Something to think about...

Something to think about:

God struck Ananius and Sophyra dead for lying,
(under grace)

but let David live.
(under the law)

I hugged my daughter today...

April 6, 2006

I hugged Lydia last night before we went to bed. This morning when I hugged her, she was taller than I!

Looking at myself through other windows.

From a conversation between my husband and his oldest daughter:

Husband: She (my daughter) gets something in her head and won't let it go.
Oldest daughter: She gets it from her mother.

From a woman that I am just in love with and whom I admire more than I can say:

I guess I'm just intimidated by you.

I Peter 3
1 Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4 Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

God, Give me a gentle and quiet spirit by which I will reflect your assurance and mortify my will, my image, and my self. Give me grace to follow my husband with joy and regard my reputation with abandon.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Rain/Impatience/Regret

421 South College Ave.

1505 West Second Street.

A world apart. Just down the street, really.

Why must I go? It was rainy today. There was a meeting here at work. I was not included in this meeting about online classes, but to leave at 9:00 would be to leave my post unattended. To insist that I leave right on time would be to insist that God requires my presence in order to accomplish His will, I think. I also have obligations to my employer. So I waited. I talked to God about it. I trust Him, and I don't think I was denying Him to wait. Abortions happen all day long, apparently at Planned Parenthood.

If I were there to save lives, I would be arrested every week. I would invade the no-fly zone. I would be in the faces of the people there. I would block the way, pleading for reason and justice.

Your purpose defines your activity. Your belief defines your purpose.

I am not there to save lives. I have talked to God about this. He calls me there so I go. He knows who I am, and He calls me anyways. Good and upright is the Lord, and He teaches me His way for I am a sinner (Ps.25). I am available, and last week, He taught me, I think that He will give me words when He wants me to talk. I am there, like Ezekiel, to proclaim God's truth; to warn of coming wrath; to offer the way of Salvation. If God would use me to save a life or to convict of sin and point to Him, I am there.

(Man, that sounds so much like a cop out! God! Search me and know my heart. Create in me a clean and steadfast heart. Reveal any wicked way in me. Lead me on the path of righteousness for your name's sake!)

After my time of worship, I feel close to God. I feel cleansed. I feel like I am saturated with God; through and through and dripping. Sometimes I walk away talking to God or singing to Him still. I seriously feel like my feet are not touching the ground sometimes.

After last week, I looked forward to Thursday morning. I'm sure this is NOT right. Maybe that's why He brought the rain, and sent me there late, and alone. (Alone times at Planned Parenthood are always clarifying times.) I think, if I were honest, I would think that I thought people paid attention to ME last week... I would think that the way I behaved and the words I said made a difference. I would admit that I forgot that only God can change a heart of stone to flesh.

I am not sure why I am there, but I'm pretty sure it is not to bring attention to myself. I'm quite certain that it is to proclaim truth, magnify God and shine a light, not on myself, but on sin. Being in this place of iniquity and death should cause me to be downcast, not uplifted.

When it is raining, no one stands outside to hear my droning. No one stays to ignore more than a sentence or two of Scripture. The rain quickly washes the hymns out of the air to splash on the pavement below.

There was a very large man waiting in a very large pickup truck. Its rumbling motor hummed most of the hour I was there. He seemed to be alone. Then, he turned off the motor, went inside, and came out with his arm around a little girl just as I was preparing to leave. He looked at me, to make sure that I was no threat and put her in the pickup truck and drove away. This time I cried as I walk back down College Avenue to my car. I returned to work soaked and discouraged.

Thursday, March 30

NOTE: There are several possible reasons for this post. Three of which I will accept and claim. Four that are pure. Five that are probably true. One that I pray that God will guard my heart against:
#1 I want to brag on myself.
#2 I want the flogging of the righteous.
#3 I want the counsel of the righteous.
#4 I want to remember this.
#5 I need help.

This morning, when I arrived on College Avenue the little, older escort (I think Carole told me her name was Marianne) and a younger (about early 30s) escort were sitting on the curb within the no-fly zone chatting. They looked up as I walked by and I smiled and waved. While I was doing it, I wondered if it would be more appropriate to shout some slogan; I had just walked past the Catholics wondering if I should be encouraging them to trust in the righteousness of Christ alone.

I have a Bible that I have had for about four months. It is to give away. I have had it too long. Pray that I will give it away soon.

I set it down by the telephone pole in the back corner of the parking lot and went and greeted Carole who was intent on someone, but glad for a hug. As I walked away a Friar who was talking to her returned to his soliloquy.

I stationed myself and opened my Bible. I was afraid this morning. I am always afraid, but this morning seemed more so, but it might be just because it was current. Then I noticed this new escort walking toward me. They never walk toward me. I just thought that was odd, and watched her as if she might do something else surprising or maybe she knew me. She walked up to me smiling and said that it was nice to see a friendly face, and quizzically asked if I was with... (making a gesture as if asking for an explanation of my purpose/association).

You have to know that I have talked to God very much about my countenance. My grandmother had a naturally stern-looking, down-turned mouth and she gave it to me along with her hair. My husband and kids are always misinterpreting my looks (well, sometimes;)) and it is because of this countenance. So when this woman said that it was nice to see someone with a friendly countenance, I thanked God inside.

I told her that I was here representing my Lord, Jesus Christ and that I would be happy to talk to her about Him. She backed up and spread her arms out and said that she is an Atheist and that she couldn't imagine that we have anything to talk about, and that He was a nice man, a really good man and all.... I told her that we have a lot to talk about, actually, but she walked away instead.

I thought later of many things I should have said...You know: Jesus could not have been a "good man" because he claimed to be God, so He either was, or he was a raving lunatic, which would make me a raving lunatic too.

That would be the primary one, I guess, but it just didn't come to mind. If you have anything that would be appropriate, please let me know.

There is a guard that I think has only been there for less than two months. He is young. He watches me. The escorts looked at me a lot today. They laughed at me, I think. I am a fool, and I know it.

I have thought that if I saw a woman out smoking a cigarette, maybe I could be brave enough to just suggest that she wait one week, and give her a Bible and my phone number. As I was leaving, though a woman was there but she was caught up in a conversation with a woman to whom I have talked on one occasion. She is a cloud without rain, but I just walked on by. I am pretty much a cloud without rain, myself. Any excuse is a good excuse to keep quiet.

From a comment under the post "All Other Ground is Sinking Sand" (February 23, 2006):

I do not want this cause to become an idol. It is God's word that we proclaim in it's marvelous fullness on Thursday mornings. Ours is not the gospel of pro-life, but the gospel of Jesus Christ.
God has also called us to make disciples of all nations. Go, seek the lost. Tell them about Christ. Find them where you work, where you go to school, where you go to church. Find them on College Avenue on Thursday mornings.
Yes, God is sovereign in salvation, and He has chosen to use you to accomplish His good will.
I hope to be
together with you in His service
&
subject to His word,
Rachel

Oil On My Head

HELLO...HELLo.....HELlo.....HEllo......Hello.........hell.o.o...o..hel...

Is anybody listening? Does anyone hear me? Does it matter?


I wonder sometimes if anyone reads this stuff. I know sometimes I have everything wrong, or at least perverted in some way. Very seldom am I subjected to rebuke or correction or even a good discussion.

Proverbs 26:3-5
3 A whip for the horse, a halter for the donkey,
and a rod for the backs of fools!

4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
or you will be like him yourself.

5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
or he will be wise in his own eyes.

I have often quoted verse four and even saw it worked out by Nehemiah. Imagine my surprise to see verse five! Friends, I don't want to be wise in my own eyes! I desire the correction of the righteous.

Proverbs 17
27 A man of knowledge uses words with restraint,
and a man of understanding is even-tempered.

28 Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent,
and discerning if he holds his tongue.

Well, shut my mouth! God sure has a way of getting to the point, eh?

MOST IMPORTANTLY:

Psalm 141:5 Let a righteous man strike me, it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me, it is oil on my head.
My head will not refuse it.

Please be bold to correct me where I am wrong. Please, let us reason together.

Psalm 141

Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

1 O LORD, I call to you; come quickly to me.
Hear my voice when I call to you.
2 May my prayer be set before you like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

3 Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD;
keep watch over the door of my lips.

4 Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil,
to take part in wicked deeds
with men who are evildoers;
let me not eat of their delicacies.

5 Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—it is oil on my head.
My head will not refuse it.
Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers;

6 their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,
and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.

7 They will say, "As one plows and breaks up the earth,
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave."

8 But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD;
in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death.

9 Keep me from the snares they have laid for me,
from the traps set by evildoers.

10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by in safety.

Righteous Lot

Sometimes, I read something in the Bible that shines a light on my disbelief. I read that I should love those who hate me and do good to them who despitefully use me. I read that I should love my neighbor and never return evil for evil, but return rather good for evil, and leave room for God's wrath. In my great wisdom, even while I say, "I believe God; His Word is True," I rationalize some things. Really, God must have meant to placate those who hate me, but never lose my dignity as a child of God over it. He must have meant don't do evil when evil is done to me, not actually to do GOOD to the one who deals with me despicably. Right? No, I cannot get that from Scripture.

When I despised God, and treated His good will as foolishness He loved me. He gave me life. He gave me day after day of sunshine and the common joy of life which is found in living and breathing and sharing this world that He created so beautifully with others whom He also created. Not only that, He LOVED me! He gave me a husband and children, when I had despised His plan for such. But that was not all, no sir! All the while I was mocking Him, He also turned my heart of stone to flesh and gave me repentance and faith and salvation! He gave me eternal life, according to His own good pleasure!

So He did not just fail to do evil to me when I did Him evil, but He did good as no one else can!

Everywhere I see, as He opens my eyes, that what He says in His word is true.

So when I read that Lot is Righteous, and I don't think he is, I must be wrong:

II Peter 2

4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to
hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;
5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its
ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and
seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by
burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to
happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was
distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men 8(for that righteous man,
living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by
the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9 if this is so, then the Lord
knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous
for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. 10 This
is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful
nature and despise authority.

(Thanks Midge!)

Without Love

1 Corinthians 13
Love
1. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10. but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Love, where does it come from. Is this not where we fail. Is the lack
of love not that which causes me to seek my own... to cling to and
fight for my own way and to heck with everyone else?

Listen to Church of the Good Shepherd sermon Fruit of the Spirit II from March 5, 2006

Of particular interest, is the idea that without love, giving my life to the flame is nothing. Without love, sharing the gospel is nothing! Where does this love come from? Should we not share the gospel or proclaim God's truth or give to the poor because we do not have love them? Should we stay away from our brothers, because we do not love them? Should we keep our mouths shut and cover our lamps because we do not love our enemies?

I John 3
Love one another
11 This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19 This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20 whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

So we know that love is an action, but these actions without love are nothing. It is with love, I see now, the same as it was with faith... Lord, I fail to love you, give me your perfect love. God, I don't love my enemy, give me love for them. Lord, I live to please myself, give me your love by which I will consider others more than myself.

Looking at myself through someone else's window

All in one week:

From Sufficiently Suffonsified:

So I went. I even got there early. As I arrived, I was glad that I had made the decision to go. When Bible study started, I felt out of place. I was the youngest lady there. Satan again, saw the window of opportunity in my heart, and tried to convince me that I shouldn't go, because it's for "old ladies". How depressing.

(To my shame, I teased this poor girl who was baring her heart for Jesus. How proud I am, and slow to seek wisdom. Why is it that I would cling to the illusion of youth, when age is so much better in a plethora of ways!)

From a conversation with my daughter:

Me: I just hit 1101 hits on my blog, and probably at least 100 of them are not me!
Daughter: I have been to your blog.
Me: How many times?
Daughter: Once...it was boring.

(Boring? Really! I had no idea!)

From my co-workers:

My husband nick-named me The Bully. I can live with that. It is a way for him... well, actually, I can just live with it. Someone needs to be the meanie, right? So, at work, while we were sitting around eating pizza one day, I joked that my husband nick-named me "The Bully." Nobody laughed.

Ingrown Toenail

As soon as it is available, if you haven't heard it yet, go to The Church of the Good Shepherd's 2006 Sermons and listen to pastor Stephen Baker's Ingrown Toenail sermon (March 12, 2006).

This is a wake up call for us as followers of Christ, fishers of men, the salt of the earth and the light on a hill. As pastor Baker said, Jesus did not command us to be salt, just called us salt. He did not command us to be light, he called us light.

What He did was shame us if we are not salty salt. If we do not flavor, preserve and penetrate our world with the life-giving Gospel of Jesus Christ. If we are the same as the world around us, then we have lost our saltiness, our effectiveness. Did you ever think about the wish-washiness of unsalty Christians. The are inoffensive to be sure, but they also have nothing to say. There is no reason to listen to them.

He did command us to let our light shine before men. He said, as if it were to go without saying that you don't light a light and hide it, but you put it up high to shine for everyone to see and benefit from.

pastor Baker parodied our behavior as those holed up in a fort, lobbing unbelievable flaming messages of salvation to the savages outside the walls, but refusing to make actual contact with them; refusing to open the doors, and let their light so shine before them.

Was this, Pastor Baker asked, what our Lord did? No! He left the Purity of Heaven, so much purer than any environment we could create for ourselves in our little buildings, and plunged Himself into the muck of our existence. Are we to expect our path to be more pure than our Master's? Are we to refuse to get dirty, when Jesus Himself patiently fielded the foolish questions of the wise men of his day. He offered himself up for the sins of his enemies. He bled and sweat and cried for those so far lower than Himself that they cannot be compared to his holiness.

But, we refuse to listen to the foolish talk of the unsaved because it offends us. We won't befriend someone of a differing belief because they don't believe what we do. Jesus had twelve people very close to him, who usually did not understand things correctly, and one of them was a traitor! Jesus did not exclude Judas from the inner circle, and He know Judas from his mother's womb.

You don't know the end of the days of that person you won't befriend. Are you greater than your Master?

Oh, Father,
Forgive me for thinking I am too good to hear the foolishness of man. Forgive me for closing my heart to the dying people around me. How can they speak the language of Heaven, when they are bound to this earth and serve the prince of this world?
Send unbelievers into our lives, to live and move and have their being so closely that we will hear the desperation of their souls, and remember the egypt from which You have redeemed us. So burden our hearts for these people that to not speak would cause our mouthes to burn. Give us the love for You that will be revealed in our obedience; and for others that will be revealed in our countenance, our words, and our obedience to You.
In the name of Jesus Christ the Righteous Savior, Amen

I Had A Dream...

Last Saturday a friend woke up sobbing. She had a dream...

She and her husband and daughter were going somewhere. It was a cool, overcast day. They arrived in a parking garage near a fast-moving river. They walked to the adjacent building, laughing and talking.

When they went in, they found in a waiting room, three chairs together and sat together still talking and laughing. The atmosphere in this office was jovial, carefree, fun. A young woman brought somthing out of the office and walked with it through the waiting room to a door that I had not noticed before. She was talking and laughing with people in the waiting room. In order to open the door and put this something in it, she had to push something out of the way that was on the floor. I had not noticed it before. There were a couple of plastic bags, like roasting bags tightly sealed on the floor. She moved them first with her foot, still laughing and talking, and then with the door she was opening. She said something about them, and continued with her task. When she opened the heavy door, there appeared on the other side, cubbies, like post office boxes. Most of them had these bags in them and she was trying to stuff another one into a cubby that was already full. She was still laughing and talking when one of the bags popped out on the other side of the wall, and dropped into the river. Then I looked at the ones on the floor that had been in the way, and I saw that they were babies. All of the cubbies held these bags that were filled with babies. There was one in a cubby close to the floor that was alive still, and gasping for breath.

My friend looked at her husband and daughter and asked what is this place, but by then she knew. She looked in the eyes of her daughter and realized that there was so much there that she didn't know. Even then she still loved her daughter. In her shame at her ignorance, and realizing that if she spoke, she would stand alone, she fled. She escaped to a dark corner of the cool, damp parking garage, and sobbed, while the rushing river drowned the sound of her torment.

She awoke, sobbing. She tried to get back to sleep and go back into the clinic and talk to her husband and her daughter, but she could not.

The sadness of this dream stayed with her for several days. It was only a dream. What could make her so sad?

She was sad because this dream was a reflection of her desire to go with the flow. She desires to be the one who talks and laughs with her husband and daughter, and not the one who stands alone against what is wrong.

She was sad because this dream revealed to her that her timidity is a sin. There are times when we must speak out. There are times when it is too late.

She was sad that she was that cowering simp in the corner of a parking garage sobbing, rather than the mother in there reasoning with her daughter and standing boldly and in love for the truth.

Be Strong and Courageous

I was reading my At the Well Conversations post below and whining because no one would give me any tips, and the God of the universe gave me one:

7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power,
of love and of self-discipline.

8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his
prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of
God, 9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of
anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This
grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but
it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ
Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to
light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald
and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet
I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced
that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.
(I Timothy 1:7-12)

Also:

5 The LORD will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
(Deuteronomy 31:6)

Did God not say: Be my witness? Don't light a candle and hide it under a bushel? What is whispered in your ear, shout from the rooftops? If I wanted to find justification for witnessing to Christ in my world, I could find it in abundance. The only place that I can readily think of that tells me not to is: Don't throw your pearls before swine or they will trample them underfoot and then turn and devour you. I'm not sure we can recognize swine without help. I was very swinish back in the day.

So, I prayerfully go out into the field with my bag of seed. I want to sow bountifully. I will be speaking with abandon today. I will not abandon the gospel. I will not abandon truth. I will abandon my self, my self image. I would rather die than forsake my Lord.

Pray for me.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses...

1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,
who rely on horses,
who trust in the multitude of their chariots
and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
or seek help from the LORD.
2 Yet he too is wise and can bring disaster;
he does not take back his words.
He will rise up against the house of the wicked,
against those who help evildoers.

3 But the Egyptians are men and not God;
their horses are flesh and not spirit.
When the LORD stretches out his hand,
he who helps will stumble,
he who is helped will fall;
both will perish together.

4 This is what the LORD says to me:
"As a lion growls,
a great lion over his prey—
and though a whole band of shepherds
is called together against him,
he is not frightened by their shouts
or disturbed by their clamor—
so the LORD Almighty will come down
to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.

5 Like birds hovering overhead,
the LORD Almighty will shield Jerusalem;
he will shield it and deliver it,
he will 'pass over' it and will rescue it."

6 Return to him you have so greatly revolted against, O Israelites. 7 For in that day every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold your sinful hands have made.

8 "Assyria will fall by a sword that is not of man;
a sword, not of mortals, will devour them.
They will flee before the sword
and their young men will be put to forced labor.

9 Their stronghold will fall because of terror;
at sight of the battle standard their commanders will panic,"
declares the LORD,
whose fire is in Zion,
whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
Isaiah 31

GOOD NEWS!! Yes, the news from South Dekota is encouraging. But I want to direct your hearts and minds to the true good news. We trust in the name of the LORD our God.

If Governor Mike Rounds signs this bill into law, and enough people have donated enough money to take on all the challenges all the way to the Supreme Court...

Is your heart racing? Is you imagination taking you on a fantasy journey the likes of which you haven't dreamed in half a life-time? Are "the stars aligned" for you?

It is the Lord who will keep your feet firm. It is so nice to be encouraged in this battle, and I would ask all God's children to pray for the Governor of S.Dakota and the courts, and for the entire process. However, I would also warn against trusting in that warm feeling welling up within you. Keep your focus on Christ. Trust in Him. Realize with your mind and heart that He is on the throne. He is about, accomplishing His will. It is He who will put a stop to this. You should be encouraged each Thursday when we gather at Planned Parenthood, that God is on His throne, and He hears your prayers. You should be encouraged when you pray, that He has given you the privilage of coming to Him. You should be encouraged each time you plant a seed, share your faith, tell someone about Jesus, that God has given you words to speak, and someone to hear them. You should be encouraged each time they revile you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for the sake of Christ for so persecuted they the profits and Christ himself. You should be encouraged that the Lord has promised that His word will not return to Him without accomplishing that which it was sent to do.

Pray for those in South Dakota. The heat will be intense there. Pray for Mike Rounds, that God will bless his work, give him wisdom and courage. Pray for our country, our courts and our government. Pray for Christians everywhere that they would be burdoned for those who are lost and about to throw themselves over a cliff. Pray for God's people that He will keep our feet firm as we proclaim the truth of God in all its fullness.

At-The-Well Conversations

Go The Church of the Good Shepherd and click on "Walk by the Spirit III" (February 19, 2006). Keep in mind that we are talking about conversations, sowing the seed, shining your light, setting yourself on fire.

Now go here and see a post entitled "Finishing our Conversation." Mrs. Pickett also had a very interesting post along these same lines that will really make you think about stepping out of the comfortable.

Whoa!! I am not trying here to make excuses, or to get out of something that is clearly my responsibility and is commanded. I am pleading for tips, advice, encouragement, a match... There are various settings and purposes for conversation... There are also different players in a conversation...

small talk
Casual or trivial conversation, chitchat, as in We stood around making small talk until the guest of honor arrived. The small in this expression alludes to unimportant subjects of conversation, as opposed to serious or weighty ones. [Mid-1700s]
Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

BIG TALK
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Sorry to agree with the counter point, but, you know Jesus was Jesus. He was probably a little surreal from the beginning. At twelve he was hanging out with the teachers of the law, and by the time He got to the well, well...!

My problem is that I have this pattern of behaviour. If I break out of that pattern, who knows what might happen! I don't even know how to bring up BIG talk in casual conversation. It never comes up. No one ever says, "So Rachel, what do you base your eternal hope on..." or, "Who are you to ask me for a glass of water?"

How do you bring this up in casual conversation? It would be one thing if everyone knew I was crazy, and expected me to talk about sin and mercy all the time, but I don't, so to suddenly start w-w-would be to catch on fire...

Got a match?

ALL OTHER GROUND IS SINKING SAND

indefatigable: what a cool word!

9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galations 6:9&10)

Thursday: 9:00 am when I arrived, Carole was having a verbal altercation at the back of the parking lot with a woman who said she was a nurse and who thought that there were too many crack babies in such and such a place already and that we were wasting our time and that we should go and hold those crack babies, istead of trying to upset people.

*The shifting of the issue: From the innocent children being killed today to those in misery with no one to care for them, with the implication that they should have died.

*Another issue shifted: By ending this pregnancy this baby will not suffer like the crack babies in such and such a place who have no one to hold them. (Could these babies be in Bloomington? It is odd how my mind automatically took them to Indianapolis.)

REAL ISSUE: This is a child which was created by God, and he or she bears God's image.
This child should not die because of the wrongs done by someone else.
The sin of substance abuse or illicit sex is not justified or nullified by the shedding of this blood, but only by the shedding of truly innocent blood, and that was finished by our Lord Jesus Christ.

She also thought that we should not distress the women who are making an already difficult decision, thereby making it even more difficult.

*The shifted sin issue: The issue here is trickier, because they don't see things like we do. We would say that sin will grow and fester if not exposed. That it is painful to see that what you are doing as wrong. That is what they see as undesirable, they do not want to see that what they are doing as wrong. They want people to say, "It's alright. Peace, peace."

*The shifted issue of "difficult is bad" and "easy is good." It is more difficult to get up and clean my house; it is easy not to. It is more difficult to discipline my children than to let them be. It is more difficult for my children to do their homework than to watch TV. It would easier to separate from my husband than to learn submission. It would be easier for my husband to separate from me than to sacrifice himself up for me.
Difficult and easy cannot be synonyms of right and wrong.

THE REAL ISSUE: Wrong is wrong, and you should feel bad about doing it. Do not quench the Holy Spirit, whose job it is to convict the world of sin.

She also thought that we should not judge. Doesn't this one always shut you up? Of course, we are sinners! I am so depraved! How can I say to someone else, here let me help you with that speck in your eye, when I just knocked them over with this huge log sticking out of my eye?!

*Shifted issue: You hypocrite! How can you know what I am going through? How can you say that, when you know what you did back then, what you did yesterday...what you are doing now... You're so selfish that you want me to bear this burden and you'll go home to your nice neat little life!

THE REAL ISSUE: God has said this is wrong. I am a sinner, and Christ has died for my sin. Won't you take refuge in the Lord with me? Won't you seek Him while He may be found? Won't you kiss the Son lest He become angry? Christ loves me, won't you let me help you with that?



WHAT IS YOUR ISSUE?
You would rather stay home and pray on Thursday mornings. You would rather volunteer at the Crisis Pregnancy Center. You would rather not go because you are too timid, too peaceable, too busy, too nice. Your neighbor or boss might see you there and think you are one of those crazies after all.

*Has the issue been shifted for you? Search your heart. Is the Lord calling you to the CPC, and are you faithfully serving Him there? Is this the easier path? Are you afraid of being a fool? Look at Moses. He said he did not want to go to the Pharoah, because he was a poor public speaker, but God provided. Jesus told his disciples that the Holy Spirit would give them words when they had to go before kings and rulers. Make certain of your motives.

I speak for myself here:

I was too timid. I am not the type to carry a sign and shout slogans. I was certain that it was not my place to tell other people what their morality ought to look like.

After all, God is in control, right?

I am afraid of fire!

Many times I could quit, because I feel ill equipped or unable; I feel like a fool; what I am doing is not making an impact; I look like a fool; I am alone and pitiful.

I am not a big talker outside of my own garden, but the Lord is there with me; I am NOT alone. I am willing and I pray for His words when He would have me speak. It might be that I will never see the result of my presence there
...but I see now the result of my being there. Very slowly, I am becoming more bold. Little by little, I am being shown my own sin and He cleanses me. Very slowly, my heart is being turned to the things of God, and He is shifting my priorities in ways that I previously would not expose to Him in any other place.

Very slowly I burn...

What was Nehemiah's passion? It was for the glory of the Lord. It was that the nations were defiling God's name because of the reproach of the wrecked walls of Jerusalem...His issue was the Glory of the Lord.

What is happening at Planned Parenthood? People are calling evil good and good evil. That's what God said they would do! People are defiling the Word of God. They are sinning against God.

What was Ezekiel told to do? Tell them, whether they listen or fail to listen.
Tell them!

Don't throw the baby out with the bath water! Works will not save you. You don't get extra credit for picketing at Planned Parenthood. However, Scripture does tell us that we were saved unto good works which the Father has prepared for us. How do you know that, like Esther, you were not brought to Bloomington for just this purpose?

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph.6:12). Therefore, in a sense, the women getting abortions are not the enemy. They are given over to their lusts and pride and greed.
Some there on Thursday mornings are enslaved to superstitions and false teaching.
Some, who drive by, are oblivious to what goes on there...or do they walk on by on the other side (Luke 10:31&32)?

It is powers within and without that are the enemy, and you and I carry them about with us.

Hear the Word of the Lord:

9 Unless the LORD Almighty
had left us some survivors,
we would have become like Sodom,
we would have been like Gomorrah.

10 Hear the word of the LORD,
you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the law of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!

11 "The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?" says the LORD.
"I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.

12 When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?

13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your evil assemblies.

14 Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.

15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;

16 wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds
out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong,

17 learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed. [a]
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.

18 "Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.

19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land;

20 but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword."
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

ISAIAH 1:9-20

Pride and Denial

From Church of the Good Shepherd sermon: Showing Tolerance...
on 4/24/05 from Ephesians 4:1-6

It is our pride; our desire to be thought of more highly than we ought
by others that causes us to be silent in the face of opposition, falsehood or sin. (not an exact quote)

I have heard that self consciousness is a form of pride, and sometimes I can understand it, but sometimes the logic evades me. It seems like someone who tries to be invisible is not suffering from pride. My husband and I were discussing it last weekend and I decided that the sin in it is the fear of man and not pride. To be afraid of what others think of you. Paster Bayly clarified it a bit I think.

Guilty... guilty... guilty...

I don't think I can blog this, at least not until I deal with those against whom I have sinned.

We're Baa-aack!

Ok, we are back. Just some thoughts:


1: Well, I'm not any smarter...I still can't put a picture on my blog.

2: Things are not always the way it would seem...I expected Chicago students to be pompous and unapproachable. Instead they were as we passed them on their way to classes, kind of geeky-looking. It's true though that every one of them that we asked had no idea where the admissions office was. They must forget after they get there. They do know where to get pizza, though.
Kenyon students, however, did not look geeky. If I were to classify them, I would say they were more preppy in appearance. I did not get a chance to talk to any, but my husband did, and that student told him that he was just telling his parents the night before how much he liked it there.

3: Sometimes what you don't say is revealing...or is it? At Chicago, the academic life was emphasized. We heard such things as "Chicago; where fun goes to die." "If you aren't really interested in learning, and like to avoid studying, you'll be unhappy here." "Nobody is going to give you a hard time if you say, 'Well, I have to go study.' Instead they'll probably say, 'Yah, me too.'" "Yah, well, that's what we're here for."
At Kenyon on the other hand, academic life was not brought up on the tour until I asked what kind of semesters, quarters, or trimesters they are on. Instead we heard about their theater presentations, their new athletic facility, their meal times and stuff. We did get to see an actual freshman dorm, which I was glad to see.

4: Kenyon admissions was much more friendly and accommodating. When I called to set this up, they set my daughter up to sit in on a class, set us up for the tour and an informal interview. Things were tightly scheduled, so when the student guide left, thinking he had no charges to lead around the campus, the admissions lady arranged for my daughter to interview early with an admissions counselor instead of a senior, so we could take the next tour and hit the road at a reasonable time.
Chicago on the other hand gave out no more information on the phone than was necessary (that for which I specifically asked). I was told to go to their web page to find a class to sit in on and arrive a few minutes early to get the prof's OK to audit the class. Their website was baffling and I'm sure a second semester freshman or first semester sophomore is finally able to manuever without guidance or error. (Of course maybe there are parental controls.) Being unable to break through the controls, I called and asked for assistance. They told me that they could help me out when I got there.

5: Chicago has the second largest private police force in the country and have worked very hard the last 30 years to be very safe. Although a student would not be wise to walk around campus at 3:00 am alone, if he needed a ride, he could call security and get a ride home; no charge, no questions. The campus police can be there in less than 60 seconds if you push one of the many security buttons around campus. We did not test them. STUDENTS FEEL VERY SAFE THERE.
At Kenyon, the tour guide told us several times that this or that building is open 24/7 but she never mentioned security, so I asked if a student would fee safe walking home from one of these buildings at 3:00 am. She said that she doesn't think they have a crime rate, actually. STUDENTS FEEL VERY SAFE THERE.

6: God is God and the world is His footstool. There is no place where you can go that He will not be there. Chicago is in the middle of a city. Chicago loves Chicago and vice versa. On top of that, Chicago is in love with itself. There is a chapel (beautiful) on campus that is used by any religious group for any type of service to worship any god. However, with all this going on, God can be there. It's actually sort of a mini world, albeit kind of smart.
Kenyon on the other hand, reminded me of something left to itself and fermenting in its own juices. I did not feel as good about this school coming out as going in. This surprised me. The people were nice, the grounds were beautiful, and it seems like it is a nice isolated place to send your daughter for four years, but I don't know...

So here we are, still trusting God and asking for His guidance and providence. I want Him to block paths that He does not want us to travel, but is this being lazy? I don't know, but I do want Him to make things clear to me.

Lead me Lord
Lead me in Thy righteousness
Make Thy way plain before my face.

Onward to the Adventure!

Our family is going off on an adventure tomorrow afternoon. We are on a quest for the future, nestled safely in the arms of the One who holds the future.

We will be visiting the University of Chicago and Kenyon College, with a weekend to travel.

My hope is for clear guidance...and a faith-building experience...and opportunities to be a wonderful Mom--I mean ...well you know, to be the distributor of Godly wisdom, and gentle words, that encourage and edify all who hear...Yah.

How about...I want the place where God would have my daughter go to school to just feel right. Just to confirm the direction, it would be nice to have them offer her a full scholarship...OK.

Oh, and...On the trip, I would like to have discussions--intense discussions about the future, about God, about right and wrong. I want the peace of God in Christ Jesus to reign in my heart.

(by the way, isn't this new wireless keyboard da bomb? Maybe, hopefully it wasn't a virus afterall, but just a hardware problem)

Just keep us in your prayers and my the Holy Spirit take our prayers to the Father and ask for that which we know not...isn't that exiting!

I hope to learn how to do pictures when I get back! Got to pack now. Good night and God bless.

The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make His face to shine upon you and give you peace.

Yee-HAa!\

This one will stretch your mind, I ASSURE YOU. tHE QUESTION: wHat's wrong with RACHEL'S KEYBoARD NOW?

tHIS DISFUNCTION IS HAppening on severAL LEVELS. tHE ONE YOU Can see AND Can, with some flexATION OF THE GRay mATTER, GUESS. tHERE are other things hAPPENING, THOUGH WHICH YOU Can't see AND i DON'T Care to expound.

CAN YOU GUESS?

hERE IT IS: gOD IS ONCE agAIN TEaching me something: paTIENCE (DUH) and humility. Holly wAS TELLING ME about this problem, AND i THOUGHT SHE Was just inADVERTantly hitting a WRONG KEY. i Had to humble myself, AFTER Taking A REDICULOUS amoung of time to write A SIMPLE EMail, AND apologiz.+e to her for disbelieving her struggle AND WRITING IT OFF as simple, unwARRanted griping.

God, thANKYOU FOR MY COMPUTER, and my husbAND and my kids (ORDER INSIGNIFICant). ThANK YOU FOR TEaching me humility in unexpected wAYS. You ARE the greAT and wonderful God.
CreATE IN ME a cleAN HEart thAT IS alwAYS GRateful, AND FROM WHICH SPILLS FORTH "only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" TO yOUR GLORY.
In Jesus nAME, Amen