Two Books

Not too long ago, I was talking with a couple in our church.  The husband is an elder and had just finished reading this book.  He dropped it on the table in front of me.  I picked it up, read the cover, and asked to borrow it.  Currently I am in the middle of reading "The Pastor's Wife" by Gloria Furman which was also recommended by this couple. So, following my usual pattern, I started this book before finishing the other and now am right in the middle of both. However, this book is on loan to me...like THAT matters.  (It took me months to go through the Andrew Peterson series loaned to me by Ellie Johnson, blessed girl. My bookmark never seemed to move very far. His books are thick, full of adventure for the young at heart, and such great reads, in spite of my snail's pace.)

Anyway, this book is entitled "The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert" by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield. It is her journey from lesbianism into Christianity.  Why in the world would I want to read that?  I don't know.  Her story was so unfamiliar and far from my comfort zone....which by the way, is a zone I want to eliminate from my life. This was foreign territory. What intrigued me was her conversion.  She was drawn to Christ through the love of a pastor and his wife. (Okay, maybe not so foreign.)

She is an English professor and was very much the outspoken leader in gay rights.  She was changed over time by the Christ-like example this couple lived out before her as they shared meals and had everyday conversations, always pointing to truth without pointing a finger in judgment. It is a beautiful and incredible story of God's redeeming love.  She never intended to become a Christian. God wooed her and she followed. As she read scripture, she saw what she was to do and obeyed, even though it meant abandoning the lifestyle she had always fought for and loved.  Now she knew a greater Love and it opened a completely different world for her, so opposite from the one she had so emphatically embraced.
Like I said, I am in the middle of two books.
Could it be that God is trying to tell me something?  Reading both these books at once?  The first book is authored by a pastor's wife in the Middle East and the challenges that face her each day along with the challenges of expectations she has had to hurdle and avoid.  The second book is also authored by a pastor's wife - one whose life has been transformed by grace and the result is a testimony of His power to save us right where we are, wherever we are.
So, here I am feeling such conviction mixed with encouragement.  My hurdles might be lower than the ones overseas and my lifestyle might need some adjusting, but as long as I am thinking like that, very little change will occur.  I want higher hurdles, bigger adjustments.  I am not sure what that means, but God is.  He just wants me to say, "Whatever You want, Lord.  Bring it.  Teach me that You do not live in comfort zones.  Therefore I don't want to, either."
By the way, I highly recommend both books.  They are enlightening and game changers for any believer.  Press on.

What's Your Pleasure?

Tommy loves the movie Chariots of Fire and we've seen it many times.  It's the inspirational story of Eric Liddell, who ran in the Olympics of 1924 and then spent the rest of his short life as a missionary to China.  He died at the age of 43 in the Weihsien Internmenet Camp, ministering to prisoners. The movie, however only carries you as far as the Olympic games.
There is a scene in which Eric's sister Jenny urges him not to run. but to return to China and the work that awaits him.  He explains his reason for wanting to race with this comment:
"The Lord made me fast and when I run, I feel His pleasure."

Tommy mentioned that quote again this Sunday and it made me think. It is easy for us to fall into the trap of thinking that we must be doing noble things in order to get God's approval. It doesn't work that way.  We will never get His approval from just doing good things.
God grants us repentance.  It's a gift.  He first loved me. He pursued me, not because of any good I have done or ever will do.  It is all by His grace and mercy that I received Christ as Savior. He drew me and I responded and had He not drawn me, I would never have found Him.
Romans 3:9-12  "What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin, as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." 
John 6:44   No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.  I am a sheep following my Master.  Yes, rebellion creeps in at times, but He is faithful to chasten me because again...He loves me - stubborn, willful, lazy me!
So, what does scripture say about pleasing God? It pleased the Father to crucify His Son on our account.
Isaiah 53:10-11  Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 
That word "will" means 'to delight in.'  God delighted in crushing Christ.  It was part of a greater plan  - one that would satisfy for all time the need for a blood sacrifice.  So yes, the fulfillment of Jesus' death pleased God..because He loved you and me.  If God gave His Son to die, His perfect Son - on my behalf, then what could I possibly offer Him but all I have? THAT is what pleases God - a yielded heart.
Therefore when I do laundry and change sheets, when I work in the yard or take a walk in the park, when I hold Tommy's hand and stand beside him singing in church, when I deliver meals, buy groceries, and make needed phone calls - in other words - when I do the next thing, I should feel His pleasure. We aren't humanly wired to think this way, but it is true.
As we traveled home that day, we had this conversation:
"God made me able to write, and when I write, I feel His pleasure. Is that wrong?" (I often question my own conclusions.)
"No," he said. "Everyone needs to know what their strengths are, along with their gifts and do them to the best of their abilities and feel His pleasure."
So, what's your pleasure? What do you enjoy doing? Are you able to feel His pleasure as you go through your day? God made us with talents, gifts, and strengths.  Do whatever comes next on your list and do it all for the glory of God. That is all He wants - you and I bringing Him glory in everything.
Know that you are made for His pleasure. You bring God pleasure - all by yourself as you love Him. You don't have to do anything else. Just be you becoming Christ. Embrace the skills He has given you; be it listening, gardening, running, cooking, making music, teaching, and oh, yes - writing!
Philippians 2:12-13  Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 
God made me to love writing. If that really pleases Him, then it pleases me even more.

What Are You Doing?

"So, what you are doing?" The person on the other end of the phone asked me.  I did not answer "nothing" because I am seldom doing nothing and neither are you.  No one does nothing, though at times I have been guilty of 'idle' worship.
I am a list checker and maybe a small goal maker...meaning my goals are small - I'm not a small person making goals. A bit of humor.
It gives me a certain amount of pleasure to get things done. I used to be more of a dreamer than I am now. Reality stares me in the face and shouts "live in the moment!" because that is all anybody has...this moment.  Still, the months and years ahead of me will matter if they arrive as scheduled, so perhaps some sort of plan would be nice.
At this very moment, my goal is to get in that recliner and shut my eyes for a minute, but here I sit at my computer writing about my recliner.  Actually, I have been working on this post for days - trying to make sense of my words because I think what we do and plan to do matters ALOT.
Is my list too small or too big?  Is it just enough or unattainable?  If you can't reach your goals, then why make them? If brushing your teeth or reroofing your house alone are on your list, well...then you miss the point. When our goals are just out of reach, we might strive a little bit harder to make them, increasing our capabilities.  If our plans are easily met, we are less likely to ask God for His help in doing the impossible.
I want to do the impossible.  When my body says, "stop," I can still do one more thing.  When my nerves are fried, my Peace Giver reminds me to rest in Him.  When my plans fail miserably, I remember that man makes his plans, but the Lord directs his steps, and His way is always best for me.
As Believers, we are never to be idle as we are called to pray, serve, plan and rest.  Yes, rest.
God put Paul in prison so he could write and rest, but Paul was never idle.  He sang, witnessed, and wrote letters of divinely inspired Scripture. His mind was on doing God's will.
So, fellow sojouners, planners, and task makers....press on.  It matters what you do, so do it well.

I Said Something...

Have you ever said anything you knew from the moment...no, before the moment you said it - that you should not say it at all?  I said something that I had no business repeating for several reasons.
1. It was third party information.
2. It was detrimental regarding one person.
3. I shared it with someone who now had added reasons to be frustrated with this person.
4. It is a sin to gossip.  (This is really the number one reason it is wrong.)
Never mind that the conversation obviously was repeated by one of the original people involved. That is not my responsibility.  My responsibility came into play when I decided what to do with that information.
I didn't divulge a secret or break a promise, but my actions were thoroughly wrong.
Proverbs 17:9  Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends. 
I was not covering an offense.  I was giving negative information to someone about someone else. "Ooooo" and sad face.  That sounds awful as I type it. Maybe online confessions will be a deterrent to repeating bad behavior.  Maybe I should rethink this post as I would like for you to think the best of me.  But the truth is, there is no best in me.  The Best in me is Jesus and my actions did not honor Him.
In spite of that - instead of confessing, I did the dishes.  We have a dishwasher, but suddenly I felt this great need to clean something.  So I grabbed this pan with baked on grime - (the analogy was not lost on me)  - and as I scrubbed, God spoke to my heart in a small voice which was like thunder. "You can work all day to make your house shine, but until you confess your sin to Me, you will not be free from the uncleanliness you carry inside." (Now, I do not believe God speaks audibly to me...no.  It is much louder than that and His truth about my sin was gnawing inside me.)
I finished my task and plopped down to bow before a Sovereign God who loves me and wants what is the very best for me.  We often live - in misery - with our sins, carrying them around like unwanted, constant companions, when all we have to do to be free of them is confess and repent before our loving Father.
Is there ever a time to repeat something negative?  Maybe...but perhaps really seldom, if ever.
The relief from our guilt cannot come from the hearer who promises not to repeat a matter, but from the Hearer of all conversations who deals with them according to His just ways.  Therefore...
Psalm 19:14  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.  

I am and He is

Over the weekend I read an article in my Tabletalk magazine entitled "DEAR SIR, I AM."

This question was asked G K Chesterton: What is wrong with the world today?  His answer:  I am.

Man is (and always has been) what's wrong with the world today. 

Isaiah 40:6-8,13 A voice says, "Cry!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

"Surely the people are grass."  Surely we are...and we are withering.  Our lives were designed to reflect the holiness of God to a lost and dying world, and though we are all dying, we are not all lost. It is only because of His great salvation that the latter is not true for everyone.  

Scripture shows me time and again man's struggle to follow and obey.  Do I see my own failures when I read His word or do I point to those around me first, elevating myself just a bit? When compared to fallen man, no man rises above another. 

Isaiah 41:13  For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Fear not, I am the one who helps you."

It is God alone Who graciously gave us our Standard for living in the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31   For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.  But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.  He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
I am (flawed) and He is (my perfect Standard).  When I am (weak,) then He is (strong.)  I am (bought with a price) and He is (my Redeemer.)
I am and He is.

PBC Pasadena Picnic 2016

Last Sunday, our church gathered at a local park for some fellowship and to meet some of our neighbors.  The turnout was more than expected as was the fun.  I ended up running around with my camera trying to capture some of the smiles and activities.  Below is the result.  If your face isn't on here, it was not for lack of effort! The Lord was gracious - as He always is - and we were granted a beautiful day in every way.

Um. I think you guys better move.

Dear Google

Dear Google,

I tried.  Really I did.  My friends all told me that your calendar would make my life so much easier.  Maybe they did not see that I have gray hair and wrinkles.  Maybe they did not know that I was born with pen and paper in hand, or more likely a box of crayons and a coloring book and that my love for such things would only grow with the passing of time.  How could they? 

I learned at an early age what it meant to receive and return mail.  Mail.  Lovely letters of lovely love from my grandmother, school friends after I moved away, and to my sweetie when he was in the Navy.  Those simpler times tug at my heart even now, because I know they will never return.  People today are missing so much, but they just don’t realize it. Read the handwriting on the wall, people!  (That is if someone still handwrites anything.)

I am a voice in the wilderness (but my wilderness is a field of ink and manuscript and not a sea of technology.) Technology hates me and yes, I take that personal.  My fingers don’t fly very quickly on a flat surface about 2x6. My phone is smarter than I am…except it isn’t.  It only thinks it is. Random ridiculous words show up uninvited while I try to send a message. This happens to you as well and it will only get worse.  No wonder no one can spell.  They don’t have to.

Okay, I am chasing an elusive rabbit that runs into the future with the speed of light.  So, I will stop running, pick up my pen and write about it…to you.  Of course I have also given in to a bit of technology – only a bit – by using my computer…which also causes me grief at times.

My calendar will remain made of paper, not somewhere on a cloud, but in my flesh and boney hands.  I will be able to put stickers on it and draw hearts where I want them and use any color pen I choose.  Ahhh freedom!

Let us unite in a battle doomed from the start…with very few cheering us on.  Pick up your pens and write to someone you love.  I promise you will make them smile.  (But you just might need that dictionary...and a stamp.)

My friend Heather gave me these
wonderful seed packet stickers!
They look perfect on my PAPER
calendar.  Smile.