Getting started

I feel adrift in my own life. No work, no school, no structure except that which I create for myself.  Have you ever wanted to do something, knowing it is God's will that you do that thing, but not know where to begin? 

Me too.

I lived in the Alaskan Bush for over 20 years. I have a lot of stories inside me, struggling to be free. I want to let them out to run free across the pages of a book. My struggle begins at the beginning - should this book be fact or fiction? If it is non-fiction, then it should be as true to life as possible, nothing embellished, and no literary license taken. In the immortal words of Joe Friday: Just the facts, ma'am. By my way of thinking, that could be summed up in one word. Boring!

So, I do not see an autobiography in my future. Remember, I lived that life; our adventures and trials were just part of living. We did the things we did because we had to; it was how we survived. It would be like someone writing a book about how they survived corporate life. One day was much like another, but combined, they were special, just like your life is to you and your family. 

That leaves fiction, or perhaps more accurately faction, fiction based on true-life events. Written in this genre would allow for more dialogue, embellishment, and combining several events into one or two to further the story. So that is what I will write...once I get started. 

Oh, that intimidating blank paper! How it is longing to be filled with symbols that represent letters, put together in such a way that they create words and phrases, morphing into sentences and paragraphs. Even better, morphing into something others want to read. 

I tried Once Upon a Time (for all the best stories thus begin), and, at the end of the page, a children's story had been written, then two, then three. In my mind's eye, I see illustrations for these stories, but I am not an artist. I showed them to several friends but heard nothing in return. Back to the beginning, starting again.

I often wonder how Paul got started. He was in prison, writing letters to friends most of the time. Not something I want to imitate, but he never forgot who his audience was or Who he was writing for; it was always to God's glory. 

So, I shall allot myself time each day to write/read/edit regardless of whether it will end on the cutting room floor or make it to print. I shall only wonder if the story is good enough once there is enough to be measured. I shall work to God's glory and forget my own.

Lord, Help me to always remember

that You are the Author of my life. You allowed me to 

live adventures that others cannot fathom. Guide my writing to Your glory and Honor.

Help me to show others Your power and Majesty as You

guided me through times of trial and times of plenty. 

In Jesus' name and in Christ alone,

Amen

Tolerance

 We hear a lot about tolerance these days. But what does that really mean?  

According to Webster (1828), it is the power or capacity of enduring; or the act of enduring. The Bible tells us that endurance is the ability to bear trials, have fortitude, persevere, and be patient. (Strong's 5278 ὑπομένω) 

According to Dictionary.com,  tolerance is a fair, respectful, and permissive attitude or policy toward people whose opinions, beliefs, practices, racial or ethnic origins, etc., differ from one's own or from those of the majority; freedom from bigotry and from an insistence on conformity.

These two definitions of the same word convey very different meanings. While both dictionaries use tolerance as a noun, Webster indicates tolerance is something to bear, and Dictionary.com points to practice. Historically to be tolerant was to endure. Now, one must not only show respect for but have a permissive attitude toward those with whom you disagree. 

Do we have the right to treat others with disrespect or bigotry because they are different or have contrary beliefs? In the words of the Apostle Paul; May it never be! Those with whom we disagree are children of God, as we are. God so loved my (drunkard, pothead, transgender, homosexual, adulterer, unsaved) neighbor that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not die but have eternal life. For God did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. (John 3:16-17 NASB)

What about the "other side," you might ask. It seems like those yelling loudest and pushing hardest for tolerance are not being tolerant. Why don't they have to be tolerant of my beliefs or opinions? What about them respecting members of a different social group? From what I have read and seen, the answer is - no; they do not have to be tolerant because they see themselves as the oppressed in modern society. 

Does that mean that we, Christians, should fight fire with fire? Should we yell louder, hurl more insults, or dismiss others out of hand because they sin differently? May it never be! Our first responsibility is to pray for those who persecute us; we need to demonstrate the love of Christ to a fallen world. We cannot enable sin to continue in our midst. We can remove it from our lives and sphere, but we should replace it with love and compassion. 

Those trapped in sin are trying to fill the emptiness inside with something (drink, drugs, pornography, sex, fame) other than God. We will never reach those who are searching if we yell, demean, disrespect, or otherwise see a group rather than an individual. To our detriment, we have lost the art of agreeing to disagree, being able to tell someone that I cannot tolerate a particular behavior, but I can love you with the Love of Christ Jesus. We have to have relationships with people before they will see beyond the stereotype and see Jesus in us. James tells us twice that we will be blessed if we remain steadfast, or endure, under trials (James 1:12 and 5:11). 

Jesus cannot tolerate sin; God will not tolerate sin in His presence. When you have reached the end of your rope, and you are tempted to lash out against those not who are not tolerant, remember James. Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Be doers of the Word, not hearers only (James 1:19-20, 22). 

Lord, guide my steps.

Help me to always be aware of Your love. Show me how to share 

Your love with those with whom I disagree, with those who do not know You yet.

Give me the wisdom and courage to love others as You love them. 

Keep me from falling into sin in the name of tolerance or getting along.

We cannot get along with sin but must love our neighbor as ourselves. 

Help me to find and stay in that balance.

In Christ alone

Amen

Perfectionism

God tells us in His word to be perfect even as He is perfect (Matt. 5:48), so I guess that means we have to be perfect, right? Wrong. This perfection is the result, not the process. God knows we are sinners, saved by His grace alone (Eph. 2:8), but He also expects us to grow in our Christian walk. 

Just as a child grows from infancy to toddlerhood and finally to adulthood, so we are to grow from salvation to perfection. The theological term is sanctification, and that is simply allowing God to work through us to bring us to spiritual maturity. We do not expect our children to have the skill or understanding beyond their maturity level, but we expect them to mature and acquire skills and knowledge.

It is the same with our Heavenly Father. Once we are born into His family, we are expected to be babes in the faith, longing for the pure milk of His Word (1 Pet. 2:2), but as we mature, we put aside childish things and begin to long for the meat of the word (Heb. 5:13-14). We want to dig deeper; we long to know the reason and the how behind the glorious promises He gave us. 

Interestingly, the same Greek word is translated as perfect and mature. Those who are spiritually mature will be perfected in Christ Jesus. They will be complete in Him and have moral maturity and character. Yes, even wisdom and discernment. Just as a child moves from a tricycle to a bicycle to a car, so we should move from simply reading stories to understanding the character and flaws of the people in the Bible. We should learn from the lessons they learned so we do not have to repeat them. 

A popular saying is, "Choose the hill you are willing to die on." In childishness or maturity, that hill will change. It is for the mature to help the children choose wisely. 

The mature Christian will understand that even though we are all one family, we will have disagreements. Those disagreements should be broken into two categories - heaven or hell issues and everything else. If the dispute is based on eternal destiny - the Deity of Jesus, for example- it is a hill worth dying on. If it is not eternally based - the method of baptism, for example, then we should learn from each other and perhaps change our perspective or agree to disagree. 

Heavenly Father,

Help me to maturity, guide my footsteps ever closer 

to you and your will in my life.

Please help me give grace to those with whom I disagree and

the wisdom to know when I need to review and revise my understanding.

Thank you for bringing me closer to the perfection found in Jesus Christ,

In Christ alone,

Amen

The Catalyst

 I have read the whole Bible through many, many times. I have a degree in Christian Studies and consider myself well-versed in Scripture. Yet, I was humbled and dumbfounded today. 

"But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; because on account of him, many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus." John 12:10-11 NASB

Wait! What? The same people plotting to put Jesus to death wanted to put Lazarus to death too? Why had I not seen this in my previous readings? More importantly, why did they want Lazarus dead? After all, he was a village neighbor, a brother to Mary and Martha—a friend. 

This was the last straw, or sign if you will. The Jewish leadership knew the Messiah would be known by the miracles He would perform. Jesus had already caused the blind to see and the lame to walk. He had healed lepers, a woman who had an issuance of blood and even raised others from the dead. Why was Lazarus different?

The physicians and magicians of the day also performed some signs and wonders. The difference is Lazarus had been dead for four days. Not four minutes or hours so to claim he was not dead at all, but four days. If you have hunted or been around dead animals, you know they start to smell in a few hours. In four days, rotten flesh is rank; it seems like the odor permeates your clothing and even your very pores. So Lazarus was not just dead; he was rotting. 

The fact that Lazarus was alive proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus was the Messiah. Lazarus' sisters, Mary and Martha, other family and friends, and professional mourners witnessed Jesus' miracle. John writes that because of Lazarus, many came to believe in Jesus. The Jewish leadership was about to lose its power and prestige. Lazarus must also die - again.

John then goes directly into Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what we celebrate as Palm Sunday. I had not connected the raising of Lazarus and the triumphal entry so closely before. The two events were separated by two, maybe three weeks at the most. Lazrus' resurrection set into motion the rest of Jesus' earthy ministry. His hour had come. In less than a week, Jesus would be dead. 

Friends, life can shift in the blink of an eye. Events can change the focus of our lives in an instant. But, it does not have to be as dramatic as a friend raised from the dead. It can be a quiet phone call or a chance encounter with a stranger. Who will you turn to when life gets in the way of your plans? Turn to the One who is never surprised by circumstances. 

Lord God, Creator, and Sustainer,

 Someone is reading this who may not know you.

Or they might be caught in the circumstances of life. 

We all need You, Father. We need to know that You

hold the world, and our lives, together. 

The future does not surprise You or challenge You.

You knew Lazarus' resurrection would lead directly to the Cross

Yet you did not hold back. 

As we go into Holy Week, I praise you for your Mercy and Grace

I pray that all who do not know You will turn to You 

that they will find peace and comfort in Your arms.

In Christ alone

Amen

 

Just Write

I wrote the following a couple of years ago. I was having a moment while in school and not wanting to do what I needed to do. I have a much better idea of what the next thing in life is going to be. How it is going to play out, I still do not know. Perhaps one of you knows who I should talk to, who I should contact to learn the next step.

In the meantime, I will Just Write.

I am in school. As I write this, I have homework and studying that I could be (should be?) doing, but I choose to write instead. Just writing the previous sentence is funny because 75% of my homework is writing or researching my topics. The other 25% is reading. (ugh! research!)

I enjoy school; I should have pursued my degree many, many years ago. But sometimes, I just need a break. I need to put it aside for a few minutes and do something else, like simply writing. If I had gone back years ago, I doubt I would have pursued the degree I am earning now. I would have done something practical; business management or teaching. But I am earning a degree in Christian Studies. I do not know what God has in mind for me, but I want to use what I am learning for Him. 

I suppose this blog is the beginning of my dream job. To write. I want to write a story based on my life in the Bush. I want to write devotionals for people who need practical guidance. I want to write (and maybe teach?) Bible lessons for those who are not necessarily new believers but not old-timers. Maybe newer than older. I can explain difficult concepts in ways that can be understood by everyday people. People who do not necessarily speak "church."  

I have no idea how to earn a living doing any of that, though. I don't know how to get my words in front of people, let alone get them to buy them. God has it under control. He knows where He wants me, and He will direct my paths. 

Lord, thank you

 for those moments in life when we can set aside the “should” for the “want.”

Thank you for teaching us that our spirits need as much rest as our bodies.

I will learn to Trust You to guide my path

I will Trust You to show me to put myself aside and know Your will

Lord, guide my mind and my hand as I bring glory to You

With the skills You gave me.

In Christ alone

Amen

New Year, New You!

What a lie! You will not become a new person just because the earth rotates around the sun another time. However, the New Year is an excellent time to reflect on lessons learned and look forward to the next adventure.

I have been away from this blog for quite a while. I have spent the last few years in college and finally graduated this year. The day before my 62^nd birthday, I finished my last class for my first undergraduate degree. A couple of points about higher education: first, never go to school because you have to – go because you want to. Study something that interests and excites you that makes you want to hit the books. Secondly, college is expensive; even online schooling costs real money. So plan and look for scholarships and grants but do not expect the taxpayers to bail you out. Finally, you are not too old, seriously.

I got my degree in Christian Studies with an emphasis on Philosophy. Yet, I am asked all the time, why? See point one above - I love the subject matter. I love learning about God, theology, and the Bible. I am not a philosopher but learning from thinkers helped solidify my own views on many subjects.

Another thing I learned on this journey is that I enjoy writing and teaching. More specifically, I enjoy teaching about Christ. I like writing about Jesus and how He impacts lives and brings joy and fulfillment in even the darkest hours. So I invite you to join me as I explore real life with a real God.

Now that school is over and I have more time, I will be on this site more often in the future. I invite topic suggestions and feedback. As we go into the New Year, I pray that God gives each of us enough.

Make me know Your ways, O Lord

Teach me Your paths, lead me in Your truth and teach me

For you are the God of my salvation

For You, I wait all the day

Psalm 25:4-5

Lord, I am yours to do with as You see fit.

Take my fear and apprehension and leave only your clear direction.

Please give me courage, peace, and strength.

Bless each person reading this, and help them to see You working in their lives

even if they do not know you yet.

In Christ alone, Amen 

You Can be Sure

             So you are a Christian. You might have become a Child of the King years ago or days ago. How can you really know the prayer you recited worked? After all, you might not have felt any different. Sometimes you look at the chaos around you and wonder if there really is a God who loves and cares for you.

         My sweet friend, I am here to tell you that you can be absolutely sure of your salvation.

        John, the disciple Jesus loved, wrote 1 John to show us the blessed assurance of salvation.

There are usually signs of things happening around us. One sign of spring is budding trees. A sign of inclement weather is gathering storm clouds. Below are only a few signs of salvation.

•           Are you a sinner? If you are, you are probably saved. John tells us that if we say we have not sinned, we make God a liar, and His word is not in us (1 John 1:10).
•         Do you love the things of the world? John reminds us that loving the world and the things in the world - the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life – are signs that the love of God is not in us (1 John 2:15-16).
•          Have you given up your pet sin? 1 John 3:6-10 tell us that we are of the devil if we keep sinning after salvation. Those are pretty harsh words, but it does not mean that Christians will be perfect. It means we will give up that which grieves God. We will stop drinking, swearing, smoking, lying, and the thousand other things God brings to our minds. Not because we have to, but because we want to please God.
•         Do you believe Jesus Christ came in the flesh, was fully God, and fully man? Jesus is not just a good teacher or a moral leader; He is God Almighty, and according to 1 John 4:2-3, if you do not confess that, you are not of God.
•          Finally, do you love? Not just your spouse or children, but the noisy neighbor down the street, the homeless woman on the corner, or your co-worker who spreads rumors about you. Do you say you love, or do you show you love? Jesus showed His love by dying for us; John says we show our love, not in word or talk, but in deed and in truth (1 John 3: 18).

My friend, how sweet it is to trust in Jesus, to have the blessed assurance that God loves us, to know we have eternal life. Now we can have the confidence of knowing that we can ask God anything according to His will, He will hear us because we are His beloved children (1 John 5: 13-14).

Dear Lord God,

I praise you for the Blessed Assurance

For the gift of mercy and grace

For the love you give me, so I can love others

I pray for the blessing of certainty for each person reading this today.

In Christ alone, Amen