my mind couldn't grasp. The thought of dying was scary, as the unknown generally is. I think now I understand. Earth is beautiful like crazy. I love people and I love the smells of spring and the warm sunshine and the gentle snow or a mighty storm. Yet for all Earth's incredible beauty, it is marred with the curse of sin and the pain it brings. Selfishness and pride hang over it like an ugly black stain right in the most obvious place of an otherwise stunning painting.
Heaven, on the other hand, is filled with the glory of God! That may seem a bit of a trite catch-phrase on the surface. But when I think of it... The wonderful feeling of knowing God here on earth-- to the ten-billionth power, and so much more than we can imagine! I daresay we won't even think of silly little things like a sweet summer breeze or the fiery leaves of autumn when all around is awesomeness to end all awesomeness. We'll never tire of singing, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!" What a choir that will be! We will finally be where we were meant to be: in the presence of our Maker, Redeemer, Sustainer, Fortress, Strength... there are not enough words to describe it!
So yes, there are a lot of lives Greg touched that will be missing him and I know how hard it is on his family and closest loved-ones. But I can't help but think of him in that glorious place with all the saints that have gone before, and I smile through tears of joy when I think of the moment he finally got to hear those words, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into my joy."
Congrats, Greg, on a life well-lived and a victorious crossing of the finish line!

And whenever you think of it, friend, do pray God's special blessing and comfort over the Wallace and Hemmer families and all the lives Greg touched.

What about the change?

So I'm still working on reading "The Pursuit of God" and I keep running across stuff that's just so good I want to share it with everybody; I don't always follow through with that because my brain is going a billion miles an hour trying to keep up with everything. However, I just read a paragraph that really stuck out to me that I feel very well illustrates one of the points I am trying to make in my book.
"A fairly accurate description of the human race might be furnished [to] one unacquainted with it by taking the Beatitudes, turning them wrong-side-out and saying, 'Here is your human race.' For the exact opposite of the virtues in the Beatitudes are the very qualities which distinguish human life and conduct."
In other words, the holy, righteous life we are called to when we come to Christ is so completely opposite from the natural man that we cannot be the same. This oppositeness of character would account for the "difference" people often attest to seeing in Christians. The problem is when we as Christians claim to be different but, in fact, are not different. Why are we not different? Because we allow our flesh to guide us. We do what we like and what gratifies our flesh rather than decidedly, conscientiously, and continuously submitting our desires to the Spirit of God within us.
Often our solution is to look at Scriptural lists such as the Beatitudes or the Fruits of the Spirit and try to pick at those characteristics in our own lives; we try to achieve them in our own power. However, all this serves to do is frustrate us and cause us to condemn ourselves because we know that we do not measure up to God's standard. In reality, the only way to measure up to the standard is to look to the standard. As Hebrews says "Looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." When we look to Jesus for our righteousness then He can fill us with His righteousness.
Let me quote here another part from "The Pursuit of God" which very well illustrates what I'm getting at.
"The man who has struggled to purify himself and has had nothing but repeated failures will experience real relief when he stops tinkering with his soul and looks away to the perfect One. While he looks at Christ the very things he has so long been trying to do will be getting done within him. It will be God working in him to will and to do."
So then, what can we conclude? Well, it is just as He has said all along "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness." When you boil everything down, that's what it all comes down to. Seek God first, and you will find that turning your life inside-out and living that distinct, set-apart life will be the automatic by-product. No more beatin' up on yourself.

The Word was God

 I've been reading "The Pursuit of God" by A.W. Tozer lately. Very slowly, mind you, so I can take it all in (aside from that I don't exactly have a lot of time to just sit and read :P ) And I do highly recommend the book. So far it's reeeaaally good. Anyway, I just started chapter 6 and thought the first paragraph was really good so I wanna share it with whoever wants to read it here:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. --John 1:1
An intelligent plain man, untaught in the truths of Christianity, coming upon this text, would likely conclude that John meant to teach that it is the nature of God to speak, to communicate His thoughts to others. And he would be right. A word is a medium by which thoughts are expressed, and the application of the term to the Eternal Son leads us to believe that self-expressoin is inherent in the Godhead, that God is forever seeking to speak Himself out to His creation. The whole Bible supports the idea. God is speaking. Not God spoke, but God is speaking. He is by nature continuously articulate. He fills the wordl with His speaking Voice."

Sorta reminds me of an illustration I heard once. Just as a radio station is always broadcasting, but we can't hear it unless we tune in, so it is with God: He is always speaking, but we aren't always hearing. And don't we find in the Bible that all creation is crying out His praise? Yet so many in the world close their ears to the chorus. So much of the time God is speaking to us through His written word and through people and events around us--even to our own hearts. We just need to be still and hear His voice.

The Statuette

On my bookshelf in the corner stands a little statuette. Upon first glance the small white horse doesn't appear to be anything special. But just like untold numbers of things in life, when you look deeper there is a story to be told and a lesson to be learned.
May 2003. It was a cool spring day when I had my 15th birthday party. I had invited several friends, though I still didn't know a lot of people since we had just moved to Missouri a few months before. Among those in attendance was a girl just a few months older than myself. For a present she gave me a statuette of a white horse that she had painted up. Being quite the horse-lover, I was always happy to have something horse-related (this was before I went on my first minimalist rampage... :P). Little did I know what this statuette would come to symbolize for me. After all, who ever knows the future?
Three years and two months later I attended this same girl's funeral. She died in a car accident at 18. Funny how things like that make you catch your breath. That day so long ago now, nobody could have known, and I'm sure of all people she never guessed she only had 3 years left to live. Had she known, might she have lived differently? What if you or I knew we only had 3 years or 3 months left to live? Would we do things differently than we are doing now? We don't even know if we have 3 minutes left to live.
In the back of everyone's mind is the knowledge that we do not know how long we have to live. Every once in a while the reality hits us, such as when someone young and healthy dies unexpectedly. But we shake our heads sadly and push the notion to the back of our minds and go on assuming we have many many years left to live. If at some time or another one has reason (whether real or imagined) to believe that his days are coming to an end, often that person changes the way they do things--being more kind and generous or whatnot. But shouldn't we live ready to die? Now, I'm not suggesting we should live like paranoid schizophrenics and be worried about dying any minute. Rather, I am saying that we should be mindful of everything we say and do. How is it going to effect us and those around us? How is it going to effect our worlds after we are gone? You may not have a chance to fix things.
If you've ever seen the movie "The Young Victoria" you may have been struck by the scene where Victoria and Albert were having a spat... right before he got shot with the bullet intended for her. I surely was. What if he had died? Imagine the guilt she would have lived with. You just never know. That's why we are called to "walk circumspectly--not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil."
This is what the white horse statuette has come to symbolize for me. Whenever I look at it I am reminded of the uncertainties of life and the importance of every single moment, because I don't know how many moments I have left. Is what I am doing now important, good, and right? Am I ready for tomorrow or the lack thereof?

Speak up, I can't hear you! (xpost)

Also posted at http://1extraordinarylifetime.blogspot.com/

“Preach the Gospel to every nation and if necessary, use words.”  This has become a very commonly-heard quote in the Christian world today. It was a wise thing for St Francis of Assisi to say, but I wonder if he ever realized how detrimental it would become to Christianity. Rather than being a call to live out what you believe, it has become a sort of scapegoat for complacency. People take it as a reason to be silent about their faith. They say “oh, I’ll just preach by the way I live and people will come to know God.” But is that true? Where is that found in the Bible? I highly doubt you would ever see Jesus take on that sort of attitude. Or could you imagine Peter saying that?  Oh how quickly the fire of the gospel would have gone out, had the early church leaders taken on that sort of attitude.

As I posted earlier, words are extremely important in communication. It would be very true to say that actions and body language are extremely important in communication as well¾the saying “actions speak louder than words” is very true. HOWEVER, that does not negate the power and importance of words. There are some people in the world who, from the outside, may appear to be very happy, wise, generous, loving, or a thousand other virtues… What’s to distinguish them from those who live such lives genuinely through Christ? Their words do! Those who are living a virtuous life because they are allowing CHRIST to live through them are going to be telling people the real reason for their joy etc.  Human eyes are all-too-easily deceived. How are they to see the real Christ in you if they don’t know what the real Christ looks like? It is up to you to tell them!

How could anyone be silent after receiving so great a gift as salvation? As Jesus said, that’s like lightning a candle and putting it under a basket. Or nowadays he might say that’s like turning on your lamp and then putting it into a box where nobody can see it. What good is it to anybody? If we have a light fixture, we’re going to put it out where it sheds light for everybody so they can see where they’re going! In practical application that means you go out and teach people the truth¾you show them that on their own they are going to hell. You don’t be rude or condemning about it, you merely shine the light of truth on the facts that are present. 

You know why more people don’t do that? It is out of fear. Nobody likes to be disliked and when you present truth, it hurts like a bright light being turned on after pitch darkness and unfortunately a lot of times that makes people dislike you. But why should fear of being disliked keep you from saving lives? Why should that fear steal the joy that a life in Christ gives you? Unfortunately it is true that some people will hate you. In fact, no matter what you do some people will hate you. Hello, Jesus promised people would hate you! So why should that stop you from doing what He told you to do? Let us not forget it is also true that some people will love you for taking the time to love them and show them the error of their ways and help them to be healed and turned toward the Son.

Don’t let complacency or fear get in the way of the furtherance of the Kingdom. Yes, do go and preach the gospel to every nation and use words when necessary. But never forget, words ARE necessary. Always.

Just Words?

Going through school growing up, the particular curriculum we used often went over the importance of words for communication (in case you ever thought to whine over your English assignments :P ). To me it made perfect sense. I mean, have you ever made the rash vow as a child "I'm not going to talk to you for the rest of the day!" And then have you tried to carry it out? It's not easy, grunting [in syllables of the words we want to say, no less] and gesturing like some sort of ape, trying to get our message across. Words are rather important to our everyday life!
Yet in spite of the importance of words, I think they have been grossly devalued in our society. Our vocabulary as a whole has declined and seems to be continuing to do so. To the point where when I talk to the average 8th grader I find myself having to define half the words I use which to me seem like everyday-usage words. (thank you homeschooling LOL)  And I wasn't even word-nerdy enough to read the whole dictionary! (well maybe I was but I never got around to finishing it. :P)
I was pondering this issue this morning, trying to figure it out. I was thinking about a comedian I heard who was making a routine out of substituting the word "rose" for "fart". He was saying that it was silly when people got embarrassed over the latter word. "It's just a word!" he crowed. "Just a word"? What does that mean? Yeah, it is a word, but words happen to have this little thing called a meaning that make it more than just a random object. With words we can paint a picture or give instructions... or write blogs to share our opinions and insights. But even more than that, with words we can build up or tear down; we can kill or we can heal. Even with the absence of words we can have a great effect upon other peoples' lives.
Here's an illustration that forever engraved the power of words on my mind. My pastor called a random person from the audience up on the stage to help illustrate the point. He had the man put his arms straight out from his sides. Pastor then pushed down lightly on his arms to show the amount of pressure he was using--it was not enough to overpower the man's outstretched arms. He had the man put his arms down, then said, "repeat these six things after me," at which point he said six negative phrases in the first-person (i.e. I'm a loser, I'll never amount to much, I hate my job, etc). The man put his arms back out as before, and with no trouble the pastor was able to push them down  using the same amount of pressure as previously. Then he said "repeat these six things after me," and said six positive phrases in the first person (i.e. I'm handsome, I'm a great husband/father, I love my job, etc) then had him put his arms back out. He again applied the same amount of pressure and the man was able to hold his arms up again.
Skeptical? Try it on some unsuspecting victim. He tried this on my brother when he came to the college my brother was attending. He said it was absolutely amazing, he could NOT hold his arms up after saying those negative things.
Think they're just words? Think again. Why do you think they have the old saying "The pen is mightier than the sword" ? Why do you think the Bible warns us so many times to be careful what we say? Even when you're just joking around, be careful what you say! (guilty :oops:) It doesn't matter if you really believe what you're saying, the words themselves are that powerful. They can even eventually change how you really believe. Sometimes even making a simple, small compliment will brighten someone's entire day. Don't just take my word for it, try it!
So next time you hear someone say words aren't important, give them a reality check! Erase that rhyme about sticks and stones from your arsenal. Remember to keep your words uplifting and positive. Use them for healing rather than hate. You'd be amazed at what a difference it will make! You might even save a life. :)
~ L.E. Neighbour

Peep peep! Life as I know it...

Yesterday morning we got a call from the post office--our baby chicks arrived! So I rushed down to pick them up, as well as some chick starter and wood shavings. Now the little peepers are happily peeping in a corner of our dining room, just as cute as can be! Ahhh I love chickens :)
Yesterday afternoon we went to the commencement ceremony for Central Bible College to watch my brother walk through the graduation line :cue applause: and after we got home we had a little celebration bonfire/wiener roast complete with cake and ice cream (which diminished our appetite for s'mores :P)
In other news, I am getting accustomed to my NEW LAPTOP (post coming on that soon ;) ) and learning the cool features of Windows 7.... Fun schtuff. Also today I am locking myself in my room (except to go get some water every once in a while cuz it's hot out lately!) and doing some serious drafting and editing (I know I promised me no more first-draft editing till the drafting is done but this is rather necessary I'm afraid... I'm not editing content so much as order ;) ) so hopefully I will still be able to meet my goal :D
And last item for the day which is really irrelevant to the majority of my readers, but I CAN'T keep it to myself! I'm getting uber excited about the TN get together starting May 23!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it's just barely over 2 weeks away and I'm so excited I can hardly concentrate so that's gonna make life a little difficult I'm afraid :-/  But life ain't always easy so I just hafta deal with it. At least life is GOOD, right? And I have God to thank for that :D  woohooo!
ok off to get my water (and I hafta start lunch soon :( ) then BACK TO WORK B-)  Have a totally awesome day, peoples!

The Bloggosphere: I Love Customized Backgrounds :D

Hey check it out! I overhauled this blog too now.  Emily Ann Benedict of Blog Cargo and I have been working on it for a while now. Well I say we but I mean she. I was just the ruthless taskmaster, she was the mastermind/slave/artist ;) haa ha :P  So d'ya like it? Hmmm?  I do B-)  I just can't see the whole thing on this screen because I'm still using this tiny secondary screen rather than  my normal laptop screen :'(  *sadness in a box*  BTW, Emily's also my campaign manager for my "buy me a real computer of my own" fund cuz she's cool like that B-)  So anyway if you like it, stand up and cheer. If you don't, sit and whine... either way, it's here to stay for a while.  I hope... (And Emily probably does too :P )
Now all I gotta do is get the buttons to put on my website and hopefully I can quit playing geek for a while :-B
G'day!

The Bloggosphere: Clutter and Cleanliness

In case I hadn't mentioned it before, I am OCD. Not severely like Monk or anything, but I like to have things very orderly and clean, organized and easy-to-find, etc.  (and yes, symmetrical is always a bonus xD )  Blogs are no exception. I like to see a good, clean-looking blog. But this can be a frustrating point because sometimes I want to put a lot of info in sidebars and such... It's just hard to do without looking like a circus. Fortunately on these my two public blogs I don't have a whole lot of info at this time that I want posted in my sidebars so I haven't had to fight with it. Anyway I don't have time to fight with it because I'd rather focus on either posting a good blog or just writing some more in my book. However, this preference of mine does make a difference in the blogs I read, and I'm sure I'm not the only one (am I?).
If I go to a blog and it's all cluttery and hard to find what I'm looking for, I don't waste my time looking for it. Even if the article is really interesting, it just bugs my subconscious that there is all this stuff in the sidebar. Most of it, I understand why it's there, but it still messes with my mind. Unless the blogger has managed to find a way to make it look neat and orderly. Oh how much I appreciate that. And you know, I can't even really explain the difference, but I do notice it. One thing I do know that makes a difference is only having the sidebar content on one side. Of course, when one has a lot of sidebar content, this makes it hard to get to the bottom of the page... which wouldn't be such a big deal except that sometimes people put things I want to find like follower/tag lists or playlists at the bottom. Which brings me to my next point: Playlists
Let me start by saying I'm all for having a playlist of cool music on your blog. I have one on several of my blogs. It's cool because you can tell a lot about people by their playlist (BTW the one on here doesn't seem to be working properly which totally stinks). HOWEVER  my HUGE PET PEEVE with playlists is auto-playing playlists. Like, I'm a huge multitasker and I pretty much always listen to music on WMP or grooveshark while I'm working... it helps drown out background noise and such. But so many times I will open a blog and all of a sudden my ears are insulted by something that totally clashes with the music I'm listening to. And what's the absolute worst is when I don't know WHERE the bloomin' music is coming from!!!!!  ARGH  ok sorry it just bugs me LOL  one day I spent like 10 minutes trying to find the stupid playlist and turn it off b/c I didn't like the song and it was ruining the awesome song I was listening to which I couldn't pause since it was on an entirely different browser and I was too busy looking for that wretched song. (BTW it took me so long b/c I had like 20 tabs up, each with a different blog I was reading. Yes, as I said, I am a multitasker :P).
So no offense to anybody who has their blog set up like this, but I'm just sayin' it bugs me. You can just ignore me if you want and I'll keep living with it, but now you can't say you don't know, right? Right ;)
Anyway all that to say, Congrats to those of you who have been able to maximize sidebar content AND make it look good. You deserve an award and I wish you could teach me how to do it. ;)  As for me, I'm keeping my sidebar content to a minimum b/c I really am a minimalist at heart, no matter how much pack-ratting I do (we won't go there today) and I love things to be neat and orderly.
Who's with me? :D

The Bloggosphere: Jumping in with Both Feet

A lot of people in my family are all-or-nothing kind of people. You ask them to roll down the window, and it's gotta go ALL the way down. You ask them to turn up the radio and they craaaaaaank it up. It's a sort of family tradition or something. I guess I've sort of inherited it, but I can do things in moderation too. It usually just takes a little more conscious effort. Unless it falls on the "nothing" side of the scale, of course ;)   I find this impulse to be one of those things can be good sometimes (as you may remember from this post) and other times less convenient, such as in the case of the radio or the window.
When it comes to blogging, I find that it's one of those things where you've gotta give it more effort if you want it to work. Basically it's like any other kind of online social networking: you get out of what you put into it. As I said in the last post, I didn't get a whole lot of comments on my first blogs. In fact, I still don't get that many comments. But that's ok, as long as people are reading. But I've found that in order to get comments you have to comment. In order to get readers you have to read. If all you do is blog casually, you'll pretty much get casual readers (like friends and family).
Recently I've been trying to get a little more "into" blogging b/c I feel like it can be a useful tool. I found that the more I participate with other people's blogs, the more they participate with mine. Makes sense, right? I mean, if nobody knows you exist, they're not gonna read your blog. Sometimes you have to give a lot to get a little, and sometimes you have to give a little and get a lot. But you've always gotta give to get. It's like the bloggosphere sharin'-da-love-theory of relative input... Or something to that effect. Ha I just made that up ^_^
So in other words, I'm trying to jump into blogging with both feet... Or at least step in with both feet. It's not as much fun standing on the shore with your toes in the water :)  To me, blogging is much more fun when you get feedback and followers. Don't you agree?
So how about you? Do you get out about as much as you put into blogging or do you feel like you're always giving and never getting? Or do you end up getting lots of followers/comments with little effort (like skating by on your popularity? ;) )?  If someone follows you/comments first, do you always try to reciprocate?

The Bloggosphere: How I Got Here... Wherever "Here" Is.

So in effort to inspire myself to blog a little more regularly, I'm going to try to do a little mini-series on the bloggosphere. Let's see how interesting I can be. Are you ready for this? To start with, I'll tell you all the touching tale of how I got "here". That is (in normal American English): here's my blogging background in a walnut shell.
I've been a casual blogger for quite some time now. It all started when I joined HomeschoolALUMNI.org where each of the members has their own blog. At first, blogging was a sort of scary thought. I mean, posting your thoughts out where anybody could read them? Eek!  Well it took a while to get used to. I mostly posted the kind of junk people post on Facebook statuses nowadays. Y'know... like "today I went to Walmart and filled up an entire grocery cart... shopping is so depressing."  Yeah, it was pretty lame stuff and I never got comments on my blog unless something devastating happened like my horse almost died or I fell off a hay truck. Eventually I started posting a little more interesting stuff, like the importance of humility or things I had learned about faith or whatnot. It got to be kind of fun to be able to just talk to cyber space and have no idea who if anybody was reading what I wrote. Then I got introduced to blogger.
A friend of mine sent me a link to his "personal" blog (as opposed to a public blog) which was hosted on blogger so I signed up on blogger in order to be able to comment and such. But it got me to thinking at how fun it would be to try to keep up a regular blog besides my HSA blog (since, afterall, there were things I might want to share with friends but not with *everybody*, or maybe I wanted to share things with non-HSAers). Well I actually ended up starting several blogs at that time. One was just a goofy blog to post my random thoughts, one was a photo blog, one was a horse-training blog, and I think that's all I had then. Mind you, this is before I felt the call to write.
Over the following year or so I added and dropped blogs and neglected blogs. Yes, on my personal blogger account (as opposed to this, my "public" blogger account) I have a few blogs that haven't been updated for about a year or more. I'm considering feeling guilty, but considering none of them are really followed, I figure I'm not the only one who doesn't care enough to keep up with them. When I'm ready to resurrect them, it'll be good :D
Anyway, aside from my dead, private, and public blogs, I also contribute to a few other blogs and help maintain my family's ministry blog (teenharvest.blogspot.com). I hope to eventually have a traveling blog, too, but I kinda have to start traveling before I can really warrant having one (life is rough, yes?) and I'm working on eventually opening another blog that is currently *top secret* so I can't tell you about it right now ;)  Nor will I tell you precisely how many blogs I "author" according to blogger because I don't need to be reminded that after all this time I have, in fact, become a bloggomaniac :cue dramatic music: 
So tell me about you. How long have you been blogging? Are you a bloggomaniac or a casual blogger? And if you want, you can tell me how many blogs you keep.
G'day!