40 Loaves

As I told you previously, I have signed up to get free books with a publisher.  The catch is that I have to review each book I receive for free on my blog.  40 Loaves Breaking Bread with Our Father Each Day is the second book I’ve agreed to read and then review. I chose this book because of the back cover which reads, “There are many questions we’re not supposed to ask when playing by religious rules. It makes people uncomfortable.”

That’s me. I like to ask questions and don’t really mind making others uncomfortable. This book asks 40 questions that we all would like to ask and get a straight answer. And for those of you with short attention spans, each question is answered in just two or three pages.

I’d classify 40 Loaves as a devotional book and in fact I’ll probably use it that way as I read through it again so that I can absorb it better.  Each chapter/day a question is posed and answered then you’re given some “Food for Thought” questions for self-examination as well as a short prayer. The questions asked and answered range from “Why do I get so angry with God?” to “Why are some Christians so hard for me to like?” and “Why have I stopped dreaming?”

I really enjoyed this book.  I felt like the author had asked himself each question and had found the answers in scripture and through his own experiences wrestling with God. I found myself encouraged, not discouraged while reading this book.

I was encouraged to see that others ask the same questions I do. I was encouraged that there are answers based on scripture to those questions. I was encouraged because I don’t need to feel guilty for asking questions or overwhelmed that there is no answer. Most of all I was encouraged because I felt closer to God after reading this book. I think we are all encouraged when we find a kindred spirit who can put into words what we are thinking.

I received two copies of the book.  To see if anyone really reads this blog all the way through, I will give my second copy to the first person to respond with a comment.

Now for the required acknowledgments so I don’t get into trouble:

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. Here’s a link to learn more about or purchase these books at RandomHouse.com:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307444905

 

Blizzard of 09

Frozen horse poop – much like a hockey puck only not so flat. And why would our dog think that’s the best thing in the world to chew on!

You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him or her drink. I’m just glad I didn’t carry that heavy bucket of water to the stall. I only shoveled a path about 10 feet long to get to the hydrant!

The drifts are much easier to walk through on the back of a horse.

Riding bareback in drifts 2 feet and more takes away the fear of falling off!

Prayer helps start snowblowers.

Thank God for Smartwool socks, Carharts, Muck Boots and down coats!  Ski goggles also help keep your face warm when there are 40 mile wind gusts.

If it weren’t for my husband, I’d still be snowbound unless I rode my horse to town.

Fresh snow drifts in the sunlight have an interesting blue tint just like you see in pictures of glaciers.

Did I say thank  you God that we had electricity? I would much rather endure several days in the early summer without power and losing food from our freezer than be without power right now.  God’s timing is perfect.  We had 2 power poles blow down in our driveway earlier this year.  Thank God it wasn’t yesterday!

Sometimes you don’t have to do anything, just be present.

Old movies are better on snow days. Food tastes better on snow days. The house seems cosier on snow days.

Going outside is a sure cure for cabin fever. Bundle up and enjoy the fresh air even if it’s just for a few minutes.

Tell me about your experiences during the blizzard of ‘09.

 

Wesley on Money

I took this from Dave Ramsey’s Twitter page. For those of you who feel guilty if you have money and are a Christian…

“Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can”

John Wesley

 

45 Life Lessons

One thing about the blogosphere, if I understand the culture correctly, is that it’s ok to use other people’s material or to re-post something that has been well received.  Since tomorrow is supposed to be a snow day, here is a list that it would be good to ponder for several days.  This list is so good that almost any one lesson could be developed into a blog…

#40 is my pick of the day to ponder. I think it falls under the category of, “the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.” What’s your pick of the day?

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio .

“To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.  It is the most-requested column I’ve ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:”

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye.  But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.”

 

Different but the same

I have 2 friends with children who participated in the same event recently. It was interesting to hear about the event from their different perspectives. One child had a lead role. The other child was just part of the larger chorus.  Both moms were excited about how well the event turned out but for very different reasons.

The child who had the lead role performed well, did a great job and had fun.  For an exuberant, outgoing personality having that role was just a matter of using the abilities and traits she’d been given. Certainly, she was thrilled to have the role and worked hard to learn her part. And I am certain her mom prayed for her and talked to her about using her abilities in a way that would please God.

For the child who was part of the larger chorus, just to participate with the rest of her class was a major deal. For a child plagued by “stage fright” just going up with the rest of her classmates must have seemed like climbing Mt. Everest. Someone who didn’t know the back story, might have thought her parents were overdoing it to be so excited that she was able to participate.  I know her mom prayed for her. I know her mom even encouraged her child to find and memorize a Bible verse to help her when she felt afraid.

What a difference perspective makes. What different goals for the two children. What a good reminder that things are not always as they seem on the surface.  And what a perfect picture of how God sees us.  He did not create us all to play the lead.  He gave some of us challenges that others find hard to understand.  He is pleased with each one of us when we depend on Him to do our best.

 

Comparisons

I’m sitting here eating a mini Tootsie Pop as dessert after lunch, while trying to find something to blog about. And I remembered a feeling I had last night at a meeting for our small group leaders.  Everyone was taking a turn telling us about their group.  And I found myself thinking, “Hey, that group sounds like they are better than our group. They are more spiritual, have more fun, etc., etc.”

Am I the only person who does this? At times I seem to go through life doing the comparison game, “That person is more __________ than I am.” I have no trouble noticing someone:

–who is prettier, younger, has cooler clothes

–who is better at my favorite hobby

–whose spouse seems more considerate

–who has it together spiritually

Do you find yourself comparing yourself to others? Do you feel like you come up short most of the time? Does your life seem mundane and ordinary in comparison?

Well, STOP IT! It’s not good for you and I don’t believe it is what God wants. I think God wants us to have an honest view of ourselves.  But we are to appreciate that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” as well.  We are not to think ourselves better than others but should be grateful for the way God has gifted each one of us uniquely. And I believe God wants us to use our gifts to help others.

So instead of making comparisons, let’s just be thankful for others’ gifts.  Then maybe you can get that gal who is talented in home decorating to give you a tip or 2 about your home. Maybe your friend who has the cool clothes will go shopping with you sometime. Maybe you can ask your spiritual friend to pray for you when you need it.

Does that sound one sided? I’ll bet you have a gift or 2 that you can reciprocate in kind.  Then you both get to use your gifts and you can form a mutual appreciation society (commonly called a friendship)!

 

From Stuff Christians Like

Kim introduced me to this guy and I read his blogs when I have some time or need a laugh or need material for this blog.  Read this for good perspective about yourself.

Thinking You\’re Naked

 

Change

This morning I was doing the usual reading but not really absorbing daily reading of my Bible.   I was in 1 Peter 5:5-6 when I thought, “Oh, that’s interesting. Peter telling us to be humble.”

Then my mind drifted to Paul.  Maybe because our small group talked at length about him recently. What came to my mind was that Paul talks about the need to lift up Jesus or “preach Christ crucified.”

So I had to sit there and think, what do those two thoughts have in common? And I realized that Paul and Peter had the common experience of being changed.  Just like Glenn preached last Sunday, both men had done religion. Their lives were not changed until they had experienced Jesus.  Even more so, it wasn’t until the Holy Spirit lived in them that their lives changed dramatically.

Paul’s religious practice left him a murderer.  Peter’s life before Jesus’ death, revealed an impulsive and eventually cowardly man.  You only have to do a brief examination of the lives of these two men to see a dramatic change — in essence a ‘before and after.’  What is the common denominator?  Belief in Jesus who died then was resurrected and the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

Compare the Paul (Saul) of  Acts 8:1-3 with 1 Cor 1:23 and the Peter of Matthew 26:33-35, Matthew 27:75 with Acts 2:14-41.  Then read Acts 2:4 and Acts 9:17 to see what made the difference.

The difference in ‘before and after’ and the secret to a vital life of faith is the power of the Holy Spirit.  It is available to any who ask for it.  Evidence that you have the Holy Spirit is a changed life.  It may not be as dramatic as Peter or Paul but I hope you can look back and see that you are a different person now than you were before.

As I was sitting at the kitchen counter taking a few notes so I could remember all this and blog about it later, the words to this song popped into my head.  I didn’t even know the title or who sings it so I had to goggle it. I think Peter would appreciate this song and the lyrics. I hope it blesses you today.

Empty Me by Chris Sligh

Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me so I can be
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with you.
Oh, filled with you.
Empty me.

 

Don’t get it

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (New Living Translation)

⁸ Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.⁹ Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.¹⁰ That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I don’t get this verse. I find it hard to relate to Paul–what is he, sick? Why would anyone take pleasure in weaknesses or troubles? But I don’t like it when I can’t understand or figure stuff out. So I’ve been reflecting on this verse for a couple of days now. And this verse makes me do a major shift in usual my way of thinking.  It’s what the Bible forces me to do so much of the time.  I have to stop thinking like the world around me and try to get my mind around God’s way of looking at life.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to be weak or vulnerable and I certainly don’t like to suffer or have hardships or be insulted. So why would Paul say this? I don’t get it but this much I do get:

When I am feeling good, things are going well, no worries, it’s easy for me to forget about God or that I even need him.

My weaknesses help me relate to other people. Before my father died, it was too easy for me to thoughtlessly say, “I know what you are going through.” The experience of my dad’s extended illness and much time spent in the hospital the last 5 years of his life taught me that most of the time I have no idea what other people are going through.

“My power works best in weakness.” Maybe this is the crux of the matter. In my strength, in my own abilities, I crowd out God. I am so busy being strong, being in control that there is no room for God to work.  He needs me to get out of the way so He can work.  It’s not until I feel helpless that I let Him work through me.

“My grace is all you need.” I told someone yesterday, “We need to live in grace more.” It surprised me when it came out of my mouth but it was true so it had to come from God.  I don’t have to do or become something else to prove something to God. He did it. It was finished on the cross. So I can live knowing God loves me even if I am flawed. I can live knowing that the world will not come to an end if I don’t lead that small group or tell that person just what she needs to know to get her on the right track. I can start living an abundant life when I stop trying to prove something to myself or to others or to God.

If I live in grace and allow myself to be weak then God will work best and He will get the glory.  And while He is getting the glory, I get the pleasure of watching Him work and get to bask in the blessings.

So, I don’t have to get it. I don’t have to understand all that these verses mean.  I can admit my weakness of not being the brightest bulb theologically.  And I can trust in a great God who loves me and wants the best for me.

 

Big Words

We have a new guy, John, helping out at church who confounds the rest of us each Monday morning during staff meeting with his big words. Recent examples are exegesis (I can’t even begin to spell that word) and liturgical correctness.

So this morning when checking emails I came across an article by Francis Chan that explained exegesis so I thought I’d share it.  Like John, Francis Chan went to seminary but didn’t let that spoil him. He still talks about God in ways that make me want to be more like Jesus. And he is real. Ask Kim about meeting him at one of their youth conferences. It’s a great story.

Anyway read this if you were wondering what exegesis means, then keep reading for the interesting twist Francis gives…

“This process of starting with the Scriptures alone is what we call exegesis. One of the first lessons I learned in seminary was the difference between exegesis and eisegesis. Exegesis is starting with a passage of Scripture and pulling the meaning directly from the text. Exegesis aims for objectivity. You try to study without preconceived notions of what the passage teaches. You are surrendering yourself to whatever the text says.

Eisegesis is the opposite of that. We were warned against it, and rightly so. Eisegesis is when you attempt to import a subjective meaning into the text. In other words, you start with an idea, then look for verses to support your idea. This is a dangerous approach because your personal desires can determine your interpretation. In your heart, you desire divorce, immorality, wealth, etc., so you search the Bible for verses that will defend your point of view. In eisegesis, you are surrendering the Scriptures to your desires. In exegesis, you are surrendering your desires to the Scriptures.

While we were taught to study and preach exegetically, I don’t remember being taught to live exegetically. Many teach exegetically, yet live eisegetically. We call this hypocrisy. When it comes to life, do we really search the Scriptures first? Is the Bible really the basis for how we live? Or do we pursue a certain way of life and then use the Bible to justify our actions?”