Who said that life doesn't come with an instruction manual? I've often heard parents say that they wish their children came with instructions (particularly where the mute button is or where the 'power-down' option is located).
But you know that we do have an instructional manual, otherwise you probably wouldn't be reading this. It begins in Ephesians 4:25 and continues on through the end of that book. This is just one such location in the bible that offers a 'how to' for life.
Making these changes to my life has been easy. I want to be a better person. I want to live for Jesus. I want to go to heaven and have an eternity in the light of God. I'm not perfect at this, however. Changing the way a person lives is much like going on a diet (which is so very difficult!) We are giving up the sweetness of sin, throwing out the bags of crunchy, salty chips of desire, and saying 'no' to desserts topped with cherry lies and deceit. Replacing all that with a steady diet of bible readings, prayer, Mass, and more prayer. We are filling our 'snack times' with bible studies. We exercise in God's Word, building muscles for goodness and trimming the fat of sin. And while we may become beautiful bodies for the Lord, we will maintain our conservative dress and not parade around town in skimpy bikinis or dresses. Our beauty will be in our words, our actions, our prayers, in the fact that we live our lives not for ourselves, but for God.
Go read Ephesians 4:25 - 6:24. It's all there - everything you ever need to know about how to live your life.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Ephesians 4:17-21
God is so amazing! And the bible? I'm beginning to think of it as the original telephone - a direct link to God. Yesterday I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the entire CRHP process - the readings, the preparations, the meetings. But more than that, being a mother, a homeschooling parent, a wife, a daughter, the meal planner. The garden is kicking out tomatoes in record numbers and they need to be canned. So much to do! When will I do all this? How can I possibly do it well?
But God stepped in and said, "When will you remember to give all your worries to me? Silly girl! Here, read this: Romans 4:17-21, and remember why you are doing this."
(I didn't actually hear that, but I remembered to give my worries to God and when I opened my bible, this is the verse that it opened to. The title "Renewal in Christ" caught my eye and was a perfect answer.)
"So I declare and testify in the Lord that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; darkened in understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance, because of their hardness of heart, they have become callous and have handed themselves over to licentiousness for the practice of every kind of impurity to excess." Ephesians 17-19
My first thought was, "Wow! That's a long sentence!" Second thought, "What does 'licentiousness' mean?" Thanks to dictionary.com, the definition is:
–adjective
1.sexually unrestrained; lascivious; libertine; lewd.
2.unrestrained by law or general morality; lawless; immoral.
3.going beyond customary or proper bounds or limits; disregarding rules.
Don't you just love technology?
That first sentence was a description of who I used to be - someone who didn't follow God's law. A soul lost to the things of this world. The language is harsh, but very accurate: "darkened in understanding", "alienated", "hardness of heart". It was the reminder I needed as to why I'm doing this. It was a little kick in the pants from God saying, "You are not the person you used to be. You are my daughter, whom I love. Keep going. Keep reading. Come to me."
"That is not how you learned Christ, assuming that you heard of him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus, that you should put away your old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God's way in righteousness and holiness of truth."Ephesians 20-21
Yes! Put on my new self. Like a shirt or a robe, I can clothe myself in my faith in Jesus. Like a garment, my faith can be stained with sin or soiled with corruption. My choices are the grass stains and coffee spills on my white, renewed spirit. And just like a garment, I must keep it clean and pressed so that others may look at me and say, "She is a Christian". But mostly, I want to meet Jesus in a clean robe with the stains freshly washed away through Reconciliation, the wrinkles pressed flat through bible readings, and a clean mountain-fresh scent from doing as he said, "Eat my flesh and drink my blood and you will have everlasting life."
So thank you, God! Thank you for the bible that keeps me going. Thank you for inspiring these words so that your children may know you. Thank you for speaking to me this morning and sharing your love for me. You are a kind and loving father and I feel so loved! I hope my actions today please you, that my words are your words, that I show love for those I meet today the way you love them.
But God stepped in and said, "When will you remember to give all your worries to me? Silly girl! Here, read this: Romans 4:17-21, and remember why you are doing this."
(I didn't actually hear that, but I remembered to give my worries to God and when I opened my bible, this is the verse that it opened to. The title "Renewal in Christ" caught my eye and was a perfect answer.)
"So I declare and testify in the Lord that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; darkened in understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance, because of their hardness of heart, they have become callous and have handed themselves over to licentiousness for the practice of every kind of impurity to excess." Ephesians 17-19
My first thought was, "Wow! That's a long sentence!" Second thought, "What does 'licentiousness' mean?" Thanks to dictionary.com, the definition is:
–adjective
1.sexually unrestrained; lascivious; libertine; lewd.
2.unrestrained by law or general morality; lawless; immoral.
3.going beyond customary or proper bounds or limits; disregarding rules.
Don't you just love technology?
That first sentence was a description of who I used to be - someone who didn't follow God's law. A soul lost to the things of this world. The language is harsh, but very accurate: "darkened in understanding", "alienated", "hardness of heart". It was the reminder I needed as to why I'm doing this. It was a little kick in the pants from God saying, "You are not the person you used to be. You are my daughter, whom I love. Keep going. Keep reading. Come to me."
"That is not how you learned Christ, assuming that you heard of him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus, that you should put away your old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God's way in righteousness and holiness of truth."Ephesians 20-21
Yes! Put on my new self. Like a shirt or a robe, I can clothe myself in my faith in Jesus. Like a garment, my faith can be stained with sin or soiled with corruption. My choices are the grass stains and coffee spills on my white, renewed spirit. And just like a garment, I must keep it clean and pressed so that others may look at me and say, "She is a Christian". But mostly, I want to meet Jesus in a clean robe with the stains freshly washed away through Reconciliation, the wrinkles pressed flat through bible readings, and a clean mountain-fresh scent from doing as he said, "Eat my flesh and drink my blood and you will have everlasting life."
So thank you, God! Thank you for the bible that keeps me going. Thank you for inspiring these words so that your children may know you. Thank you for speaking to me this morning and sharing your love for me. You are a kind and loving father and I feel so loved! I hope my actions today please you, that my words are your words, that I show love for those I meet today the way you love them.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Butterflies
With our garden in full bloom, we've been visited frequently by a band of butterflies. Why is it that seeing a butterfly makes me stop and watch? It is such a treat to see a butterfly more than any other insect. Is it the fact that butterflies go through such a change? From larvae to caterpillar to chrysallis to butterfly? That's four different lives! Can we say as much about our lives?
Maybe.
Caterpillars devour everything in sight - leaves, fruits, vegetables. Munch-munching their way from a tiny size to a glutonous caterpillar the size of an adult's finger, these creatures can do some damage! It reminds me of people. We are consumers. If we see it and it looks like it will make us more impressive, we want it. We stuff ourselves on things, and soon, like the caterpillar, we need bigger skin.
Then the chrysallis stage. Caterpillars slow down, find a place to stay and form a Chrysallis - a cocoon of safety. Everything they've eaten has prepared them for this next stage - a metamorphosis from a creepy crawly to a masterpiece in flight. The Chrysallis stage for people has two possibilities. One, people are stuffed after consuming all the world has to offer. Caterpillars eat good things and become butterflies - exactly what God intended. But people don't always "eat" what we are supposed to. Our appetite ruins the shape God gave us. We drown our emotions in food, alcohol, pornography, and careers. The coccons for these people are lined with anti-depressants, therapists, and sin. When they emerge, if they emerge, they haven't changed. The metamorphosis couldn't take place because they were drugged to a stupor. In nature, these chrysallis are snacks for predators; little buttons of nourishment.
The second possibility for people entering the chryssalis stage is true change. They look over everything they've learned (consumed) and either like what they see or don't -- and change! Stillness follows. They wrap themselves in an agent of change: the bible, the church, good friends, or sometimes (and sadly) cults and practices that offer enlightenment. It's true that not all change is good. But change happens for these folks and they emerge in a completely new form; some stunning, some simple, some colorful, some in camoflauge - but all with wings.
So, am I a snack, shrink wrapped in the seven sins and waiting for some one to pluck me off a branch and take a bite? Or am I truly becoming what God intended? Finding my wings?
Maybe.
Caterpillars devour everything in sight - leaves, fruits, vegetables. Munch-munching their way from a tiny size to a glutonous caterpillar the size of an adult's finger, these creatures can do some damage! It reminds me of people. We are consumers. If we see it and it looks like it will make us more impressive, we want it. We stuff ourselves on things, and soon, like the caterpillar, we need bigger skin.
Then the chrysallis stage. Caterpillars slow down, find a place to stay and form a Chrysallis - a cocoon of safety. Everything they've eaten has prepared them for this next stage - a metamorphosis from a creepy crawly to a masterpiece in flight. The Chrysallis stage for people has two possibilities. One, people are stuffed after consuming all the world has to offer. Caterpillars eat good things and become butterflies - exactly what God intended. But people don't always "eat" what we are supposed to. Our appetite ruins the shape God gave us. We drown our emotions in food, alcohol, pornography, and careers. The coccons for these people are lined with anti-depressants, therapists, and sin. When they emerge, if they emerge, they haven't changed. The metamorphosis couldn't take place because they were drugged to a stupor. In nature, these chrysallis are snacks for predators; little buttons of nourishment.
The second possibility for people entering the chryssalis stage is true change. They look over everything they've learned (consumed) and either like what they see or don't -- and change! Stillness follows. They wrap themselves in an agent of change: the bible, the church, good friends, or sometimes (and sadly) cults and practices that offer enlightenment. It's true that not all change is good. But change happens for these folks and they emerge in a completely new form; some stunning, some simple, some colorful, some in camoflauge - but all with wings.
So, am I a snack, shrink wrapped in the seven sins and waiting for some one to pluck me off a branch and take a bite? Or am I truly becoming what God intended? Finding my wings?
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Light Bulbs?
I'm reading the book of Acts, when the Holy Spirit "appeared to them (the Apostles) tongues of fire, which parted and came to rest on each of them." The Apostles were inside, behind locked doors for fear of persecution. The Holy Spirit came to them despite the barracades and bestowed them with languages and insight uncommon for the normal man, but possible for true followers of Jesus.
Tongues of fire from God to enlighten the Apostles. How similar is that from the 'light bulb over the head' image? The light bulb, being man-made, would reflect ideas that are not necessarily original, but of man; whereas only a select few ever recieve the gift of the Holy Spirit, thus opening their mouths, minds, and souls to the greatness of God. The best one can hope for with a light bulb is to see what is right in front of them. But even then, what is hidden in the shadows remains hidden. Not so with God; He transcends all locks, languages, peoples, and situations.
Or - have people, as a whole, taken God out of our ideas, claiming that man is in control of his own world by replacing the visual representation of "tongues of fire" with the glass-encasted vacuum of electic light?
Tongues of fire from God to enlighten the Apostles. How similar is that from the 'light bulb over the head' image? The light bulb, being man-made, would reflect ideas that are not necessarily original, but of man; whereas only a select few ever recieve the gift of the Holy Spirit, thus opening their mouths, minds, and souls to the greatness of God. The best one can hope for with a light bulb is to see what is right in front of them. But even then, what is hidden in the shadows remains hidden. Not so with God; He transcends all locks, languages, peoples, and situations.
Or - have people, as a whole, taken God out of our ideas, claiming that man is in control of his own world by replacing the visual representation of "tongues of fire" with the glass-encasted vacuum of electic light?
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
House Fly Words or Butterfly Words?
Summer is in it's full glory (finally, after such a cool start) and the insects are making up for lost time. During a recent walk, a team of flies decided to join me. They buzzed in tight circles around my head and took turns dive bombing my face. They didn't follow me into the sunshine and for that I'm grateful because I would have missed the butterflies. All over a small field of flowers, two dozen butterflies went about the business of gathering nectar and bumping along the air on giant wings. I stopped to watch for a few minutes, happy that they flies had remained in the shadows, giving me a moment of peace.
As I walked on, a funny thought came to me. I have people in my life who are like flies. House flies. One friend in particular came to mind. She's lovely and makes me laugh, but I've discovered that I can not rely on her for anything. She has great ideas and the best intentions. She'll talk over ideas, asks me to help out, and then drops the whole thing when it shows the slightest chance of becoming a challenge. She's held many jobs; all ending with a bad taste in her mouth. Her words are House Fly Words. They are born out of poop and buzz around me in annoying circles until I squach them flat.
Then there are people who do what they say they will do. They pray for those in need. They have great ideas and have built a good life on them. Their careers are usually more solid and they have the "twenty-year plaque" to prove it. I love listening to these friends because they speak Butterfly Words - hauntingly beautiful, fluttery words that make me smile. These are the words that I want to chase across a field, catch in a net and display for all to admire.
I want to speak butterfly words; to write butterfly words. I want to be still in God's Word so I may emerge each day a change person-- changed from my days as a gluttonous caterpillar consumer. I want wings!
As I walked on, a funny thought came to me. I have people in my life who are like flies. House flies. One friend in particular came to mind. She's lovely and makes me laugh, but I've discovered that I can not rely on her for anything. She has great ideas and the best intentions. She'll talk over ideas, asks me to help out, and then drops the whole thing when it shows the slightest chance of becoming a challenge. She's held many jobs; all ending with a bad taste in her mouth. Her words are House Fly Words. They are born out of poop and buzz around me in annoying circles until I squach them flat.
Then there are people who do what they say they will do. They pray for those in need. They have great ideas and have built a good life on them. Their careers are usually more solid and they have the "twenty-year plaque" to prove it. I love listening to these friends because they speak Butterfly Words - hauntingly beautiful, fluttery words that make me smile. These are the words that I want to chase across a field, catch in a net and display for all to admire.
I want to speak butterfly words; to write butterfly words. I want to be still in God's Word so I may emerge each day a change person-- changed from my days as a gluttonous caterpillar consumer. I want wings!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Thirty-seven things to do in my thirty-seventh year:
Today is my birthday. Instead of just celebrating with presents and cake, I'm going to treat today like New Year's. What follows is my list of resolutions. Here's to another great year!
1. To have no specific plans on my birthday, but just enjoy the day as it comes.
2. Read the bible cover to cover.
3. Have a great year homeschooling the girls.
4. Adopt a baby (I really have no control over this, but it’s still a desire)
5. Run five 5K’s.
6. Sell this house and find a farmhouse.
7. Raise chickens at my new farmhouse.
8. Finish writing two more novels.
9. Sell the first novel to a publisher/find an agent.
10. Continue to grow in my faith.
11. Fight against the government and their plot to remove my parental rights.
12. Read at least one book a month.
13. Add posts to both my blogs at least once a week.
14. Maintain my current insulin usage.
15. Go to Stratford for the Shakespeare festival.
16. Travel to Notre Dame with my church group for a pilgrimage.
17. Take a bus/train to Chicago and visit a good friend – whom I miss dearly, even though I don’t call as often as I should!
18. Go to “Mexico”.
19. Attend my 20th high school reunion. Yikes!
20.Lead a bible study.
21. Celebrate my 12th Wedding anniversary.
22. Make a three-tiered cake – a fancy one.
23. Finish at least one family scrapbook. I’m several years behind.
24. Rejoice always!
25. Run around Mackinaw Island. (I’m not sure I even spelling that right, but luckily spelling isn’t necessary for running.)
26. Host a girls’ night out at my house.
27. Be content with what God has given me – not to look at His gifts as insufficient or undesirable.
28. Not use a credit card all year. Cash only.
29. Submit six short stories to Children’s magazines.
30. Read the Newberry Medal books from the last 10 years.
31. Convince myself that I don’t like chocolate.
32. Actually print the pictures I take.
33. Give away things I don’t need any more.
34. Give away something I still use, but that someone can use more.
35. Live in such a way that people who just meet me think, “That woman is a Christian!”
36. Begin and end each day in prayer – and probably several times in between.
37. Tithe a true 10%. (I tip 20%, so why should I hold back from God?)
1. To have no specific plans on my birthday, but just enjoy the day as it comes.
2. Read the bible cover to cover.
3. Have a great year homeschooling the girls.
4. Adopt a baby (I really have no control over this, but it’s still a desire)
5. Run five 5K’s.
6. Sell this house and find a farmhouse.
7. Raise chickens at my new farmhouse.
8. Finish writing two more novels.
9. Sell the first novel to a publisher/find an agent.
10. Continue to grow in my faith.
11. Fight against the government and their plot to remove my parental rights.
12. Read at least one book a month.
13. Add posts to both my blogs at least once a week.
14. Maintain my current insulin usage.
15. Go to Stratford for the Shakespeare festival.
16. Travel to Notre Dame with my church group for a pilgrimage.
17. Take a bus/train to Chicago and visit a good friend – whom I miss dearly, even though I don’t call as often as I should!
18. Go to “Mexico”.
19. Attend my 20th high school reunion. Yikes!
20.Lead a bible study.
21. Celebrate my 12th Wedding anniversary.
22. Make a three-tiered cake – a fancy one.
23. Finish at least one family scrapbook. I’m several years behind.
24. Rejoice always!
25. Run around Mackinaw Island. (I’m not sure I even spelling that right, but luckily spelling isn’t necessary for running.)
26. Host a girls’ night out at my house.
27. Be content with what God has given me – not to look at His gifts as insufficient or undesirable.
28. Not use a credit card all year. Cash only.
29. Submit six short stories to Children’s magazines.
30. Read the Newberry Medal books from the last 10 years.
31. Convince myself that I don’t like chocolate.
32. Actually print the pictures I take.
33. Give away things I don’t need any more.
34. Give away something I still use, but that someone can use more.
35. Live in such a way that people who just meet me think, “That woman is a Christian!”
36. Begin and end each day in prayer – and probably several times in between.
37. Tithe a true 10%. (I tip 20%, so why should I hold back from God?)
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