Thursday, June 30, 2011

Noxious

One day last summer
while at a multi-family picnic,
my teen-aged daughters
ran playfully to the pavilion
where the adults were visiting
and presented me with a small bouquet
of wildflowers.

I received them with delight.

However,
a friend gently cautioned us
that we should be careful
about picking certain wildflowers.

He pointed out a few particular ones in the bunch
and informed us that they were noxious plants
and should not be handled.

I felt deceived
by a very real danger
in the embodiment of something so lovely.

I felt sad
as I placed the little gathering of blossoms
far away from the picnic tables
so that others would not see them
or touch them.

I felt hesitation
to trust in my own naivety,
for such grave possibility
now loomed as a dark cloud
hovering over what once was
a simple delight.

I felt motivated
to learn more about
how to discern between
harmless plants
and those which are unsafe,
recognizing the value of prevention.

Noxious
Harmful, Toxic, Poisonous,
Deadly, Lethal, Venomous,
Injurious, Deleterious

Obnoxious
Loathsome, Hateful, Horrible,
Insufferable, Intolerable, Detestable,
Unbearable, Abhorrent, Abominable,
Despicable, Repugnant, Repellent

The two words are nearly the same,
yet one is purely scientific
while the other is entirely relational.

The two words are nearly the same,
yet God has chosen
to provide the opportunity
   for redemption,
      for purification,
         for regeneration
to one...

the relational one...


me.

"For God did not send His Son into the world
to condemn the world,
but in order that the world might be saved
through Him."
~John 3:17

Friday, June 24, 2011

Caught by Surprise!

A sudden hail storm
swooshed through our valley
yesterday afternoon.

The guys working on our house construction
ran around frantically
covering saws with tarps
and throwing tools into truck cabs
before dashing into the house
drenched and laughing.

It was over nearly as quickly as it began.

Moments later,
as I stepped outside
into a sparkly wonderland
under a handful of small puffy white clouds
and amazingly brilliant blue skies,
my senses became overwhelmed
with the pungently sweet aroma
of sage.

The delightful fragrance
caught me by surprise.

"When the day of Pentecost had come,
they were all together in one place.

"And suddenly there came from heaven
a noise like a violent rushing wind,
and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

"And there appeared to them tongues as of fire
distributing themselves,
and they rested on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak with other tongues,
as the Spirit was giving them utterance."
~Acts 2:1-4

"Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe;
and many wonders and signs
were taking place through the apostles."
~Acts 2:43

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Petitions

She describes her situation
with enough accuracy to persuade,
but there are hints of self-deception,
maturing of illusive pretext;
like a softly done make-up,
sweet in its first impression.

The depths of her eyes speak otherwise.

Sincere intentions and earnest prayers
began in truth
but have been nurtured in her desire for safety at all costs,
eventually leading to thorough explanations
and petitions offered in self-defense.

She wants approval.
Her desire is to hear,
"That's great!  I'm so happy for you."

But I cannot say those words.
The undertones of looming destruction
drone with undulating dissonance
in sobering anticipation.

The unknown quantity,
her core motivating factor,
has yet to be revealed.

It's not just her, Lord. 
I am quite familiar in my own experiences
with this type of creeping transformation,
toe-dipping over the line,
redefining truth in my own mind
... all within the clever disguised of prayer.

When does prayer become sin?
...when they become petitions
offered in my own defense?

...when I explain my needs,
set the agenda
and design the expected outcome?

...when my will collides
with that of the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent God?


If I am honest with myself,
I will ask Him...

The Hard Request
"Lord teach (me) to pray..."
~Luke 11:1

It is the hard request
because it requires true submission of my heart,
relinquishment of my perception of control,
my refusal to yield to distraction,
my focused quietness before Him.

And when He speaks to me
the answer which I already know by memory...

"When you pray, say:
'Our Father who is in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
for we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom
and the power
and the glory forever.  Amen."
~Matthew 6:9-13

...reassurance of His presence will be made known
perhaps as a quiet whisper,
or like sheets of wind and sleet,
or like light shining through a keyhole,
or simply like a the gentle touch and assurance of strength
from a comforting arm around my shoulders.

"These all with one mind
were continually devoting themselves
to prayer...
And they prayed and said,
'You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men,
show us."
~Acts 1:14,24

"...striving together
for the faith of the gospel..."
~Philippians 1:27

"Beware of the dogs,
beware of the evil workers,
beware of the false circumcision;
for we are the true circumcision,
who worship in the Spirit of God
and glory in Christ Jesus
and put no confidence in the flesh."
~Philippians 3:2

"The Lord is near. 
Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God. 
And the peace of God,
which surpasses all comprehension,
will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus." 
~Philippians 4:5-7

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Preparation

What do...
an evening Bible study,
cutting lumber,
and two guys on bicycles
have in common?

My husband and sons spend the whole day
cutting 2 x 4s, building window headers,
and stacking the pieces in specific areas on the plywood decking.
My daughter prepared their meals
and I ran to the hardware store as needed.
Tomorrow is framing day!

Two young men spent several months
pouring over maps, promoting their cause,
improvising for efficiency, and training their muscles.
Numerous friends pitched in their pledges per mile
and wrote notes to offer courage and cheer.
Today they completed their first 1,000 miles
of their 4,000+ mile ride across America.

A small group of believers gathered in a living room
to study the Scriptures, watch a portion of a DVD series,
discuss the implications of morals & ethics
as applied to our lives as believers and as members of society,
and pray together.
Next week, we meet again.

Preparation is Essential.

In view of the enormous tasks at hand,
it is with much prayer
and careful, thought-saturated purpose,
coupled with the encouragement and support of friends,
that the goals remain in sight.

"All Scripture is inspired by God
and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction,
for training in righteousness,
so that the man of God may be adequate,
equipped for every good work." 
~II Timothy 3:16,17

"Your Word I have treasured in my heart,
that I may not sin against You." 
~Psalm 119:11

"Stand firm therefore...
having shod your feet
with the preparation of the Gospel of peace."
~Ephesians 6:14,15

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Happy Face Outcome

A number of years ago,
we had an inexpensive but functioning printer
that progressed through a series of beeps and groans
and gear grinding noises
to accomplish its intended purpose.

One day, I decided to see just exactly how long it took
to make one copy.

So, I drew a happy face on a piece of paper,
placed it upside down on the glass
and closed the lid.

Then, pushing the start buttons
on the printer and my stopwatch simultaneously,
the two of us proceeded with our routine duet
of vocal and mechanical harmony;
a sort of file clerk beatboxing practice session,
one that should never, ever be witnessed or recorded.

When the overture emitted its grand finale
and the copy of my happy face landed in the tray,
the actual time proved to be
..... *drum roll*.....
twenty-three seconds!

That's a long time to wait for a happy face...
... but I knew it would eventually come out.

Daniel was a very patient man,
serving under several arrogant, self-centered rulers,
who proceeded through their own series of beeps and groans
and gear grinding noises,
displaying extreme measures of manipulation and aggression
to flaunt their powerful authority
and feed their insatiable pride.

Yet, throughout the book of Daniel,
every interpreted dream,
every miracle of protection and provision,
every confounding of earthly wisdom and power,
was another well-placed slam of the spiritual sledge hammer
which drove the spike of Proclaimed Truth firmly into place...

"The Most High God
is ruler over the realm of mankind"
~Daniel 5:21

Daniel served God faithfully,
all the while establishing a trustworthy reputation
as a confidant, a dream revealer and "chief of the magicians" (4:9),
risking his life to relay God's disagreeable prophecies
to blasphemous ruling powers;
Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius, Cyrus.

That's a long time to wait for a happy face,
but he knew it would eventually come out.

"Your Word is Truth,
and every one of Your righteous ordinances
is everlasting.
Princes persecute me without cause,
but my heart stands in awe of Your words."
~Psalm 119:160,161

Friday, June 17, 2011

Dominion Challenge

The sound of
fingernails scraping slowly across a chalkboard,
tips of fork tines pushing across a ceramic plate,
packaging tape being ripped from its roll.

The feel of
a cotton ball rubbing between thumb and fingertip,
the sandpapery lick of a cow's tongue,
the ultimate tickle of an electric nose hair trimmer at work.

No big deal?  ...or...
Make a mad dash for the nearest exit
and shiver in excruciating anticipation of a possible recurrence?

It's easy to be strong and courageous
until a seemingly frivolous weak spot
such as one of these
stimulates instant anxiety.

Fleeting moments of desperation,
when power over my own domain
has been briefly but utterly usurped,
are opportunities which demonstrate
the absurdity of my inclination to believe
that I am capable of any control of my being
in the first place.

"Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations,
and men of every language that live in all the earth:
'May your peace abound! 
It has seemed good to me
to declare the signs and wonders
which the Most High God has done for me. 

How great are His signs
and how mighty are His wonders! 
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom
and His dominion
is from generation to generation.'"
~Daniel 4:1-3

The three men
who were cast into the blazing inferno
upon his command
survived unscathed,
nor were their hair and clothing singed,
"...nor had the smell of fire even come upon them..." (3:27)

Nebuchadnezzar's domain vs. the power of the Almighty God.
~black and white~ 

Fleeting moments of desperation,
when power over his own domain
had been briefly but utterly usurped,
was an opportunity which demonstrated
the absurdity of his inclination to believe
that he was capable of any control of his being
in the first place.

It was then
for one brief year of his reign
that the great powerful ruler of the day
acknowledged the Most High God
as ruler over all.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Servi-Tude

Have you ever stood and watched
as someone serves someone else?

...it feels like reading another person's diary,
...it feels like being two feet taller than everyone in the room,
...it feels like sitting between two engaged people while they're looking at each other.

Yet somehow, the awkwardness of being an outsider
is overwhelmed by the awe and wonder
of the moment.

There is something holy
about serving
and being served.

Almost tangible,
the action of sincere, benevolent, compassionate service
fills the air with its presence,
draws eyes and ears with a penetrating, nearly visible force,
and leaves behind a lingering essence of beauty
which cannot be duplicated.

The urge to emulate the one who serves
is a commanding influence.

Yet this powerful draw to serve pales in comparison to
the overwhelming repulsion
of ever having to imitate the one who is being served.

Why do I come to Jesus?
Does my need drive me to Him
simply to be satisfied?

Is my desire for me
my preliminary motivation?
...my gauge of success?
...my measure of fulfillment?

Did Jesus ever heal a body
or meet a physical need
without initiating
a soul shock?
...a faith stimulus?
...an intimate heart connection?

"Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, 
you are looking for Me, 
not because you saw miraculous signs 
but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 
Do not work for food that spoils, 
but for food that endures to eternal life, 
which the Son of Man will give you." 
~John 6:26,27

Why does Jesus come to me?
"He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him,
'Lord, are you going to wash my feet?'  
 Jesus replied, 
'You do not realize now what I am doing, 
but later you will understand.... 
Unless I wash (serve) you, 
you have no part with Me.'"
~John 13:6-8 

"Remember the words I spoke to you:   
'No servant is greater than his master.'  
 If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.  
 If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also." 
~John 15:20

"...the Son of Man did not come to be served, 
but to serve, 
and to give His life as a ransom for many." 
~Matthew 20:28

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Sarcasm

Sarcasm              Sarcasm
sends two messages   sends two messages
        at the same time   at the same time.

A minimal sprinkling
of lighthearted sarcasm
catches me by surprise and causes me to think.

But too much sarcasm
sarcasmsarcasmsarcasmtruthsarcasmsarcasmtruthsarcasmsarcasmsarcasmsarcasm
is confusing,
making it difficult for me to establish trust.

"Let the words of my mouth
and the meditations of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O Lord,
my Rock and my Redeemer."
~Psalm 19:14

When I was a Little Girl...

When I was a little girl
my daddy was tall and strong,
even stronger than my three big brothers.
Sometimes he growled like a bear,
then tickled me with his scratchy whiskers.
He always kept chocolate covered peanuts
in his file cabinet... it was our secret stash.
When I climbed up onto his lap for a Bible story,
he let me pull the pencils out of his shirt pocket
so they wouldn't poke me when we snuggled.

When I was a young girl
my daddy was smart and brave.
He knew about so many things
and could calculate complicated math in his head
faster than anyone else.
One time, an angry gas station owner
mistook my dad for a thief
and came after him with a gun.
I watched in amazement
as my dad threw the truck keys to my mom,
then snatched the gun from the man's hand
and twisted the man's arm behind his back.
It all had happened as fast as lightning.
My daddy used these and other experiences
as teaching tools
helping me to learn from God's Word.

When I was a girl in love,
my daddy was patient and understanding.
He spoke to my boyfriend
as a man and as a friend
about business ideas,
about politics,
about God's Word.
When we considered marriage,
my dad soothed my mother's worries
and assured us that she would be fine.

When I was a married woman,
my daddy was wise and encouraging.
He listened well, asked thoughtful questions,
and offered sound advice in a gentle manner.
His vast knowledge of the Bible
was a valuable source of insight
and good judgment.

The years have come and gone one by one
offering kindness throughout each changing season.
My daddy was tall and strong,
my daddy was smart and brave,
my daddy was patient and understanding,
my daddy was wise and encouraging...

...and now that I must be these things for him,
I feel small and unsure,
as if I have become a little girl again.

Perhaps it is an illusion
to think that I have ever really stopped
being a little girl...

"Because you are sons,
God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,
the Spirit who calls out,
'Abba, Father!'" 
~Galatians 4:6

Monday, June 6, 2011

Building a House

Important aspects to consider when building a house:

  1. Consider the location carefully in order to determine practical and creative design features of structure.
  2. Begin with a plan and build accordingly to gauge the outcome.
  3. Situate in order to capture the best view and air circulation and to let in sufficient light.
  4. The foundation must be solid and square.
  5. Prepare a way to enter and exit.
  6. Proper drainage and a sufficient septic system are essential to insure against flooding or sewage back-up.
  7. Fortify structure and add ample insulation to offer protection from the elements.
  8. Power supply must be routed from the source to the structure through proper conduit for maximum efficiency, effectiveness and safety.
  9. Using quality tools when possible help to maximize efforts throughout the building process.
  10. Although a building project is messy and involves dirt, sweat, noise, danger, sharp objects, inclement weather, varying qualities of material, expense, intermittent help, building codes, inspections, tight schedules, sore muscles, long hours, etc., within the finished outcome is security, peace, rest… and a place to get a nice, warm, refreshing, cleansing shower!

Important aspects to consider when building a life:

  1. Consider the location carefully in order to determine practical and creative design features of structure.
    • I Corinthians 12:4-7
    • Colossians 4:5,6
    • Philippians 4:11-13
  2. Begin with a plan and build accordingly to gauge the outcome.
    • Matthew 6:33
    • II Timothy 2:15
  3. Situate in order to capture the best view and air circulation and to let in sufficient light.
    • Ephesians 5:1,2,8
    • I Thessalonians 5:4,5,11
    • I John 1:7
  4. The foundation must be solid and square.
    • Hebrews 6:19
    • Psalm 118:22
  5. Prepare a way to enter and exit.
    • Romans 10:9-11
    • Galatians 2:20
    • John 3:5-8,16
  6. Proper drainage and a sufficient septic system are essential to insure against flooding or sewage back-up.
    • Romans 3:23,24
    • Romans 5:1,2
  7. Fortify structure and add ample insulation to offer protection from the elements.
    • Ephesians 6:11-17
    • Philippians 4:4-9
  8. Power supply must be routed from the source to the structure through proper conduit for maximum efficiency, effectiveness and safety.
    • II Timothy 3:16
    • Romans 1:16
    • Philippians 4:6
  9. Using quality tools when possible help to maximize efforts throughout the building process.
    • James 1:5
    • Psalm 119:11
    • I Peter 4:11
  10. Although a building project is messy and involves dirt, sweat, noise, danger, sharp objects, inclement weather, varying qualities of material, expense, intermittent help, building codes, inspections, tight schedules, sore muscles, long hours, etc., within the finished outcome is security, peace, rest… and a place to get a nice, warm, refreshing, cleansing shower!
    • Romans 5:3-5
    • James 1:2-4
    • Acts 4:19,20
    • Nehemiah 9:17
    • Philippians 3:7-8

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them,
may he be compared to a wise man
who built his house on the rock.
And the rain fell,
and the floods came,
and the winds blew and slammed against that house;
and yet it did not fall,
for it had been founded on the rock.”
~Matthew 7:24,25

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord,
‘My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust!’”
~Psalm 91:1,2