Savoir Faire isn't Everywhere, But It Could Be!

You know how you hear some people say after a young person has committed suicide that it's "just so sad," or that "somehow this could have been prevented." Well, both of those phrases are true. Tonight I overheard some pretty nasty comments from some young people in which case I don't think they knew that I was listening, or perhaps they, in reality, don't care. It stirred me to write words on a well-known social networking website because it took me back to the good ole days of high school. The place where mentality isn't fully developed. The place where I was uncomfortable in my own skin. The place I felt despised, rejected, and lonely. The place I always hated. 

THESE WORDS CAME IN ABOUT A MINUTE

Sinews of the underdog
They are torn for naught
Flesh and blood they are
But hounded eternally
Never quite enough
Mostly born to rough
Hidden in their costly shame
Not to make a name of fame
Lights go out
There be no doubt
Friends they have not became.

 It's painful to have the desire to be wanted when you feel like you aren't. 

There is no room...at their table, in their life...unless you are the topic of their conversation. 

I wonder if they know the hurt they cause. I wonder if they know Jesus' blood was also spilled for you. I wonder if they know that's not loving their neighbor. I wonder if they know they don't have the love of God if they hate their Christian brother or sister. I wonder if they know your tears are in God's hand as he counts them one by one. I wonder if they think they will get away with it...making appeal to each other that you are less because you are not like them. It's your hair, your style, your eyes, your laugh, your dance, your anything that makes them appear better than.

It isn't you, friend. This heart on display is never really about you. This display is what is in them. It came out. Leaked. I fear for them. I pray for them that though they hurt because they themselves hurt, God will have mercy on them. I plead that you will remain strong in your faith. There is power in the blood! More power in the Spirit who raised the broken-for-you, dead body of Jesus Christ from the grave. Dunamis. You are more than a conqueror of those who've slain your heart. He overcame for you, beloved. You are better than a slave to fear, and a slave to sin. You are a friend, even a coheir to the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace, The Way, The Truth, The Life, the One who is Faithful and True- that is who you are. Your TRUE identity. 

Take my hand and let me help you up. Stand tall. Look at your face in the mirror. Say this: "It is finished. God searches my heart and finds me worthy because he looks on me through the shed blood of his son. I am full of His mercy and a patchwork of His grace. I am a work in progress. They have no authority over me. Their words are the words of my enemy who comes to kill, steal, and destroy. But I have the Great I AM in me. And He is greater. This is not about me. This is not about them. This is a spiritual battle and can only be overcome by forgiveness, prayer, and grace. I may be poured out like a drink offering, but it is not for nothing. My life counts because He has counted me. I have a purpose, God has a plan. The Gates of Hell will not prevail. It is finished."  

I have a heart for underdogs. They are my purpose. They are in God's plan. There is never a time more appropriate than now to help them up and say they are worth your time. If God's grace is sufficient for me, then it would be insufficient for me not to extend it to them.

The Great Cookie Exchange

Well, I hope you enjoy this. 

One chilly afternoon, a famous and brilliant baker decided he wanted to make a recipe for a cookie like none other. What's better to warm you up than a gooey, fresh-from-the-oven treat on a day like that?

The baker was quite talented. He could make many recipes with very few ingredients. It seemed as if he always had everything necessary to create mouthwatering goodies that stirred hunger in the bellies of his customers. This particularly cold day, the famous baker opened his pantry to retrieve the necessary items. He set everything out which was needed for giving this recipe fresh characteristics, sparing no expense for the highest quality. All the preparation was complete, and now it was time to put the yummy treat in the oven. The entire bakery was filled with the most comforting aroma.

People from outside could tell that something wonderful was being made. Block by block, it was said that the air surrounding the bakery was like breathing in everything you needed to live- and then some! There was much excitement as the patrons waited. Each customer had their imaginations bursting with ideas of all this new recipe would be. From it's appearance to it's flavor, right down to the finest detail, assumptions were made.

The time had finally come! Two of the baker's assistants placed oven mitts on their hands, and clapped a muffled clap, and with wide grins removed the delectable dessert from the oven. They both breathed in deeply knowing how important it was to be careful with the baker's perfected public offering.

Some of the customers snubbed the cookie on display because it didn't appear to be the kind they thought it was. You see, the patrons expected the cookie to have glistening chocolate chips that dotted the outside. Not only that, but this cookie was chewy. It was customary to eat crispy cookies. Those customers didn't like it. To them, it was unquestionably broken, and unfit to consume.

At first glance, the cookie was plain and simple, but the aroma drew customers from far, far away. This one held its warmth, and it surprised those who wondered how it would taste. When asked why, the customers who agreed that it was special said it was because there was more in the first bite than what could be known just from it's outer appearance. What an unexpected, happy surprise!

Now, the baker had planned the recipe for this cookie for quite some time, and waited for just the right time to share it with his loyal customers, including anyone who would be willing to take a taste. He didn't allow the opinions of some of the patrons to change his mind. Even though this cookie was different, the baker wanted to give everyone the opportunity to see it, smell it, and best of all... taste it! After all, loving-kindness was what brought the baker such high regard.

As word spread about this new cookie many became curious. Eventually the bakery had customers from all over the world partaking in what became known as culinary history.

In the Still of the Night

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13, NLT

Quite some time ago a friend asked me to write about stillness. After a long pause to reflect on that, I've arrived at my conclusions for what it means, where it comes from, and how to keep it once I've obtained it. One thing it isn't is quiet, necessarily. It also doesn't have to do with circumstances. Mostly, however, I find it in the wee hours when there are no other distractions. 

I admit that I get tired after a long day, especially after caring for my kids in all the various ways I do, and making sure my husband's needs are met as well. Many nights I go to sleep after saying some quick prayers about being so grateful for everything throughout the day- often not remembering what happened, yet with a smile on my face. It didn't really occur to me until now that this is a piece of that peace, the stillness within, that so many seek. There can be a hundred-one things that go wrong throughout the day, or continuous family issues, or devastating consequences you see unfolding in a friend's life; and yet I have this quietness, this stillness, this peace.

Our Creator made us to desire him. If we covet anything, it should be time alone with the one who made us. The one who began time has all the time we need to tell him our needs, or desires. I think that one of the problems with not finding peace is that we don't seek it from the source. We tend to believe that we should have what we want now. Added to that, if we don't get it, there must be a problem with...GULP...us, or worse with God himself. And we, at times, want what Neighbor Nellie has instead because her pinker tricycle is parked in a bigger yard, with a whiter fence, and she gets to go inside her house that's always perfectly organized and it never smells like wet dog and dirty socks. Plus, her mom makes chocolate chip cookies!

A lack of peace, in my humble opinion, is when you are insecure. You doubt God's promises. You are more focused on you and what you don't have than what he's already provided for you. Scripture is our main way of knowing what he has done, is doing, and will do for us in every sense. But then too, there is his still, small voice that whispers. So, insecure...there's a fear there. "I'm afraid of..., What if..., But..." Paul wrote a letter to Timothy reminding him that when he accepted Christ and was baptized in the Holy Spirit, that the Spirit that God gave to Timothy was not one of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Jesus left his disciples with HIS peace. Not the "I have everything I need, so I'm good" peace. He gave the "I will never abandon you" peace. Don't get me wrong. Providence is fabulous. Which is better; having everything you need, or having who you really need?

So many things happen in the world every moment. It's easy to lose sight of the fact that God really does have things under control. We think in terms of time. Ever heard of the phrase time crunch? Sounds like it puts pressure on us. How much peace do you think would come from pressure to...? Jehovah Shammah doesn't have the confines of a clock. That's not in his realm. However he does bring about solutions to our predicaments in time. 

Are you sensing in your mind, or spirit a lack of peace? A lack of anything? Focus on him. You might get distracted and start thinking, "How's this going to work?" Ask him. Tell him you've thought what you thought. Then tell him to take it. Say to yourself in his presence that you don't understand what's going on. And then just sit still and listen for his voice. It's not the booming, thunderous one you may be expecting. His voice is quiet, and authoritative, but gentle.

Just this past week there was something on my mind that I had been praying about. Really more pondering though what life would be like if there was a certain change. It was exciting and terrifying. I have become quite comfortable in the plot of land I'm planted in. My roots have sunk in and grown. That's great. Everyone loves to see that they've made progress. I've been blessed and I believe I've been a blessing to others. This would be a significant change because it would affect many around me. Earlier in the week I had been fasting and praying. It piques my interest to see what God is doing. I know whatever it is, I want to be part of it. 

As I stated earlier, God gets my attention at night. One night last week I was awakened by his voice. I heard what he said. So now, I ask for wisdom and wait. And I have others pray for me. Prayer warriors that I can trust to pray that God's will would be done, and that I would have peace with whatever happens. That my heart would be for working on his behalf, not him working on my behalf. I already know he does that. I feel it. I believe it. I praise, and thank, and honor him for it. A friend of mine told me that God had awakened her to pray for me in the night. Let me tell you, it is such a blessing to hear people you love tell you that they are awake in the middle of the night being obedient to God praying for you! 

I have no idea how this will turn out. But I believe that it will be good! In the meantime, I intend to keep praying, keep seeking God's peace, reminding myself- repeating it in the mirror if I have to!- that my Shepherd wants me to stay near to him. He can protect me that way. I can hear him when I'm close. If I feel safe, then I have peace. If I don't get distracted, then I will hear him.

Lord, I lift up your great name. I exalt you. I give you honor, and glory for what you have done, and what you are doing, and what you will do. Time is in your hands, yet it isn't something that hinders you. I am so grateful that you are patient with me. I am not always peaceful. In this season of life, I want more and more to shine your light. There is so much darkness! But still, in the dark we can see the light. Fill me with your peace, and allow me to be a light for this dark world. Thank you for choosing me to do work for you. I love you, Father! I want to show you my love by being obedient to your will. Show me your plan. You have prepared me for this, and I accept the task and will do it joyfully.

Enjoy!

Grape growing is the largest food-based industry in the world. Grapes are one of my favorite fruits. They are tasty and versatile. You can eat them fresh, or preserve them for later. It's hard to decide which way I like to eat them best, but I do know life is sweeter with them in it!

Why am I talking about grapes? Well, this is a blog mostly about faith, partly about food. People need food for physical nourishment, and most definitely as creatures who are made to worship God, we also need spiritual truth to feed on so that we develop into mature believers. Growing grapes- the ones still on the vine- are used in the Bible to convey a message about the abundant life found in "abiding" in Jesus, the one true vine. He is our source of life, and in this life, he gives us joy. So much that we can't contain it! John 15:11 is an account of Jesus describing our life with him, "I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!" Some translations use different words to describe this joy- complete, full, overflow[ing], fulfilled, perfect. At any rate, joy is what we have when we recognize God's favor.(1)

This morning I read an account of a woman who was injured as a result of a shooting spree in a Colorado theater. The bullet went through her brain, yet she is still very much alive! This is a good example of what it looks like to have joy, especially in the midst of trying circumstances. Read more about it here.

In the last post, which was concerning love, I mentioned the satisfying nature of scripture. All the promises it contains get released into our lives by believing that what He says is true. So we consume God's word, taking it in as our lifeline. Then we are full, knowing that all of our needs have been met. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would come to us and show us how to live in abundance. He promised that our joy would be complete, the joy that is his. C. S. Lewis wrote that God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.

Isaiah 51 tells of the deep anguish and sorrows that are soon to be replaced with the joy that only the Lord can provide. He will deliver them. He will comfort them and provide and they will sing songs of thanksgiving out of their gladness. He will bring mercy and his justice will follow. He calls himself the Lord of Heaven's Armies. The Sovereign LORD, your God and Defender. Who wouldn't be filled with joy at another fighting the difficult battles on our behalf?

“Stay with me, and I am in you. Just as the branch cannot yield fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither do you unless you stay with me.” John 15:4 (AramaicNT)

In the article above, and in the passage of Isaiah 51, we see that a grateful heart gives way to joy. I'm sure you've noticed that when there is a lack of gratitude, appearances turn sour. Grace has left. Satisfaction is unattainable. Joy is nowhere to be found. So, to me it seems that the base of joy is thankfulness. And eventually we have so much thankfulness it just comes pouring out of us. There is no place inside to store it. It must come out, or I don't know what will happen. Maybe it will sour? 

Paul reminds the people of Thessalonica that he is inconceivably grateful to God, because of the joy they have brought to him.(2) Oh, that the people of God would be to the human-world what grapes are to the food-world!

Father, your grace is enough to get us through any and all circumstances. It is my prayer that your people would prove your greatness in expressing the joy we have in you. We are complete in you, oh God. There are a myriad of ways we can take delight in you. May our praises be an honest reflection of our deepest affection, and in tune with your Holy Spirit. Our lives sometimes seem to be heavy and pressing like grapes being trampled in the wine press, and yet you are our strength. Thank you that you give us new mercies everyday and that each trouble we have brings us closer to you. May our joy be a sweet sound, and a pleasing aroma, as it flows, spilling and splashing our friends and family with the stain of your glory.

(1) http://concordances.org/greek/5479.htm

(2) 1 Thessalonians 3:9


The next in the Fruit of the Spirit Series is peace. Be still and know...!

A Taste of the Fruits of the Spirit: Eat Up Some Love, America!

Imagine being a prisoner in a dark cell. A law was broken. You have no freedom because the walls were built to keep you in...contained, shackled, shut-up, oppressed, unseen, unheard. Let's say you are fed three meals daily; a stale, tasteless, unsatisfying meal of bread you are given begrimed water to drink. You tell yourself it's just rust from the pipes. How long have you been in this place? It's hard to say. You don't even really know why you're locked up. You just are. It's always been this way. You want fresh food, maybe some variety. You need pure water. You want your freedom. Where do you go to find it?

The whole of Paul's letter to the Galatians centers on their freedom from the law of Moses because of Christ's death and resurrection. We celebrate freedom in America from the tyrannical rule of a monarch who misused his authority. While we still have liberty here to pursue happiness, let's think about what that freedom entails. 2 Corinthians 3:17  says, "the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." We can tell where the Spirit of the Lord is by what we witness. What does this believer say? What does this believer do? Does what they say and what they do align with each other? What is this evidence of the Spirit? Galatians 5:22-23 says that you will see this evidence: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

As Followers of the Way, we have freedom from the penalty of sin. Like the freedom we have as Americans, it came at a great price. Unlike many soldiers and seamen who have died to protect our land and rights, there was only One who took on the punishment of sin for the entire world. In recent years there have been true stories of customers driving up to the pick-up window at various fast food restaurants prepared to pay the cost of their meal to be pleasantly surprised that it had already been paid in full. Who does such a thing? Imagine that kind of delight. Someone you've never met paying for something you've ordered. We are free in our country to tell people without fear of punishment that someone has paid the price for us, and what we do in exchange is believe that there has been a reckoning of our account and keep from racking up a new bill. Yet strangely enough, there is still fear.

The truth is, when you are "in Christ," you are a new creation. There is something inherently different about those who are "born again." Paul gives us a Sam's Club style sample of a Spirit-led life. Think of sample tables spread with all kinds of little paper cups filled with tiny morsels of every kind of "fruit" of the Spirit. You know how something new doesn't seem all that appealing until you take a taste. It's kind of like that. Sometimes we don't understand what it means to possess good fruit. Sometimes we think it doesn't matter what kind of fruit we leave in the bowl for the world to see because no one has the right to judge us, and we shouldn't judge others.

According to Paul's letter to the Galatians, love falls first on the list of proof that God is in you. The kind of love the apostle Paul describes is a special love that speaks of preferring to live in Christ and choosing His choices.(1) This love, agape (in Greek, ἀγαπάω) is foundational in Christian relationships.  Agape love is the kind God has for us, and he wants us to have for each other. He wants us to be willing to make sacrifices for the benefit of others to enjoy eternity together. It's basically putting your own life, comfort, desires second to benefit someone else. If we don't have this love for one another, then we have nothing else to give because it doesn't matter. Agape is not simply an emotion. Love is active, powerful, and transcendent. Love comes from God- it is his character.

Looking at love throughout Scripture, I see a strangely satisfying, savory, and sweet strategy for life:

• GENESIS 22:2, "He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”  STRANGE
• EXODUS 15:13, “In Your lovingkindness You have led the people whom You have redeemed;
           In Your strength You have guided them to Your holy habitation."  SATISFYING
• JOSHUA 22:5,  “Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” SAVORY
• PSALM 23:6, Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
           And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. SWEET
• PROVERBS 10:12,  "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions." STRANGELY SATISFYING, SAVORY, & SWEET
• ISAIAH 16:5, "A throne will even be established in lovingkindness, and a judge will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent of David; moreover, he will seek justice and be prompt in righteousness." STRANGE
• HOSEA 2:19,  “I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice,in lovingkindness and in compassion," SATISFYING
• MICAH 6:8,  "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" SAVORY
• JOHN 15:13, "“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." SWEET
• HEBREWS 10:24, "and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds," STRANGELY SATISFYING, SAVORY & SWEET                                                     [verses from NASB]

"Beloved, if God loves us in this way, we are indebted also to love one another." 1 John 4:11 (AramaicNT)

Each piece of God's word holds the nourishment needed for daily living that revitalizes our spirit. 

The next post is on joy and is coming soon.

Father, it is my desire that the reader(s) will be satisfied by your love, and that your love will be seen clearly in the things I say and do on your behalf. Thank you for allowing me to live in your freedom. I humbly make my way through this world waiting for you to take me home. While I wait, help me become more like you, Jesus. Bless those who seek your face...make the connection between understanding your love in their head, and knowing it with their heart. May we all receive the nourishment we need by consuming your words. Let us be inspired and refreshed and quick to give away what we've been given.

Footnotes:

(1) http://concordances.org/greek/25.htm