The Best Intentions

So... I had the best of intentions when I decided to write a daily thought for each of the Jesse tree symbols. You can see that it didn't happen. I can list a dozen excuses (a baby in the house being #1), but the truth is, I became overwhelmed by the Christmas season; which was exactly what I was trying to avoid.

My plan B was to just what I could, then take a picture of the Jesse Tree to show you. This is where my husband's 'best intentions' interfered. He graciously took down all the Christmas decorations while I did the grocery shopping. It was wonderful, but the Jesse Tree was taken down before I could snap the picture.

sigh.

If this were an experiment in faith, my hypothesis was, "If I commit to the Jesse Tree, I will have a greater understanding of the meaning of Christmas."

My data collection was sketchy at best as I was unable to formulate my daily schedule to be consistent enough to even finish the Jesse Tree.

The conclusion: despite the Jesse Tree, I fell victim to the 'rush' of Christmas, the deadline of cookies, and the pressure of gift-wrapping. There was a difference, however, that didn't show until after the Christmas flurry. I found silence and peace in the Christmas Mass. The words in the readings resounded loudly in my ears, for I knew the long line of stories that lead up to the Nativity.

I pray that your Christmas preparations were more successful than mine. I will certainly try again for next year. Faith persists!

Knowing Yourself

I was taught a valuable lesson today about myself.

Last night my children spent the night at my girlfriend's house. Nothing strange or inspiring about that - until you know a bit about her. She has three children who are the absolute walking-talking definitions of 'graciousness'. My friend and her husband are also caring for his mother who suffered a stroke a few months ago. Mom came with a list of therapists and doctors appointments, and two dogs; bringing the number of dogs to 4. And she asked for my children to stay for the night.

Not impressed yet? My youngest is 6 months old.

Now I know you are impressed!

There's more. She said she wanted to do something for herself and having my children there was that something. That's amazing to me. If I think about doing something for myself, I think: time alone to write, pedicures, or extra sleep. I don't think about other children coming to my house.

Does that make me selfish?

I feel like I just met me...and I don't like me very much.

I've learned many wonderful lessons from this friend, from her example and her care for me. I've never known anyone like her. How blessed am I to know someone who truly is an example of Christianity? God put her in my life and our friendship has blossomed. I pray with every fiber of my being that I can be as considerate and gracious as she. I pray that I can find the joy in people that she does.

God Bless you, Becky!

Jessica

Sunday, First Day of the 3rd Week of Advent

Person: David
Reading:1 Sam. 17:12-51
Symbols: slingshot, 6-pointed star

Who doesn't love the story of David and Goliath? It's the ultimate nerd vs. bully story in which the nerd wins.

But David was hardly a nerd, just a young man who had been chosen by God and anointed by Samuel. In God's perfect plan, the Savior would be born of David's lineage.

Look closer at the story...David agreed to fight Goliath because Goliath had spoken ill of the armies of the Living God, our God, the Father. David had already proven brave against a lion and a bear, so really, a giant with no claws or fangs probably didn't seem all that frightening. David must have known that God's helping hand would be with him, that Goliath would be 'delivered into his hand' because 'the battle is the Lord's"(47).

Are we fighting a good fight? Do our 'Goliath's' taunt us into corners or do we fling stones of the Lord into the foreheads of giant troubles? Haven't we been anointed into our faith by our baptism and confirmation? Are we listening to the gift of the Holy Spirit so we have God's word in our heart and his spirit by our side, telling us what the good fight is?

Are we preparing for Jesus' coming or are we focusing on our shopping?

Saturday, 2nd week of Advent

Person: Jesse
Reading: 1 Sam. 16:1-13
Symbols: crimson robe, shepherd's staff

And today we meet Jesse, the father of David, the ancestor to Jesus. Another foreshadowing: What was David? A shepherd. And what do we call Jesus? The Lamb of God. The Good Shepherd. God must love symbolism!

It’s today that we hear God tell Samuel, “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.”

Not by Hollywood or glamor magazine standards are we to be judged, but by the faithfulness and love in our hearts. That is what’s important. That is how God judges. Therefore, I will spend today looking past the faces I meet and try to peek into the heart of the person.

Friday, 2nd Week of Advent

Person: Samuel
Reading: 1 Sam. 3:1-18
Symbols: lamp, temple

Can you imagine what it would be like to hear God calling your name? I would probably respond just as Samuel did and assume that it was the person in the next room. How interesting that God didn’t not reveal himself to Samuel, but allowed him to wake Eli three times. It was only after Eli told Samuel that it was the LORD speaking to him that the LORD actually gave Samuel the revelation. This makes me wonder what I’ve missed. If someone had told me to listen for God, would my ears be more tuned to the heavenly frequency? Have I surrounded myself with people who will recognize when God is working on my life and tell me to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening!” A better question is, Am I the type of friend who encourages others to listen for God?

Hmm...

The second part of this reading is a real hum-dinger. Eli, who served God so well, failed to correct his sons’ behaviors. God saw that and punished them severely. Imagine this in earthly terms:

Your son robs a bank, a crime you knew he was going to do, but did nothing to stop him because you figure, “Well, he’s all grown up and he makes his own choices.”
Your son is caught by the police.
Your son is incarcerated for his crime.
As his parent, you are also fined a huge penalty; a fee you will pay every month for the rest of your days.
Nothing you do will ever be enough to rid yourself of the actions of your son.

Eli accepted the Lord’s punishment, knowing that God was just. I praise God that my crimes are not forever held against me, that the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross paid for my sins. It’s still true that nothing I do can be a full retribution for my sins, but if I believe in Jesus and follow his teachings, I have a full pardon.

Two valuable lessons in one day. Thank goodness it’s Friday!

2nd Week of Advent, Thursday

Person: Moses
Reading: Exodus. 2:1-10
Symbols: baby in basket, river and rushes

I love the story of Moses. I’ve read the story in the bible and yearned for more detail (I’m of the mind that the Bible tells amazing stories but is vastly short on details!) I’ve watched The Prince of Egypt and know that that retelling was altered for the sake of Hollywood, but I loved the music. And as a writer, I see Moses’ experience in the basket down the river as a foreshadowing of Jesus: from simple beginnings (as a slave in Egypt and a birth in a manger), to a dramatic rescue (Moses in the basket and Joseph’s obedience to flee for Egypt to protect Jesus from Herod), to their leading the people to freedom (Moses quite literally lead the Israelites out of slavery and Jesus leads us away from the enslavement of our sins).

Today’s readings are a reminder that God knows what He is doing and has shown us, through the scriptures, that His plan is a perfect plan. When all else fails, I hope that I can remember that: God’s Plan for me is perfect. I must be like Mary and Joseph and be obedient.

Wednesday, 2nd Week of Advent

Reading: Exodus 19:1-20:20
Event: Giving the Torah at Sinai
Symbol: Tablets of the Torah


Ah, rules. What would we do without them?

Picture for a moment, the world without the most common rules...

Parents would have no say in how their children were raised because respect for them would not be taught.

Oh wait. That happens.

People would place monetary objects of positions of power over the honor due to the One True God.

Um... yeah, I've seen that recently.

But who would ever forget to take one day of rest and spend that time with the Lord?
Or why would we desire things that don't belong to us and not care for the things that do?

Yikes. Those things happen too!

So what are we up to? God gave us ten simple rules to follow; ten commandments that we must follow in order to please Him, the father of all, whom we should respect above all else.

Quick bible quiz:
What happened to the Israelites when they didn't do as God commanded? (Don't forget, this is after God worked some awesome miracles on their behalf to free them from Egypt!)
The Jews called themselves "God's people", but how often did they wander away from God's laws? And how were disciplined for their "misbehavior"?

I see many things in our society and in our world that spit in the face of God. We may not participate, but are we just as guilty if we don't stand up and say something? Won't that opportunity be lost soon if we don't use our freedom of speech while we still have it?

I pray for all the people who have forgotten Your laws, Lord. Please work on their hearts, to soften them to you and harden their hearts to the distractions of this world. For only when our eyes on You, do we see the world for what it really is.

Tuesday, 2nd Week of Advent

Reading: Exodus 12:1-14:31
Event: Passover and Exodus
Symbol: Lamb

By the blood of the lamb we are saved.

If you have ever been to the Creation Museum in Kentucky, you have seen the concluding movie for the tour, the movie of Mary talking about her son, Jesus. In it, she retells of her childhood and how terrible it was to watch her father slay the lamb for Passover. She knew of the purpose behind it and she prayed for the coming of the Messiah. But when she heard her son called “The Lamb of God”, then she understood what that sacrifice meant. Her son. His death. His resurrection.

It’s amazing the faith and trust that Mary had in God. She said “yes” even though she didn’t know how she could become pregnant. She said “yes” even though to be unmarried and pregnant would mar her reputation.

What can I do today that will be a “yes” to God?

What can I do today to honor “The Lamb of God”?

Note: The Creation Museum is amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed all the displays and was impressed by the depth of details in each. It is based on a ‘sola scriptura’ philosophy. While the Catholic church does not follow only scripture but traditions as well, the Creation Museum isn’t a perfect fit, but it’s still impressive and well worth the trip.

Monday, Week 2 of Advent

Reading: Exodus 2:1-4:20
Symbol: burning bush
Person: Moses
Theme: God's Leadership

I could really use a burning bush right now. Not only would it warm my house a bit, but it would be a clear message from God as to what I'm supposed to be doing. While I have a To-Do list (which includes far too much cleaning) is this really what I should be focusing on? Does God really care if my floors are clean?

We live is society in which success can be defined by how much we accomplish. I have a To-Do list with six or seven things that I need to do today. But I now realize that there are many things that I will do that are not on my list: Read the bible; pray; homeschool; care for the baby; return a few phone calls... Those are simply things I do to keep me grounded, to show love to the people in my life.

But what would God's To-Do list for me look like? Looking at scripture, God's plans for people are not things they can accomplish in a single day. Moses' mission from God took years and he didn't even really finish it because it was Joshua who led the Israelites into the Promised Land. But Moses listened and followed God's plan.

I find great comfort in that as well as a sense of urgency to make every day count. Everything I do today will determine how the next day will begin. And everything I do tomorrow will determine the outcome of the people with whom I interact. My purpose in life may seem very clear on some days: be a good mother; a good wife; write words that glorify God and bring Him to those who want more of Him; honor my family by living with a happy heart. But what does God have planned for my actions? How will what I do today bring me closer to Him tomorrow? Can what I say in this blog influence others in a positive way? That is my intent, but is my intent clear?

Once again, there are no clear answers to these questions. But we have the image of the burning bush today - the tool through which God sent Moses back to Egypt to free His people. What might your burning bush be?

The madness begins this weekend - we are going to our first extended family Christmas celebration. Yes, the first. There will be two more. It's this time of year that seems the greatest contradiction to me - Even while we try to remain focused on the reason for the season I feel inundated with tasks: shopping, traveling, donating, preparing meals & cookies, decorating - and continuing with all the things I'm supposed to do - teaching, exercising, keeping the house somewhat clutter-free (which I am currently failing miserably). There's also the looming threat of the flu bug which has destroyed Christmas's in the past.

And today, as we pack for leaving to go to my parents' house, we are even rushing a bit through our Jesse Tree readings. Because I'll be gone until Sunday, I'm putting the next three days symbols and readings together. I hesitated doing this, but I'd rather read ahead and put the symbols on the tree than coming home on Sunday and catch up.

The first reading today really struck me - in Genesis 22:1 reads "God put Abraham to the test."

Oh my!

I think too many people forget that God really does test us - forgotten because many deny the fact that God is greater than we are. We are here to praise Him, to bring Him glory through our words and actions. He needs Christians in this failing world to bring about His plans. And yes, He will use our lives to do that. To someone not grounded in their faith, being used by God sounds horrible. But think about it in a different way...

You are the owner of a very successful business and there are people in the mail room who are coming to work late, using the office supplies for their personal use, not caring for their work space, and suffering under the cruelty of gossip and anger. You want your company to succeed and without a properly run mail room, the entire company is suffering. In order to find a solution, you need an ally in 'the inside' and find that person by testing the employees to find the most trustworthy. Once you know who you can depend on, you put greater responsibilities on that person, give them a leadership position, a higher salary.

Testing is necessary. In school, we prepare for tests by studying. In life, we can prepare for tests by steeping our minds and hearts in God's Word and the writings of Saints and other Christians who have passed their tests.

Our tests may be nothing like Abraham's, but we will be tested. Never doubt that! God will put great obstacles in our paths and see how we manage. Do we turn to him? or do we try to leap over the hindrance alone? It's anyone's guess what our tests will be. There is evil in the world, but I truly believe that God will use these evils to make us more holy. Think back to times when the entire world came crashing in on you...while those moments are exhausting and bring a sense of desperate loneliness as we are in them, can you now find a gift from that time?

If you can't find a slice of joy from those difficulties, I encourage you to spend more time in prayer and in scripture. Perhaps the gift is still on its way. What better time to receive a gift from God than during the Christmas season?

Enjoy the readings; they will delight the soul.


Friday
Reading: Gen 22:1-19
Symbol: Ram
Event: Offering of Isaac

Saturday
Reading: Gen 27:41-28:22
Symbol: Ladder
Event: Assurance of the Promise

Sunday
Reading: Gen 37, 39:1-50:21
Symbol: Sack of Grain or Coat
Event: God's Providence

Thursday, Week 1 of Advent

Reading: Gen 12:1-7, 15:1-6
Symbol: Field of Stars
Person: Abraham
Theme: The Promise

Oh, Abram. Isn't he a character? I love the relationship between he and God. It's amazing how God had such great plans for Abram but He didn't pour them out on Abram in a timely manner. God waited until Abram was really too old to have children before he granted him the gift of fatherhood. And this is the part I love: God told Abram to 'Fear not. I am your shield; I will make your reward great!" And Abram's response (I'm going to paraphrase) was: "What reward? I have no children." Abram knew he wanted children, and talked back to God in a somewhat challenging way.

What was God waiting for? Did Abram have some leadership lessons to learn? Was there something Abram was lacking that would be cured by spending decades without children? Abram is credited with righteousness - he did everything the Lord asked of him. Why did God make him wait so long for what he wanted: an heir.

I find it interesting that God's reward to Abram was the gift children; parenthood. What other gift could be more precious than the gift of a child? Whether the child is from your womb or from your heart, a child brings something to a parent that can never be duplicated. (I know...along with parenthood comes the joy of discipline, potty training, and those teen years. Yes, God has a sense of humor! I think those struggles are there as an opportunity for us to see how we act toward God at times. I'm just saying...)

This lesson of waiting for God's gifts goes very nicely with my life, as I'm sure there are things in your life you have waited for. I've teased that I never do things right the first time. I'm a habitual failure at most things: I never made the team in high school the first time, I failed tests, didn't get that job, almost married the wrong person... the list goes on. The most difficult waiting period for me was waiting to be chosen as adoptive parents. The trend for adoption is Open Adoptions, in which the birthmother chooses the family she wants to raise her child. We waited for just over 2 years. It seemed forever, but compared to Abram, a blink. We are thrilled that we now have a healthy, beautiful son who came to us this past June.

But God's plan isn't my plan...thankfully. This used to frustrate me; if God truly loved me and wanted me to be happy, why did He make me wait so long? (Sounds like the rantings of a spoiled child, doesn't it?) I'm still learning this lesson: God's timing is perfect. My timing is driven by my own selfish desires.

God's promise to Abram was revealed in the stars. How many of us deserve a reward like that? What can we do today that will be an act that God has planned for us? What can we do that will please God? First, we must know what He wants of us, which can only be accomplished when we take the time to pray and listen.

Today I'm going to think of stars and count my blessings. Today I will spend quiet time in prayer and listen to God instead of dumping all my requests on Him. Today is a day to think of Abram, who became Abraham, who always did what the Lord asked of him. How can we do the same?

Genesis 12
Abram Journeys to Egypt
1Now the LORD said to Abram,
"Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father's house,
To the land which I will show you;
2And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
3And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

4So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

5Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan.

6Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land.

7The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "(M)To your descendants I will give this land " So he built (an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.

Genesis 15
Abram Promised a Son
1After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying,
"Do not fear, Abram,
I am a shield to you;
Your reward shall be very great."

2Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?"

3And Abram said, "Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir."

4Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir."

5And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them " And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be."

6 Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Wednesday, Week 1 of Advent

I need to remind myself why I'm doing a Jesse Tree because my cat seems bent on the idea of destroying it. While trying to focus on the Old Testament's sequence of events leading to Jesus, I've run the vacuum three times cleaning up the spilled dirt and re-planting the branches. It's difficult to preserve the faith building purpose of this exercise when all I really want to do is sell the cat!

But I think I have kitty-proofed the tree - It's now in a much larger pot with over 40 pounds of rocks.

On to today...
Reading: Genesis 6:11-22, 7:17-8:12, 20-9:17
Symbol: Ark or a rainbow
Person: Noah
Event: The Flood

The flood story has recently become a much richer idea for me. We all know it - God asked Noah to build an ark; something that surely cause his neighbors to ridicule him, for who in their right mind would build a boat in the middle of the desert?

Do you sometimes feel that way too? That following God's plan for your life, living by the Ten Commandments, the beatitudes, following the lessons of Jesus' parables leaves you marked as an oddball? I recently received an email from a fellow homeschooling family asking for support. Their 13-year old son had called them 'the worst parents in the world' because he doesn't have his own cell phone, lap top computer or any video game device. His parents are Noah-like: building an environment for their children that will carry them on God's waves over the desert of this world.

(Here's another question...If Noah's neighbors teased him because he built an ark, are there ever moments that we have ridiculed others because we don't understand why they do what they do? Just some food for thought...)

Some people question if the Flood story really happened. Was it just as it's written in the bible or is this simply a parable to show us God's unrelenting promise to never destroy the world? In my opinion, focusing on the truth of the story is missing the point. Look at the times in our lives when we are flooded: extreme debt, losing a job, troubles in marriage, illness, teenagers - all these times in our lives threaten to sweep us away. But if we turn to God in our moments of trouble, we will find that our souls will be lifted on his love. His promise to protect us from all evil doesn't mean that our lives will be preserved from harm, but that our souls will.

If there is any doubt of this, imagine Noah and his family during their time on the ark. Hundreds of animals, thousands of pounds of food...which leads to thousands of pounds of clean-up duty. (This will be particularly applicable if you have teenagers!) It was a messy job. They were cramped and tired and completely frustrated by the living conditions. But they did it because God asked it of them. And they were rewarded with both their lives and land.

And I'm complaining about 1 curious cat! I think I need to change my attitude :)

Today, as I wash dishes, homeschool my children, change diapers and perform the duties of a mother, I will lift my heart to God. To be who God wants me to be requires me to do all things with a happy heart. Yes, it will be a challenge, but I have plenty of role-models in the bible to show me how.