Comforts of Home

It's official...tomorrow is my kids' third snow day in a row.  Well, it's actually not the snow that's the problem, it's the temperature.  Wind chills in Kansas are currently dipping down to about -25 degrees.  It's insane.

The kids, however, are giddy!

It's always exciting to have unexpected days off.   They've already enjoyed two full days of lounging around the house in their PJs.

I, on the other hand, always work from home.  But, I've also enjoyed the company of the kids on these bitterly cold days.  There is something nostalgic about these lazy days with the kids that make them special.

This morning as I sat at the table with my laptop and fresh cup of coffee, I considered the fact that my kids were still tucked into their beds...all warm and cozy...sleeping in.  They're warm.  They're with me.  They're safe.

Not everyone is so lucky.

As I sat in my warm home drinking my hot cup of coffee, I tried to imagine spending the night outside with dirty clothes, a coat, and an old blanket or two to keep me warm.  I tried.  I failed.  I simply can't imagine it.

This line of thought led to the next:  What is my responsibility?

The answer is...I don't know.

What I do know is that I can think of lots of excuses for inaction.  There are shelters, right?  I donate to charities that help these people so I'm doing my share.  What could I do to help anyway...bring strangers to my home?!  I don't even know where to find these people!  Yes, lots of excuses.

And even when I start brainstorming things I could do, other issues enter my mind.  After all, there are millions of problems in this world and I only have so much time available in a day.  Starvation.  Lack of clean water.  Loneliness.  Homelessness.  War.  Abuse.  Neglect.  The list is endless, global, and overwhelming.  Pain and suffering are alive and well.

I honestly don't know where to begin.

This is why it's so important that I pay attention to what God is calling me to do.  God has blessed me with specific gifts that will allow me to fulfill a specific purpose in His plan.

To be quite honest, I have not yet figured out my purpose.  No matter.  God knows...and He'll lead me as long as I continue to pay attention.

This world is as close to hell as I ever plan to get.  Sadly, this world is as close to heaven as some will ever get.  All of the issues of pain and suffering I listed above take a back seat to this one fact.

So tomorrow in the warmth of my home with my kids lounging in their pajamas, fuzzy socks on my feet, and something tasty simmering in the crock pot, I will thank God for my blessings.

And I will feel guilty for my blessings. 

Lord, use me!  If not to bring comfort to others in this world, use me to bring Your children to You.  So they can be warm.  They can be with You.  And they can be safe.

In the comfort of Your house.

For eternity.

No Strings Attached

"Ma'am, can I help you out with this?"

"No...I can get it.  Thanks."

Why is this always uncomfortable to me?  As I was walking out to the car, I was pondering this.  It is just awkward to accept "no strings attached" gifts from others.  Dillons' policy says that they cannot accept even tips for helping.  There is absolutely no incentive for them to be helpful, but it's part of their job and they always dutifully ask.

And I always decline. On the few occasions that I have accepted, I felt guilty.

After all, I'm perfectly capable.  There are others who may need help...but not me.

Hmmm...

After loading up the groceries, I headed home.  On the way I found myself thinking, "Now if the kids have surprised me by cleaning the house while I've been gone, THAT would be a gift I could accept!"

Why is that?

Well, they owe me.

Wow...I sound like a great parent.  But you know what I mean. I do things for them all the time--make their meals, wash their laundry, help them with homework, etc.  It would've been a great surprise, but it most certainly would not have been a gift that I was uncomfortable to accept.

No worries...it didn't happen.

But now I was pondering both situations.  What was the difference?

It's simple.  I feel the need to earn my gifts.  With my own kids, I earned the (much wished for) surprise of a clean house but I didn't earn the favors of a grocery-toting kid.

I think the same is true of the free gift of grace we receive from God.

Many simply don't accept it, because they didn't earn it and they don't want to "owe" God.  It just can't be the truth. No other "gods" give away salvation without expecting something in return.

Jesus, however, paid the full-price for my salvation...and yours.  It's free.  Take it!

I need to focus on simply being grateful for this gift...humbly accepting and cherishing it.  Stop with the guilt!  My energies would be better spent helping others see the beauty of this free gift that they, too, can receive.

No strings attached.

American Idols

Worship [wur-ship] verb: to feel an adoring reverence or regard.

Idol [ahyd-l] noun:  any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion.

The first warning by God toward the human desire to worship was written on the tablets brought down from Mount Sanai by Moses.  The very first commandment written with God's own "finger" is:

 ³ “You shall have no other gods before me.
 ⁴ “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.  (Exodus 20:3-6)


We all have a desire to worship.  It's an instinct that was built-in to our design by our Creator.  What we worship, however, is a choice that we make with our free will.

Will I worship the Creator?  Or will I worship the created?

It seems like an obvious choice!  Who would struggle with this one?  I have no interest in making a golden calf and asking it for blessings!  That just seems ridiculous.  We look at the Israelites who waited impatiently at the bottom of the mountain for Moses to return and just shake our heads at their stupidity.  (Exodus 32) As if we are any better.

When I consider in my own life that things that I worship, I ask myself these questions.  After my physical needs are met:

1. To what do I give my time?
2. To what do I give my energy?
3. For what would I risk my health?
4. To what do I give my money?
5. What could I not live without?

Ask yourself these questions.  It may reveal your false gods to you.

Idols come in many forms with some being more obvious than others.  It's not likely that you have a little statue in your home that you worship, but you very likely have one in your heart.

How about...

Your home.  How important is that house you live in?  Is this where you extra money goes?  Do you spend your extra time decorating and cleaning?

Your bank account.  If your account was wiped out tomorrow, would you be suicidal?  Find yourself working long hours to make your bottom line grow?  Do your kids see you as much as your co-workers do?

Food.  When you need consolation, do you turn to food rather than God?  How about when you are celebrating?  Is extra money spent on buying soft drinks, expensive coffees, and eating out?

Your children.  Are you teaching your kids that they are more important than anything else...including God.  Do you make sacrifices to assure that all their wants are met?  Is your time spent running from one kid activity to another?  Do they feel that the world revolves around them?

Technology.  Drugs.  Your looks, favorite NFL/collegiate/NBA/NHL...etc team, spouse (or boyfriend/girlfriend), pets, bands, college degrees...

The list goes on and on.

In reality, this is one of the biggest issues that we, as Christians, face in our daily lives.  I wish the issue was as simple as avoiding little statues. 

Just a bunch of sheep...

 
The first time I thought of people as "sheep" was in Mr. Ison's Composition II class my first year at Fort Hays State University.  We read the short story A&P by John Updike.  I really liked that story and have read it several times since that discussion one day in the Spring of 1992.

Sheep.  Yes, I think that's a good analogy.  At Answers.com and Wikipedia.org I found characteristics of these animals and narrowed them into 7 broad statements.  Sheep are:

1. social.  They live in herds and are inclined to follow a leader.  When separated from the flock, they suffer stress.
2. prey animals. They are vulnerable and defenseless.  Even when not killed by a predator attack, they may die of their injuries or just from panic.
3. jealous and competitive.  There is a pecking order.
4. food-oriented but must be led to good sources of food and water.
5. extremely unintelligent with a herd mentality.  They are easily panicked.
6. creatures of habit.
7. stubborn and often go astray, needing patient and reliable shepherds.

Consider the vast intelligence and power of our God.  As the Creator of all things, how does our intelligence as humans (His creation!) compare to His intelligence?  What is a good analogy?  Man:X as God:man - man is to "X" as God is to man.  What is X?  A chimpanzee?  A gnat?  How about a sheep?

When scientific "discoveries" are made the offer evidence that contradicts the Bible, it always amuses me.  For example, I was reading about the Big Bang Theory just last night.  That theory has evolved over the last 25 years so that it barely resembles it's own previous definition.  Yet scientists in every year along the way have been fully convinced that this theory was/is absolutely the truth.  It will continue to change and they will continue to have absolute and firm faith in their flawed knowledge.  And they proclaim their faith with such arrogance!  It is laughable.

What makes this dangerous is that many of us sheep listen to them proclaim this absolute and firm faith and follow them.  It's interesting that the one sheep that other sheep follow is not the smartest, most reliable, or even most fit--it is simply the first one who moves.  With scientists looking for answers to questions only God can answer, they are often the first ones to move.

I have said this before and I continue to believe it:  I am not afraid of science.  The laws that govern our world were created by God.  Science only supports the Bible.  It is man's flawed theories of science that contradict the truth.

But there are other sources of wolves out there that attack the sheep...false religions, temptation of sin, and a herd mentality (our current culture) that prefers to worship the created rather than the Creator.
 
In a quick search, I found that sheep are mentioned 200 times in the Bible.  Many of those are direct comparisons to humans.  Shepherds are mentioned 118 times.  Abraham, Isaac, Rachel, Jacob, Moses, and David were all shepherds.  This was NOT a glamorous job!  In fact, it was quite the opposite.  It was a lowly position requiring reliability and patience.  Yet God chose these humble people to accomplish great things.

When Jesus was born God sent His angel, Gabrielle, to proclaim the birth of our Savior.  Where did Gabrielle go?  One would think that this announcement would come to someone important and well-known...say the king, or the Jewish leaders (Pharisees), or at least the socially and culturally influential.

No.  Gabrielle came to the humble, socially inept, and culturally unimportant shepherds.  These people were not even named in scripture.  After getting past the fear that gripped them when their peaceful evening in the field was interrupted by an angel's voice, they went to see the Baby for themselves.  They shared the whole story with Mary and Joseph then left that stable with their lives forever changed...glorifying and praising God.  Luke tells us that "Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart."  (Luke 2:19)  I love this verse.  Mary is a new mom!  What a beautiful beginning to Mary's new journey as a mother.

Psalms 23:1 tells that the Lord is our Shepherd (Old Testament).  John 10:11 tell us the Jesus is the Good Shepherd (New Testament).

There is, apparently, something about this analogy.

We, as sheep, are easily led astray.  We do not want to be separated from others, which is what happens when we live counter-cultural lives.  It is so much easier just to go with the flow.  We are jealous and competitive, trying to raise ourselves up by pecking others down.  Compared to God, whether we like it or not, we are extremely unintelligent.  The problem is that many of us cannot grasp the fact that we simply do not know the things we do not know.  We are creatures of habit with routines, friends, and surroundings that provide us with a nice little comfort zone.

We do, however, have a Shepherd.  One that is reliable and patient.  In fact, He is so devoted to our care that He gave His life to provide us (the vulnerable and defenseless) with eternal protection.  Through the Holy Spirit, He leads us to the spiritual food and water that will sustain us and help us to grow strong in our faith.

With the Holy Spirit within us, then, God expects us to also go into the world and help shepherd his people...our fellow sheep.

When Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him three times between the time Jesus was taken into custody and dawn of the next morning, Peter could not fathom that he would do such a thing.  But he did.  This trusted friend of Jesus found himself being a scared, lost, vulnerable sheep.

After His resurrection, Jesus talked to Peter again about this incident.  Peter was devastated by his own failure.  Jesus asked him three questions giving him three opportunities to make up for his three denials.  The question:  Do you love me?  Three times Peter answered positively.  (John 21:15-17)  After each of the three questions and each of the three answers, Jesus gave him a command.

Feed my lambs.
Take care of my sheep.
Feed my sheep.

In Updike's story, Sammy chooses to leave the flock when he realizes that the herd's beliefs contradict his own.  He is warned that life will be harder without the security of the flock (the culture at that time).  Strangely enough, Queenie and the others that he is defending neither acknowledge his existence nor realize the sacrifice he made on their behalf.   And he goes out into the day knowing that life will be hard.

And it is.

Thank God we have a Shepherd.

Tough Issues: Why do bad things happen?

The problem of "Evil" confronts many Christians suddenly and in a very emotional way.  Often we have to address this issue with the loss or devastation of ourselves or someone we love.  This seems to often have a polarizing effect...either pulling one toward God or pushing one away from God.  I am, however, a firm believer that Christians who struggle with this issue will find their way back to the God who loves them. (Romans 8:38-39)

God created man and woman, giving them a beautiful garden, food, companionship with Him, and dominion over all things created.  It was perfect!  However, God also wanted to give them something else--free will.

It was important for God to give us free will.  He did not want his creation to love, worship, and obey him because that was the only thing they could do.  He was very capable of making us His puppets with no ability to reason or option to rebel.  But that was not His plan.  God wanted His people to have the ability to obey Him...or not.

With this in mind, the Garden of Eden had to contain an option to rebel.  Without an option to rebel, there could be no free will because every option would be God's will.  So, a tree was included in this paradise, just one tree (the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil) from which Adam and Eve were not to eat.

We were not the only creatures that God created and gave free will.  Angels were also given this opportunity to choose.  The only creatures that are mentioned in the Bible as being made in God's image, however, are men and women.  Just as we experience envy, it seems very likely that these other creatures with the ability to reason would feel the sting of this emotion on occasion.  This probably made it especially tempting to entice us to rebel against our maker.  And Satan, a fallen angel, did just that.

I am not particularly mad at Adam and Eve for doing something as stupid as eating the one fruit that God forbid them to eat.  It is my belief that I would have done the same.  In fact, those who would criticize the decisions of our first parents are suffering from what C.S. Lewis refers to as chronological snobbery.  After all, how many choices have I made in my life that are in direct violation of the commandments of God?  And I will also add that you can't blame only Eve.  Read the verses for yourself to see just where Adam was.  (Genesis 3:6)  That's right.  He was right there with her...not off gallivanting through the Garden as is often depicted when this act is recreated in artistic works.

We chose to rebel.  Just as God knew we would.  Yes, of course He knew we would.  He knows everything.

Could God have chosen to stop Adam and Eve from eating the fruit?  As I mentioned earlier, the tree was necessary to provide an option for us to exercise our free will.  Stopping Eve from taking that first bite would have done likewise.

So why didn't God just kill the serpent (Satan)?  Didn't Satan's interference unfairly affect Eve's ability to make a rational choice?

God will not (and cannot) contradict Himself.  As Paul tells Titus, God cannot lie.  (Titus 1:1-4)  Since the angels have free will, God would/could not interfere with Satan's plan.  Since we have free will, God would/could not interfere in Eve and Adam's decision.  If He had interfered in any of the evil events that happened at that time, He would have stripped his creations of free will.

So sin entered the world.  With consequences.  God had to banish them from the Garden.  You see, there was another tree there from which God had to save us.  This was the Tree of Life.  Eating from this tree would have made the consequences from the first sin eternal.  Adam and Eve would have lived forever in sin.  God showed them mercy by banishing them.

We all have choices to make.  We are given free will to make our own choices.  And we all have consequences (good and evil) from those choices.  We cannot forget that other people also have free will.  Just as Satan's free will affected Eve's free will, which affected Adam's free will resulting in consequences for all of us, the same cycle happens today.  The sins of others have consequences for them and for us.  Our sins have consequences for us and for others.

We ask things like, "Why did God allow Hitler to kill all those people?"  Hitler had free will.  The people that influenced Hitler had free will.  This doesn't mean that God ordained these things to happen.  St. Augustine's conclusion in his book On Order (386 a.d.) aligns with my view, "God judged it better to bring good out of evil than to suffer no evil at all."

The reality of the situation when facing this evil overwhelms us as beings with limited knowledge and power.  We forget when facing the evil on this earth that our time here is very short in the scheme of an eternity.

And next comes the question, "But what about disease?  Why does God allow cancer (or AIDS, M.S., Alzheimer's, etc.) to kill good people?"

I have two thoughts on this; first, we live in a cursed world that is deteriorating.  I have no idea where and how these diseases began, but they may be related to this deterioration...which was caused by our first sin.  Without sin, humans would've lived forever in companionship with God in a perfect world.  Our human lifespans were eternal!  Once sin entered the world, however, we started deteriorating...aging.  In early Bible recordings, the world was still "healthy" enough that humans lived very long lives.  In fact, theologians estimate that it took Noah 120 years to build the ark and he was about 600 when the rain came!  Was he a freak of nature?  No, that's just how it was.  Our lifespans got shorter and shorter until man's knowledge of science allowed us to develop medicines and easier lifestyles through technology.  But the world has continued to decay and we are suffering the consequences.

My second thought is that they may be related more directly to sin itself.  Some diseases may come from the sin of the sufferer or the sufferer's parents.  For example, some diseases can be linked to sinful habits--overeating, sloth, drunkenness, mistreating one's body with drugs and even cigarettes, promiscuity, etc.  But I have to wonder if diseases that seem to have no cause actually started through some mutation that occurred many, many years ago due to a single sinful act.  Let me make it clear, I am NOT blaming the victims of disease for their own suffering.  My thought is simply that this evil had to have an origin.  Sin and deterioration are the only options I see.

Thankfully, as St. Augustine indicates, God uses these things for good.  In fact, Paul says as much in his letter to the Romans.  (Romans 8:28)

There are also philosophical reasons for the presence of evil.  Could there truly be "good" without it? At what points in your life have you drawn closer to God?  Really consider this.  Was it during times of contentment...or times of struggle?  So, is suffering necessary?

I think it is.  And we need to remember that Jesus Christ suffered FOR us in the most brutal of ways without deserving it.  God knows exactly what it means to physically and emotionally suffer.

Peter talks about the trials that we face here throughout his books of the Bible.  He reminds the new Church (the believers--not the people in a specific building) that "Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit."  (1 Peter 3:18)

We are promised in Isaiah and reminded again in Revelations, "The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth."  (Isaiah 25:8, Revelations 21:4)

One day the sins will be erased and evil will be gone.  I hope you are back here to enjoy it with me.
_________

Suggested Resources:

CS Lewis:  The Problem of Pain.  (1940)
Mars Hill Church Sermon Series:  Trial
Ravi Zacharias:  How Can a Good God Allow Evil in the World?
RC Sproul:  The Problem with Evil
St. Augustine:  The Confessions of St. Augustine, Book 2: The Anatomy of Evil, multiple translations/editors

God and the Titanic

I had an interesting "conversation" this week that I am going to share. 

What started as a smart comment to a facebook picture post, turned into more.  But I learned from it...and you can too.

Here's the picture...

 

It just popped up and I responded...

 

There were lots of other interesting responses about the pride of man. I liked this one...

But then came this one...

 

Followed by this one...

 

Ummm...did I just get called ignorant?  Never one to take a slam casually, I had to respond.

 

Yes, God is sovereign.  In fact, God has all kinds of amazing qualities.  So, now I am really thinking.  Then these two guys made some good points.

 

 

And then came this one...

 

Huh?  How did this comment about the ability of God to do as He pleases (whether we like it or not) turn into a "rejoicing" in the sinking of the Titanic.  Although I disagree with her judgment of the comments (and attitude of the Christian Church) on this picture, I agree with her theological statements that followed.

And then, of course, I have issues with keeping my mouth shut.

 

My point with Sodom and Gomorrah is the fact that God HAS exacted punishment on people.  For goodness sake, the Old Testament in downright scary!  Prior to our new covenant with God through Jesus Christ, people paid for their pride and sinfulness at very, very high costs.  Once Jesus came, however, He was appointed as judge. (John 5:22-23 and Acts 10:42)

 

Yes, sin often means that innocent people suffer.  The sinking of the Titanic was a tragic event.  I can't imagine the fear, pain, and suffering that those people endured.  It was, and is, very sad.

When Noah built the ark, babies drowned.  Can you imagine Noah's family listening to the cries of help from those outside?  When the Israelites claimed the land that was given to them by God, in many cities there were no survivors.  Can you imagine watching as Israeli men killed mothers...and their children...and their babies...at God's command?  The horror of it!  We, meaning Christians, don't like to talk about these things.  It's scary!  But we are instructed to fear Him; He is jealous.  (Deuteronomy 6:13-15)  

You see, God has a plan (Isaiah 46:8-13) that many choose to ignore when they pull these (and other) little necessary pieces out of the His great puzzle.

Now I want to make clear, I am not saying that God heard the statement on the sign above and destroyed the ship and all those in it.  But, did prideful attitudes lead to prideful behavior?  Did people not worry about doing their jobs correctly (communications, lookouts, life preservers, warning system, evacuation systems, etc.) because of pride in their own craftmanship?  Hmmm...

First, what's with the "G-d"?

Second, NOW I'm offended.  "...so can anyone who studies the scriptures..."?!  

Let's not get 'God's involvement in' and 'God's knowledge of' the events of our lives confused.  Although I know that God knows the number of hairs on my head (Luke 12:4-7), that does not mean He intervenes in my daily life.

Furthermore, there were no righteous people in Sodom or Gomorrah.  This includes Lot and his family.  Nowhere in the the story of Lot (Genesis 18:16-19:38) is Lot declared righteous.  He certainly was NOT righteous.  READ IT!  Lot offered his virgin daughters to evil men.  Later, through incest, he impregnated his own daughters while he was sloppy drunk!  Lot was CLEARLY not righteous!

In the NIV (New International Version) Bible, 2 Peter 2:7-8 says that Lot was a righteous man.  However, when I read all the translations of these verses, I feel that most of them do not capture adequately the content of God's original message to His servant, Peter.  Lot was given God's favor...he was granted grace.  Lot did not earn this, it was a gift to him from God.

You see, Lot was the son of Abraham, the Father of All Nations.  But Abraham, an imperfect man* who found favor with God and was given the gift of grace, asked for these cities to be spared.  As it says in Genesis 18, Abraham "bargained" with God to refrain from destroying the cities.

Will you spare them if I find 50 righteous people?  Ok
How about 45?  Sure
Well, what if I only find 40?  Why not?
Don't get mad...what about 30?  No problem
I know I'm being bold here, but would you do it for 20?  20 works for me!
Please don't be angry when I ask one more time, how about 10?  What if I can only find 10?!  You have a deal.

God knew.  He is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent.  He knew that not one person in Sodom or Gomorrah was righteous.  He did not spare these cities.  But He did send down angels to instruct Lot's family to get out...and get out quickly.

Ellen, however, is correct in saying that there were righteous people on the ship.  When Jesus suffered and died, He did so for our sins...not His own.  He took on all of the sins of the world. (1 John 2:2)  Since God is eternal and not subject to time as we know it, this includes all people who ever lived on the Earth.  God has granted grace to those who did believed and those who do believe in Him as He sees fit.  This is a gift that He gives to anyone that HE chooses to give it to.  We do not (and have NEVER been able to) earn it.  This means that those whom He called at any time in the history of the world to receive the gift of grace, became righteous when Jesus declared, "It is finished."  (John 19:30)

But righteous people die every single day.  Jesus follower's suffer because of their own sin, the sin of others, and simply from the fact that we live in a fallen world...a world that is full of death and decay (including disease) and will continue to rot as it has since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit when tempted with the same pride that the sign posted at the beginning of this message exhibits.

God knows that his followers suffer and die.  He, however, decides when and how He will intervene.  Some would say that He is absent and never intervenes.  I know this is false.  I have seen Him intervene.  Sometime I will share some of the miracles I have witnessed.  But whether or not He decides to intervene, He makes all things work for good for those who love Him and are called by Him.  (Romans 8:28)  We just don't always understand.  (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Yes, Ellen, God is merciful.  But we cannot forget that what he declared to Moses was “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."  (Exodus 33:19 and Romans 9:15)

THIS is what I wanted to say.  However, I have been very conscious lately of the fact that when Christians argue the details with other Christians, it hurts the forward progression of Christianity.  As followers of Christ, we are all on a journey.  Some things have been revealed to some that have not been revealed to others.  Yet.  (I truly believe that this is a "revealing" and not just knowledge that we find and understand on our own.)  This belief humbles me.  Maybe Ellen understands something that God has not made known to me at this time.  

The important thing about our walks on our own unique Christian paths is not the different little detours we take and dead-ends we hit, rather the fact that all of our paths lead to Him.  We, as Christians, all have the same destination to reach.

So after typing, then deleting.  Then getting angry and researching and typing more and deleting...and repeating.  I listened to God.  And I deleted.  And I responded:

 

Man, that was hard.  I am a stubborn, prideful woman who thinks she always has to have the last word.  I walked away.  And I was at peace with my response...and I thanked God for humbling me.

When I looked later to make sure I diffused the situation, I saw this response:

Apparently she needed some time to type, delete, and repeat also.  I was relieved to see that others who were reading this little discussion also understood the value of two Christians discussing our faith.

So, as I sat back down at my computer after my pause and I posted this...

And I was raised this way.  With people that you love and respect, disagreeing and discussing (even in a heated manner) helps you grow.  I remember some of our dinner conversations when I was growing up.  (We had family sit-down meals every night and at noon on Sundays.)  When friends would come over and sit through some of these, I would get asked later about our arguing!  Ha!  We didn't see it as arguing.  We were learning lessons from each other about controversial topics...rather than just ignoring them.  It was healthy.  I am grateful for this gift from my parents.

Ellen and I, however, do not know one another.  As Christians we should be able to have these conversations through love and respect.  And I think we would!  But in a public forum (such as a facebook post) I think we needed to follow Ellen's advice taken from the children's Bible School song, "O, be careful little tongues what you say."  Others who are on a different place in their own path (or not on a path at all but are playing way off the path in the green, but dying, grass) find fuel in our disagreements to start having doubts or to support their disbelief and justify their sin. 

 

Yes, this is how Christians argue...err, participate in discourse.  And the other Christians who were watching agreed.

 

 

As you can see from the number of posts listed on the original picture, there were many other comments along the way.  I particularly liked this one that came in the heat of the conversation.  Matt, a man I don't know, points out a simple fact.  

 

Noah, another unrighteous sinner who was given grace by God, built a huge ship...

(Source: www.worldwideflood.com)

...with a plan from God.  He didn't understand it.  He suffered because of it.  But he built it...humbly.  And he lived.
______________________

*It is important to note that Abraham was also NOT a righteous man.  In fact, he was an adulterer.  His adultery led to the birth of an illegitimate son by the name of Ishmael...and we are ALL still paying for this sin. (Genesis 16)  Although Hagar (Ishmael's mom) was promised by God that He would make Ishmael into a "great" nation (Genesis 21:17-18); it is also said that he would live in hostility toward all his brothers (Genesis 25:12-18).  And this came to pass (Genesis 16:12).  Muslims consider Ishmael to be a great prophet.  They believe that they are the inheritors of his legacy. (See Ishmael and Islam)

A Prayer for our Girls

Annie came home a couple of weeks ago with an interesting memento from her day.  One of her teachers had each of the students write his/her name at the top of a piece of paper.  Then they passed these around so that everyone had a chance to write on every paper something that they like about that person.

It's a good idea.  I've done this before in classes where my students didn't seem to be getting along and needed to be reminded that everyone has good qualities and brings value to the classroom.

Annie's list proclaimed that she:

• is pretty,
• dresses nicely,
• is someone several of them want to know better,
• has pretty hair,
• is nice,
• is hilarious,
• and is intelligent (ironically, it was misspelled).

All of these are flattering, but the majority of them are superficial.  Most of the comments focused on the first four things listed above.  And I would agree with all of them.  Annie does take care of her appearance and she was blessed with her grandmother's beauty--including the amazing dimple and naturally slim, athletic body.  

But, I don't want her to see these as her true assets.  "Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."  (Proverbs 31:30)

Annie is so much more than a pretty face.

She has a big heart.  She worries.  My daughter worries about other people (especially her twin, Andy) and wants everyone to be happy.  She is nurturing.  I love to watch her "mother" Emmri and Greyson, the little neighbor girls.  She loves her friends and family.  Like me (and probably Heath), she associates people and events with music.  There are songs on her iPod that she listens to specifically to remind her of times with her cousin, Tyler, and Grandpa Tyler...as well as her brother, Heath, who is in the Navy.

Every girl should have to go through an "ugly phase" to learn some empathy for others.  Not all girls do.  My biggest fear for my daughters is that they will be "mean girls".  Mean Girl syndrome stems from jealousy and pride.  I know, I had my own bouts.  Mean girls get their value from their looks, boyfriends, and status (ie. popularity).

I don't want my daughters to assess their value on these things.

Lord God,

Please give my daughters empathy for all people.  Help them understand that beauty, boyfriends, and popularity do not determine their value.  In fact, help them choose NOT to desire to be popular.  Instead, lead them to live their lives according to Your will, which is counter-cultural and not popular.  Give them friends that will support them and hold them accountable.

Help Todd and I to teach them to not judge others as they see their peers make bad choices.  But help them avoid the same bad choices.  And when they do make mistakes, give them a remorseful heart and remind them that Your Son died so that they can be forgiven.  Give them the strength to say "No" even when they have made the mistake of saying "Yes" before.  Repentance is hard and painful and full of temptations.  Turn their hearts toward You when they must go through it.

Continue to help our girls nurture tender hearts.  Help us instill in them that their value is not in their appearance or status, but in their impact on others.  We pray that the Holy Spirit will give them the gifts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  (Galatians 5:22-23)

Give them the desire to seek You above all else.  And help us be the examples that we need to be.  Remind us every day that we are the spiritual guides of our children--not our church and not our youth pastors.  Give us the desire to learn every day from You so that our children will see this and know that You are the focus of our daily lives.

Thank you for blessing us with our amazing daughters...as well as our cherished sons.  Be with them all every single day...reminding them that they are Your children, too.

Amen.