I just witnessed something very sad, but sobering.
A man whom we, here at my church, have been assisting financially came in today. We haven't seen him in over 2 months. His green shirt and over-sized blue jeans are heavily stained, his shoulders look more obvious because his frame seemed smaller to me. The bones under his shirt are more visible than at his last visit.
He got a job back in May at a car dealership service center doing detailing. I remember the day he got hired... You would've thought he won the lottery. He came in... nice khaki pants, dress shirt and tie and had a smile like I had never seen before on his face. After using our phone to call the service manager, he hung up, did a little happy-happy-joy-joy dance and said "I got the job!" I was so happy for him. This was huge for him and his family. This meant money for food and bills. He was then told by our deacons that until he showed some responsibility on his part financially, we would not be assisting him with groceries or anything else. This was 4 months ago.
He has since come in a couple times asking for a bag of groceries and each time I am forced to reiterate the agreement the deacons and him had come to at this point. He would try again a few weeks later and... same routine. It was quite draining and quite sad. He started being late to work. I know this because he walks to work and has to pass by our church playground to get there. So he wound up on "probation" at work as a warning of his tardiness. He finally got pink-slipped for using fowl language with his boss and is now unemployed again.
He came in today asking for a bag of groceries and I didn't know if that policy was still standing since it had been so long. I walked back to the kitchen but decided to call Nick our head deacon. He insisted on speaking with him. From what I gathered from their conversation, Nick was trying to reiterate the agreement and it wasn't being taken well. The conversation turned ugly and the guy said, " I thought you were a man of God but I just don't know. " He abruptly got off and walked out of the church. I felt mixed feelings of sadness and frustration. I know that the deacons are doing the best thing for him in restricting assistance in hopes that he will show some responsibility on his own. I have to trust that he will one day see that they loved him by keeping the food from him. But for now, he doesn't see that. All he sees is an "uncharitble" church. I thought about the fact that he may be tempted to steal food for his family. Or worse, rob someone. I thought of the despair and anger that he must be feeling for the way his life is because of the choices he's made. But I wonder if he realizes that to work is to live. We were put on this earth to work. It says in the Bible that the one who does not work, shall not eat. That's a pretty harsh reality but as we see by evidence of the homeless on the streets, that holds true. You have to earn a living. For some it comes easier than others. And for some it is handed to them and they are careless with their fortunes. But work is a gift. It's not just a command in order to obey God but more than that it is a way to be in fellowship with God. God is honored when we work; when we serve people; when we are responsible with our money; and when we choose to give that money (that God owns in the first place) back to Him. Work is a way to be in communion with your Creator! That takes the duty out of the equation and makes it a delight! I wish I viewed my job as a delight every day but I don't. I forget that my job is a gift and a means of fellowship with my Lord. I see it as an obligation; a requirement to pay bills and a 5 day/40 hour "community service" kinda thing. After all, I get to work at my church!! I mean, how cool is that!? I'm super blessed to be surrounded by men & .... well men who love the Lord and are spending time with Him throughout their day in their work. So, I guess I write this post to say: God has given us a means of fellowship with Him through the gift of work and we should view it as such or we are missing out on 40+ hours a week of God-glorifying obedience.
Tomorrow is another day, praise God. I will receive a complete new set of mercies from Him and I can't wait to see them at my workplace. Now if I could only take that mercy and show it to someone else.....
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
The truth about the Gospel
This is the most powerful sermonette I've ever listened to. Souls are perishing every minute. Make sure your soul will not.
The Fire by Nate Pfeil
The Fire by Nate Pfeil
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
A Puzzling Truth
On the way home from Jay & Rachel's wedding this past weekend, DR & I listened to a sermon from John Piper on why there is suffering in this world. This was from a time when he came to University Christian Fellowship in Birmingham and spoke to us college students. I remember feeling glued to my pew and in awe of the gospel being preached in such a vibrant, no-nonsense way. That 5' something man brought conviction and truth to a seemingly "christian" audience. It was a wonderful refresher to hear him preach this message again.
One passage he talks about in reference to how we, as believers, should feel about the suffering in this world is 2 Corinthians 6:10. "we live....as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing". We are always sorrowful because we see a dying, disease-striken, hurting world but we are always rejoicing because we have a resident peace-giver within us: the Holy Spirit. This explains so much about what my husband told me at the beginning of our dating relationship. We won't always be happy, but we will always be joyful. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit; happiness is not. Joy is unaffected pleasure from the supernatural not the natural. Happiness is circumstantial. Joy is (or should be) a constant state in a believer's heart. It's so easy to put on fake joy but you're not fooling anyone by appearing happy 24/7. Christ wants us to have open eyes to this world but at the same time to always be looking up for our joy.
"sorrowful, yet always rejoicing": a verse that's been on my husband's facebook page ever since I've known him. D.R. has had his fair share of sorrowful times. He's only 24 but I've witnessed the pain and suffering in his life these past 4 years when his dear grandmother passed away, when his brother fell victim to drugs, when he was excused from his University for a semester, when I chose someone else over him and more. God remained faithful through those hard times in his life and I watched as he trusted Him no matter how hard and hurtful it seemed. Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.
We should always be sorrowful! Sounds sad, but we live in a pornography-obsessed, adulterated, sickness-filled, pleasure-seeking, addiction-prone, disasterous, moral-less world that doesn't KNOW that life exists in Jesus Christ; and Jesus Christ alone. We should feel horribly sorrowful for the dying people around us. But we don't. Sin is more discusting than any of us give it credit for. As John Piper says, "none of us are as discusted by our sin as we should be". I know I don't cry my eyes out because I'm sinful. I'm not that upset about it. I don't think about how disheartening and dishonoring it is to God. This is why we must be sorrowful.
We should always be rejoicing! Ah, the happy part of the verse. It's true! We should always rejoice that we are God's! He chose us! (Eph. 1)We were plucked out of the ground as a corpse and given life through Christ's death on the cross. Through grace by faith we have peace and salvation! We should rejoice that God is in control of our sorrowful situations. After all, He's the one who allows them to happen. Here's a puzzling truth: When God allowed sin to enter the world, He did not Himself sin. Piper says, if we cannot handle that, we cannot handle the cross. The cross was horrific evil and totally planned by the Almighty. Piper says we've got to have a category in our brain for God willing there to be sin and yet God not doing the sinning.
So, when someone says "Why would God allow this to happen" (ex: Katrina, War on Terror, 911...) You can say with a grin, "Because God planned the redemptive history of his people from the beginning of time and if we didn't have suffering, we would have no need of Him." Bam! Done! Shock em! It's the truth! We are characters in God's story of redemptive history. Just read Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. and make sure you have kleenex!
Anyways, that's what was on my heart. :)
One passage he talks about in reference to how we, as believers, should feel about the suffering in this world is 2 Corinthians 6:10. "we live....as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing". We are always sorrowful because we see a dying, disease-striken, hurting world but we are always rejoicing because we have a resident peace-giver within us: the Holy Spirit. This explains so much about what my husband told me at the beginning of our dating relationship. We won't always be happy, but we will always be joyful. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit; happiness is not. Joy is unaffected pleasure from the supernatural not the natural. Happiness is circumstantial. Joy is (or should be) a constant state in a believer's heart. It's so easy to put on fake joy but you're not fooling anyone by appearing happy 24/7. Christ wants us to have open eyes to this world but at the same time to always be looking up for our joy.
"sorrowful, yet always rejoicing": a verse that's been on my husband's facebook page ever since I've known him. D.R. has had his fair share of sorrowful times. He's only 24 but I've witnessed the pain and suffering in his life these past 4 years when his dear grandmother passed away, when his brother fell victim to drugs, when he was excused from his University for a semester, when I chose someone else over him and more. God remained faithful through those hard times in his life and I watched as he trusted Him no matter how hard and hurtful it seemed. Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.
We should always be sorrowful! Sounds sad, but we live in a pornography-obsessed, adulterated, sickness-filled, pleasure-seeking, addiction-prone, disasterous, moral-less world that doesn't KNOW that life exists in Jesus Christ; and Jesus Christ alone. We should feel horribly sorrowful for the dying people around us. But we don't. Sin is more discusting than any of us give it credit for. As John Piper says, "none of us are as discusted by our sin as we should be". I know I don't cry my eyes out because I'm sinful. I'm not that upset about it. I don't think about how disheartening and dishonoring it is to God. This is why we must be sorrowful.
We should always be rejoicing! Ah, the happy part of the verse. It's true! We should always rejoice that we are God's! He chose us! (Eph. 1)We were plucked out of the ground as a corpse and given life through Christ's death on the cross. Through grace by faith we have peace and salvation! We should rejoice that God is in control of our sorrowful situations. After all, He's the one who allows them to happen. Here's a puzzling truth: When God allowed sin to enter the world, He did not Himself sin. Piper says, if we cannot handle that, we cannot handle the cross. The cross was horrific evil and totally planned by the Almighty. Piper says we've got to have a category in our brain for God willing there to be sin and yet God not doing the sinning.
So, when someone says "Why would God allow this to happen" (ex: Katrina, War on Terror, 911...) You can say with a grin, "Because God planned the redemptive history of his people from the beginning of time and if we didn't have suffering, we would have no need of Him." Bam! Done! Shock em! It's the truth! We are characters in God's story of redemptive history. Just read Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. and make sure you have kleenex!
Anyways, that's what was on my heart. :)
Thursday, July 16, 2009
The Pioneer Woman
Thank you Betty for showing me this website!
The Pioneer Woman has everything from cooking, gardening, skin care, homeschooling advice, photography, decorating and more. She is truly the super-woman-- dabbling in so many fun woman-adventures. I'm still mastering the whole clean-the-house-every-week thing. :) This wife thing is hard work!
Be sure to try the Bacon-Wrapped Jalopeno Thingies. :)
Enjoy!
The Pioneer Woman has everything from cooking, gardening, skin care, homeschooling advice, photography, decorating and more. She is truly the super-woman-- dabbling in so many fun woman-adventures. I'm still mastering the whole clean-the-house-every-week thing. :) This wife thing is hard work!
Be sure to try the Bacon-Wrapped Jalopeno Thingies. :)
Enjoy!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Just go away, pain.
You're about to hear my heart....are you ready?
We are so prone to run from anything that hurts. And moreover, we tend to think our trials are there so God can remove them "in Jesus name".
We aren't comfortable with suffering. We aren't content with pain. We don't delight in enduring the hard stuff. We're human. We're hedonists. We live for pleasure. It's super hard to "count it all joy when we face trials". But as Christians, we have to choose to be the opposite. We must believe that Christ's life, death and resurrection is an example of how to live.
Listen fellow believer, don't be fooled into believing that God intends a life of pleasure for you. Not that "every good and perfect gift is from above" is a lie. It is most certainly the truth. Every earthly possession we have is a gift from God; from our spouse to the food on the table at night. But what God intends for his children is a life modeled after his Son. A life full of humiliation, deprivation, and sanctification. (look up words you don't know later :))
I can't tell you how many examples of Christ I have come across in the past couple years that remind me of who my Savior is. I think of the single women in our church who are in their late 20s, early 30s and who are REJOICING in the honor of serving Christ through singlehood. The man in my church who has battled multiple myeloma for over 7 years and still gives every ounce of glory to God for his life. The women in our church who have experienced the deep pain of miscarriage but yet glorify God for His perfect will. I've watched a couple fight for their marriage after many nights of heartache and lonliness. And then I've seen that same couple pursue each other and rekindle their love (and are now with child). Every time someone in my life says, "i'm struggling so much but I know the Lord has a plan and I trust him" I tear up and say thank you Lord for broken, vulnerable people who know you are in control. Thank you for people who are after YOU being magnified and them being debased. His power is made perfect in our weakness.
Read Philippians 3:10-12
I'll end with a quote I got from Challies' Blog from Ligon Duncan talking about how our suffering is meant for the maturity of the church not just for us alone. A new perspective for sure. Be blessed and may Christ dwell in you richly!
"Your suffering does not just belong to you. You are members of a body. Your suffering is for the body's maturity as much as it is for your own. Your suffering is there to build up the church of Christ. It is there for the people of God to be given faith and hope and confidence in the hour of their trials. Your suffering is also the body's suffering because one of God's purposes in suffering is the maturity of the whole church." Ligon Duncan on Suffering for Christ.
We are so prone to run from anything that hurts. And moreover, we tend to think our trials are there so God can remove them "in Jesus name".
We aren't comfortable with suffering. We aren't content with pain. We don't delight in enduring the hard stuff. We're human. We're hedonists. We live for pleasure. It's super hard to "count it all joy when we face trials". But as Christians, we have to choose to be the opposite. We must believe that Christ's life, death and resurrection is an example of how to live.
Listen fellow believer, don't be fooled into believing that God intends a life of pleasure for you. Not that "every good and perfect gift is from above" is a lie. It is most certainly the truth. Every earthly possession we have is a gift from God; from our spouse to the food on the table at night. But what God intends for his children is a life modeled after his Son. A life full of humiliation, deprivation, and sanctification. (look up words you don't know later :))
I can't tell you how many examples of Christ I have come across in the past couple years that remind me of who my Savior is. I think of the single women in our church who are in their late 20s, early 30s and who are REJOICING in the honor of serving Christ through singlehood. The man in my church who has battled multiple myeloma for over 7 years and still gives every ounce of glory to God for his life. The women in our church who have experienced the deep pain of miscarriage but yet glorify God for His perfect will. I've watched a couple fight for their marriage after many nights of heartache and lonliness. And then I've seen that same couple pursue each other and rekindle their love (and are now with child). Every time someone in my life says, "i'm struggling so much but I know the Lord has a plan and I trust him" I tear up and say thank you Lord for broken, vulnerable people who know you are in control. Thank you for people who are after YOU being magnified and them being debased. His power is made perfect in our weakness.
Read Philippians 3:10-12
I'll end with a quote I got from Challies' Blog from Ligon Duncan talking about how our suffering is meant for the maturity of the church not just for us alone. A new perspective for sure. Be blessed and may Christ dwell in you richly!
"Your suffering does not just belong to you. You are members of a body. Your suffering is for the body's maturity as much as it is for your own. Your suffering is there to build up the church of Christ. It is there for the people of God to be given faith and hope and confidence in the hour of their trials. Your suffering is also the body's suffering because one of God's purposes in suffering is the maturity of the whole church." Ligon Duncan on Suffering for Christ.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Just a little bump
no I don't have a pimple, no I am not pregnant, no I don't have bumpy hair.
Today, I accidently bumped the Lexus in front of me while in the Sonic drive-thru line. I wasn't applying enough pressure to my brakes apparently and I was looking down into my wallet to see how much cash I had and "bonk". I was so embarrassed. So I step out of my car and so does she. I say, "I'm so sorry. Do you think it did anything to your car?" She walks over to look and rubs a slight scratch. Looks up at me with a smile and says, "Don't worry about it."
"Thank you ma'am!" I was so overjoyed! I mean it wasn't a big bump but nonetheless a bump. A bump that could've really irritated the irritable person that day. A bump that could've gotten me in a big fix. But no... grace appeared in the form of the Lexus driver today. I felt like it was God's special deliverary for me to remind me of His abundant grace. It was sweet. It was comforting. I felt His love once again in the form of a "don't worry about it" from a complete stranger. Thank you Father for allowing Your goodness to flow out of Lexus lady.
Today, I accidently bumped the Lexus in front of me while in the Sonic drive-thru line. I wasn't applying enough pressure to my brakes apparently and I was looking down into my wallet to see how much cash I had and "bonk". I was so embarrassed. So I step out of my car and so does she. I say, "I'm so sorry. Do you think it did anything to your car?" She walks over to look and rubs a slight scratch. Looks up at me with a smile and says, "Don't worry about it."
"Thank you ma'am!" I was so overjoyed! I mean it wasn't a big bump but nonetheless a bump. A bump that could've really irritated the irritable person that day. A bump that could've gotten me in a big fix. But no... grace appeared in the form of the Lexus driver today. I felt like it was God's special deliverary for me to remind me of His abundant grace. It was sweet. It was comforting. I felt His love once again in the form of a "don't worry about it" from a complete stranger. Thank you Father for allowing Your goodness to flow out of Lexus lady.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Patience is a V.I.R.T.U.E
Waiting drives me crazy. Waiting in lines, waiting on the phone, waiting for dinner to be ready as a kid, waiting for Christmas, waiting to see the dentist. We are by nature, impatient people. We want it now... and it better be hot and fresh! I seem to have the blessed gift of picking the slowest moving line everywhere I go. It doesn't matter if it "looks" the shortest, it ends up being the pokey-est! This especially happens at the bank. Everyone's usually in a hurry when they go through the drive-thru at the bank. It never fails that my line stays happily put while the other 2 or 3 lines keep-a-chuggin'. God is teaching me an all important lesson in patience that I will never be perfect at this side of eternity. Nonetheless, He seems to want to stretch me in this area of patience....thanks a heap Lord. :) (I'm hoping that's because children will be in the near future...and when I say near, I mean a year or 2 years....gah!
But this lesson in patience is not so much about me as it is about the One who lives in me. It's true that I want people to see the unfading beauty of a gentle, quiet and patient spirit but none of those things are part of who I am as a human.
It's VBS week. I am a crew leader, which means I have a group of 4-5 kids who I lead to each learning station. One little boy in particular has demonstrated that he has the same patience defect as I. He is anxious, anxious, anxious to get to the next place! And why shouldn't he be? VBS is stinkin' awesome! So much to see and learn! God is with us! FEAR NOT! anyways....
These precious children that I have been entrusted with this week for 3 hours a night, are looking at me for leadership. They are watching to see if I am happy, if I am focused, if I am respectful and if I am PATIENT. Well.....I'm trying. lol I feel I have caught a glimpse of what it takes to be a parent. I mean, you are watched like a hawk 24/7 by little eyes who are soaking in every moment and move you choose. Pressure! whoa!
When I got home last night after being at the church for approximately 12 hours straight, I got a shower, kissed my husband (who was busy studying), and climbed in bed with a book. The Lord drew me to the ever encouraging 14th chapter of John where Jesus is with His beloved disciples the night before His crucifixion. He tells them that He is the only way to the Father and a confused, Philip says, "Lord show us the Father and that will be enough for us". Jesus reassures them that the Father lives in Him and He in the Father and that they will have a Counselor who will remind them of these things whenever they doubt. They are still confused, and another disciple asks why He has shown Himself to them but will not show Himself to the world. And then He tells them the most wonderful thing! He says that if anyone loves Him and obeys His Father's commands, they will come make their home within that person and give them peace. At the end of the chapter, Jesus says this of the task before him,
" 'The world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what My Father has commanded me. "Come now, let us leave.' "
There's Jesus.... aware of the pain that awaits Him the next day; aware of the humiliation and abuse people will throw at Him; aware of the spiteful looks and unrepentant hearts He will pass. He has already seen through His providence what will happen and He obediently declares it so to His disciples. I can only imagine the weaping that happened among those faithful men that night as they pictured their Lord suffering for THEIR sin. The depth of the love they must have felt for this God made man who willingly laid down His perfect life for their stained ones. And knowing the pain that would befell Him, Jesus declares His obedience to His Father. "The world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what My Father has commanded me."
An indulgent, self-saturated world desperately needs to see that we, Christians, will do what is right and pleasing to our Lord, no matter what the punishment from the world. I applied this to my choice to show patience during this week at VBS...a far, far cry from what Christ did for me on the cross, but still an act of obedience to my Father.
I will choose obedience. I will choose patience. I will choose kindness. Because He did that for me, and I am so not worth it.
But this lesson in patience is not so much about me as it is about the One who lives in me. It's true that I want people to see the unfading beauty of a gentle, quiet and patient spirit but none of those things are part of who I am as a human.
It's VBS week. I am a crew leader, which means I have a group of 4-5 kids who I lead to each learning station. One little boy in particular has demonstrated that he has the same patience defect as I. He is anxious, anxious, anxious to get to the next place! And why shouldn't he be? VBS is stinkin' awesome! So much to see and learn! God is with us! FEAR NOT! anyways....
These precious children that I have been entrusted with this week for 3 hours a night, are looking at me for leadership. They are watching to see if I am happy, if I am focused, if I am respectful and if I am PATIENT. Well.....I'm trying. lol I feel I have caught a glimpse of what it takes to be a parent. I mean, you are watched like a hawk 24/7 by little eyes who are soaking in every moment and move you choose. Pressure! whoa!
When I got home last night after being at the church for approximately 12 hours straight, I got a shower, kissed my husband (who was busy studying), and climbed in bed with a book. The Lord drew me to the ever encouraging 14th chapter of John where Jesus is with His beloved disciples the night before His crucifixion. He tells them that He is the only way to the Father and a confused, Philip says, "Lord show us the Father and that will be enough for us". Jesus reassures them that the Father lives in Him and He in the Father and that they will have a Counselor who will remind them of these things whenever they doubt. They are still confused, and another disciple asks why He has shown Himself to them but will not show Himself to the world. And then He tells them the most wonderful thing! He says that if anyone loves Him and obeys His Father's commands, they will come make their home within that person and give them peace. At the end of the chapter, Jesus says this of the task before him,
" 'The world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what My Father has commanded me. "Come now, let us leave.' "
There's Jesus.... aware of the pain that awaits Him the next day; aware of the humiliation and abuse people will throw at Him; aware of the spiteful looks and unrepentant hearts He will pass. He has already seen through His providence what will happen and He obediently declares it so to His disciples. I can only imagine the weaping that happened among those faithful men that night as they pictured their Lord suffering for THEIR sin. The depth of the love they must have felt for this God made man who willingly laid down His perfect life for their stained ones. And knowing the pain that would befell Him, Jesus declares His obedience to His Father. "The world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what My Father has commanded me."
An indulgent, self-saturated world desperately needs to see that we, Christians, will do what is right and pleasing to our Lord, no matter what the punishment from the world. I applied this to my choice to show patience during this week at VBS...a far, far cry from what Christ did for me on the cross, but still an act of obedience to my Father.
I will choose obedience. I will choose patience. I will choose kindness. Because He did that for me, and I am so not worth it.
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