Psalm 101

One of the passages assigned today in my one year Bible is Psalm 101. It is composed of only eight verses and fills me with conviction.

1. I will sing of your love and justice, Lord. I will praise you with songs.

I sing of God’s love, but do I really sing of His justice? I love it when justice occurs in my favor, but what about when I am the one at fault? Am I not only thankful, but willing to praise God when He lovingly corrects me when I am out of line? What about when He uses His children to correctly rebuke me? Can I praise Him for that? His word tells me I should.

2. I will be careful to live a blameless life—when will you come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.

Am I intentional about living a life fully accountable to God? Blameless does not mean sinless. Living a blameless life occurs when we walk so close to God that we notice immediately when something enters our lives or our thoughts that should not be there and we confess that to the Lord on the spot.

We are the most unguarded in our own homes, aren’t we? If Jesus was visibly sitting in our living room, would we act the way we do? Would we speak with each other the way we do?

3. I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them.

When the show I really like to watch presents something verbally or visually inappropriate, do I immediately turn it off? Or do I say, “Oh, my!” and hope they move on to something else right away? Ouch. I stepped on my own toes.

4. I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil.

I’m back to TV again. What about shock radio? Can we excuse listening to that stuff because it makes us laugh? There is no “unless it’s funny” clause here.

5. I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride.

Gossip and haughty speech should not be allowed in conversations. The gossip part is relatively easy to avoid with practice. I’m not sure how to tell someone who’s spending time tooting their own horn to zip it in a loving way. Changing the subject often doesn’t work because they are so completely stuck on their favorite topic (themselves) they refuse to switch. Any ideas?

6. I will search for faithful people to be my companions. Only those who are above reproach will be allowed to serve me.

Associating and ministering to the lost and hurting are of primary importance in our lives, but we need to be very careful when choosing friends. The people we fellowship with and pray with need to be faithful and above reproach. And so do we.

7. I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house, and liars will not stay in my presence.

We need to hold our companions accountable for their behavior and they should hold us accountable for ours. This must be mixed with a healthy dose of love for each other!

8. My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked and free the city of the Lord from their grip.

I need to be very aware of the sin around me and point it out to my brothers and sisters in Christ so they won't get caught in the trap of sin.

I can see why the Lord says the most important two commandments are Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Without all of this being bathed in love, we would appear to be very judgemental of others.

These verses have given me much to think about....

Book Review: The Last Sin Eater

Wow.

Appalachia. 1850. There is a man whose job it is to take upon him the sins of the recently departed. He does this by eating bread and drinking wine that is placed near the body before burial. The people in the community believe this frees them from the bondage of sin so their spirit can go to heaven. They call him the Sin Eater.

Cadi Forbes is a 10-year-old girl, haunted by guilt, who learns about this man and what it is said he can do. She makes the decision to find the sin eater and beg him to eat her sins now so she can be free of the shame she lives with every day of her life.

So begins an exciting, sometimes frightening, quest for forgiveness. Cadi’s journey takes her to places that unlock dark secrets; not only her own, also those of her isolated community. She makes new friends, says farewell to others and learns that sometimes people who seem scary can become the most important people in her life. The result of her quest is ugly, raw and, eventually, redeeming. Cadi meets the One who can forgive any sin and loves her more than she can ever comprehend.

The movie, The Last Sin Eater, will be released on DVD May 8, 2007. Do yourself a favor and read the book first.

A Potluck Kind of Love

At my church this week, we are focusing on the study of loving each other, using Matthew 22:27-29 as a springboard, then moving on to passages in the New Testament to explore the meaning and application of Love, as used in this verse and others.

Since I enjoy word studies, I looked up the word translated "Love" in this verse. It is transliterated "Agapeo" and means:

to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly; to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing.

Agapeo is the verb form of Agape, so I looked that up, too. That's where it gets fun:

brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence...

.....love feasts

After I read that, my first thought was Potluck! Isn't it nice to know there is a scriptural basis for Dinner on the Grounds, as they used to call it?

I don't want this to sound flippant, because it's not. The reason this makes me smile is because it is so true! It is really hard to share a meal with someone we don't like. We've all been there. Christmas at a distant relative's house, business lunches with obnoxious co-workers (or bosses), even dinner at home when in the midst of a disagreement.

This could be a useful tool for us as we strive to have loving relationships in the body of Christ. When we encounter a brother or sister in Christ we can ask ourselves, would I enjoy having lunch with them? If not, we might want to assess whether we are truly loving (agape) them. And there is the challenge.

We need to strive to have a potluck kind of love for each other.

Travis Wins!

It's celebration time for one of my favorite people, Travis Cottrell. He won a Dove Award last night for his Christmas Musical Everything Glorious. I feel like a proud big sister!

Musical of the Year
Everything Glorious; Travis Cottrell; Sue C. Smith, David Moffitt, Travis Cottrell; Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing

Congratulations, Travis!

To see a list of all the Dove Award Winners, follow this link.

To visit Travis' website, where you can hear and purchase some of his GREAT praise music, follow this link.

What a great way to start the day!

My Mid-Life Crisis Car

I am NOT a car person. I really couldn't care less what car I drive as long as it is safe and runs reliably. At least that was how I felt until about 24 hours ago.

I saw this car in a parking lot yesterday. Seriously, the skies opened and angels sang! Since I plan on living to be 100, my mid-life crisis should begin when I'm 50. That gives me 9 years to save up for this baby. Wish me luck!

Man, she's perty.

But, WHY Do You Believe It?

I had the privilege of hearing Josh McDowell speak last night. He is the author of Evidence that Demands a Verdict, along with about a jillion other books. He spoke about the generation growing up today and how different their thinking is from ours. It isn’t just that their lingo is different, the way they think is different!

He put it this way. We, as adults, believe if something is true, then it will work. For example, if God’s word says he will never leave us or forsake us, we trust that as true and know that one day, we will know the full meaning of that verse. For teens, they believe if something works, then it’s true. Sadly, the converse of that, if something doesn’t work, then it isn’t true, is also a part of their thought process. For example, if their parents divorce, then vows are lies because they didn’t work. They ask questions that most parents can’t answer and as a result, give up on faith.

How do you know, for sure, that the Bible is true? How do you know the disciples were telling the truth?

How do you know the words in the Bible are an accurate depiction of what Jesus really said? How do you know that Jesus actually said I am THE way. Maybe he said I am A way. How do you know it wasn’t just written down wrong?

Most of us can’t answer these questions for ourselves, let alone our kids. The difference is we rely on our faith. We trust that these things are true. Kids today see adults who call themselves Christians and their lives are falling apart. With their way of thinking, it is natural for them to conclude that Christianity doesn’t work, therefore it isn’t true.

The most recent studies indicate this is exactly what is happening. When teens are asked if there is any absolute truth, only 9% of born again, churched teens say yes. 91% say there is no absolute truth. Non-churched teens? 4%. That’s not much difference.

When asked if the Bible is the infallible word of God in 1995, 10% of teens said it is. In 2002 less than 4% would agree with that statement.

I was made painfully aware that I need to be able to explain not just what I believe, but why I believe it! A great place to start is with the book More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell. Parents, we need to take the issue of defending our faith seriously or we may lose our kids!

One more note: It is not the church's responsibility to grow your kids into spiritually strong adults. It is your job as their parent. The church is a resource, but you are the primary example. They will believe it is true only when you live it in front of them!

Ah...I LOVE a Great Adventure!

My son sent me this story today. If you want to read an edge-of-your-seat true story about what went on during the Iran hostage crisis in 1979, you will LOVE this! Six embassy employees escaped on the day the embassy was taken over, but were trapped in hiding in Iran. Tony Mendez, a CIA genius, found a way out. This story should be made into a movie. I'd pay full price to see it! So, pour yourself a Diet Coke, make yourself comfy, and follow this link:

How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran

Here's a preview:

"...Mendez hit upon an unusual but strangely credible plan: He'd become Kevin Costa Harkins, an Irish film producer leading his preproduction crew through Iran to do some location scouting for a big-budget Hollywood epic. Mendez had contacts in Hollywood from past collaborations. (After all, they were in the same business of creating false realities.) And it wouldn't be surprising, Mendez thought, that a handful of eccentrics from Tinseltown might be oblivious to the political situation in revolutionary Iran. The Iranian government, incredibly, was trying to encourage international business in the country. They needed the hard currency, and a film production could mean millions of US dollars. "

American creativity fills me with such patriotic pride! Read the whole story. How exciting!!!

WBC Virg. Tech Protests CANCELLED!

Praise God, Westboro Baptist Church will not be protesting at the funerals of the shooting victims. Mike Gallagher has offered to allow them to speak on his radio show if they don't protest. They have accepted his offer and cancelled their plans.

Here is a portion of Mr. Gallagher's press release concerning this issue:

"You may recall that when they were planning to protest outside the funerals of the slain Amish children in Pennsylvania, I offered an hour of airtime on my radio show to Westboro Baptist Church in exchange for their written promise to stay out of Pennsylvania and leave those grieving families alone. They accepted my offer and were guests on my show for an hour. When I found out that they were planning to hold protests outside the Virginia Tech victims funerals, I've made the decision to offer them more airtime. On Tuesday, April 24, Shirley Phelps-Roper and other members of Westboro Baptist Church will be my in-studio guests for the entire program. They have formally announced that they are cancelling all of their scheduled protests for the Virginia Tech shooting victims funerals as a result of receiving this invitation to be on my show."

You can read Mr. Gallagher's entire statement here. Warning: He mentions some of the statements WBC was planning to paint on their signs and they are horrible.

We need to not only pray about WBC, but pray for the members of WBC. They need to meet Jesus.

The Pretender

Sorry. This is a quick, frivolous entry. We rented the first season of the 90s series, The Pretender. I had forgotten how good that series was. My 13-year-old son had never seen them. He is all over us about renting the rest of the series now!

If you don't remember the premise of the show, Jarod is a man who was raised in a secret institution and used for his incredible mental abilities. He finds out his abilities were used to hurt people, so he escapes and embarks on an adventure-filled journey, ridding the world of injustice. It is smart, compassionate and sometimes funny. While the series might not be for very young children, it was great to rediscover something we could all sit down and enjoy as a family.

Jesus Loves Me, This I KNOW

I have had the most amazing Sunday. At church some friends attended Sunday School who hadn't been in my class before. They gave me a present their daughter made for me and has been aching to give to me for at least two weeks. She made me feel so special!

Then we went to worship, lifted praises to our Savior, which I always love, and worked our Bibles as our pastor had us jumping back and forth through, I think, four different passages. I felt like I was at a Beth Moore Conference! Our main passage was Deuteronomy 30:1-20. We were reminded that we show God we love Him by obeying Him. Then our pastor walked us through scripture that demonstrated exactly how much God loves us...and for no reason. I was overwhelmed and moved by the absolute truth of His love for me.

We concluded our service by observing the Lord's Supper. The sacrament always moves me to tears, but today my heart was so overwhelmed with His presence in my life and the knowledge of his love that I became a huge puddle! My tears were tears of gratitude for His sacrifice, embarrassment that He had to die because of my petty, fleshly junk, and of peace surrounding palpable sense of his arms around me.

As I was taking the elements, he reminded me of the gifts and pictures my friend's daughter was so eager to give me. I assure you, I have done NOTHING to earn her esteem! I haven't gone out of my way to get her attention and I don't treat her any differently than I do anyone else. Her affection for me is a sweet example of God's grace. It is completely unearned. That's what He showed me today. His love for us is so pure, so holy, so special. Man. I'm crying all over again!

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. - 1 John 4:16, NLT

Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!

For His mercy endures forever. - Psalm 136:26, NKJV

That just about sums it up. Bless His Holy Name!

Alert: Funeral Protesters at Virg. Tech funerals

link: 'God Hates Virginia Tech' Funeral Picketers Outrage America

This is a call to all Christians to take up our spiritual armor. Pray, church, pray!

WASHINGTON, USA - The "God Hates America" cult is back, but this time its making plans to picket memorial services of the Virginia Tech shooting victims.

Notorious for protesting funerals of troops killed in Iraq, members of Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas announced it will protest the funeral service on Saturday for Ryan Clark, one of 32 victims of Monday's massacre.

"This clearly represents a new low for these protestors who now intend to disrespect the memory of the victims of massacre at Virginia Tech," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ, in a released statement. "Those attending Ryan Clark's memorial service should be able to participate and pray in peace and quiet - without undue interference by WBC."

Read the whole disgusting story at the link provided above.

Cinnamon Twists

This morning, my kids and I made our old favorite, Cinnamon Twists. As we were making them, I remembered someone asked me for the recipe a few weeks. back. Sorry about not doing that! I tried to take a picture of our creations, but I could not find my camera and the kids were hungry. So, I borrowed this image from another website which will be named momentarily.

I'll type the recipe here, but I noticed a very similar recipe is posted at Allrecipes.com, too. At least the recipe is similar. The instructions are way more complicated than ours, though! There is a made-from-scratch version of this recipe at marthawhite.com if you are feeling ambitious. That's where I found this photo. The preparation instructions at marthawhite more closely mirror how we do ours. So, without further ado, here's our recipe:

1/4 cup sugar, give or take
1 tsp. Cinnamon (I just use a spoon from the silverware drawer, so whatever looks right)
1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated biscuit dough
Melted butter or margarine, about 3TBS, but we end up pouring some out. I like to have a good sized puddle for dipping.

We don't use nuts, but the recipe calls for them. Crush a few walnuts (1/4 cup or so) to mix into the sugar mixture if you like.

Preheat oven to 425°, lower if using a thin metal pan. Melt the butter on a small plate. Mix cinnamon and sugar on another small plate. Lay those two plates side-by-side. Get out a baking sheet and lay it beside the sugar plate. An insulated pan works best to minimize the risk of the sugar burning before the twists are done.

Open the can of biscuits. Take one biscuit and roll it into about a six-inch rope. Connect the two ends so you have a circle. Dip the circle in the butter, next in the sugar mixture. Give the coated biscuit a twist so it resembles a figure 8, then lay on baking sheet. Repeat with all biscuits. Place filled pan in oven. Bake for 8 minutes or until they look golden brown.

Eat quick because the kids will ingest as many as they can get their hands on!

Happy Saturday!

Commissioning

Maggie from the Magnanimity blog created this beautiful artistic interpretation of Beth Moore's commission she set forth at the last Living Proof Live event in Columbia, South Carolina.

I am going to print a copy of this to keep at my desk. Thanks, Maggie!

April Showers

It is a chilly, rainy day in Bakersfield. Such days are quite rare in this mostly desert climate. By this time of the year, we are usually speeding headlong into 90° territory. This year, the Lord saw fit to bless us with experiencing a season which is usually quite short here: Spring. The way rain seems to quiet a whole community fills me with a sense of romance. I have learned through the years that, when I experience such a sense of being woo’d through nature, the woo-er is God. He is such a romantic!

He drew me to Deuteronomy 32:2-4:

Let my teaching fall like rain

and my words descend like dew,

like showers on new grass,

like abundant rain on tender plants.

I will proclaim the name of the LORD.

Oh, praise the greatness of our God!

He is the Rock, his works are perfect,

and all his ways are just.

A faithful God who does no wrong,

upright and just is he.

Moses spoke these words, the first part of an entire song he wrote, to the whole assembly of Israel just before He climbed up Mount Nebo and died. The rest of the song is full of God’s judgement and disappointment with Israel; yet, it opens with such a beautiful love sonnet to the God of Moses.

Moses took his role as teacher of the children of Israel seriously. Before he chastised Israel, he prayed for his words to feed the people, not poison them. Very wise. As I grow into my role as the ‘older’ woman who is to teach the younger, my prayer is the same.

Lord, let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender grass. These younger women are tender and thirsty for wisdom. Use me to proclaim your name and praise your greatness! I pray this to my savior who’s name means The Amen.

Friend to Friend

Some girlfriends from church met at Color Me Mine last week. It is one of those places where you can paint a piece of pottery, they fire it, and you end up with, hopefully, something pretty to enjoy for a long time. We painted our pieces last Thursday evening, Ladies Night at our Color Me Mine, and had to wait a full week to pick up our pieces. You should have seen us; grown women giggling like third graders as we opened our carefully wrapped treasures (yes, we celebrated our artistry at Starbucks!).

This is a sample of the results of our efforts. Of course, the big green plate was made by yours truly. I can't do anything small! I really love the plate, but I love what I plan to do with it even more. For the next year, I hope to pass this from one woman in my church to another. I want the plate to be filled with a homemade treat or two and a note of blessing to the recipient asking her to pass it on to another sister in our church in the same way she received it. The names of the nine women who came to our first ever painting night are permanently recorded in this plate. Next April, I want to have another night like this one and make another plate. I hope to be able to write twice as many names on that one because even more women enter our circle of friendship! Then, I'll get another plate going, and so on, and so on. Doesn't that sound like fun?! My intention is to encourage women at my church to reach out to each other in a simple way. They will find that it is appreciated more than they would expect.

We all long for friendship, but many of us don't know how to even begin the process of making friends. As women, we tend to over think stuff; we see a woman glance away when we look at them and immediately decide she doesn't like us. Maybe she didn't see us! We approach someone to begin a conversation and they are not very talkative. We assume they don't want to talk to us. Maybe they're tired. Maybe they are not very good at smalltalk. What better way to break the ice than with a plate of fresh made banana bread and a note of encouragement!

I chose the verse on my plate on purpose. Proverbs 27:17, As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. I used the New Living Translation because the wording seemed more poetic for my plate. Other translations translate the latter part of the verse, so one man sharpens another. The word translated "another" is what captured my attention.

It is the word ~ynp, transliterated Paniym, pronounced paw - neem'. Trying to pin down what the word means, exactly, is difficult. It is translated into at least 130 different words in the Bible. Check out some of them: Face, honorable, humiliation, insolent, countenance, attitude.

So, here's my best understanding of the meaning of this verse. The people we bring into our lives will influence how we live, for good or bad. They affect our attitudes, our moods, even how we treat others. I think most of us have experienced the double-edged sword aspects of this verse. When we spend a lot of time with kind people, we tend to be more kind to others. When we focus our attention on sarcastic friends, we become sarcastic. We become what we focus our energies on.

Friends have a tremendous influence over us, so we would be wise to choose our friends carefully. We may have acquaintances who are engaging in a lifestyle that goes counter to the life we are called to in God's word. If we are prone to live in a way that does not honor God, we would be wise to avoid spending too much time with such a person. When we meet someone who appears genuine, but fallible, who truly is making an effort to live a life that honors God, that's the kind of person with whom we should pursue a friendship. In our encounters we can sharpen each other for the good. The best place to find people like that is in your local church. Sure, the church is full of people who fall short. I'm one of those people. But, for the most part, we're all doing our best to aim ourselves in the right direction, and that is toward a life that glorifies our Savior.

Even if you don't have a plate to pass around, make an effort to personally touch another woman in your church this week. Bring a small bag of cookies tied with a ribbon; attach a nice note of encouragement to it. Unexpected gifts like that bless the socks off the recipient. And, who knows, you just might make a new friend!

Great Dame: Kitty Carlisle Hart

Tuesday night an amazing woman completed a very full life.

Kitty Carlisle Hart was 96.

I remember watching her on "To Tell the Truth" when I was a little girl, although I think what I saw were reruns. She struck me as a sassy, smart, funny woman and I wanted to be like her even then. After reading an article written in tribute to her, I still aspire to grow up to be the kind of woman she was.

She embraced her life and wrung all the enjoyment out of it until her very last breath. She loved big, she celebrated big, and lived her life big.

"Elegant and sophisticated then, and now — with hair, makeup and dress perfectly in place — Hart has been called a 'great dame.'

"In a piece on CBS' '60 Minutes' in 2000, Marie Brenner, author of 'Great Dames: What I Learned From Older Women,' said: 'A great dame is a soldier in high heels. ... They lived through the Depression. They lived through the war.

"'They were tough, intelligent and brassy women,' said Brenner, who described Hart as a great dame who 'walks into a room, and the room lights up.'

"David Lewis, her longtime musical director, said when he once asked her 'why she would attend events every single night of her life, and dress up and be the grand dame Kitty Carlisle Hart, she said that the grim reaper was lapping at her feet. She had to outpace him.'"

She was real, she was witty and she enjoyed the irony of life as well as anyone I've heard of. She is a great example of a woman who lived a joyful life while always treating herself and others with respect. As these Grand Dames' lives on earth are coming to an end, other women need to be ready to step up and take on their role. Young women need mentors and examples to follow as they move through the seasons of their lives. Although I could never expect to be as amazing as Mrs. Hart, I would love to be at least thought of in the same category as her one day!

link: Kitty Carlisle Hart

Two Thumbs Up

Yesterday I was running errands for my boss and minding my own business while waiting for my turn to move through the intersection in front of me. At the very edge of my peripheral vision, I noticed the driver of the car in the next lane waving frantically at me. Although my first instinct was to pretend like I didn't see her - she looked a bit crazy - I decided to find out what warranted such enthusiasm. Maybe my car was on fire or I had a flat!

I looked over at her and she was actually bouncing up and down in her seat, pointing at my car and then at hers, mouthing the words, "WE HAVE THE SAME CAR!!!" Then she gave me a wave and an enthusiastic two thumbs up! I figured the best reply to her was to also point my thumbs in an upward direction and mouth, "WOO! ALRIGHT! YEAH!!" I kept on smiling and waving at her as I silently begged God to turn the traffic light green A.S.A.P. She continued to celebrate as if the two of us had won a million dollar lottery together. For those few moments, we were sisters, bonded by our charcoal gray Ford Five Hundreds.

After we parted, I continued to think about her. I had never seen her before and will likely never see her again, but she has been in my thoughts for a full day. Based on the way she accessorized her car and her person, I would guess that we have very little in common other than our gender and choice of transportation. Yet, thinking about her makes me smile. Her enthusiasm was contagious and the way she celebrated such a simple event is a wonderful example of how we should embrace the simple things in our lives, don't you think?

I have been thinking about my brothers and sisters in Christ, particularly in my local body of believers at church. We are all different. Based on how we dress on Sunday and the Bibles we bring (or don't bring), we have distinctly different taste. Some love contemporary praise music, some love traditional hymns, and some of us love a combination of both. Some love Bible thumping, hellfire, holler the walls down preachin' while some are more comfortable with sober consideration of scripture and it's application to our lives. Our interests outside of church vary widely. Some love old movies, some love watching sports, some love participating in outdoor activities, and some are couch potatoes. You won't find a more diverse bunch of interests converging in the same place as in a sanctuary on a Sunday morning. We all show up because we have one thing in common: We share the saving blood of Jesus covering our lives, making us worthy to fellowship with Him for eternity!

So, when we see each other, why don't we celebrate that one commonality? Instead of pouting during praise time or doodling through a sermon that we find uninteresting, why don't we follow the example of that crazy woman in the car next to me?

Here's a fun challenge: Next Sunday morning, when you get to church, wave frantically at someone as they are walking onto the campus until you get their attention. When they look at you, mouth the words, "WE HAVE THE SAME SAVIOR!!!" and give them a Big Two Thumbs Up!! They might think you're crazy, but they won't doubt your enthusiastic love for Jesus!

Come Quickly, Lord Jesus...

We are all now painfully aware of the tragedy which took place this morning at Virginia Tech. My heart is heavy with the sorrow surrounding that situation. The loss to the families and to our country this massacre has caused is devastating. These were some of our brightest young people, doing their best to make something of themselves.

My thoughts quickly jump to a phone call from a friend yesterday. She was frantically asking for prayer for a friend of hers. A father and his 9-year-old son were killed in a head on collision by a man who was found to be under the influence. This man, the driver of the car who killed these innocent people, was the brother of her friend.

The night before this phone call, I received an email from another friend. A young man who she thought very much of as a son, he was the best friend of her own son, was killed by a gunshot to his head. Suicide? Crime of passion? No one knows yet. His funeral is in three days.

Why?

I wish I had the answer to that one. None of this should have happened. My greatest desire is for time to have a rewind button. We would intervene in the life of this boy before the bullet entered his brain; we would have taken the keys away from an obviously stupid and intoxicated man. We would have done anything and everything to stop this mass murderer. I think most of us would have given our lives to stop any one of these tragedies. Sadly, there is no rewind button and no way to exchange one life for another in these situations.

To say God is in control at times like these can sound so trite. Yet, if you know who God is, it is the most powerful form of comfort we can cling to.

He is:

The Most High God, Our Shepherd, God of Peace, Our Banner, Our Healer, Our Provider, Our Strength, The Possessor of Heaven and Earth, Judge, Redeemer, and our Rock. And that is only a few. This link will take you to a very encouraging word study with scripture references regarding the names of God.

Remind yourself who He is. Believe He is who He says He is. Lean on Him when there are no answers to your whys. Either He is more than enough or He is nothing. You decide.

Be Still

I am a growing fan of A.W. Tozer. This came in my email this morning. What great advice! Take time to be quiet before God today. It is the sabbath, the day he made for us. Today is a gift from God; He has given it to us as a time of rest, reflection and renewal. It was the day God Himself set aside to fellowship with us. Listen to Him.

"Holy men of soberer and quieter times than ours knew well the power of silence. David said, "I was dumb with silence. I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred. My heart was hot within me; while I was musing the fire burned; then spake I with my tongue." There is a tip here for God's modern prophets. The heart seldom gets hot while the mouth is open. A closed mouth before God and silent heart are indispensable for the reception of certain kinds of truth. No man is qualified to speak who has not first listened." A.W. Tozer, The Set of the Sail, pp.14-15.

God Encounter

….and I lift up my friends Peter and Linda who are ministering to their prodigal daughter, Jackie, and I pray that You would meet Jackie where she is and draw her close to you and I lift up my children as they finish out their school week that they would be a blessing to others and that they would stay focused on you and the work you have for them right now and I pray for my husband to have peace in his workday and that you would give him wisdom to make decisions that honor you as he moves through his day and I pray for my friend Caroline who just started a new job and is being challenged and energized by the experience and I pray for my friend Karen as she ministers to her two little girls who are battling strep throat and I pray for healing for her two girls and I pray for my friend Katrina as she seeks to grow closer to you and I pray that you would guide me as I help her grow closer to you and I pray for wisdom and discernment as I reach out to the people in my workplace with the message of your saving grace and I pray that I would be keenly aware of you when you speak to me and please still my thoughts as I try to quiet my mind and listen for your voice ::gasp:: amen.

I just love you

Where did that come from? Is that God? If that’s God, why is he using a line from some long forgotten movie (the voice sounds like a woman) to talk to me? And, if it is God, what is His point? I need to be quiet and still and not think so much…..quiet…..quiet…..

I just love you

OK. God loves me. Yes, I know that. The Bible tells me that. What am I supposed to do about that? What does he want me to say to that? God, how do you want me to respond to that?

I just love you

Lord, I appreciate that, but when I think about that, I’m a bit taken aback by the thought that you could love me right now. You know how impatient and unkind my thoughts were about that lady in the car in front of me yesterday. You know I didn’t even crack my Bible open yesterday, except to find a verse to put on an art project. Heaven help me, you know I have been thinking way too much about Han Solo for the past few days!

I just love you

Father, I haven’t put any real effort into my relationship with you over the past week. I have distracted myself with guitar lessons, painting, reading, going to the gym and running errands. I’ve been singing praise songs with my Travis Cottrell CD in the car and I really love that, but I have put You on the back burner. I’m embarrassed.

I just love you

But I haven’t done any work on your behalf, either. I’ve started writing that Bible study, but haven’t written anything in weeks! I haven’t been reaching out to encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ, either! I’ve been picking up a woman’s children from school every day while she recovers from surgery, but I haven’t brought them dinner, even though I should have. I am supposed to be running a race, pressing forward, but I’m just strolling down the road. I am not being a good example.

I just love you

You love me. Exactly as I am, right now, with the sins I am struggling with, in the midst of my thoughtlessness and laziness. You just love me. I am supposed to rest in that and that alone, aren’t I?



I just love you




I love you, too, Abba. I just love you.

70 Years and Going Strong

link: Couple Celebrates 70 Years of Marriage

When Charley and Allie Fry married in 1937, they had a grand total of $20 in cash.

They also had a bolt-action rifle, 10 acres in the Missouri Ozarks and enough love to last seven decades. The 20 bucks is long gone, the rifle disappeared years ago, and the family farm was left behind for a better life "out west." And the love? It still glows in their eyes like warm embers as Charley and Allie look back in contentment at their 70 years together and all it has wrought. "Maybe we're not rich in dollars and cents," Charley, 89, says as he sits next to Allie in the living room of their home in old Rosedale. "But we're rich in trust."

Just when I think I've given up on romance, I read a story like this. Check it out. I dare you to get through this article without your heart skipping a beat or two!

In honor of National Poetry Month, which was revealed to me by my friend Kathy, I'll include the poem Mrs. Fry shared in the article:

"Muddy Little Feet”
By Allie R. Fry, Feb. 13, 1957

Muddy little shoes,
Eight pairs of them in all;
Tracking in the mud,
Through six rooms and a hall.
Sometimes I grow discouraged,
Though I know I never should;
But it seems that cleaning house,
Does so very little good.
I scrub and clean and hang up clothes,
To make the house look neat;
And then the kids come home from school,
With muddy little feet.
They throw down coats and books and all;
Just any place you see,
And training them to put them up,
Seems very hard for me.
But if I keep on trying,
Someday perhaps I’ll win,
And make good mothers of my girls,
And my boys good honest men.
But when they’re all grown up and gone,
I’ll wish so much to see,
Those muddy little tracks brought in,
By muddy little feet.

Doesn't that make you want to hug Mrs. Fry? Bless this couple for loving each other and their family so well!

Family Field Trip

Lookee where my kids and I spent the day today:

We visited the California Science Center in Los Angeles. They are showcasing an amazing exhibit of Star Wars memorabilia, linking the popular movie series with innovations in science related to subjects such as robots and transportation. We had a great time! The exhibit lasts until April 29, 2007. I recommend it heartily!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from today:

Help Me, Obi-Wan Kenobi; You're my only hope!

Be honest; isn't Han Solo the main reason any of us still sit through this movie?

Yoda, you seek; Yoda, you find!

Ahhh....the Millenium Falcon. Now, THAT'S cruisin'!

(Can you tell I'm still nursing a crush on Han?)

:::swoon:::

For those of you just beginning your Easter break, have a great week! For those of you who, like my children, go back to school tomorrow: Take heart; Summer isn't far away!

Hunting Eggs and Helping Out

The kids and I spent our morning at the church helping with the annual Easter Egg Hunt. At our church, the actual hunt makes up only a small fraction of the morning's activities, though. There are outdoor games, then crafts, then "story time," where the Gospel is shared. After all of that, there is the Easter Egg hunt. The Egg hunt lasts for about 1 minute. Picture about 150 children, all divided by age for safety reasons, barrelling through a field, grabbing brightly colored plastic orbs as though they were made of gold. Their enthusiasm amazes me every year! Once that is over, our church provides a hot dog lunch for everyone. We all sit around on the grass, enjoying a lovely picnic, visiting with old friends and making new ones. It's great!

For the first time in many years, I was not assigned a specific job today. Free as a bird, I flitted from one "station" to another for at least 20 minutes before the event coordinator spotted me.

"Suzanne, Do you have a job?"

"No," I reluctantly replied.

"Then, could you help with crafts? They need some more adults."

And I sighed.

Big mistake. This poor woman is trying her best to make sure every child is cared for and appreciated and I sigh like she's asking me to clean my room and I'm 10 years old. Shame on me. Now she feels like she's imposing on me and is a bit embarrassed for asking me to help. That's when I became embarrassed.

We are a part of one body in Christ. My local body is my local church. In order for the body to run the way it is designed to run, each part of the body needs to be in proper working order, just like in our own physical bodies. As the scripture says in Romans 12:4-5, we form one body and each member belongs to all the others. If the body wants to walk from point A to point B and the left foot decides not to participate, it will be almost impossible for the body to get to point B. Do we want to hinder the ability of our local body of believers to move forward? If we are dragging our feet and not getting involved, that is precisely what we're doing.

As that old saying does, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."

I, for one, do not want to face God one day and have him ask me, "Why didn't you help your Christian family? Why weren't you willing to be a part of the work I wanted you to do?"

Ouch. No, thanks. Those are not questions I want to answer. So, I got a name tag, helped with crafts, then helped with other stuff as I was needed. I had a great time and am so glad I stepped in and served in the capacity my church body needed.

What are you doing to help your church body move forward? If you can't think of anything, start praying and keep your eyes and ears open at church tomorrow morning. They may need help in the nursery; they may need extra people to help greet visitors; maybe they need help bringing chairs into the sanctuary. Don't just sit in that pew or chair staring at everyone else who is scurrying to make everyone comfortable. Be part of the solution!

Frivolous Fun

You Are an Easter Egg

You're so sweet, you don't need candy. You much prefer the taste of artificial coloring instead.

What Easter Candy Are You?

An Easter Message from Beth Moore

Be encouraged. He Is Risen!

Why Forgive?

Why Forgive? With a minimum of research, the answers are obvious. If you are a Christian:

We forgive because Christ forgave us. Acts 10:43.
"All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

We forgive because Christ told us to forgive. Luke 17:3.
"If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him."


There are consequences of not forgiving. Matthew 6:14-15. This is Christ speaking:

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

If you are not a Christian, I have no idea why you would forgive anyone. Of course, you would be bitter and friendless if you never forgave, so maybe that's a good enough reason for you. Then again, there is something so freeing about not just letting go of an offense, but letting someone else carry it for you, knowing He will handle it properly. It will be dealt with in His time.

When I was considering the whys of forgiveness, an object lesson, of sorts, came to mind.

I do almost all of the grocery shopping and I usually shop alone. When I get home, I have this bad habit of trying to hook every grocery bag onto my person and haul the entire load into the house by myself. Recently, my husband ran out of the house when he saw me doing this and told me to give him the bags to carry. True to character, I told him I was fine and carried all the groceries into the house by myself. I ended up with red stripes all up my arm, a sore shoulder and my thumb hurt until I went to bed. It was a dumb, stubborn, thing to do. Someone was willing to take that load on themselves for my benefit and I said no. I was too proud to accept help when it was offered.

That is exactly what we do when we don't forgive. We are hurting, carrying a terrible burden, and Jesus runs to us. He tells us to give the bags to Him and He will carry them. But we tell him we're fine. We can handle this on our own. NO. We WANT to handle this burden on our own. We wear the burden proudly, as though we are going to receive an olympic gold medal as we cross the finish line with all of our packages of offense strapped to us, causing us pain and possible injury along the way.

There are a couple of problems with that attitude.

1. We damage our testimony when we hold onto offenses. Who is going to believe us when we say Christians show God's love when we can't show love to our brothers and sisters in Christ?

2. We were not made to bear the weight of unforgiveness. If we could handle offenses against us on our own, then Jesus would have died for no reason.

Matthew 26:28:

"This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."

Hebrews 9:15:

For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

Those whom Christ set free are free, indeed. - John 8:36 (SAV)

We will never live a life of freedom in Christ if we won't break that first link in the chain - unforgiveness. It has got to go!

Next, I look at the "How." That's the tough one...

Working Definition of Forgiveness

In an effort to keep this as simple as possible, I am going to do my best to get right to the point, although I have spent HOURS looking at scripture for an answer to my first question:

What is Forgiveness?

I first explored scriptures with the word "forgive" in them, using Strong's Bible Dictionary to help me define the word in the most literary sense. I found two words that were translated quite often into the word "forgive."

The first reference I found can be seen Col 3:13, "...forgive as the Lord forgave you," and is transliterated from Hebrew as "carizomai". If you follow the link on that word, you will find a complete definition, but, to keep it simple, I'll put the highlights here:

Carizomai: To Pardon; to give graciously, give freely.

The second word I want to discuss here is "afiemi." It is the word translated as forgive in Matthew 6:12 (forgive us as we have forgiven others - 'Lord's Prayer') and Matthew 18:21 (we are not just to forgive 7 times, but 70 times 7), along with other places in the Bible.

Afiemi: To send away; to leave, not to discuss. To let go, let alone, let be. To give up, keep no longer.

From these definitions, I could skip about three steps ahead in my process, but I want to take my time with this. I want to simply come up with a working definition with which I can forge ahead on this journey. So, here it is:

Forgiveness: To let go of negative feelings and any perceived rights of retaliation related to an offense perpetrated against one's self, whether the offense is real or imagined.

That definition can create more questions than answers. What about justice? What about remorse? What about restitution?

One way to explore the answers to these questions is to look into the lives of some of the people God introduces us to in His word. That is my next step. In the meantime, please leave comments about this definition. It is a work in progress and I really am seeking an answer, not trying to find an excuse to preach at anyone.

Forgiveness 101

There are times when I think I fully understand the concept of forgiveness and then there's now. Have you ever really, truly felt like you've forgiven someone for something, but events unfold that point out - glaringly - that you, in fact, have not fully forgiven that person?

Such experiences leave me with more questions than answers. Of course, the primary source of counsel for me to seek in this matter is the Bible. Since God was gracious enough to leave us this resource, I will, over the next few days, attempt to answer a few questions regarding the issue of forgiveness for myself:

1. What is Forgiveness?

2. Why do I need to Forgive?

3. If the offender is unrepentant, is forgiveness still required on my part? If so, why?

4. What are the consequences if I choose not to forgive?

5. What happens if I choose to forgive?

6. Is there a prescribed process for forgiveness mentioned in the Bible?

7. How will I know if I have truly forgiven someone?

8. If I am unwilling to allow someone I believe I have forgiven back into an area of my life which requires trust, have I really forgiven them? Do I need to allow myself to be vulnerable to them to prove I have forgiven them?

9. Any other questions that may arise as I consider this issue in depth, according to God's Word.

Feel free to comment or ask questions as I seek out God's answers to my questions.