As the Nehemiah series continues, I'm finding Iove this story. I've said that before, but I'm saying it again, I LOVE IT! This morning the Nehemiah Study Guide recommended we read over Ephesians 4:2-3. Have you ever read that passage? No, I mean really read it. I added the first verse for context sake.
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ~Ephesians 4:1-3
After reading the passage, I thought, hmmm that's nice. However, my curiosity was piqued. What did that really mean? Oh my! I love words and language. It is a passion of mine. So from time to time I'll study the words to get the full impact of the verse. This is what I got. Granted, it is my interpretation, so disagree if you will.
Angie Interpretation
Walk with humbleness of mind (you're not the best thing to happen to the world)
Walk with moral excellence that is useful (what good is it if you're moral and you are of no help to anyone)
Walk with a long enduring temper (in the same way that they get on your last nerve, you get on theirs so relax)
Hold yourself up in love for another (If you depend on others to make you feel good you'll get let down. Besides feelings are fleeting and cannot be trusted. So remember that you love them and operate out of that fact.)
Use speed, be prompt and earnest to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting principle of peace(Don't put making peace off until tomorrow, it may be too late.)
How different would churches look if we operated out of this understanding? How different would our interactions with each other be? How would our marriages endure? How would our parenting change? It's amazing to me to see how practical and useful this can be to my life. I just thought I'd share it with you all. Hope it helps.
A New Hat & a Strong Heart
Sometimes I smile when I think of what God has done in my life. God has been so good, He's been just that good. I was once so afraid of life, love, and new experiences. This week, as I tackle tasks that require so much of me, I smile. Who is this person? Who does she think she is? She believes she can change the world. She is no longer filled with fear. She looks for new experiences. Who is this person? She is a woman in love with God, the one who has been so faithful and good. The Bible passage comes rushing to the front of my mind and I must share it.
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
~ Isaiah 61: 1-3
As Israel is in the middle of a hard age in history, at this point, they receive this promise from God. I read this as a little girl and told God, if You can help these people, You can help me. My heart was broken at a very young age, in my mind, I was poor, I felt like a prisoner of one who would choose evil over and over again, so I knew I would qualify for the blessing. I realize I was a child and my thinking was a bit warped, but I believed God would give me a beautiful hat to replace the ashes someday. I believed He would fill my life with gladness and give me a strong heart to replace the sadness and fear. It took a while to realize those dreams, but He has blessed my life so greatly. I have clung to God with ferocity and when I have let go, He has held me even more ferociously. I suppose my point is, God comes through. He may not come through in our time frame, but He comes through in His time frame. If your life is broken, if your heart is destroyed, if you are prisoner to sin, pain, hurt, anything, if you need a new hat and some new clothes to replace the rags of shame and disappointment....I have an answer for you...GOD. God is so good....He's been just that good to this little girl from the neighborhood.
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
~ Isaiah 61: 1-3
As Israel is in the middle of a hard age in history, at this point, they receive this promise from God. I read this as a little girl and told God, if You can help these people, You can help me. My heart was broken at a very young age, in my mind, I was poor, I felt like a prisoner of one who would choose evil over and over again, so I knew I would qualify for the blessing. I realize I was a child and my thinking was a bit warped, but I believed God would give me a beautiful hat to replace the ashes someday. I believed He would fill my life with gladness and give me a strong heart to replace the sadness and fear. It took a while to realize those dreams, but He has blessed my life so greatly. I have clung to God with ferocity and when I have let go, He has held me even more ferociously. I suppose my point is, God comes through. He may not come through in our time frame, but He comes through in His time frame. If your life is broken, if your heart is destroyed, if you are prisoner to sin, pain, hurt, anything, if you need a new hat and some new clothes to replace the rags of shame and disappointment....I have an answer for you...GOD. God is so good....He's been just that good to this little girl from the neighborhood.
Are You Sure I'm the Trowel You Wanted?
It has finally happened. I am a Feral Christian. I found God as a little girl at 6 years old. I gave Him my heart completely and He took that 6 year old little girl seriously. That afternoon, I drove home in the back of a pick up truck singing crazy pentecostal songs with a 50-year-old man who found Jesus the same day. We sang at the top of our lungs and we sang the song over and over again. I was a crazy 6 year-old Christian who had no fear, no inhibitions, and no worries of what the world thought of me. As I grew, I was tamed by religion. I was bound by piety. I was crippled by my pride. At 30 I began to miss the crazy 6-year old. I've journeyed to get back in touch with her. Four years later, I'm reconnecting with the fearless, uninhibited, wild child I once was. I believe God is big. I believe He loves me. I believe He's got big plans for my little life.
That being said, I'm struck by a thought today while I'm reading my Bible. Our church is doing a series on Nehemiah and I am loving this story. A slave decides he wants to rebuild the walls of a city he is descended from but has never visited. I imagine him as a William Wallace, Maximus, or Leonidas type of guy. I imagine him riding around on his horse, reminding the people of the power of the God they serve. I imagine him carrying his trowel in one hand and his sword in the other. Did I say a trowel? Yeah, the guy is building a wall. As he is rebuilding the wall he's met with resistance, but is able to rally his countrymen to defend what is rightfully theirs. What a story!
So the thought I am struck with is this: I must be prepared to do the work of a woman who believes and serves a big God. I have children and it's a hard job. I thought it would let up a little once they got older, but it's getting harder. My days are no longer filled with changing diapers, breastfeeding, or holding little ones who need to be close. My days are now filled with prayer, observation, prayer, imparting knowledge and wisdom, and prayer. I have been moving forward in this season of my life with apprehension, insecurity, and downright fear. As I envision Nehemiah walking around the wall encouraging the people of God to continue building, I imagine myself there. My husband and I are God's tools and we are being used in the lives of Isaac and Elisa. I must have faith that God is able to use me to do what He has planned for me to do. Let's imagine I am the trowel and I spend my day as such...God, are You sure You want me? There are better trowels. There are fancier trowels. I am not the most expensive trowel. I've got a dent and if you look closely, there's a chip here. I know it says stainless steel, but maybe I'm really made out of plastic and am only covered with stainless steel paint... That wouldn't do. No. As I thought about this I had this image instead...God walks into the garden center at Target. He walks over to the trowels. He looks and looks for the perfect trowel for Isaac and Elisa's lives. He finds me. He says, "This trowel is perfect. It's just what I was looking for. This trowel, will be the trowel I need to build the lives of Isaac and Elisa." As I type this, tears fill my eyes. God chose me to be their mother. God chose me to be John's wife. God chose me to be the daughter and sister in my extended family. It wasn't an accident. God didn't make a mistake and I didn't slip by without Him noticing. He was deliberate. I will surrender to that Will and move forward with confidence and courage.
That being said, I'm struck by a thought today while I'm reading my Bible. Our church is doing a series on Nehemiah and I am loving this story. A slave decides he wants to rebuild the walls of a city he is descended from but has never visited. I imagine him as a William Wallace, Maximus, or Leonidas type of guy. I imagine him riding around on his horse, reminding the people of the power of the God they serve. I imagine him carrying his trowel in one hand and his sword in the other. Did I say a trowel? Yeah, the guy is building a wall. As he is rebuilding the wall he's met with resistance, but is able to rally his countrymen to defend what is rightfully theirs. What a story!
So the thought I am struck with is this: I must be prepared to do the work of a woman who believes and serves a big God. I have children and it's a hard job. I thought it would let up a little once they got older, but it's getting harder. My days are no longer filled with changing diapers, breastfeeding, or holding little ones who need to be close. My days are now filled with prayer, observation, prayer, imparting knowledge and wisdom, and prayer. I have been moving forward in this season of my life with apprehension, insecurity, and downright fear. As I envision Nehemiah walking around the wall encouraging the people of God to continue building, I imagine myself there. My husband and I are God's tools and we are being used in the lives of Isaac and Elisa. I must have faith that God is able to use me to do what He has planned for me to do. Let's imagine I am the trowel and I spend my day as such...God, are You sure You want me? There are better trowels. There are fancier trowels. I am not the most expensive trowel. I've got a dent and if you look closely, there's a chip here. I know it says stainless steel, but maybe I'm really made out of plastic and am only covered with stainless steel paint... That wouldn't do. No. As I thought about this I had this image instead...God walks into the garden center at Target. He walks over to the trowels. He looks and looks for the perfect trowel for Isaac and Elisa's lives. He finds me. He says, "This trowel is perfect. It's just what I was looking for. This trowel, will be the trowel I need to build the lives of Isaac and Elisa." As I type this, tears fill my eyes. God chose me to be their mother. God chose me to be John's wife. God chose me to be the daughter and sister in my extended family. It wasn't an accident. God didn't make a mistake and I didn't slip by without Him noticing. He was deliberate. I will surrender to that Will and move forward with confidence and courage.
Have a Great Valentine's Day
Today I'd like to take some time and honor my Valentine. My honey and I have been married for 14 years. We've known each other for 17 years. He is the love of my life and I thank God for him every day. I have been honored to be the witness to his life and to have his as the witness of mine. I've been keeping track this week of the romantic things he does for me.There are more than I can list so in honor of Valentine's day, I will only list 14.
~ Made sure the dishes were done even though he was tired, because he knew I'd been shuttling kids around all afternoon including a last minute shopping trip for Valentine's day class cards.
~ Joined me in helping the kids to get their Valentine's day cards finished.
~ Refilled the sweet n low bowl.
~ Prepared coffee for me every morning so that I could wake up to fresh brewed coffee smells.
~ Picked up my prescription on his way home.
~ Reminded me to take my meds because he knows I have no brain in the morning.
~ Brought me a glass of water to take my meds with.
~ Sent me text messages during the day to tell me how much he appreciated my contribution to the family.
~ Transferred the laundry from the washer to the dryer because he knows my shortness makes this a difficult task for me.
~ Opens the car door for me and gets frustrated when I open it for myself.
~ Got dinner started because he got home before we did and knew the kids would be hungry.
~ Lets me put my cold feet on his warm feet.
~ Allowed me to be a stay home mom even though he works like a mule to keep the bills paid.
~ And finally, He loves Jesus with all of his heart and that is incredibly romantic to me.
It's easy to overlook the every day tasks our man does as his expression of love. It's easy to mourn over the lack of flowers, jewelry, and sweet loves notes. I love those things as much as the next gal, but men are a gender of action and if you take a minute and pay attention, we will see they are screaming out their love for us in their own practical ways.
Now before you start commenting on how easy I've got it, let me remind you, I give him three essential things. These love acts are his response to my providing for three of his needs.
1. I pray for him when he frustrates me rather than talk him to death (God's better at getting through to him than I am. I admit it freely.)
2. I tell him how proud I am of him and what an awesome husband and father he is. He loves to hear it, why not say it?
3. Physical contact. I heard a wise woman once say, "Go to sleep with one part of your body touching his." Enough said.
I do these three things and in return I get a multitude of daily love acts. I'd love to see every wife have a husband who cherishes her. I'd love to see every husband have a wife who believe he is the hero of the home. This blog post is me doing my part to see that vision become a reality. Hey, ya can't blame a gal for trying, right?
Have a Great Valentine's Day
~ Made sure the dishes were done even though he was tired, because he knew I'd been shuttling kids around all afternoon including a last minute shopping trip for Valentine's day class cards.
~ Joined me in helping the kids to get their Valentine's day cards finished.
~ Refilled the sweet n low bowl.
~ Prepared coffee for me every morning so that I could wake up to fresh brewed coffee smells.
~ Picked up my prescription on his way home.
~ Reminded me to take my meds because he knows I have no brain in the morning.
~ Brought me a glass of water to take my meds with.
~ Sent me text messages during the day to tell me how much he appreciated my contribution to the family.
~ Transferred the laundry from the washer to the dryer because he knows my shortness makes this a difficult task for me.
~ Opens the car door for me and gets frustrated when I open it for myself.
~ Got dinner started because he got home before we did and knew the kids would be hungry.
~ Lets me put my cold feet on his warm feet.
~ Allowed me to be a stay home mom even though he works like a mule to keep the bills paid.
~ And finally, He loves Jesus with all of his heart and that is incredibly romantic to me.
It's easy to overlook the every day tasks our man does as his expression of love. It's easy to mourn over the lack of flowers, jewelry, and sweet loves notes. I love those things as much as the next gal, but men are a gender of action and if you take a minute and pay attention, we will see they are screaming out their love for us in their own practical ways.
Now before you start commenting on how easy I've got it, let me remind you, I give him three essential things. These love acts are his response to my providing for three of his needs.
1. I pray for him when he frustrates me rather than talk him to death (God's better at getting through to him than I am. I admit it freely.)
2. I tell him how proud I am of him and what an awesome husband and father he is. He loves to hear it, why not say it?
3. Physical contact. I heard a wise woman once say, "Go to sleep with one part of your body touching his." Enough said.
I do these three things and in return I get a multitude of daily love acts. I'd love to see every wife have a husband who cherishes her. I'd love to see every husband have a wife who believe he is the hero of the home. This blog post is me doing my part to see that vision become a reality. Hey, ya can't blame a gal for trying, right?
Have a Great Valentine's Day
Broken Hearts and Tough Decisions
WOW! Friday's events were more than I bargained for. It has taken me 16 hours to take in the weight of it all. I wasn't even able to speak about my reaction to it until 12 hours later. My heart was broken for people. I have never had that happen before. I made the comment to a dear friend of ours that I have spent years as a Christian without having my heart broken for people...I then joked, "Can I really say I've lived the life of a Christian if my heart has not been broken?". I watched a brave group of people decide to shut down a school. Their hearts were heavy with the decision. I then watched the same group of people make the decision to merge with another school. They made the decision I feel was in the best interest of their community, but I could tell they understood the weight of the decision and, much like Frodo, they wished this task was not theirs to bear.
I'm left with a desperate feeling that there is something I should do to help, but our family is still trying to decide how our family will move forward with regards to this decision. I wish only to be helpful. I wish only to make a difference. I wish most of all to be an example of the awesome God who I love and serve. How to do that remains to be seen.
I'm left with a desperate feeling that there is something I should do to help, but our family is still trying to decide how our family will move forward with regards to this decision. I wish only to be helpful. I wish only to make a difference. I wish most of all to be an example of the awesome God who I love and serve. How to do that remains to be seen.
Four Schools and a Guarantee
Jeepers creepers! The past month has been a whirlwind of activity. Our lives are filled with school, tang soo (martial arts), volleyball prep, basketball games, church, and meetings. Our family has attended more meetings this year than last year this time. Is it always this difficult to stay involved and informed?
Our school has been faced with the "opportunity" to merge with another school in an attempt to save funding for the district. We are being asked to choose one of four schools to merge with. I've been doing my part to stay informed and educated. It's overwhelming. Half way through the process I asked my husband this question: Why didn't they just decide for us? It's so much energy and confusion and stress to think of what is in the best interest of my children's education. But isn't that my job as a parent? Yes, it is. So, we've prayed, gathered information, researched, and researched some more and we've come to one conclusion: There are no guarantees we will make the "right" decision. I think that is what I've been looking for in all of this research and it eludes me continually.
What it boils down to, is the system needs Jesus. I am a parent who is involved and dedicated to the best interest of my children, whatever that may be, but not every child at my school has that. For every parent that has a parent who shows up, we have two that don't. For every child we have a home life that may or may not involve Jesus. We've tried to make this decision based on the research we've done, but who's to say that will not fail us. There are no guarantees. The only guarantee is Jesus and so we make our choice and trust He will meet us no matter where we land.
Our school has been faced with the "opportunity" to merge with another school in an attempt to save funding for the district. We are being asked to choose one of four schools to merge with. I've been doing my part to stay informed and educated. It's overwhelming. Half way through the process I asked my husband this question: Why didn't they just decide for us? It's so much energy and confusion and stress to think of what is in the best interest of my children's education. But isn't that my job as a parent? Yes, it is. So, we've prayed, gathered information, researched, and researched some more and we've come to one conclusion: There are no guarantees we will make the "right" decision. I think that is what I've been looking for in all of this research and it eludes me continually.
What it boils down to, is the system needs Jesus. I am a parent who is involved and dedicated to the best interest of my children, whatever that may be, but not every child at my school has that. For every parent that has a parent who shows up, we have two that don't. For every child we have a home life that may or may not involve Jesus. We've tried to make this decision based on the research we've done, but who's to say that will not fail us. There are no guarantees. The only guarantee is Jesus and so we make our choice and trust He will meet us no matter where we land.