Changing Church Part II

“First, I want to ask all of those with children in nurseries and children’s church to go get them. We won’t mind if they make a little noise. And if the last child leaves, please let the teachers know they can come in as well.”

At first parents just looked at each other. Was he serious? One by one the boldest (or most curious) got up to retrieve their kids. Anne looked up. The first major step had been taken. She looked over her shoulder to see how the deacons were reacting. One was reassuring his wife on her way to get their kids. “Apparently this was planned,” he seemed to tell her. “No, no one told him.”

Once everyone was settled back in the sanctuary, the pastor made another request. “Any of you youth,” he gestured at a row of middle and high school students near the back, “go ahead and sit with your families, if they’re here.”

Then he began in earnest. His congregation watched in rapt attention, waiting for what strange thing would be requested next. Anne smiled at the useless bulletin in her lap. The worship leader had given up on signaling that it was his turn. He sat back in his chair to watch.

To God be all glory.

See index for first and additional chapters.

Transparency

I am currently blogging on the best night of the year in which to do anything. Parties are the best when on this night. You can read a book in record time. Some years, sleep is just a luxury indulged this night.

For those of you in Arizona, you experience neither the benefit of the extra hour of sleep (or activity) once a year nor the inconvenience of changing your clocks twice a year and losing an hour of sleep in the spring. I envy you.

Make the most of the life you have, I say. So I'm blogging on the night Daylight Savings Time has gifted with an extra hour. I do have more to say. First, let me recognize that I have two friends who captitalized on the opportunity of the occasion and hosted a party tonight, which was wonderful. (We set a pumpkin on fire in the darkness, and watched it burn! I hope that's legal.)

A lot of different friends (and strangers, too, I suspect) read my blog. Ok, not a lot. But whoever you are, you are a varied audience. Since being the person with whom I think each of you would agree is impossible as I cannot maintain a blog to impress each of you, I am left with the rather honest position of simply being myself.

Tonight at the party, the hostess's father was talking about his daughter. With different friends, she would mold herself slightly to what suited them, what interests they had. When the father met the husband-to-be, he noted that his daughter was completely herself. The future husband was (and is) unmatchably unique. She was left with no choice but to respond as herself. Maybe we all do a little chameleon act.

I struggle with transparency like that. Real life has different circles of friends just as varied as my readers. There's no point in running around offending everyone. What is the point, though, if you run around pretending the person you are doesn't exist? that the opinions, interests, even convictions you have are not there?

Blogging, then, is therapy. Either I don't write at all because I'm afraid some one or all of you will be offended or disagree; or I write the truth, and let any of you who are willing deal with the result.

On the other hand, there is something to be said for changing your opinions and behaviors because to do so is better for others. So if I usually speak too quietly, rather than merely posting that I'm a quiet person, I can seek to raise my voice to be sure my friends can hear me. At first the effort might seem like pretending to be a loud person. Eventually the practice will have paid off, and I will have grown.

Which reminds me, I posted about learning to be a smiling person once. A tactic I use is to celebrate my birthday whenever I see it appear on the clock (which occurs for everyone, even leap-day babies, twice a day). I would like to inform you that I have a record, set this week, of seeing my birthday four times in a row. Also it occurred to me that I might as well celebrate Christmas, too, when I see the time 12:25. Sing a Christmas Carol or recite Luke 2:11 or something. And smile.

To God be all glory.

Life in a Shoe

While I'm reminiscing, I'll talk about the number of children I've wanted to have. When I was in junior high, the oldest of six children, and jealous of attention, I thought single-child families were perfect. Then I matured, and thought maybe up to four kids would be tolerable, handle-able. My fear was that I wouldn't be able to give enough love and attention and time to each child if there were more - and leave time for me. Now? I finally see my parents' philosophy, to let God be in control. However many or few He allows, for them He will provide. So now my name list is up to about 15 names, and I tell people that's the upper limit... until I decide on another name I like.

Kim, of Life in a Shoe blog, discusses her own difficulties with having a large family.

Q: What is your biggest challenge?
A: Keeping up with the hearts of each of our children...

This is something that is so vital whether we have 1 child or 20, and an area where I think my husband excels, but I need a lot of work. As a mother, I find myself preoccupied keeping up with runny noses, meals and laundry.

So being a selfless mom is hard however many children you have, just like controlling spending is a discipline whether you make a modest income or have happily married a millionaire.

To God be all glory.

Changing Church

I finally succumbed to the temptation of a series. Yep, this is a series. The cool thing? The series is a story. The end is not yet written. Feel free to post comments, quesions, feedback. Check back for the next chapters. This will also serve as the index page.


Pastor Will slowly walked up the steps to his usual place at the podium. Here, at the beginning of the service, he was supposed to give an opening prayer. The youthful man scanned the congregation, settled for a moment on a slight, smiling woman near the front, then turned and began to walk back down the stairs. Everyone stared their worry. Was Pastor Will feeling ok?

He began to talk. He took the steps slowly, making eye contact with as many pew-warming Christians as possible. And whenever he met an especially skeptical gaze, he looked back at Anne, the woman near the front. “Don’t worry,” he said. “This feels much more appropriate for the talk I need to have with you all.” His hands shook.

Arriving at the center of the sanctuary, he sat on the edge of the stage. People gave each other curious looks. Some deacons sat on the edges of their seats. In case he continued this disturbing behavior, they were ready to pull him out. But what would they do then? None of them wanted to preach.

Will eyed his deacons, praying they would not interfere. “In case you hadn’t noticed, today’s service is going to be a bit different.” He flashed the smile that made him a pleasant visitor even to the darkest of hospital rooms, the smile that had won Anne’s heart before they were even friends. “I want to share with you what God has been teaching me as I have studied the Word the past several months.” Anne bowed her head, hands spread out before her a bit. She was rigid.

To God be all glory.

Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI Part VII Part VIII Part IX Part X Part XI Part XII Part XIII Part XIV Part XV Part XVI Part XVII Part XVIII Part XIX Part XX Part XXI Part XXII Part XXIII

The Other Option

When I was a senior in high school I was faced with the terribly inconvenient task of answering everyone's question - and there was only one: "What are you going to do after high school?" Of course they meant, "Which college will you attend, and what will be your major?"

Thing was, I couldn't decide. I got a good SAT score which earned me college advertisements from all over. Every college spends so much money to beg you to pay you a thousand times more money for the privilege of sitting under their tutelage for four valuable years. Valuable to them if you enroll. Valuable to you if you hadn't. What major? Wow, there's a question. Interior design because I like reading Better Homes and Gardens? Law because I enjoy debate? Teaching? History? English? Etymology? Do they have majors in etymology?

One day I realized all those interests were part of being a wife and a mom. Cleaning, decorating, organizing, budgeting, baking, teaching, and supporting a husband: all describe the activities of a homeschooling mother, for sure. Revelation #2? Colleges don't offer a mommy major. Those interests and skills can be answered by real life practice and lots of library reading.

On the internet, Ladies Against Feminism, Crystal's Biblical Womanhood Blog, Vision Forum's taped resources, and many others have the conservative Christian arguments against women going to college. Should she leave home, leave her father's care? Is college a good learning environment? Will she use a degree (enough to recuperate the cost of tuition)? Are there better ways for a young woman to prepare for a life of biblical womanhood? Are there any colleges where she would learn real in a real Christian worldview? However, today I found an article linked from LAF that so clearly expresses many of the ideas that helped me decide, in the end, to forego college. It's a guest article on Sarah Harris' Fearlessly Feminine blog.

There are sacrifices foregoing college. I wanted to add, though, that in following God's direction for my life, I am more satisfied than if I had followed the easy path, doing what was conventional and expected. He is trustworthy, able to take care of all my doubts, all the objections that arise. Life doing the unexpected is like freefall. Not knowing my future is hard. Knowing Who holds it is worth it.

To God be all glory.

"Conquer" Your Fears

There is no fear in love;

but perfect love casteth out fear:

because fear hath torment.

He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

~ 1 John 4:18

This morning on the radio Dennis Prager's great key to happiness was to conquer your fears.

His is a common concept, advised, I believe, by psychologists and put forward by movies. For example, I thought of my recent exposure to Batman, via the latest movie, Batman Begins. In this story, the hero is advised to "breathe in his fears", to identify the thing which frightens him most and to embrace it. If you are afraid of the dark, surround yourself with darkness until you are no longer afraid. Since Bruce Wayne's fear was of bats, he was to stand upright while they swarmed about him.

My problem with this is that I believe the treatment is backwards. Rather than "conquering your fears," you should recognize He who is greater than all of them. Perfect love, not perfect strength, casts out fear. Perhaps Princess Diaries defined courage more properly: "Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear." Therefore, my approach to the subject of fear is first, to remember the portrait of God in Matthew 6. Second, I have decided to never do anything whose only motivation is fear. Never refuse to do anything because I am afraid.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field,

which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven,

shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

~ Matthew 6:30

To God be all glory.

Prepare to Vote

In view of the fact that elections are upcoming, I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and remind all my readers who are of age to vote. And think about voting. Think critically. Read the following posts for help in good decision making. They won't tell you exactly which issues should receive your positive vote, nor which candidates. These posts will make you think - or laugh.

Matt Chancey, conservative, not-quite libertarian lawyer.

Gretchen Acheson, curly-gurl, blogger, newlywed, former employee of some government official.

Me, blogger, thinker, so on...

To God be all glory.

Fall Break

In our part of the world, all the schools are on Fall Break. Except for us, that is. Being homeschooled, one can pick where one schedules vacations, and we prefer Thanksgiving to Halloween. Go figure. So my younger siblings are in school. None of their friends are.

All week long I've come home to a house full of kids. I look around and try to sort the visitors from the family. Who is staying the night? Who has to go home? When do you go home? Do you live here now? Oh, right. You always live here. The current tally of visitors for the week is 9, and one of them is coming twice.

The thought of these sleepovers and friendly impromptu parties is ironic. All of them seem to be booked at my house.

We do have good excuses. For one, the skies dumped over seven inches of snow on our yard (and the adjoining park) last night. Thus we are a popular destination for the adventurous sledders, snow-boarders, snow-ball-fighters, snow fort builders, and as my future-Marine brother maturely said, "snow shelters."

I tried to upload a picture (as a filler, because this post seems pointless). Blogger is really slow right now, plus my camera's batteries died, and all that. Oh well. Maybe later.

To God be all glory.

The Bible Makes Studies Obsolete

In a recent study, Beth Israel Medical Center of Boston found that one or two alcoholic drinks daily can significantly help lower the risk of heart attack in men. The reason doctors do not recommend this preventative measure is that the risks of abusing alcohol are too great. As a personal preference in my ten months being of legal drinking age, I haven't had any drinks. So I'm not necessarily telling everyone to run out and drink every day.

The point I want to make is that, once again, the Bible had it right long before we did. Paul instructed Timothy to take a little wine. Throughout the Bible we see the consumption of alcohol. It is never forbidden, though to attend some protestant churches and to study the history of the United States one would think so. What is discouraged and often forbidden is getting drunk, being given to wine or to much wine. Don't let anything control you but God, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do.

Sound familiar? Isn't that what the doctors said? Why did they have to do the study? The Bible is practical. The information God's Word provides is not only for spiritual, religious activity. In fact there is no separation. God is sovereign over all of life, and what we eat and drink has to do with our spiritual health.

Pamela recently blogged about the spirituality of dieting. I have a friend who asks, "Isn't gluttony one of the seven deadly sins? Do you know how often the Bible addresses gluttony? When is the last time you heard a sermon against over-eating?" Yet studies and books are constantly getting media attention for advancing the latest diet or bemoaning the newest statistics on obesity. I want to wave my hand. Hey! Over here! Didn't the Bible already tell us how to handle this?

To what other questions and problems did God already provide the answers?

To God be all glory.

Creativity

Michael Card wrote a book, Scribbling in the Sand, which teaches on creativity. The whole emphasis is that creativity is not some isolationist occurrence, but that ideas and art thrive in community. My experience has justified his thesis.

Tonight, for example, my brother mentioned how many students were in our youth pastor's office. "There should be a record for how many people you can get in a youth pastor's office, just like the Guinness Book of World Records and buses or phone booths."

"Yeah!" I added eloquently. Our youth group is rather small, however. So I started brainstorming on how to get enough people to make our record impressive. "Make it an outreach night! All the kids could tell their friends they're trying to set a record, and invite them to help."

You heard the idea here. If you want to use the brilliance, if I do say so myself, of this product of community, I'm officially sharing it. Oh, and my brother is committed to letting our youth pastor know. I don't think he reads my blog! Any great ideas you have, especially tagged to a "two-heads are better than one" story, would be welcome comments!

To God be all glory.

Scottish Things

In Scotland they wear sweaters all the time, I think, because of the wind pushing sea air across the land. The thought stirs my soul and makes me breathe deeply, only dreaming to catch a whiff of their salty breeze. My midwestern life has never extended to an ocean.

Speaking of that bonny country, today I received my very own copy of the 1898 edition of J.M. Barrie's The Little Minister. Last year I read that novel, and so enjoyed the dialectic writing (several different levels of the Scots' take on English) and the love story, that I determined to have a copy. Merry day, to receive such a treasure.

Ooh! I should add "old books" to my list of interests. After publishing, I shall do so directly.

More Scottish notes: the Highland Study Center, of R.C. Sproul, Jr. and friends, published their bi-monthly magazine containing a sluagh of articles on the evolutionary worldview. This further relates to Colossians, which happens to be whither I drew much of my devotions this week, is verse 8 of chapter 2, warning Christians against being spoiled by "philosophy or vain deceit" after the "rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."

The article which has been most applicable to my life (since I received the magazine Friday) is Going Bananas, about the manipulative application of the flawed theory of conditioned response. Last night I watched Batman Begins for the first time. In fact, that two hours was my first exposure to feature-length Batman. A message is promoted by the ninjas at the beginning which was directly addressed in the essay. I was so proud when the movie rather refuted the teaching.

Oh, which reminds me, why don't superheroes have wives? They experience all this conflict about girlfriends. Yet, with the Genesis 2 view of humanity, wouldn't it be a good thing to have a wife supporting, loving unconditionally, encouraging? I think a woman could be much more encouraging than a butler, though he does serve his purpose. Men tend to enhance the "tough guy" attitude that elicits survival, while women, I like to think, are the motivation to survive.

My brother is reading C.S. Lewis' That Hideous Strength, which addresses the topic of women's reason for existence especially as relating to men. The topic of feminism isn't the primary reason he wrote, but is an evident outcome of the worldview C.S. Lewis was attacking. His means of attack, which simply delights me, is to follow his enemies' philosophies to their conclusion, until their ideas are in self-defeating contradiction. All worldviews that are non-biblical, I believe, ultimately arrive at this fate.

To God be all glory.

Colossians and Nothings

You know life, that very temporary occupation that interrupts eternity? Such an interruption has been prohibiting me from blogging this week. Except, well, Colossians 3 says to set your mind on things above, and the "things above" has been the main distraction, since mostly I've been reading Christian books and preparing to teach a Bible study, the notes for which I posted, but on which nobody commented. I hope the students have more to say when I teach! Interaction is essential to my teaching style!

I was thinking, for no apparent reason, that instead of whipsering tender little nothings, young men these days tend to IM teasing little nothings. Does the modern version mean the same thing? My guess is that teasing is different. The good ladies at Young Ladies Christian Fellowship and Carolyn McCulley's blog have passed on the male-originated advice that girls should never assume that a young man means something by, well, nothing; whence sprung one of my life creeds: never assume more than a man clearly states.

This little motto has helped me a number of times, as not only does it prohibit me from assuming that opening a door means a man wants to marry me, but my conviction also prevents me from believing that a young man dislikes me simply because he didn't sit down and talk... for an hour. (I told you I like interaction.)

Can you believe October is flying so fast? This past week we had two snows here in Colorado! Two. I know, if you live anywhere else, you think Colorado is a winter wonderland all the time. Truth be known, we have very fickle winters. In the northern states, whatever snow falls from the clouds remains until spring, under layers of precipitation from subsequent storms. However, here, the snow almost always melts within a few days of the storm. My favorite part of Colorado weather is the wind. Scotland has wind. See next post.

To God be all glory.

Before Eden... edited! The Small Version

Travel with me back.. Pass the medieval jousts, the burning of Rome, Greek art, mythic Hebrews among pyramids in Egypt, before a flood that covered the earth, back, on, further. Stop a moment at a garden. Sweetly scented, verdant, gently misted, soothed by quiet chatter of birds and beasts. Go on back. Watch creation reverse itself, the marvels of beasts, birds, stars, trees, water dissolving into blackness. But the void is inhabited. Nothing moves. Nothing is seen. Only a Presence… exists.

Before even time could define linear motion or thoughts, there was community. Three persons in one being. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Eternally enjoying each other’s community without any warring or conflicting interests. Perfect intimacy. From eternity, They have intended to create a moment for Their glory.

The moment comes. "In the beginning." There it is! So the glory begins to be revealed to an audience as yet uncreated. The drama will demonstrate the nature and character of God, I AM. Through the plan called history, men will come to know His tri-unity. They will know His wisdom in creation. Angels will praise His holiness, though they themselves are without sin, yet He alone is set completely apart, ways unsearchable, high and lifted up. He will be recognized as God-who-sees. He will see not only for judgment and wrath, but also for compassion and love and mercy. Mercy will demand He be for His creatures God-who-saves. And so on.

Why? Back in the emptiness, perfect intimacy and eternal glory existing in infinity, why would God want a moment? Why would He, knowing all things, create a world that would cost Him so much?

Heavens. Earth. Light. Water. Air. Land. Plants. Trees. Moon. Stars. Sun. Birds. Fish. Insects. Animals. Monstrous beasts. Man. Woman. Good.

When first God made man, He said it was not good for His image to be alone. Indeed, though man was made in the image of a triune God, he was individual, with the potential to be lonely.
Why? God could never be lonely with Himself for company. But man?

God set eternity in man’s heart from the beginning. Pascal described it as, “the God-shaped vacuum”: every man’s longing for the infinite God. God created a helper suitable for Adam, who named her woman. And so the two, in old English, twain, shall become one flesh. Longing: for that intimacy that God shares with Himself. Yet God created man to desire that relationship, to desire all relationship. Primarily God made Adam and Eve to desire relationship with Him, and so to experience God’s nature firsthand, that they might bear witness forever to His glory.

In the beginning, God made a garden for man and set him in it. Nearly the first communication was warm, fatherly instruction. Yet “fatherly” is inadequate. The instruction was godly, with all of His love and justice and fearful truth. “You may eat of any tree,” He said. “But this tree, here, in the middle of the garden, called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, of that tree you shall never eat.” (Genesis 2:16-17) Hear how adamant He is. Anticipating, a twinge of pain enters His tone as He explains to His creature, he who has no way of understanding. “For in the day,” He sighs, seeing the day, “that you eat of it, you shall surely die, continuing to die, until you are dead.”

He was describing the horror of life separated from Him. Death. As fever is a symptom of infection horrible in itself, so death would be a symptom of loss of intimacy. And, like a fever, death could be part of the cure if only… Death meant nothing to Adam, in the cool, growing garden, life teeming about him. Only through the intimate trust of creature to God could he discern that God’s warning was serious, to be heeded.

In the cool of the day, God would walk with His creatures: man and woman, Adam and Eve. For a time, He enjoyed intimacy with them. But I can’t explain it. I can’t imagine it. What is intimacy without mercy? What is love without discipline? What if none of that was required? Surely they were feeble, creatures not gods themselves. Yet He loved them with the unimaginable love of God, the unceasing love. Unceasing does not describe something that once was. It was, it is, and by definition must evermore be. Love is unconditional.

For the same reason God created man, for the same reason He created the tree, for the same reason He warned them of death – one day He let them walk alone. In the heat of the day Adam and Eve sought shade under a tree, near the center of the garden. Out of the corner of their eyes they could see the forbidden tree, fruit (nothing spectacular, just more fruit in a garden of abundance, different from all the other fruits in a world of incomprehensible variety).

What was it like before that moment? For how long did Adam and Eve walk with God and learn from Him, enjoy His presence and know His nature? Did He tell them about mercy and justice and non-contradictory logic? Did He tell them why He chose the cool of the day in which to walk with them? Did they ever discuss His instruction, His one command? Did Adam ask what God meant when He said “It is not good,” in all of His perfect creation? What about rest? Adam and Eve saw God rest. What did that rest portend?

God’s motives are not changed by any man or creature. He will still have His glory known. Every knee will one day bow. Though we no longer walk with Him, face to face, in a garden, throughout His history He has been revealing Himself to us. Throughout history He has been preparing to reconcile us to Himself and to dwell with us again. In coming to know our God, we cannot ignore, cannot evade His longing for intimacy. As soon as history emerges from the Garden of Eden, already we see record of men who were seeking the relationship with God for which they were created:

Enoch walked with God. Abraham was called the friend of God. Moses met with God face to face, as a man talks to his friend.

Since that time until the completion of the book of Revelation (which means Unveiling), there have been prophets, individuals called and empowered by God, who received His words directly to proclaim to the people. Prophets were called out, called to extraordinary lives of walking with God. In hearing His words and seeking Him with such abandon, they gained portions of His heart until sin grieved them as it did Him, and wrath excited them. Hardened hearts angered them.

Michael Card writes of their plight, “I am a prophet, and I smolder and burn. I scream and cry and wonder why you never seem to learn. To hear with your own ears, with your own eyes to see: I am a prophet, won’t you listen to me.”

The prophets could not imagine doing without hearing God’s word themselves. They begged. “Do not take your presence from me! Hear me! Speak. Why do You wait? Why are You silent?” They who had seen, often in very visions of heaven, God’s glory, could not forget. They longed always for home.

Travel forward from the garden, from the captivating world of the prophets. What is God’s plan for us now? How do we respond to the desire of our Creator?

"Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God,
walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments,
as at this day.”
~ 1 Kings 8:61

In this verse, the Hebrew for “wholly true” is shalem, from the same root as shalom, “peace.” It can be translated “complete, perfect, at peace, full, safe.”

To God be all glory.

Characters in John

Maybe my last post was too long. This one will be short.

Sunday I did a quick scan of the Gospel of John. Of all the characters (or small groups of people) mentioned, an astounding majority were or became believers (believe also happens to be John's key word). I'll give you the numbers, and you can check for yourself. 25 characters followed Jesus by the time they died. Those who did not at first include Nicodemus and Jesus' brothers. 6 characters never did (including Judas Iscariot).

Additionally, the first 13 characters introduced were believers.

No wonder John is a more pleasant gospel for me to read. There are less enemies!

However, I do want to clarify. Throughout John there are enemies, but they are described in large, impersonal groups: "the Jews," etc.

To God be all glory.

Before Eden, Why?

Travel with me back.. Pass the medieval jousts, the burning of Rome, Greek art, mythic Hebrews among pyramids in Egypt, before a flood that covered the earth, back, on, further. Stop a moment at a garden. Sweetly scented, verdant, gently misted, soothed by quiet chatter of birds and beasts. Go on back. Watch creation reverse itself, the marvels of beasts, birds, stars, trees, water dissolving into blackness. But the void is inhabited. Nothing moves. Nothing is seen. Only a Presence… exists.

Before even time could define linear motion or thoughts, there was community. Three persons in one being. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Eternally enjoying each other’s community without any warring or conflicting interests. Perfect intimacy. From eternity, They have intended to create a moment for Their glory.

The moment comes. In the beginning. There it is! So the glory begins to be revealed to an audience as yet uncreated. The drama will demonstrate the nature and character of God, I AM. Through the plan called history, men will come to know His tri-unity. They will know His wisdom in creation. Angels will praise His holiness, though they themselves are without sin, yet He alone is set completely apart, ways unsearchable, high and lifted up. He will be recognized as God-who-sees. He will see not only for judgment and wrath, but also for compassion and love and mercy. Mercy will demand He be for His creatures God-who-saves. And so on.

Why? Back in the emptiness, perfect intimacy and eternal glory existing in infinity, why would God want a moment? Why would He, knowing all things, create a world that would cost Him so much?

Heavens. Earth. Light. Water. Air. Land. Plants. Trees. Moon. Stars. Sun. Birds. Fish. Insects. Animals. Monstrous beasts. Man. Woman. Good.

When first God made man, He said it was not good for His image to be alone. Indeed, though man was made in the image of a triune God, he was individual, with the potential to be lonely. Why? God could never be lonely with Himself for company. But man?

God set eternity in man’s heart from the beginning (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Pascal described it as, “the God-shaped vacuum”: every man’s longing for the infinite God.

God created a helper suitable for Adam, who named her woman. And so the two, in old English, twain, shall become one flesh. Striving: Longing: for that intimacy that God shares with Himself. Yet God created man to desire that relationship, to desire all relationship. Primarily God made Adam and Eve to desire relationship with Him, and so to experience God’s nature firsthand, that they might bear witness forever to His glory.

In the beginning, God made a garden for man and set him in it. Nearly the first communication was warm, fatherly instruction. Yet “fatherly” is inadequate. The instruction was godly, with all of His love and justice and fearful truth. “You may eat of any tree,” He said. “But this tree, here, in the middle of the garden, called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, of that tree you shall never eat.” (Genesis 2:16-17) Hear how adamant He is. Anticipating, a twinge of pain enters His tone as He explains to His creature, he who has no way of understanding. “For in the day,” He sighs, seeing the day, “that you eat of it, you shall surely die, continuing to die, until you are dead.”

He was describing the horror of life separated from Him. Death. As fever is a symptom of infection horrible in itself, so death would be a symptom of loss of intimacy. And, like a fever, death could be part of the cure if only… Death meant nothing to Adam, in the cool, growing garden, life teeming about him. Only through the intimate trust of creature to God could he discern that God’s warning was serious, to be heeded.

In the cool of the day, God would walk with His creatures: man and woman, Adam and Eve. For a time, He enjoyed intimacy with them. But I can’t explain it. I can’t imagine it. What is intimacy without mercy? What is love without discipline? What if none of that was required? Surely they were feeble, creatures not gods themselves. Yet He loved them with the unimaginable love of God, the unceasing love. Unceasing does not describe something that once was. It was, it is, and by definition must evermore be. Love is unconditional.

Like a man when he first woos a woman, perhaps God walked in closeness with them, but they were not deep enough into His heart to see all of His love. He loved them completely. But no one had threatened His beloved for Him to rescue them. The beloved children had not rebelled for Him to accept penitence. They were not wayward, so had no need for Him to call them back to Himself.

For the same reason God created man, for the same reason He created the tree, for the same reason He warned them of death – one day He let them walk alone. In the heat of the day Adam and Eve sought shade under a tree, near the center of the garden. Out of the corner of their eyes they could see the forbidden tree, fruit (nothing spectacular, just more fruit in a garden of abundance, different from all the other fruits in a world of incomprehensible variety).

What was it like before that moment? For how long did Adam and Eve walk with God and learn from Him, enjoy His presence and know His nature? Did He tell them about mercy and justice and non-contradictory logic? Did He tell them why He chose the cool of the day in which to walk with them? Did they ever discuss His instruction, His one command? Did Adam ask what God meant when He said “It is not good,” in all of His perfect creation? What about rest? Adam and Eve saw God rest. What did that rest portend?

God’s motives are not changed by any man or creature. He will still have His glory known. Every knee will one day bow (Isaiah 45:23). Though we no longer walk with Him, face to face, in a garden, throughout His history He has been revealing Himself to us. Throughout history He has been preparing to dwell with us again. In coming to know our God, we cannot ignore, cannot evade His longing for intimacy. It is, in fact, a frequent theme when God’s prophets declare His words.

Let us consider the calling of prophet. Enoch walked with God (Genesis 5:21-24). Abraham was called the friend of God (James 2:23). Moses met with God face to face, as a man talks to his friend (Exodus 33:11). Since that time until the completion of the book of Revelation (which means Unveiling, of God), there have been prophets, individuals called and empowered by God, who received His words directly to proclaim to the people. Prophets were called out, called to extraordinary lives of walking with God. In hearing His words and seeking Him with such abandon, they gained portions of His heart until sin grieved them as it did Him, and wrath excited them. Hardened hearts angered them.

Michael Card writes of their plight, “I am a prophet, and I smolder and burn. I scream and cry and wonder why you never seem to learn. To hear with your own ears, with your own eyes to see: I am a prophet, won’t you listen to me.” The prophets could not imagine doing without hearing God’s word themselves. They begged. “Do not take your presence from me! Hear me! Speak. Why do You wait? Why are You silent?” (Exodus 33:15, Psalm 39:12, 1 Samuel 3:9-10, Psalm 6:3, Psalm 88:14) They who had seen, often in very visions of heaven (Isaiah 6), God’s glory, could not forget. They longed always for home (Philippians 1:23).

What of God’s heart did they proclaim?

"And let them make me a sanctuary,

that I may dwell in their midst."

~ Exodus 25:8

"And I will walk among you and will be your God,

and you shall be my people."

~ Leviticus 26:12

"But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel

after those days, declares the Lord:

I will put my law within them,

and I will write it on their hearts.

And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother,

saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me,

from the least of them to the greatest,

declares the Lord.

For I will forgive their iniquity,

and I will remember their sin no more.”

~ Jeremiah 31:33-34

"And they shall be my people,

and I will be their God.

I will give them one heart and one way,

that they may fear me forever,

for their own good and the good of their children after them.

I will make with them an everlasting covenant,

that I will not turn away from doing good to them.

And I will put the fear of me in their hearts,

that they may not turn from me.

I will rejoice in doing them good,

and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness,

with all my heart and all my soul."

~ Jeremiah 32:38-41

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.

Behold,

the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and shall call his name Immanuel."

~ Isaiah 7:14

Immanuel, directly translated, means "God-with-us."

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,

the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!

How often would I have gathered your children together

as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!"

~ Luke 13:34

"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have,

for he has said,

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

~ Hebrews 13:5

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.

He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,

and God himself will be with them as their God."

~ Revelation 21:3

Travel forward from the garden, from the captivating world of the prophets. What is God’s plan for you now? How do we respond to the desire of our Creator?

"Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God,

walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments,

as at this day.”

~ 1 Kings 8:61

In this verse, the Hebrew for “wholly true” is shalem, from the same root as shalom, “peace.” It can be translated “complete, perfect, at peace, full, safe.”

"For thus says the One who is high and lifted up

,who inhabits eternity,

whose name is Holy:

“I dwell in the high and holy place,

and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,

to revive the spirit of the lowly,

and to revive the heart of the contrite."

~ Isaiah 57:15

"Jesus answered him,

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word,

and my Father will love him,

and we will come to him and make our home with him."

~ John 14:23

Why do we know so little of God’s motives in creation? Why is Genesis so silent on the relationship man had with God before his fall? Perhaps even God’s silence on this matter reveals something of His heart.

To God be all glory.

Learning Something New

You learn something new everyday, so I'm told. I am not sure I believe the statement. Everyone has days when all they do is veg - I mean, in proper English, relax.

Other times in life, you try something new every day. This is especially true at turning points in life, such as infancy, adolescence, being a newlywed... That's all of which I can think. Or new experiences can be grouped in a week-long vacation to a new environment, like a cruise.

In my case, my new experiences have no logical explanation. They have a friend to thank, but also the growing courage of becoming older. (In case you're wondering how that works, you have less life to lose if you die when you're older.) Let me tell you. In the past month I went on my first hayride, had my first pine cone fight (and you thought I was demure), tasted my first tea, enjoyed my first cup of tea (which is separate from the last point), bought my first tea, tried ramen noodles, learned to use chopsticks, taught an adult ladies Sunday school class...

Would you believe that the number one factor that prevented me from seriously considering missions when I was in high school was food? Not money, nor languages, nor bugs, nor homesickness. Food. I ate peaunut butter and jelly, Wendy's nuggets, hamburgers (ketchup and pickles only), and Pizza Hut cheese pizza (yes, the brand was important). All foreign foods were out of the question, including French, German, Italian, Mexican, Chinese... So now my tastes have matured. Just like I can tolerate hotter water than when I was a child, so I can now tolerate more flavors. In fact, I crave foods bursting with flavor (thus my bi-weekly need for Pepsi, and current newfound delight in vanilla spiced chai tea).

All this has me wondering... Is God trying to tell me something, prepare me?

I can rest assured in this: I'm pretty confident that God would not call me as a female to a mission field without my father or a husband (maybe a brother). Husband sounds like the most likely option, but he's not here yet, "to be announced," I tell people. So the thought that God could be preparing me for something that would require the man's presence, well, that's encouraging!

Of course I'm being silly. Life is so full now with ministries and learning and trying new things that I'm quite content with being a daughter and a servant at church. Sure, you may doubt me. Just because even learning to use chopsticks makes me think a proposal from some unknown knight is around the corner, doesn't mean I'm discontent. Honest!

I must say this is the most juvenile post yet. Forgive the parentheses, ellipses, and reference to the everpresent, rarely exposed thematic undercurrent of my writing. Have a good night... day... whatever.

Oh, I want to try this link thingy. But what to link? I'll try my last post. That sounds good. See if it works. I'm learning yet another new thing!

To God be all glory.

Regulating Taxis

On October 1 this year, the New York Times published an article about the airport in Minneapolis. Apparently the taxi drivers servicing the airport were frequently refusing to carry passengers who carried alcohol, citing religious objections to liquor. The airport was punishing these taxi drivers by sending them to the back of the line of available taxis. Passengers had been insulted and frustrated. Now it was the drivers' turn.

Since then both parties are working on a compromise. Suggested were different color lights atop the vehicle indicating whether a driver is willing to carry alcohol-bearing passengers or not.

Dennis Prager, on his daily radio show, has been addressing this topic for several days. He argues that willingness to carry anyone who can pay anywhere they need to go is definitional of a taxi service. Therefore a company, or a driver, cannot refuse to take a passenger with alcoholic cargo, nor can they refuse pets, nor can they refuse to drive a woman to an abortion clinic. So says the self-designated wise man on the topic, Dennis Prager.

I object. In a free economy, a company may do what they wish with their own business, providing it does not endanger or defraud the public (build homes with lead pipes or fail to build a home for which one has been paid). The obsession over "rights" these days is nonsense. There is no inalienable right to taxi transportation. Nor is there the inalienable right to carry liquor, to own a dog, or to go to an abortion clinic. That those practices are legal does not mean they are mandatory, or that all people must support them.

The talk show host goes on to argue by painting a picture of what to him looks absurd. "You're going to get the Muslim Taxi Company, the Libertarian Taxi Company, the Christian Taxi Company..."

I'm sorry. Did any of those things sound bad to you? What sounds bad to me is if a government regulates morality out of business so that people of conscience can no longer make a living. Suppose the government passed laws requiring you to, if you had a store, sell alcohol. I mean, that's the definition of a store, right? Owner provides goods customers want.

The thing about Mr. Prager's "ridiculous" scenario is that in a free market, variety and competition works. If you as a driver did not want to transport me with my bottle, then I with my bottle could find a company that did not have such a policy, or I could throw away the bottle and keep the first company. If there was opportunity, I with my bottle could start my own company with direct opposite policies of yours. Then the people could decide which company suited them. There could be competition not only in prices, but in quality of service and variety of services. Eventually, if it is truly unpopular to have a policy such as yours, the people would put you out of business by taking their money elsewhere. Then you would have to find another job.

In the ideal world of Dennis Prager, the driver who refuses to drive would be commanded to drive. Our free country, where slavery is illegal, leaves the driver two choices: quit or obey. Suppose he has strong convictions, and decides to quit.

He goes to school, picks up a degree in pharmacology, since he has always been interested in chemistry and medicine, but he refuses to dispense the "morning after pill." The government will not hear of this stand of morality either. He is forced again to choose.

Choosing to turn in a resignation, our champion of conscience gets a job at a nursing home. He is just an orderly, bringing residents meals and mail and extra blankets, sending for doctors, and helping to transport patients. One day he tries to bring water to a woman who, though she is alive, is unable to clearly communicate. A judge says the woman doesn't want water, that she wants to die, which is called suicide (if she really had control; otherwise it is at best assisted suicide, which is illegal, or murder, which is illegal). The orderly must not bring her water (which is legal), for that will prolong her life. He is finally given yet another choice: stand up for the right to basic provision of food and water (remember life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?), try to bring her water, and be arrested; or quit; or comply.

So his life goes and the lives of thousands of other men who do not separate their beliefs about God and morality from their actions. One day, every money-making job is so regulated as to prohibit these people from working. Only those whose consciences are seared can earn money and run businesses. This is persecution. None of the things the government demanded in this scenario were against the law (though some of the things it implied were). But the government used its power to oppress a class of people whose understanding of God's Law, however indirect, stood in the government's way.

The thing is, I'm a person of conscience. True, I would like to make many things illegal so that they would be out of the question, but at least until then I should have the freedom to conscientiously object.

Just for the record, the definition of Taxi:
n : a car driven by a person whose job is to take passengers where they want to go in exchange for money (taxicab. (n.d.). WordNet® 2.0. Retrieved October 11, 2006, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/taxicab)
or
n: a public passenger vehicle, esp. an automobile, usually fitted with a taximeter. (based on Random House: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/taxicab)

People who believe the government should stay out of business are often called libertarians. That is not what I am. There are many issues of what we would call morality, such as adultery and murder, of property rights, and of contract law which it is the government's job to enforce. See this post by Matt Chancey about "Why I am NOT a Libertarian." His is a pretty long post, but the excellent logic, Scriptural backing, and fine writing are worth the read. If you read it, you'll understand why, in 2012 or later, I'll be saying "Matt Chancey for President."

To God be all glory.

Coupons and Free Stuff

I just have to tell you all about Crystal's series on coupons and sales and getting groceries and household supplies for nickels and dimes. So far there are seven parts, and her testimonies are quite inspiring. Even though I don't do a lot of shopping, I've been trying to imagine implementing her strategies. Every Sunday I look through the paper at the coupons and dream. In some cities where the cost of living is higher (like mine), and where newspapers aren't as nice with their coupons, saving so much money may be difficult, but saving anything close to what Crystal does would be incredible! I want to have parties to go shopping together to save money or something.

What about a price book party? The idea is under serious consideration in my brain. We'll see. If I do one, I'll take pics and post them. = )

To God be all glory.

When is the Church the Bride?

As I continue my contemplations on church, I would like to pose a question:

Does the Church continue past the Second Coming?

Theologians have probably debated this without letting me know. Dispensationalism might have a theory. I don't know. I don't even know if I am a Dispensationalist. One thing at a time. I just decided I'm a Calvinist!

Here's another one: Is the Church the bride of Christ, or His betrothed? After the Second Coming, is the Church no longer the Church, but the Bride?

Think about it: What does "church" mean? Assembly. A gathering of believers. A unity of purpose and faith.

Why does the Church exist? To edify believers, and in working together, to further God's kingdom and bring Him glory.

Why is the Church on earth still today? That we may bear witness of God's grace to all men.

After the Second Coming, are those roles still necessary? Does the purpose and identity shift? Prior to marriage, surely the romance has a different focus than that of married life. Perhaps the Church is preparing for the life with Christ, when He will dwell with us as it says in Revelation.

"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying,

Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men,

and he will dwell with them,

and they shall be his people,

and God himself shall be with them, and be their God."

~ Revelation 21:3

After the "wedding supper of the Lamb," maybe the responsibility of the redeemed will be different. The loyalty will be the same. The singular devotion will not go away.

"Let us be glad and rejoice,

and give honour to him:

for the marriage of the Lamb is come,

and his wife hath made herself ready."

~ Revelation 19:7

All my life I've heard that Heaven is a place where we will constantly praise God. Revelation 4 is used to say that we will be with masses casting crowns at God's feet.

"And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him;

and they were full of eyes within:

and they rest not day and night,

saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,

which was, and is, and is to come.

And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks
to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne,

and worship him that liveth for ever and ever,

and cast their crowns before the throne,

saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power:

for thou hast created all things,

and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

~ Revelation 4:8-11

I've also heard, and more importantly read, that eternity begins with Heaven, continues to an earthly Millenium in which Christ will reign, and converts to forever in a New Earth with a New Jerusalem to which people will come to bring sacrifices.

"And the nations of them which are saved

shall walk in the light of it:

and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day:

for there shall be no night there.

And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it."

~ Revelation 21:24-26

Honestly, I don't believe God created men to be up and down bow-ers. Angels stand around His throne crying, "Holy!" God created man and set him in a garden, with tasks and responsibilities, communication and relationships. I cannot believe that men will turn into a perpetual choir any more than I believe we all get wings and harps when we die.

However, though the role develops at the brink of eternity, do we cease to be the Church, the assembly of saints, called apart and called together into unity? Does 1 Corinthians 13 cease to govern us? No, for verses 8 and 13 of that chapter says,

"Charity never faileth...

And now abideth faith, hope, charity,

these three; but the greatest of these is charity."

To God be all glory.

Infinite

The Christian life, extending hence into heaven and the new earth, is an eternity getting to know the infinite God. But His ways are past finding out. We can never catch up. How wonderful.

To God be all glory.

Ebay

One of my links is to "lady of longbourn ebay." This summer I introduced myself to ebay after reading books on the subject and hearing about my cousin, who ran a business during college buying and selling on ebay for others. However, so far I'm a little disillusioned. The secret is out, and buyers no longer outnumber sellers on ebay. If you want a good lesson in supply and demand economics, visit ebay and do a search for completed items. See how many never sold?

That said, it's a buyer's market. This morning I got a book over a hundred years old, which I've been wanting to add to my collection. I was the only bidder, and got a copy of JM Barrie's Little Minister for only $2 plus shipping. You can head on over for good deals, too. In the future I may post the little things I learned. Ebay's search engine is the greatest ever made, in my opinion, followed closely by Blogger's, then Google. My library's online catalog doesn't even compare.

If you do go visit ebay, use my link. That way you'll see what I'm up to over there. I'm selling a few things, trying to clean out the overstocked inventory that is blocking the path to my door. We'll see how that goes.

In case you all didn't notice, I can list keys for writing much more easily than I can practice them. So don't feel like I'm holding everyone to that standard. At least you have an explanation for my occasional unfamiliar sentence structures.

I don't have three replies to the Destination post yet, and after three you get my answers, so head over there and post if you can. If you can't because of protection services on your computer, and you know me, you can email me and I'll post for you, though - if your parents don't mind.

To God be all glory.

Keys to Good Writing

I have been meaning to post this for some time. First, a short biography of my writing experience.

When I was in fourth grade we started homeschooling and the evaluator said that my parents should put me in this fancy English composition course called Wordsmith (a lovely combination of words though at the time I had barely read Lord of the Rings and so did not appreciate the etymology of the title). My workbook was a simple blue, soft-bound with black letters and a picture of a quill pen on the front. Inside, however, was torment. All through the lessons the author kept telling me what to write and how to write it. In feeble protest, I complained to my new teacher, my mom, that I couldn't possibly need to know all these things, as I never intended to be a writer.

About ten years later I decided to write a book, which is not finished yet, so don't get your hopes up. So sometimes moms do know what they're talking about. However, there are some things that neither Wordsmith nor any subsequent writing course taught me, but which I picked up from friends and observation. I believe the main points can boil down to these:

1. Avoid using pronouns like "it" and "that." This will inevitably lead to passive sentences, to which spell check objects, but don't worry: when done right, passive sentences add variety to your writing. Following this rule will also necessitate extensive use of articles (most commonly "the", "a", and "an"). Always try to substitute other descriptive words or vivid nouns for the pronouns. Don't just use the "it" to stand in the sentence. The word you use to communicate that same function in your sentence should build the reader's understanding of your topic. Show, don't tell.

2. Learn to recognize objective and subjective cases. Subjective words are actually the protaganists of the sentence. Objective nouns are words which receive action: direct objects, objects of prepositions, etc. I envision objective nouns as the anchors and subjective nouns as the helms of the ships.

3. Do not end sentences (or clauses!) with prepositions. While this practice has gone out of fashion, failure to properly phrase sentences by this rule has cost us clarity and opportunity to use cool old words like "whither." Some of you may be wondering how to fix a sentence which slips from your pen ending with a preposition. First step: see if the sentence makes sense without the word on the end. Prepositions are occasionally tacked onto phrases unnecessarily to volumize the sound. Second step: check the usage of the word. Many prepositions double as adverbs: especially up, down, on, and off. Third step: try putting the preposition first and adding a helper word such as "which." Fourth step: comment here and I'll help you out. = )

4. Use words of similar etymologies (language history) and sounds for impact. I can't even begin to explain this one. Read Lord of the Rings. Read J.R.R. Tolkien's alliterative verses (found in Lays of Belieriand). Study the dictionary. I know, it sounds boring... Get Tom Shippey's biography of J.R.R. Tolkien to get an idea for how he used words.

5. In a given paragraph or composition, limit the number of times you start a sentence (or paragraph) with the same word. Vary your sentence structure. Use commas. You can use "ing" words for a change, or stop using "ing" words if they were already in the sentence prior. Mix it up.

6. Beware of homophones or homonyms. The most common are: to & too, your & you're. When I'm writing quickly, homonyms happen - or I spell phonetically.

See also this recent post on YLCF from Elisabeth Elliot's suggestions for writing. And this new one just posted today!

Remember when I posted about little alterations changing the world? I am on a mission to implement Suggestion #3 in order to return our language to clarity and revive the use of archaic words. You can join me if you want.

To God be all glory.

My Anti-Feminist Creed

About ten years ago, I don't think there were any websites about biblical womanhood, or how to take a stand against feminism. However, besides the "Ms." thing, I think the evidence is in favor of a shift in culture. There are still women who want to be feminists. Desperate feminist leaders publish scathing articles saying that just because a woman is happier and more fulfilled raising children doesn't make her more successful. Ummm...

Articles are being published on the middle to upper class college-educated moms who are choosing to give up successful careers to stay at home with their kids. You can see them in the malls on any given day. Now there seem to be plenty of websites, with the rise of individuals blogging (and the stay-at-home moms with a mission and easy access to computers). So I'm reluctant to take on the task myself. I like pioneering new ground. Like Paul.

"Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel,

not where Christ was named,

lest I should build upon another man's foundation"

~ Romans 15:20

However, I would like to make the personal statement that it is a privilege to be living at home after high school. The culture that embraces the role of women in the home, valuing their contributions whether married or not, is a freeing culture for women. From a Christian point of view, toil against thorns is man's curse and pain in childbearing is women's. So why take both?

The last few years, even the ladies I have met who were pursuing careers and degrees had this heart for home. They would drop everything to stay at home with kids, and jump at the chance. The fields of work they were pursuing were feminine things like decorating, cooking, childcare, medicine. Some couldn't decide between the interests. I think that means they're women, created to thrive in the varied tasks of keeping a home.

I don't think this view is old-fashioned - not any more than eating healthy, natural foods is. Sure, that's what people used to do for centuries. But it's also a new thing. Our culture tried to change things up, eat all processed and fried foods, and we became unhealthy and obese. We tried to deny the difference between men and women, and our society reaped the consequences of divorce, high crime rates in minors, and a bunch of other stuff. Don't get me started. No, see Crystal's post if you really are curious. And now we're learning. Eat your greens. Prize the calling of motherhood.

Springing forward from our recovered values there is also a trend of valuing daughterhood. And fatherhood. I believe that 1 Peter 3:1-2 tells how women best impact the world, and gives an explanation for what we see happening.

"Likewise, ye wives,

be in subjection to your own husbands;

that, if any obey not the word,

they also may without the word

be won by the conversation of the wives;

While they behold your chaste conversation

coupled with fear."

That's the Bible. I didn't say it. It's not my fault. The principle is true, though. God probably knew what He was doing when He made His world this way and then invited women to keep the home. I like that.

Imagine what the world will be after ten more years moving past feminism!

To God be all glory.

Redeeming the Time

"To redeem" means to buy back. In this case, it means to make good use of.

"LORD, make me to know my end,

and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am.

Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,

and my age is nothing before You;

certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah...

And now, Lord, what do I wait for?

My hope is in You."
~ Psalm 39:4-5, 7

"So teach us to number our days,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

~ Psalm 90:12

"See then that you walk circumspectly,

not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time,

because the days are evil."

~ Ephesians 5:15-16

"Walk in wisdom

toward those who are outside,

redeeming the time."

~ Colossians 4:5

"I must work the works of Him who sent Me

while it is day;

the night is coming when no one can work."

~ John 9:4

"Therefore let us not sleep,

as others do,

but let us watch and be sober."

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:6

To God be all glory.

Tears of the World

My brothers have been dutifully exposed to feminine media (translate: chick-flicks and the books which inspired them). As the oldest sister of six siblings, I have proudly persuaded my two brothers to watch the Jane Austen movies, with more success in some instances than others.

However tonight I am not writing to brag. I am writing to confess. My brothers have not been without their influence on me. The other night I was walking by a table in our house on which sat a luxurious stack of Calvin and Hobbes books. Hours of intoxicating laughter were promised by the mischievous illustrations on the covers. A tiger named Hobbes philosophically addresses the issues of life... A little kid plots against his parents with such innocent sincerity that it is no longer innocence: absurd little doings of a five year old playmate. Calvin is my hero.

There are other things in which I've been indoctrinated. For example, I do not mind an afternoon of football. To say that I multi-task does not detract from the fact that I enjoy the thrill of strategy involved in football. Strategy and big, amazing plays. Football, unlike most other sports, reminds me of war. I mean it isn't violent, like boxing, (violence isn't its reason for being, like hockey). But the strategy! The prospect of being a captain's wife was probably alluring in the old days. He could tell tales of brilliant feats in battle. But pity the poor bored people who only ran and hid in caves. I heard during some wars the civilians would watch from hilltops, though. Now that would be exciting!

My brother wants to be a Marine. If he were old enough, nothing would be stopping him. He already acts like a Marine. His room is papered with recruiting posters. Intimidating (and suprisingly young), grim men hold pieces of metal somehow shaped and put together to maximize killing power in quick, impersonal, and gruesome ways. I admit that the "good guys" of Christian civilizations tend to fight really wicked enemies who are worth defeating.

But I always argue with my brother that I'm sad we don't use swords any more. If one side is using planes and bombs and technology, of course swords aren't very useful. The chivalry of swords is lacking in warriors of today. The personal nobility of defeating an enemy by individual skill and courage and passion is missing. Any weapon that does not require interaction between champions just misses that sense of fairness which makes women cheer. The strategy is removed from footwork and "it's all in the wrist" to grand schematics of boats here and satellites there.

Men who at least know how to use swords and bows have more understanding of chivalry toward women, too. At least I think so. I'm not sure I know any. I just imagine that the study has to also ingrain in them the protection of women and children, of innocent bystanders. The history of knights who used to wield those weapons had to include their dedication to "women and children first," and defending even a woman's honor. Such are willing to give their lives to defend the weak, or the beautiful.

Today a middle-aged family man, a milkman prepared for a siege, marched into a one-room school house in Pennsylvania, and shot little girls execution-style. It's gruesome. My response was, "It's senseless." How could this happen?

Obviously, little girls were not at school alone. The gunman ordered the older people and the males out of the building. And they went. I can't imagine. If anyone threatened my sisters, or the little kids I know at church, there would be no way I would bow to the wave of a gun in my face. Did they think cooperation would save the little girls' lives?

One note I find interesting is that one of the three dead (several more are in critical condition) was a young woman, a teacher's assistant. I imagine she refused to go. Maybe the passion of youth, which some old people tend to mock, inspired the most heroic act of the day. I wonder what happened, and if the fact that she died kept others safe. Maybe her presence helped the other students to be less afraid. I don't know. I just wonder.

As homeschoolers, we like to ignore the world. With three school shootings, all different, all horrible, in one week, I'm definitely tempted to think, "If you'd just keep your kids at home..." No, nothing justifies the tragedies those families are experiencing. I was home through high school, feeling safe. But I cannot ignore the world. I have to consider what opportunities may be opened for sharing the message of redemption. I examine God's cosmic plans and how this extraordinary compression of violent events may contribute. What is happening in the world that the spiritual forces of evil are fighting so hard right now?

I remember the day after September 11, 2001, I was journaling. In one day my problems, my concern for the Bronco's wide receiver Ed McCaffrey whose leg was broken, faded. They were insignificant. Though I would almost prefer to bury my thoughts in comic books or to wallow in the misery of petty struggles, every once in a while the plight of the world breaks through - and breaks my heart.

To God be all glory.

Paul of 2 Corinthians

Are there some voices in your life that go in one ear and out the other? Mom says something and you totally didn't hear? This is the opposite of those voices that always hold your attention, no matter how hard you try to ignore them.

2 Corinthians is like that for me. I read it over and over, and nothing about it ever sticks. I study, and memorize. Some verses from 2 Corinthians which I heard in other contexts I remember. But whenever I go looking for them, I can't find them. Their references go in one ear and out the other.

Recently I read The Book on Leadership by John MacArthur. It is a biography of Paul with emphasis on his leadership style, and the characteristics that made him a leader. MacArthur says that 2 Corinthians is very biographical, and so used it a lot. The book was great, and a lot of the principles keep resurfacing as I am in ministries at my church, especially in joint responsibilities with other Christians who must submit to one another while acknowledging the differing gifts (including leadership) among the group. Alas, I still do not remember much specifically about 2 Corinthians.

Another great book for visualizing the life of Paul was The Shipwreck of Paul by Robert Cornuke. This book mixes historical narrative with personal accounts of the authors search for the wreckage of one of Paul's several voyages. He took the Bible and used it as a map, along with data and local legend, to find the boat. I recommend it.

To God be all glory.

Preach the Gospel to Every Creature

"Sing to the Lord,

bless his name;

tell of his salvation from day to day."

Psalm 96:2

This morning in Sunday school the teacher quoted, "Preach the gospel to yourself every day."

How encouraged would you be to remember daily how great God's grace has been toward you? And if you're already mindful of the gospel, won't you be ready to tell others about it when the opportunities arise?

To God be all glory.