"Do you trust me?"

One year ago I had the wonderful experience of hearing from God.  Granted, I was too wrapped up in the goings on in my life to fully realize that God, THEE GOD, was actually talking to me.


Last year, we sat in an a tiny room at our local ER, as a doctor delivered news to us that shook us to the core. My sweet little girl had a mass in her brain.  (If you are interested in the details, click here.)  As I sat there, snuggling and consoling my precious little girl, listening to people praying around me, trying not to lose it, I heard from God. 

"Do you trust me?"

At this point in my life I had been a Christian for a few years, but it wasn't until the year or so before this that I actually started growing.  I liked to think that I was in the "teen" stage of my faith.  I knew the rules and had a decent understanding of Jesus.  However, God hadn't asked anything real of me, yet.

Later that evening we were transported to a children's hospital, were we received more bad news.  Judging by the CT scans and her symptoms, they were leaning toward a diagnosis of a brain tumor.  It was then that I realized that we were currently sitting in a room on the pediatric oncology floor.  My heart broke.  Not just for my baby, crying in pain and fear, but for the "babies" all around us.  The first chance I had to be alone, I sobbed.  In my weeping, I heard it again.

"Do you trust me?"

Some point that night, between the crying and consoling, the nurses and the fear, I realized something.  This little girl is a gift.  A wonderful, precious gift.  No, not mine to keep forever and ever.  She belongs to God.  He just saw fit to bless us with her presence for an undetermined amount of time.  My heart knew that I had to give her to God, even if that meant God would take her home to be with Him. 

No parent ever wants to think about their child dying.  It goes against nature.  We had to prepare ourselves for the worst.  We had to know that even if the unthinkable happened, that we would be okay.  Not just as a couple, or as a family (I was 23 weeks pregnant with our second baby girl.), but that we would be okay with God.  It was terribly hard.  It broke my heart.  I knew I needed to trust God.

Everything, everything was completely out of my control.  I could not fix this.  I could not kiss her boo-boo and make it go away.  Only God could do that.  So, we prayed.  My mantra then became,

"God's got this.  Whatever happens, God's got this."

The next morning Big E had her first of many MRI's.  That afternoon we got some pretty awesome news.  The mass was an abscess, not a tumor.  Yes, she still needed brain surgery.  Yes, she was still very sick.  Yes, she still had a long way to go until we were sure she would be okay.  BUT... God's got this.


Two days after this journey began, Big E had her first brain surgery.  Two days after that, she started walking again.  Two days later, she was released from the hospital.  Two days after that, she was back in church.

But, no, that isn't the end of the story.  Only 11 days after her first surgery, she had her second emergency brain surgery.  This time the abscess had caused more damage, and moved into areas of greater concern.  Once again, I broke down.  God spared her life the first time, but this was much more serious.  I couldn't even listen to the surgeons explain the second surgery or sit there while my husband signed consent.  I cried out, praying that God would take care of her and that He wouldn't take her away from us.  Once again, I heard Him.

"Do you trust me?"

Yes, Lord.  You got this.

Big E had no additional brain surgeries.  Thanks to God, her neurosurgeons, infectious disease doctors, so many nurses, occupational therapists, and physical therapists, our little monkey is back to her relatively normal monkey self.  (Seriously, what 3-4 year old is normal!)  Praise God!

Oh, How Quickly Life Changes...

First we want to thank everyone for all your prayers and the various ways that you have reached out to us.  Despite the difficult week, we were very much so comforted by peace that only God can offer through the prayers of our wonderful church family and friends.  We have been truly blessed by the outpouring of love and support.  We cannot thank you all enough!

 

Now, an overview of our week.  I will be forever amazed at how quickly your life can change.  Sorry, it is so long!

• Last Thursday, Bugs was a happy, healthy almost 3 year old. 

• Friday morning she woke up complaining of a headache.  So, Mommy gave her some Tylenol and she went off to preschool.  We went to the library, visited Daddy at work, all in all a normal day. 

• Saturday morning her headache was back, and she started vomiting.  At this point we just assumed she caught a stomach bug, so we settled in for a day of snuggles, Disney, PBS, and the bucket.  Mid-morning I took notice to the fact she was favoring her left arm, but at this point really didn't think anything of it.  Shortly after lunch time I noticed that her eyes were fluttering.  After a few minutes her forehead started twitching.  She fell asleep and her eyes and forehead continued to twitch.  Within a few more minutes her neck started to twitch.  We called the doctor, and were told to take her to the ER immediately.  She continued to have, what we found out later was a seizure, the entire trip into the hospital.  She had a CT scan at LGH shortly after we arrived, and not too long after that we received our first round of bad news.  We were told that they found a mass on Bug's brain, and that she needed to be transferred to Hershey's Children's Hospital.  Bug got to take her first (hopefully last!) ambulance ride.  That night at Hershey, we met with one of the neurosurgeon residents.  At this point we were told that the mass could be one of two things, a tumor, or an abscess.  We were told that they were leaning strongly toward a tumor, because she showed no signs of infection.  As you can imagine we were absolutely devastated.    

•  Sunday morning she was sedated for an MRI.  After about 2-3 hours a team of neurosurgeons came into her room and explained to us that from what they saw, she had an infection in her brain that caused an abscess.  However, they couldn't be totally sure until they did surgery that it wasn't a tumor.  As the day went on we met with them a few different times as they showed us the very large abscess, and how it was pushing on the part of her brain that controls her left arm.  They explained the surgery, and how they were going to remove part of her skull to drain the infection.  Watching Daddy sign off on the papers for them to do the brain surgery was so painful.  I just wanted to tell them that there was no way they were going to do this to my baby, but I didn't have a choice.  Thankfully there were many blessings to be found this day.  The abscess was located at the top of her brain, so they wouldn't have to go through and possibly damage any brain tissue.  It was also in a part of her brain that is still largely undeveloped, so the amount of damage that was done is much less than it could have been. 

• Monday morning Bug went in for her surgery.  After about 90 minutes her doctor came out and had nothing but great news to share with us.  They were able to get the abscess cleaned out, and she was doing great.  She also had a PICC line placed.  The PICC line is in her arm, and is a type of long term IV.   She will have the PICC line in place until May sometime.  She spent most of Monday sleeping, and we spent most of Monday rejoicing.  

• Wednesday she started physical therapy.  The pressure on her brain caused some stroke-like symptoms on her left side.  First thing they did was try to get her to walk.  We were very happy to see her walking, with help.  She was dragging her left foot and not putting too much weight on her left leg, but she was walking!  We also found out that the bacteria that made its home in her brain is a very common everyday bacteria that is easily treated with antibiotics.

• Thursday she had more physical therapy.  She walked some more, this time without dragging her foot.  After therapy was over, Daddy took her for a walk in the hallway, and she decided she had enough of this walking stuff... so she took off running.  PRAISE GOD!  She also met with an occupational therapist, who helped her with recognizing and engaging her left arm.  She had a baseline CT scan, that they will use over the next few weeks and months to check her progress.

• Friday, just 2 days after her first shaky steps, she is running, jumping, dancing, and walking up and down the stairs.  She still has weakness in her left leg, but she has made AMAZING progress in the last two days!  She made so much progress that they decided to send us home with outpatient physical therapy, instead of spending another week in an inpatient rehab facility.  We were also told that the swelling in her brain has already shrunk beyond what they have expected.  We are now home and she is going to be doing the rest of her recovery here.
  
  

We would still appreciate prayers.  If you would keep her continued progress in prayer.  She still has very little movement in her left arm, and we have been told that she may never regain full movement/strength.  She also has about 5 or 6 weeks of antibiotics to go.  Bug is scared and nervous about anything dealing with medicine/doctors/nurses.  We pray that her anxiety will lessen as the days go on, and Mommy takes over most of her care.  

 

All in all, we feel amazingly blessed.  We believe that throughout the entire process that God has protected her and prevented "worst case scenarios."  He wrapped His arms around us and brought us strength and peace.  She is a miracle.  We also are honored to have been through something like this, that we might be able find new ways to minister to other people with sick kiddos.  

 

Thank you, again! 

Simon Says vs. Jesus Says

As a child I remember playing "Simon Says."  I played it on the playground, with my family, with teachers.  Simon says, jump on one foot.  Simon says flap your arms.  Simon says spin in a circle.  It is a game that requires complete obedience.  As Simon, you have the power to confuse people, or to make absolute fools out of people.  (Should I be ashamed to say that the later was definitely my favorite!?!)

Either way, when playing Simon says, your goal is to be obedient.  You may get confused, and you probably feel like a dork, but you do it.  Why?  Simon said so.  

After listening to this sermon clip by Francis Chan, I got a whole new perspective on the game "Simon Says."

Why is it that I am so willing to be obedient to "Simon," and not Jesus? 

I have spent years thinking that if I am a decent person, go to church, read and study my Bible, that I will be a good Christian.  But am I really doing what Jesus says?  Does Jesus want me to fellowship with other believers and worship him?  Yes.  Does Jesus want me to spend time with my Bible, discussing it with fellow believers?  Yes.  Is that all he wants?  NO! 

Jesus has called us to radical obedience and abandonment.  He wants us to get down and dirty in the work of the Kingdom.  He wants us to minister to the poor, the widowed, the orphans, the unbelievers.  He wants us to peacefully fight for those suffering from injustice.  He wants us to make disciples.  He wants us to be willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING for him. 

In Matthew 8:20-22 and 19:20-21, Jesus tells us that we need to be willing to give up our creature comforts, our homes, our loyalties to others, and even our money.  Luke 14:25-27 is even more shocking!  We must be willing to put our commitment to God above not only ourselves, but our families.  We must be willing to lay down our lives for the sake of the Kingdom.  Yikes!

"Jesus Says," can be quite a terrifying game indeed.  Thankfully, it comes with some amazing rewards.  The grace and mercy of God.  Joy and peace, even in the face of life altering trials.  The security of a ever present God, the wonder of being co-heirs with Christ, and the promise of Heaven. 

Brothers and sisters, let us be continually examining ourselves and each other.  We need to help each other in the life long adventure of "Jesus Says."  Imagine how disappointed and infuriated we would be if our children memorized everything we asked them to do, without actually doing anything.  As it says in James 1:22,

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. 

Do what it says.

Dear Lord, I pray that I will not just be a hearer of the the word.  I pray that I will have the boldness and obedience to go forth into the world, doing what you have asked me to do.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.


The full sermon by Francis Chan, entitled "Radically Following Jesus," can be found here. 

Our Distorted Version of the Golden Rule

 "So in everything, do to others what you would have have them to do you, this sums up the Law and the Prophets."

  Matthew 7:12 NIV

I would venture to believe that most everyone has heard the Golden Rule, even if they have never cracked open a Bible or stepped foot into a church.  I believe I first learned of the Golden Rule in elementary school.

When I was in school and first introduced to the idea, it was used to prevent us kids from hitting, bullying, stealing, lying, etc.  The idea being, if I didn't want someone to steal my brand new Lisa Frank pencils... (Don't judge me... they were really cool!)... I shouldn't steal their Little Mermaid erasers.   Sounds like a pretty good "rule" to live by, right?

So, what is my big issue with Christianity and the Golden Rule?

I firmly believe many of us have it all wrong.  We are not using the "Golden Rule," but something more along the lines of:

"Don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you."

This may work as a rule for an 8 year old, but is that how Jesus REALLY wanted us to interpret what he said? 

I would argue that there is a HUGE difference in what the Bible actually says, and what we actually do. 

Jesus tells us to DO, our distorted version tells us NOT to do.

I am a big fan of my NIV, but I really like the way this scripture is worded in The Message.  It says,  

“Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them."

We don't need to go out making huge grand gestures everyday. What if we started out with just little things. Start by thinking about something you would really appreciate, then do it for someone else. I know I really like ice cream. It would make me feel pretty darn special if someone surprised me with an ice cream cone. Maybe a good place for me to start would be to offer some ice cream to someone I think could stand to feel special today.

In closing, I ask that we change our thinking on the Golden Rule. We need to do what Jesus really called us to do.

Dear Lord, I ask that You place people in my path that I might be able to bless today.  I ask that You open my eyes to those people, so I might be able to see them the way that You do. Finally, I ask that You give me the best words, thoughts, and actions, that will help me to reflect Your glory. Amen.

Words: How we hurt those who are suffering...

 Admit it.  You have said these words.  I know I have.

You run into an old friend from high school at the grocery store, and strike up a conversation.  They tell you about a genuine concern they have in their life; they are struggling with divorce, a family member is ill, they don't know if they will have a job next month...

You turn to the one pretty, little statement that you think will shine a little light into their life.   "God doesn't give you more than you can handle."

It is well intended, and absolutely wrong and hurtful. 

Put yourself in their shoes.  Let's say they have a terminally ill child.  This statement implies that God gave them exactly what they can handle.  Which leads to this kind of thinking:

• God doesn't understand my limits or my suffering, because I am in WAY over my head. 
• Okay, I am a strong person.  That's great.  My child is being punished because I am strong.

We started out trying to say something encouraging.  Instead we have isolated them, made them feel guilty, and possibly have pushed them even farther from God.

So, where did we get this catchy "sunshine and rainbows" saying? 

 I believe that people misunderstand or misrepresent 1 Corinthians 10:13.

 "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."   (NIV)

Scripture is not telling us that God will not give us trials beyond what we can bear, it is saying that God will not give us temptations beyond what we can bear. 

In closing, please choose your words carefully.  If you don't know what to say... say that!  You will do far less damage by telling the other person that you are at a loss for words.  (Believe it or not, they may not even be expecting you to say anything anyway.  They may just want to have someone listen to them!) 

Dear Lord, please help me to think about the impact of my words, before they leave my mouth.  Help me to comfort those who are struggling without hurting them in the process.  As Hawk Nelson sings in their song, Words,  "Let my words be life, Let my words be truth, I don't wanna say a word, Unless it points the world back to You."   Amen.

A legacy of lies...

"Telling a half truth is the same as telling a whole lie."

How many times have we heard our parents say this?  I don't know about you, but I heard this more than enough times.  Yet, how many half truths do we tell...?

Maybe you don't struggle with half truths or whole lies.  Perhaps you always tell the pure, unadulterated truth, never embellishing anything.  If that is you, great!  Wonderful.  You can stop reading now, because this post is not for you.

As we studied (in Moms' Bible Study) Abraham and Sarah, and then later Isaac and Rebekah, I was struck with a scary realization.  I lie.  A lot.  Way more than any God fearing Christian should.  I don't mean that I have grand webs of lies, or that I tell tales with the intention of hurting people.

Nope, my lies are of the more "innocent" variety.  You know, pretending your are not home when someone calls.  Using a little fib to get out of doing something you don't want to do.  Even glassing over a few parts of a story that don't make me look great.

I don't even call them lies... did you see that?  I pretend, I fib, I glass over things.  I don't lie.  Yeah, right.  

The scary thing is that I am a mom.  I have a beautiful little 2 year old who is watching everything I do and everything I say.  She is in full blown parrot mode.

What am I teaching her?  I tell her that lying is bad, lying hurts.  I tell her that lying only leads to further consequences.  But like any child, she is paying WAY more attention to my actions.

This brings me back to the Bible.  Twice in the story of Abraham and Sarah, Genesis 12:10-13 and Genesis 20:1-2, the couple lie.  They lie to the king and the pharaoh about their relationship.  

Genesis 12:10-13:  Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.  As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are.  When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live.  Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”

 Genesis 20:1-2:  Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” 

When we read this scripture it is easy to see why they would have lied.  If they told the truth, that they were husband and wife, Abraham may have been killed so the ruler of the area could take possession of his beautiful Sarah. 

They lied to save Abraham.  Well, kind of lied.  They half truthed... since they were half siblings.  (Gen 20:11-13)  Either way, Abraham and Sarah agreed to deceive people, instead of having faith that God would protect them.

Later we find their son Isaac doing the exact same thing with his wife Rebekah.

Genesis 26:7-9:  When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.”  When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah.  So Abimelek summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?”  Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.”

Isaac's parents taught him that it was okay to lie.  Abraham and Sarah used a half truth to protect Abraham, and Isaac and Rebekah used a whole lie to protect Isaac.  Both couples choosing deception over faith.

The legacy of lies continues on and on and on through out scripture, and in our families.

We can tell our children to, "do as I say, not as I do," until we are blue in the face, but we all know how that turns out.  Our children grow and reproduce our bad behaviors.

So, parents and grandparents, what kind of legacy do we want to leave for our kiddos?   Surely not a legacy of lies...


Lord, please help me to hold my tongue when I am tempted to lie.  Help me to be truthful and to teach my child that telling the truth is always the best option.  Guide me in raising my little one, leaving behind a legacy of hope, and truth, and love.  Amen.

Eve - "The Crown of Creation"

Speaking as a woman, I sometimes feel very insignificant.  Okay, I feel this way more often than I probably should.

I mean, you read the Bible and it seems like men are doing all these awesome things!  Noah built an ark, Abraham was the father of nations, Daniel survived a night holed up with some ravenous lions, Elijah called down fire from God onto a waterlogged altar, David not only whooped up on Goliath, but also became King, and, of course, we can't forget Moses and his amazing water parting skills!  Geez!  That is just the tip of the iceberg of the men found in the OLD testament. 

Now, I am not stupid.  I know that all of these men were born by women, and many of the men in Bible had the support of some lovely ladies.  But, we don't often hear about them.

Honestly, in my pre-Christian days I knew of two biblical women.  That's right two.  Eve and Mary.  The biggest screw up ever, and the mother of Jesus.  At least that is how I saw it up until few years ago.

The Bible was not a place for women.  There were not any realistic role models.  I mean, who wants to look up to a women who caused the Fall of Man, and who can compare with the mother of Jesus?


Boy, was I wrong!

Last month our Moms' Bible Study group started taking a look at women and their importance in the Bible.  Wow!  I have learned A LOT!  My hope is to share some of the important things I have learned with whoever wants to read them.  Enjoy!

The first lady worthy of honor is Eve.  

As I said before, my knowledge of Eve was limited to her role in the Fall of Man.  However, my take on Eve, and women as a whole has greatly changed.

Without going into too much detail, there are two versions of the creation story found in the Bible.

The first is found in Genesis 1-2:4a.  This version is believed to be written more recently (about 500BC).  The second version of the story of creation is found in Genesis 2:4-25, and was written around 1000BC.  If you want to read more on why there are two creation accounts, and why they differ, please check out this site:  Priestly Vs. Yahwist

For the sake of this post, I am going to use the Creation Story found in Genesis 2:4-25. 

To paraphrase the scripture:  God created the earth.  God created man. God created a garden, plopped man in the middle, and created trees and plants.  God commanded man to take care of the garden.  God told man not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  God decided man needed a helper.  God created animals.  Adam names animals.  Nothing suitable for Adam is found.  God causes Adam to go to sleep.  God removes Adam's rib and creates woman.  Adam names God's new creation woman.  

*Whew! Take a deep breath!*

Now, there is something more to this story.  Something I missed for years.  Let's look at it again...

God creates the earth; this beautiful, wonderful planet.  God creates man, in his image (Gen 1:26); a creature designed to care for and rule over the earth.  God creates plants and animals; all serving a special purpose and crafted with special beauty.  Yet, something is missing, or shall we say someone.

God creates, and creates, and creates.  He fills the world with wonder, purpose, and magnificence.  But something isn't quite right, not yet.

God had not yet created Eve.  Eve was not an afterthought.  She was not simply another creation in a long line of creations.

She was God's final brush stroke.  She finished creation.  There was something missing, Adam desperately needed a partner, a helper, a companion.  He needed someone who completes him, who could journey with him.  He needed a counterpart.

As John and Stasi Eldredge state in their book, Captivating,

"Given the way creation unfolds, how it builds to ever higher and higher works of art, can there be any doubt that Eve is the crown of creation?  Not an afterthought.  Not a nice addition like an ornament on a tree.  She is God's final touch, his pièce de résistance.  She fills a place in the world that nothing and no one else can fill.  Step to a window, ladies, if you can.  Better still, find someplace with a view.  Look out across the earth and say to yourselves, 'The whole, vast world is incomplete without me.  Creation reached its zenith in me.'"

 So, ladies, while we may sometimes feel insignificant, we are anything but insignificant to the One who created us.  Slap a big smile on your face and remember that creation is not complete without you!

Dear Lord, please help women to see their place and their value in Your kingdom.  Guide us in teaching our daughters to be beautiful and confident in faith and love.  Amen.

Imaginary Jesus... Will the real Jesus please stand up?

 Okay, so Imaginary Jesus is actually the title of a very interesting book by Matt Mikalatos. 

While this is a ridiculously good book, and I think you should read it, I am not writing this with the purpose of selling the book.

Imaginary Jesus REALLY made me think. 

Looking back over my life as a Christian, I realize that I have most definitely been following imaginary, made-up, Jesuses(?).

When I was new to the faith Magic 8 Ball Jesus was my bud.  He was so convenient.  Our typical conversation would go something like this:

Me: "Jesus, am I going to make it to the gas station before I run out of gas?"
Jesus: "Outlook good!"

*Thankfully* my fondness for Magic 8 Ball Jesus dissipated when I started to ask questions with a little more content.

So, I moved on to other imaginary Jesuses.  I went through

• Children's book Jesus
• King James Jesus, because as we all know, Jesus spoke in 1600's English... 
• Patriotic Jesus
• Legalistic Jesus

The list could go on and on.  

Mikalatos states in his book,

"The real Jesus was frightening sometimes, and he said things I didn't like.  He required sacrifice.  He scared me by doing things I didn't believe he could.  He was a better person than me. 

I preferred my fake Jesus."

As I look back over my years as a Christian, I had no idea that I was following imaginary Jesuses.  It is painfully clear that I was.  Painfully clear that fake Jesus, whatever form he might be in, simply tastes better.  I preferred fake Jesus. 

Which really makes me think,

"Am I still following an imaginary Jesus?"

I believe the only way that we know if we are following the true Son of God, is if we compare our Jesus with the Jesus in the Bible.  If they don't match up, we have an imposter. 

I find myself more and more delving into God's word.  The real Jesus is in there.  He may not be the easy Jesus, or the least controversial Jesus.  He may ask me to do some pretty crazy things, put me in some uncomfortable places, and scare the daylights out of me, but this is the Jesus I was made to follow.

This is the Jesus I want to teach my daughter to follow. 

Lord, please reveal yourself to me.  I want to learn to know the real Jesus.  I want to follow the real Jesus.  I want to be a genuine Christ follower.  Give me the strength to leap into the faith and love that you designed for me.  Amen.

Mikalatos, Matt. Imaginary Jesus. Tyndale House Publishers Inc. 2010.

"I give God 10%, why do you get 18?"

First, I have to start off by saying that giving a tithe to God, and giving a waitress a tip are TOTALLY different things. 

Several places in scripture we are told to tithe, to give back to God 10% of what belongs to him anyway.  Tithing is an act of worship.  It is a declaration of faith.  When we tithe we humble ourselves before God, with a meager gift, having faith that God will use it to bless us and others in more ways then we can imagine.

So, why then do we tip?

Surely not the same reasons for tithing! When we tip those who serve us, we are expressing our gratitude.  We are showing them that we care about them and their well being.

As many people know, in the United States, restaurant servers are not paid a fair wage.  The majority of their pay comes from the graciousness of those they serve.  In the state of Pennsylvania, the current minimum wage for servers is a mere $2.83.  That is less than 40% of the standard minimum wage!  Once you factor in all the bills that go along with living, like: health insurance, rent, the cost of a vehicle, food, utilities, and cell phones, our servers are far from wealthy. 

When we as Christians sit down at a restaurant table, bow our heads, and thank God for His grace and love, we need to make certain that we acting as God's mirrors; that we are reflecting those same things to our servers.

Justin Lee, in his book, "TORN: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs.-Christians Debate" he says,

"Sundays are the worst," one of the servers explained to me. "That's when the church crowd goes out to eat."
"What's wrong with the church crowd?" I asked.
"Oh, honey," she said. "They're usually the most demanding, and they're always the worst tippers. I guarantee you, if you see your table praying before the meal, you can mentally subtract a third from your tip."

There have also been plenty of stories circulating about people who believe that leaving gospel tracts instead of money is an acceptable alternative.  I personally believe that these people fall into the category of "Too Heavenly minded to be any earthly good."  Yes, I understand that spreading the word of God is really the best "tip" that you can receive.  However, failure to take care of a person's earthly needs shows a lack of love, is that the Jesus that we are trying to show them?

I think there should be a shift in Christian attitudes.  We should be looking at a failure to tip, as a failure to provide for God's children.  

As it says in James 2:14-17:

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

So, fellow Christians, let our deeds be examples of faith.  Don't just tip your servers, tip them well.  Be kind, patient, and understanding.  Show them the love (and forgiveness) that Christ has shown you. 


Lord, again we pray, please help us to see that what we have is yours.  Yours to use for your people. Help us to be more giving to others, and help us to better understand their plight.  I pray that we take advantage of any opportunity to show Christ's love through our deeds.  Let us be your mirrors, reflecting grace and love into the world. Amen.

If you would like some background on the story behind the receipt, please visit:

Applebee’s fires waitress who posted receipt from pastor complaining about auto-tip

"Stop Having a Relationship with Jesus!"

Okay... before the pastors come after me, the title of the post is a quote.  A darn good one, in my opinion.  Keep reading to find out why!

I was recently re-reading, "I became a Christian and all I got was this lousy t-shirt," by Vince Antonucci.  It is a book that I read a few years ago, but as a baby Christian it didn't mean much.  This time around, WOW!  Absolutely amazing!

So, the title of this post is actually an idea for a bumper sticker that Vince has in the book.  (pg 31) 

After he drops the, "Stop Having a Relationship with Jesus" bomb, he goes on to say:

"I have a relationship with a guy named Kevin.  We met in a small group I was leading and instantly hit it off.  We started playing pool, watching sports together, and serving side-by-side.  Eventually we became best friends.  I have a great relationship with Kevin.  But Kevin moved away three years ago.  Since then I only talk to him once or twice a month. 

I wish he lived closer.  It'd be nice if I could see him more.  I miss him.

But I am fine without him.  Not having him around hasn't dramatically impacted me for the worse.  It certainly hasn't ruined my life. 

Why not?

Because we have a relationship.  It's a great relationship, but it's just a relationship." (pg 31)

How often does our interaction with Jesus look like this relationship?  I know it happens for me way more often than I would like to admit.  I get busy, take a few days off from reading my Bible.  Yes, I miss Jesus.  Yes, I wish we could be closer.  But I can live without him.  After all, it is just a relationship.

Is that really what we are called to have with Jesus? I think not.  In John 15:4-8 it says:

⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (NIV)

The KJV says "Abide in me, and I in you." We are called to live in Jesus, and to have Jesus live in us.

That is so much more than just a relationship. 

When we abide in Christ, not only to we get the joy of producing good fruit, we are saved from the fire, we are blessed, and we radiate the glow of God! 

Whew!  I need to take a moment to regather my thoughts.  Writing that and reading it again to myself felt really amazing!

Vince has an excellent image for comparison in his book.  He is describing the interview of a child in their mother's womb.  (He's a little goofy!  But it works!)  It reads like this,

"What if you could somehow interview a baby inside his mother's womb?  And let's say you asked the baby, "Do you have a relationship with your mother?"

I think the baby would give you a really weird look...

... The baby would say, "Could you repeat that?"

... So you ask again, "I said, do you have a relationship with your mother?"

The baby would give you another weird look and answer, "That's what I thought you said, but I can't believe you would even ask that.  How do I answer?  I mean yes, we do have a relationship, but c'mon it's way beyond that.  I mean, I live inside of her.  I can't live without her.  I am totally dependent on her for everything that keeps me alive.  I can't do anything without her.  So yes, I guess we have a relationship, but that's a colossal understatement.'"(pg33)

 As I move forth from this book, and this post, I pray that I will focus more on abiding or remaining in Christ, and allowing him to abide and remain in me.  I don't just want a relationship.  I want so much more!  I don't want to be a vine that the Father will prune.  I want to produce good fruit, and lots of it, for my God!


Lord, please give us the desire to have more than just a relationship with you.  Give us a hunger to abide in you, as you abide in us.  Help us to be completely dependent on you for life.  In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 

Help me to not be okay....

Okay, the title of the blog should actually be...

 "Help me to not be okay, 

just because everything is okay with me." 

Many who know me well, know that I have a fascination with the Amish.  My husband says it is an obsession... *eye roll* 

There are many things about the Amish way of life that intrigues me.   I firmly believe that there is a lot that we can learn from them!  (Most Amish could probably stand to learn at least one very important thing from us, as well!)

One thing that I very much admire in the Amish faith, is a strong sense of community.  If you live in an area populated by Amish, you have probably witnessed a barn building, or at least the product of one.  When a member of the community has a barn that burns down, the community comes together to help in the rebuilding process.  I would be willing to bet that every person who shows up to lend a hand, has their own growing "to-do list" at home.  They have chores to do, repairs that need to be completed, and families to tend to, but they lay their own needs aside for the sake of the community. 

There are work frolics, quilting frolics, canning frolics, and much more.  All with the idea of helping one another, and carrying each others burdens.  

Acts 4:32-35 gives a wonderful description and example of community at its best.  It reads:

³² All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. ³³ With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all ³⁴ that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales ³⁵ and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

The apostles and early believers fully understood Jesus when he commanded them to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.” 

I am truly blessed to be part of a community that is working together to become less I and more WE.  But we still have a long way to go! 
 

Nothing in this world truly belongs to us.  It all belongs to God.  We need to learn how to let go of our stuff for the sake of others, and to rely on God for our provision. 

How awesome would it be if there was no more need for Welfare, Food Stamps, CCIS, SSI, and all the other government assistance programs?  How wonderful would it be if we would willing and lovingly help God's people?  There will always be members of the community that are in need.  How incredible would it be if WE met their needs? 



Lord, please help us to see that what we have is yours.  Yours to use for your people.  Help us to be less selfish with our time, that we might be better able to love our neighbors.  Show us how to minister to each other in our times of need.  Guide us to become a little more WE and a lot less ME.  Amen.

Evolution of my Marriage

In honor of my anniversary, I feel that I should write about something that I know I struggled with in the beginning of my marriage.  (Struggled... now that is the understatement of the century!)

Submission.


When I first joined into the covenant of marriage, I was a baby Christian.  I knew enough about God to feel comfortable sharing in Sunday School and to be able to usually follow along with the sermons.  Though I have to admit that at the time that was basically limited to what I read in my children's Bible!  I knew that I was loved more than I could ever understand, and I knew that *thankfully* my sins were forgiven.  That was about the extent of my understanding and knowledge of God.

As the wedding approached, I remember that my awesome brother-in-law gave us a list of scripture and told us to choose one.  (For those who don't know, we were blessed by having our brother marry us!)  So, like a "good" Christian, I sat down with my Bible and chose the scripture that I thought God wanted me to chose.  HA!  I chose the one with which I was most comfortable!

I chose Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.  (NIV)

⁹ Two are better than one,
    because they have a good return for their labor:
¹⁰ If either of them falls down,
    one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
    and has no one to help them up.
¹¹ Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
    But how can one keep warm alone?
¹² Though one may be overpowered,
    two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Pretty good scripture, right?  If I need help with my chores, you need to help me.  If I fall down, you will help me up.  If I am cold, you will keep me warm.  If I need defended, you will come to my defense.  And yes, we will keep God in our marriage, because if it is the three of us we are invincible.  There is some seriously juvenile thinking right there!  After reading my own words, I believe that I thought marriage was a fall-back plan.

"If I can't make it on my own,

there is someone who is legally bound to help me."

Terrible way of thinking....

As I look back, I wish that I would have followed God's guiding and chose a different set of scriptures.  What I should have chosen was,

Ephesians 5:21-33 (NIV)

²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
²² Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body. ³¹ “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” ³² This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

 As I grow in my walk with Christ, I love this set of scripture even more.  I have learned that this is not a decree allowing men to run roughshod over their wives.  Nor is it a call for women to be second class in their own lives.

In this passage, Paul is telling me to submit to my husband, not because he is in charge of me, not because he is a good person, and definitely not because he usually agrees with what I think.  No, I am called to submit to my husband because I love Christ.  (Wow, I need to stop for a minute and reread that and let it soak in!) 

In turn, Paul is also commanding my husband to love me as Christ loves the church.  Once again, he isn't supposed to love me for my good looks, or my wonderful cooking skills, or my ability to keep house.  He is called to love me because Christ loves his church.  (WHEW!  If it was totally based on my awesome skills I fear his love would very soon fade!)  

Several times I have been personally asked if I mind submitting to my husband.  I will answer that with a resounding, NO!  I have been blessed with a husband who, like it says in verses 28 and 29, loves me as he loves himself.  I know that in my submission, he will care for and provide for me and my family because he loves Jesus.

Lord, thank you for seeing beyond my infant heart and providing me with a wonderful man who devotes his life to you and his family.  Thank you for your grace and for covering the sins of my past, and for nurturing my confidence in your love.  Thank you for sending your son to provide the perfect marriage example.  Please guide me and my husband in your ways, that we may continue to live, grow, and raise our family, in your promise.  Thank you for four wonderful years, and I pray for many more.  Amen.

The Tip of the Iceberg

Being a mom, I have had a few experiences where I have been simply overwhelmed with love for my daughter.  Times when I am struck speechless by the wonder and beauty that is my E-bugs. (Dads, I am sure you have had these experiences as well!) 

The most obvious was the first time I laid eyes on her.  As you may (or may not) know, my pregnancy was not exactly ideal.  I suffered some pretty nasty all day sickness for the first 14 weeks.  Then experienced the joy of sciatica from 16 to 22 weeks.  Just when I thought I was finally done with all the pain and terribleness... I had kidney stones that hurt so bad I started having contractions (not once but twice! at 23 and 25 weeks) and spent the last 11 weeks of my pregnancy in excruciating pain.  Needless to say, I was very overwhelmed when I finally got to meet this amazing little body (who did quite a number on mine!). 

She was so beautiful and perfect (all parents think that, right?)! 

There have been many other times.  Nothing extraordinary, normal kid stuff.  Like the first time she giggled, or the time when she spent 30 minutes taking weeds out of one bucket and putting them into another. Or even just last week, when she marched on over to our neighbors strawberry patch, picked a few berries, plopped and chowed down! 

The amount of joy and love that this one little person has invoked in me is absolutely astounding. 

As I sit in the moment, overwhelmed with love, I imagine God whispering in my ear... 

"And that's just the tip of the iceberg as to how much I love you."1

 Wow! 

Lord, as we go through our daily lives help us to recognize your great love for us, through our love for others.  Thank you for loving us more than we can even begin to fathom.  Amen!



1 - Ortberg, Nancy. Looking for God: An Unexpected Journey Through Tattoos, Tofu, and Pronouns. pg 5

If she can do it... The need for quiet time.

John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, had a pretty awesome mom! She was the mother of 19 children. You read that correctly... 19! Unfortunately only 10 of those children survived to adulthood. This poor woman went through pregnancy and labor 17 times (Yes, I can count. She had 2 sets of twins.) and had to mourn the loss of 9 babies. (She earned the right to be a little crazy... in my humble opinion!) She home schooled 6 hours a day, cooked, cleaned, and, of course, took care of 10 kids!

Susannah also knew just how important it was to spend time with and know each child personally, so she spent one hour a week alone with each child. That doesn't sound like much until you figure that this is 10 hours a week, set aside just to stay connected with her children. This amazing mom also held services on Sunday evenings for her family, and eventually her community. Some of these meetings had upwards of 200 people.

If that wasn't enough, Mrs. Wesley was, for all intents and purposes, a single mom. Her hubby was a traveling pastor, spent time in jail (back in those days you could go to jail for not paying your bills. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that a traveling pastor wouldn't make too much. Oh, so add to the list of things above, managed a LARGE household with little to no money. I digress.), and they separated once because of a disagreement on politics.  (A story which I find a little humorous!)

Despite all of the chaos in Susannah's life, she fully understood the importance of spending time with God. Normally she would try to get to a room, without the children, to pray and listen for God. As you can imagine, this wasn't always possible.  That didn't stop Susannah! 

On the really crazy days, Susannah had a really interesting way of finding some alone time with God.  She would plop her tush down at the table and throw her apron up over her head, effectively blocking out the chaos! 

So, if you ever see me with an apron over my head... leave me alone!  I am talking with God! 

Oh How He Loves Us...

I was walking through the dessert line today at the fellowship meal, following our outdoor church service, when a thought struck me.... 

How He loves us!  

To explain... I have been reading Nancy Ortberg's Looking for God: An Unexpected Journey Through Tattoos, Tofu, and Pronouns in preparation for the Moms' Bible study, which is starting up this week.

In the first chapter, Ortberg briefly talks about God and our food.  She says...

"Whenever I ate a good meal, preferably one that I did not have to cook, I was struck by the gratuitous nature of the God who made the colors, flavors, and textures of avocado, red pepper, and tilapia.  He only needed to make the food nutritious and caloric.  Everything we eat could simply taste like bread and milk, and functionally that would be good enough.  There is really no need for the variety and taste sensations that we experience when we eat, but God created them anyway."

 She goes on to say,

"Steve Evans, a noted Christian philosopher, says that perhaps the best proof for the existence of God is banana cream pie."

To Steve and everyone out there, I say...  the best proof of God's existence is Millie Groff's angel food cake!     

Lord, thank you for giving us food, not just for sustenance, but for our pleasure.  Thank you for all of the wonderful flavors and textures that you have added to our food, just for our enjoyment.  I pray that as we savor our delicious foods we are reminded of our Creator God, and his great love for us.

"Taste and see that the Lord is good!"

Psalms 34:8

May you never look at your food the same way again!