Our Generation

The Secret.

2009-06-03T11:15:00.005-11:00

The other morning, I was reading through Elisabeth Elliot's devotional book, "Keep A Quiet Heart" and this quote jumped out at me:

“God came down and lived in this same world as a man. He showed us how to live in this world, subject to its vicissitudes and necessities, that we might be changed----not into an angel or a storybook princess, not wafted into another world. The secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances.”

And again, I realized: Anything good that comes out of our lives is because of Him and Him alone. Not us. Or even us in changed circumstances! Jesus Christ set an example when he walked this earth as a man, but we can only perservere with the strength and guidance He lends us each new day.

And for that, I am truly grateful!

Filled.

2009-05-12T05:29:00.005-11:00

“So that’s why I felt so dry!”

I’m training to become a volunteer client advocate at our local pregnancy center. Last night, when I attended the first session, I was fully prepared to hear statistics on abortion, learn proper counseling approaches and techniques, and be given specific case-by-case scenarios to work through.

Nothing of the sort. Not yet.

I was rather humbled.

Instead, we discussed how to prepare our own hearts in order to more effectively reach the hearts of our clients. The example was given of a large, glass pitcher, sitting on a shelf, smudged with dirt and grime, filled with junk and cobwebs. No one could use the pitcher without doing some major scrubbing out and filling first!

Once all the junk was scrubbed and scraped and rinsed out of the pitcher, it was shiny and clean....but it was still empty! You can only go for so long on empty! God works despite us—whether we allowed ourselves to be filled or not—but in order to be the most effective minister, we need to be asking Him to clean and fill us every single day, instead of giving leftovers to our clients—all the stale and stagnant things saved up from yesterday.

When we take that time to sit at His feet, to delight in His Word, and grow in the wisdom and knowledge of Him, we won’t just be filled. We will be spilling over onto everyone we come in contact with!

Morning Prayer.

2009-04-19T15:16:00.005-11:00

I collect prayers. Especially ones like this. It is one my favorites: a prayer for every morning.

"Almighty God, we bless and praise Thee that we have wakened to the light of another earthly day; and now we will think of what a day should be. Our days are Thine, let them be spent for Thee. Our days are few; let them be spent with care.

"There are dark days behind us: forgive their sinfulness. There
may be dark days before us: strengthen us for their trials. We pray Thee
to shine on us this day -- the day which we may call our own.

"Lord, we go to our daily work; help us to be faithful in doing
it. Let all we do be well done, fit for Thine eye to see. Give us
strength to do, patience to bear; let our courage never fail.

"When we cannot love our work, let us think of it as Thy task and by our
true love to Thee, make unlovely things shine in the light of Thy great
love.

"Amen. "

-George Dawson (1821-1876)-

Clutter.

2009-04-10T07:39:00.008-11:00

It’s amazing how complicated our lives have become, all in the name of simplicity.

So, you want to have a quiet time. Walk into any Christian bookstore or gift shop and you will find yourself instantly inundated with a million devices to help you jump-start or enhance your personal time with the Lord.

Electronic hand-held Bibles, anyone? Perfect for Bible-reading on-the-go. (Work-bound fathers, stuck in post-Starbucks-run, mid-rush-hour-traffic come to mind here.) Or better yet, ditch the handheld Bible—how about a Biblezine? Perfect for teens, a Biblezine is complete with topical articles, all “relevant” to today’s culture (as well as full-color illustrations, quizzes, tips, and lifestyle features appealing directly to the age group specified on the top right-hand of the cover).

But, if the “Bible magazine” look is a little beyond the realm of your appreciation, why not try a “Clearly-U” Bible? Because, guess what? You get to choose the cover from a variety of innovative, chic designs! Kids, especially, will love it.

Moving on. Devotional books, everyone? And I do mean everyone. Here we have devotionals and study books for the unmarried, the newly married, the “I’m-tired-of-being-married”, and the “I-don’t-intend-to-marry”. How about for expectant mothers? Frustrated mothers? Single mothers? Dieting mothers? Teenage mothers? Mothers of teenagers? Don’t forget the devotional books for pet-lovers, sports-lovers, gardeners and graduates!

And in case you’re feeling a little lost after 40 purposeful days, you may want to reinforce your spiritual stability with a book on how to reclaim your best life at the time when you want it most (no personal axe to grind here, of course). Or, better yet: how to make Jabez’s age-old prayer ‘fresh’ in your life again.

I digress.

The point is, we have too many choices. What was once offered in the name of simplicity, is now threatening to steal that very gift from us.

The other day, I sat down to read my Bible and in passing, thought how nice it would be to have a One-Year Bible that laid out my reading plan for me. Then, I wondered whether there was one published in my favorite translation. I vaguely speculated on the design of the book—whether it was aesthetically pleasing and whether or not the typesetting would be easy on the eyes. Would there be a study guide? Maybe one for single girls like me? Single girls who—

I stopped short.

My quiet time, in its truest, barest, most honest form, is this:

God. His Word. Myself.

Nothing more.

The extras are helpful (because of course there are some incredible resources available today which should not be discounted by any means) but they are not an end in themselves.

Quiet time begins and ends with the relationship: and until we have that established, no amount of consumer appeal, dressing up the Gospel, fancy gadgets, or relevancy is going to make it any better, easier, or pretty.

So. Is God’s Word for every Christian? Can we understand it in all of its glorious depth and richness? Do we truly need relevancy and fresh perspectives in order to seek and understand His will in our lives?

Those who ask will have it given to them. Those who seek will also find. And to those who knock, the door will be opened to them. Then we can truly echo the Psalmist when he says,

“O, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day!”

God. His Word. Myself.

Here. Eternity.

Simple, really.

Rainfall.

2009-04-01T09:04:00.005-11:00

It’s been a while since I’ve done any real blogging. And I’m not sure why. Compared to this time last year, I’ve certainly journaled more than ever.

I’m sitting by the window, looking out across the meadow as I type this. Yesterday was sunny and warm around the edges, but today is overcast and drizzly. And still, it’s all so beautiful. So big, so open. So wet.

Leaves are beginning to show. If I squint carefully at the bare trees in the far, far distance, I can see a distinctly greenish haze around them. And soon, the flowers will bloom.

I love to walk through the rain with my head tilted up towards the sky. There’s something about staring into an incomprehensibly deep sky (whether it’s blue or black or white or grey) and feeling the rain fall across your face. It doesn’t have to be warm and gentle. Not always.

Rain is magnificent. It’s rushing and sweeping and blinding and cooling and cleansing and altogether wonderful. I want to run through it. I want it to clean the world and usher in all the changes that are waiting just around the corner. I want to imprint it all into my memory. I want it to fall and keep falling until everything is green and bright again.

Dear Today,

You are beautiful.
The Lord made you;
I will rejoice and be glad!

Love, Jenn

Steve Pruitt: Living Your Worship

2009-03-05T07:38:00.010-11:00

Author, worship leader, and pastor, Steve Pruitt has been ministering in congregational, small group and conference settings since 1982. His three books are available for download on his co-founded website: Just Worship. To learn more about Steve’s ministry, please visit his personal website.

JENN: You’ve written a book called, “The Ingredients of Worship”. What is unique about your view of worship?

PRUITT: Well, I don’t know how unique my view is, but my goal for the book was to use some personal experiences as well as a good biblical foundation to convey the message that worship is much more than what takes place on Sunday morning, Wednesday evening or whenever believers choose to gather.

Activity does not constitute worship. On the other hand, worship is expressed through activity. The activities of church become worship only when one’s life has been totally consecrated to God. We exist for God. No amount of outward expression – be it singing, clapping, shouting, preaching, feeding the hungry or cleaning the sanctuary – can add up to a demonstration of worship if our lives are more consumed with us than with him. He must be our one true passion.

My view of worship is that it begins before the music starts or the preacher preaches. It begins with a daily intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. He must be the first love of our life and doing his will must the priority of our life. Love is the fuel of true worship and obedience is the gauge by which love is measured.

JENN: You’ve said that worship is a way of life, not just an emotional experience. Most people seem to consider worship mainly as an emotional experience. What is the Biblical support for your definition of worship?

PRUITT: First, let me say that the root of worship is grounded in emotion; love. You cannot read through the scriptures, especially the Psalms, and draw the conclusion that worship is emotionless. Emotions are part of our make-up as created beings. However, mere emotional expressions do not constitute true worship.

Paul wrote in Romans 12:1; "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." (NKJV) So, our reasonable act of service (which can be translated worship) is to present our bodies to God, one, a living sacrifice, two, holy and three, acceptable. Paul went on to say, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2)

True worshipers desire to be conformed into the image of Christ and to see the fruit of the Holy Spirit produced in their life. Apart from this desire a person can express a wide range of emotions or have a deep emotional experience without having worshipped.

JENN: You’ve said the Holy Spirit is the one who directs us in worship. Can you explain this?

PRUITT: I believe the Holy Spirit directs us in worship in two ways; inwardly and outwardly. First, he produces the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. As we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives by convicting us of sin and leading us into all truth, we mature as believers and become Christ-like. The Holy Spirit helps us to understand the will of God and gives us the necessary unction to be obedient to his word. Outward expressions of worship are validated by our willingness to submit to the inward work of the Holy Spirit.

Secondly, I believe that much of what takes place during worship services on Sunday mornings is geared more toward man than toward God. More often than not our programs get in the way of what God really wants to do among us. We are guilty of not allowing the Holy Spirit opportunity to express the heart of the Father.

The Holy Spirit knows the heart of the Father and how the Father desires to be worshiped. We should always be willing to lay aside our agendas in lieu of the Father’s. The Holy Spirit can help us to do that.

This interview was originally published in the February 2008 issue of TIYLmagazine ©.

Peace.

2009-02-06T18:18:00.000-11:00

Moments of silence. Of being still. Of knowing. Knowing that He is God. And that He alone can sustain us. It is only by hoping in Him and trusting that His will is perfect that we can have true peace.

It's a promise. And one that I'm clinging to with both hands. Life can be uncertain at times, but the Lord has promised good to us. We already know the end of the story! Trials can come - persecution can come (and for many of us, it has!) - we can feel hopeless and abandoned and rejected and passed by. But He. Is. Faithful.

When we lay down and sleep...we awake because the LORD sustains us! And for no other reason. The One who first created us, still keeps us alive.

And He will see us through.

Psalm 55:22 - "Cast your cares on the Lord - He will sustain you - and will never let the righteous fall..."

2 Corinthians 4:7-12 - " But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you."

The Man I Prayed For

2009-01-23T19:30:00.000-11:00

This poem by Ruth Bell Graham is so close to my heart! I memorized it several years ago after listening to a lecture by Robin Jones Gunn (she quoted the whole thing and I scribbled it down on a scrap of paper as she talked!). It's one of those perfect, once-in-a-lifetime expressions of the heart. I couldn't have said it better if I tried!

Dear God, I prayed, all unafraid
(as we're inclined to do)
I do not need a handsome man
Oh...but let him be like You!

I do not need one big and strong
nor yet so very tall,
Nor need he be some genius
Or wealthy, Lord, at all;

But let his head be high, dear God,
and let his eye be clear,
His shoulders straight, whate'er his state,
Whate'er his earthly sphere.

And let his face have character,
A ruggedness of soul,
And let his whole life show, dear God,
A singleness of goal!

Then when he comes (as he will come)
with quiet eyes aglow,
I'll understand that he's the man
I prayed for long ago!

Free Music?

2009-01-13T06:17:00.000-11:00

-- You Don’t Need a Patch to be a Pirate --

It’s one of those issues we don’t like to think about. It’s not like we’re walking into a store and taking something off the shelf without paying for it. It’s only one mouse click away – and we’re not even leaving the comfort of our home to do it. Plus, it’s usually Christian music. That has to make a difference, right?

Justin Daniels certainly thought so. “I mean, I was downloading and burning like ten or twelve songs a week at one point to give to some of my unsaved friends. One of the guys liked the Christian music so much that he quit listening to his secular stuff. Seriously, if I’d had to buy all those CDs to give my friend, I could have easily spent a couple hundred dollars. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal.”

Imagine his surprise when his youth pastor called it a sin to download songs from file-sharing sites. “I mean, I went home feeling so guilty,” Justin admitted. “Here I’d turned my friends onto some great Christian music, but I’d done it by stealing from the artists that made the music!”

So what did Justin do about it? Something many of us would probably never have the guts to do. He purchased some compilation CDs that showcased some of his favorite songs and artists and gave them to his friends – along with an apology. “They looked at me a little funny,” he confessed, “but I really think they had more respect for me as a fellow Christian when I explained why I was doing it.”

Justin is not alone. He is one of millions of other Christian teens who download songs illegally on a regular basis. According to a survey done by the Los Angeles Times, Christian teens are just as active in stealing and swapping music as their secular peers. Justin says he had always assumed artists were making hundreds of thousands of dollars anyway and he didn’t think it would make any difference if he downloaded a couple of their songs because “it wasn’t like they were going to lose money over it or something”.

Christian writer and musician, Mark Pettigrew says, “People who rip musicians off often justify their theft by saying that the musicians are already filthy rich anyway. That just shows their ignorance and the need to more effectively educate non-musicians about the realities of the music business. Yes, there are a few musicians who are extremely wealthy, but for every musician in that category, there are thousands of musicians, maybe even tens of thousands, who are forced to work at day jobs for which they are poorly suited because they cannot make a living doing what they love to do the most.“

Besides, even if it were true that all musicians were rich and that stealing from musicians made no appreciable difference [in record sales], the bottom line is still that stealing is stealing. There's nothing in the Ten Commandments to suggest that there's an exemption from the command "Thou Shalt Not Steal" in cases where one's victims are rich: Bill Gates is one of the richest men in the world. He probably makes more money in one hour than I make in one year. But it would still be wrong for me to steal from him.”

There is also a very practical side to this issue. As Christian singing group ZOEgirl put it, "The availability of copying, uploading, and downloading CDs has severely affected the funds that are available to record, market and package the music we now make. People need to be educated on the fact that if piracy continues at the current rate, very soon there will simply not be the amazing music that is out there now."

Pettigrew continues, “When a musician asks for remuneration or requires it, he or she is not "charging people for the gospel" [as some seem to think]. He or she is charging money in order to recoup the costs of all the expensive music equipment people have come to expect during such performances. He or she is receiving reimbursement for the countless hours of unpaid hard work and practice which enable that musician to do what he or she does.”

Los Angeles Times columnist, Geoff Boucher reports, “In a Times entertainment poll this summer, teens were asked about downloading songs from an unauthorized file-sharing network. Among those who identified themselves as religious (of any faith), 63% said they would never do it. Among teens who did not describe themselves as religious, it was a similar proportion at 61%.”

“It’s sad to me that we’re not being the City on a Hill we were called to be. What kind of example is that anyway?” 16-year-old Sarah Clark asked in an online survey. “They think it’s somehow okay because it’s Christian music or because they’re giving good music to their unsaved friends---”

Which was Justin’s excuse exactly. “In my mind, it was like, ‘It’s Christian music anyway, and it made my friend quit listening to the secular stuff.’ It wasn’t just like I was giving away Christian music to unsaved friends and it was just sitting there. It was like, I gave this music to my friend and he completely quit listening to secular music because of it. I wasn’t just hoping for good results – I was getting them. But the fact that some good came out of it still can’t detract from the fact that I was stealing and that it was wrong.”

But does it feel like stealing? That does seem to be the question. For some reason, teens have a hard time making the issue of music piracy a moral issue – especially because the music is right there: it’s easily accessible, and... everybody else is doing it.“I have to admit, sometimes it’s really hard to buy songs off of iTunes when I know some friends who just downloaded the same song from Limewire for free or something,” Justin confesses. “And when I confront them about it, they always seem to have an armload of excuses about why it’s okay – it’s just crazy.”

23-year-old Nathan elaborated, “I've heard so many excuses from Christians saying why it's okay for them to download music online. Honestly, it doesn't matter whether you’re doing it to help a friend or if you wouldn't buy the CD anyway. And it doesn’t matter if you were thinking about buying the CD, but weren't sure, or if you downloaded the songs because you didn't have the money to buy them. Would you steal from a normal store for those reasons? There's no difference. It seems different because it's in the privacy of your home and because so many other people are doing it but the fact is -- between you and God -- it's wrong.”

“But sometimes it’s just plain hard to do the right thing,” Justin adds.

However, the fact still remains: as Christians we are called to live lives that are holy and blameless before God—and men. If it can start out with something as simple as paying for your music instead of just taking it, it’s still a baby step in the right direction.But baby-stepping is not always an easy task. “What difference is it going to make anyway?” we ask. I’m not sure. But, beyond the scope of making a difference, we will still be called to give an answer for the things we’ve done. If we want to be faithful in the big things, we need to be faithful in the small things too. Even if it means a few extra dollars spent.

So, the next time you’re online, consider stopping by iTunes or Napster and glancing through their music. Or, if you’re not able to spend the money, maybe you could stop by the MySpace pages of some of your favorite artists: they always give a great preview of their music – and it doesn’t cost anything just to listen. And, in the meantime, maybe you could also encourage your friends to think through the issue of music piracy.

Justin concludes, “It’s a lot of stuff to work through and conviction doesn’t always come overnight, but if we are true followers of Christ, we need to listen to His Spirit’s leading and do what we know is right – whether someone’s watching us or not.”

My thoughts exactly.

Faithfully

2009-01-11T16:32:00.000-11:00

This song by Eric and Leslie Ludy has been so special to me over the past two years. This is my prayer! I want to be found faithful and deserving of the man who some day captures my heart!

Tonight I saw a shooting star

Made me wonder where you are

For years I have been dreaming of you

And I wonder if you're thinking of me too

In this world of cheap romance

And love that only fades after the test.

They say that I'm a fool to wait for something more

How can I really love someone I've never seen before?

But I have longed for true love every day that I have lived

And I know real love is all about learning how to give

So I pray that God will bring you to me

And I pray you'll find me waiting faithfully

Faithfully, I am yours

From now until forever

Faithfully, I will write

Write you a love song with my life

'Cause this kind of love's worth waiting for

No matter how long it takes

I am yours

Faithfully

Tonight I saw two lovers kiss

Reminded me of my own loneliness

They say that I'm a fool to keep on praying for you

How's can I give up pleasure for a dream that won't come true

But I will keep believing that God still has a plan

And though I cannot see you now, I know that He can

And someday I will give you all of me

Until I find you, I'll be waiting faithfully

Christians...Actors?!

2008-12-29T04:53:00.000-11:00

Question: “I was wondering, is drama okay for a Christian? That is, can a Christian be an actor?”

Answer: Thank you so much for your question! You were wondering if it was all right for a Christian to participate in drama, or work as an actor. The answer is yes! Definitely! BUT (and I guess there always has to be one of those!), there are some certain standards we, as Christians, must uphold.

First of all, we are commanded to be IN the world, but not OF the world (John 15:19, John 17:14-16). 1 John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

As Christians, there are certain lines we can never cross. God’s Spirit cannot coexist alongside sin, so if we are introducing sin into our hearts and lives, and the Spirit of Christ is living in us, we are going to feel that inner tension of our consciences kicking in and rebuking us. We will feel guilt like no tomorrow if we are truly listening to the Spirit’s prompting about these issues. And on that note, when we accept Christ into our hearts, He gives us His Spirit to live in us and work through us as we grow in Him. He also gives us a conscience. This gift of conscience is a very important, very wonderful gift! But we need to maintain it carefully. If we begin to lower our standards of what is or is not acceptable to watch or participate in, our conscience begins to get numbed. And ultimately, if we ignore our consciences, eventually they will really numb down and we will grow more comfortable with sin and evil every day.

Did you know that if you place a frog in a saucepan of water and leave it to boil, the water will grow hotter and hotter, but the frog won’t try to jump out? The water temperature rises so gradually that the frog doesn’t notice a thing until it is too late. This ‘frog in hot water’ analogy can be applied to our consciences. The more we ‘steep’ ourselves in the things our conscience rebukes us about, the more tolerant we eventually become of evil. So, when the moral danger level is high, we don’t even notice because we’ve become so accepting of sinfulness!

However, if you listen to the prompting of the Spirit from the beginning, your conscience is strengthened. Thessalonians 5:19 says, “Do not quench the Spirit,” or (in other translations), “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.” When you repeatedly ignore your conscience, you are putting out the Spirit’s fire.

This does not necessarily keep us from participating in drama or working as an actor, however. With movies (or the occupation of acting) there are some questions you must ask yourself... are these scenes you’re participating in honoring to God? Or are they violent or full of foul language and sensual images? What attitude or worldview does it portray? It’s not so much that the ‘act’ of acting that is objectionable, but rather the fact that so many movies and shows premiering these days are full of things that would probably fall under this admonition from Romans 16:19b: “Be innocent about what is evil.”

The more we give in, the more it all becomes a slippery slope – one that is best avoided at all costs. We want to cringe when evil things are before our eyes, not become slowly insensitive to all of it. We are called to live a life separate of all these things that lead to hate, rebellion, lasciviousness, vulgarity, and other sinful patterns.

There is a verse in 1 Corinthians 6:19 that says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” That can give aspiring actors something to think about. Our bodies are wonderful gifts from God. But that’s the bottom line. They belong to Him. They’re just given to us on a loan. So, by all means we must honor God with our bodies like 1 Corinthians says! Not just because it’s commanded for us as Christians, but because we love the Lord and want to please Him with our lives. In every area.

Above all, just remember that we are called to represent Christ. We obey His commands as an overflow of our love for Him. Bottom line.

Thanks again for your question -- may God bless you as you seek to follow Him!!

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

Hurry Up and Slow Down!

2008-12-27T07:48:00.000-11:00

Christmas Eve - 2008

Happy Christmas Eve to everyone! I was thinking how ironic it is that we spend so much time looking forward to Christmas, and then it goes by so fast! The ‘Countdown to Christmas’ begins unseasonably early every year, too. (Decorations in October? Even before Halloween?!)

And then...the big day arrives, and after the buzz and excitement of opening gifts is past, we’re thinking of our travel back home or the wrapping paper that needs to be discarded of somehow, or about New Year’s and our resolutions and whether or not we’ll be able to keep them. We’re always living with our minds set on the future! (Sometimes even trying to live IN the future!) Isn’t that kind of ironic? No matter what we’ve looked forward to, when we’re there, we’re thinking about the next thing!

In October, we got the chance to see Sarah Palin speak at a campaign rally. It was something we’d really anticipated, and we stood pressed up again the platform for close to three hours (or was it more?), waiting for her to come out. Then, when she finally did, I found myself wondering how long her speech would last, how long it would take us to find our way out of the crowded arena, if we could find our vehicle once we did, how long it would take to get out of traffic, if we could find a place to get something to eat on the trip home, and what time we would end up getting to bed that night. (And not because I have ADHD either! I don’t!)

It just truly amazes me how we are rarely ‘in’ the present. So many things I’ve not enjoyed, simply because I was already dreaming about what came next. On my daily schedule, I printed out Matthew 6:34 that says, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself!” I’ve learned that even if we’re not wringing our hands and worrying about tomorrow, per se...it still is lessening our enthusiasm and effectiveness for TODAY because we’re dwelling on the next thing TOO much. We don’t need to worry about it! Any of these things! ...“About what you will eat or drink, or what you will put on for clothes”... When we refuse to be in the present, we end up being pretty ineffective in the future too.

Why can’t we slow down enough to enjoy the present...to its fullest? I wonder what our lives would be like if we did. Maybe there’s a way I can find out! Maybe I’ll try it this Christmas. Oh wait...that’s not until tomorrow, is it! :-)

Exceptional in the Ordinary

2008-12-26T05:59:00.000-11:00

Someone recently sent me this quote by Oswald Chambers. And I think it is something we all need to reflect on more than we do! Every day, every minute, we rely on the 'supernatural grace of God' to accept the 'drudgery' of being a disciple (yes, drudgery!). Think about it. Not every Christian is called to outwardly exceptional things...but we are called to be exceptional in the ordinary things. But how often do we really see it that way?

“Impulse is a trait in natural life, but Our Lord always ignores it, because it hinders the development of the life of a disciple. Watch how the Spirit of God checks impulse, His checks bring a rush of self-conscious foolishness which makes us instantly want to vindicate ourselves. Impulse is all right in a child, but it is disastrous in a man or woman; an impulsive man is always a petted man. Impulse has to be trained into intuition by discipline.

“Discipleship is built entirely on the supernatural grace of God. Walking on the water is easy to impulsive pluck, but walking on dry land as a disciple of Jesus Christ is a different thing. Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus, but he followed Him afar off on the land. We do not need the grace of God to stand crises: human nature and pride are sufficient, we can face the strain magnificently; but it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours in every day as a saint, to go through drudgery as a disciple, to live an ordinary, unobserved, ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus. It is inbred in us that we have to do exceptional things for God; but we have not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things, to be holy in mean streets, among mean people, and this is not learned in five minutes.”

What Kind of Friend Are You?

2008-10-20T13:09:00.000-11:00

"Friendship can take different turns--it can run like a river, quietly and sustainingly through life; it can erupt like a geyser, forcefully, and intermittently at times; or it can explode like a meteor, altering the atmosphere so that nothing ever looks, feels, or functions the same again."

--Ansel Adams (1902-1984)--

Jeromy & Jennifer are Coming Home

2008-10-09T06:17:00.000-11:00

When you listen to an album, sometimes the words sound great, but the artist just lacks the conviction or experience to make it sound heart-genuine. Not so with Jeromy & Jennifer’s new album, Coming Home. And it’s not just an album. It’s a journey. A journey from suffering to faith. From intense questioning to endurance and trust.

Jeromy & Jennifer have been through a lot over the past two years. From living in Africa for several months, to the birth of a new baby, an MS diagnosis and the disbanding of FFH, they’ve run the gamut of suffering, trust, and God’s enduring faithfulness. Life is different for them now. But, more importantly, they’re different. They’ve grown, they’ve learned, they’ve dealt with the hard issues and found peace in the midst of pain.

Coming Home doesn’t deal tritely with the object of suffering either. From the first verse of “Where Do I Go From Here”, “You brought me this far/Was it only to see me beg?/Was it only to get me to my knees/and then walk away?” to the chorus of “What it Feels Like”, which says, “This may not be the road I would choose for me/But it still feels right somehow/And I have never felt you as close to me/As I do right now/So this is what it feels like to be led”, this album gets right down to the tough issues with gut-level honesty. But it also never hides the theme of God’s faithfulness and grace through it all.

The star of the entire album, however, is probably the title track, “I’m Coming Home”. It has a folksy sound to it, and a great hook—all carried off Jennifer’s hallmark vocals. The lyrics go from frustration with the pointless competition and approval-seeking in the ‘System’, to a longing for something different and the relief of finally stepping back to see it all for what it is— ultimately realizing that ‘Home’ is a better place to be – at the feet of the Father, “Where I hear ‘Child, you are loved’/And I hear ‘Child, you are forgiven’/I hear ‘Child, I am so proud of what you’ve become’.”...

Through these various life experiences and the album that came out of it all, I think Jeromy & Jennifer truly have found Home. And I know they’re more than welcome there.

_____________
Songs of particular note:
I’m Coming Home
What it Feels Like (to be Led)
Stop the Bleeding
Where Do I Go From Here

Available on iTunes or at www.JeromyandJennifer.com

"I'm not God, I'm a Girl"

2008-10-03T12:12:00.000-11:00

All Right Here
Sara Groves

It's every loss and every love
It's every blessing from above
Here I am, all added up
Oh, it's all right here

It's what I know, and what I'm guessing
Half truths, and full confessions
It's why I choose to learn my lessons
Oh, it's all right here

And I'm not God, I'm a girl - I confess
That I don't have a sea of forgetfulness
No, it's all right here
It makes me stronger, it makes me wince
Makes me think twice when I pick my friends
Oh, it's all right here
It's all right here

It's caution and curiosity
And it's all the things I never see
Welling up inside of me
Oh, it's all right here

It's what is best, and what is worse
It's how I see the universe
It's in every line and every verse
Oh, it's all right here

Every heart has so much history
It's my favorite place to start
Sit down a while and share your narative with me
I'm not afraid of who you are

I'm all here, and you're all there
Some of this is unique, and some of it we share
Add it up and start from there
Well, it's all right here

Kabobs, Anyone?

2008-10-01T05:19:00.000-11:00

It was one of those afternoons you’re not sure are ever going to end. Or forget. There I stood by the table, a big bowl of raw, cubed chicken on one side, a bowl of chunked pineapple on the other, helping some of our small campers make kabobs. Maraschino cherry juice was running down both of my arms onto my elbows and my gloved fingers were sweating into the latex. It was almost 100 degrees in the house and yet we were packed shoulder to shoulder around the small table, so close that more than one person at the table was getting prodded with kabob sticks.

Welcome to day camp in Philly! We had 15 girls that week – every morning we picked them up and brought them to the Bible Clubhouse for a long, hot day packed with every activity imaginable. One day it was a trip to the city pool, then a picnic lunch on the bleachers nearby. Another day it was a cross-meadow tour of a historical site through tall, tick-infested grass. A hike through a shady spot of woods. A special trip out for ice cream cones. A day spent reading one-on-one by a river (never mind the rain!).

But now, the kabobs were being made for our end-of-the-week luau celebration at the Clubhouse. Part of the day’s activities included cooking and decorating for the dinner. Then, the girls were allowed to invite their moms to come eat with them so afterwards they could be treated to a performance of the songs and verses each girl memorized that week at camp. This was supposed to be followed by the awards ceremony.

Only one minor glitch. None of the moms showed up. Not even one. So after a few hurried phone calls, a few ladies who volunteered for the umbrella ministry offered to come to be ‘moms’ for the evening. My heart hurt so badly for those girls that night.

Thinking back on it now, I remember a good half an hour I spent on my hands and knees under that table before the luau, with a bottle of disinfectant spray and a pile of rags, trying to get raw chicken and sticky, pink fruit juice off the wood floor. I didn’t think I would ever get that place clean! I remember also thinking that if I didn’t get the table surface completely disinfected from the raw chicken, everyone was going to die from salmonella. It strikes me as ironic in retrospect that, as I worried about the girls getting food poisoning, I should have found a little helper somewhere and spent some quality time together with her as I cleaned.

Some things, I guess, are only learned in retrospect. I wonder what the girls remember from that night.

Creation's Applause

2008-03-24T14:56:00.000-11:00

It was windy today. It was supposed to be 70 degrees, but you know how it is when there’s a strong wind...it always feels several degrees colder. I washed my hair in the morning, then took a brisk walk down the lane... the wind snatched onto every bit of my hair and threw it over my face and around my shoulders as I walked. It was a beautiful feeling! I could throw my head back and see the endless blue sky through cracks in the overhanging tree branches. The branches formed a kind of arch over the lane and the brittle limbs were all rattling and rustling in the breeze as I passed underneath. When I thought about it, it sounded like a whole arena of people clapping. That’s it, I thought, God’s creations are applauding Him! He’s told us that if no one else praises Him, even the rocks will cry out in adoration – so why couldn’t the trees be clapping for their Creator?

The Lord is evident in all of Creation. The Psalms tell us, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament shows His handiwork”... He has painted evidence of His love and power and infinite wisdom into every blade of grass, every upturned flower bud, every wispy white cloud. I can hardly comprehend it, yet it’s right there before my eyes: endless rolling meadows, hazy purple mountains, and towering green trees, all pointing upwards into the incomprehensible blue sky.

It’s more than I can fathom. But if I could fathom it, it would steal this wonder I feel – and how could I bear to lose that!

For the Dreamers

2008-03-03T10:20:00.000-11:00

I love to daydream and I’ll admit it’s a pleasant diversion from reality, but sometimes I get so set on a dream that when it slips away, I fail to see it was only a castle in the sky—a mere desire—and not a true conjecture of the future. Have you been there too?

In her book, A Path Through Suffering, Elisabeth Elliot gives her famous ‘open hands’ illustration, saying that open hands demonstrate the posture of surrender – a willingness to hand over what God wants to take and a willingness to receive whatever he chooses to place back in them. Clenched fists, closed tightly over our precious, hoarded dreams, don’t demonstrate an attitude of open surrender! I think we set too much store in our dreams. A good majority of us probably even cry when our treasured dreams turn to nightmares and slide out of our grasp. I know I certainly have!

Lately I’ve been taking even more comfort in the power of prayer and its gradual effect on my way of thinking. There was one dream in particular that I’d been treasuring for many months. At least once a day and sometimes more often, I would present my dream to the Lord and ask Him to reveal my motives for wanting it—then, I asked Him to close the doors that needed to be closed and only open the ones He wanted me to walk through. Lastly, I begged for the ultimate decision to be clear and easy. Every day, I dragged this burden to the throne of grace, until I got a long-awaited phone call. Let me say, I have never heard a door slam so loudly—I almost jumped! And not only did the door slam, the key turned decisively in the lock. Don’t you love those clear paths?!

I’ll admit I cried. I walked blindly through my room, seeing nothing, only saying “thank you, Lord” because I got exactly what I asked for—an easy decision. The sorrow wasn’t any less, but the length of mourning definitely was! Sorrow can’t last if we pray “Thy will be done” and really mean it. That simple prayer may not change our desires right away, but it will definitely adjust our outlook on the situation and ease the pain of the ‘acceptance stage’.

So, fellow dreamers, dream on and relish the pleasure, but remember to hold your dreams in open hands—wide open—ready and accepting of God’s plan, which is ultimately the perfect dream.

Worth Waiting For

2007-10-06T10:17:00.000-11:00

I want to be worth waiting for,
Lord, let me deserve my man
And whether I be rich or poor,
Give me strength of hands

I ask you for a smiling face
Pleasant as I grow old
I don’t ask for beauty outside
But for a heart of gold

Help my head be high,
And my thoughts be pure,
Give me peace of mind
And cleanliness of soul

A gentle spirit, God, that gives
When nothing’s to be found
That thinks not of itself, but lives
To wipe away a frown.

Let me believe the best of those
Who touch my life each day
And put regrets behind to know
This is the straight, the narrow way.

Though terror I may never choose
Guide me unfearful through the way
And help me see the things I lose
Are really blessings gained.

I want to be worth waiting for,
So help him patient be...
And if I’m worth it, Lord, I pray
You’ll help him know and see.

The Perfect Woman

2007-03-01T10:18:00.000-11:00

There is a woman I greatly admire. In fact, I want to be just like her. Without alteration or reserve, I can say that she is my absolute role model, and I would like to dedicate this entry to her.

She's trustworthy, hardworking, and always willing to get down on her hands and knees to do rough or tedious work—she even gets up early to do it! She makes sure her family eats well and has proper clothes to wear. She's on top of all that goes on in her house and she keeps a strict schedule, never slacking off in her housework or childcare.

She's generous and thoughtful and never hesitates to share her resources with those less fortunate, though she exercises strict discretion in business transactions. She never squanders her money—in fact, once, after careful consideration, she even invested in some real estate that she transformed into a prospering business.

She's always building her strength: strength of character, strength of body (pushups anyone?), and strength of mind. Her life may be busy, but she remains dedicated to her husband, her children, and her occupation.

Her wardrobe is practical and stylish, and though she probably wouldn't like attention drawn to it, she's sewed every item herself. She's even designed and sewn clothes for a local retailer—that's how skilled she is!

She's like a walking dictionary, but that doesn’t make her lofty. She chooses her words carefully and only offers her two-cents when it's necessary. When I think of someone who really speaks the truth in love, I think of her.

She's a gentle companion to her husband, never belittling or ridiculing him, but being a gracious helpmeet, helping him sort through major decisions and offering her support or knowledge when it’s necessary. Because of this, he absolutely adores her...and tells her so! Even her kids thank her for their great upbringing because she's truly raised them with a firm and loving hand.

She'd never grace the cover of Glamour magazine or draw eyes in a crowd, but she possesses a beauty that can't be found in a bottle. It glows from within and totally radiates from her life. She may not be one of the most fun, popular women, but she's widely respected and loved by those who know her...and she loves them right back. But most of all, she loves Jesus with her heart, soul, and mind, and her life is an amazing testimony of what God can do in a redeemed heart.

"Favor is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman that fears the Lord, she will be praised."

He Really Did It

2006-11-28T16:23:00.000-11:00

It all started when Mr. and Mrs. William Banks had their first child. Robert Evan was his name. He was a detached, scholarly child with an angular nose, and a dark unibrow. Though most scholarly children do seem to be a bit detached anyway, he was detached in a very odd sense of the word. He did not allow himself to feel any affection towards mother or father - towards anyone for that matter. Even as a baby, when hugged or held, he would strain against their arms, and wail until he was released. Perhaps this detachment implies independence. Oh no. Not Robert. He was thirty-one and still living quietly at home at the time this story took place. He expected his mother to come in every morning, sit softly on the edge of his bed, and stroke his hair until he woke up. He then required her to hum Rachmaninov's Suite No. 2, Op. 17 outside his door as he prepared for the day.

"Rob, are you quite done dressing?"

"Just working on the tie, Anne." (He never called her "mother".) "Start from the beginning. I'll comb my hair while you're at it." As you can see, he liked to savor every note. Oddly enough, this fine specimen never sang a song, or played an instrument in his life.

He was a very private person - never shared his thoughts or feelings with anyone, which is one of the underlying reasons for his status as a bachelor.

He had never been 'in love', neither had he ever been 'out of love'. Every time he left the house, a trail of at least seven females followed him at indiscreet distances, casting obvious looks of dislike at the others as each considered herself to be the Chosen One for Robert. His own mother could not understand why the women followed Robert until he himself informed her that they did so because they admired his unibrow, of which he was very proud. He groomed it carefully with a toothbrush every morning, and enhanced it with a stick of drawing charcoal.

"Rob, dear, I'm sure it's because of something else. Perhaps your money?"

"Nonsense, Anne. I know it is because of my unibrow. I'm sure they are all artists and must study me carefully to make the proper translation from mind to paper. A unibrow is a highly difficult feature to duplicate."

His mother folded her lips into a thin line and said nothing more. The mere thought of seven women following her son because they admired his unibrow...it was too much. She had heard the expression, "he had a face only a mother could love", and this saying wounded her deeply: was she that poor a mother that she found her son so hideously repulsive? But every morning as she studied him across the breakfast table, trying to find even one feature to admire, she only found him more revolting, more gruesome than before. He nose seemed longer and more pinched, his eyes more beady, and his unibrow more bushy and black. And was that the hint of a goatee creeping along the chin that fell miles below the bulbous forehead? She could not restrain the involuntarily shudder that came after each careful morning study. She could only take comfort in one thing: since Robert's birth no one had ever said to Will or her, "oh, he looks JUST like you!", for indeed it was not true; there was very little family resemblance to be found between the three of them.

Robert eventually began to sense his mother's vague displeasure about something, but couldn't put a finger on what it was all about. He spent many evenings reflecting on this development, when he finally received a revelation at a most unexpected time. It was not what he was doing, but was he wasn't doing.

He'd just finished attacking his dinner in the most vulgar way - spreading his vicinity with bread crumbs, gravy, and gristle from his steak, and finally dousing the whole setup with the remains of his wine, when he broke his cup across his plate.

"Robert! Just look at you!" his mother shrieked, rising.

He walked over to mirror and examined himself carefully, dusted a few crumbs from his coat, inspected his hand for possible glass splinters, and returned to the table.

"Yes?"

"Your place is like a pig trough!"

"Yes?"

"You're thirty-one years old!"

"Yes?"

"I'm ashamed of you!"

"Apparently so."

His mother grabbed the back of a chair and squeezed it until her knuckles were bulging and white. "Why can't you live up to your name? Your father has led a successful life! What about your grandfather?"

"What about him?" Robert responded coolly.

"He started his own business; he made it very well in life."

"So you want me to live up to my name?"

"Yes, I do. Do something worthwhile."

"All right, I will." A look of ominous calm passed over Robert's features.

"And please clean up your place."

"I think you just mentioned the word, 'worthwhile'?" He turned halfway up the stairs and nodded to confirm his statement. "Goodbye, I'm going out."

She watched him climb the stairs with a sinking feeling. Could she never penetrate that dense, self-infatuated head?

"What's the trouble, Anne?" Will wondered, entering the room, and draping his suit jacket over the back of his chair.

"It's Robert," she said, turning. "Look at his place."

Will sighed. "I know, but you've allowed him to do it for the past thirty years; I'm sure he won't change now."

"How do you--" Anne broke off as Robert walked through the room, hat on, and walking cane in his hand.

Turning, he tipped his hat and bowed slightly before slamming the door. Anne and Will moved towards the window as one, and watched as the inevitable stream of females began to file after him. Suddenly, Robert did an uncharacteristic thing. He turned and began shouting and waving his cane violently at them. They stopped short, terrified, but did not start to run until he wheeled and rushed towards them, cane whistling sharply through the air. They did not return to continue their pursuit.

"What's gotten into him?" Will wondered after his son's lone figure disappeared in the distance.

"I only lectured him - probably not enough to put him in a bad mood... I told him to clean up his place, and I also told him to..."

"Told him what?" Will wondered, scared by the shade of white creeping over his wife's face.

"Told him to...live up to his name," she said in a barely audible whisper, then sank to the floor in a dead faint.

"About time someone told him that," Will grunted as he went off in search of the smelling salts. Suddenly he stopped, mid-step, freezing in holy fear. "No."

Yes, the room replied. Yes, he will.

"He wouldn't!"

He is.

Will thudded to the floor - the first time he'd fainted since Rob Banks had entered their formerly happy home thirty-one years ago.

Poor Rob Banks.

Control Freaks Can Grow Up

2006-11-12T10:25:00.000-11:00

I never knew the true definition of the title, “Control Freak” until I was in charge of something. Suddenly, everything changed. Suddenly, nothing could be done properly unless I was the one at the helm. Suddenly, the word ‘surrender’ made me nervous.

Really nervous.

This story takes us back a few years when my sister, my aunt, and I decided to start publishing our own Christian e-magazine. This is a long and painful story, so I will summarize and spare you the gruesome details. Basically, I was “somehow” appointed editor. I understood that it was my job to pull the magazine together, organize details, process mail, develop our mission statement, and formulate a set of guidelines. It sounded so easy...

Two weeks later, my life hurtled into a brick wall. Maybe I glanced off, maybe the wall toppled over on me – my memory of that time is still a little blurry. All I know is that I had taken on WAY TOO MUCH. I was spending over thirty hours a week trying to file and manage hundreds of email addresses: a nightmare. I was trying to respond to mail, appease the rude, express gratitude to the gracious, make plans to keep people’s interest, design the layout to look professional and easy to read, encourage the other two columnists to meet the deadlines, trying to remind myself that friendships were more important. And this was supposed to be a small-operation thing! Then everything came to a grinding halt.

“I QUIT!” was the only explosion that sounded from the computer desk when the keys stopped rattling and the smoke cleared.

And indeed I did. For all of five days.

What a miserable five days they were too. Here was the problem – our problem, my problem: when I quit, I was selfishly dragging the whole thing down with me. “I quit” meant, hypothetically, “it’s all over”. When the other two involved offered to ‘share the load’ my heart almost stopped beating.

“What’s the password?” they asked, “We’ll add the email addresses, we’ll type commas between addresses from now ‘til Kingdom Come; we’ll put the magazine together”.

Visions of formatting gone awry flashed before my eyes. Three beats short of a heart attack, I hopped back in the pilot’s seat, determined once more, to do everything myself. “Thanks anyway guys, but I think I’ve got everything under control.” (Translation: “No thanks, I’d rather be in control.”)

No man is an island. Eventually I learned that it was OK to accept help from others, hand the reigns to someone else, even if only for a short time. My sanity was spared because of this.

Guys, I am not writing this to show you how I can behave at my worst: I’m trying to say that so many of us have a little of this hidden inside. We believe that things can work out properly only if we are in charge. We would rather drive than take a plane because we trust our hands, not the pilot’s. We paint our own rooms because our friends would do a lousy job. We format our own articles because someone else would do it all wrong.

And my solution is not, “Hang out with some phlegmatics; life will get really easy.” My suggestion is: die to self and be humble (i.e., don’t be so proud and selfish!). Control freaks are not people who are naturally more selfish than others: they are people who succumb to their intrinsic selfishness and...yes...let it take control of them! As the title of this article suggests, control freaks can grow up. They can submit and...yes...even surrender.

When we humble ourselves, then we are lifted up.

It Profits Nothing

2006-09-07T15:15:00.000-11:00

Based on a true story related to me by a friend...

It was by pure chance that my car broke down, I’m sure. It’d been a very faithful car in the past; serving me well, saving me gas money, getting me where I needed to go. Some people would like to call such a thing a coincidence because I broke down in front of a church, but I like to call it a mistake. I had no amazing conversion experience as some of the stories tell, and what’s more, I don’t intend to ever go back.

I’d heard that church people are known for their compassion. Seriously! So, I trudged the short distance across the parking lot, mounted the steps, and knocked on the door. It was opened directly by a corpulent man in the biggest black suit I’d ever seen.

“Can I come in?” I asked, keeping my voice rough, but quiet. I said it at exactly the same time as he said, “Welcome!”

It was an awkward moment. He stood there grinning like the cat that swallowed the canary, while my fingers linked and scrambled and sweated together behind my back. What to say?
“My...umm...my car—”

We did it again. This time I caught him mid-sentence saying, “Thank you for coming today; I’ll help you find a seat.”

Also awkward.

He waved for me to follow him and started to lead me toward some swinging doors where a woman stood with a stack of folded papers. I could feel her roving eyes taking in every aspect of me. I felt terrified as she approached me waving a long tee shirt.

“Here, honey: why don’t you put this on over your shirt during the service,” she suggested.

I stared.

And took the offered tee shirt.

The woman stuck out her hand and grinned a 100-watt grin. “I’m Dorothy. We’re so glad to have you in our service today.”

“My car...” I broke off. She’d already turned away.

The dumbly grinning man beckoned me on, but again halted before the doors. He leaned over and muttered something in Dorothy’s ear. I waited, cheeks flaming. Apparently, they were talking about me. Did they know about my car? If not, how should I interrupt and tell them? I really needed to get going.

Dorothy was approaching again.

“Honey, I hate to tell you this, but jeans aren’t allowed in the service. It’s disrespectful to the Lord. If you’d like to come with me next door, though, I can quickly fix you up with a nice skirt!”

She grinned like the canary before the cat swallowed it. Sort of twitchy and nervous.

I felt my blood burning; my legs trembled.

“I’d not like to come next door. My car just broke down outside—”

“Aww honey, what bad luck!” she crooned.

Mr. Can-Do-Nothing-But-Grin was busy scribbling something on the back of a folded paper.

“Here’s the number of a good towing company. I know the fella who owns the place; he’ll fix ya up nice. I’m ‘fraid he’s not a believer – that’s why he’s open today – but he’ll still do you a good job.” He grinned, and folded his arms atop his expansive abdomen.

I don’t remember how I got outside the doors; all I know is that eventually, I did. I turned and looked through the glass only long enough to see the Cat and the Canary looking towards the door and leaning together in conversation.

I knew who they were talking about.

Different Kind of FREE

2006-07-11T05:13:00.000-11:00

The idea for the title of my blog and column came from this (piece of a) song by the Christian singing group, Zoegirl:

Pleading the most worthy cause
For the innocence we lost
With His tears of blood
He started freedom’s flood
As the world’s opinions sway
My beliefs will not be changed

Take it back to the beginning
To the first taste of shame
A fallen world in waiting
Only One could take the blame

Fast forward to the ending
One truth remains
There’s a miracle waiting
For all who speak His name

Take my life, my liberty
It’s all but a breath
In the grand scheme of things
Oh, I have found eternity
It’s a different kind of free

And they can’t take it from me