Yes, this is the week of intensive class...and the week of having lunch or dinner with friends....good friends! These are people I only get to visit with while I am at school...they are from all over the United States. We visit about our ministries, our classes, our goals and dreams, and the cool things God has brought us 'through' since we last saw each other.
I can't pretend to know these people in all aspects of their lives...however, we share a common goal, a common love and a common passion. That passion is to live a life in service to our King Jesus. This is an amazing ride, and sometimes, it is exhausting and thrilling in the same moment!
I had dinner last night with two young women...it was fun to listen to them speak of nieces and nephews, their frustrations and victories in their current positions, and their hopes for the future! We, apparently, all have a love of good cheesecake, and so we went with that as our goal: light enough dinner that cheesecake could be the main event! And, it was! In spite of the waiter that kept flirting, and trying to speak French (hilarious!) but he more than made up for that, by not writing one thing down, and getting our order correct--he was really attentive! But, oh my goodness, the laughter, conversation and the cheesecake were truly amazing!
Part of our assignment in my class this week was to have a lunch or dinner with classmates to discuss our class--our reactions, our thoughts, and our passions about the subject matter. There are only four of us in class...three guys and me! Today, we decided to have lunch all together...what a good time of getting to know each other, to truly hear their hearts for ministry and their hearts for their wives and kids, and how they hoped to use the tools we are learning this week when they get home!
But tonight was special, in that I got to have dinner with someone I just met yesterday. She is only here for this week, and only checking things out here at Tozer...She's from the Midwest, like me...and she currently works at a 'Christian Church'--same 'brotherhood' that I was a part of when in women's ministry! Amazing how God gives us exactly what we need, when we need it! This new friend and I are more alike than different. Her family has had similar experiences in the past year that ours has faced! And, she has a passion for God and His Word...I do not know if she will become a student here, but I am thankful that she chose to accept the invitation to come during this week! It was a blessing for me to connect with her--knowing that, because of technology, we should be able to stay in touch, and continue to encourage one another!
The sunset tonight was so beautiful...the colors were truly breathtaking! Tomorrow will be my last day here, in Redding, and lunch will be a 'Tozer pizza picnic'--this will give us a chance to connect before we leave and go back to family, ministry and the real world. I am so thankful for the students here...and the faculty and staff...but especially for the opportunity to meet people from all over!
Friday, June 15, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Renew your mind...
"And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2
I love this verse. I love this verse because of the hope that it contains. A hope that my mind can be renewed, and when it is, I will be able to discern God's perfect will. I have said before, as I grew in to a young teen-ager, the idea of knowing 'God's Will' for my life was of great concern to me (at least in the quiet moments I had alone, I will not pretend or say that this concern was on my mind 24/7 as a 13 year old...that would be a lie!)
Any way, my concern was that I would not be in God's will somehow. I have learned much about this process, and how to know for certain that I am operating within the boundaries of what God would purpose for me...for I believe that the prophet Micah wrote it down well when he wrote in chapter 6, verse 8 "He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of
you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." These sound pretty simple.
Romans 12:2 talks about 'renewing your mind,' though, how is that possible? I have always been taught, and practiced the fact that much of it involves 'lifting up' your thought processes...think higher of the situation at hand than you might normally, in order to have a better attitude about it. OR, use heavy doses of scripture, to counter any questionable thoughts that you might harbor. OR, rely on a divine healing prayer, and God will bless.
Right here I just want to say that since I was younger, I have wondered about the damage done to your brain during substance abuse. When I was younger, I always heard it said that alcohol kills brain cells, we know this to be true, without doubt. However, not being in the medical field, I was always concerned about that loss, I had understood that 'what was lost was lost'...
And, SO! My point! Today, during our class, I was fascinated to see brain scans of brains that were healthy, had been on drugs or had abused alcohol for years. We saw brain scans of brains that were addicted to pornography, and addicted to caffeine. Through the use of medication in some instances, and abstinence in others, and over time, health was somewhat restored! I was overjoyed to be able to see the evidence, scientifically, that the mind (brain) can, indeed, be physically healed, and pictures can be made of that process (through a nuclear medicine procedure)! Bottom line: we can renew our minds each day. God can renew our minds instantaneously, if He wants...and, we can also be offered modern medical treatments, including abstaining from use, in order to restore brain health...there is, of course, 'more to it' than what I am briefly sharing here....this is NOT a medical journal...and I am not a doctor! I just wanted to share the fact that the God we serve...the creator of the universe and of our brains....well, His word has been proven over and over again, but today, I saw it evidenced in science...and it was fun!
I love this verse. I love this verse because of the hope that it contains. A hope that my mind can be renewed, and when it is, I will be able to discern God's perfect will. I have said before, as I grew in to a young teen-ager, the idea of knowing 'God's Will' for my life was of great concern to me (at least in the quiet moments I had alone, I will not pretend or say that this concern was on my mind 24/7 as a 13 year old...that would be a lie!)
Any way, my concern was that I would not be in God's will somehow. I have learned much about this process, and how to know for certain that I am operating within the boundaries of what God would purpose for me...for I believe that the prophet Micah wrote it down well when he wrote in chapter 6, verse 8 "He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of
you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." These sound pretty simple.
Romans 12:2 talks about 'renewing your mind,' though, how is that possible? I have always been taught, and practiced the fact that much of it involves 'lifting up' your thought processes...think higher of the situation at hand than you might normally, in order to have a better attitude about it. OR, use heavy doses of scripture, to counter any questionable thoughts that you might harbor. OR, rely on a divine healing prayer, and God will bless.
Right here I just want to say that since I was younger, I have wondered about the damage done to your brain during substance abuse. When I was younger, I always heard it said that alcohol kills brain cells, we know this to be true, without doubt. However, not being in the medical field, I was always concerned about that loss, I had understood that 'what was lost was lost'...
And, SO! My point! Today, during our class, I was fascinated to see brain scans of brains that were healthy, had been on drugs or had abused alcohol for years. We saw brain scans of brains that were addicted to pornography, and addicted to caffeine. Through the use of medication in some instances, and abstinence in others, and over time, health was somewhat restored! I was overjoyed to be able to see the evidence, scientifically, that the mind (brain) can, indeed, be physically healed, and pictures can be made of that process (through a nuclear medicine procedure)! Bottom line: we can renew our minds each day. God can renew our minds instantaneously, if He wants...and, we can also be offered modern medical treatments, including abstaining from use, in order to restore brain health...there is, of course, 'more to it' than what I am briefly sharing here....this is NOT a medical journal...and I am not a doctor! I just wanted to share the fact that the God we serve...the creator of the universe and of our brains....well, His word has been proven over and over again, but today, I saw it evidenced in science...and it was fun!
Monday, June 11, 2012
One Cool Thing About Today...
We begin each week of intensive classes here at Tozer with a chapel service. We are welcomed, and oriented in to what to expect for the week, we are led in worship and prayed over. It is edifying to stand among fellow students, faculty and staff, knowing we are all there for one reason, at that moment: to give our God all Praise--for He is Worthy!
Last semester, we opened each class time with worship. The subject I studied last semester was Theology of Suffering and Healing--because of that delicate, emotional material, worship somehow put us in the right mind set to face head on some of the mystery surrounding the problem of evil, human suffering, and divine healing. Worshiping together somehow bonded us together to work through the hard questions, which leads me back to today's chapel service...
The cool thing about today's chapel service was that Dr. Hugh Ross, a creationist, brought the message. He is here this week to teach an apologetics course. He was fascinating to listen to, and obviously loves what he does. As I sat there, I was amazed to learn that he was a scientist first. And, while he became a believer in his teens, he shared that he didn't know any other Christian people (believers) until he was 27 years old. He came to the conclusion through scientific studies, and through theorems of time and space, as defined by science...that God was God! He shared that just a few days ago, he'd been able to share an answer to the question, "If God created the earth, then who created God?" --great question--posed by an atheist! Dr. Ross has a web-site at www.reasons.org.
Of course, simple minded me: I believe it, because I can't think of any other way to explain how air exists, this stuff that we need an endless supply of to maintain life, and yet, it is here...all around us!
It has been a good first day of class....I was able to connect with students I've been in class with before, and meet some new students. And, I have much to learn about addictions. I am learning more about alcohol use and abuse than I've ever known before. Staggering statistics...
Last semester, we opened each class time with worship. The subject I studied last semester was Theology of Suffering and Healing--because of that delicate, emotional material, worship somehow put us in the right mind set to face head on some of the mystery surrounding the problem of evil, human suffering, and divine healing. Worshiping together somehow bonded us together to work through the hard questions, which leads me back to today's chapel service...
The cool thing about today's chapel service was that Dr. Hugh Ross, a creationist, brought the message. He is here this week to teach an apologetics course. He was fascinating to listen to, and obviously loves what he does. As I sat there, I was amazed to learn that he was a scientist first. And, while he became a believer in his teens, he shared that he didn't know any other Christian people (believers) until he was 27 years old. He came to the conclusion through scientific studies, and through theorems of time and space, as defined by science...that God was God! He shared that just a few days ago, he'd been able to share an answer to the question, "If God created the earth, then who created God?" --great question--posed by an atheist! Dr. Ross has a web-site at www.reasons.org.
Of course, simple minded me: I believe it, because I can't think of any other way to explain how air exists, this stuff that we need an endless supply of to maintain life, and yet, it is here...all around us!
It has been a good first day of class....I was able to connect with students I've been in class with before, and meet some new students. And, I have much to learn about addictions. I am learning more about alcohol use and abuse than I've ever known before. Staggering statistics...
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Why Did I Say That? --why did i do that?
Do you ever have those times when you think 'it' to death? When you are having a conversation with someone, anyone that matters in your life, and come away and ask yourself those questions? I will most likely finish this post and think, why didn't I write something more profound? There's a lot of words out there that you could be reading. And, I do not take for granted the fact that you are reading these, I want them to matter to you...for you to somehow be encouraged by me--by the fact that I am a real person, with real problems and happenings, and real joys and sorrows!
I am writing this from my dorm room desk. Hilarious for me, yet so sobering, to consider how life truly works. I have always told my husband that 'there is a degree in me someplace'...beyond the Associates degree I received just before we married. And, now that I am older, wiser and very mature (that's funny to consider, isn't it?), I am able to put together what it is that I'd really like to "do" with this life I've been blessed to live. Schooling for me is one of those things that amplifies the fact that God truly loves us enough to give us the desires of our hearts! Remember? Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."
Which explains the answer to my question last night of "Why did I do that?" When I arrived in Redding yesterday afternoon, I went directly to the Dean's house, as it was a gathering of Tozer students--for food and fellowship. As I have formed very significant relationships with some of the students and faculty, I wanted to be there. But, as they hugged and welcomed me, offering food and a place to sit, I became overwhelmed....to the point of tears.
And, I wept. Tears...lots of them. My sweet friend Jenny asked if it was because I was tired. Yes, sometimes I cry when I am tired. But at that moment, I didn't feel tired...I just felt this overwhelming sense of how truly blessed I am to be here. Feeling very loved, and very blessed and knowing that this experience is truly from the hand of God, took my breath away. The Dean, Dr. Sumner, who I can also call my friend, just sat with me, prayed and talked for a while. Who does that? You know exactly who does that...a person who truly cares and loves.
What I am saying is, this tells about the community of this place, called A.W. Tozer Theological Seminary. A place of true Christian community, within the students, and within the faculty and staff. Not perfect, I know that, because we are all human. However, this is my fourth trip to this place, this oasis, this source of refreshment and each trip, I am always amazed by how this community treats each other. There is honor, there is laughter, there are sometimes tears, and the thing that is missing is fear about sharing true, real life hard questions and struggles.
That, though, isn't the focus...the focus is loving Christ seeing God exulted above all else. I am here only because God opened door after door in my life to bring me to this place. That is the only way to explain it...as this schooling would never have been on my 'radar' back in my youth when educational decisions were being made for my future...yet God, the God of Creation, the One who loves me most.....saw me then, allowed hurt, pain, suffering, joy, laughter, relationships, and all the other things that make a life, to simmer together to give me unique experiences and opportunities to bring me to this moment.
This moment, where I am learning and growing, and experiencing dorm life! But, pursuing that degree--just one, of the 'desires of my heart.' Just one. But, look at all the details that have to be in place for that 'desire' to be fulfilled. And, God is providing every one!
Now, the other question...Why did I say that? I said all this to let you know, and to repeat to myself: If God will do this, bless my life in this way, He will do the same for you! Delight yourself in Him...His word, His teaching, in His presence alone! Trusting Him with the details is crucial. He loves us that much!
Because His love is perfect, that is why there is no room in kingdom work for jealousy or favoritism among us. We each have unique characteristics, gifts and abilities...where I am weak in one area, another person can fill in the gaps...we just have to allow each other to express our gifts, abilities, and know our own weaknesses, so we will recognize strengths in others...celebrate the strengths in those around you...tell them thank you...tell them you love them...serve them, honor and respect them...but DO NOT BE jealous, or envious of them...do not slander them, just because they might be doing what you think you've been called to do...it may not be your 'time' yet...and remember...God sees you....He knows when YOUR time is right! And, He's got the details...so stop worrying!
I am writing this from my dorm room desk. Hilarious for me, yet so sobering, to consider how life truly works. I have always told my husband that 'there is a degree in me someplace'...beyond the Associates degree I received just before we married. And, now that I am older, wiser and very mature (that's funny to consider, isn't it?), I am able to put together what it is that I'd really like to "do" with this life I've been blessed to live. Schooling for me is one of those things that amplifies the fact that God truly loves us enough to give us the desires of our hearts! Remember? Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."
Which explains the answer to my question last night of "Why did I do that?" When I arrived in Redding yesterday afternoon, I went directly to the Dean's house, as it was a gathering of Tozer students--for food and fellowship. As I have formed very significant relationships with some of the students and faculty, I wanted to be there. But, as they hugged and welcomed me, offering food and a place to sit, I became overwhelmed....to the point of tears.
And, I wept. Tears...lots of them. My sweet friend Jenny asked if it was because I was tired. Yes, sometimes I cry when I am tired. But at that moment, I didn't feel tired...I just felt this overwhelming sense of how truly blessed I am to be here. Feeling very loved, and very blessed and knowing that this experience is truly from the hand of God, took my breath away. The Dean, Dr. Sumner, who I can also call my friend, just sat with me, prayed and talked for a while. Who does that? You know exactly who does that...a person who truly cares and loves.
What I am saying is, this tells about the community of this place, called A.W. Tozer Theological Seminary. A place of true Christian community, within the students, and within the faculty and staff. Not perfect, I know that, because we are all human. However, this is my fourth trip to this place, this oasis, this source of refreshment and each trip, I am always amazed by how this community treats each other. There is honor, there is laughter, there are sometimes tears, and the thing that is missing is fear about sharing true, real life hard questions and struggles.
That, though, isn't the focus...the focus is loving Christ seeing God exulted above all else. I am here only because God opened door after door in my life to bring me to this place. That is the only way to explain it...as this schooling would never have been on my 'radar' back in my youth when educational decisions were being made for my future...yet God, the God of Creation, the One who loves me most.....saw me then, allowed hurt, pain, suffering, joy, laughter, relationships, and all the other things that make a life, to simmer together to give me unique experiences and opportunities to bring me to this moment.
This moment, where I am learning and growing, and experiencing dorm life! But, pursuing that degree--just one, of the 'desires of my heart.' Just one. But, look at all the details that have to be in place for that 'desire' to be fulfilled. And, God is providing every one!
Now, the other question...Why did I say that? I said all this to let you know, and to repeat to myself: If God will do this, bless my life in this way, He will do the same for you! Delight yourself in Him...His word, His teaching, in His presence alone! Trusting Him with the details is crucial. He loves us that much!
Because His love is perfect, that is why there is no room in kingdom work for jealousy or favoritism among us. We each have unique characteristics, gifts and abilities...where I am weak in one area, another person can fill in the gaps...we just have to allow each other to express our gifts, abilities, and know our own weaknesses, so we will recognize strengths in others...celebrate the strengths in those around you...tell them thank you...tell them you love them...serve them, honor and respect them...but DO NOT BE jealous, or envious of them...do not slander them, just because they might be doing what you think you've been called to do...it may not be your 'time' yet...and remember...God sees you....He knows when YOUR time is right! And, He's got the details...so stop worrying!
Monday, June 4, 2012
As it Turns Out...
As it turns out: I have not posted to this blog since February 29...a 'long enough' gap that blogger has completely changed the way that posts are developed...I have much to learn. As always, I'll do fine under this pressure: it may take a few more tries to fully appreciate all the updates, however!
As it turns out: I am writing a disclaimer right here: I am not re-editing this blog post in order to save time...I will be more judicious about postings and editing later!
As it turns out: Life as we knew it, has once again changed completely! This is somewhat of a trend for our 31 year marriage. A trend that we did not plan--nor anticipate early on--we are beginning to see a our way to a clear destination. You may say, "well, it's about time: Bishop's, you should grow up and be more responsible." Yes, I have heard this comment, in person, more than once in the past 12 months!
As it turns out: Difficult is the best word to describe these past 12-15 months. And, in some ways, the words Peace, Mercy & Grace also come to mind to describe our experiences. While I am saving most of the 'good stuff' for a different type of communication, I can share here some of our challenges, and victories. Difficult to watch first hand as people suffer, and much of the suffering was not by their own decisions, or messes, but by the decisions that other's made concerning their lives. Difficult to move to a new community where you know only 6 people, and only 2 actually live in that community. Difficult to take young people to church, and not get anything out of the service, or be able to contribute to the service because you must be watchful at all moments of these young people. Difficult--no, impossible to make friends, there are few places to connect with other adults in a non-threatening way. OR, perhaps, I had almost concluded that I have come to an age that "I'm too old to make new friends"...and THEN, 'IT' happened. God sent us friends, not many, just two, but they identified with everything we experienced, for their experiences were similar to our own! Friends that would encourage and love us, and we could do the same for them!
As it turns out: We were not that good at house parenting, on many levels, on others, we were excellent. As it turns out, that "job" is 24/7, not complaining, at all, just sharing that fact. Because, we still needed to be parents and grandparents to our own children. Those 'boundaries' were difficult to define, and not 'cross'...for all of us.
As it turns out: We moved to a small apartment 6 weeks before the girls finished their freshman year of high school...to look for jobs. And, in perfect timing...Randy found a job--with the help of people who love us. And, so we, again, are re-locating. And, that is wonderful--because we will only be about 40 minutes from our older kids, and those precious grand babies. God is good. And, He smiles at us and sees us in our messes....I know this first hand, for we have been in so MANY messes!
As it turns out: Randy and I really can cook...we proved that by preparing meals for 10 on a regular basis! We also proved that we do not need near as much 'space' as we once thought! We are living apart for the moment...and that is ONLY because he is already begun his job, and I am awaiting a place for us to live and move 'to'...and this time, while we are apart, I will be attending my summer intensive session in California. My course work this semester is "Counseling the Addicted"...fascinating, but if you hear I am attending AA, it is for class purposes and not because I have taken to drink heavily.
As it turns out: I am finding more and more tidbits that I could share with you that I have learned and observed and experienced in the past 15 months. Suffice it to say: I will put it in some 'form' very soon!
Thanks for reading...and thanks for your constant encouragement!
Have a fabulous June! I know we are!
As it turns out: I am writing a disclaimer right here: I am not re-editing this blog post in order to save time...I will be more judicious about postings and editing later!
As it turns out: Life as we knew it, has once again changed completely! This is somewhat of a trend for our 31 year marriage. A trend that we did not plan--nor anticipate early on--we are beginning to see a our way to a clear destination. You may say, "well, it's about time: Bishop's, you should grow up and be more responsible." Yes, I have heard this comment, in person, more than once in the past 12 months!
As it turns out: Difficult is the best word to describe these past 12-15 months. And, in some ways, the words Peace, Mercy & Grace also come to mind to describe our experiences. While I am saving most of the 'good stuff' for a different type of communication, I can share here some of our challenges, and victories. Difficult to watch first hand as people suffer, and much of the suffering was not by their own decisions, or messes, but by the decisions that other's made concerning their lives. Difficult to move to a new community where you know only 6 people, and only 2 actually live in that community. Difficult to take young people to church, and not get anything out of the service, or be able to contribute to the service because you must be watchful at all moments of these young people. Difficult--no, impossible to make friends, there are few places to connect with other adults in a non-threatening way. OR, perhaps, I had almost concluded that I have come to an age that "I'm too old to make new friends"...and THEN, 'IT' happened. God sent us friends, not many, just two, but they identified with everything we experienced, for their experiences were similar to our own! Friends that would encourage and love us, and we could do the same for them!
As it turns out: We were not that good at house parenting, on many levels, on others, we were excellent. As it turns out, that "job" is 24/7, not complaining, at all, just sharing that fact. Because, we still needed to be parents and grandparents to our own children. Those 'boundaries' were difficult to define, and not 'cross'...for all of us.
As it turns out: We moved to a small apartment 6 weeks before the girls finished their freshman year of high school...to look for jobs. And, in perfect timing...Randy found a job--with the help of people who love us. And, so we, again, are re-locating. And, that is wonderful--because we will only be about 40 minutes from our older kids, and those precious grand babies. God is good. And, He smiles at us and sees us in our messes....I know this first hand, for we have been in so MANY messes!
As it turns out: Randy and I really can cook...we proved that by preparing meals for 10 on a regular basis! We also proved that we do not need near as much 'space' as we once thought! We are living apart for the moment...and that is ONLY because he is already begun his job, and I am awaiting a place for us to live and move 'to'...and this time, while we are apart, I will be attending my summer intensive session in California. My course work this semester is "Counseling the Addicted"...fascinating, but if you hear I am attending AA, it is for class purposes and not because I have taken to drink heavily.
As it turns out: I am finding more and more tidbits that I could share with you that I have learned and observed and experienced in the past 15 months. Suffice it to say: I will put it in some 'form' very soon!
Thanks for reading...and thanks for your constant encouragement!
Have a fabulous June! I know we are!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Creme Horns and Grilled Shrimp....hmmmmmm
"Taste and see that the LORD is good, blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing." Psalm 34:8-9
Yes, taste. That is what we love to do, isn't it? Taste the salty air at the beach...the snow flakes on our tongues in winter. We love to taste the spoon after we've stirred up our sweet tea. And lick the batter bowl when we make a cake or brownies. Tasting is important to us. If it doesn't taste good, we don't want to have anything to do with it. If our food tastes bad to us, we get rid of it. Thankfully a very Wise Creator, the God of the Universe equipped our bodies with tongues that can tell if something tastes good or bad, sweet or salty, hot or cold, sour or not! Our taste buds discern these flavors for us!
How do we "taste and see that the LORD is good"? I think Holy Spirit helps us discern if the good-ness we are seeking or are experiencing is from the LORD. His goodness will line up with what we know about Him from scripture. For example, He sees the beginning and the end...and He knows where our current 'circumstances' fit in that calendar. He is a good God, waiting and more than willing to lavish His grace, mercy and blessing upon us, those He loves!
That is good news. News that can make our sometimes bleak outlook turn around. He is "I AM"...and He deserves and is worthy of our continued praise! As we press in to His identity and character, we realize that tasting Him is tasting His goodness, His provision, His love, His abundance, and His grace--but ultimately, His presence. Nothing compares to that experience. Nothing.
Amazing to me is the fact that the same God that created time and space, cares and knows how many hairs are on my head (and He knows their 'original color'!)--He also blesses us with air to breath, sweet family & friends and wonderful things to place on our taste buds, like creme horns, chocolate kisses or grilled shrimp. He is a good God, and we can know that He can be trusted in our every circumstance.
Randy & I were blessed to have met some new friends last night at dinner. As she and I talked, we discussed the fact that we need to trust in Jesus personally, not our 'religious experience.' She shared with me Bible vereses that ultimately mader her want to trust Him. Consider tasting that experience for yourself, or sharing it with someone who is looking for it.
The verses are found in Philippians 4:6-7, which says: "Do not be anxious for anything, but in everything, by prayer and thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Yes, taste. That is what we love to do, isn't it? Taste the salty air at the beach...the snow flakes on our tongues in winter. We love to taste the spoon after we've stirred up our sweet tea. And lick the batter bowl when we make a cake or brownies. Tasting is important to us. If it doesn't taste good, we don't want to have anything to do with it. If our food tastes bad to us, we get rid of it. Thankfully a very Wise Creator, the God of the Universe equipped our bodies with tongues that can tell if something tastes good or bad, sweet or salty, hot or cold, sour or not! Our taste buds discern these flavors for us!
How do we "taste and see that the LORD is good"? I think Holy Spirit helps us discern if the good-ness we are seeking or are experiencing is from the LORD. His goodness will line up with what we know about Him from scripture. For example, He sees the beginning and the end...and He knows where our current 'circumstances' fit in that calendar. He is a good God, waiting and more than willing to lavish His grace, mercy and blessing upon us, those He loves!
That is good news. News that can make our sometimes bleak outlook turn around. He is "I AM"...and He deserves and is worthy of our continued praise! As we press in to His identity and character, we realize that tasting Him is tasting His goodness, His provision, His love, His abundance, and His grace--but ultimately, His presence. Nothing compares to that experience. Nothing.
Amazing to me is the fact that the same God that created time and space, cares and knows how many hairs are on my head (and He knows their 'original color'!)--He also blesses us with air to breath, sweet family & friends and wonderful things to place on our taste buds, like creme horns, chocolate kisses or grilled shrimp. He is a good God, and we can know that He can be trusted in our every circumstance.
Randy & I were blessed to have met some new friends last night at dinner. As she and I talked, we discussed the fact that we need to trust in Jesus personally, not our 'religious experience.' She shared with me Bible vereses that ultimately mader her want to trust Him. Consider tasting that experience for yourself, or sharing it with someone who is looking for it.
The verses are found in Philippians 4:6-7, which says: "Do not be anxious for anything, but in everything, by prayer and thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Create a Visual...Really?
My intensive class this semester is theology of 'Suffering and Healing'. One of our assignments during the week of class work was to develop a personal loss line. We were urged to pray about
it, meet with God in a quiet place and contemplate our lives, broken in to segments of time. By actually charting ages and losses, with 1 being a ‘mild’ loss (if there is such a thing) and 10
being a ‘deeper’ loss, we graphed our lives and our losses, turning the page in to a simple seismograph. This resulted in a visual tool to use in ministry. It also proved to be an emotional experience. Our culture does not like to talk about our losses...did you ever notice that?
If you know me at all, you know that I firmly believe that we humans must spend the time and
do the work involved in completely grieving our losses. We simply MUST, or it affects everything
about our lives, from our physical to mental well-being. Grief affects our relationship with others, as well as our spiritual life, or our relationship with God. Sometimes, when we grieve, we blame God—resulting in little interest to spend time in His word, or in prayer. When we grieve, we are at our lowest, and that is when our enemy is there, enticing us to believe all kinds of lies. So, guard your heart, be certain you believe truth, and do the work to get through your grief.
With that said, I want to make it clear that (for those who are reading that may not know me
well) that loss and grief are not strange to me. The losses for our family in the year of 2011, were severe and we are still working through—and probably will continue to work through for years to come—the “ripple” effects of being so far away from everything that was familiar to us, in our marriage and family, for the past thirty years. Yes, thirty. For some reason, today, that sounds
completely ancient! And as I write this, it is very clear to me that I would not be able to sit here and write this in my right mind, if Jesus were not King of my Life!
Yes, over the past year, our family has had many moments of giving up the familiar for the
unfamiliar, the comfortable for the uncomfortable, the known for the unknown—many
times unbearable pain and sorrow. However, with each of those moments came an obvious, and sometimes not so obvious, opportunity to feel and experience God’s faithfulness and His
amazing Presence! I praise Him for those moments of ‘question’—because in them, I saw His Hand first hand!
As I contemplated what to write in this blog post, I thought about sharing the major
losses with you. However, I have talked about Macy before…which is, by far, our worst loss…And, since I am now grieving secondary losses from the loss of ‘life as knew it to be’…I’ll save the ‘how I got through it, and what I learned from it’ for a blog post (or even perhaps a
book), far in the future.
Instead, I thought I would share ‘what I’ve learned’ through one constant, yet changing part
of my life. I have been attending church services of some variety since I was born. I thought it would be fun to write about what I have learned from churches that I have attended throughout the years. Yet, before we dive in I should first mention that if I know you from these places, do NOT take anything personally, for what I am saying below is done out of love for the Body of Christ at large, His Bride, the Church. It’s just sometimes, I think there are many things we humans could do to better represent Him in His Body—yet the fun thing about God is that He left
this work to us, as humans, knowing we are weak, and that we are but dust! (according to Psalm 103:14) So, here we go:
First Baptist Church, Eldorado, Illinois…taught me what it means for a church to truly value their children’s department. The teachers I had as a small child, from nursery to beginners to elementary, taught me that God is love, and that they worked very hard to make sure we knew it.
First Church of Christ, Eldorado, Illinois…taught me life skills, how to have a great youth group, and much about commitment to marriage, and to loving God. I also learned about weaknesses in eldership and that no matter what, do not put your preacher on a pedestal, for he will fall off…Also, I learned about valuing the prayers of older generations. Some of the most powerful women I have known in my life, either met OR, continue to meet on Tuesday mornings for ‘Prayer Band.’ The women of that church have always displayed a certain amount of grit
and a great amount of grace, and I have loved them so much for over thirty-five years.
Christian Church of Olney, Olney, Illinois…I learned how to be an adult worshipper of God and how to truly love and trust the people of God. Serving with a glad heart out of our love for God was a key portion of the life lesson I learned here. I also brought five babies home from the hospital, and directly to this church. We were welcomed here from the first moment we walked through the doors as newlyweds. We spent the first twenty years of our marriage serving in this place, mostly in youth related activities…when we left here, I grieved this loss second only to losing our Macy. I write that now, because God has healed my hurts and revealed to me that ‘that loss’ greatly prepared me for the place I now find myself—in terms of severed friendships (which have in the years that have followed by reconciled) and the loneliness that I experienced—these caused me to search out God’s word and rely on His strength to come to my true identity
in HIM! In other words, if I had not experienced this loss, I would not be who I am today, and so I can say with joy in my heart that I am thankful for the experience, for in it, I experienced a faithful, comforting God.
Elm Street Christian Church, Olney, Illinois…Here I learned the difficulty of coming to a new place, and finding my place to serve. By God’s grace, I was given much freedom to do most of the things He led me to do in a pastoral role. I use the term most of the things, because the season of ministry I experienced at this place was truly Spirit-led…and sometimes, because listening to the Spirit was new to me, I didn’t rely on Him to truly work out details, and so I would either shut
myself down, or allow fear to overtake, and not pursue what it was I was being led to do. In this church I was given the opportunity to experience, first-hand the difficulty of ‘women in ministry.’ I have a whole theology about the reason, which will also have to wait to ‘come out’ in book form. But, let me just say that those difficulties help me better minister to women in ministry, if you can grasp that, then my lesson was well-learned…fire and all! Closing the door to my office during May of 2011, for the last time was almost as hard as walking away from the grave after a graveside service. For I knew that the ministry to the women of ESCC would go on, I was just unbearably sad that I would no longer be a ‘part’… and I miss them very much. OOOOOOoooooops…sorry, now I am going in to territory that I promised for another time.
Oasis Church, Loganville, GA…Here I learned how to enjoy, discern and follow messages that were obviously prepared with a passion to be hermeneutically correct in mind! Each week, it was clear what the original intent of the message was, what was going on at that time, to invoke such a message, and what we can do as a current day audience to apply the truth presented that day to our lives. I learned that good worship music is a relative term…and a choir comprised of all kinds of people is an amazing thing! I love going back there…thank goodness sermons that are available online!
RockBridge Church, Dalton, GA…In this place I have learned how to truly attend church and blend in to the wood work. Don’t worry, mom, I still love to serve, it is just that the nature of our ‘job’ affords little opportunity to become involved in serving within the church, itself. The other lesson I am afforded to learn here is how to take (up to 8) teenagers to church each week, teach them that they are to pay attention and respect those around them, for most of those we take have not spent much time in church services in their lives.
To be sure, there are many churches I have attended throughout the years that have done amazing things for me, personally, and for ministries that I am or have been involved in.
Wentzville Christian Church, Wentzville, MO...the ladies from this church took a variety of Macy's clothing and turned them in to a beautiful quilt...out of their love!
Antioch Christian in Odessa, TX....gave housing to our youth group when we passed through there on our way to Mexico to build a house.
To name a couple...
I was able to recently attend a church service where amazing, supernatural things were beginning to happen within the congregation and the preacher was excited about it—yet he was humble enough to remind them that even he didn’t have the answers for what was going on! That’s where I want to live—on the edge of my seat—not being able to understand and explain everything that is going on! For if I can explain it all then I am not trusting Our God—Just look around—for He is Creator of the Universe—Completely Other—Worthy of All Praise!
it, meet with God in a quiet place and contemplate our lives, broken in to segments of time. By actually charting ages and losses, with 1 being a ‘mild’ loss (if there is such a thing) and 10
being a ‘deeper’ loss, we graphed our lives and our losses, turning the page in to a simple seismograph. This resulted in a visual tool to use in ministry. It also proved to be an emotional experience. Our culture does not like to talk about our losses...did you ever notice that?
If you know me at all, you know that I firmly believe that we humans must spend the time and
do the work involved in completely grieving our losses. We simply MUST, or it affects everything
about our lives, from our physical to mental well-being. Grief affects our relationship with others, as well as our spiritual life, or our relationship with God. Sometimes, when we grieve, we blame God—resulting in little interest to spend time in His word, or in prayer. When we grieve, we are at our lowest, and that is when our enemy is there, enticing us to believe all kinds of lies. So, guard your heart, be certain you believe truth, and do the work to get through your grief.
With that said, I want to make it clear that (for those who are reading that may not know me
well) that loss and grief are not strange to me. The losses for our family in the year of 2011, were severe and we are still working through—and probably will continue to work through for years to come—the “ripple” effects of being so far away from everything that was familiar to us, in our marriage and family, for the past thirty years. Yes, thirty. For some reason, today, that sounds
completely ancient! And as I write this, it is very clear to me that I would not be able to sit here and write this in my right mind, if Jesus were not King of my Life!
Yes, over the past year, our family has had many moments of giving up the familiar for the
unfamiliar, the comfortable for the uncomfortable, the known for the unknown—many
times unbearable pain and sorrow. However, with each of those moments came an obvious, and sometimes not so obvious, opportunity to feel and experience God’s faithfulness and His
amazing Presence! I praise Him for those moments of ‘question’—because in them, I saw His Hand first hand!
As I contemplated what to write in this blog post, I thought about sharing the major
losses with you. However, I have talked about Macy before…which is, by far, our worst loss…And, since I am now grieving secondary losses from the loss of ‘life as knew it to be’…I’ll save the ‘how I got through it, and what I learned from it’ for a blog post (or even perhaps a
book), far in the future.
Instead, I thought I would share ‘what I’ve learned’ through one constant, yet changing part
of my life. I have been attending church services of some variety since I was born. I thought it would be fun to write about what I have learned from churches that I have attended throughout the years. Yet, before we dive in I should first mention that if I know you from these places, do NOT take anything personally, for what I am saying below is done out of love for the Body of Christ at large, His Bride, the Church. It’s just sometimes, I think there are many things we humans could do to better represent Him in His Body—yet the fun thing about God is that He left
this work to us, as humans, knowing we are weak, and that we are but dust! (according to Psalm 103:14) So, here we go:
First Baptist Church, Eldorado, Illinois…taught me what it means for a church to truly value their children’s department. The teachers I had as a small child, from nursery to beginners to elementary, taught me that God is love, and that they worked very hard to make sure we knew it.
First Church of Christ, Eldorado, Illinois…taught me life skills, how to have a great youth group, and much about commitment to marriage, and to loving God. I also learned about weaknesses in eldership and that no matter what, do not put your preacher on a pedestal, for he will fall off…Also, I learned about valuing the prayers of older generations. Some of the most powerful women I have known in my life, either met OR, continue to meet on Tuesday mornings for ‘Prayer Band.’ The women of that church have always displayed a certain amount of grit
and a great amount of grace, and I have loved them so much for over thirty-five years.
Christian Church of Olney, Olney, Illinois…I learned how to be an adult worshipper of God and how to truly love and trust the people of God. Serving with a glad heart out of our love for God was a key portion of the life lesson I learned here. I also brought five babies home from the hospital, and directly to this church. We were welcomed here from the first moment we walked through the doors as newlyweds. We spent the first twenty years of our marriage serving in this place, mostly in youth related activities…when we left here, I grieved this loss second only to losing our Macy. I write that now, because God has healed my hurts and revealed to me that ‘that loss’ greatly prepared me for the place I now find myself—in terms of severed friendships (which have in the years that have followed by reconciled) and the loneliness that I experienced—these caused me to search out God’s word and rely on His strength to come to my true identity
in HIM! In other words, if I had not experienced this loss, I would not be who I am today, and so I can say with joy in my heart that I am thankful for the experience, for in it, I experienced a faithful, comforting God.
Elm Street Christian Church, Olney, Illinois…Here I learned the difficulty of coming to a new place, and finding my place to serve. By God’s grace, I was given much freedom to do most of the things He led me to do in a pastoral role. I use the term most of the things, because the season of ministry I experienced at this place was truly Spirit-led…and sometimes, because listening to the Spirit was new to me, I didn’t rely on Him to truly work out details, and so I would either shut
myself down, or allow fear to overtake, and not pursue what it was I was being led to do. In this church I was given the opportunity to experience, first-hand the difficulty of ‘women in ministry.’ I have a whole theology about the reason, which will also have to wait to ‘come out’ in book form. But, let me just say that those difficulties help me better minister to women in ministry, if you can grasp that, then my lesson was well-learned…fire and all! Closing the door to my office during May of 2011, for the last time was almost as hard as walking away from the grave after a graveside service. For I knew that the ministry to the women of ESCC would go on, I was just unbearably sad that I would no longer be a ‘part’… and I miss them very much. OOOOOOoooooops…sorry, now I am going in to territory that I promised for another time.
Oasis Church, Loganville, GA…Here I learned how to enjoy, discern and follow messages that were obviously prepared with a passion to be hermeneutically correct in mind! Each week, it was clear what the original intent of the message was, what was going on at that time, to invoke such a message, and what we can do as a current day audience to apply the truth presented that day to our lives. I learned that good worship music is a relative term…and a choir comprised of all kinds of people is an amazing thing! I love going back there…thank goodness sermons that are available online!
RockBridge Church, Dalton, GA…In this place I have learned how to truly attend church and blend in to the wood work. Don’t worry, mom, I still love to serve, it is just that the nature of our ‘job’ affords little opportunity to become involved in serving within the church, itself. The other lesson I am afforded to learn here is how to take (up to 8) teenagers to church each week, teach them that they are to pay attention and respect those around them, for most of those we take have not spent much time in church services in their lives.
To be sure, there are many churches I have attended throughout the years that have done amazing things for me, personally, and for ministries that I am or have been involved in.
Wentzville Christian Church, Wentzville, MO...the ladies from this church took a variety of Macy's clothing and turned them in to a beautiful quilt...out of their love!
Antioch Christian in Odessa, TX....gave housing to our youth group when we passed through there on our way to Mexico to build a house.
To name a couple...
I was able to recently attend a church service where amazing, supernatural things were beginning to happen within the congregation and the preacher was excited about it—yet he was humble enough to remind them that even he didn’t have the answers for what was going on! That’s where I want to live—on the edge of my seat—not being able to understand and explain everything that is going on! For if I can explain it all then I am not trusting Our God—Just look around—for He is Creator of the Universe—Completely Other—Worthy of All Praise!
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