MariLaVell

Dirty Snow Angel

2012-01-29T23:35:00.000-08:00

I saw a quote once that said "This isn't heaven, we don't have to be perfect yet." I pondered and wondered if this was a spiritual way of saying that one could do whatever one wanted, at least until you get to heaven.

I know that isn't true, but the phrase haunts me. Too many times I have tried to be perfect only to find myself in a heap feeling like a miserable failure. Some judge me, but true friends console me. They even assure me that my imperfections are what they like about me. How crazy is that?

But how does one lead others in a faith that they themselves have doubts about? Wow, that is a mouthful. And a heart-full as well.

Almost four years ago, on an outing to Mt Rainier, I couldn't resist the temptation to make a snow angel. If there is snow, an angel must be made in it. This is my theory and I am sticking to it. The snow was anything but fresh and clean, but the temptation still egged me on.

Today I look at these pictures of the result of that temptation and see a dirty snow angel. I can't help but feel that the "little angel" that made it at times has also been a little dirty. Doubts creep in concerning what God has for me. Doubts turn to frustration that end up as depression... and the dirt seeps in.

This isn't heaven...I don't have to be perfect yet...but I must not let dirty doubt seep in and melt into the corners of my heart. Can a dirty snow angel, or the maker of one, still be used of God? Even in all her imperfections? I hope so.

Psalm 51:7-11 (NLT) Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

Take Heart!

2012-01-14T19:11:00.000-08:00

I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind.

Some come without help and some others I find.

I can whine and complain and have a good bawl.

But really some troubles aren’t troubles at all.

Sometimes a thought tromps all around in my mind,

Stirs up my spirit and grips my heart in a bind.

It’s the enemy’s tricks, I know it’s plain crazy

But my brain tends to get a just little bit hazy.

See that mole hill o’er yonder, the one that’s so small?

If I rant on and on I can push it up tall.

Then I’ll stare at Mole Mountain, with my hands on my hips.

Tears will stream down my face, and leave salt on my lips.

Hopelessness will move in, Faithless brings her tent.

I don’t ever recall posting a sign: “This Space for rent”!

But then I’ll remember, the WORD lives within me

I can hear in my heart: “Be thrown into the sea!”

I’ll scrape up the fresh dirt,

With a feeling of mirth.

I’ll fill a big bucket,

In the lake I will chuck it!

Then I’ll plop my bum in the sand,

Watch the sun kiss the land.

And savor the moment,

When I beat the opponent!

I have heard there are troubles
of more than one kind.

Some come from ahead
and some come from behind.

But I've got a big God. I'm all ready you see.

Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!

John 16:33b: "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world."

Let Go

2011-12-28T20:05:00.000-08:00

Life is just a grab bag of donuts; stale, squished, and mangled.

When I was pregnant with my second baby, I was craving a donut…like REALLY craving. I packed up my two-year-old daughter and headed to a local grocery store bakery with a maternity mission in mind. I stood in front of the donut display case and eyed the perfect one to satisfy my needs. A chocolate frosted, Bavarian cream filled delight. There was something about the combination of chocolate, fried bread dough, and creamy wonder that called to me.

The woman behind the counter began to grab donuts from the nearly empty case and shove them into a bag. I watched her take the dry plain ones, misshaped maple bars, and lemon filled leftovers and pile them one on top the other, shaking the bag to adjust its contents.

I finally spoke up and pointed to the Bavarian cream donut. She told me she had just enough to fill a grab bag and if I wanted it I would need to purchase the whole bag.

I didn’t want the dried out, mangled mess she shoved in the bag. I only wanted one donut, but she refused to sell it to me. Doesn’t she know you should never get between an eight month pregnant woman and her craving? Seriously!

Life is just a grab bag of donuts.

This is the time of year many reflect and resolve. Reflect on the past twelve month’s unfulfilled hopes and dreams, and resolve to establish a better way to achieve them in the New Year. Recycled dreams.

This seems to be the time of year I sit with my grease stained bag of stale, squished, mangled dreams and wonder if I should toss the whole bag. Go on a dream diet. Live by the seat of my pants and see where I land. Come what may. You know, live Doris Day style…que sera sea.

It’s hard to dream, yet I’m reminded in Proverbs 29:18 that “Where there is no vision, the people perish…”

One of my favorite animated movies is Joseph King of Dreams. If there is someone that could have totally given up on his dreams, it was Joseph. There’s a song in the movie that has a profound line in it:

“I’ve let go the need to know why, ‘cause You know better than I.”

For me, I don’t know what to dream anymore, but I do know the Dream Giver.

And I’ve let go.

Oh My Emmanuel

2011-12-24T21:04:00.000-08:00

I stuffed a stick into the fire and watched the sparks fly. I wasn’t worried about wild animals. The old men’s snores would scare away any threats to the flock. Being the youngest, the lot fell on me to stay awake through the night.

A random bleat mingled with the dull clang of a sheep’s bell startled me and forced my chin off my chest with a jerk. I couldn’t risk getting caught nodding off or I’d forever be stuck on night watch until I learned my lesson.

I stoked the fire again. The sensation of blazing heat on my face, coinciding with the cool night air on my backside, inspired me to spin around to warm my hind-end. Facing the inky blackness, my eyes struggled to adjust. I rubbed them with my fist but a blurred, halo-white form remained.

“What is out there?” I swiped at my watery eyes with the back of my hand.

“Don’t be afraid,” a voice boomed out of nowhere.

I jumped back and felt my foot land in the warm ashes. In the heart of the whiteness, a figure moved towards me. Cornered, I reached for my staff but froze when the voice spoke again.

“I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

Afraid I’d gone mad in my sleepless imaginings, I was thankful to hear the others stumble to their feet. Just then, the horizon lit up and crystal clear voices cried out saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and goodwill towards men!”

Everyone fumbled over the partial words they heard, piecing them together to make sense of it all in their grogginess.

“Father, Father,” I shoved my way through the men. Toe-to-toe with the man who diligently taught me the scriptures, I whispered for his ears only. “Emmanuel…from the words of the prophet Isaiah…could it be?”

Father stroked his beard and gazed past me to the city below. “The house of David...”

The others huddled in closer. Father placed the palm of his hand over my heart. I’m sure the sound of it thumping could be heard by everyone.

“Indeed, it could be.”

We rushed down the hillside and through the streets of Bethlehem, not knowing where we were to turn next, yet we ran straightway to the place where He lay.

I stared at the tiny swaddled infant. We could see His eyes, nose, and His sweet lips were pursed, freshly satisfied with nourishment from His mother. Before I dared to step forward, I glanced at my father, his beard moist with tears.

The mother nodded to welcome me. She couldn’t have been any older than I, yet I stood looking into the eyes of the virgin we all spoke of from the familiar prophecies. The magnitude of it hit me and I fell to my face and whispered, “God is with us…Oh my Emmanuel.”

***

I stumbled through the streets, balking at the crowds, with my sacrificial lamb wrapped around my neck. The preparations for Passover caused mayhem in the city, but an unmistakable tension filled the air.

My father always called me a tender soul, able to sense when the Spirit of God mingled among us. Today my heart hammered in my chest. I remembered a time long ago on a grassy hillside when it pounded so hard. I sensed the Almighty’s presence, but not in the same way.

Ahead of me a mob shouted, “Crucify him!”

I could barely breathe. I used my bulk to force my way through the masses and followed the throng to Golgotha. One quick glance into the eyes of a distraught woman and I knew who hung on the cross.

The prophecies swirled through my memory. I clutched my bleating sacrifice to my chest in an effort to quiet my heart. Intermittent words from the Man on the cross pierced through my soul. The guttural cries of His mother’s agony ripped at me.

“Father, into Your hands, I commit my spirit.”

The animal in my arms quivered.

“It is finished.”

Instantly, the earth shook and darkness enveloped us. I fell to my knees, buried my face into the snow white fleece of the lamb, and whispered, “Oh my Emmanuel!”

_________

** Portions of scripture have been quoted from the NKJV.

Luke 2:10-14

Matthew 27:46

John 19:30

Luke 23:46

No Matter How Small

2011-11-28T03:06:00.000-08:00

Recently a news story was aired on KOMO 4 concerning embryo adoption. Today Pastor Joe Fuiten quoted a snippet from Dr Seuss in regards to the story of Elisha Lancaster, a healthy vibrant little girl that is the result of embryo adoption. This all prompted me to use my "voice" to write this Seussian style call to the church.

♥ ♥ ♥

Eleven twenty-seven

On a rainy church day

I contemplated heaven

‘Tis my distracted way

Daydreaming facebooking

On my cool new smart phone

Hope no-one was looking

A tad naughty I’m prone

“Adopt an embryo”

Ears suddenly perked

Well what-do-ya know

It truly has worked

It’s a speck that is small

As the head on a pin

But a person after all

And could be your kin

Use them for research

Satan’s lie is so sly

His agenda is heard

“It’s not really alive”

A political battle

Swords have been drawn

Its’ not idle prattle

Time is soon gone

Please don’t harm

All the little folks who

Have as much right to live

As us bigger folks do

From the sun in the summer

And the rain when its fallish

Its our call to protect them

No matter how smallish

God’s people cry loudly

They cry out in fear

To the Prez who sits proudly

“We are here! We are here!”

Don’t think you can’t speak

Don’t think you’re too small

Don’t think you are weak

Don’t think it at all

We’ve got to make noise

In greater amounts

No time to sit poised

For every voice counts

For sure things will worsen

Its prophetic after all

But a person’s a person

No matter how small

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5

A Heart Set Free

2011-11-18T03:11:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I've posted something for Friday Fiction. I've dusted off this little treasure and spruced it up a bit in honor of our veterans...and the ones who love them with an ever lasting love.

♥ ♥ ♥

I love my job. Some may think it appears mundane, but the thrill of the hunt gives me a sense of adventure every day. I’m the sorter at a thrift store. I rummage through boxes and bags of donations and decide if things are sellable or trash, and separate it into various departments.

“Whoa, Marj. You’re gonna like this stuff,” Ricardo unloaded several boxes. “There’s some old stuff in here.”

I could hardly focus on the piles in front of me. I kept looking at the stack Ricardo mentioned. I knew there’d be treasures in there. I could feel it in my bones.

“Can’t stand it can you, Marj?” Emily giggled.

“What can I say? Fifteen years on this job and it never gets boring.”

By break time I made it through the first pile and the good stuff would be ready for me when I returned.

The next half hour I pawed through boxes that appeared to have been sealed up, stored, and never opened again. “There’s a story here. I can feel it.”

I began to notice the items were all women’s things…until I opened what quickly became known as: the box. This is when the story began to unfold.

“Oh, Emily,” I held up a vintage wedding gown. “Who would ever get rid of this?”

Emily gasped and fingered the pearls and lace embedded into the delicate fabric. “It’s beautiful.”

“That would look good on you, Em,” Ricardo winked.

Emily ducked her head to hide her flushed face.

I gently pulled out a perfectly folded WW2 military uniform; everything from hat to shoes. Beneath the uniform I found a small cedar chest and a tin box. I lifted the wooden lid and discovered a set of dog tags, a pocket watch, and his and her wedding bands.

“Look at these,” my eyes were wild with wonder. I held in my palm two perfect gold rings. “There’s not a scratch on them…like they’ve never been worn.”

“Wow, I wonder about the dress. Do you think it was ever worn?” Emily held the lacey bodice to her chest.

I reached in for the aqua painted tin. “Oh my goodness,” my hand flew to my mouth. “It’s full of letters.”

“Love letters?” Emily reached across me and picked one off the top of the pile.

“My dearest Rose,” Emily read out loud. “I will never forget the forlorn look on your face when we were forced to part. It pulls at my very soul. Sometimes when I lay in my bunk at night I see those doe eyes of yours; big, round, brown eyes, full of fear. I pray every night for you to have peace in your heart concerning my well being.”

“They’re stacked in chronological order,” Ricardo thumbed through the treasured letters. “None of them are written to him, they’re all addressed to Rose.”

“Not quite,” I held up a flowery envelope. “This was in the cedar box.”

Ricardo took it from me for a closer look. “There’s no stamp or address.” He slid the crisp stationary out of the never sealed correspondence.

“My Beloved Henry,” Ricardo smiled. “Why don’t we talk like this anymore? No one writes letters constantly declaring their love these days.”

“Just read it already.” Emily blushed, unable to hide her anxious nerves.

“Your mother and father were notified today that you were missing somewhere in France. They couldn’t verify if you are dead or alive. I’m stunned with grief, but I want you to know that I will wait for you. My heart belongs only to you. I will dutifully pray for your safe return upon which I will proudly become Mrs. Henry Moore. All my love, Rose.”

“Do you think he made it home?” Emily’s eyes glistened.

“Hey Marj,” Shelly called from her office. “Did you find a box with a WW2 uniform and some letters in it?”

“We’re looking through them right now,” I hollered back.

“You need to put it all back together. It wasn’t supposed to be donated. The owner is on his way to pick it up.”

“Hey, look at the last letter.” Ricardo handed me a modern envelope.

“My Precious Hank,” I scowled at the change in the name. “Someday I hope you will receive this box. Even if you don’t, I believe the act of recording the truth with pen and paper has helped to set my tormented heart free. Please read these letters in the order they are written and know that you were conceived in deep abiding love.”

Emily gasped next to me. “She was…”

“Yes, and he…” Ricardo interrupted Emily’s detective mind at work.

“So tragic, yet beautiful,” I tried to process it all. “Let’s box it back up before the owner gets here.”

It wasn't long before a frantic man arrived to claim the box full of love, passion, secrets, and repentance. I went back to sorting but my mind churned with thoughts about Henry and Rose…and Hank.

I love my mundane job.

Life Lessons

2011-11-01T23:48:00.000-07:00

I have a short story that will be printed in an anthology published by Write Integrity Press. The book is called: Life Lessons from Grandparents...a trip down memory lane.

It will be available in the next couple weeks. I am allowed to order copies at cost to sell or give away. If you are interested in purchasing a book from me, I'm selling them at my cost plus shipping. At $8 this collection of endearing stories about grandparents would make an awesome Christmas gift.

Please let me know if you are interested in purchasing a book asap. I will need to put my request in very soon.

The End is Here

2011-10-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

So here it is; exactly a year later…the end…the letter Z.

We often use the letter Z to represent sleep. Gonna catch some Z’z. Zzz….snore…zzz. The word I’m closing this series out with is anything but a sleepy zzz. You might even say the final word is a zinger.

If the apostle Paul were alive in this generation, I’m convinced he’d be a blogger. God stirred his heart to write letters to the churches to teach, train, and encourage them. Isn’t that what most Christian bloggers do? Paul may have used papyrus to spread the good news then, but I’m sure his zealous spirit would be thrilled to get his message out via the world wide web.

I imagine his blog design might consist of a map of the world (as he knew it), or perhaps a pair of worn out sandals would adorn his header. Maybe a wrecked ship or a snake in the fire lashing out at him would be a possible backdrop. Perhaps broken chains but most defiantly there would be the cross of Christ somewhere in his design.

Sometimes in his zeal, Paul could come off a bit pushy. A lot of people who are zealous about a cause appear that way, but when you’ve been zapped by the Holy Spirit, you simply don’t want to zig-zag around avoiding the call God has for you.

I remember when my husband was a brand new Christian, he was full of zeal. He devoured the Word and would stop in the street if he saw someone he knew from his past to tell them about his salvation experience. At first I found his zealot behavior embarrassing, but then I became ashamed at my lack of zest for Jesus because I had been conditioned to accept my faith as the norm. I zoned out in church and became a Christian zombie; saved but with zero enthusiasm.

When I read Paul’s “blog” in 2 Corinthians 7:11, it pretty much sums up my husband’s salvation experience:

“For observe this very thing that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves. What indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what indication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16b about sums up my enthusiasm at that time :-( "...and the dead in Christ will rise first."

Recently my husband’s sister and niece have come to know the saving grace of Jesus and have the same zeal he had over thirty years ago. Again, I find myself smiling and thinking…stir up the ambers, Girl…get it together!

In this most awesome Z scripture we see how God feels about us:

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am zealous for Zion (His people/church/bride) with great zeal; with great fervor I am zealous for her.” Zechariah 8:2

Wouldn’t it seem that we should be equally zealous for Him as He is for us…with great fervor?

Let’s zip it up…

In one year, twenty-six words have been studied, researched, and processed to help us understand the Christian terms we often hear and say. I hope we all feel a new passionate fervor… dare I say…a fresh zeal for our Lord.

“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” ~Paul (Romans 12:11)

iBlog

2011-10-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

iBlog…

One year ago today I sat frustrated with the fact that my blog was severely neglected. I had just had surgery of the female nature and a friend came to sit with me while Les was away. Even though this woman had been in church off and on most of her life, certain Christian terms befuddled her. We tossed a few around and tagged them with ridiculous definitions. I laughed (while holding a pillow to my tummy) but that night, inspiration hit me.

I wondered: Why do I blog? What do I want to accomplish when I blog? Who cares if I blog?

I tackled the challenge to write about confusing Christian words or terms and titled it Christianese A-Z. Although I didn’t finish in the ridiculously planned 10 weeks…I mean seriously??? I DID just have major surgery, AND I was on some heavy drugs at the time, SO it clearly affected my reasoning.

The “A” Christianese word was posted on Oct 21, 2010.

(I looked it up today on a whim)

I decided my “Z” word will be posted on Oct 21, 2011.

(Profound, huh?)

So it took a little bit more than 10 weeks, but hey, I’ll finish it and that’s what matters most.

iBlog…

So...now what?

Oh Lord, give me a sign!

2011-10-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

Many times, as we travel the road called life, we wish that God would just give us a sign. You know…the flashy neon light type that sticks out more than any other? Something obvious so we don’t have to work so hard or guess which way to go.

On the road, signs are easy to recognize by shape and color. We have become so accustomed to this fact that our brains automatically process the instructions as we zoom by.

When you approach a stop sign, what do you do? (stop, duh). But beyond stopping, there are some automatic instructions ingrained in drivers that should be processed at the first glance of the red octagon shape: Come to a complete stop. (no rolling through) First come first go or when in doubt, cars on the right have the right-of- way.

When you see the yellow diamond shape sign with two arrows joining into one, you know traffic is merging into the same lane. Manners and common sense tell drivers to allow space and/or adjust speed to give in to the inevitable. All of us must work together to go with the flow of traffic.

What about the upside-down red triangle; the YIELD sign? In some countries, they call it “Give Way”. Much to the chagrin of some drivers, it is NOT the same as stop or merge. If you stop at a yield sign and there is no traffic coming to “yield to” you might find yourself rear-ended by someone who also is looking left and seeing a clear road. If you try to force your way by merging into the flow of traffic instead of waiting for it to be clear, besides the blaring of horns, angry looks, and possible *gestures*…you could cause an accident.

The act of yielding in traffic is a skill. A distracted driver could be dangerous. I wouldn't recommend adjusting the radio or talking on your phone at this time. You prepare yourself to look to your left as you approach the sign. Read the traffic, make the decision to continue on without hesitation, or give way to the cars already on the main thoroughfare, allowing them to go on ahead of you.

Using this concept, let’s address the Christianese phrase “Yield to the Holy Spirit”.

One of the characteristics scripture tells us about the Holy Spirit is the ability to guide us.

John 16:13 says:

“But when he, the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all truth…”

In essence, like the dove that descended upon Jesus at His baptism, the Holy Spirit is our sign from God. If we are aware of the Spirit of Truth’s character, we will recognize the signs we are to follow and obey.

How do we recognize the signs? When we prepared to take our driver’s license test, we studied the manual. We learned to identify the road signs and process them easily. Just like a driver understanding the red octagon, yellow diamond arrows, and yes…even the red upside-down triangle, we can learn to recognize a sign from God.

Study His manual and become familiar with His signs. Set down your distractions (phone, computers, tv, etc). Read the traffic around you, making the decision to continue on if it looks clear... or give way to the one who is on the road ahead of you, designated to be your guide.

Yield to the Holy Spirit…

“…because all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.” Romans 8:14

The Winner is.....

2011-10-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

It's been fun on my leg of the bus tour. We've scooped up Laury in Central Illinois on our way to Michigan for our next stop at Joanne's blog tomorrow (10/6).

Pssssst: I've heard a rumor that Jo has some new dirt...I mean info... on our featured author, so be sure to stop in and have a peek.

The winner of the $5 Starbucks card is revealed in the video below. Congratulations to....

Disclaimer #1 : The video has a long blank ending. I edited it on youtube, but the edits won't show up right away. When the screen goes black...th-th-th-that's all, folks.

Disclamier #2: I'm not a very good Vanna White. Sorry for the dizzying display.

Trust, Fruit & Perspective

2011-10-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to read the post below this one (Only 75...) and leave a comment to get your name in for the drawing for a $5 Starbucks gift card. The drawing will be on Oct. 5th!

♥ ♥ ♥

It's been a few months since I last vlogged. I'm hoping to do some video devotions for JournEzine in the near future. Until then...here are some thoughts from a recent jaunt in the forest.

So, do you have something in your life that you need to step back and get a new perspective on? A God perspective? Are you willing to settle for the tiny fruit, or fully trust Him to lead you to the bigger fruit?
Sometimes a whole bush is nothing but tiny, sour berries, yet a bush right next to it will be loaded with big, juicy ones. I thank God for giving me some wonderful fruit, even through painful experiences, and I'm trusting God to show me the fruitful bushes in my life.

Only 75...err...87 days!

2011-09-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

The bus-blog tour for Lisa Mikitarian's new book Her Safari-snapshots along the way, has made its stop in the Coffee Capitol of Seattle. *woot-woot* I’m cranking out the caramel macchiatos as fast as my machine will allow. The caffeine is perking up the gang, laughter is roaring, and my dear husband/bus driver is shaking his head wondering how in the world he was roped into this journey.

WIN ME!!!

Okay, so I’m making all that up, but IF we were truly touring in the bus, this is how I imagine it would be, so as a writer…that’s how I’ll write it.

As the "speaker" for this leg of the trip, let me first take care of some important housekeeping items. In other words...we'll insert the commercials here:

Make sure you take a moment to comment on this post. Your name will be tossed into the coffee mug for a chance to win a $5 Starbucks gift card. Winner will be announced on this blog on October 5th.

Over on my side bar, you will see a video that will tell you a bit about her book. If you click on the cover to the left, you will be taken to the Demme House publisher's page where you can order Her Safari. Be sure to check out the gift set offer. (some assembly required) When (not if) you order, there's a button that says HGIM (Heart of God International Ministries). If you choose to purchase the book through them, they receive a portion of the sales. How cool is that?

~ ♥ ♥ ♥ ~

And now...I'd like to introduce you all to my friend and fellow wordsmith, Lisa Mikitarian. (applause would be appropriate)
I have enjoyed getting to know Lisa in a myriad of ways. In our communication, she often uses capacious words that compel me to search online to facilitate the expansion of my vocabulary. Conversations with Lisa range from uber silly to super spiritual.

She and her daughter, Madeline, write a blog where their quirky wit and infinite wisdom is used to assist the public in the solving of their everyday conundrums. Connecting Now is a blog like no other. If you aren't a follower of the MikChiks, you may want to hop on over there and become one. Tell her Mari sent you. *wink*

With only 75 (Oops) 87days until Christmas, (gasp) you may seriously want to consider purchasing Her Safari for the moms, sisters, daughters, and gal pals on your list. The collection of short stories is a cross-cut of womanhood at its best, worst, and everything in between. Each story is the perfect length for the menopausal enriched ADD female in your life. Or for reading while traveling, waiting at the Doctor's office, with an insomnia driven midnight snack, while your husband watches football, while sitting on the...errr...you get the picture.

To sum it all up, Lisa is a multi-talented, multi-lingual (irrelevant, I know), author and I'm down right proud to call her friend and highlight her book on my blog.

Well, it appears everybody's sufficiently caffeinated, had a potty break, and about ready to load the bus for the next leg of the blog tour. Les is patiently waiting for us to load up and sit down.

Everyone say it with me... "Bus driver...MOVE THAT BUS!"

Thanks for stopping by.

Pssst...comment...starbucks...don't forget...

Coming soon...

2011-09-28T16:03:00.000-07:00

Coming soon to blog near you.

I have two letters to finish the series: Christianese A-Z. That would be Y and Z in case any of you wondered which two were left. I hope to complete this in the next week. (or so)

I have a couple fun posts in mind for down the road. I refuse to label it a series, just in case I don't get very far. But I've included a little hint of the direction I plan to go.

Tomorrow you will want to be sure to check back in here. You will have an opportunity to win a $5 Starbucks card! How cool is that?

In my youth pastor days, I used to sing the line to the tune of the klondike bar commercial: What would you do-OO-oo for a Starbucks card?

Come back tomorrow and find out what you need to d-OO-oo.

X-tra, x-tra!! Read all about it!!

2011-09-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

I can taste the end of this Christianese series and I’m not about to let this obnoxious letter keep me from excelling in my endeavors to exemplify common Christian words that make us scratch our heads and say…excuse me?

I wasn’t too surprised when the results of an online Bible dictionary search for words that begin with the letter X didn’t turn up anything. Well, not in the English version, anyway. My mind began to think of words that sound like they start with “X”. You know, hooked on fonix style? I came up with Xtol, Xalt, Xodus, Xemplify, Xhale…

With a nudge from a friend, (Yes, I'm listening!) I settled on a word Christians cringe at: Xmas.

For years we’ve heard Christians complain that the secular commercialism is trying to remove Christ from Christmas and for years we let our ignorance ride that wave of “separation” from the “world”; boycotting the purchase of cards/decorations that say Happy Holidays or Merry Xmas, snubbing our noses at businesses that decorate their windows using Xmas, etc.

Ignorance isn’t a bad word. Being ignorant also isn’t awful. Both simply mean one is unaware or uninformed, but being an ignoramus…that’s just plain dumb by choice and I’m sorry, but ignorance isn’t always bliss.

I’ve heard the quote by Steve Droke:

“Knowledge is power, but enthusiasm pulls the switch”

Sometimes I think Christians need to quit being so uptight about things they don’t deem as upright. So, let me enthusiastically pull your switch, remove a little bliss, and infuse a wee bit of knowledge so we can avoid ignoramus status.

What does “X” really mean? Like in the mathematic world, X has “multiple” meanings:

a signature of an uneducated person
a strike in baseball
a kiss at the end of a letter
an omission of information
the Roman numeral for the number 10
x marks the spot
sign by the x

In the Greek alphabet, the letter chi is represented by the symbol “X”. We know the New Testament was written in Greek. In Greek the word, Xριστός = Christ, and is transliterated to mean: The Anointed One. Xmas is simply the abbreviated version of Christmas.

I’m not sure when Xmas officially appeared but my research tells me that the abbreviation became widely accepted in the fifteenth century; dating back to the inventor of the printing press, Johannes Gutenberg.

The tedious work of typesetting by hand indeed justified the use of common abbreviations and the X=Christ version also appeared in words like Xian and Xianity but was pronounced using the word Christ. Just think of how much space and time was saved when printing pamphlets and books. Sort of like our modern day texting.

So there ya have it. Feel free to txt away MRRY XMAS! and know you are no longer an uptight ignoramus. I’m happy to have pulled your switch!

"...a Savior has been born to you. He is Χριστός του Κυρίου." Luke 2:11

L8R G8R. UR AWESO & I <3 U all!
M <3

Word, Glorious Word!

2011-09-07T23:43:00.000-07:00

Word...

Urban dictionary defines this as a greeting: Word…wassup? Yet it also can be used as an affirmation: Word…tha’s right, Bro.

Christians refer to the word “word” a lot.

In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God, and the WORD was God. John 1:1

I don’t know about the rest of you, but this verse always confused me. I was taught that Jesus is the Word referred to in this verse, and simply accepted it as such. Blind faith? Perhaps…but I also tend to think in my formable faith years it was never really explained.

Maybe some theology is simply too deep for the formable faith-filled follower to fathom. But, au contraire, (that’s fancy French) I will give it a good non-college try.

Some of you may have read somewhere…oh let’s say in the book of Revelations, that Jesus is called the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. We know Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet, equivalent to our A and Z. (Nod and smile.)

I want to point out to you an interesting tidbit; the Hebrew equivalent is the Aleph and Tav. From the beginning…the VERY beginning, God revealed Himself to be the Aleph and Tav. We all know Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” In the Hebrew language Genesis 1:1 looks like this:

See those two grey characters? Those are the letters Aleph and Tav. So in essence Genesis 1:1 says: In the beginning God AZ created the heavens and the earth.

I’m not a theologian, per se (that’s Latin), so give me the freedom to be less formal and a bit unorthodox.

Our alphabet has 26 letters. As a wordsmith, I know there are oodles of words that can be made with 26 letters. (I happen to like the word oodles.) Grant it, the Greek alphabet only has 24 letters and the Hebrew 22. But think of it…the entire Bible, 66 books, is full of words made with 22-26 different letter characters.

The Bible is the WORD of God. The words in there are God’s words. Everything from Genesis to Revelation is God’s words. Isn’t it interesting that according to the Hebrew language, God is called the Aleph and Tav, and in the book of Revelation Jesus “reveals” that He is the Alpha and Omega?

The Old Testament: God’s words spoken to His people.

The New Testament: God’s word living among His people…ergo, Jesus is the Living Word.

In the beginning the word was…and is…to the end.

Word...

Where's Mari?

2011-08-25T23:23:00.000-07:00

Where's Mari?

August has been a busy month for this weary writer. First it started with a ministry event on the other side of the state in Mead, WA. Les preached every night for a week and I had opportunity to sing three nights. We also used our inflatables and outdoor sound system to provide the foundation in which they built an awesome day camp experience as an evangelistic outreach into their community. Tuesday the 9th, my friend Rebecca, drove five hours to come hear me sing and Les preach. Then she drove me back home and I left Les to finish the week on his own. I had mixed feelings about that.

Bec and I enjoyed the long five hour drive back even if it meant we got in at 3:00 AM. The next day (10th) she took me to SeaTac so I could fly to Chicago to connect up with Laury. On the 11th Laury and I drove from Chicago to Livonia, MI. We were pleased to be early for the Faithwriter's conference and be able to be unofficial greeters. Thursday evening was a hoot of a time at PF Changs with the early bird gang: Laury, Me, Beth & Tilman, Lisa, Karlene, Dr. Rita, and Shelley. Probably some of my favorite memories of the conference were during that dinner.

Sunday I attended church and was honored to worship our Lord with Laury and Leah. We hung out with a handful of FW before Laury and I headed to Kalamazoo to spend three days chillaxing before I had to fly out of Chicago on the 17th.

Since we always have a Lucy and Ethel moment when we are together, we chalk up the fact that our room was less than desirable and the muffler fell off of Laury's son's car as the stories to be re-told from this trip together. Sigh. We did enjoy the movie, The Help, and I took Laury shopping for her birthday for some new clothes. We also bought the book to read since the movie was so awesome.

I arrived home on the 17th disappointed to discover that my husband was stranded when the bus broke down five hours away from me. Thinking he would be able to get the bus repaired the next day, I took it in stride. Three days later he finally made it home late in the evening. Just in time to turn around and leave the next morning to head to Eugene, Oregon to be a part of his niece Jamie's wedding. It was awesome to re-connect after 12 years with his sister and three of her girls.

So...

Now I'm, home and busy as a bee working on blog design jobs. Routine will come to my home soon. Les will return to bus driving for the Bellevue School Dist. Kyle will return to Northwest University as a senior, Nathan will begin full day Kindergarten, Melissa will continue to work for Red Robin...and me and Josiah will hold down the fort at home.

So...where's Mari? Wait for September, she'll show up again.

Clanging vs. Singing

2011-07-24T21:31:00.000-07:00

I played the drums in the school band from fifth to eighth grade. Being the only girl on the back row of the concert band in junior high, I put up with a lot of flak from the boys.

Although playing the snare seemed to be the coveted percussion instrument, our band teacher generally rotated us through the various instruments: snare, bass, timpani, bells, and cymbals. Eventually I gravitated towards the timpani, bells, and cymbals by choice. In part to avoid standing too close to boys because they were gross, but I also found I enjoyed the musical aspect of them.

I was familiar with a piano keyboard enough to sight read the bell music, I had a good ear for tones when tuning the tympanis, and I could make the cymbals sing. If a percussionist doesn’t play the hand cymbals correctly, the clang sound causes audiences to grit their teeth and pray for the end of the song to come quickly.

In the love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13:1 is extremely familiar even among those who aren’t Christ followers.

“If I speak of tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”

But how does that look to us who are Christ followers?

It carries a whole lot more responsibility, that’s how it looks. And if you are one who is serving in a “higher call” capacity, it involves even more responsibility.

It hurts my heart when men or women stand in leadership within the body of Christ and proclaim the truths of God’s Word and treat their loved ones poorly. When their “tongues of men and angels” flow skillfully from behind a lectern or pulpit, but switch to spewing hurtful words or thoughtless comments within the walls of their home… it simply grieves me.

What does this do to their credibility with their spouses and children?

Colossians 3:21 reminds us Fathers do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

I’m writing a novel and the title is Wellspring. I chose this title because the common thread I weave throughout the story is that God is the wellspring or source of everything. When I think of a wellspring I envision the source of bubbling, clean, pure, spring water.

Proverbs 4:23 says: Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life and Luke 6:45 reminds us that what is in the heart inevitably comes out of the mouth.

Grant it, no minister’s family is perfect. I can attest to that. But I encourage those who serve in a position where you are called to teach God’s word, whether full time vocational minister or volunteer, be sure you are drinking from the Wellspring and you will make those cymbals sing.

“Fathers do not exasperate your children but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” ~ Ephesians 6:4

Some Sweet Day

2011-07-17T17:24:00.000-07:00

Victory, Victory, hear our cry. V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!

I seem to remember cheerleaders chanting this at every game in more than one losing season of football. How difficult it must have been to smile and cheer on a team that clearly only cried about the lack of victory in the locker room at the end of the night.

These days, if a team isn’t winning it is considered the coach’s fault, and after a couple losing seasons he’s sent packing. But what if the team players were constantly late for practice or participated in activities that hindered their full potential? Is that the coach’s fault?

Victory takes effort and practice; it doesn’t happen by osmosis or on accident.

After my years of being a horrible rotten sinner, I accepted Christ as my savior at the ripe old age of nine. I have to admit, I didn’t feel a huge victory dance necessary. As a matter of fact, I didn’t even tell anyone. But as the years passed and I hit the playing field called life, things did become a battle. It took practice to win each fight. The opposition pushed against me and sometimes battles were lost.

But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57 (NLT)

When things get rough in a game, the coach calls a time out to talk to his team and tells the players to “take a knee”. This is a time to regroup and listen to the coach’s battle plan. Because of things learned at practice, he can give quick instructions and the team will know exactly what to do.

When things get rough on life’s playing field, and I feel victory slipping, I know it is time to take a knee and listen to my coach. If I’ve been paying attention and practicing, I’ll hear Him tell me the new battle plan and I’ll know exactly what to do to win the victory.

When my time has come, there will be no crying in the locker room about the lack of victory…

and some sweet day I'll sing up there, the song of VICTORY.

Endeavor...Then They'll Know

2011-06-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

Close your eyes and imagine with me for a minute. Are they closed? Well, I guess if they were closed you couldn’t read… so read, then close your eyes.

Go back in time to the 70’s. See the man in a floral printed shirt, with longish hair, and a guitar leading his youth group in songs around a campfire on a summer evening?

I can almost smell the campfire smoke as we sing Kum-ba-yah, my Lord…Kum-ba-yah. Or perhaps you remember this one:

It only takes a spark to get a fire going.

And soon all those around,

Can warm up to its glowing.

That’s how it is with God’s love,

Once you’ve experienced it.

You spread His love, to everyone,

You want to pass it on.

But this is the campfire song memory that “sparked” this Christianese post:

We are one in The Spirit,

We are one in The Lord.

We are one in the Spirit,

We are on in the Lord.

And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our Love,

Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.

Do you see the one little word that seems to never quite find its rightful place in the church? I’ll give you a hint. This post is the letter U.

Unity, it is seriously lacking among the churches. I’m sure we’ve all heard the phrase in regards to church people: “If that’s what Christians are like, I want nothing to do with church.”

I’ve been around the block a few times and I’ve seen my share of congregations that are full of conflict, discord, dissension, friction, faction…I’m always baffled at how easy the word “love” is thrown out and then quickly retracted within the walls of the church building by selfish actions of hate. (Which would be the opposite of love, yes?)

On the night Jesus sat with his disciples for the Passover meal, he tucked into the conversation bits and pieces of final instructions.

In John 13, Jesus washes the feet of his disciples and teaches them about serving. He shares a meal in the intimate company of his chosen twelve (while John laid his head on Jesus’ chest. That’s intimate friendship.) and points out that one of them will betray him (gasp). He begins to prepare them for what was about to come to pass and says:

“…A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

Then Jesus points out to Peter, who swears he would “lay down his life” for Jesus, and clues him in about his upcoming denial.

In short Jesus was saying: Love one another, be my disciples, yet I know one of you will betray me and another will deny me.

Destined for failure? No. Jesus is fully aware of the nature of human hearts. He knew that love and unity is a daily choice, just as it is a daily choice to be a Christ follower.

Waaaaay back in the Garden of Eden God gave Adam and Eve the freedom of choice and the nekked little lovebirds set an historical moment and showed the flaw of every human that would follow them by choosing wrong. And God, in His loving forgiveness, has constantly given his created-likeness the opportunity to choose right.

Unity among believers is a choice. When a church body chooses to not protect the unity by not loving one another…the world has no interest in their message of “God so loved...” and eternity is at stake for the lives we fail to represent a true view of love and unity.

“…with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:2-3

No Trespassing

2011-06-13T22:42:00.000-07:00

Onward I march through the Christianese series and present you with the letter T.

In William Tyndale’s early printed version of the New Testament, he interpreted a line in the Lord’s Prayer to say: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” I grew up saying “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”. I’ve struggled over the years when visiting other traditional mainstream churches, or attending community services, where the word Trespass was used in place of debt.

In my mind, trespass was what we did as a kid when we cut across a neighbor’s property to go to the corner store for candy and Orange Crush sodas. I’ll never forget the time we crossed the empty pasture on the way to the store, but on the way home…the field was no longer empty.

My brothers were well ahead of me and the neighbor girl. When we were somewhere around the middle of the five acres, I heard my brother whistle. I looked up and he was waving frantically for us to hurry.

All of a sudden I heard a noise I’d never forget; the sound of a bull’s snort followed immediately by the thundering of his hooves on the ground growing louder by the second. It vibrated my innards and I almost peed my pants. I never ran so fast in my life. My brothers stood on the bottom barbed wire and stretched the top one up as high as they could. I dove through the opening and somersaulted into the scotch broom on the other side.

That’s what I call needing my trespasses forgiven, but I couldn’t figure out what that had to do with debt/debtor. Wasn’t that when you borrowed money for a car and someone forgave you of your need to pay it off? Wouldn’t that be nice?

After much deliberation...and a few years of maturity, it seems that both words (debt/trespass) are used as synonyms for the word “sin”. Now that I can wrap my mind around.

I’m sure I’m not alone when I look back into my past and see times when people have trespassed all over me. Their footprints have left permanent marks on my heart…in my memories. There have even been times I thought they “owed” me something like paying off a debt for their harmful sin against me. I could even take care of things legally for their trespassing, but what would that really accomplish?

I know if I want to be forgiven of my sin, I need to forgive those who have sinned against me, whether they ask for it or not.

Forgive me of my trespasses…

Of the things I have done that sinned against others.

As I forgive those who trespassed against me…

Of the things people have done that is sin against me personally.

Next time I see a "No Trespassing" sign, I will remember I forgave... and let it go.

Bloopers

2011-06-11T21:12:00.000-07:00

Take me out... errr... Out Takes of last weeks video blog process. We do end up getting it right...eventually.

They That Intertwine

2011-06-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

Long time no vlog!!

I know there is a glitch, in the volume. YOu may need to turn your sound up all the way.

Enjoy!

Book Review: Larkspur Cove by Lisa Wingate

2011-05-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

In her late 30’s and newly divorced, Andrea Henderson is put in a position where she has to rely on her parents assistance to get back on her feet while living in their vacation home in Moses Lake, Texas. Attempting to rebuild a life for herself and her fourteen –year-old son, Dustin, Andrea is struggling in her new career as social worker/counselor while licking her wounds that could be deeper than she expects.

In Larkspur Cove, Lisa Wingate gradually unwinds a story about a little vacation cove where the full-time residents enjoy bantering in the local dockside café while poking their noses in everybody’s business via the Game Warden, Mart McLendon. The discussion of the town bachelor recluse and a mystery little girl in his care becomes a hot topic. A topic that pushes Mart and Andrea to move beyond their awkward initial meeting that involved an angry Game Warden, a frazzled working mom, and a lonely/delinquent teenage boy.

Wingate used first person style through the two main character’s POV in back to back chapters. (Mart/Andrea/Mart/Andrea…) In this reader’s opinion, Mart McLendon’s back story could be developed a little clearer, but overall I enjoyed the POV switch style.

I like how the author gradually unwinds the story about Mart and Andrea working together to solve the mystery around the little girl in the care of the bachelor older man living in the woods. She mixes it with the right amount of romance and healing of past love wounds, and sprinkles it all with believable secondary characters. Larkspur Cove is book worth reading.

Three Steps to Success

2011-05-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

Recently...okay, more like the last year or more...or maybe the last twenty-four years...I have been on a trust journey. If you ever hear God whisper "Do you trust me"...fasten your seat belts 'cuz there is no right or wrong answer. It's a trick question. A trick to make you really stop and think if you truly do trust Him enough to yield your everything. It's like praying for patience...who REALLY wants patience anyway?

Apparently God knows my heart better than I do and he knew exactly what my level of trust was. Which makes me wonder, why does He ask? I think its a rhetorical question. He probably was saying: Do you trust me? Of course you think you do, but I'm gonna show you how to trust me more.

You see...I missed that show...more...part. Had I known what the next 5+ years would hold, I might not have been so cocky as to think that I did trust Him and He must be speaking to my husband not me.

Did you ever play that trust game? The one where you stand on a table and a group of people are standing below you ready to catch you as you lean backwards and fall blindly into their waiting arms? Learning to trust God has been like that game for me. Only sometimes I felt like I was dropped, but in reality, He cushioned my fall, then told me to get back up on that table and fall into his arms again.

Here are God's three steps to success He has taught me through His Word.

Trust (rely/depend) in the One who knew you before you were conceived. The One who has a plan and a purpose specifically laid out for you.
Don’t try to figure out how He will accomplish His plan. His ways of doing things are far above anything we could even imagine. (and I have quite the imagination)
In everything you say and do, be sure you give Him praise… And watch Him light the path before you.

Proverbs 3: 5 & 6 Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.

After 24 years on my Trust Journey through small town ministry experiences, I find myself back in my hometown where my home church is larger than some of the towns we've pastored in. And I'm still learning to trust.

Someone want to give my tush a push back up on that table? Apparently I may need to ready myself to fall backwards into His arms again.

1) Jeremiah 1:5, Jeremiah 29:11

2) Isaiah 55:8, Psalm 150:6

3)Proverbs 16:3, Isaiah 45:2

Belated Mother's Day Greetings

2011-05-09T22:38:00.000-07:00

This video clip was shown at my home church on Sunday. I laughed through the whole thing as I thought of a friend or two *cough-Lisa*. I'm glad I found it so that you all *cough-Lisa* could enjoy it, too. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend of being pampered and loved upon with no responsibilities or expectations whatsoever...but who am I fooling? It was all just waiting for you Monday, wasn't it?

Sigh...anyway, enjoy this little light humor poke at those techie-less moms.

Top Day

2011-04-29T16:59:00.000-07:00

Ever have a Top Day?

I remember the metal spinning tops that you pumped the little twisted handle until you got it going at top speed. (pun intended)

I remember being mesmerized watching it spin perfectly in place, not wandering more than an inch or so from where I set it into its spinning frenzy.

I remember the whirring sound emitted from the little holes in the end tip of the top. The high pitch at full throttle would settle into a hum towards the end of the fun.

I remember cranking her up again and gently touching the sides, feeling the tickling sensation of the spinning metal against my finger tips.

I remember increasing the intensity of my touches and watching the top struggle to maintain a straight spin.

I remember when just the right amount of pressure was finally pressed against the side of the top it began to wobble and wander, but keep spinning.

I remember if it was abruptly bumped as opposed to gradually touched, it would wonky-wobble and roll over on its side and the momentum of the spin died.

I’m remembering times past when my life was spinning and it felt like a wonky-wobble. Today my top felt a twinge of a touch that could have started a wobble…but in the arms of God… and the arms of my husband, I felt my world come back to a steady hummmm.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

Sweet Harmony

2011-04-28T17:44:00.000-07:00

Life has a way of knocking the wind out of you and derailing even the best of intentions. As if this ADD middle-aged mess of a being needed anything to help distract her in life. I laugh at the goal I had about finishing the Christianese A-Z series before the first of the year. I know, I can hear you all laughing with me (not at me). Well, fasten your seatbelts, buckaroos, ‘cause I’m about to hit the road and try to wrap up this series...eventually.

♥ ♥ ♥

I love to sing. I love to listen to others sing. I love beautiful harmonies. I love to watch the TV shows where singers are “discovered”. Okay, maybe I’m overusing the word love, but I’m sure you get the picture.

A few weeks ago, we attended the spring concert at Northwest University. The music ranged from jazz to classical and I loved it all. (there’s that love word again) I sat with my eyes closed listening to the tight harmonies of acapella ballads, lost in the emotion, beauty, and talent of it all. Each section singing their individual parts, yet all joined together in the same song.

That’s what I want you to envision when I cover the “S” word(s): Three parts, all singing the same song. My life song.

Saved- Melody

"...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 8:9

Saved is the melody of my life song. The Melody is the basic element of music. String a series of notes together and you have a melody line. The melody is the main thing.

Being saved is the most basic element in the Christian faith. Spiritually speaking, the word saved is the main thing. To establish this melody line, one must take the step of faith to accept, believe, and confess Jesus Christ as your Savior.

Sanctified- Harmony

"Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Thessalonians 5:23

When another note is simultaneously added to the melody, the sweet harmonic progression in the chord makes me smile. Harmony adds fullness and depth to a melody. It gives the feel of direction.

Sanctification is the progression in your spiritual chord. It’s the process of moving closer to God, of separating oneself from the “things of the world” that pull you away from God.

In High school I sang alto/harmony. Plunking my parts at home on the piano to practice was soooo boring without the melody. A harmony line of music when played alone is dull and nothing. A person trying to live sanctified (separate from the world) without a true melody experience of being saved is involved in religion not Christianity. How dull and empty is that? Sanctification is fullness and depth in a close relationship with God.

Salvation is a gift from God to us. Sanctification is our gift to God.

Set Free- Countermelody

"What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:21-23

Countermelody is not a song played on the counter…just in case you were wondering. A countermelody is a song within a song. It weaves around among the melody, blending with harmony notes or in unison, and sometimes off on it’s own melody. I love the freedom of a good countermelody.

My daughter-in-law sang a duet with me a couple years ago that was a huge hit. We sang the old hymn Mansion Over the Hilltop. When she was growing up, she remembered her large family singing this song at gatherings and the lower harmony vocals would break out into a countermelody on the chorus. I’d never heard it before, but she did an awesome job and it was a blast to sing it with her.

Being set free happens when you are saved. But even though your sins are forgiven, sometimes there are things from your sinful past that cling to you. Maybe they are habits or addictions that are unhealthy or ungodly. Perhaps attitudes, depression, or bitterness tag along after you’re saved and you feel the Holy Spirit prompting and showing you how to let them go…in a sanctification step closer to God. When you finally yield these chains of sinful bondage, you burst into a countermelody that flows right along with the song of your life in Christ... your life-song.

Saved, Sanctified, and Set Free ♥ ♥ ♥
a wonderful trio that sings my Life Song.
Wanna sing along?

The Exodus

2011-04-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

God speaks to me. I’m sure he speaks to you, too. And despite all the writing advice I've gleaned, I believe God can speak a cliché.

What did God speak to me?

“I never promised you a rose garden.” Is He being sarcastic? Or maybe He's just disappointed in my fretting and worrying over something that He is in control of. Not only in control, but orchestrating.

“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14:14

I have meditated on this word knowing the story behind it. The children of Israel have their backs to the Red Sea and Pharaoh is a-comin’ after them with a bitter vengeance. Moses speaks with bold confidence:

"Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Let me tell you why Moses is so confident. God had previously spoken to him and assured Moses that He was the One orchestrating everything. Why? So they can be scared spitless? So they can be made an example of? So they will be scared into obedience?

No, nope and no way.

Let’s back up a few verses and have a quick look-see:

V.4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD."

Need I remind you that Pharaoh and the Egyptians are the villains in this story, the bad guys? I always thought God parted the Red Sea to prove Himself to the whining Israelites. To cause them to understand that He is the one that protects them and that is why they need only to be still. But this verse says: and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.

We have a Red Sea moment happening in our life. Our backs are against the Sea, fear has attempted to creep in, and the bad guys are pursuing us with a bitter vengeance. Like Moses, we know we are right where we are suppose to be, even if it is with our backs to the sea.

So why are we going through this? So we can know fear? So we can be made an example of? So we will be feared into being better Christians?

No, nope, and no way.

He is doing this so that : the Egyptians (enemy) will know that I am the Lord.

The word of the Lord to me today is a cliché: I never promised you a rose garden.

Which interpreted means: Life isn’t always perfect, battles and tough times will come, but I need only…to be still.

Jewel of Encouragement

2011-04-09T14:08:00.000-07:00

Today is my day to post on the Jewel of Encouragement blog. I hope you will stop by and take the time to read my thoughts on Method vs Message.

Butterflies are Free

2011-04-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

Butterflies fascinate me. The few facts I know about them stir in me an array of analogies that my write-brain is straining to process.

Visions of children running through a meadow chasing butterflies with a net seem innocent, yet it frightens me. Why? Because a butterfly isn’t meant to be captured; she should always be free.

The butterfly’s life is short and in those mere days, they must be free to do what they do best…provide beauty to the earth and assist in pollination. If she is carelessly handled, she can be rendered flightless and become easy prey, a meal ticket for a swarm of ants or perhaps a slithering snake.

While being the main course for the toads in life is also a part of nature’s cycle, it can be a premature demise for the poor, flightless butterfly. No longer able to assist in the reproduction of beautiful flowers or bring joy to the solemn passerby, the colorful creature’s dreams of freedom are crushed.

I can’t count the times I thought of the quote from Bug’s life when Heimlech, the chubby caterpillar, says:

"Someday, I will be a beautiful butterfly, and then everything will be better."

Life as a pastor’s wife has often left me feeling like a butterfly avoiding the swishing of nets wielded by careless parishioners. I’ve been imprisoned in a glass jar with just enough holes poked in the lid to give me air to breathe… but not room to fly.

Occasionally I was let out of the jar and I fluttered over the windblown grasses in search of the rare flower among them that is longing to share her nectar, to feed me with her own life giving purposes. While she allows me to nourish my soul, I collect life bearing pollen from her in hopes of causing reproduction among the few flowers striving to grow among the choking grasses. But alas, the net scoops me up and careless hands force me back into the jar.

Some of my color is rubbed off and my wings are damaged, but I see the flower that I connected with bloom a little brighter. A smidgen of pollen I collected fell onto a small flowering plant beyond the grassy edge in my attempt to escape… perhaps there is hope for beauty among the seemingly flowerless grasses. And that thought alone brings me joy.

The constant love and support from my husband as he strives to protect me gives me the desire to continue to fly, to seek for flowers…and together we will fly beyond the flowerless grasses. Please…don’t keep the butterfly in a jar.

"I only ask to be free. The butterflies are free." ~Charles Dickens

Missions Minded

2011-03-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

The other day I was goofing around on facebook with one of my son's friends at Northwest University. Keshia Whitthuhn is a quirky gal, but I've learned behind all that silly, weird facade...okay it's not a facade, but under all that nuttiness is a young woman with a heart and passion to follow the call of God in her life.

When I learned that Keshia had opportunity to go on her long sought after dream...a missions trip to Africa, I spent time pondering what I could do to help her. While I plan to do something in the monetary form I also realized I could help by promoting her and decided to do an interview. Please take the time to get to know Keshia and pray for her up coming trip. And if the Lord urges you to do more, I know He will bless you for it.

♥ ♥ ♥

Let’s get to know you first. Give me six adjectives that best describe you.

Meet Keshia

Spontaneous, positive, go getter, positive, logical, dreamer.

So it’s safe to say that you’re an optimistic person. How about six adjectives that DON’T describe you?

Unproductive, unintelligent, uncreative, girly, grown-up, quitter.

You attend Northwest University, a Christian college with the Assemblies of God. Did you go to college elsewhere before attending NU?

Yes, I went to Everett Community College (EvCC) for three years. I grew up so much during that time. I didn’t know what I wanted to do at first, that’s why it took me three years. J My initial major was Studio Arts, I love drawing with charcoal! However, I knew I wanted to do missions work and studio arts won’t make me needed in Africa.

I took a year off, and during that time God told me to be a doctor. I started that next year at EvCC in their prerequisites for nursing. I still took art classes like pottery and design in the mix with Anatomy, Physiology, College Algebra, and microbiology J

I also completed one more year of prereqs at NU before I could go into the nursing program.

Why you chose NU for your nursing education?

I chose NU because of their study abroad trip they do for a month in the senior year of the nursing program. I will be going somewhere to do my clinical work overseas next February in 2012. I also felt the effects of not being in a Christian environment.

So, you’re going on a mission’s trip. Where are you going? Are you going with a church group or an organization?

I’m going to Monrovia, Liberia June 18th - July 4th and will be working with an All God’s Children school through Serve the Children organization based in Gig Harbor, WA.

Did you specifically target Africa?

Yes. I’ve wanted to work and live in Africa since I was 9 years old. The African Children’s Choir came to my church then and touched me forever. After I hung out with them I was changed forever. I started to cut pictures of people in Africa out of magazines, and I would tape them to my closet door and pray for the people. I also realized that these people may be dead because their country doesn’t have a lot of food and in place of food it has a lot of disease. So, I would also pray for the families of these people, just in case they were dead.

When I was 13 I started fasting for the people of Africa; I would do Daniel’s fasts or just straight up not eat for at least 3 days. I would pray for the people relentlessly. I have pursued Africa trips before this one, but God kept saying “no”….. oddly. But, this summer, I knew was my summer!

That is amazing, Keshia. Your passion at such a young age blesses me. What kinds of things will you be doing while in Liberia?

Lots of playing with the kids at the school we will be at. But also, as a team we are going to be building at a few different locations including churches. I’ll be going with one of the other team members, who is a nurse, to the nursing school in Monrovia, a couple of the clinics in the area, and the schools own clinic. We are also looking at administering immunizations.

We all can be partners in this adventure for you by praying. What specifically would you like us to pray for?

Our sanity.

Also, we are going into a place that is so impoverished; however these people are going to treat us with so much respect it is going to be overwhelming. They give so much of themselves to us Americans that I’m not going to know what to do. We have so much here and aren’t even willing to share our stuff, yet they have nothing and are willing to give us everything while we are there. There are stories how they’ve fixed meals with the last of their food just to treat us in their homes. We don’t ask or expect this of them; they do this out of their love and hospitality. We’re staying at a school where we are basically supplying our food with the money we are paying to go over. I wanted to say that, because we aren’t taking from them if we don’t have to!

Pray for the weather that we can all grow accustomed to it. We are going to be in 80 to 95/100 degree weather with 100% humidity…. And it is in the rainy season. Basically, we will be in a sauna daily.

Pray for our safety, that we can be where we need to be and do what we need to do, when we need to do it.

I know that it will take support in many forms for you to go on this Mission’s trip. Besides praying for the above mentioned items, how can people help you prepare for this trip?

There are supplies you can give. I have a whole list on my blog under the Missions Trip page.

Also, I need to raise $2,700 dollars and I need $800 of that by April first…(Wow, that's soon!) Then I have to pay the rest before the trip. Where there is missions involved, there is the need for money. The airfare alone is ridiculously expensive!

People can send the checks to me by mail (I’ll pay Serve the Children in one big check from these), I’m working on paypal on the Facebook page and my blog page, or they can send a check with my name in the memo to Serve the Children.

Keshia A N Witthuhn

5325 113th Place NE #4

Kirkland WA 98033

Serve the Children

4423 Pt. Fosdick Dr. NW, Suite 202

Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Serve the Children - Liberia

(Click the link to donate online)

Any extra funds will be going to purchasing supplies for the kids!

♥ ♥ ♥

Hi, I'm Keshia. Named after a black girl, born to be in Africa, and striving to get there. I'm a nursing student, wife, weirdo, and awesome all in the same potato. I play basketball with schizophrenic patients and am completely comfortable; go to dinner with my husband and am completely uncomfortable. I'm an oxymoron, different, and quite proud of it. Learning is my hobby. I always try to see flaws in myself and see how they can be fixed or enhance other portions of my life. Remember, imperfections are perfect when paired with their opposite.

By Faith...

2011-03-17T23:35:00.000-07:00

Today I am the guest blogger over at LauraLee Shaw's blog, Faith Colored Glasses. Stop by and read how God reminded me that He is in control of my past, present, and future and how He has taught me to be like Abraham and live By Faith...

I've Been Redeemed

2011-03-12T17:38:00.000-08:00

I’ve been trying to wrap my brain around a common Christian word we all “seem” to understand, but perhaps we don’t fully grasp it. Christ is our redeemer sent from heaven. We are redeemed, and in Christ we have redemption. About the only way I can explain the true meaning of redeemed is perhaps through a little make-believe story.

**********

I left my Father’s home that day with my chin held high and the valuables of my entire life packed up neatly in a box. I was on my own and proud of it. The first step to my independence was to hit the pawn shop. I sat my box down and tried not to shiver at the beady-eyed glare from the man behind the counter.

“Pawn it or sell it?” He laid his hand on my box and grunted.

“Pawn it…for awhile,” My voice was a bit shaky.

The stench of filthy man assaulted my senses as he pawed through my precious box. I cringed and reminded myself I was only pawning, not selling it all. This was temporary. I would be given some cash to go do with as I please and later I could come back and purchase my life-box back.

The man sneered and stated his offer. The *cha-ching* sound of the register caused my heart to race, but just like that I scooted out the door with the value of my life exchanged into cash. I was grown up and I could do as I choose. I felt free and ready to live. I looked back and saw his grubby hands digging through my life-box and for a split second wondered if I truly was free.

But no matter, I’d create a different life-box for now, and someday I’ll simply go purchase my original box back.

The days passed into weeks and months before I really began to miss my life-box. Loneliness encased my heart and the other life-box I created now seemed empty, yet heavier and burdensome. I knew the expiration time was near for me to purchase my true life-box from the pawn shop. If I couldn’t come up with the cash before the deadline it would be gone forever and the grimy owner could do as he pleased with my possessions. In essence, if I didn’t redeem my box, I truly had sold it to the slimy pawn shop owner.

This thought began to weigh heavy on my heart so one day I returned to try to redeem my life-box. The beady-eyed man squinted at me and named his price. The interest rate added to the original amount was astronomical. I was stunned. It was like he didn’t really want me to buy it back. He wanted to keep my life-box forever.

For days I tried to find a way to raise the needed cash, but I just couldn’t do it. Finally I knew what had to be done. I went back to my Father’s house and humbly ask for the needed amount to redeem my life-box. He didn’t even seem angry. It’s like He knew I’d eventually come back and ask for help.

I’m no longer in debt to the pawn shop owner. My redemption came from my Father when He sent His Redeemer to pay for my life-box. I truly am redeemed of the debt I couldn’t pay. I don’t feel the desire to be out from under my Father’s care and promise I’ll never pawn my life for even the shortest season. I’m eternally grateful to the Redeemer for doing as Father asked and paying for my life-box.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Ephesians1:7

So tell me…have you left your life-box in the hands of the pawn shop owner or has the Redeemer purchased it back for you so that you can live with your Father forever?

Find me at JoE's

2011-03-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

Today is my turn to post a blog on the Jewels of Encouragement (JoE). Come check out my thoughts about siblings, animal cruelty, Mary Poppins, cats, and God's plan vs Man's choices....well you just gotta read it to get it.

Grab a cup o' Joe and hop on over to JoE's and have a chat with me about...well about a wide variety of things that hit this ADD mind of mine!

While you're there, go ahead and follow this blog for a grab bag of encouragement from a team of writers set out to discover God's will in our lives as we pursue or passion to write for His glory.

Tomorrow...

2011-03-07T22:49:00.000-08:00

Photo by Andrea Meixner

“We saw that last week.” My 2 ½ year old grandson, Josiah, pointed to a picture of an animated movie. My daughter explained to me that anything in the past he calls last week and everything in the future is tomorrow.

Since then I’ve been thinking about time passage. Sometimes we never seem content. The past haunts us, the present frustrates us, and the future scares us. When I think along these lines I realize how ungrateful I can be for what the Lord has done, is doing, and will do for me.

Over the past few months I’ve learned to live one day at a time. A novel concept, I know. But truly I am giving each day into His hands and letting tomorrow come tomorrow. Josiah’s “last week” reference reminded me of how far I’ve come in my ability to truly trust God to care for the passage of time issues we’ve been dealing with.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

Today I will enjoy what the Lord has for me. Tomorrow will come soon enough.

Posting Today at....

2011-02-23T22:24:00.000-08:00

Today is my turn to post on a new joint blog venture: Jewels of Encouragement...aka JoE.

I invite you to hop on over and join me, and hey...while you're there, go ahead and follow this awesome variety of authors as we join our efforts to encourage others through our mishaps...errr...experiences.

Q it Up!

2011-02-21T19:33:00.000-08:00

How many of you play the alphabet game when you travel with kids? If you do, then you know what I mean when you all get bottled up in search of Dairy Queen. Not because you’re craving a Blizzard, but because you all need the “Q” to move on. And it always seems no matter how sharp your eyes are or how large the lead you created at the beginning of the game, everyone always gets caught up in search of Q.

So here I am facing a big fat Q. But then I experienced something recently and I knew what the Q word should be. Quench.

I have three quick ways I’ll discuss that qualify quench as my Q word for this Christianese series in which I will quote scripture to support my quest. Warning: I may choose to be a bit quirky and if you have qualms to this behavior, I suggest you quietly move on so as not to squish the joy out of my brilliant quick wit.

When I worked as a youth minster, the students would come in jabbering nonstop about their day/week: sometimes negative, sometimes positive. To keep them from dwelling on the bad stuff in their lives, we had my version of “testimony time” geared for teens. I don’t remember exactly what we called it, but basically it was: Good, Grrrumble, Great. Share something Good, then you can Grrrumble, then end with something Great. That’s how I’ll address quench in spiritual terms.

Quench means to put out or extinguish. Here are some things that can be quenched in our spiritual lives:

Fiery darts: Good

Ephesians 6:16- Above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Here we have the portion of scripture that talks about the armor of God, specifically the shield of faith. When the enemy spits fiery darts our way, we can stop them with the shield of faith. Doesn’t that sound easy?

Simply stated, we will have times of battle in our spiritual lives. The Bible doesn’t say put on the armor of God then turn and run away. This lesson teaches us to daily clothe ourselves in a manner in which we can walk forward and defeat the enemy along the way. Notice that people don’t strap their shield onto their backsides? Retreating will only land those fiery darts in our big ol' bums. What an easy target!

I don’t know about you, but I’d rather it be the shield of faith that does the quenching, not the cheeks of fear.

Holy Spirit: Grrrumble

1 Thessalonians 5:19-- 22 Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.

Remember the definition of quench? (To put out or extinguish.)

The Holy Spirit is often referred to as a fire or flame, something that can be put out or extinguished. There have been many times where I’ve experienced the Holy Spirit’s presence spark in my heart and then felt like a big bucket of water was poured on the flickering flame. Often it’s when spiritual leadership is caught up in the “schedule” and not the Spirit.

I understand the need to be orderly and on time/task but I also understand the need to let the Spirit of God spark and ignite something in individuals that could spread among His people. You know…revival fire?

Another thing that I believe can quench the Spirit is our behavior. To put it short and to the point: When Christians behave in a manner that is clearly unChristlike then step into church, maybe perhaps in a position of leadership, the Spirit of God is doused quickly. If sitting in church feels cold, dead, and boring…more than likely the Holy Spirit has been drowned.

Thirst: Great

John 4:14 But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Have you ever been so dry and thirsty the back of your throat sticks together? You can’t get your lips to close over your dry teeth? Maybe you have a hard time blinking? And then you finally get to drink refreshing cold water…ahhhh.

Transfer that analogy to spiritual context… You haven’t been in the Word like you should be. You haven’t been to church, or participated in worship that is genuine and free. Maybe you attend one of those churches that quench the Spirit and it adds to your thirst.

And then it happens. You attend a conference, or read an awesome spiritual book that points you back to His Word. Or you shut the blinds, lock the door, and crank up worship music and just sit and absorb it. Ahhhh.

If only we could realize that it’s us that quit drinking, not Jesus shutting down the drinking fountain.

In conclusion: (I feel like I just preached a three point sermon)

Don’t quench the Spirit, drink up the Living Water, and move forward in faith with your shield attached to the proper body part to extinguish the fiery darts that are sure to be spit your way.

Precious Jewels

2011-02-18T15:56:00.000-08:00

I’m not a geologist. Let’s just set that straight now, but I do watch the History channel. That should count for something, right?

My Hubby and I have been watching this gold mining reality TV show called Gold Rush Alaska. The program follows a handful of men from Oregon, uneducated in the world of mining, grasping to hold on to high hopes of striking it rich to save their homes and pay their mounting debts.

Mining is hard work! It is insane the level of labor these men have had to put out. The problems along the way that hinder their ability to reach that mother-lode deposit of precious metal… I’m simply astounded by it. (And to think one day we will accept this highly sought after ore as pavement.)

Whether mining for gold or precious gems, it isn’t as simple as digging a hole and seeing the shiny jewels glimmer in the sunlight. The process from the ground as raw precious stones to the jewelry store is far too big for me to wrap my brain around. (and I tried via google. See the smoke seeping out my ears?) It is ugly, dirty, demanding work.

I have a few pieces of fine jewelry, each item given as a gift, an expression of love, and each with stones that represent birth months or the purity of a wedding diamond. Today I look at my jewels and ponder the process from harvesting out of the earth, to eventually ending up in my possession, and I connect that with a new blogging venture with many of my writing companions. Our new blog is called Jewels of Encouragement.

I think about the people working in often times deplorable conditions, sorting, sifting, and constantly searching for the raw gems. How awesome it must feel when they find one, for where one is, there is always more. I’m sure it encourages them, despite their back breaking pain, to keep searching for the hidden jewels.

I’ve felt like those miners as I dig my way through life situations that don't seem to hold anything of value or worth for me. But along the way, God has blessed me with people that have helped me unearth my hidden gems and lavished me with “spiritual jewelry”; the gifts and expressions of love in the form of encouragement.

Know what that makes me want to do? Keep digging. Where there is one who sees value and worth in this raw gem-stone, there is more. And together we form a vein of unearthed Jewels of Encouragement, seeking to discover other precious stones that need unearthed in their lives, in their process of being jewels for Jesus.

Life sometimes is dirty, messy work and we often experience deplorable conditions…but I’ll be a precious jewel for Jesus one day and stroll along the gold pavement, glimmering in the Son for a space of time called eternity…and the mining process will be oh so worth it.

Sunset Lessons

2011-02-16T11:01:00.000-08:00

Some of the most beautiful sunsets at the coast appear after a storm has rolled through. A smidgen of dark clouds lingering can provide depth and contrast to the canvas of the horizon. After sitting in the warm car and watching the clouds change shapes and depth of color with the backlight of the setting sun, a myriad of analogies assaulted my brain.

“Ooo I could write about that or address it from this angle.” My poor husband listened to me babble on in true creative ADD form. I wasn’t content to sit in the car and be a bystander. From time to time I’d hop out and stand in the freezing wind and feel like a participant of the stage show. Several cars pulled up to enjoy the serene scene, yet no one got out but me.

I tried to coax my husband to join me but he just grinned and shook his head no. I stuck my tongue out at him (‘cuz I’m so mature that way) and turned to face the show. After all, I didn’t want to miss a single moment. No siree…not even chilling winds and the need to pee could keep me from my appointed moment.

I discovered that standing on the edge of the hill allowed me to see a panoramic view that those who chose to stay in their car (*cough*Les*) couldn’t experience in any other way but through my eyes via the camera lens. Or through my mind via the words I type.

As simple as it sounds, I realized that in itself is a gift from God. Not just the ability to take a decent picture with my basic Cannon-sure shot digital camera, but the ability to put the event into words. And a step beyond that…not just putting it into words, but the burning desire to share the moment with others to encourage them to do something as simple as…get out of the car and join the show.

Guard Your Door

2011-02-09T19:28:00.000-08:00

What (the H***) possessed you to do that? An expression that is flippantly said but yet it shows that people generally know where severely bad choices come from.

Back in the ‘70’s there was an African American comedian named Flip Wilson. One of his infamous lines in his routine was “the devil made me do it.” Though mocking, he acknowledged the source of sinful behavior.

In no way do I want my blog to be a source of controversial topics, but I think I need to express my view and concerns on a topic the church has fallen asleep over.

On Sunday, we were pulling out of the parking lot at the local café, when a man came running towards us from the gas station across the street looking madder than a hornet. We stared in shock thinking he was going to cross the highway without looking and come right at us. He abruptly halted on the edge of the curb and began to flail his arms while screaming obscenities.

He appeared to be looking directly at us. We continued to turn onto the highway and head home but I watched him until he was out of sight. He never budged and continued to have a screaming conversation with the air around him.

I told Les…that guy’s got critters…our way to saying he was clearly possessed and controlled by demonic authority. Interestingly enough, the timing of this “crazed maniac” charging towards us is at the height of a spiritual battle/decision we’re in the midst of, doesn’t seem coincidental.

If my O word was oppressed, I figured my P word should be possessed. I’m no expert theologian on demonic possession (or anything else for that matter), but I’d like to share some thoughts on the subject.

The Devil looks for the weak points to slither into unguarded areas of our lives. Do you remember the Sunday School song “Oh be careful little eyes what you see. For the Father up above, is looking down in love, oh be careful little eyes what you see.”

Why exactly do we teach our children to be careful what they see, hear, or say yet many of us aren’t careful in our own lives? Is “be careful” a G rated thing, but not a PG-13 rated problem? (please understand, I'm not a legalistic prude) So it’s okay for those who are old enough to “handle it” and watch, read, or listen to things that have demonic influences? Should we open the door even just a crack by dabbling in the occults, witchcraft, wizardry by means of movies, books, tarot cards, Ouija boards, fortune telling, horoscope…Where does one draw the line?

1 Peter 5:8: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour.

It is a common belief that Christians cannot be possessed by demons. I believe this to be true. But often we have a false sense of security and allow ourselves to dabble in Un-Christ-like things. The more you feed the lion, the more room/authority you give it in your life. Then the justification begins; the “grace” reasoning. You continue to feed the lion, yet no longer feed the Christ in you. Whichever is fed, will gain authority in your life.

What starts out as oppression can go unchecked and open the doorway for possession. In the Bible there are instances of demon possession where the victim was brutally tormented physically, spiritually, emotionally and whatever “ally” else applies. One interesting thing I find is that the demons KNEW who Jesus was. (Mark 1:23-27 and Matthew 8:28-33) And in James 2:19 the demons believe in One God and shudder.

It doesn’t matter if you KNOW who Jesus is or believe there is only One God…what matters is, which lion are you feeding? The one who walks about seeking whom he can devour? Or the Lion of Juddah?

I caution you to guard the door…it’s a slow fade.

The Invisible Prison…Oppression.

2011-01-31T19:42:00.000-08:00

The other day we were driving to “town”, about 70 miles away. My mood was light and I looked out the T-top windows of my little car and realized that the clouds were high and thin. I didn't see any blue sky to speak of, and the clouds were still grey-ish, but they were WAY up there and the day was obviously lighter. (Later I caught this cool picture of Mt Rainier.) It made me realize how oppressive the low, dark, grey clouds feel in comparison. I knew right away that Oppression/Oppressed would be the O word for my Christianese blog series.

Browsing through the verses that came up in my “Oppression” search on Biblegateway or Blueletter Bible, I wasn’t too surprised to see so many verses there were concerning the tyrannous oppression by the many enemies of Israel. (Interesting side note…notice nothing’s changed in that department?)

Although the Israelites experienced so much oppression, that doesn’t quite qualify for my reason to choose this topic for the series. What confuses the unsaved/newly saved is when we say things like being oppressed by the devil/enemy/satan/evil/…you get what I mean.

Oppressed by the devil is not the same thing as being depressed (sad or despondent) and it certainly isn’t the same thing as being possessed (controlled, crazed) with demons.

The actual word oppression, refers to being dominated in cruel and often demoralizing or brutal fashion. We see that when the Israelites were in Egypt enslaved by Pharaoh, and the Romans ruled with an iron fist. This is a word the Jews and Gentiles fully understood. So when it pops up in Acts 10:38…

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

…it was something they fully understood.

Here’s an interesting thing; this verse tells us that Jesus HEALED all who were oppressed. That tells me that the invisible prison of oppression is something one can be healed of... like a blind man having his sight restored, or the lame man rolling up his bed and walking away, or the woman who reached out to touch the hem of His garment.

I don’t believe Christians, true Christ followers, can be possessed by the Devil but I do believe the slimy enemy can hold us in an invisible prison of oppression…a form of cruel, demoralizing, brutal control.

So let me ask you; what is Satan using to oppress you? Do you have habits you can’t seem to break? Are there low, dark “clouds” of depression that hang over you and cause you to not see the Light? Are you silently battling guilt over something you know you’ve been forgiven of? Well good news… let me slip you the key between the bars to the lock. Jesus can free you from your invisible prison and heal you of what oppresses you.

Psalm 107:17-22 (The Message)

Some of you were sick because you'd lived a bad life,

your bodies feeling the effects of your sin;

You couldn't stand the sight of food,

so miserable you thought you'd be better off dead.

Then you called out to God in your desperate condition;

he got you out in the nick of time.

He spoke the word that healed you,

that pulled you back from the brink of death.

So thank God for his marvelous love,

for his miracle mercy to the children he loves;

Offer thanksgiving sacrifices,

tell the world what he's done—sing it out!

New Shoes - The Letter N

2011-01-27T11:52:00.000-08:00

I like new things. Do you?

I recently got new tennis shoes and went through my closet and tossed several pair of old shoes. I'm reminded of a time when my kids were all in elementary school. We were pastors on an Indian Reservation on the Olympic Peninsula in the middle of the rain forest. We had very little money and worked hard to make everything last as long as possible.

When our sixth grade daughter had serious problems with ingrown toenails that needed minor surgery, we discovered it was because her shoes were too small and she was afraid to tell us because we had no money. My heart broke and so did my dad’s.

My dad was a preacher’s kid during the depression. He shared many stories of cutting the toes open of their shoes to make them last longer. They went barefoot all summer because they didn’t have shoes that fit by then and had to wait until the school year to justify the purchase. He gave me money and told me to buy my kids whatever shoes they needed and to never let them be “in need” of shoes again. He would be sure his grandkids had shoes on their feet that fit properly.

My youngest son was in Kindergarten when this happened. We realized his shoes were becoming terribly tight on him as well. The day after he got his shoes he was so excited. The recess teacher told me he came running to her to show them off and said, “I can run faster and jump higher because I have special new shoes.”

She thought he was just being a cute five-year-old but I understood that he really could run faster and jump higher in his new shoes because his feet were no longer bound tight in his old pair.

There are several phrases among Christians where we use the word NEW: New creation, new creature, new life, all things are new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.

When I was a rotten sinner at the age of nine I accepted Christ and became a new creation. It wasn’t a dramatic transformation, but I was aware of the change in me. When Les accepted Christ at sixteen, leaving the life of drugs and alcohol, his life really changed. He truly was a new creation. When people hear his story now they look at him and say…”no way.”

It reminds me of my son’s special new shoes. Les ran faster and jumped higher when he became this new creation. A year after accepting Christ he met me and the next year we were married. Three years after that he became a licensed minister with the Assemblies of God.

You want to know something sad? Many times I see people slip their feet into their new special shoes once they accept Christ. After walking around in them for awhile, they decide they don’t want to run faster or jump higher and actually prefer to put on their old shoes. They either let their spiritual feet become so cramped while they hide their sin they develop ingrown toenails, or they choose to cut the end of their shoes open and let their sin hang out there like nothing is wrong and ask us to “accept them the way they are.”

These holey shoes are not to be mistaken for Holy Shoes.

I don’t have a problem with accepting people the way they are. And when they become New Creations, I generally don’t have a problem seeing sin issues tag along for a season…but in reality, I believe my God is bigger than that. When the Bible says Old things have passed away it means it. Not old things can hang on until you decide to give up the cut up old shoes and truly wear the new ones.

Jesus accepts the sinner the way he is, but He loves him too much to leave him in his sin. Do you have old shoes in your closet that need thrown out? ALL things have become NEW. Don’t you want to run faster and jump higher in Him and for Him?

That's What it's all About

2011-01-21T16:24:00.000-08:00

It's Friday Fiction, hosted by Yvonne Blake.

Each week, a few bloggers link together to share a sample of their writing. If you go to the bottom of Vonnie's blog post you can find some little nuggets of fun reading.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

The Hokey-Pokey saved my life. I know that sounds strange, but it’s true. Let me explain.

Two years ago I took my daughter, Lizzie, and four of her little friends to Skate Palace for her seventh birthday. Me on roller-skates, not a good mental image. Let me tell you, Grace is not my middle name.

I spent most of the time at the table. Dubbed the official guardian of the “stuff”, I preferred to plant my seat firmly on the round cafeteria style stool as opposed to the floor of the rink. When I did venture onto the skating rink I chose to hug the wall while Lizzie and her cute little show-off friends giggled past me.

The pimply-faced DJ announced, “It’s time to do the Hokey-Pokey.”

I popped a cheese-dipped bite of pretzel in my mouth when Lizzie rolled up and grabbed my hand, “Come on, Mommy. Let’s do the Hokey-Pokey.”

“Oh, I don’t think so, Baby-cakes. There’s a lot of hokey in me and yes I’m a bit pokey, but I don’t put those two words together anymore.”

“Come on,” five little pairs of eyes pleaded. “We’ll help you.”

Things began pretty safe. I put my right hand in, and took my right hand out. I proceeded to shake it all about while I did the Hokey-Pokey and I turned myself about. The hands were easy. When I had to stick my right foot in, that’s when things got out of control.

Lizzie didn’t have that right vs. left thing figured out quite yet. She stuck her left foot in instead of her right. Her left skate somehow slid under my right wheels. She took off to turn herself about and my right foot went with her.

I desperately flailed my arms to keep my balance and somehow landed in a pretzel-like contorted heap minus the cheese sauce. The sickening sound of my right humerus-bone when it snapped stopped everyone cold in their pokey. It was anything but humorous.

Tiffany’s mom arrived to get the girls and I took a little ride in an ambulance. The next few hours were a painful blur and resulted in a full armed cast that would prevent me from shaving my armpits for six weeks.

Lizzie spent the night with Tiffany and asked if she could go to Sunday school in the morning. Since the pain meds made me drowsy, I decided that would be a good plan.

The next afternoon Lizzie burst through the door. “I asked the Sunday school teacher to pray for you, Mommy. Do you feel better?”

I didn’t believe prayer made any difference, but I certainly didn’t want to squash her sweet efforts. I did what I thought every good-intentioned mother does. I lied.

“I think I do. Your smile always makes me feel better.”

“But Mommy, Miss Teri said Jesus can make you better.”

Lizzie began to talk in rapid fire phrases; Miss Teri this, Miss Teri that. A knock on the door interrupted Lizzie just when I was sure she would say that Miss Teri could walk on water.

Lizzie flung the door open and announced, “Miss Teri’s here.”

I knew I shouldn’t have let her go to Sunday school. Now the religious nuts would never leave me alone.

“Miss Teri brought food, Mommy.”

Not only did Teri bring food, but she dished it up for Lizzie at the table. Then, like she had known me for years, this young stranger pulled a footstool over and proceeded to feed me.

Teri came by everyday that week. She either brought food, or made meals from my own cupboards. She cleaned my home. She bathed my daughter. She even washed my hair and styled it.

She never once pushed her religion on me until I asked her, “Why are you doing all this? Is it because you want me to let Lizzie go to church?”

Teri’s simple answer caught me off guard. “I have no hidden agenda. This is simply what I do. God shows me a need, and I fill it.”

Teri became a sermon walking. I absorbed the joy she radiated. One question at a time, one day at a time, Teri led me to the foot of the cross and enabled me to make an informed decision regarding the condition of my heart.

Thanks to Lizzie’s prayers, Jesus did make me better.

You see, the Hokey-Pokey saved my life. And that’s what it’s all about.

Now the chicken dance, that’s a whole ‘nother story.

Set Joy Free

2011-01-20T15:25:00.000-08:00

In my last vlog I talked about scripture verses that I remember from my childhood because they were put to music. This vlog will address the verse from Isaiah 55:12. Do you remember it? What other verses do you know by song?

Halfway Point

2011-01-16T14:32:00.000-08:00

Twelve weeks ago I challenged myself to complete a series of blogs where I tackle Christian words that are often overused, misused, or misunderstood. I call the series Christianese A-Z. Of course I wanted to be done by now, but like the Seahawks in the game today...I won't give up until the game is over...except I don't plan on losing.

I'm halfway through the alphabet and looking towards the goal. I've really enjoyed writing the series. Who knows...maybe I'll do something more official with it when I finish. Below are the words I've covered so far with links to those posts. I must confess, I'm stumped for the letter N, but I'm sure something will come to mind. (not that I'm opposed to suggestions)

Since I won't have NaNoWriMo, Christmas, surgeries, and vacation in the way, I hope to complete the second half in less than twelve weeks. Thanks for cheering me on, thus far.

So.... N...hmmmm. *sigh*.

Say Mercy

2011-01-14T17:43:00.000-08:00

Notice my mom's eyes on the ever mischievous brothers?

Mercy me!

When I was a young tormented baby sister, I remember my brothers would sit on me, pin my arms to the ground, and proceed to repeatedly poke a finger into my chest and taunt me. “Say mercy. Say mercy.”

Looking back on it, I think the objective my brothers had in mind must have been to see who would actually cry out for mercy and end the torment, me or my mom. Was I tough enough to endure the torture before my mom had mercy on me and put an end to it?

“Ricky! Gordon! Leave her alone.”

I win… that round anyway.

Humanly speaking, mercy is the act of compassion, particularly on the helpless. In the illustration above, my mom was the one who truly exercised mercy. If I had called out mercy, it would be better defined as forced surrender because I knew neither brother would truly ‘have mercy’. If they did, they’d quit the moment my chest was red or tears slid into my ears whether I asked for mercy or not.

Mercy is a very confusing term. I can’t even say that I fully understand it but I’m going to give it a shot anyway.

Let’s start with the Mercy Seat that is known as the lid of the Ark of the Covenant. This is where blood was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement. The Mercy Seat represents God’s throne.

When I hear the words, God’s Throne, in my mind I hear judgment. If the Mercy Seat represents God’s Throne (judgment)…and blood is sprinkled on it for atonement of sin, then it seems to make sense that if God accepts the Atonement offering, then He is having mercy on the sinner and giving them another chance.

In the Psalms, David prayed many times “Oh Lord have mercy on me…” and believe me, I’ve prayed that prayer a time or two before I even really understood it.

I remember praying it out loud one time when I was dealing with past issues wrapped in unnecessary guilt. A friend wrapped her arms around me and let me weep, deep, groaning, tormented sobs. Her arms around me were filled with God’s mercy for me. I thought I was repenting, asking for forgiveness, but now that I look back on it, God showed me what mercy really is. He showed me that the past is the past and just because I revisit it on my own and feel the weight of guilt doesn’t mean He hasn’t forgiven me.

Someday everyone will stand before God’s judgment throne where mercy will no longer play a role, but for now His throne IS the mercy seat.

Hebrews 4:16 says “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Let me leave you with a video of a song that reminds us not to be timid before the mercy seat…but to come running. His arms of mercy are waiting to hold us and free us from the torment of unnecessary guilt of forgiven sin.

Jingle Jingle

2011-01-12T17:42:00.000-08:00

Go grab a cup of coffee and join me for my second vlog. Despite the fact I had an external microphone, it is still difficult to hear. If you have head phones or earbuds, it will make it easier to hear. I'm learning as I go and appreciate all the encouragement I've received from so many.

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to listen to my ramblings.

A Thing Called Love

2011-01-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

Love is confusing. I don’t just mean the emotional part of love; I’m referring to the WORD love.

When we stop to think about it, everything comes down to Love, doesn’t it? I mean, seriously…if we don’t have love (the noun), we have nothing. If we can’t love (the verb) what is there to live for?

When someone has a nasty disposition on life we think “they must not have been loved as a child.” When a single person watches a happy couple they wonder “will I ever experience that kind of love?” When the people who come to church raise their hands in worship to God and then complain about their fellow Christians or pastor over lunch at the restaurant after church we say “where is the love?” When you tell someone you love them and then months or years later can’t stand to even be in the same room with them… what kind of love is that?

Jesus asked Peter the same thing.

What do we know about Peter? He was impulsive. He dropped his nets and followed Jesus… *snap*... just like that. He stepped out of the boat in the middle of a storm to walk on the water to get to Jesus. He blurted out that Jesus would never wash his feet without waiting to see what Jesus was really wanting to do through that act. He lopped off the ear of a soldier when they tried to arrest Jesus and then that very same night denied he even knew the very One that he showed all these impulsive acts to.

No wonder when Jesus showed Himself to some of the disciples on the beach one morning, He decided to not accept Peter’s impulsive answers to His questions. After His resurrection, Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to evaluate his love for Him.

There’s something interesting about this line of questioning that I want to address in this Christianese post about Love. The English language has one word for love. It’s the word… love (duh). But the Greek language uses two different words in John 21 that are both translated lamely into the one misused and often messy English word Love.

The Greek words are phileo and agapae.

HVD-4U

2011-01-07T16:36:00.000-08:00

Today I am venturing into a new territory for me, I'm braving the big bad world of Vlogging. This is my first attempt and I have so much to learn. So be patient with me as the process evolves into something that might eventually be worthy of viewing. But for now...I know my friends won't mind the imperfections of the maiden voyage of my new adventure I call HVD-4U... Happy Vlog Day For You! (I'm sure even the title will morph into something much better...give me some time.)

Show Some Mik Chik Love!

2011-01-04T18:13:00.000-08:00

Being the self-titled midwife of the Connecting Now blog, I love to bounce the little six month old infant on my knee and smile with pride. Like my children and grandchildren, as the blog grew and developed I see traits from both sides of the family: looks, intellect, and personality. When they are first born people would say things like: "Oh how cute, she has her mother's nose." Or, "He's always gassy like his grandpa/uncle/______." (insert any male family member since we ladies never fart.) But as they grow, often those initial similarities morph into their own traits that help to make the little blessing their own individual being.

The beauty of being the midwife is similar to granparenthood. You get to enjoy the cute fun stuff and the pass the bundle of joy off to the parents when you're done with it. Back in the pioneer days, I imagine a midwife may show up to give bits of advice on nurturing in physical, spiritual, and emotional development and then leave the parents to finagle things on their own. That's sort of how I feel.

I've enjoyed watching the coNUNdrum solving blog grow and develop and the interaction of the readers has been most enjoyable and entertaining. When the Whippersnapper joined in the raising of the infant, Connecting Now morphed into something that caught us by surprise. "Us" being the midwife, parent, and supportive aunts and uncles. Who knew she could weasel her way in and grow on us like moss on the north side of trees? But seriously, it's truly been a joy to coo, giggle, and wipe slobber during the 6 months of coNUNdrum life thus far.

Today I have a FREE OFFER for the loyal readers of Connecting Now. For the next week I'm giving away free I ♥ Mik Chiks buttons you can proudly pin on your blog's side bar. Much like the "I Voted" stickers on election day, you can wear this button with patriotic pride (even if you're Canadian).

Read more »

An Epilogue

2011-01-03T23:54:00.000-08:00

The epilogue isn’t the end, but the beginning.

Recently I wrote a rough draft of a novel that is book two in a series. Story #3 is somewhere in the dark corner of my brain, but I need to finish novels one and two first. I needed to bring Hidden Agenda to a conclusion but subtly indicate to the reader the story wasn’t really finished.

I struggled with passing of time throughout the book and I know #3 needs to be much farther down the road in the lives of my characters. So, I wrote a snappy little epilogue where I summed everything up and prepared the reader for what will happen in the sequel.

My letter K word in the Christianese iBlog series is the Greek word Koinonia. This word is used for the very first time in Acts 2:42 and is translated ‘fellowship’. During the ‘70’s, the word koinonia was attached to church gatherings that resemble the Small Group style of church fellowship today.

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Often when a catchy word is picked up it tends to become overused and lose some of its original meaning. Personally, growing up I thought koinonia meant potluck or Bible Study where food is served. After all, the verse where it first appeared sort of says that.

To simply say Koinonia=Fellowship doesn’t truly define it. There are some interesting tidbits about koinonia that could take more than one blog post but here’s a quick overview.

Koinonia is strictly a post-Pentecost relationship.
It is an action word which makes it a purposeful word.
The root of koinonia fellowship is common connectedness. As Believers, our common connection is our relationship with Christ.
Koinonia is intimate, intentional, sharing in common communion.

No More

2010-12-30T07:30:00.000-08:00

It’s that time of year again. The calendar is about to be replaced and plans to set New Year’s resolutions are brewing in your brains even as you read this. Before you start jotting down that list that looks remarkably similar to the one you lost somewhere last January, even though it included Get Organized, let me share a few thoughts on the whole resolution idea.

Did you know that almost half of Americans make these vows to begin the year with? And of those, one third break them before the groundhog pokes his head out of his hidey-hole. Let’s take a gander at the top ten resolutions, shall we?

The Top Ten Resolutions for 2011:

1. Stop Smoking

2. Get into a Habit of being Fit

3. Lose Weight

4. Enjoy Life More

5. Quit Drinking

6. Organize Yourself

7. Learn Something New

8. Get out of Debt

9. Spend More Time With Family

10. Help People

Let this simmer on the back burner for a moment while I chase a rabbit trail, so to speak.

Beautiful Feet

2010-12-25T23:53:00.000-08:00

My nostrils stung from the assault of dust I inhaled when I was thrown in the street. I swiped at the tears on my cheeks and smeared the salty dust mixed moisture and noticed a muddy mess on the back of my hand. My head ducked low, I saw feet begin to form a circle around me; dirty, hairy man-toes, disgusting.

To the left, I recognized the toes. They were clean. Only moments ago I held those feet in my lap, seductively washing them. I always start with their feet. After he laid a few coins on the seat next to him, I let my hand wander up his firm calf gently massaging the muscles before they gradually found their way to his thigh.

I stared at those clean feet and noticed his outer garment askew, hastily thrown on. Husky men’s voices screamed “Stone her, stone her.”

Two pairs of thick, meaty hands dug into my armpits and hauled me to an upright position. I clutched the folds of the bed linens and held them securely around me. The linens I was fortunate enough to grab when the men barged into my chambers and wrenched me out from under him…the one with the clean feet.

My eyes wandered towards the cockeyed outer garment, which abruptly shifted into place. In my peripheral vision I saw heads turn and spot this nervous act. I had to force myself not to sneer with satisfaction that he, too, was now under the judgmental glares of ignorant accusers.

The pious Pharisee smoothed his beard over his chest and intentionally waited for the crowd to grow before he spoke. “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.” He pointed his gnarled finger in my face. “The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

Go ahead and stone me, I thought to myself. I don’t have anything worth living for anyway. I’ve shamed my family.

This teacher crouched down in front of me and wrote in the dust, ignoring the badgering demands of the Pharisees. The crowd’s angry taunts turned to confused murmurs. Finally, he faced the robed, self-righteous, keeper of the law.

“Who is without sin among you,” he paused and looked each man straight in the eyes. “Let him throw a stone at her first.”

He proceeded to squat down and continued to write in the dust. Deliberate, gentle authority could be observed in his speech and his ledger of dust.

Stones dropped to the earth with thuds. One-by-one, the men dispersed until I was left staring at the feet of the one they called Teacher.

“Where are your accusers?”

His feet looked different from the numerous ones I’ve held in my lap. I couldn’t take my eyes off of them.

“Has no one condemned you?”

I clung to the wad of linen in my hand and forced myself to look into his face. “No one…Lord.”

“Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.”

My eyes darted to his feet when I turned to leave. Such beautiful feet. Sin no more? I’m not sure I know how to do that. Exposed, I gathered the excess bed-sheet at my feet and turned to leave.

I heard him speak to the handful of men that stayed with him. “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

CHRISTMAS EVE FRIDAY FICTION

2010-12-23T18:18:00.000-08:00

WooHoo! My first time hosting Friday Fiction.
(even if it's unofficial)

If you'd like to join the fun, scroll down (BELOW MY STORY) and add your link to the linky tool at the bottom of this post. Then be sure to come back and follow the links to our other participants. And don't forget to leave an encouraging word to let the writers know you are reading! (We thrive on that, you know.)

My Christmas Eve FF story was written during the Christmas quarter of Faithwriters under the topic "Christmas Carols".

♩ ♪ ♬ ♩ ♪ ♬ ♩ ♪ ♬ ♩ ♪ ♬ ♩ ♪ ♬ ♩ ♪ ♬

Gladys McKnight and the Kings

“Slow down, Gladys,” Millie begged. “Give me a chance to let the caboose catch up.” Millie referred to her own large square-shaped-back-side.

“Well, hurry it along. This steam engine is ready to roll.” Gladys yanked the chain of her imaginary train whistle.“Woot-woot!”

The daring duo, rebels in their old age, escaped unseen from the confines of the assisted living home to enjoy the annual Christmas tree lighting at the court house.

“Do you see what I see?” Gladys exclaimed pointing upward.

“What?” Millie squinted, “I can’t see anything since my cataract surgery flopped.”

“A star,” Gladys urged Millie to look again. “That star looks like it’s dancing in the night. See, with a tail as big as a kite?”

“Hrmph, all I see is black sky.” Millie’s pessimistic attitude could block out the brightest star.

Millie paused to catch her breath. Earlier, she balked the idea of leaving the comfort of the home. She could see the tree lighting just fine from her spot by the window, but Gladys’ granddaughter was singing and that made it worth the venture.

“We need to get closer so I can take a picture,” Gladys urged, zigzagging through the crowd.

Millie clutched her cane with one hand and firmly grasped Gladys’s coat-tail in her other. “Oh, do you hear what I hear?” Millie jerked on the fabric wadded in her fist.

“No, I can’t hear very well, remember? That’s why we need to get closer!” Gladys fished in her pocket for her camera.

“I hear Melinda singing. Her song is floating high above the trees. I know her voice anywhere. It’s as clear and big as the sea.”

Amy Inspired by Bethany Pierce

2010-12-21T20:22:00.000-08:00

Amy Inspired is the second published novel by the young author, Bethany Pierce. I haven’t read her first book, Feeling For Bones, but I did purchase it recently so I can get another taste of Bethany’s unique writing style.

Amy Inspired is written in first person form rather than the omniscient third person style many of us are accustomed to. I often felt I was sneaking a peek into someone’s personal journals. An author generally writes about topics they know and live. This reader gets the feeling that Amy Inspired was written in that way and probably became somewhat therapeutic for the author. Bethany Pierce has a story to tell. What is that story? Real life. Not the wrapped up in a neat comfortable Christian bow life some readers might prefer to read about.

Bethany spins a complicated, yet simple story about a near-thirty single woman who no longer thinks maintaining her virginity at the cusp of becoming thirty is noble, yet holds tight to her Christian upbringing amidst temptation. Amy has quirky friends that appear to accidently land in her life, including the awkwardness of an unwanted male roommate. Explaining this modern day Christian version of Three’s Company to her firm-faith-founded mother becomes a challenge. Mother, of course, comes complete with the eye-rolling pat Christian answers to Amy’s complicated life situations.

As If

2010-12-19T23:27:00.000-08:00

Justification.

Like several other posts in this series, the word justification deals with sin. As a matter of fact, in a recent conversation with a confused friend struggling in her faith, it’s this word that spurred my reason to attack this series of Christian words that are often misunderstood…that pesky language of Christianese.

Justification is something I still struggle to wrap my mind around. No, I’m not referring to aligning my margins before I submit an article or writing contest entry. I’m also not talking about a bunch of excuses people often rattle off to justify their wrong actions.

When my kids were little, we participated in Junior Bible Quiz. This was an awesome opportunity to teach our faith to kids in a fun, competitive way. I learned so much in the process of coaching and helping my kids study for quiz meets.

When I see or hear the question: What is Justification? I instantly hear hands slamming on the buzzer. The JBQ answer was something like this: When we accept Jesus as our Savior, God looks upon us just-as-if we’ve never sinned.

Justification --> Just-as-if…

Galatians 2:16

…nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.