Lost and Blind

Why aren't Christians Jews, if Jesus was a Jew?

2005-04-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

Fresh from a home Bible study group last night, I take my eldest daughter to her gymnastics class. It's a great place to chat with the moms. A topic comes up.

"Hey, you're a pastor right? Maybe you could answer a question of mine. Why aren't Christians Jews, if Jesus was a Jew?"

Great question!

I felt a bit on the spot, trying to put my pastor hat on while appreciating my spunking little girl as she flipped and flopped across the floor. But Christ didn't ask me to be comfortable, just to share. You got it God....OK

Had to go into a bit of church history with the attacks on Christians within the Roman empire, not wanting to be attacked for even more than they already were, Jews kept their distance. Essensially saying, "Hey, we don't agree with them."

The sect which was originally part of Judaism, began to seperate itself. Of course there were other seperation factors too. I will talk about those a bit later.

But the think which caught my eye in this whole experience is that just this morning I was asking God how I could begin to share the gospel with this very Jewish woman I know whose daughter goes to gymnastics with mine.

Wow! Isn't God amazing!

Butterflies in the air

2005-03-31T11:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I pulled into our local library parking lot. Due to lack of adequate parking, my daughters and I sat waiting for a space to open for several minutes. As we waited, I glanced at the trees and what seemed like several leaves floating through the windy sky. Upon closer examination, I saw these were not leaves at all, but hundreds, maybe thousands of butterflies. Very purposefully they flew through the air, occasionally one would stop and we could see the orange, black and white colorations on these small flying wonders. According to the Autobond society, they are called Painted Ladies and they were beautiful.

Southern California is bursting with color as spring has definitely arrived. Poppies are flourishing along with other yellow, purple and white wild flowers. They are everywhere. Allergies aside, this is a time of year I wouldn't miss for anything.

As the news shows us the tragedy of Terri Schiavo's death and the pain of Indonesians hit by yet another earthquake. I look at God's creation in it's intimate detail and I know He cares. He is faithful. He is present and He is strong enough to deal with anything.

I think of a hymn I enjoy....

"For the beauty of the earth, for the beauty of the sky, for the love which from our birth, over and around us lies. Lord of all, to thee we raise, this our joyful hymn of praise."

Thirsty? Get Water!

2005-03-07T23:43:00.000-08:00

Are you thirsty?

As I was driving home from church one Sunday, I glanced up at the hills surrounding the freeway. We had just experienced a couple days of rain, I could already see bright green blades of grass popping up everywhere. How powerfully the land responds to just a little bit of water!
Jesus referred to himself as “the living water” when He met a Samaritan woman at the well. This must have been a strange illustration, yet we need to long for Him in the same way the earth longs for even the smallest bit of water. The results would be just as amazing as changes in the earth. What would it mean for us to quench our thirst with “the living water”? How does one begin?
Water is the most important element in our lives. Without it, all life would cease. It is the one element which all living things have in common. Human beings have the ability to live for many days without food, maybe even months, but we can only live a few, short days without water.
Water provokes many images in our minds from peaceful to powerful and even destructive. Imagine the beautiful flow of a mountain stream, a cool and refreshing rain, or the quiet trickle of a garden fountain. Then, think of the incredible power of the Indian Ocean tsunami and the harnessed energy found in waters at the Hoover Dam. All diverse, yet all true of water.
Throughout the Old and New Testaments, we see stories where water bursts through the pages. The variety is amazing.
In the Old Testament, we envision Noah’s flood, the parting of the Red Sea, the parting of the Jordan River, and the story of Elijah (with no rain and then a torrent). In the New Testament, we see Jesus’ baptism, the calming of the storm, walking on water, and the woman at the well. And those are only a few examples.
With so much water flowing through scripture, one begins to think that maybe God has a deeper purpose than it first seems. A deep longing for God in our lives is also equated with panting for water.

“As a deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O Lord.”
Psalm 42:1

“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1

Have you known this kind of desire for water?

I knew what it meant to long for water when I was pregnant with my daughter. Between my body’s need for moisture and her need for fluids, I was told to drink extra amounts of water. I was warned to beware of dehydration, the first sign of which was chapped lips. So I guzzled as much as I could daily. Wherever I went, a two liter bottle of water was at my side. Yet, my lips stung from being chapped for seven months straight. I now have a very real idea of what it means to “pant for streams of water”.
Imagine what a relationship with the Lord could be like if I longed for Him that way? His would be the first voice I would desire to hear in the morning and the last to settle my weary soul at night. Emptiness would be my only sensation if I did not have my daily fill of His Word. I would converse with Him continuously. His opinion would be the first sought on my decisions. Without His input in my life, I would feel as parched as Death Valley in the middle of summer.
I long to learn how, so I research what scripture contains and I discovered in the book of
Jeremiah, God let us know what our lives are like when we don’t long for the water He alone can provide. He knows that we try to fill ourselves with poor substitutions.

“My people have committed two sins: they have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” Jeremiah 2:13

Here, God also calls Himself the “living water”. No matter how many studies tell us that thirst can only truly be quenched by water, we still try to substitute other things. We drink coffee, soda, or other beverages, all in the name of satisfying our thirst. All we require is water.
I do enjoy the taste of water, but I confess I sometimes seek other tastes. I get tired of the same ol’, same ol’.
I wonder if I do the same with God. Even though only He can truly satisfy me, do I try to fill our lives with other things: busyness, possessions, work, relationships. All those things are “broken cisterns” that can’t hold water.
But Jesus gift is hope. He leads me to the Water, which is God himself.

“Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, streams of living water will flow within him. By this he meant the Spirit, who those who believed in Him were later to receive.” John 7:38-39

Remembering that woman at the well, Jesus asked her “will you give me a drink” (4:7), He verbally lifted the bucket for her and assisted her in seeing the true value of water to Him and to her. Shocked that a Jewish man should address her, she says, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (4:9).

Often we miss the depth of His answer, not knowing the history that water has had throughout the scriptures. He is offers her salvation, but He is offering it with a depth that takes time to reveal.

“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” John 4:10

This is the same water that flows from the throne of God in Revelation 22:1. I love the image presented in Revelation 21:5-7.

“He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new?’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” (emphasis mine)

What a wonderful image to present whenever we are spiritually thirsty! We need to long for Him, no substitutions allowed.
Survival requires water. If we are going to survive and thrive, spiritually speaking, we need that which only God can provide. Water gives life. But “Living Water” is life in God through Jesus Christ. It is here we must begin and here we receive our fill.

Why "Lost and Blind"?

2005-02-28T15:58:00.000-08:00

I think it's time I shared why I came up with the name Lost and Blind. I have been a good church going girl since I was born. I loved going to church from practically the same time. I loved the people, the singing, the teaching, but most of all, I loved spending concentrated time with the Lord. As silly as that may sound to some, I really did. (by the way, that doesn't mean I was a perfect kid)

When I thought I might be pulling away from God, I accepted(no one forced or even encouraged this choice) a $200 scholarship from a Christian College instead of a full-ride scholarship to a local community college. I thought it would help me to stay close to God. It did.

In my lifetime, I have barely cussed, never smoked (OK, once--but it almost made me puke), never done drugs and I have been drunk only one time in my life (apart from that I hard drink any alcohol at all). A friend of mine in college called me Pollyanna.

After graduating, I felt God calling me to ministry and knew that as a woman, the only way to be taken seriously was to go to seminary. So, I did. I earned my Master's of Divinity (a title too lofty for one person to have).

When I was able to find a fantastic guy to marry and did so, I was even a virgin the day we married. And I was 28 years old at the time.

As far as clean living and example giving go, I have pretty much followed "the rules". I have also been around many people who have seemingly done the same. It is so easy to get caught up in the "I am a good person" mantra as life continues. But I know that isn't true. I may be a kind person, or a good rule follower. But I don't have it all figured out. I need guidance. I need help.

The reality is that I know NONE of the things I listed would have been possible were it not for the guidance of my Lord and Savior in my life on a regular basis.

Jesus told a story about someone like me, which I didn't like very much. It's called the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Such a great teaching story! Why didn't I like it?

In it He tells of two sons. One stays home and is faithful to the father. The other asks for his inheritance and leaves only to lose the money on absurd expenses and wild living. He finally returns penniless, seeking work. The father is ecstatic to see his wayward one return and exclaims to the consistent older son that "he was lost and is found". A party is thrown for the returning prodigal to welcome him back, but the trustworthy, faithful eldest is no where to be found. So caught in his own self righteousness, he could not appreciate the joy in his family.

This story shows the love of God the father toward all who turn toward Him. It is also a warning and awareness for those who seemingly haven't turned that they are much like the oldest son and missing out on the joy of the journey. This has often been the interpretation of this passage of scripture. But I would add my piece of insight for what it's worth.

I think, based on the attitude of the oldest, he too is lost and needs to be found. He just doesn't know it.

When I realized that I could be and probably sometimes am like the oldest son, I didn't want to be lost or blind anymore. But the best way I could think to avoid such a predicament, was to remind myself of my own inabilities on a regular basis. Without Jesus in my life daily, I am Lost and Blind. I want to keep perspective.

Game time

2005-02-23T17:45:00.000-08:00

I like to write about serious things here quite a lot. But recently, I came across a little game which had a strong and serious purpose. A blog called Buried Treasure Books was trying to get some attention for a blog-a-thon which happened this past Monday. So, I'm a bit late.

Anyway, I came across it at Amy's Humble Musings. Again, too late. So, I followed the path to Chasing the Wind this time I was right on time. The purpose is to draw attention to Carmon's blog Buried Treasure Books. He is trying to raise money for a boy in Ethiopia named Azanou so that he can have eye surgery. The details are found in an article he called "Party of Azanou". So far he has raised approximately $1200. Good going.

Well, now for the game. If you want to participate the details are below.

1. Who is your favorite musical artist, and your favorite song they sing?
Tough to answer, I love different types of music and various artists. My favorite is always changing. Right now, hmmm, I'm leaning toward Twila Paris and "God is in control".

2. What’s your favorite childhood memory?
Learning to ride my first bike. It was too big for me to reach the pedals and my parents didn't have the tools to fix it on the moment. It was my fifth birthday present. So, to keep me happy and let me use my bike they traded off walking me around the block while holding me up as I attempted to pedal.

3. Show us your favorite recipe.
1 med. onion
1 Tbsp. butter
2 large frozen or unfrozen chicken breasts
2 Large containers of chicken broth (low sodium)
3 large carrots
3 stems of celery
1 cup rice
handful of frozen green beans
2 tbsp. lime juice
couple dashes of salt to taste
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. thyme
Parsley
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf

Combine diced garlic, carrots, celery, and onion at the bottom of a soup pot. Add butter and saute until onions can be seen through. Add broth and seasonings minus parsley and lime juice.
Add rice. Boil for 20 minutes. Add cubes of chicken breast. Lower heat and continue to simmer for 20 more minutes. Add frozen green beans. Cook for 10 more minutes. Turn off heat. Stir in parsley and lime juice. (remove the bay leaf)

Enjoy. MMMMM....great on rainy days.

4. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
Right here right now. I like where God has us and I trust him for the rest.
I would visit....Japan, Korea, more Mexico, Israel, many places in Africa and so much more...

5. What’s your favorite book in the Bible?
Jeremiah. Being a prophet wasn't easy and full of glory. Serving God is not for scardy cats.

If you want to play, make a "comment" and say "interview me".
I will respond by asking you five questions (not the same as you see here).
You post your answers on your own blog and you offer to interview someone else in the same post. Please let me know when you have your answers posted. It'll be fun.

How does one love the Lord, if they don't love their neighbors?

2005-02-21T23:29:00.000-08:00

Recently I wrote that love is not simply a word or a feeling but an action and an attitude. If you know that, then "Love your neighbor as yourself" takes new meaning.

How do we "love" our neighbors? What do we do? Kindness is part of love, but it isn't the whole package. Tolerance isn't love, though it's better than intolerance.

My neighbors need prayer and I'm going to keep my eye out for what I can do to be loving.

Please pray for Californians during this hard rain. Mountains are moving. But it isn't an earthquake.

But what about the good people

2005-02-18T19:14:00.000-08:00

I have recently had a conversation with a family member about those who don't know or actively follow God, but they are "good" and "kind" people. I feel like I can talk about this topic, in a certain sense, like the apostle Paul could talk to Pharisees. I wasn't like a lot of teenagers. I never stayed out extra late, I never drank alcohol or did drugs. I can honestly say I was a virgin until I was married at the age of 28 (not because others didn't try to change that stat). I never cheated on a test, never robbed a store. I never cussed out people or used extra crude language in general. Yet, I'll tell you the truth (as Jesus often said), I AM NOT GOOD.

I know my inner thoughts. I know my inner struggles. Perfection is something I am extraordinarily far from. I know my motivations.

On the surface, if I didn't know Jesus and His extraordinary goodness, I would possibly think of myself as "good". But in comparison to God, to Jesus, I am nothing. My goodness doesn't even come close.

So, about the question. What about "good" and "kind" people? God wouldn't keep them from heaven would He?

You can't con God. I can't con God. He knows the inside, not just what we present to others. Scripture really says it all....

Isaiah 64:6
" All of us have become, like one who is unclean and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags..."

No matter how clean and good I think myself to be, it is as filth compared to the clean, goodness of God.

BEing vs.DOing

2005-02-16T14:50:00.000-08:00

Haven't written for a bit in part because I've been in thought. A couple of days ago I read a very interesting blog called Amy's Humble Musings. A Christian woman with an interestingly insightful way of writing, she had a topic that puzzled me. Inspired by an article by Cal Thomas, called "Shedding Light in Dark places", written on Feb. 7th, Amy had a comment which began a blogstorm of further comments. I had thought I would add to the fray, yet I had to hold back and think about it. I was fascinated by the sheer volume of comments she received. For me, it all seem to come to the big controversy of faith....

BEing vs. DOing

The book of James contains much about the value and essence of DOing as a result of faith in Christ...."You show me your faith without works and I will show you my faith by what I do..."

I must confess, I am a DOer. When someone challenges fellow Christians to step up and DO something for Jesus, I am the first to stand in line. "Here I am, Lord, send me" is my internal montra. I have dreamed for years of DOing GREAT things for Jesus. I love to garner knowledge on the presupposition that somehow God will allow me to use this knowledge to DO for Him. I have prayed for the chance. I have longed for it. Any piece of knowledge I gain through schooling or some other educational experience, I alway imagine being used for God as a part of the grander scheme of things.

Then, inevidably, as a result, I get so caught up in my experience (which God will someday use---my justification) that I don't spend as much time WITH God. I long to DO, DO, DO and I stop trying to BE, BE, BE.

What does that mean? I realize it sounds a bit absurd, but stick with me. See, in some ways it is like I give gifts to a close friend but don't sit down to chat. I do "favors" yet don't listen to needs or interests or desires of MY FRIEND (aka my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ). While being probably kind and having good motives, ultimately I trick myself into thinking I have the answers and I don't seek His answers.

To me, BEing for Christ is longing to BE with Him. Who is He? What does He want? Where is He active? In Him I have my being....

I no longer live but Christ lives in me, the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

As I pondered the matter, I also heard Charles Stanley on the radio. He was giving advice to a young pastor. He said his advice applied to anyone anywhere. Keep in the WORD. Focus on the WORD. Learn from the WORD.

I want to learn to let go of my DOing (while still being available to DO) and just BE who God wants me to be.

Gospel and R.B. combine

2005-02-12T10:43:00.000-08:00

Just watched the movie Ray for the first time with my husband. I have enjoyed the style of Ray Charles for years. Interestingly, much of the movie dealt with Raymond Charles Robinson's (his full name) personal demons. He had much to deal with before I was even born. While I was fascinated with the movie and Jamie Foxx's ability to completely lose himself in the person of Ray Charles, I was also interested in my response to its content.
(by the way, not a movie for children in any way shape or form)

I had recently also seen the movie about Cole Porter called "De-Lovely" which had completely disallusioned me. Being exposed to Cole Porter's homosexual lifestyle bothered me in the extreme and affects my view of his music now. So, I was wondering if it isn't better to not know about the lives of entertainment figures I enjoy.

Yet, I watch Ray Charles' struggle with womanizing and drugs and I don't respond in the same way. Now, perhaps it helps that he continued to live 40 more years drug free. But I don't know about his personality content in that time.

I find it difficult to appreciate the music of those I do not respect as persons. Regardless of talent and skill, their life patterns which I know seem to inhibit my ability to enjoy their talent. I wonder if I would feel the same of someone such as Ray Charles, who's music I deeply enjoy, if I had been around during his dark days.

A man who was attacked from the pulpit by pastors who were offended by his combination of gospel style and rhythm and blues style. As if somehow he had taken God's music and made it heathenistic. As a musician and singer, I see music styles as equally for and against God. It is the content of the words that make something stand out as Christ-centered to me.

Would I have raved against Ray Charles in the 60's? This is a movie which is making me think and struggle.

Bible Baby Basics

2005-02-11T14:36:00.000-08:00

I adore my daughters and want them to grow to be whomever they want to be. I pray they will come to know the Lord as their God and King. I pray they will be women who long to please Him and serve Him. I believe this will be their individual decisions and in the end I will not make that decision for them.

HOWEVER...

I do not wish to leave them on their own with no guidance. It is not a preschool's job to lead my child to the feet of God. The Sunday school teacher will not ultimately account to God for their faith, as my husband and I will. We are responsible and we accept this challenge.

But what can one do for children so young? A one year old and a four year old....
Many don't consider a child capable of deciding for God until approximately age 13. So, what is a parent of young children to do?

PRAY! For them, with them and guide them in prayer as they are able.

This is where we began a few years ago with our oldest. We developed a regular night time prayer ritual, occasionally involving the asking of forgiveness, always involving thankfulness.
We regularly read Bible stories as a family, even our youngest seems to enjoy the stories. But my favorite experience is Bible verse memory.

Children are amazing. Such sponges. We purchased a Bible verse memory book called The Memory Bible (easily found at Amazon.com ) which comes with two CD's containing 52 Bible verses set to kid friendly music. She loves it ALL.

She has learned already well over 20 Bible verses. Did I mention she is four?

I don't say this to brag on my child, though I think all good parents should brag occasionally and make sure your child knows it. I wrote this to let other parents know what can be done to help your child grow to hopefully become closer to their Savior.

Living our faith is a necessity

2005-02-09T17:15:00.000-08:00

Recently came across a great new blog Amy's Humble Musings. She was recently voted Best New Evangelical Blog. So, of course, my curiousity had to be quenched. I searched her out and found a sensative and insightful fellow Christian mom who has eloquent writing. She was interviewed by a fellow blogger at Evangelical Outpost and I really enjoyed her response to the question of how she shares her faith...

Regarding my opinion of present day soul-winnin’ techniques, I don’t think it should be an either/or, but a both/and. We are called to be people of grace, but the gospel itself is a stumbling block. I do my best to “live at peace with all men”, but the gospel truly is offensive to those who are perishing. We do have a responsibility to communicate the gospel to all people, so I personally do not buy into the just-live-your-life-and-people-will-somehow-fall-on-their-knees-in-repentance method. It’s never worked for me. I think the “living the gospel”approach is just another method we modern Christians made up in order toshirk the mandate. We love our reputations more than His commission.
On the other hand, we bring shame to the very message we preach when wedo not “live our best life.” I think gospel must be both spoken and lived.

Though I'm not sure the gospel is a stumbling block in the sense the new testament means, I do appreciate that faith should not just be lived, it should be spoken. I have heard fellow Christians relate a quote that essentially says "I will share my faith and at times I will use words." It seems many have taken that to mean we don't need to really TELL the reason we have the hope just live it. But without explaination, those who don't know Christ will never truly understand why we live the way we live.

It can be scary to speak out for Christ. But I think it would be even more scary to face Christ and realize I hadn't spoken out.

Love is an action Part 5 (finally)

2005-02-09T17:00:00.000-08:00

"Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

I sit as my precious four year old reads to me from a simple book called kittens. Moments ago she was making Valentine's day cards for our family. She worked on mine, but I'm not allowed to see. Glue, glitter, pen markings and scraps of paper are everywhere. Once again, I will clean. The neverending cycle which occasionally makes me feel like a sanitation worker. But that is part of the package. I decided to stay home with them and all that means, because it would be best.

I have worked with teenagers of various ages and I am always amazed at the young girls who long to have a baby because "it would mean unconditional love". If becoming a mom has taught me anything, it is that the unconditional part is supposed to come from the parents, not the kids. Children are as conditional as they can be. I say "no" and suddenly she hates me. I say "yes" and I'm her best friend. But my love needs to be constant not dependant upon her actions. She needs my constancy. She needs to know that no matter what, she is my precious child whom I love.

I am certain she will try to push me away. She will test me and see if I am worthy of her love. This is important for her to learn what love is. I also have a fantastic example. My mother is a very loving lady. But the best love I will ever know is the love heaped down upon me by my Lord and King Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 13 is a guide for who we should aspire to be, for who we should seek in our lives and for who God is.

LOVE NEVER FAILS.
(by the way, it says in 1 John 4:16 "God is LOVE.")

Love is action Part 4

2005-02-04T17:20:00.000-08:00

"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth..."

I guess I started analyzing love because of Valentine's Day, which is around the corner and also because I am amazed at all God has given me and I want to continue to grow. There was a time when I wondered if I would ever find anyone who loved me (apart from my family), or if I would find someone with whom I could exchange love. Then an amazing man entered my life. I knew he was special when I discovered the braces I was wearing (at age 28) were not going to be removed as expected, instead they would look even more hideous. Small rubber bands were attached to the braces from top to bottom. Hooks were placed on each tooth across the front of my mouth. When applied the rubberbands gave my smile the appearance of a baleen whale. I was in panic mode. Surely this gentleman I had been dating for only a few weeks would be repulsed by such an image. Surely he would run away from a girl who looked as strange as I was certain I did.

Then, he arrived at my door. He brought a gift. He looked directly at my rubber smile and said, "Hey, maybe we can pop some of those." He then proceeded to kiss me. He was right, a few did pop off. He was not deterred. He began to really win my heart.

I wanted to be a woman worthy of such a man. I wanted to know how to love him back. So, I went to 1 Corinthians 13 and read, over and over.

Married 7 years, I still want to be loving in return. I want to love our children as they deserve. Understanding and revisiting these verses, I believe, keeps me focused on the "how" of that experience.

When my husband does something wrong, I don't want to pounce on him and essentially say, "Aha! You make mistakes too!" After all, love does not delight in evil.

I wonder if there were people at the world trade center on 9/11, who had offended someone. Or perhaps people who had been hurt by someone who died that day. While also expressing sorrow for the others who passed, I wonder if somewhere, there was someone who thought, "yeah! I don't have to deal with them anymore."

Those of us who know the love of God in Jesus Christ, need to be careful to not delight in evil of any kind. When someone hides the truth and it is revealed, that is worth rejoicing. But not an evil act on anyone. This is the battle of the flesh. God expects and encourages us to lean on Him and His way of thinking not ourselves.

Love is an acton Part 3

2005-02-01T11:47:00.000-08:00

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs..."

It seems that for many it is difficult to define what love is. Strange, I have known this scripture since I was young and it was my definition of love. When I read it, I see who I want to be around and who I want to be. I long to be loved this way. I also long to love my husband this way. It is funny, though, as the apostle Paul wrote this "definition" he starts with two things love is, but then writes 7 things it is not.

I consider this an advisory moment. If I am envious, or boasting (bragging), overly proud of myself, rude, self-focused, get angry easily, or tallying up the wrongs done to me, am I being loving. I consider it a guide for my marital relationship, the way I should treat my children and how I act toward extended family and friends. Love comes in many shapes and sizes, but it is still love.

Let's take it apart....
It does not ENVY....Webster's dictionary describes "envy" this way:

to grudge another person's good fortune. to be jealous of.

Translation: It is not loving resent a spouse who succeeds in an arena you don't.

It does not BOAST...Web's view: unduly proud of, to praise oneself extravagantly, a

statement expressive of vain glory.

Translation: How great and wonderfully we think we handle ourselves in any situation and the bragging of that feeling is not a loving action.

It is not PROUD...haughty, self-respectful.

Translation: Doesn't sound so bad on the surface, but I would add, self-respectful at the cost of others. If your (or my) feelings about self are more important than others it will harm the relationship.

It is not RUDE...uncivil, roughly made.

Translation: Hmmm, this one is more difficult because one's views of civility can differ. Let's suffice to say, basic courteousy should apply to those we love, children, friends, family, etc.

It is not SELF-SEEKING...I think that is self-explanatory.

Translation: Relationships are about each other not "ME,ME,ME". Who wants to spend a long time with anyone who cares only for themselves? If we have for any length of time, we know that is not love.

It is not EASILY ANGERED....easily excited to wrath or rage.

Translation: Our family or friends are more important than the inclination to vent. I was once told by a woman who had been married for 60 years, she never said anything which would cause pain to the one she loved.

It keeps no RECORD of WRONGS... you know, you did this or that 5 years ago and now your guilty too.

Translation: Tallying up the past only hurts you and the one you love because it means that is the most important to you.

I feel convicted and want to get better at loving.

Love is an action, part 2

2005-01-29T16:33:00.000-08:00

"Love is patient, love is kind..."

How often do we interupt and get impatient with those we love? Yet loving someone is a process not a moment. If we do love them we need to work on the patience factor. If we are mean and rude to those we claim to love, how can anyone really expect to be treated any better.

A father who decides his child has lied and therefore refuses to be loving in return makes one wonder if the love was there in the first place. Choosing to be kind is a reflection of the relationship.

A mother who decides one grade determines the intellect of her child isn't showing patience for the long haul. She needs to learn how to be loving.

Friends who claim to love one another yet attack dating choices in a mean manner make one question the reality of the love which is claimed.

It is good to wonder if someone is truly loving, our actions show what we really think.

Love is action not just feeling part 1

2005-01-28T19:19:00.000-08:00

"Love is patient, love is kind...."

I want to examine how we can tell if we really love someone. It seems like the common answer to this question is "You'll know it when you feel it." Funny, accountability is not placed on how one acts as a result of the feeling. In my 36 years of life I have discovered that I habuve a definitive gift of gab. At the same time, I have had the revelation that talk is cheap.

Kind of humbling when it comes down to it.

With T.V., talk radio, and the internet flooding our daily experiences, all we see is cheap talk. I'm sure producers and advertisers would disagree, but one can seemingly say anything on these venues and have very little accountability unless of course you become one of the big wigs. But it is quite rare to have a guest on Maury challenged for authenticity. I will always remember hearing various things on the radio during the initial days of the Iraqi war which I assumed (big mistake) were true.

I will always remember coming to our church's staff meeting following the statement by a radio host who shall remain nameless. The host had said that troops had found a cash of WMD's. I was so excited at their discovery that I proceeded to praise God for the discovery in the midst of our prayer time. Needless to say, I think my integrity came into question as a result.

It is amazing how many people will say, "I love you", when the meaning is far from the statement. We have to stop merely listening to people's words and examine their actions. If the words are there yet the actions are missing, one must, by conclusion, challenge the truthfulness of the words.

With that in mind...scripture helps us to understand how to tell if someone is truly loving. This applies to family, friends, dating, marriage, etc. "Love is patient, love is kind"

Eyes open...it is how we walk in loving relationships

Love is not just a word it is an action

2005-01-27T18:18:00.000-08:00

Years ago I heard a song by DCTalk called "Love is a verb". I would sing it repeatedly and almost made it my mantra. The more I sang it, the more it made me think. I had that song, in part, on my mind when I married my fantastic husband. I believed that when I told him I loved him, it wasn't just some feeling but it had to, if it was real, be followed and coupled with action. How does one act lovingly? Often people quote "the love verse" but how many really dig into it?

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

Now married over 7 years, I am still learning about the actions of love. Love is not merely a feeling but choices made daily. I am going to take some time to look at these verses in detail. Being a solid view of who God is and who we should be if we are loving, these are deeply important verses. The words "I love you" are often spoken hastily and with no regard for their true meaning. I want to take some time and think about their meaning. More to come later....

What do conservative Christians want?

2005-01-25T18:29:00.000-08:00

Hugh Hewitt likes to challenge his readers to respond to various topics. Today I have decided to respond. The quote in question is as follows:

Rauch writes in his piece the following:

“On balance it is probably healthier if religious conservatives are inside the political system than if they operate as insurgents and provocateurs on the outside. Better they should write anti-abortion planks into the Republican platform than bomb abortion clinics. The same is true of the left. The clashes over civil rights and Vietnam turned into street warfare partly because activists were locked out of their own party establishments and had to fight, literally, to be heard. When Michael Moore receives a hero’s welcome at the Democratic National Convention, we moderates grumble; but if the parties engage fierce activists while marginalizing tame centrists, that is probably better for the social peace than the other way around.”

I don't think Rauch understands conservatives very well. He is assuming that a tried and true conservative is one who is as filled with hate as the left yet thinks in "conservative" ways. When someone bombs an abortion clinic and then professes to be pro-life, I have to question the honesty of that person. If one life is important so are all others.

As a Christ-centered conservative, I don't particularly care about fitting in with the politics of the moment. I care about doing that which pleases Christ Jesus my Lord. If one day, the Democrats truly want to do those things which please Christ, I will become a Dem. The party is only a means to the goal. I don't want a God state. I want a state that pleases God. I believe that separation of church and state is healthy and important so that churches can stand up and remind the state when errors are made without being controlled by the state in any way. At the same time, I don't want the state controlled by the church because churches have made errors. I want a government of the people, by the people and for the people. If the people long to please God that will be reflected in the government while not making it a theocracy.