Originally posted on 10/17/08
Okay...So it has been...well...maybe just a bit too long to really be considered a blogging site by most...but I AM BACK! And honestly, it is not that I have had too little to say about a number of different events in life and regarding life. Rather, it has been more that after figuring out how to blog and set all this stuff up...to blog...I forgot my password andusername...Yes, yes, I realize that may sound a bit "airheaded," but with three kids and life happening faster than a speeding bullet...well...some brain cells have certainly been left behind, or killed altogether.
I will make this re-entry into the blogging world short...simply to tell you that I imagine in the next few weeks I may have much to say about this very political year. So as not to alienate anyone who might view things differently than me, I will say, God knows and is sovereign over all things...this election included, no matter who wins. With that said, I have got to simply wonder...how is it that so many Americans are not really really listening to what "spreading the wealth around" means? How is it that when a candidate says he will make tax cuts for 95% of Americans and yet approximately 40% of them don't pay income taxes, none of the mainstream media ask the pertinent questions that ought to be asked? Why are so many - and I mean MANY - details being left out of reports by mainstream media? Even your average JOE or JANE, is capable of determining for themselves what they believe when presented with objective facts. They need not be fed one-sided perspectives for fear of anyone voting contrary to their desires...and by "they" I mean mainstream media. I truly have come to believe that we are daily being insulted as Americans and our intellect has been assaulted by having been spoon-fed whatever has been selectively provided as "news" and "newsworthy" reporting.
I have often said that college is really a place to sort through what one really believes. It is a time in life where if you don't learn to critically think for yourself, you are basically subject to the greatest external influences that you are exposed to most frequently. I recall a time when my brother, who much less naive than I, came to visit me at college and sat in on one of my classes. The class was called Socialism. When he and I had a chance to discuss what he had heard, his first question to me was, "What? Are all your professors Socialists?" Up until that point I tended to make gospel whatever my professors . I knew so much less that it was easy to load me up with all kinds of good notions and ideals. As a result of his question, however, I had an epiphany that changed my college career and way of thinking from that point forward. Fortunately, I was only a sophomore and had a little more time to develop additional critical thinking skills, which were thereafter used on every paper I wrote and not always to the welcomed reception of my professors.
The reason I bring all this up here is because it appears we have a youth culture today of post-modernists who tend to view truth as a non-absolute, who base their beliefs on their emotions and what feels right, and who have not learned to think critically for themselves. It is becoming increasingly evident today that the art of analytical and critical thinking has been lost. After having worked with youth for many years and from my vantage point, there seems to be a critical thinking crisis among the youth culture of today - and I guess at this stage in life I mean anyone under 40. Many young people have not learned to educate themselves but instead have developed a set of beliefs based on the media, the culture or their peer groups.
Many of these young people are casting votes and that concerns me. Don't get me wrong, I am concerned that young people are taking their responsibility to vote seriously, but rather that they are not educating themselves with all the relevant and pertinent information they can find for themselves. After all, as it has been said, every right implies responsibility, every opportunity implies an obligation, and every possession implies a duty.
Generally speaking, people tend to seek out information that supports their perspective, however they arrived at their perspective...intellectually or emotionally. Even the Word of God in II Timothy 4:3 says, "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." As I find myself looking around our culture, it seems this manifestation of "itching ears" is so evident. But, maybe, it is not to everyone (Matthew 13). We have been given an intellect that is unique to humans alone, the ability to think and reason. When we allow others to do our thinking and reasoning for us, we are basically foregoing a basic freedom we have as Americans and inherently as individuals. We ought not allow ourselves to sit idly by while we are fed what we are to believe. We need to be active participants in the process.
I am concerned for my children and their futures. I pray daily that they will be leaders for their generation by exercising the intellect God has granted them in order to make this world a better place in their own spheres of influence. When we surround ourselves only with those who see things as we do, we alienate ourselves to the inquiries of others and become narrow minded. Believers are often quite guilty of this, and as a homeschooling mom who tries not to isolate my kids, I fear that many Christian kids may not be taught how to question and critically think through things for themselves. When they finally do decide to do so, it is often when they are free of any parental guidance and in college when ties that bind become dimly recalled in light of all the new intrigues of "freedom". What a huge responsibility we have to instruct and prepare our children for their future and then entrust them to God.And, whatever happened to hard work, competition and the rewards for the fruit of your labor? I just cannot believe that the components of what made this amazing country so great in its genesis - though far from perfect - are so obviously being eroded while we stand by scratching our heads and wondering why. As emigrants to America, both my parents had little education. My mother quit school upon coming to America when she found herself in a class of 13 year oldswhen she was nearly 16. She never really recovered from the insecurities related to her lack of education, and the only book I regularly saw her write in was the Bible in which she put many questions marks and in Greek, the word "here" to indicate where she had left off the day before. On the other hand, my father was an orphan who was discarded by his mother, and then, as all good Greek orphans do (because it was required) he went into the military. Upon coming to America with my mother, he was ridiculed, scoffed at, beat up among other things simply because of his ethnicity and his seemingly uneducated speaking abilities. And yet, as I was growing up, he had read and highlighted hundreds of books, certainly more of them than I had while in college and was often asked to publicly speak at various engagements. As both my parents are now deceased, (another story all together), I find that looking on the many life lessons they taught by example, many of them were clearly and intentionally rooted in the Word of God but also in the traditional values espoused by many Americans throughout the years - among them, hard work and the satisfaction and success that can come of it.
My father had a thick Greek accent, but if you ask anyone back in Fort Wayne how they would describe my dad, one of the most common adjectives you would hear is "Patriot." He had his Jeep Cherokee covered in patriotism from his license plate which read "BESTUSA" that hangs in my boys' room to the flags on both sides of his Jeep. This man LOVED America...but as he lay sick in his last days watching FOX news and knowing his end was eminent, he would repeatedly say, " I fear for you and your childrens' future." In some ways, I am glad he is not able to see the state of things today.
With the market in such fluctuation, fear is clearly wreaking havoc on our economy. In a sense, one might even say fear is currently controlling the market forces. It then stands to reason, if it can control an entire country's economy and impact the global economy to such a great extent, then fear is also effectively controlling the lives of many individuals, thanks in part to the rally cries of the media shouting, "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!" But let's all take heart and regroup. In a recent sermon I listened to by James McDonald (September 23, 2008), he addressed the matter of trust and anxiety in the midst of uncertain circumstances. As we face an uncertain future, no more or less in a good or bad economy, we have got to believe GOD has not been surprised by any of these national or global circumstances. For whatever the reason(s), this is our present situation. Asking why won't change anything, but asking ourselves what we ought to be learning through it all (as individuals and as a nation) would be a more productive use of our time. There is much to be learned and much wisdom to be gained. Perhaps the lessons that are being learned are being learned in a way few of us would choose to learn them. But perhaps, too, no other method of instruction would be as profound and effective for learning the very lessons we need to learn.
I have so many thoughts racing through my head, but I don't understand why at almost 3am I felt compelled to expound on any of them. Nevertheless, I did. I said I would be short, and well, I lied. Forgive me. I don't suspect my personal information was all that interesting for many. Perhaps, it was simply my way of organizing my thoughts and determining why these issues are so heavily pressed upon my heart. The thing is...there is a lot in here that I will likely spend more time delving into if I get back to write another blog anytime soon, particularly as the election draws nearer. As for now, I leave you with these thoughts and welcome your dialogue. Hope to hear from you soon! God bless, and Good Morning? Ah, well, yes, Good morning! It is indeed!
Thursday, February 7, 2019
"I WANT...I NEED..." Do You Really?
Originally posted on 2/15/16
When you want something you don't have or miss, when things aren't going as you planned or moving as fast as you want, or when you are not in a comfortable place (health-wise or circumstantially), ask yourself what might be really bothering you? During times of such wondering, often the state of our heart will be laid bare, exposed as well perhaps as idols we may have erected along the way. Are we complaining? Are we whining? Are we impatient? Could God be orchestrating things behind the scenes, perhaps at a slower pace than we desire, but above and beyond all we could have hoped for? Occasionally, as I listen to conversations and requests for prayer, I wonder if we have developed a stronger affinity for just being comfortable (no matter what we may profess to the contrary) than we do for seeking the deeper things, seeking to understand the real reason for our discomfort and embracing it as a time of growth individually.
When you want something you don't have or miss, when things aren't going as you planned or moving as fast as you want, or when you are not in a comfortable place (health-wise or circumstantially), ask yourself what might be really bothering you? During times of such wondering, often the state of our heart will be laid bare, exposed as well perhaps as idols we may have erected along the way. Are we complaining? Are we whining? Are we impatient? Could God be orchestrating things behind the scenes, perhaps at a slower pace than we desire, but above and beyond all we could have hoped for? Occasionally, as I listen to conversations and requests for prayer, I wonder if we have developed a stronger affinity for just being comfortable (no matter what we may profess to the contrary) than we do for seeking the deeper things, seeking to understand the real reason for our discomfort and embracing it as a time of growth individually.
When we are stripped of things that bring us comfort, security, happiness and pleasure, when we face health issues or trials of various sorts and come to the end of ourselves, it is there we may find what truly motivates our words, our deeds...our lives and...hopefully, in the end, we will find where our true strength comes from, what really matters and what our true need really is. "The good news of suffering is it brings us to the end of ourselves...It brings us to a place ofhonesty, which is the place of freedom. Suffering leaves our idols in pieces on the ground..." It is completely counter cultural these days to think of suffering as a good thing. And yet, if it strips us of all the peripheral, non-essentials and focuses us on Christ as our full and complete provision, there will never be a sweeter place. Are you really in NEED? Do you really WANT...HIM? If yes, then allow Him to peel back the layers of anything that would hinder your arrival to this sweet place.
In my most difficult, uncomfortable, uncertain and painful seasons, I have found the most precious place of communion and times of knowing my Savior, the one who gave up every comfort and luxury...HIS LIFE...for my sake and God's glory. My prayer is that we would all ask the tough questions of ourselves and not fear the honest answers, but rather TRUST as we submit to the process of sanctification, He who is ever faithful will bring us into a deeper walk with Him and a better understanding of ourselves and our NEED of Him, and consequently, an insatiable growth in our WANT of Him and His presence in our life!
Blessings!
For a great article on the above check this out...
Boldness with YOUR Story
Originally posted on 2/11/16
Please watch...ALL OF IT! Well worth the 16 minutes it takes...
Gianna Jesson - On Her Almost Aborted Life!
Well, to be honest with you, this little blog today is completely and utterly a surprise. I was not at all intending to write it, but for some reason, felt prompted to interrupt my plan to blog the follow up to Purposeful Suffering Part 1, Joyful Suffering - Part 2, with this, and might I add, in case you were wondering, I am definitely about to step up onto my soapbox right now...I will let you know when I step off!
Praise to GOD! My Creator answers prayers for direction, vision casting, and purposeful activity through the most amazing vehicles. This time it was through a Youtube clip. Upon watching it, I was completely unable to hold back the tears and emotion. I honestly don't see how anyone listening to the story of this young woman's life could remain emotionless. Her boldness is rarely seen and when it is, people sit up and take notice. This is what we want our heroes to look like. We want our heroes to be bold in standing up for what has been somehow termed "politically incorrect". What I saw in this clip was a particular type of boldness that comes from from the heart of person destined to be used for the glory of God, a vessel for proclaiming things others would never dare to, no matter how necessary! This is a boldness from a humble soul, a boldness from one unafraid of suffering or existing as a "living" martyr of sorts, and a boldness from one who has found purpose in this life.
To think, we are all born with purpose and sadly some of us don't even know what that purpose is. She has an amazing story, but we all have a story! The question is what are we going to do with OUR story to proclaim the love, mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior? Too many of us have sat silent merely playing "Christian". This woman - THIS WOMAN is proclaiming it from every corner of the earth she is allowed to enter. She has experienced "purposeful suffering" and because she has found purpose in the storm, in the suffering and in the circumstances God has allowed into her life, God has graciously taught her how to "joyfully" suffer. Too many of us quickly want out of our circumstances. It's human nature to want to escape suffering. But did you ever think that when God allows suffering, He just might be giving us an amazing platform upon which to proclaim Him and to do so with great boldness and an opportunity to identify with Christ? What can bring more glorious joy into our life than that? We may not personally receive invitations to speak in countries across the ocean, BUT, what we do have is a story of our own, very unique and purposefully designed. And, no matter what that story is, GOD CAN USE IT! God can use ALL THINGS in our lives as we surrender them for His purposes. The catch - well, the catch is that we have to be willing to surrender them. I strongly believe that God doesn't waste our experiences, our pain, our circumstances, good or bad, EVER. In God's economy, nothing is for nothing! Viewing all of life from that perspective changes everything because there always is purpose, always meaning to what we experience. I am overwhelmed to think of what this world could look like if we all were using the gifts and talents we have, and even, the weaknesses and struggles we have and have experienced as a platform for proclaiming Him and lifting up the body of Christ which so often is secretly suffering? I just wonder.
Let's stop looking at OUR comfort, OUR conveniences, OUR schedules, OUR activities, and get out of OUR own way so we can see what He is doing and join Him in it with what He has given us and purposed for us. Contrary to the world's proclamation, IT IS NOT ALL ABOUT US. SELF needs to be put to a quick death! The faster we all do so, the sooner we can find our true purpose and meaning, the one He has always intended for us to find. We need to pick up that cross and, dog gone it...just FOLLOW!!!!!
And students, for God's sake and glory, if you think my generation has dropped the ball in proclaiming Him as boldly as this young woman has before foreign government officials, politicians, Orthodox priests, and dignitaries, then by all means, stop pointing the finger and let God deal with us. YOU - PICK UP THE BALL and run with it! God has you here for a specific purpose at this time, in this generation, in this specific place! Seek Him and listen. Find out how you can use what He has given you and blessed you with to live it out just as loudly! Wherever He has you...at school, at work, among your friends, He will open doors and give you your own platform to proclaim Him if you are observant and willing! Gianna, put it perfectly. She said she wasn't put on this earth to make others or herself comfortable. She was put here to stir things up, be hated...and has been since birth. But, she has found it a glorious and worthy thing to suffer for the sake of Her God, Her Maker and Her Savior! Lovingly, she has boldly and graciously proclaimed the uncomfortable name of Jesus and has taken a stand against the politically incorrect. No, more accurately, just the plain incorrect. Now, how about you? How about me?
OH, TO BE THIS INSPIRED DAILY!!!!! OH, TO SEE SUCH BOLDNESS CONTINUOUSLY COMING FORTH FROM OUR CHURCHES!!!!WHAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN, IF...
Okay, so I'm getting off my soapbox for the time being...:)
Please watch...ALL OF IT! Well worth the 16 minutes it takes...
Gianna Jesson - On Her Almost Aborted Life!
Well, to be honest with you, this little blog today is completely and utterly a surprise. I was not at all intending to write it, but for some reason, felt prompted to interrupt my plan to blog the follow up to Purposeful Suffering Part 1, Joyful Suffering - Part 2, with this, and might I add, in case you were wondering, I am definitely about to step up onto my soapbox right now...I will let you know when I step off!
Praise to GOD! My Creator answers prayers for direction, vision casting, and purposeful activity through the most amazing vehicles. This time it was through a Youtube clip. Upon watching it, I was completely unable to hold back the tears and emotion. I honestly don't see how anyone listening to the story of this young woman's life could remain emotionless. Her boldness is rarely seen and when it is, people sit up and take notice. This is what we want our heroes to look like. We want our heroes to be bold in standing up for what has been somehow termed "politically incorrect". What I saw in this clip was a particular type of boldness that comes from from the heart of person destined to be used for the glory of God, a vessel for proclaiming things others would never dare to, no matter how necessary! This is a boldness from a humble soul, a boldness from one unafraid of suffering or existing as a "living" martyr of sorts, and a boldness from one who has found purpose in this life.
To think, we are all born with purpose and sadly some of us don't even know what that purpose is. She has an amazing story, but we all have a story! The question is what are we going to do with OUR story to proclaim the love, mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior? Too many of us have sat silent merely playing "Christian". This woman - THIS WOMAN is proclaiming it from every corner of the earth she is allowed to enter. She has experienced "purposeful suffering" and because she has found purpose in the storm, in the suffering and in the circumstances God has allowed into her life, God has graciously taught her how to "joyfully" suffer. Too many of us quickly want out of our circumstances. It's human nature to want to escape suffering. But did you ever think that when God allows suffering, He just might be giving us an amazing platform upon which to proclaim Him and to do so with great boldness and an opportunity to identify with Christ? What can bring more glorious joy into our life than that? We may not personally receive invitations to speak in countries across the ocean, BUT, what we do have is a story of our own, very unique and purposefully designed. And, no matter what that story is, GOD CAN USE IT! God can use ALL THINGS in our lives as we surrender them for His purposes. The catch - well, the catch is that we have to be willing to surrender them. I strongly believe that God doesn't waste our experiences, our pain, our circumstances, good or bad, EVER. In God's economy, nothing is for nothing! Viewing all of life from that perspective changes everything because there always is purpose, always meaning to what we experience. I am overwhelmed to think of what this world could look like if we all were using the gifts and talents we have, and even, the weaknesses and struggles we have and have experienced as a platform for proclaiming Him and lifting up the body of Christ which so often is secretly suffering? I just wonder.
Let's stop looking at OUR comfort, OUR conveniences, OUR schedules, OUR activities, and get out of OUR own way so we can see what He is doing and join Him in it with what He has given us and purposed for us. Contrary to the world's proclamation, IT IS NOT ALL ABOUT US. SELF needs to be put to a quick death! The faster we all do so, the sooner we can find our true purpose and meaning, the one He has always intended for us to find. We need to pick up that cross and, dog gone it...just FOLLOW!!!!!
And students, for God's sake and glory, if you think my generation has dropped the ball in proclaiming Him as boldly as this young woman has before foreign government officials, politicians, Orthodox priests, and dignitaries, then by all means, stop pointing the finger and let God deal with us. YOU - PICK UP THE BALL and run with it! God has you here for a specific purpose at this time, in this generation, in this specific place! Seek Him and listen. Find out how you can use what He has given you and blessed you with to live it out just as loudly! Wherever He has you...at school, at work, among your friends, He will open doors and give you your own platform to proclaim Him if you are observant and willing! Gianna, put it perfectly. She said she wasn't put on this earth to make others or herself comfortable. She was put here to stir things up, be hated...and has been since birth. But, she has found it a glorious and worthy thing to suffer for the sake of Her God, Her Maker and Her Savior! Lovingly, she has boldly and graciously proclaimed the uncomfortable name of Jesus and has taken a stand against the politically incorrect. No, more accurately, just the plain incorrect. Now, how about you? How about me?
OH, TO BE THIS INSPIRED DAILY!!!!! OH, TO SEE SUCH BOLDNESS CONTINUOUSLY COMING FORTH FROM OUR CHURCHES!!!!WHAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN, IF...
Okay, so I'm getting off my soapbox for the time being...:)
Broken People by Sophia Buehler
Originally posted on 2/10/16
This was written by my daughter as she sat listening to some kids share about their lives in class! I wanted to share what she was inspired to write because it is this compassion I believe we as adults often become deaf and blind to as we grow older and more consumed with me and mine - in a culture FULL of me and mine. I was moved to tears and well, maybe you will be too or at least you might be challenged to stop and listen. What you may hear if you do might wreck you...Let it!
This was written by my daughter as she sat listening to some kids share about their lives in class! I wanted to share what she was inspired to write because it is this compassion I believe we as adults often become deaf and blind to as we grow older and more consumed with me and mine - in a culture FULL of me and mine. I was moved to tears and well, maybe you will be too or at least you might be challenged to stop and listen. What you may hear if you do might wreck you...Let it!
_______________________________________________________________________
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| Sophia Buehler |
Everywhere you go they are there. Broken people from broken homes. They try so hard to conceal it, yet we see them shrouded in darkness asking, "Why?" But their cries are lost in the wind unless… we are listening. They have not always been this way. Once, they were not shattered fragments of people. They were whole. One could almost see the happiness radiating from them. They were wrapped in vibrant, pulsating colors. Now, those colors have faded leaving only shadows of grey, like a bad memory haunting them. On the streets, in the bus, all around, we see them-their radiance dull and faded. We’ve been sent though. We have been sent to guide them back into life, back to the One who can restore all they have lost, all they have left behind and so much more. Shattered people destined to be repaired. They are broken but Jehovah Rapha will mend them. These are the shattered, broken people of today’s world.
When your ears are open, you hear more. That is a fact. It is imperative that people who claim to live the cause, practice keeping their eyes and ears open for opportunities.
No Matter What...2013
Originally posted on 1/1/13
Well, it's officially a new year! 2013! People have made their resolutions, kissed their loved ones, and have great hopes for a new year. Well, I would love to say I have made resolutions, I have kissed all my loved ones, and have great hopes for a healthy new year...but I haven't made any resolutions on purpose, am not with all of my loved ones (many of whom have passed), and have had great hopes for a few years that never came to fruition (well, if I am being honest and accurate, I have had MY idea of great hope for a new year). So, where does that leave me?
Well, I have been considering what my mother used to say (with a mix of Greek and English words) each year around this time..."If you can't look at your passed year and examine the ways you have been stretched and have grown or perhaps even failed, then maybe the experiences (good or bad) did not benefit you as they ought to have or were intended to." Since she passed away when I was only 21, I hadn't yet had enough life experience under my belt to understand what she was hoping I would grasp from that statement. But I do now!
As I look back on some of the past few years, I can honestly say they have been some of the most painful, difficult years of my life for a myriad of reasons, and for reasons that perhaps only God, me and my precious man will ever only fully know. Things I never dreamed would occur in my life...have occurred...and in no small way, the greatest fears from early in life came true, chronic health issues, financial surprises, and dreams shelved just to name a few. I only share these because it brings me to the point of this blog today...on the first day of 2013 - and that is this...NO MATTER WHAT, God will be glorified with or without my cooperation...and because He is who He says He is, I have great hope! I have seen God change me and stretch me through His grace and mercy in ways I would have never allowed myself to be stretched were it up to me. And, I am so glad He did! His grace in my life, every day and every moment, has altered how I see Him, myself, and others to such a degree that though there have been opportunities for what the world might deem justified anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness, by His grace, I feel none. I may at times still experience sadness, but I know in that too, I am more able to identify with His sufferings and His sadness over a fallen world. No. It doesn't feel good to feel sad, but it does feel right NOT to feel bitter and angry because of His grace.
When I graduated high school, I recall praying what I now realize was a very dangerous and risky prayer...but I meant it with my whole heart. There were three components to it and if you could just stop laughing long enough through the first two, you may find the last one interesting because it set a course for my life I have never regretted, regardless of how painful. I first prayed that God would release me from the bondage to hairspray. Yep, I said hairspray. Remember, it was the 80s! Cut me some slack! I felt I had become distracted with having to control every one of my curly hairs when curly hair was not so in vogue. The second one was that I would, after years of urging from my sweet mother, ease up on the application of cakey makeup - feel free to query my friends from high school if you wonder. I was not your natural mid-western beauty, but a dark harsh specimen of femininity doing the best I could with what God had given me. The third one truly surprises me. I honestly have no idea where I had the maturity back then to pray in this way, but by His grace, I did. I asked God to allow and do in my life whatever it took to mature me as a believer and follower of Christ. NO JOKE! How this one fits with the others...I am just not so sure, but there you have it. Interestingly enough, I didn't have to wait long for the maturation process to begin, and it began severely. My second year in college...my mother passed away, a long story in and of itself. Suffice it to say, losing a loved one, especially a mother and best friend, forced me to determine if I truly believed what I had always thought I believed...And so began a life long journey...
So, why do I bother sharing these somewhat embarrassing prayers of mine from back in the day? Well, I imagine it is because I have watched my life take turns I never anticipated, experienced things I wish I hadn't, and felt pain I never welcomed with open arms, and through it all...year after year...He has NEVER left my side. He has NEVER failed me. He has NEVER forsaken me. He has ALWAYS provided. He has ALWAYS loved me. He has ALWAYS watched over me. AND best of all He has NEVER left me just as He first found me. Being 45 I can say that through the years and with absolute certainty even when I have refused to recognize it, or for that matter like it, His mercy and grace through unexpected and unpleasant circumstances always deepened my walk with Him, taught me to trust Him more, and ushered me into a deeper level of faith I hadn't thought possible. Along the way and on many occasions, I was also blessed to see the miraculous. I've been beyond blessed with a mate who has such a gift of faith that even when I faltered and feared, proving myself to be weak and weary, he has always showed me by his example how to keep persevering in faithfulness (not perfection) and taught me that it is possible because of grace to continue loving, serving and giving first to our family then to others through the most difficult of times.
Difficulty, suffering, trials and hardship are not necessarily signs of failure. Though, I suppose it depends on how you define success. If defined as the American dream or even sometimes how some religious/churched folk define it, you may feel discouragement, discontentment, and perhaps even despair. But what if like Laura's Song says, these circumstances allowed in your life are merely mercies in disguise? What if? I have heard many people in person, via social media, and even tonight on TV when the ball dropped in Times Square say how it had been a trying and difficult year they were eager to put behind them. Why? Well, probably because like most people I know they want to feel good, avoiding any pain and discomfort. And yet, if we put the year behind us without remembering what we were intended to learn from the events of the preceding 365 days, well, personally, I would consider it a wasted year. Our question at a year's end ought not be why? But rather, maybe we would do better to ask ourselves what did God show us of Himself, what did He teach us, and what did He intend for us to learn? That is where growth and maturity begin - in the kind of self-evaluation that does not end in discouragement but in increased teachability and greater awareness of our deep NEED for His saving grace and daily mercies. These questions help us gain a heavenly perspective and enable us to see all things working together for our good because we love Him...even if they're painful. They help us to recognize that there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven (Ecc. 3:1-8).
Like many others I have found myself labeling my years. Funny thing is, the label has been the same for the past seven years - FAITH. It all started when while praying with a friend. I prayed for greater faith and the ability to BELIEVE God, not just in God. I wanted that unshakeable kind of faith. Watch out! Guess what it takes for most of us to develop unshakeable faith? It often takes shakeable circumstances, and generally speaking, unpleasant, unwanted, and uncomfortable circumstances. God's delivered in answering and continues to answer that prayer. My faith has grown. His faithfulness is ever more evident. And yet...I know I have a long way to go.
As a family we have learned to define a successful year somewhat in these terms: To love God, submitting to and being found faithful in what He has called us to be and do regardless of circumstances, and to continue to love and serve those He places in our midst, extending the same grace to others that we have been freely given no matter the cost. As we reflect on all the uncertainties we have faced, the disappointments of life, and the losses, if we can look back on our years and point to great growth, even if painful (and what growth really isn't), then we can look once again to each coming new year with hope and anticipation because our hope hasn't been placed in our circumstances or the belief that if our circumstances were to change all would be well, but our hope remains in Christ and in the fact that through it all, it is HE who remains faithful, steady, present, behind us, beside us, and in front of us. Look ahead with great HOPE because you can look behind and see where He has loved you enough NOT to allow you to get too comfortable or to stagnate. And if you have been too comfortable, maybe it is time to pray that God would do whatever it takes to rock your world so you can know more of Him and His surpassing greatness in the year to come.
Well, it's officially a new year! 2013! People have made their resolutions, kissed their loved ones, and have great hopes for a new year. Well, I would love to say I have made resolutions, I have kissed all my loved ones, and have great hopes for a healthy new year...but I haven't made any resolutions on purpose, am not with all of my loved ones (many of whom have passed), and have had great hopes for a few years that never came to fruition (well, if I am being honest and accurate, I have had MY idea of great hope for a new year). So, where does that leave me?
Well, I have been considering what my mother used to say (with a mix of Greek and English words) each year around this time..."If you can't look at your passed year and examine the ways you have been stretched and have grown or perhaps even failed, then maybe the experiences (good or bad) did not benefit you as they ought to have or were intended to." Since she passed away when I was only 21, I hadn't yet had enough life experience under my belt to understand what she was hoping I would grasp from that statement. But I do now!
As I look back on some of the past few years, I can honestly say they have been some of the most painful, difficult years of my life for a myriad of reasons, and for reasons that perhaps only God, me and my precious man will ever only fully know. Things I never dreamed would occur in my life...have occurred...and in no small way, the greatest fears from early in life came true, chronic health issues, financial surprises, and dreams shelved just to name a few. I only share these because it brings me to the point of this blog today...on the first day of 2013 - and that is this...NO MATTER WHAT, God will be glorified with or without my cooperation...and because He is who He says He is, I have great hope! I have seen God change me and stretch me through His grace and mercy in ways I would have never allowed myself to be stretched were it up to me. And, I am so glad He did! His grace in my life, every day and every moment, has altered how I see Him, myself, and others to such a degree that though there have been opportunities for what the world might deem justified anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness, by His grace, I feel none. I may at times still experience sadness, but I know in that too, I am more able to identify with His sufferings and His sadness over a fallen world. No. It doesn't feel good to feel sad, but it does feel right NOT to feel bitter and angry because of His grace.
When I graduated high school, I recall praying what I now realize was a very dangerous and risky prayer...but I meant it with my whole heart. There were three components to it and if you could just stop laughing long enough through the first two, you may find the last one interesting because it set a course for my life I have never regretted, regardless of how painful. I first prayed that God would release me from the bondage to hairspray. Yep, I said hairspray. Remember, it was the 80s! Cut me some slack! I felt I had become distracted with having to control every one of my curly hairs when curly hair was not so in vogue. The second one was that I would, after years of urging from my sweet mother, ease up on the application of cakey makeup - feel free to query my friends from high school if you wonder. I was not your natural mid-western beauty, but a dark harsh specimen of femininity doing the best I could with what God had given me. The third one truly surprises me. I honestly have no idea where I had the maturity back then to pray in this way, but by His grace, I did. I asked God to allow and do in my life whatever it took to mature me as a believer and follower of Christ. NO JOKE! How this one fits with the others...I am just not so sure, but there you have it. Interestingly enough, I didn't have to wait long for the maturation process to begin, and it began severely. My second year in college...my mother passed away, a long story in and of itself. Suffice it to say, losing a loved one, especially a mother and best friend, forced me to determine if I truly believed what I had always thought I believed...And so began a life long journey...
So, why do I bother sharing these somewhat embarrassing prayers of mine from back in the day? Well, I imagine it is because I have watched my life take turns I never anticipated, experienced things I wish I hadn't, and felt pain I never welcomed with open arms, and through it all...year after year...He has NEVER left my side. He has NEVER failed me. He has NEVER forsaken me. He has ALWAYS provided. He has ALWAYS loved me. He has ALWAYS watched over me. AND best of all He has NEVER left me just as He first found me. Being 45 I can say that through the years and with absolute certainty even when I have refused to recognize it, or for that matter like it, His mercy and grace through unexpected and unpleasant circumstances always deepened my walk with Him, taught me to trust Him more, and ushered me into a deeper level of faith I hadn't thought possible. Along the way and on many occasions, I was also blessed to see the miraculous. I've been beyond blessed with a mate who has such a gift of faith that even when I faltered and feared, proving myself to be weak and weary, he has always showed me by his example how to keep persevering in faithfulness (not perfection) and taught me that it is possible because of grace to continue loving, serving and giving first to our family then to others through the most difficult of times.
Difficulty, suffering, trials and hardship are not necessarily signs of failure. Though, I suppose it depends on how you define success. If defined as the American dream or even sometimes how some religious/churched folk define it, you may feel discouragement, discontentment, and perhaps even despair. But what if like Laura's Song says, these circumstances allowed in your life are merely mercies in disguise? What if? I have heard many people in person, via social media, and even tonight on TV when the ball dropped in Times Square say how it had been a trying and difficult year they were eager to put behind them. Why? Well, probably because like most people I know they want to feel good, avoiding any pain and discomfort. And yet, if we put the year behind us without remembering what we were intended to learn from the events of the preceding 365 days, well, personally, I would consider it a wasted year. Our question at a year's end ought not be why? But rather, maybe we would do better to ask ourselves what did God show us of Himself, what did He teach us, and what did He intend for us to learn? That is where growth and maturity begin - in the kind of self-evaluation that does not end in discouragement but in increased teachability and greater awareness of our deep NEED for His saving grace and daily mercies. These questions help us gain a heavenly perspective and enable us to see all things working together for our good because we love Him...even if they're painful. They help us to recognize that there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven (Ecc. 3:1-8).
Like many others I have found myself labeling my years. Funny thing is, the label has been the same for the past seven years - FAITH. It all started when while praying with a friend. I prayed for greater faith and the ability to BELIEVE God, not just in God. I wanted that unshakeable kind of faith. Watch out! Guess what it takes for most of us to develop unshakeable faith? It often takes shakeable circumstances, and generally speaking, unpleasant, unwanted, and uncomfortable circumstances. God's delivered in answering and continues to answer that prayer. My faith has grown. His faithfulness is ever more evident. And yet...I know I have a long way to go.
As a family we have learned to define a successful year somewhat in these terms: To love God, submitting to and being found faithful in what He has called us to be and do regardless of circumstances, and to continue to love and serve those He places in our midst, extending the same grace to others that we have been freely given no matter the cost. As we reflect on all the uncertainties we have faced, the disappointments of life, and the losses, if we can look back on our years and point to great growth, even if painful (and what growth really isn't), then we can look once again to each coming new year with hope and anticipation because our hope hasn't been placed in our circumstances or the belief that if our circumstances were to change all would be well, but our hope remains in Christ and in the fact that through it all, it is HE who remains faithful, steady, present, behind us, beside us, and in front of us. Look ahead with great HOPE because you can look behind and see where He has loved you enough NOT to allow you to get too comfortable or to stagnate. And if you have been too comfortable, maybe it is time to pray that God would do whatever it takes to rock your world so you can know more of Him and His surpassing greatness in the year to come.
Just One Request
Dear Master for this coming year
Just one request I bring:
I do not pray for happiness,
I do not ask to understand
the way Thou leadest me,
But this I ask: Teach me to do
The thing that pleaseth Thee
I want to know Thy guiding voice,
To walk with Thee each day.
Dear Master make me swift to hear
And ready to obey.
And thus the year I now begin
A happy year will be -
If I am seeking just to do
The thing that pleaseth Thee.
Author Unknown
UPDATE 2016...My heart, even now three years later, continues to experience His overflow of grace in increasingly greater and deeper ways. More trials, more discomfort, and yet...MORE GRACE...MUCH MORE GRACE! The road to greater intimacy with Him is definitely the road less traveled. As we travel, let us remind ourselves of these cherished lyrics...
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face...and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace!"
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