Perservering on December 1st

December 1st.  It is turning out to be a beautiful and sunny day.  I love the sunshine - it makes everything so much better!  It reminds me that God is fully in charge and everything is going to be fine.  I have a friend who once told me, "It will be fine in the end.  If it's not fine, then it's not the end."  Good, huh?  With God, everything will be fine in the end - that's what He tells us in Jeremiah 29.  When gray days seem endless and life seems difficult, it's good to remember the truth that everything will eventually be fine.  None of us is exempt from suffering, no matter what form it takes.  The bad stuff is only temporary.  The good stuff - the stuff that happens in the end - is always and only good!  Yay, God!!

It has been over a year!

I can't believe that it's been well over a year since I blogged! I keep meaning to, but I also keep telling myself that I don't have anything worth saying that anyone would want to read. We really are our own worst critics, aren't we? So, I've decided to let it all hang out and let the blog take on its own life.

It's been a tough year, frankly. I've had hernia surgery - a triple! Can you believe it? Everything really went fine, but the pain was worse and lastest a LOT LONGER than expected. I have to thank God for His protection and sending me a wonderful surgeon. I'm also wrestling with back and leg issues. The good news is that I have a CPAP machine to help me breathe at night. It works really great! I also was able to secure a new bed, which is helping to deal with lymphedema in my legs and GERD. Thank You Father for Your provision!! There have been so many other blessings as well - friends who have surrounded me with practical help and prayer and encouragement in the hard times. I'm still struggling with heart arrhymias, but am working with a Naturopath to resolve them. Pray for me if you think of me. Thank you!

I've reconnected with my two brothers who live in New Orleans. One is doing really well, but one is not. I worry far too much about the latter, forgetting that God loves him too and is looking out for him. God never asked me to save anyone - He took care of that Himself and is faithful to see us all the way to heaven! Amen!

I'm finally learning to use my phone to text. Since I have an older phone, it takes some time because I don't have a keyboard to spell. Laborious, but interesting! I don't think I'll become addicted to it, but it was fun to play with today.

I am slowly learning to love my family - it took over 57 years to begin the learning, but begun it has! It can take a lifetime to unravel issues and learn to forgive real and imagined offenses, as well as accept that we are all broken in some way or another and we are all doing the best we can. I am so grateful for God's forgiveness and want to be a channel of it to everyone. Little by little He is conforming me to His image!

I hope your Thanksgiving was/is filled with many blessings and true gratitude for all that we have because of Him!

Set Up To Succeed

I am recently a fan of Victoria Stilwell's "It's Me Or The Dog," on the Animal Planet channel. I have really enjoyed watching her train both dogs and owners in each episode. She solves all kinds of behavior problems while instructing viewers about the nature of various breeds and the proper way to train your pet. Victoria doesn't believe in using punishment to train animals and primarily uses food treats to reward positive behaviors. In a recent episode I heard her say that when training your dog, you don't allow it to fail. You set it up to succeed.

A sudden realization zapped through me - that's exactly what God has done with mankind. He has set us up to succeed and not to fail! God Himself never fails. Since He has determined, from the "beginning" to redeem all of mankind, He will succeed. We cannot fail! How cool is that! How awesome is God!

God is Fundamentally Love

I just finished listening to a live interview with Paul Young, author of The Shack. He is always a blessing to listen to as he answers questions about the book and about his understanding of God. While he insists that he is not a Universalist, his theology is certainly universalistic. He actually steps outside of the labels and focuses his understanding on who God is, and His essential nature. Just recently I had a "discussion" with someone via Facebook and found myself saying somewhat of the same thing. At some point, we have to stop debating scripture and go beyond to discover the true nature of God. I believe that our questions can be summed up and answered far more easily once we embrace that journey. Paul's statement was, "God is fundamentally and essentially love, and everything He does is motivated by love." I am beginning to grasp that truth more fully. As I have wrestled with others over scriptures regarding Universalism, I have struggled to paint a whole picture with incomplete and imperfect thoughts. When I focus on who God is, the picture comes into focus too. So, with Paul, I say that God is fundamentally love and everything He does is motivated by love.

Blind Unbelief

Christians are oft accused of having "blind faith" by critics and supporters alike. Even Christians sometimes suggest that belief in God requires blind faith because there are so many unanswered questions about God. For example, we've all heard the challenge, "If God is good, why is there evil in the world?" Unanswerable questions like these prevent us from packaging God in our own little boxes. Instead, we build a theology that makes sense to us based on what we "know" about God and what we hope is true about God. We struggle to make sense of life as much as we can. After 40 years of seeking, I can say that our questions and seeking are all a part of it. God desires our trust and faith that no matter what happens, He is good and is working all things out according to His purposes. He will not let us box Him in or declare authoritatively that we know the "truth" about Him.

Recently, I read something - can't remember where or by whom - that suggested that unbelievers and atheists reject God out of "blind unbelief." A new concept for me, it made a lot of sense. We all live according to faith if you think about it. Christians have faith that there is a loving and good God who gives purpose and meaning to our lives. Unbelievers have faith that there is no God, neither good nor evil. Believing or non requires faith.

The journey of seeking God is the only way to develop an informed faith, again, either for or against. How can one dismiss God's reality without actively seeking Him? Seems to me that blind unbelief is far riskier and less satisfying than blind faith. We are only blind as long as we cannot see. Jesus said that there are none so blind as those who will not see. For me, God's presence is as obvious to me as the nose on my faith, but after 40 years, what can you expect? How about you? Have you given time to educating your faith or unbelief?

The Master Lifeguard

Today I was helping a friend with our weekly Bible study by typing up and emailing the scripture and synopsis for each day's lesson to her. On day three, the study began with the scripture in Romans 5: 6-11 "When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, no one is likely to die for a good person, though someone might be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's judgment. For since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God - all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends with God." NLT

I've loved this scripture for a long time because it always points to God's amazing love for us all and confirms that He is the Savior of us all. As I was typing it out today, I had a sudden insight. I don't know how God speaks to you, but oftentimes for me, it comes as a sudden revelation, like a bolt of lightening; a sudden knowing, in an instant.

I saw a lifeguard on a beach. There were people on the beach doing beach-type activities, while the lifeguard was scanning the water looking for someone in trouble. All of a sudden, someone starting flailing about, calling out for help. Like a shot the lifeguard jumped from his stand and flew to the water, jumping in head first and swimming like crazy to save the drowning person. It struck me that the lifeguard never for an instant gave a thought to the worthiness of the person drowning. Eg: Is this person a thief? Does this person lie or cheat? Are they an adulterer? Have they killed or harmed someone? Is it their own fault that they are drowning? None of that went through the lifeguard's mind - just that someone needed to be saved. The saving did not depend upon the worthiness of the one being saved, but upon the worthiness and character of the one doing the saving! I knew instantly that God was showing me, yet again, a picture of His amazing love and character. He saves us because of who He is, not because of who we are. Our salvation is more than secure because it's based upon His character and worthiness! Hallelujah! What a great God we have!!

Forgiveness

Seems like the Easter season always causes us to ponder anew the topic of forgiveness. As we approach Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter, we are reminded of all that Jesus suffered on our behalf and what He provided for us through the crucifixion and resurrection. As I have been considering all these things, my thoughts have taken a different path.

I have been thinking about the nature of forgiveness and what it really means to be forgiven and to forgive. I'm not totally sure that I have really understood how deep forgiveness really goes. For most of my Christian life (40 years), I've viewed forgiveness as the eraser on a chalkboard. Every time something is written on it, I've got to confess my sin and ask forgiveness. Then Jesus takes His eraser and wipes the board clean. Since I could never be sure that my board was wiped clean, I've lived with a constant since of guilt and recrimination. You've seen that chalkboard that, even though erased, you can still see the faint etchings or the powder left from the erasures - that's mine. The words are erased, but the chalk is still there.

I'm just starting to understand that there really is no chalkboard - only the one in my mind. The evil conscience that Paul speaks of is not a conscience that fails to advise us of our sin, but one that never lets us forget our sin, even when we have confessed it and asked forgiveness.

I'm also realizing that Jesus didn't suffer and die because God needed a sacrifice - we needed a sacrifice. We needed someone to take the heat and we needed someone to pay. God through Jesus stepped up to the plate and, in effect, said, "blame me - I'll take the heat and pay the price - you can let yourself off of the hook."

It is so easy to forgive others if we can see that Jesus did the same thing for them. If I can accept forgiveness for myself, I can extend it to those who offend me. Since I am "the chiefest of sinners," and all other sins pale in comparison to mine, I can throw out my chalkboard record for others as well.

So . . . during this reflective season I am asking God to deliver me from my evil conscience. I pray the same for you as well.