"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!