Time to Cheer

I love this time of year. It’s spring and the weather is beginning to cooperate. At least the weather is cooperating with what I want it to be. Any time I can put the top down in my convertible is good weather.

But really I like the way TV turns its attention toward the resurrection of Christ. At Christmas time there are too many options to choose from and the birth of Christ sometimes is overlooked in favor of a red-nosed reindeer.  At Easter the TV people go to the vault and pull out the dusty reels about Jesus’ life. There aren't too many bunny/egg options. So we get to see what is historically not possible to see. Too bad cameras were not invented at the time. Sometimes the TV people (yes, I’m lumping them all together) get it right or close and sometimes not so much. But I like to watch and anticipate.

I like getting to the places in the program that I can quote scripture with the characters as they act out the scene. And I cheer if we are together and get it right. And I boo if they miss the point in the video. When the actor portraying Christ gets to my favorite parts I scream, “Say it, say it!” and when he does I applaud.

My favorite places are the scenes where the actor Jesus:

1.        Responds to Pilot when He asks if He is the King of the Jews and Jesus says, “It is as you say.” Yay! Mark 16:2

2.       Responds to the other thief on the cross who cried out and Jesus says, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise.” Hallelujah! Luke 23:43

3.       Responds to having completed His plan for my salvation by saying, “It is finished.” WooHoo! John 19:30

Oh, oh, and when the angel actor says: “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here for He is risen just as He said.” Jump and shout! Matthew 28:5-6

And when the Jesus actor says near the end of the video:  “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you. And, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Standing ovation! We won! Game over! We’re number one!  We’re number one! Matthew 28:16-20

 It gets rather loud in my house during those times. Once I heard a pastor say that it was ashamed that we don’t get as excited over Jesus as we do ballgames. But you can tell I do. 

So this Easter season join me, whether you’re watching TV or not.

It’s time to cheer!

P.S. This is dedicated to “Maw” the best cheerleader for Jesus I know.

Hey, Don’t Work So Hard

This past weekend I attended my nephew’s wedding. It was so wonderful and special.

I had met my nephew’s now wife while they were engaged but not any of her family. But at the wedding it was like we had always been friends and kin. There were no awkward pauses in conversation. There was no wondering about common things to talk about. I was hugged by everyone and welcomed in unconditionally to the new part of the family. Now, of course, we were all on our best behavior. It was a wedding, after all.

But since by far most of the guests were professing living like it Christians, I attribute the family feel to the fact that we all have the same Father. We didn't have to work at making this work for the happy couple. We just had encouragement for each other. We had Godly love for each other. We had common joy. We shared the celebration equally.

It reminded me of how the fellowship of the church is supposed to be and sometimes is not. It reminded me of theses verses: 

Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, Philippians 2:1-5

I realized that Christians have to work at not getting along. We all have the same Spirit in us. We have the same Spirit given love. We have the same purpose and goal to be more like Christ. We have the same command to bring others to knowing our Lord. So if we can’t make our relationships Godly we have put some work into it.

 We have purposely not forgiven and held on to attitudes until we are bitter. We have purposefully let pride and power make us feel that we want to be more important than others. We have put some work into keeping our sinful feelings and letting our personal interests and hurts get in the way of natural believers fellowship. We work so hard to let the hurter know that they are unforgiven and the fault will never be forgotten.

That’s a lot of unnecessary effort.

That’s a lot of misspent labor when it is so easy to celebrate Jesus together.

Hey, don’t work so hard.

Made for Us, What Will We Do with it?

I love music and I love to sing. But I can’t read music and music theory is a mystery to me. It always amazes me to be asked to sub for elementary music. I must be last on that list and I figure that I am only asked out of desperation. So I say, “Yes.”

Last week I was asked to teach, you guessed it, elementary music for a day. The classes were studying American folk music and so I taught Woody Guthrie’s’ This Land Is Your Land for 7 hours to kindergarten through 4^th grade students. Needless to say I’m very familiar with that song now.

Though it has no spiritual emphasis it made me think deep thoughts. Another amazing result of spending 7 hours with something. “This land was made for you and me.” I counted and I sang that line 40 times or more.

 

It was no leap to realize Who made this land for me. God was sovereignly in charge of putting our country together and putting me here at this time in the earth’s creation history.

My first thought was: I’m thankful to God for giving me my Christians parents and situating me in a happy home in the good old U.S.A.

My second thought was: I’m fortunate because the American Dream is still possible to attain.

My third thought was: I’m glad I was born here with all the blessings that God has lavished on me.

Then the fourth through more thoughts came rushing so fast that they just blurred together in a great big conviction.

                I’m thankful I was born here at this time .I’m thankful for my country faults and all. It’s still a pretty good deal. I’m thankful that I can afford wants as well as needs. When was the last time I thanked God for all these things? Why have I taken these blessings for granted? Why did God put me here with all these blessings? Out of billions of people who live in all kinds of circumstances all over the world, why was I selected to have this? What is my responsibility with these treasures from God?

Luke 12:48 When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.

God seems to keep bringing me back to what to do with what I have. What I spend on my mani/pedi in one month will give a family in another country clean water for their lifetime. That makes my nails seem so very unimportant. And this is just one of my many extravagances.  I think God wants me to enjoy when He blesses me. I also think I need to share these blessings too.

This land (and all of its blessings) was made for you and me.

Now what will we do with it?

Stop in the Name of Love

I’m not a morning person. So, as you can imagine, my body doesn't adapt well to Daylight Savings Time. I found myself in Sunday School yesterday having not quite known how I got there. At least I was dressed in matching clothes. Several folks asked me what was wrong in a bubbly "morning person" voice. And I managed not to smack them. Oh, that doesn't sound very Christian does it?

Anyway, as I tried to come into the realm of the living, I paused to reflect. People were buzzing around me with the usual meet and greet catching up with each other about what happened the last week.  I just sat there to wait for Sunday School to start. Just sitting is usually not my style just as pausing is not my practice.

   

In those moments I realized that I need to halt more often. I need to stop the buzzing around and get a little alone time with God. Life seems to crowd things and lump the happenings of the day together. Yes, I pray and have my daily devotions and Bible time. But do I really stop? Or is this just a scheduled event of my day? If God wants more time with me than I have scheduled would I stop everything and give it to Him?

Luke 10: 38-42 Now as they were traveling along, He (Jesus) entered a village; and a woman named (1) Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. But (2) Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then (3) tell her to help me." But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things;(4) but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

(1)Martha welcomed Jesus into her home. She began to take personal responsibility for His well being and the guests He brought along with Him. That sounds like a good thing, right?

(2)Then, all the things she knew she ought to do to entertain the guests and her Lord put her in the place of distraction. She was missing what was going on because she wanted desperately to be the "hostess with the mostest."  She wanted to give her Lord everything He deserved. Wasn't that what He expected? Wasn't that what a good little follower of Christ would do?

(3)Martha knew she could get more things done for God if she could get her sister to help. So she asked Jesus to give permission for Mary to leave and help. Martha was " gettin er done" while Mary was just sitting around. Sounds like a great idea from Martha doesn't it?

(4)But Jesus reminded Martha that sometimes just getting the quiet time with Him done and checking it off the daily list of things to do is not good. Sometimes we must stop, pause, halt, and shut out everything and just listen. Listen to the voice of God in our hearts. Listen to Him telling us He loves us. Listen to Him showing us His mercy and grace. Just stop because we love Him.

There in Sunday School, before Sunday School really started and before I really got into the day, I stopped. Oh, it wasn't and earth shattering great revelation from God. But it was a moment, a necessary time.

Maybe we should have Daylight Savings Time more than once a year.

Nahhhh.

But I can stop more often and just sit and listen for God’s voice in my heart.

I can stop in the name of love.

Behavior Self-Modification (Getting all geeky on you)

I wanted the title to sound impressive. It does. Doesn’t it? Being educated in the science of teaching I can pull out all kinds of edu-lingo. I can talk about assessment construction, mastery of benchmarks, integrated interactive learner-centered disciplines, and other blah blah stuff. But it just means,” Can you help students make a change in what they understand and do?”

Well, when I make a change in what I understand and do it is usually triggered by two motivations:

I want to or I have to.

 I’m reading a great book now; “Change Before You Have To” (copyright 2012) by Rob Kettelring. God seems to bring me regularly back to the concept of being ready to make changes in my life. It all started with “Who Moved My Cheese” (copyright 1998) by Kenneth Blanchard. Both authors have the same bottom line:

You can make it an easy change in your life or you can make it a hard change in your life.

You can slide happily into a change or you can go kicking and screaming.

But make no mistake,

You will face the necessity to change.

Most of the time I have to admit I’m a kicking and screaming kind of changer. So I am not overjoyed with either of these books that God has seemingly put in my path. But I’ve also learned that to be more and more like Christ, as His follower, I will have to make continual changes in my life. Not exactly a warm fuzzy thought to me.

Rob Ketterling, the author, urges me, the reader, to evaluate my life’s direction and ask myself what is limiting my life with and in Christ.

1.       Something at home?

2.       Something at work?

3.       Something in my character?

4.       Something sinful I don’t want to give up?

5.       Something that is a non-productive habit?

6.       Something I stubbornly hang on to that I know I don’t need?

7.       Something that can’t make me more like Christ?

8.       Something I’m too lazy to deal with?

He says something I know but don’t want to hear:

God loves me so much that he won’t let me stay in the unchanged mess. He wants me to experience an unlimiting abundant life. He will gently convict me in these areas and bring these areas around again and again until I deal with them.

And I can choose to let Him change and adjust me.

Or I can dig my heels in with my pride and ego; refuse to make the changes,

 and prepare to be forced to change. 

Do not regard lightly the training and education of the Lord or give up when He convicts and wants to change you. Because God loves you He will punish and discipline you His accepted child if you will not be teachable.  Hebrews 12: 5-6

Lord, please help me choose to change so I can continue to be more like You.

Make me Your teachable student.

Help me make behavior self-modifications so that I am changed into your image.

The Comfort Zone is Called Comfortable for a Reason AKA the View is Always the Same

My Sunday School Teacher Eddie seems to be able to get me involved in all sorts of My Church the Road’s ministries. I’d like to think it’s because he is also a salesman. But I can’t blame it on that. He doesn't do the “hard sale,” and he doesn't guilt me into it. Both of those things would work. Shh, don’t tell him. No, he just asks and leaves it up to the Holy Spirit for the nudge. And the Holy Spirit is not dependent solely on My Sunday School Teacher Eddie either. He feels free to push me into areas I wouldn't normally frequent frequently.

These nudges from the Holy Spirit always get me out of my comfort zone.

Why can’t God just put me in a place that is easy and I can coast through?

Short answer: 

Because the Christian life is not comfortable.

Long answer:

1.    You Christian pursue righteousness, Godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold to eternal life to which you are called and about which you are to make a good testimony. 1 Tim. 6:12 (Pursue. Fight. Take hold. Does that sound like we can coast through life?)

2.       Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us…We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up. (You must endure. You must run. You must never give up. Do these sound like easy activities?)

3.       I press to reach the end of the race…I run straight toward the goal…Philippians 3:14 (Press forward and run. Does that sound comfortable?)

4.       Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself and hoist up and carry his cross daily like I will do for you and follow Me.” From Luke 9:23 (My words but look it up. This is what He was telling His disciples. The disciples knew that the Roman cross meant unspeakable pain, humiliation, and suffering. They didn’t understand yet the meaning of what He was telling them but they would understand fully later. Does this sound like something the lazy girl would sign up for?)

Now this is still part of the long answer:

Why would anyone choose this lifestyle?

1.       Hold firmly to the Word of Life; then on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. Philippians 2:16

2.       I press to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

3.       But I run to win the race which Jesus Christ has already won for me. Philippians 3:12

Sounds like the effort will be worth the prize.

So I will step out of my comfort zone and:

pursue, fight, hold tightly to, run, press forward, hoist up, 

and carry the uncomfortable things in following Christ.

 I will live on the edge.

 I will step out into the unknown for Christ’s sake.

It will be scary but the view will be great!

(Remind me that I said this the next time My Sunday School Teacher Eddie asks me to do something.)

The War of the Roses

I must love roses because I have managed to have accumulated 27 rose bushes in my yard. And I bought 3 more yesterday. Somebody stop me!

It is the time of year to prune them. I really didn't know I had 27 bushes until I counted as I pruned.  I cut away dead branches and off shoots. I took away height so the bushes will spread out and be full of blooms in the spring and not be sparse and leggy. I took away more than I left but I know from past experience that it will produce the kind of plant I want. Of course dealing with all those thorny branches is no fun. I felt like I was at war with each bush when I had to deal with avoiding getting stuck. But this is all part of maintaining the bushes.

Because I was cutting away the top part of the plant I could see what was underneath. There were dead branches, weeds, and general debris that are not helpful to the plant so that had to be cleared away too.

All this time with the roses gave me time to think. It dawned on me that God had a little something to say about pruning me. So when I was finished outdoors I looked in the Bible for the story. I found it in John 15:1-11:

 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.  Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.  If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full."

  

Verse 2 was the thorny part for me. Yes, I know Jesus is like the vine with us as the branches. Yes, I know God is the One who separates the ones of us attached to Christ from those who are not. I understood all that. But the part that God prunes every Christian so we will be productive stuck and struck me for the first time.

I imagined God taking away the top part of my life (the part that looks good and the part I show to everyone) and revealing to me the junk underneath. That’s the part, the sin, which I need to clear away to bear more fruit. Those are the areas of my life where sin creeps in like weeds, where forgiven dead stuff is not cleared away, and where unresolved problems in relationships gather like debris.

When God prunes it’s not pretty. My rose bushes are not pretty now. But as with my bushes my life will be beautiful because of the pruning. Pruning is not pleasant. I was stuck and scratched many times with thorns. But Jesus endured the thorny unpleasant part for me to be beautiful like the roses will be in the spring. Pruning gets rid of a lot of waste. And a big thank you to my trash guys for hauling it away. I need to get rid of the waste accumulating in my life too. My trash guys can’t deal with that but my Lord Jesus can.

My yard looks like it’s ready for spring to bear many beautiful roses. I won that war with the roses.

King David said in Psalm 51:10, after his big sin boo boo  “Create (cut away, produce, clear out, prune) in me a clean (pure) heart (tender undivided understanding conscience) and renew (repair, restore) a steadfast (determined, confirmed, established) spirit (Holy Spirit control) in me.”

Now I need to win the war of my sin will.

It won’t be pleasant, pretty, or comfortable.

But if I let God do the pruning the results will be beautiful.