There was a time in my life when the Bible was the last thing that I wanted to read. I felt that it was boring and dry, so I began to pray that God would help me want to read the Bible. That is the kind of prayer God loves to answer! Over time, I have become excited about reading the Bible, and I continually find treasures that inspire, encourage, and challenge me. God’s word is my lifeline.
Throughout 2012, I will be reading The Daily Bible. It is the NIV Bible, in chronological order with 365 daily readings. My mother-in-law shared her copy with me while we were in Missouri for Christmas. She has been reading it for the past eight years. In return, I gave her a copy of The Message, a version that I love. I invite you to join us as we read through the Bible this year.
I hope this will be a wonderful year for you. I am looking forward to discovering on an even deeper level what it means for God’s words to be “living and active” in my life.
NOTE: If you are new to Bible reading I suggest you start in the gospel of Mark or in Psalms or Proverbs. Also, listening to the Bible on CD is a great way to experience the Bible.
they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.
Psalm 16:3
The words we use to define ourselves and others are powerful. Children are especially vulnerable to the labels that they are given. Personally, I can identify myself as a stay-at-home mom and a Christian, or a soul sculptor and one whose life has been disrupted and is now daily transformed by Jesus Christ. The first descriptions sound safe; the latter ones inspire me. What words do you use to describe yourself? More importantly, what words does God use to describe you? “Apple of his eye”, “beloved”, “friend”, “like a sheep who needs to be carried” …. You are invited to use God’s words instead of yours.
Inspired by Ann Voskamp’s use of the term “soul sculptor” and by To Be Told, by Dan Allender, Ph.D.
My heart is heavy because of the intense chronic headache pain of a new friend and the emotional pain of an old friend. The pain of my friends, my daily pain, plus the suffering in the world often feels overwhelming. It gives me hope to remember that ”there will come a day, no more tears, no more pain, no more fears” (Jeremy Camp). When our pain feels unending we can know that there will be an end to our pain.
This day is an actual day that will occur. It is not some far-off dream, but a reality and one we can look forward to like we would a wedding or a birth. For important days there are preparations and anticipation. Let’s prepare for and anticipate the day that we will be free from pain. God will wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain (based on Revelation 21:4).
“If you are hurting today, take heart. Every day you are one day closer to the other side of your pain.” Chrystie Cole
“Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create ….” Isaiah 65:1
Many people died last week due to the tornadoes in the south. There was another sudden death on April 27, 2011. David Wilkerson, who passionately loved God, died instantly in a car accident. Although I did not know him personally, his words touched me deeply.
This is what he wrote on his blog the day he died:
To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights—and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, “I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident. It was no failure on your part. Hold fast. Let me embrace you in your hour of pain.”
Beloved, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love. When all means fail—his love prevails. Hold fast to your faith. Stand fast in his Word. There is no other hope in this world.”
“David Wilkerson’s last mission on earth was to be an advocate for the poorest of the poor”. Gary Wilkerson
My friend Mika lives in Japan with her husband and seven-year-old twin boys. Mika was my next-door neighbor for a year at Wheaton College. I was very sad when I heard about the earthquake in Japan, but then thinking about Mika and her family, my emotional involvement doubled. I was so thankful when I found out that Mika and her family were safe. I asked Mika to write a letter about what is happening in Japan and what we can do to help. Here is her letter:
This is absolutely devastating. So many people died and are still missing. It is probably about over 13000 people. The scenes from the disaster area are hollific. We are far away from the area, but still have series of aftershocks following the main earthquake. It is scary.
A friend of mine sent me the following website address. You may take a look. http://crashjapan.com/
Please pray that this difficult time will draw Japanese people to God.
My friend Beth just forwarded the following e-mail to me from youth Pastor Damon Kelly. It was a timely e-mail as my family was discussing Lent tonight.
Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the season of Lent in the church year …. For those who might not know a ton about Lent, it is a time of taking stock of our lives with God and one another and taking a 40 day period to consider where we are at in relationship to God. This time has become a time to potentially give up something that may be rivaling our attention from God and then also ADDING something in it’s place that would encourage us towards God in some way. Maybe TV gets less and God gets more somehow. Maybe lack of exercise gets less and caring for our bodies, God’s temple gets more. There is no right or wrong about the subtracting something and adding something as long as it is pointing us Godward.
You could gather at dinner tonight or sometime in the evening or even at breakfast tomorrow and spend time sharing about the idea of Lent with your family. There is no pressure to start tomorrow on Ash Wednesday. There is no pressure for this to look a certain way, but it is an opportunity for you as Dads and Moms to love and lead your students towards God in a simple family observance.
The past few years I have abstained from sugar, but this year I felt like I needed to do something different. I have decided to “give-up” talking on my cell-phone (conversations with family and friends) and to “add” praying for my family and friends more deliberately. My decision was confirmed by my children’s adamant belief that I will not be able stay off the phone!
Would you like to be a part of a Valentine’s Day Conspiracy?
For the past two years, I have proposed that we remember orphans and those who are lonely on Valentine’s Day. This year, along with caring for those who are hurting, I suggest that we do not spend any money on Valentine’s Day, and instead use that money to make a difference in the lives of orphans, widows, and homeless people. Just think of how much money is spent on chocolate, flowers, dinner, etc. Instead of showing love in these ways, let’s think of other creative ways to express our love. For example, instead of buying each other cards my husband and I have a journal where we write each other letters. This has become a treasured keepsake.
One of my friends was slightly appalled when I told her about this Valentine’s Day Conspiracy idea. She told me that her husband could still buy her flowers AND help orphans! She helped me realize that this idea may be more popular with my male readers than female readers. : ) Actually, a Valentine’s Day Conspiracy would require more effort because you would have to find ways to show love without spending money. If we start to look at Valentine’s Day in a different way, and spend our money in a different way, the good things that could happen are more than we can imagine.
External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world. James 1:27 The Amplified Bible
If you would like to contribute to the needs of precious Chinese orphans who are sick or have disabilities click here.
When I find something that truly helps someone who has overcome horrific physical and emotional pain, I pay attention. My friend Christine gave me the book The Allure of Hope for my 40th birthday. This book helped her tremendously after she was burned in a grease fire. (You can read about her story by clicking here.)
In the book The Allure of Hope, Jan Meyers Proett clearly shows how hope is not a passive concept, but an active, life-changing reality. This book touched my heart by giving words to how it feels when I am “jolted by life’s suffering.” Seeing hope as a radical way of responding to life, rather than a mere desire for something good to happen, helps me to coexist with pain. When you live with pain on a daily basis, it is hard to have hope, but it is possible. This book invites you to do the courageous — and glorious work — of hoping.
Hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts. Romans 5:5
I found this verse last year, on the last day of my fast. I wrote it in my journal along with these words: ”God wants us to enjoy our food and appreciate it. Not eating for a while certainly makes you appreciate food!” I know that sounds simple, but fasting helps put food in its proper place in life — something to be enjoyed in a healthy way. Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, and taking a break from eating (or eating certain foods) causes you to notice how you are caring for your body.
Eating can be very complicated for some people. I have one dear friend who is struggling with an eating disorder and another one who is trying to lose weight. For them, food is not a source of joy, as God desires. Thankfully, there is hope for all who struggle with food issues. Embracing hope is one of the first steps to discovering how eating can be a joy.
You still the hunger of those you cherish. Psalm 17:14
Disclaimer: I am not recommending that anyone with an eating disorder fast or that fasting be used as a weight loss strategy. I am only recommending fasting as a spiritual discipline for healthy adults.
I think it is interesting that Jesus says “when you fast” — not “if you fast”. It seems to me that fasting has become a optional spiritual discipline and not something that we are called to do. One reason I think that this has happened is because we do not understand the “body’s participation in discipline, worship, grieving, and repenting” (McKnight).
In Romans 12:1, we are urged to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, which becomes our spiritual act of worship. There are many ways we can offer our bodies as sacrifices, but one way is through fasting. “The spiritual exercise of fasting presumes that we commune with God through our bodies ” (Hintz).
Fasting gives us physical reminders that we receive our strength and nourishment from God. In our self-indulgent world, fasting helps draw our attention away from ourselves and helps us focus on what is eternal.
Please give us drinks from your river of delights.
In a time of fasting help us to grow closer to you
and to be more aware of your presence.
Help us to see this time not as a time of self-denial,
but as a time of celebrating you.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Last year while I was fasting, I read an article by Leslie Royalty from Christian Healing Ministries. She introduced me to the idea of viewing a fast as a time to feast on the word of God.
In 2010, I started noticing examples in the Bible of people fasting as a community. Up until this point, I had viewed fasting as a top-secret solitary activity, (Matthew 6:16-18) and it was something in which I had no personal experience. During 2010, I had the opportunity to fast with some of my closest friends. The encouragement and support of my friends while fasting was invaluable.
I would like to invite you to find a group of friends to fast with or to join me in a fast as 2011 begins.
“Fasting is cleansing. It cleans out our bodies. It lays bare our souls. It leads us into the arms of that One for whom we hunger. In the Divine Arms we become less demanding and more like the one who holds us. Then we experience new hungers. We hunger and thirst for justice, for goodness and holiness. We hunger for what is right. We hunger to be saints. Most of us are not nearly hungry enough for the things that really matter.” Macrina Wiederkehr A Tree Full of Angels
For more information about the fast I will be doing see these links:
Recently, our very dear family friend, Liz LaVelle, was in a fatal car wreck. She turned twenty-years-old in June. Liz knew how to “cultivate inner beauty”. She had a passion for helping foster children and convinced her parents to be relief foster parents. My sister Elizabeth wrote this poem to honor Liz, and I wanted to share it with you.
~
For She is Shiny
is death final?
i say no.
it is a period.
at the end of a beautiful run on sentence.
in the midst of a beautiful novel.
a novel where there is, written between the lines,
a message
a secret message
not one bottled up at sea
never plainly seen
but sung so clearly
no, death is not the end
~
it’s a springboard for life
for her to unveil her love
to shine on
and to shine in
to her precious family here
she knows that love is eternal
that it lives
alive in our souls
it is good to remember
to read again the lines
to read again between them
because there
you will find her
for she is shiny
her truth in life
her love in death
is shiny ~
My friend Steena is “face blind” which means she has extreme difficulty identifying faces. (Prosopagnosia is the medical term.) Steena sees beauty differently than the average person. Her “face blindness” helps her to see inner beauty clearly. Outward appearance in not important to Steena compared to recognizing internal depth, strength, and dignity.
God also evaluates beauty differently than we do. “Men and women look at the face: God looks into the heart” (1Samuel 16:7). God delights in gracious and gentle inner beauty (1 Peter 3:4). Although it takes time and effort to cultivate this type of beauty, everyone has an equal opportunity to be astonishingly beautiful.
“Our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is being renewed day after day …. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever” (2 Corinthians 4:16 & 18).
One of the gifts that Jesus gives us is His glory. Jesus gives us the glory that God gave Him (John 17:22). As with any gift, this gift has to be accepted. Jesus’ glory is accepted by believing with all of our hearts, souls, and minds that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31). When we believe in this way and accept Jesus’ glory, we act differently and our lives become radically transformed.
How do you define the word glory? My favorite definition for glory is ”majestic beauty”. The dictionary definition of glory is:
glo·ry (glôr, glr)
n.pl.glo·ries
1. Great honor, praise, or distinction accorded by common consent; renown.
2. Something conferring honor or renown.
3. A highly praiseworthy asset.
4. Adoration, praise, and thanksgiving offered in worship.
5. Majestic beauty and splendor; resplendence.
6. The splendor and bliss of heaven; perfect happiness.
7. A height of achievement, enjoyment, or prosperity.
~
May the glory we have been given draw many people to have life in Jesus’ name (John 22:31).
~
~
For my family and friends in Nashville, Tennessee.
The recent flooding in Nashville, Tennessee and the surrounding communities has been devastating to many people. I no longer live in Nashville, but it still feels like home. My parents, three sisters, and many friends live in the Nashville area, so I have been receiving frequent updates. The damage for my family was minimal, but “so MANY people have lost everything. Prayers are needed” (Missy Gaw).
As I have seen pictures of the flood destruction, I have thought of these words of Jesus:
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash (Matthew 7:24-27).
For ways to help with Flood Relief for Nashville see the comment section.
Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you. ~ The Message 2 days ago
I will go out in joy and be led in peace. ~ Isaiah 6 days ago
RT @MadeleineLEngle: It takes a tremendous maturity to be compassionate, to be involved in the other person's suffering rather than in o ... 1 week ago
, gl
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