Competition and Jealousy

I originally wrote this for a private blog I am maintaining for a Bible Study group. The topic is a universal issue, so I thought I'd include my thoughts here, too!

Paul was physically kept from widespread ministry while he was imprisoned (real Philippians 1:12-18), but he celebrated the success of others as they were able to spread the Gospel during that time. As women, we are sometimes limited in our visible ministry activities by family and home obligations. Just like Paul, we need to trust God's sovereignty in our situation and celebrate other's successes while continuing to minister in our realm of influence. Even if we can't be missionaries in a foreign country or leaders of large ministries, we can follow Paul's example and shine for the sake of Christ exactly where we are.

I have experienced such joy when being allowed the privilege of praying with my children as they made Jesus the Lord of their lives. Although it has been the hardest work I've ever done, raising them to grow in their knowledge of and love for the Lord has been the most joyful experience of my life.

During these years of being "chained" with my growing family, I watched many other women lead in church, influence large throngs of people, lead in musical worship of God and write wise, godly, books. I confess to being jealous of these women at times. But I also have been blessed by their willingness to serve God and His children, dedicating much more of their time than I had available. They blessed me and I am grateful.

I, too, would love to make a mark on this planet for Jesus. Someday I may write a great book or sing a song heard worldwide that blesses God. Or maybe I won't. No matter what, I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39.

God placed in each of us a desire to be special; to be seen as unique and treasured. The Psalmist, David, beautifully articulates that desire in Psalm 139, especially verse 17, "How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!" The problem arises when we look to the world to fulfill that desire instead of to our Savior because He is the only one who can completely fulfill that desire. We want so much for our talents to be appreciated that it can hurt when our abilities are overlooked while someone else's is celebrated. These feelings are very normal, but need to be recognized for what they are before jealousy takes root, especially when it comes to our immediate church family. Jealousy unchecked is toxic to the family of God. If we really believe we are called to glorify God in everything we do, that includes how we react to the success of others. It is a loving sacrifice of our will to the will of our Father.

Any thoughts?

Staying Committed to Your Local Church

link: Pyromaniacs

There is absolutely nothing I can add to this article. It says exactly what I want to say, but am not skilled enough to articulate properly. If you have ever thought about leaving your local church because [fill in your issue here], you NEED to read this article by Frank Turk over at the Pyromaniacs website.

"Listen: I have advice for you who are in these [something about this church is not right] situations which you are not going to like, and you are going to think that I have somehow gone soft when you hear it – but I am actually telling you how to buck up."

Read the whole article here.

All I can say is...yeah. What he said!

A Heavy Workload

I am seriously buried in paperwork at the office right now. It seems like the more I get done, the more needs to be done. I have been tempted from time to time to just give up. It would be much easier to walk away and start fresh somewhere else, at least it seems like it when I am experiencing frustrating moments of weakness.

Of course, God meets us at our moments of weakness, bless His Name! I have just begun a Bible study with some ladies from my church entitled, Enjoy: A Thirst-Quenching Look at Philippians. Last night was our first night together. As we watched the author, Tianne Moon, speak to us on DVD, I was encouraged to continue my battle with the mountain at my desk.

We are called to glorify God in all that we do. I need to glorify God at my job. I need to offer my employer my best effort because that glorifies God. To bring the point further home, I did a quick search of the word "glorify" at BibleGateway.com. What I found was an assortment of verses that not only encouraged me to glorify God, but also warned me about the consequences of not glorifying Him. His Word is a two-edged sword!

I will be mindful when I am at work that I am doing my job as unto the Lord. Only my best will do.

Global Fast 2007 Reminder

link: Global Fast 2007

Just a reminder that Global Fast 2007 is tomorrow. Let's join together to fast, pray and seek God's face for those who are hungry and suffering in the world. And don't forget to give the money you save by not eating to a worthy charity.

Jesus, we are called to glorify you through our lives. Thank you for giving our lives a purpose. We are not simply here to live, take, and die; we are here to spend our lives wisely. Tomorrow as I hunger, I pray I will be mindful of those who are hungry every day. Some hunger for food and others hunger for a relationship with You. I pray those empty places will be filled by you, Lord. For those who suffer from neglect or abuse, I pray you will intervene and make Yourself known in those situations. I know you are with those who suffer. I pray you will strengthen and bless those who serve you by serving the least of these. I love you. Amen

Lighting the Corners of My Mind

My very first date was to see the movie, Xanadu. All I remember was how romantic the movie seemed at the time...and a bit racey! I actually bought the album and knew all the songs. My favorites were the ballads and, of course that beautiful duet Olivia Newton-John sang with my first crush, Gene Kelly. I swoon just thinking about it!

Fast-forward 26....26?.....years. Ouch. I thought it would be sweet to introduce my 16-year-old who loves musicals to the only '80s musical I liked, Xanadu. We excitedly set up the DVD, made ourselves comfortable on the couch and pressed the 'play' button.

Oh, my.

The special effects that seemed state-of-the-art at the time were a bit outdated, to say the least. The dialogue was pretty simplistic. There weren't any challenging scenes. The parts I remembered as racey were more tame than a shampoo commercial. My husband, that sweet young man who took me on that first date, came into the room and asked what on earth we were watching. I told him and reminded him of the time he took me to see this little gem. At first, he tried to deny it, but I could tell he remembered I was right. He blushed, and sat down to watch the rest of the show with us.

My daughter laughed through the whole thing and insisted the only good part was that duet I mentioned before. My husband smiled and told me it was time to pack it up and take it back to the video store.

It is hard to believe, but 1980 was a much more innocent time. AIDS didn't even have a name until 1981. Albums were still the method of choice for purchasing music. Computers were the size of offices and cell phones were pure science-fiction! Our biggest threat was the Soviet Union, and they couldn't even keep their citizens supplied with toilet paper.

I know some of those things I grew up with seem silly, but I am so glad they are still around to enjoy. For a short time, I was able to visit those worry-free days of the '80s.

link: Xanadu: The Movie

Let's Play a Game....

When you hear that phrase, do you jump up and whoop for joy or, like me, do you wish you were invisible? Do you sometimes feel guilty for not playing enough with your kids? I do. But the games they want to play take FOREVER or are so mindless that I nearly lose my own mind trying to get through one round. And they always want to play more than one round of any game! And then there's the boredom you must endure while you are waiting for your turn to come around again. And the necessity of keeping an accurate scorecard is always a point of contention. And what if someone thinks someone else is cheating? What if someone thinks someone else is taking too long with their turn? The whole "family quality time" takes a nosedive and you wish you'd just turned on the TV and ignored each other all night long.

If this sounds even remotely like your family, have I got a game for you. It is called Bananagrams and it is a load of fun. It reminds me of scrabble, but without the waiting around for your turn and without all of that annoying point counting. Everone gets a handful of tiles, somebody yells "split," and everyone tries to form words that connect (like in the picture - one of my many winning hands!). Everyone plays with their own set of tiles and play occurs at the same time for everyone. As soon as the first person runs out of tiles, they shout "Bananas" and that round is over! If all the words they made are deemed actual words by everyone else, they win. Game over! You can play a game in less than 5 minutes, or you can play until one person wins a certain number of times. You choose.

We had such a great time playing this game last weekend we ended up buying the game for a friend. I can't wait to hear how her family enjoys it. We haven't found a game we were this excited about since we found Apples to Apples a couple of years ago. The entire Bananagrams game fits in a small pouch, so we can take it anywhere we go where we might like to play a game. We haven't been out to eat since we purchased the game, but it would be a great way to spend time together after we order and are waiting for our food to arrive.

The rules aren't much more complicated than I've stated here, but for a better, more detailed description of the game and how it came to be, check out the Bananagrams website.

Enjoy your family this weekend!

Discipleship in the Modern Church

I have noticed a growing trend in many churches to place the majority of their efforts on attracting people to their church through dynamic outreach and evangelism programs. While I agree that reaching the lost is our greatest priority as Christians, we also need to help those new to the faith mature as Christians. No, I take that back. We need to help all Christians mature. I have met people who professed to being Christians for 40 years who know less about Jesus than a discipled 10-year-old.

In my opinion, the reason we are not discipling Christians is this: Selfishness. We have become a people who's slogan is "what's in it for me?" If it doesn't directly benefit ourselves or or children, we aren't interested. We join churches based on the programs they offer, not on how we can serve God in that church community. Yes, we need to find churches that will come alongside us as we rear our children, but that shouldn't be the end of it. We can't simply drop the kids off at AWANA, go to "big church" and think life is great. Using our behinds to hold a pew down is not ministry and we are not discipling anyone when we live like that.

We have all heard that saying, 25% of the church members do 75% of the work. Well, that's just not funny. That is embarassing and a shame. If every church member committed to one thing - just 1 thing- to help their local church, there would be more than enough people to do what is needed to be done and no one would be overburdened. In fact, we would all be blessed beyond measure!

Just last night I was reading in Exodus about Moses asking the Israelites to contribute items to the building of the Tent of Meeting. These people were homeless, wandering in the desert, and they still gave so much Moses asked them to stop giving! Could you imagine what our churches would be like if we trusted God as much as the Israelites did at that moment?

::ahem::

Back to the topic at hand.

Discipleship.

What would our churches look like if we sacrificed a bit of our time and our effort to God's glory and reached out to help our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ mature in their faith? There is a reason the world doesn't think much of the church today. We are hypocrites. We spend a great deal of time looking the part of the Good Christian: Our hair looks nice, our clothes are clean and pressed, our smile is placed on our faces perfectly. But when we go to church and ask others, How Are You?, we don't really want to hear an authentic answer. Or, if we do, we tell them we'll pray for them and go on our way. Why don't we stop right then and pray for them? Why don't we call them and see how they're doing? Maybe share an encouraging scripture or two? Maybe, heaven forbid, just sit in a waiting room with them to keep them company when they're scared?

This selfishness is going to bite us in the rear as we raise children who have no clue who Jesus really is or how to share His love with others. Or why His love is even worth sharing.

I found an eye-opening article today on this topic. If you want to get really concerned about the future of the generation we are raising, check it out.

link: What Ever Happened to Discipleship

Here's a tast of what you'll find there:

"The "modern" idea of church, or ecclesiology, it seems is that the church exists only as a venue to "attract" the lost through dynamic programs, performances and events - the more dynamic the better. What one pastor friend of mine referred to as "theo-tainment." The problem with this approach exclusively is that a disproportionate amount of the church's time and resources go into these efforts at the expense of discipleship and training the already saved. The result is the proverbial church that "is a mile wide and inch deep." Yes the church grows in numbers but rarely in spiritual maturity and the witness of the Church is often rendered lackluster. "

The Screwtape Letters, The Movie!

link: Screwtape Letters on the Big Screen

"Walden Media, the company that brought The Chronicles of Narnia to the silver screen, has recently announced its intention of adapting yet another C.S. Lewis work.

The Screwtape Letters, one of Lewis’ more adult-themed pieces of fiction, is now set for a release in May 2008, with Ralph Winter Productions set to produce it."

Party, party, party!!!!! I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!

Now I need to read it again! Do yourself a favor and read it for yourself.

Self Defense Video for Girls

link: Just Yell Fire

I seem to be the queen of links this week. I try to be more creative, but I've found some good stuff to share lately. Today I needed to have the oil changed in my car and, while sitting in the waiting area, I ended up watching a talk show that I don't usually see. The host was interviewing two teenage girls who saw something that frightened them and, instead of shrinking away, they decided to do something about it.

They created a video for girls called, Just Yell Fire. It shows real life dangerous scenarios girls might find themselves in with techniques demonstrated to help them get away. These young women were so articulate. I was impressed! I thought those of you with young/teenage girls might like to see the video. Just follow the link.

GPS Shoes

link: GPS Shoes

File under "Why Didn't I Think of This?"

A few months ago, a lovely lady in our community passed away. She had Alzheimers, wandered away from her home and died of exposure. It is likely that every city has a similar story to share and that's a shame. Now someone has created a great tool to help people like this woman and others with similar problems. A shoe with a GPS device embedded in it! I love the idea!

The one problem I can see is the device is limited by the style of shoe this company chooses to produce. We all have certain styles we like and other styles that we absolutely will not wear. I know I'd never get my mother-in-law to wear the style of shoe pictured here. She's a Keds lady. I wonder if they could simply provide the device and install it in a shoe of the customer's choice.

I am looking forward to seeing how this product idea grows and changes in the next few years.

Gadgetmania #1

I'm not sure this will be a regular event here, but I saw these in Target this afternoon and felt compelled to share.

Throughout my high school years, I worked at an ice cream shop in Pismo Beach, California. Through the process of trial and error I learned the best and worst of everything ice cream-related. I can make the best ice cream treats ever; root beer floats, sodas, sundaes...you name it, I can make it and it will be delicious. I say this to make it very clear that this opinion comes from an expert in the industry. Sort of.

These are - hands down, no debate - the best ice cream scoops ever made. EVER! They are a cross between a traditional scoop and an ice cream spade. They dish up ice cream easier and faster than any ice cream scoop I have ever used. As spring approaches, consider picking up one of these at Target and pairing it with a gift certificate for a half gallon of that creamy frozen stuff at your local ice cream shop. Give it to someone you care about as a "Hello Spring" surprise. It would make a great Easter gift for teachers, too!

Being a Girl

My daughter experienced the joy of her first formal event last weekend. She was able to attend with three of her girlfriends and had a wonderful time (in the photo, the red shoes are on her feet). It took more effort to get her ready for this formal than anything I can remember. Maybe my wedding preparation was more labor-intensive; if so, this runs a close second! But it was all worth it when I watched my daughter and her friends beaming in their beautiful gowns. One of her friends was completely transformed by the experience. She commented that she actually felt like a girl!

I guess losing the perception of one's femininity is a hazard of modern living. To keep up with the boys, we often set aside the more demure parts of ourselves without even thinking about it. That's such a loss for us and our daughters. When God made the world, the only time he said something was "not good" was right before He made women. We are not better than men, but we are, as John Elderidge states in his book, Captivating, "The culmination of God's creativity." We are distinct from men and have been given desires that belong to our gender alone. Enjoying beauty, pursuing deeper relationships and a grand sense of romance are only a few of the characteristics God thought were special enough to empart to us. So often we see these as signs of weakness, but they are what make us complete. They are what make our male/female relationships complete. God made woman to compliment man, not to be the same as him. If we could embrace that concept ourselves and teach our girls to love those parts of themselves, we would make such a positive contribution to their lives.

I wrote a song for an "Undiscovered Talent Show" at my church a few years back. I haven't found a way to share sound on this blog, but I can share the words that I wrote here.

When I was a little girl

I had a fantasy

Of how one day my prince would come

And off he'd carry me,

To a castle in a kingdom

full of beauty, wealth and love.

A picture perfect paradise

That I'd always dreamed of.

And I'd sing,

I'm a princess,

A daughter of the king.

Yes, a princess

A precious, beloved being.

To this world I might not seem

The image of success,

But, to my father,

I'm a princess.

As I grew up I realized

that on the earth there was

No prince to come and rescue me,

But that was fine because

I met my savior, Jesus

And his Father, God the King.

I invited Him into my heart,

Now I can truly sing,

I'm a princess,

A daughter of the King.

Yes, a princess,

A precious, beloved being.

To this world I might not seem

The image of success,

But to my Father,

I'm a princess.

The earth is not my kingdom.

It is only by His grace

I can live this life in freedom

Until the day I see His face.

And sing

I'm a princess

A daughter of the King.

Yes, a princess

A precious, beloved being.

To this world I might not seem

The image of success,

But to my Father,

I'm a princess.

Yes, to my Father,

I'm His princess.

For the sake of our girls, no, for the sake of ourselves, let's not lose what makes us special. We are princesses, whether we are VP's of marketing, homemakers, marathon runners or all of the above. We are unique and special. We are precious to the One who made us!

Yeah, What She Said!

Every day, on my way to work, I drive past the largest homeless shelter in town. My heart has tendered to these people as I watch them walk their babies from the shelter to the school bus. One man, in particular, brings me to tears and prayer every time I see him. He walks his three little ones to the bus alone. I pray for these precious babies, for their dad who is doing what he can to care for them, and for their mom, wherever she may be. I don't know what I can do to help, but I know I need to help. It has rubbed a raw place in my heart.

Then I visited Lisa Samson's blog this morning and she lovingly pointed out why I feel the way I do. Because I am a Christian and I am called to be part of His work in the world. I need to be involved. Cheering from the sidelines is rarely ministry.

"So many people of great faith, who spend their lives for the sake of others who are sick, dying, starving, imprisoned, lame, blind, old and lonely, don't question God's faithfulness and love, because they know He's faithfully at work in the world. How do they know this? The see it everyday. They join in it everyday."

Thanks for the encouragement, Lisa.

link: a very cold day

We Interrupt This Rant...

....To take a moment to laugh:

Moon Office

Add to My Profile | More Videos

My Letter to the NFL

It's been stamped and mailed. Thought I'd share:

Dear National Football League,

After becoming aware of your organization’s policy regarding who can and cannot gather to enjoy your “Superbowl” program in front of a large screen television, I felt compelled to respond. While I respect your corporation’s right to preserve your legal copyright and any income that might be generated from it, I am disappointed in your methods.

I am aware that you pride yourself on being an organization that supports communities and encourages children to reach their full potential. Although those are admirable statements, I question whether your restrictive game viewing policy contradicts your purported values. The ultimate NFL event is arguably the Superbowl, yet your policy effectively places a barrier between your big game and the people you say you want to encourage. For children to see the Superbowl on a big screen, yelling and screaming with their friends and family, they would have to spend the day in a bar. Is that the message you want to send?

I am beginning to wonder if you might not have some sort of “arrangement” with certain beer manufacturers. They are major advertisers in every NFL televised event. If I, a simple woman from Bakersfield, am beginning to question where your true loyalties lie – the kids or the beer companies- I suspect the rest of America might be growing a bit concerned as well.

It would be a generous, kid-friendly, gesture if you made an exception to your “no big screen” policy for church and civic organizations who won’t be showing your game for profit, at least not the financial profit your organization seems to be concerned about. They are interested in showing it to profit the spirits and souls of the people attending. You say you want to make this country a better place. Do you, really? If so, set your desire for profits aside and let these kids enjoy the energy and celebration surrounding the Superbowl without having to be surrounded by the cursing and drinking associated with the establishments you have allowed to display your programming.

Thank you for your attention in this matter.

Shame on the NFL

link: NFL forces Church to cancel viewing of the Big Game

"The NFL is telling Fall Creek Baptist Church in Indianapolis that the church's plans to use a wall projector to show the game at a party for church members and guests would violate copyright laws."

Yes, BARS can display the game on a big screen, but churches can't. Yes, a BAR can make money selling food and alcohol to people who come to their establishment to watch the game, but churches can't even ask everyone to chip in five bucks to pay for snacks. Yes, a BAR can capitalize on having all those people in their BAR by promoting future events at said BAR, but a church can't invite people to come to church - or even mention Jesus - during the game.

As a result, you can go to a BAR to watch the game, but you can't go to church and enjoy it with your family.

Now, I think I have been very clear about my opinion regarding football; I don't like it, I don't care about it, if it was wiped off the face of the earth I probably wouldn't even notice.

That said, being so restrictive about who can display a television program on a big screen really ticks me off. Are we still living in America? Now the NFL has spies checking on what we are watching and how big our TV screen is? If I were an NFL fan, which I am not, and my family wanted to enjoy the game on a large screen surrounded by friends, I guess I would have to take them to a BAR.

The NFL is a family supportive organization? I think not. NFL officers, do your mothers know about this? If you were my kids, I'd be embarassed to claim you as my own. When you value the almighty dollar over supporting family togetherness, someone screwed up somewhere.

Oh, and the cowards have no direct email address. The only email contact I can find is for tech support for their website and to arrange to give them buckets of money to host some sort of sports party for you and your friends. Family friendly...right.

I did find their snail mail address:

National Football League

280 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10017

It is too late to help the Fall Creek Baptist Church with a letter-writing campaign, but maybe a few impassioned letters would encourage the NFL to rethink their policy before the game next year.

Get this: You can't use the word "Superbo**" in anything. It's copyrighted and they'll come after you. Welcome to America, land of the obsessively posessive and home of the litigious.

Shame on you, NFL.

Global Fast 2007

I ran across this news story today and I am cautiously enthusiastic about its potential. A grass-roots organization, Global Fast, has issued a challenge. On February 21, 2007, they are encouraging all of us to fast and pray to, "feed the poor, fight injustice, and foster peace." Their plan is based on the desire to honor what God called us to do in Isaiah 58 :

"The fast God desires is this:

to loosen the chains of injustice,

to set the oppressed free,

to share your food with the hungry,

and provide the poor with shelter."

Their goal is for everyone who fasts on that day to donate the money they would have spent on food to a worthy charity to feed and house the less fortunate. They don't even tell you what charity to choose, although they do have some thoughtful recommendations. The final decision on where to send your money is yours alone. I have to say, this seems like a great idea and very much in keeping with scripture. Based on my grocery store bills, I am spending around $5 per day, per person just on food I prepare. If I include all the incidental garbage we purchase, that could easily jump to $8, even $10 per person on a special day. And I don't even want to think about how much we spend on those days when we eat out! If all four of us in my family agree to fast for one day, that's $40 we could give to charity without missing it in our budget at all. And we're only one family. What if 1000 families participated? How about 10,000 families? If we all got together on this thing, we could make a serious impact on the issue of poverty in only 24 hours. The more I think about it, the more I like it. How 'bout you?

link: Global Fast 2007