Lisa in OH~Lisa Morelock

PaRDes Approach to Leviticus 19:28 (Tattooing)

2011-01-08T13:04:00.004-05:00

You shall not make any gashes in your flesh for the dead
or tattoo any marks upon you: I am the Lord.
~LEVITICUS 19:28

I will utilize the Jewish scholarly PaRDes approach by elaborating on the contextual context, inference, and personal interpretation. (Obviously, I’ll refrain from the “sod” meanings, leaving the mystical interpretation to the scholars, experts and Rabbis.) Since the Bible is a “living text” it is appropriate to consider contemporary impacts of the law on modern believers and visa/versa. I’ll question and consider, “What is God’s divine and practical purpose for human skin? As someone who has a tattoo, does this mean that I am forever condemned to be unclean? How do modern Jews view tattooing?”

Since God gave humans skin, we can assume that His purpose for flesh is indeed to cover and protect the inner essence of human anatomy and physiology. In addition, I contend that skin symbolizes a spiritual protection. Wikipedia defines the integumentary system’s functions to, “waterproof, cushion, and protect the deeper tissues, excrete wastes, and regulate temperature, and is the attachment site for sensory receptors to detect pain, sensation, pressure, and temperature.” Not only is it our first line of natural defense, but it is also the main way humans distinguish one another and perceive the outside world. Anyone who’s treated a burn victim will tell you that infection and dehydration are life-threatening concerns. Someone recovering from third degree burns can think of little else beyond the pain they experience. Furthermore, anyone who bears major scars can explain the impact the marks have on their self-identity and how others relate to him/her. My focus in highlighting the importance of skin is to emphasize that by disfiguring the skin, an individual is tainting one of God’s basic and important means of protection, identification, and perception.

The laws of Leviticus and Deuteronomy describe what it is to be clean/righteous or unclean/unrighteous. Throughout the text the importance of being physically clean, spiritually righteous and socially responsible intermingle without any particular order of importance. In part this lack of hierarchical ranking is due to the Hebrews not separating body, mind, and spirit. It was the Greek philosophers who conceptualized the distinctions between the physical and moral self. Dennis Bratcher elaborates, “the whole di- or tri-chotomous idea is not a very good conceptual category for talking about God’s work with human beings. Even though it was used extensively in the Early Church and has been popularized in some circles today, it is not a category used in Scripture. That simply says that it is not a category that reflects how the ancient Israelites, or even by and large NT writers, conceptualized human beings.” Keeping the Hebrews concept of the spirit and natural world being inextricably interrelated, reading the Torah doesn’t seem so haphazard. In short, the holiness of the spirit is manifested in the external, physical body.

If humans are made in the image of a Holy, Perfect God—then in order to enter His presence or remain among His chosen people one should be as whole as possible. Furthermore, the New Testament also elaborates on the physical/spiritual connection, “…your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Therefore, Hebrews needed to study, discern, and apply His commandments to their daily lives.

The first part of the verse “gashes in your flesh for the dead” can be interpreted as a ban against marring the flesh as a sign of morning. It was common for the Hebrews to rent their clothing as a sign of despair or grief as in Genesis 37:29, “When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes.” Thereby, one could conclude that ripping flesh would be the ultimate show of anguish. Kidshealth.org warns parents that self-mutilation among American teenagers has become alarmingly common. They explain the reasons why someone would mutilate this or her skin, “Cutting is a way some people try to cope with the pain of strong emotions, intense pressure, or upsetting relationship problems. They may be dealing with feelings that seem too difficult to bear, or bad situations they think can't change.” Returning to the idea that unblemished equates with righteousness, it is understandable that God would not approve of intentionally scarring the skin. Not only is the individual at risk for pathogens by literally making the flesh incomplete; but also, he or she is forever marred/blemished. Once again, consider the conclusion Mary Douglas reaches that the common threads throughout the laws are completeness, order and whole-ness.

Moreover, skin is a means of identification—genetic attributes distinguish one as an individual as well as being a member of a family, clan, and race. Since the word HOLY means to set apart, the Jews needed to distinguish themselves from the heathen. Deuteronomy 10:12-18 illustrates this principle, “So now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord your God and his decrees that I am commanding you today, for your own well-being. …the Lord set his heart in love on your ancestors alone and chose you, their descendants after them, out of all the peoples, as it is today.” Therefore, an essential part of being “the chosen people” was to look different and not assimilate with the surrounding cultures.

In the ancient world marking the skin indicated a rite of passage, as a talisman/amulet, or a part of ritual worship. For example, Africans used scarification to symbolize the sexual transitions of puberty or childbirth, “Scars added at puberty, after the birth of the first child, or following the end of breastfeeding highlight the bravery of women in enduring the pain of childbirth. Scars on the hips and buttocks, on the other hand, both visually and tactually accentuate the erotic and sensual aspects of these parts of the female body” (The Vanishing Tattoo). For modern Westerners the connection between skin and eroticism has been “numbed” by literal and figurative overexposure. Many world-wide cultures encourage piercings and various markings as erotic expression. Japanese prostitutes and geisha were among the first modern-day females to use ornate tattoos to lure the attraction of passing men. Ironically, most American youth view tattooing positively as rebellious and overtly sexual. Role models of the tattooed vixen are Kat VonD, Pamela Anderson, and Angelina Jolie.

Religious Tattoos’ website argues, “In verse 28, God is warning the Jewish people about a pagan practice at funerals, where pagans would mutilate/mark themselves to appease their false gods. The pagans hoped that by cutting themselves and marking images/symbols of idols on their bodies, that they would obtain favour in the afterlife from their false gods, both for themselves and for those who just died.”

Since other tribes who were in close proximity to the Israelites wore tattoos, this would be a means to distinguish them physically and prohibit a pagan worship ritual. Moreover, Tattooing was a means for “branding” a slave, soldier or criminal to deter escape. The Online Tattoo Museum illustrates that “Tattooing was only associated with barbarians in early Greek and Roman times. The Greeks learned tattooing from the Persians, and used it to mark slaves and criminals so they could be identified if they tried to escape. The Romans in turn adopted the practice from the Greeks, and in late antiquity when the Roman army consisted largely of mercenaries; they also were tattooed so that deserters could be identified…The Latin word for ‘tattoo’ was stigma, and the original meaning is reflected in modern dictionaries…’a prick with a pointed instrument’, ‘a distinguishing mark cut into the flesh of a slave or a criminal’, and ‘a mark of disgrace or reproach.”’ Consequently, someone bearing a skin marking could easily be assumed to be a non-Jew, and therefore, “stigmatized” as heathen, slave, a Roman mercenary, or foreign.

The Jewish history section of this website emphasizes tattooing’s negative connotation for modern Jews, “During the first quarter of the 20th century, European Jews rarely tattooed their bodies. Many felt that is was against their religion and beliefs to mark their skin and this made the holocaust tattooing an even greater atrocity that would haunt survivors for the rest of their lives.” Thus, tattooing is considered to be a mark of a curse, enslavement, and/or genocide by many Jews.

Contrastingly, other’s view it as a badge of honor. Holocaust survivor Charles Winter explains, “He says some survivors get their tattoo removed, but his number is a source of strength. ‘I'm proud of it,’ he says. ‘I'm proud to be a Jewish boy that survived"’ (theage.com.au). In short, there is no quick and easy answer as to how the Jewish people as a whole view marking the body.

In Modern times, religious sects still use conservative dress as a sign of modesty and physical purity. I was raised in the Pentacost tradition and was discouraged from wearing make-up, piercing my ears, and wearing pants. As a teenager, I played softball in a skirt with a pair of shorts underneath to avoid any accidental exposure. Similarly, other cultures promote the covering of skin, especially of females. The Islamic hijab requires that “the entire body must be covered, although the face and hands may be exposed. Some women choose to cover themselves further by means of a face veil and gloves, and this is perfectly fine” (Cook). Similarly, modern Israeli dress is casual but conservative. Israel Made Easy advise tourists, “Dress code for religious sites means no shorts, bare midriffs, or sleeves shorter than T-shirt-length. Men cover their heads in Jewish shrines and synagogues, bare them in churches.” Therefore, it is common in Israel to see scarves, hats, long pants, skirts and long sleeved shirts in the desert heat.

As far as tattooing as it is viewed by modern Jews, Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser summarizes many of the online discussions when answering a young man who is considering getting a tattoo (and whether or not he would be permitted Jewish burial), “What would you gain by having a permanent tattoo placed on your body? It will not make you a better person. If you imagine that it would make you feel better about yourself, you may have issues about your self-image that no tattoo will solve. It's worth asking tough questions like these before making a choice as a young person that you will carry with you for the rest of your life” (About.com). Typical of the Jewish tradition, he answers a question with a question. Furthermore, some scholars argue that tattooing oneself for YHWH does have Biblical precedence using Exodus 9 and 16, “Moses borrowed tattooing from the Arabs who tattooed magical symbols on their hands and foreheads. According to Thomson, the prohibition in Leviticus referred only to heathen tattooing which related to idols and superstition, and not to ‘Moses-approved’ tattooing” (The Vanishing Tattoo). In reading Rabbi Goldwasser’s response, it seems very clear to me that Jewish people are in general conservative about most issues; however, they honor individual choice and that each of us must walk out our own path with God.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Retrieved from http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/Im-a-proud-Jewish-boy-that-
survived/2005/01/21/1106110938123.html

Bratcher, Dennis. Body and Soul: Greek and Hebraic Tensions in Scripture. Thoughts on the Di-/Trichotomous Debate. The
CRI/Voice, Institute. January 10, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.crivoice.org/bodysoul.html

Cook, Selma. The Islamic Garden. Hijab Basics: The Requirements of the Muslim Women's Dress. Retrieved from
http://www.islamicgarden.com/article1016.html

Douglas, Mary. The Abominations of Leviticus. Retrieved from http://prophetess.lstc.edu/~rklein/Documents/douglas.htm

Ed. Michael D. Coogan et al. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. New Revised Standard Version, with the Apocrypha.
3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.

Fodor’s. Israel Made Easy. August 10, 2007Retrieved from http://www.fodors.com/news/story_2117.html

Goldwasser, Rabbi Jeffrey Wolfson. If I get a tattoo, can I still be buried in a Jewish cemetery? Retrieved from
http://judaism.about.com/od/conversi2/f/tatoos_burial.htm

Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/cutting.html#

The Vanishing Tattoo. Online Tattoo Museum. Retrieved from
http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/tattoo_museum/egyptian_tattoo_images.html

Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integumentary_system

Life-Lessons from Job

2010-11-07T12:50:00.002-05:00

Consider the work of God;
who can make straight what he has made crooked?
On the day of prosperity be joyful,
and on the day of adversity consider;
God has made the one as well as the other,
~Ecclesiastes 7:14~

The story of Job demonstrates that life’s trials remind us that YHWH is in ultimate control—and that humans were created to worship and commune with a wondrous God. Through the life of Job we can learn that God works as a filter, nothing can happen to us without His permission. Romans 15:4 [emphasis added] explains, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.” The footnotes of the NRSV explain that the “Patience of Job” is better explained as “’endurance,’ persistence,’ or steadfastness’” (p. 726). Thereby, the story of Job is a morality tale whose theme is to encourage humans to praise God during the sunshine and during the storm. The life of Job does (in part) answer question of why bad things happen to good people. Often times life’s difficulties seem complex and overwhelming—but the essential elements are the same as Job’s circumstances.

The story begins with a challenge—a duel between Good and Evil. In Job 1:10-11 the devil says, “You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.’” The bet that God and the devil have made centers on Job’s reaction and choices. Similarly, what determines our fate is our own freewill. Alvin Plantinga’s philosophy of good and evil resonates as truth with me,
“A world containing creatures who are significantly free (and freely perform more good than evil actions)
is more valuable, all else being equal, than a world containing no free creatures at all. Now God can create
free creatures, but He can't cause or determine them to do only what is right. For if He does so, then they
aren't significantly free after all; they do not do what is right freely. To create creatures capable of moral
good, therefore, He must create creatures capable of moral evil; and He can't give these creatures the
freedom to perform evil and at the same time prevent them from doing so. As it turned out, sadly enough,
some of the free creatures God created went wrong in the exercise of their freedom; this is the source of
moral evil. The fact that free creatures sometimes go wrong, however, counts neither against God's
omnipotence nor against His goodness; for He could have forestalled the occurrence of moral evil only by removing the possibility of moral good.”
Similar to Job, we are often unaware of this spiritual warfare at work in our lives. The antagonist’s purpose is to destroy mankind, “The Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the Lord, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it’” (Job 1:7). The adversary’s role is further explained in 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.” The enemy of our soul’s job is to redirect our attention on our suffering; and as a result, we will stop worshiping God (the divine purpose for humans). We become bitter, question God, and no longer follow his instructions. The wager between YHWH and Satan will be determined by how Job responds to great suffering…will he curse God or will he continue to remain pious?

Usually, the bible demonstrates two primary reasons for our trials: 1) they are a natural consequence of sin and/or 2) YHWH is using difficulties to re-FORM us. God is using the struggle as a call for remediation. Hebrews 12:9 explains, “Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live?” At this point in the tale Job has lost his family, livestock, material possessions, and he is covered in festering boils. His suffering and anguish is described vividly. At first, his friends support him and try to comfort his grief.
Shortly thereafter, they begin pointing accusatory fingers in his direction. The elders base their beliefs on the traditional Jewish philosophy that a good and omnipotent YHWH blesses the virtuous and punishes the wicked. As a composite, look at Eliphaz’s speech in Job 15:17-19, “‘what sages have told, and their ancestors have not hidden …The wicked writhe in pain all their days, through all the years that are laid up for the ruthless.” The elders’ argument is that no man is without sin. Wikipedia condenses, “Job's friends do not waver from their belief that Job must have sinned to incite God's punishment. As the speeches progress, Job's friends increasingly berate him for refusing to confess his sins, although they themselves are at a loss as to which sin he has committed. They also assume, in their view of theology, that God always rewards good and punishes evil, with no apparent exceptions allowed. There seems to be no room in their understanding of God for divine discretion and mystery in allowing and arranging suffering for purposes other than retribution” (Wikipedia). Furthermore, Satan is actually the one tormenting Job. When his initial evils don’t cause Job to waver in his faith, he returns to God to authorize increasing physically injury.

At this point in the story, the suffering begins to wither the resolve of all the moral characters. Job’s wife, who had also suffered great loss, betrays Job and the Lord. In Job 2:9 she falls prey to Satan’s devises, “Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God, and die.’” Quickly Job has fallen from a town leader to a pariah. His friends and wife are bewildered by his suffering. Job refuses to admit any guilt, and instead, calls out to God for answers. . Job chapter 17 illustrates a pitiful, desperate Job crying out to a God who doesn’t respond, “Surely there are mockers around me…‘Lay down a pledge for me with yourself; who is there that will give surety for me? … where then is my hope? Who will see my hope? Will it go down to the bars of Sheol? Shall we descend together into the dust?’” At this point, it seems that Job has lost all faith and does indeed entreat death.

In an accused-plaintiff format, Job restates his blamelessness and proclaims that he is the victim of YHWH’s wrong-doing. By accusing God, Job is guilty of blasphemy. Furthermore, Job pleads for a redeemer to act as a mediator between himself and God. As is typical of YHWH, that person’s physical characteristics and personality are underestimated.

Speaking with the voice of wisdom, Elihu’s, a humble youth, speech comes before God’s and serves as a precursor to help Job recognize God’s perspective. Wikipedia analyzes, “By contrast, Elihu stresses that real repentance entails renouncing moral authority, which is God's alone. Elihu therefore underscores the inherent arrogance in Job's desire to 'make his case' before God, which presupposes that Job possesses a superior moral standard that can be prevailed upon God.” Of all the characters, he comes closest to explaining God’s rationale for Job’s seemingly cruel punishment. The reprimand wasn’t punitive, but rather, a call for atonement. In Job 36:17-26 Elihu reprimands both the elders for their accusations and Job for questioning God’s ways,
“‘But you are obsessed with the case of the wicked; judgment and justice seize you. Beware that wrath
does not entice you into scoffing… Do not long for the night, when peoples are cut off in their place.
Beware! Do not turn to iniquity; because of that you have been tried by affliction. See, God is exalted in his
power; who is a teacher like him? Who has prescribed for him his way, or who can say, “You have done
wrong”? ‘Remember to extol his work, of which mortals have sung. All people have looked on it; everyone watches it from far away. Surely God is great, and we do not know him….”
Elihu argues that God is mysterious and no man can understand His ways. Mankind’s role isn’t to question YHWH, but freewill to worship him.

Only God knows the bigger purpose for the events of our lives. 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 explains God’s purpose behind this chastisement, “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain…if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Elihu reprimands Job for not understanding that God chastises mankind—similar to a teacher or parent-- because He loves them. Contrast Elihu’s speech with that of the elders, “then he prays to God, and is accepted by him, he comes into his presence with joy, and God repays him for his righteousness. That person sings to others and says, “I sinned, and perverted what was right, and it was not paid back to me. He has redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and my life shall see the light”’ (Job 33:26-28). Job was stripped of all his material possessions so that he could acknowledge the power of God, be humbled, and serve as an example for the rest of humanity. Similar to the story of Joseph, what the devil had intended for evil, God used for good is powerfully illustrated.

As humans it is difficult for us to see our trials from God’s perspective. As a teacher, I broke down big concepts into daily lesson plans, provided clear goals and guidelines, gave demonstrations with visual aids, and assigned projects. But how did I assess student knowledge? I tested them! 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 explains what our Christian attitude should be, “So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.” Metals are fired to burn off impurities, clay is fired to make vessels, and sand is molten into glass—we are no different. Furthermore, “In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 1 Peter 1:6-7. Indeed, Job does acknowledge this principal at work, “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I shall come out like gold” ( Job 23:10). After years of poverty and the death of his wife, Smith Wigglesworth wrote, “Great faith is the product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great tests. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials.” In the human body, bones are thickest where muscular stress and tension are applied. Tests can let our patience and faith grow—but only if we let God have control.

The whole book of Ecclesiastes seems to ponder the meaning of life—in Ecclesiastes 4:4-8 the writer observes, “And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind…There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. ‘For whom am I toiling,’ he asked, ‘and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?’ This too is meaningless—a miserable business!” The writer ponders focus all one’s energy on prosperity; when it is only temporary and in the end, unfulfilling. Similar to Job, the theme of trusting in the divine will of YHWH run throughout the text. The NRSV footnotes explain, “life can only be lived before a sovereign God who alone determines all that happens on earth” (p.945). The writer of Ecclesiastes seems to be encouraging a life of moderation, to appreciate both hard work and the simple things in life. In the Good News Bible verse six translates, “It is better to have only a little with peace of mind, than be busy all the time with both hands.” The wisdom found in Ecclesiastes corresponds with the apostle Paul who emphasizes the importance of Christ-reliance and describes the peace he’s found as a result, “I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:12-13. Therefore, the secret to success is find balance in our lives and trust in God to supply our needs. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3, 5-6). As demonstrated by the story of Job, the rationale for reverence isn’t because YHWY is like Santa Claus, lavishly doling out presents to good little boys and girls; but praise be to God—the mysterious and majestic One who gives and takes away. Ecclesiastes 12:13 concisely states the writer’s philosophy, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone.” So, be righteous for righteousness sake!

As we learn from Job, we can never be virtuous beyond reproach. Ecclesiastes 7:20 reinforces this theme, “Surely there is no one on earth so righteous as to do good without ever sinning.” In the New Testament this truth is explained, “for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45). If a pious man such as Job wasn’t immune from troubles during his time on earth, why should we arrogantly think we should be spared? Personally, “Why me?” is a dangerous question because my thoughts and actions reflect a victim mindset. As I’ve matured, I realize the more appropriate questions is, “Why not me?” If there is a car crash, call the medics and seek immediate treatment…it isn’t the time to ponder why the accident happened. Standing in the street, bawling that you are an innocent victim isn’t advantageous either. “Why?” should happen later in the healing process. The goal of reflection shouldn’t be to blame, but rather, to prevent another accident. We need to check ourselves and ask, “Bitter or better, which do I choose? “Pastor Rick Warren reminds us, “… God is glorified when we bear “much fruit” (John 15:8), and that requires pruning. We must remember that the loppers are in the hands of our loving God. He knows what he is doing, and he wants what is best for us. If you are a Christian, you are going to be pruned. Count on it. You may be going through pruning right now, and it may not all be deadwood. God cuts off branches that we feel are productive so that more fruit may be produced”.

As a result of my own devastating events, I was humbled like Job and learned to submit to God’s sovereignty. My attitude has been chastened and I realize there but the grace of God go I. I am now compassionate and understand why someone would rebelliously turn to drugs and alcohol, prostitution, or sin in general. Sometimes we feel that not even God could love us, or that we couldn’t possibly ever live a good life; so we might as well succeed at being hell-bent. There is a powerful attraction to obstinacy, having the power to not listen to anyone—including God. Humans are desperately seeking to fill a void that only God can fill and the self-destructive lifestyle temporarily may provide a “fix,” but this compounds physical, mental, spiritual, financial health issues. In my own Job-like experience, I’d forgotten the Biblical principal of 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. When I reflect on my own life history, I truly believe this is what kept my mom going; somehow she never lost sight of this truth. I’d forgotten the principle she’d held fast to even on her death bed…when people would ask, “What can we do for you?” She’d unassumingly answer, “Pray for my children.” She knew that the only thing you can take to heaven is your loved ones! My mother wasn’t a fair weather fan of God—she praised Him in the highlights of her life and she acknowledged His grace on her deathbed.

As always, the divine rational for our trials is to shape us into righteous men and women. After complaining and repeatedly questioning God, Job also achieves this wisdom,
“Then Job answered the Lord:
‘I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
“Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?”
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
…
but now my eye sees you;
therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.’ "’
As a result of his confession, God blesses Job even more than what was taken away and he lived another 140 years. Job’s life demonstrates the promise in Isaiah 58:12, “Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.” One can easily infer that Job’s torment was prolonged by his rebellion and complaining; the sooner he accepted God’s omnipotent power, the sooner the trial would have ended and the devil lost the wager. Wikipedia summarizes, “The point of these speeches, and ultimately the entire book of Job, is to proclaim the absolute freedom of God over His creation. … Finally, humbled by God's chastising, Job turns speechless, giving up and repenting his previous requests of justice. In the epilogue, God condemns Job's friends for their ignorance and lack of understanding while commending Job for his righteous words, commands them to prepare burnt offerings and reassures them that Job will pray for their forgiveness. Job is restored to health, gaining double the riches he possessed before … and lives on another 140 years after the ordeal, living to see his children to the fourth generation and dying peacefully of old age”. As the parable concludes, we realize that it does in fact reinforce the Deuteronomic principle, “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess” (Deuteronomy 30:15-16). The story of Job firmly explains to me that God is more concerned about our spirit, than our physical condition~ His concern is who we are rather than what we have.

Bibliography

Ed. Michael D. Coogan et al. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. New Revised Standard

Version, with the Apocrypha. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.

Plantinga, Alvin (1974). The Nature of Necessity. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p.166-167.

Warren, Rick. God’s Power to Change Your Life. New York: Zondervan , 2006.

Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Job

Judith, That Which We Call a Rose

2010-10-18T15:10:00.005-04:00

“No one spoke ill of her, for she feared God with great devotion”
~Judith 8:8

For me the story of Judith is multilayered. When visiting The Art Institute of Chicago, I was struck by the Jan Sanders van Hemessen’s painting of Judith. Most Flemish Renaissance painters utilize movement, juxtapose light and shadows, and emphasize sensuality. Not only was the depiction of a nude, fair, beautiful, and muscular woman wielding a sword striking, but also, the illuminated head of a large male was ghastly. Judith’s face is depicted as serene for such a gruesome act. I didn’t know the story behind the picture and was intrigued—after all, my mother’s name was Judith. Returning home, I began to research the story and was even more surprised to find it was a Biblical story. The story of Judith isn’t a part of the cannon of my Protestant faith tradition. After the death of my mother and when I was deciding to name my own daughter, I revisited the story. My daughter is named Judith in honor of both remarkable women.

As I began to read Judith, I was impressed by the similarities between my mother and the character. Both are unmarried women who draw on inner strength, wit, bravery, and faith to defeat giants. Both suffered loss—while the biblical Judith was a widow, my mother was divorced and decided to never remarry. Judith courageously faced the brutal Holofernes; described in Judith 3:7-8 as “… he demolished all their shrines and cut down their sacred groves.” In contrast, righteous Judith is praised, “Today is not the first time your wisdom has been shown…for your heart’s disposition is right” (Judith 8:29). My mother too embodied a simple, ageless wisdom. For example, Appalachian colloquialisms were so much a part of her vernacular that when I read “Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who reverts to his folly” I was amazed to learn this was Biblical and not just another one of her sayings (Proverbs 26:11). As I will detail, my mother faced her own tests and bullies. Lastly, their beauty and charm opened up doors of opportunity. When friends remember her they always mention her piercing blue eyes and full body laughter. The verse “When the mend heard her words and observed her face—she was in their eyes marvelously beautiful” eloquently describes both. In summary, the Bible Gallery emphasizes, “Her story is a variant on the David and Goliath story, where a seemingly weak person overcomes a person of superior strength by calling on God's help and using cunning and intelligence.”

Judith Bright Litz too was a self-sacrificing warrior. Family stories of my mother’s childhood reflect a light-hearted nature, gregarious disposition, and love of dance—an everyday Shirley Temple. However, the woman I know carried many burdens and I only saw glimpses of her radiance. As an adult, her main attribute and job title was a single parent raising two children. Like Judith, she preferred peace but refused to acquiesce, especially when her family was at risk. My parent’s idea of “talking about the kids” usually happened in front of a judge. Instead of helping my mother pay the basic bills, when he found out the temperature inside the house was 62 degrees; he saw that as an opportunity to call children’s services. When the bank began foreclosure proceedings, she begged her father to cover the mortgage at 7% interest.

More than once, she referenced men as “chauvinist pigs.” Although I do not agree, I can sympathize--especially since the males who were the central figures in her life are also in mine. The only way her father exercised control over her strong-willed, high-spirited mother was with physical force. Lastly, my philandering father and their short lived marriage cemented her negative view of men.

In order to survive, she became resourceful, hardworking, and faithful. After her divorce at 26, my mother began working at Dayton Tire and Rubber, loading tires by hand and forklift onto semi-trucks. It was a man’s job, but it was also a man’s wage. Around the home, she tackled the more masculine chores, such as changing the oil in the car, painting the house, and minor plumbing repairs. Although not as pious as Judith, she still could be characterized, “Many desired to marry her, but she gave herself to no man all the days of her life after her husband” (Judith 16:22). The impact of the mid1970s recession, hit our home especially hard when my mother was unemployed for over a year. She began to seek comfort in two things, ice cream and bedcovers.

Thankfully, she reached a turning point and started attending church regularly. Once I confronted her about the real issues behind her weight gain, she admitted that not only did her appearance discourage men’s advances, but the food was a comfort and socially accepted by our religious community. Church wasn’t only about religious teachings, but it was also our main source of entertainment and social events—and lastly, it was free. Being Pentecostal, I indeed saw my mother, going “before all the people in the dance” and heard many prayers that resembled:
“For your strength does not depend on numbers, nor your might on the powerful. But you are the God of the lowly, helper of the oppressed, upholder of the weak, protector of the forsaken, saviour of those without hope. Please, please, …Lord of heaven and earth, Creator of the waters, King of all your creation, hear my prayer!’” (Judith 14:13,911-12).

Eventually, she attended Sinclair Community College and began working as a secretary and data entry—but the pay never met basic needs. Frequently, she would use the colloquialisms of “Robbing Peter to pay Paul” and “A day late and a dollar short” to describe our financial situation. She would go without having a tooth filled or a new outfit, so that we could attend a school dance. I was forced to grow up fast--built a fire, housecleaning, and cooking—and I was angry about our circumstances. Unfortunately, my mother was my main target for that angst. On the other hand, my brother looked like and had more of my mother’s gentle nature. At the age of ten, he was diagnosed with Chron’s disease and so my mother had a tendency to protect and over-protect him. With my brother’s illness and my independent spirit, she had her hands more than full with a fulltime job, childrearing, and endless bills.

As my brother and I began building our own lives, my mother’s depression worsened. For twenty years, her life was our life. During my sophomore year of college, she was diagnosed and treated for cervical cancer. She seemed to be making a full recovery, when four years later she began complaining of back pain. After several “brush offs” by her gynecologist (and a prescription for Valium), it was discovered that she had terminal lymphoma and was only given weeks to live. She decided to not take chemotherapy and instead strive for short term quality of life. When people would ask if there was anything they could do for her, my mother would say, “Please pray for my children.” Once again, like the biblical Judith she “dedicated to God” her most valuable assets—her children. She lived through the summer and died on September 14, 1994-- a beautiful fall day with a sky as blue as her eyes.

Bibliography

Art Insitute of Chicago Retrieved from http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/4575

BIBLE ART GALLERY Retrieved from http://www.bible-art.info/Judith.htm

Ed. Michael D. Coogan et al. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. New Revised Standard Version, with the Apocrypha. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.

Creationist or Evolutionist, BOTH

2010-09-17T20:24:00.000-04:00

“He has made everything suitable for its time;

moreover, he has put a sense of past and future into their minds,

yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end”

(Ecclesiastes 3:11).

As a Christian, I stand firm in my religious convictions. As an American, I value freedom of speech, ideology, and religion. Lastly, as an advocate for critical thinking and the scientific method, I value research and scientific observations. All of these values come into conflict when debating Creationism vs. Evolution; the public is constantly updated on the latest left hook of this barnburner. This month’s bout centers around Steven Hawkins new book The Grand Design wherein he asserts, "It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper [fuse] and set the universe going” (CNN). In the opposite corner is the religious right, arguing the literal word of God—when the Bible states that all the creatures of the land were made in one day, it was indeed twenty-four hours.

So how do I reconcile these convictions? I do not believe science and God are mutually exclusive. I do not like to put God in a box, which is what I believe the creationist do. Creationist argue that if you question the foundation of Genesis; then you open the door to doubt about everything the Bible says, “When we consider the possibility that God used evolutionary processes to create over millions of years, we are faced with serious consequences: the Word of God is no longer authoritative, and the character of our loving God is questioned” (answers in genesis).I believe in a God that can do anything He wants. The legalism of the creationist reminds me of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They were so caught up in the details and self-righteous pointing finger that they missed the big picture. Is it more important that people believe in a “young earth” or in God? Jesus answers all of them in Luke 10.27-42, “He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’”However, it is possible that “a day” was 100,000 years, especially since the sun wasn’t created until the fourth “day.” Furthermore, God could allow natural selection/adaptions/mutations in order to allow some flexibility in creatures adapting to their environment. For example, melanin is ingenious—a person living near the equator has dark skin to protect from sunburn, and someone living near the North Pole is fair enough to absorb Vitamin D. I’m not sure how it all works, but I know God did it.

On the other hand, I don’t believe wholly in evolution either. Evolutionists contend, “All organisms on Earth are descended from a common ancestor or ancestral gene pool. Current species are a stage in the process of evolution, with their diversity the product of a long series of speciation and extinction events. The common descent of organisms was first deduced from four simple facts about organisms: First, they have geographic distributions that cannot be explained by local adaptation. Second, the diversity of life is not a set of completely unique organisms, but organisms that share morphological similarities. Third, vestigial traits with no clear purpose resemble functional ancestral traits, and finally, that organisms can be classified using these similarities into a hierarchy of nested groups – similar to a family tree. However, modern research has suggested that, due to horizontal gene transfer, this ‘tree of life’ may be more complicated than a simple branching tree since some genes have spread independently between distantly related species” (Wikipedia/evolution). The sequence of the Genesis story does follow the evolutionary sequence. If God made all species with the definition of “day” being flexible; then, these don’t need to be created at the exact same time, which would account for different periods/eras. However, one genus didn’t evolve into another species. Some species have died off within my lifetime; however, a new species hasn’t suddenly appeared in my lifetime. Neanderthals and modern day pygmies are both “man”, but a chimpanzee is a monkey and evolved from ancient monkeys, even if we do share a large part of our genetic make-up. A cake and fried chicken both contain four, egg, salt; but they are obviously quite different. Admittedly, the scientists do not know all the pieces to the origin of life or the evolutionary puzzle. Both creationist and evolutionist require faith (belief in what is unknown/unseen).

Humans were made by God with a specific purpose in mind; and that is to worship the Grand Architect. My Truth aligns with Sir Isaac Newton, “It is the perfection of God's works that they are all done with the greatest simplicity. He is the God of order and not of confusion“(bhoibhoi.multiply). When we make scientific discoveries, humans are unraveling the mysterious laws and ways of God. For example, DNA is the recipe for life—how marvelous that something so simple can have such variety and importance! Science will not ever prove or disprove the existence of God—this is where Faith walks through the door.

i
In doing this research I discovered that my assertions have a name, “Theistic evolution is not a theory in the scientific sense, but a particular view about how the science of evolution relates to religious belief and interpretation. Theistic evolution supporters can be seen as one of the groups who reject the conflict thesis regarding the relationship between religion and science – that is, they hold that religious teachings about creation and scientific theories of evolution need not contradict” (Wikipedia). In addition, I found a champion of my cause who is much more articulate, knowledgeable, and credible than I. As a result, I spent some time watching philosopher Elliott Sober’s lecture Darwin & Intelligent Design and was impressed by his argument that, "Evolutionary theory does not rule out the existence of God. In fact, the theory does not rule out a God who intervenes in nature. Believing in a God who created nature, and who sometimes intervenes in it, is no substitute for doing natural science."

Darwin seems to be a misunderstood scientist and historical figure. I’m inquisitive (aka nerdy) enough to have watched the movie Creation, mainly because I wanted to learn more about his humanistic side, rather than the vilified persona depicted by the religious right. Filmcritic summarizes, “In the book [Annie’s Box authored by Randal Keynes, great-great grandson of Charles Darwin], and subsequently the film[Creation], it is suggested that Darwin, while writing 'On the Origin of Species', was deeply affected and haunted by the death of his eldest daughter Annie -- she was rumored to have suffered from tuberculosis after contracting scarlet fever. Her passing also coincides with the end of Darwin's relationship with Christianity, the faith his wife Emma had devoted herself to for her entire life.” It seems he is grappling with the common philosophical question of Why do bad things happen to good people?

Darwin’s own words reflect his angst, “I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created parasitic wasps with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of Caterpillars” (thinkexist). It seems Darwin believes in a God as a creator, but is conflicted about His interactions in daily human life. Also, he doesn’t view God as the great judge doling out rewards and punishments. Amazingly, Darwin concludes at the end of Origins of the Species, "to my mind it accords better with what we know of the laws impressed on matter by the Creator, that the production and extinction of the past and present inhabitants of the world should have been due to secondary causes, like those determining the birth and death of the individual (Sober). Therefore, Darwin supports that “the Creator” has established laws of the universe, but has a hands-off approach—basically allowing the rules of nature to take its course. Other biologists were able to merge theology and science. Theodosius Dobzhansky concludes, "I am a creationist and an evolutionist. Evolution is God's, or Nature's, method of creation. Creation is not an event that happened in 4004 BC; it is a process that began some 10 billion years ago and is still under way... Does the evolutionary doctrine clash with religious faith? It does not. It is a blunder to mistake the Holy Scriptures for elementary textbooks of astronomy, geology, biology, and anthropology" (wikipedia/evolutionary-creationsim). The story of Genesis is one of many narratives that we should consider in learning how the universe came to be.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ed. Michael D. Coogan et al. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. New Revised Standard Version, with the Apocrypha.

3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.

Sober, Elliot. Darwin & Intelligent Design Retrieved from

http://fora.tv/2010/04/22/Elliott_Sober_Darwin_and_Intelligent_Design#fullprogram

Retrieved from http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab/couldnt-god-have-used-evolution

Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2010-09-02/world/hawking.god.universe_1_universe-abrahamic-faiths- divine- creator?_s=PM:WORLD

Retrieved from http://bhoibhoi.multiply.com/journal/item/4

Retrieved from http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/2010/creation/

Retrieved from http://thinkexist.com/quotes/charles_darwin/2.html

Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution

Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolutionary_creationism

2010-08-26T14:05:00.001-04:00

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Theme for Abnormal Psychology

2010-01-19T23:26:00.003-05:00

Lisa Morelock
HDV 413
Bias Paper

I sit here in front of my computer starting on a paper…typing black letters onto a white page. My thoughts whirl with a myriad of questions and answers. This is my personal Theme for English B; “The instructor said, Go home and write a page tonight. And let that page come out of you--Then, it will be true.” (Hughes, 1951). Only you asked about our bias and prejudices. Years ago I was at the Ohio Reading Conference in Columbus, the guest speaker was Louanne Johnson whose book My Posse Don’t Do Homework became the movie Dangerous Minds. She shared one of her classroom truths, so profound in a simple way that I wrote it in my personal notes. When a teachable moment arose, I’d quote that petite ex-Marine who became an inner-city teacher, “Prejudice is like underpants. We all have them, but it is rude to show it.” I’m not so self-righteous to think I don’t have biases, but I’ve lived so long with mental illness—my mother, my father, my grandparents, my uncle, myself— that the generic prejudices don’t apply. You know the old joke found on refrigerator magnets, Our family puts the FUN in dysfunctional—Well, my family puts the DYS in dysfunctional. Some of these are diagnosed and treated illness, some are not.
I once heard it said that “Normal is someone you don’t know very well.” What I do know from my long dance with mental illness is that it is a painful journey, a lifelong journey. I know that there is hope to be found in medicines, in psychotherapy, in recovery, in self-acceptance—but you are never really cured. “Abnormal Behavior” can be a deep abyss. Like a compound fracture—you can take pain meds, set the cast, and declare it healed. Years down the road, the scar, limp, stiffness, and diagnosis of Arthritis reminds you that it never really is gone.
Last week I read the description of Psychodynamic Models, and thought to myself, “What a load of psychobabble!” My fear of snakes isn’t some repressed fear of penises; but rather remembering my grandmother’s warnings, “Watch out for snakes and don’t go playing in any creeks!” when we’d visit her Kentucky homestead. During Saturday’s HDV 413 class, I argued that treating a patient only using one model of psychopathy was inadequate, which follows my bias that humans are integrated earth, breath, and intelligence—to tug on one thread is to tug on the whole tapestry. After looking closer at the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and its revisions, it strives to assess the whole picture of the patient in a clear, consistent, and holistic way. I still wonder why treatment would be any different.
However, I am not advocating that one healer/doctor/therapist has to treat each part; but rather, attention must be paid to the whole DIS-ease in order for there to be healing. I am not alone in this conviction, “Everyone wants to lead a healthy, satisfying, meaningful life. But how do you do it? At Omega, we believe it has to do with integrating your body, mind, and spirit. This means paying attention to all three aspects in your life, listening to their needs and desires, and acting in ways that give you a sense of wholeness and balance” (http://eomega.org/omega/omegaliving/4). Epiphany! I have the start to my Bias paper….

Then, a funny thing happened at church on Sunday; I got a hell of a sucker-punch from Grief. I was invited to visit a long-time friend’s church. Greeted by my dear friend, I was excited to commune in worship and learning…Then, I greeted her mother who was sitting beside her. BAM! I was confronted by a vision of my mother who’d passed from cervical cancer fifteen years earlier. There has always been a bit of a physical similarity between her mother and mine. In truth, I think it was more of a spiritual similarity. They’d experienced innocence in the 50s; became rebellious teens during the revolutions of the 60s; in the 70s, they’d become wives and mothers—and divorcees and single mothers shortly thereafter; and in the 80s they discovered their true selves and spirituality…that is where there paths diverged. I stood there looking at what could have been…my mother, my ally, my best friend seated next to me at church. Just when I thought I’d entered the “acceptance phase” of grief, I was faced with the loss once again. When I left the sanctuary that day, I passed by my mom’s friend fellowshipping with friends and family, and doting on her grandchildren. As I collected my own child from Sunday school and exitied the building, I pretended not to notice. I felt that adrenalin rush of fear that I’d have an emotional breakdown in the lobby.
I wasn’t jealous of my friend; I celebrated and honored the joy mother and daughter have in one other. The opposite side of the same coin was that I lamented my loss. I embraced the words of Washington Irving, “There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness but of power. They are messengers of overwhelming grief and of unspeakable love.” In the depths of my own depression years ago, I found that insanity was to get stuck in the despair and grief—the feeling that moving beyond it was to forget those who’d transitioned into the afterlife and to forget those dreams deferred. Today, I embrace grief when it comes; but I also know that honoring the memory is to move on and embrace the life I encounter today…to accept the new normal.
One of the very first things I know to be true is that humans are made for eternity. Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier with his expertise in chemistry concluded, “Nothing is born and nothing can die.” Paradoxically, French cardinal of the Catholic Church François de la Rochefoucauld reasoned, “The only thing constant in life is change.” I doubt I need a great quote from a philosopher, psychologist, or guru to tell you that change is difficult. Great change can bring us to a crossroads—it can bring us to our knees. Transaction model of stress examines how humans can healthily appraise, manage and cope with life’s hiccups (Lazarus, R.S. & Cohen, J.B. (1977). Physiologically, we feel the rush of adrenaline—we choose between the fight or flight response. Most of the time, humans are resilient. We view the conflict or change as “do-able” and we make the necessary adjustments—and magically transform.
Conversely, Freud (1910) describes the negative impacts on the psyche brought about by the change. He describes what happens when humans are overwhelmed by stress, “There had been a short conflict, and the end of this inner struggle was the repression of the idea which presented itself to consciousness as the bearer of this irreconcilable wish. This was, then, repressed from consciousness and forgotten. The incompatibility of the idea in question with the ‘ego’ of the patient was the motive of the repression, the ethical and other pretensions of the individual were the repressing forces. The presence of the incompatible wish, or the duration of the conflict, had given rise to a high degree of mental pain; this pain was avoided by the repression. This latter process is evidently in such a case a device for the protection of the personality.” Change can march into our lives as birth, puberty, marriage, divorce, job loss, moving, etc.
I believe sickness—whether physical, spiritual or emotional—is a result of us not accepting our new normal. In his poem, We Wear the Masks, Paul Laurence Dunbar described this process, “We wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes--This debt we pay to human guile; With torn and bleeding hearts we smile.” The mask might be prescribed medication to help with the pain. I can hear my grandmother handing my mother Valumn, “Honey, just take you a little nerve pill.” We wear the mask by shopping, smoking pot, drinking, lying…anything to hide the truth. Similarly, Elizabeth Lesser explains the conflict of change in Broken Open: How difficult Times Can Help Us Grow, “When we don’t share the secret ache in our hearts the normal bewilderment of being human—it turns into something else. Our pain and fear and longing in the absence of company, become alienation and envy and competition” (p.26). As a people-pleaser, I’ve worn the mask most of my life. Eventually, we forget what’s mask and what the authentic self is. And what the true self is this, “We’re all bozos on the bus, so we might as well sit back and enjoy the ride,” spoken by clown Wavy Gravy (best known for his efforts to spread love and a helping hand in the midst of chaos at Woodstock).
In order to heal, we need to heal all of what makes us human; and what makes us human is where body, mind, and soul intersect (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dualism_(philosophy_of_mind). Norman Brown wrote, “The aim of psychoanalysis—still unfulfilled, and still only half-conscious—is to return our souls to our bodies, to return ourselves to ourselves...Hence, since sublimation is the essential activity of soul divorced from body, psychoanalysis must return our sublimations to our bodies; and conversely, sublimation cannot be understood unless we understand the nature of the soul in psychoanalytic terminology, the nature of the ego.” With greying temples and a German accent, Sigmund Freud sardonically asks in my mind, “So tell me about your mother?” Shoulders shrugged, I reluctantly admit, “Ok, Ok—I can’t even eliminate your model from my diagnostic and therapeutic repertoire. I guess I’m a Jungian after all! The id is the body, the ego is the mind, and the superego is the spirit!” And so, like all great epochs the end is the beginning; and the beginning is the end. As my two year old daughter puts the Lion King in for the 200th time this week (which so happens to be the last movie I saw with my mother), these words echo in my house, my ears, my mind, and my spirit:
Rafiki: [after guiding Simba to a spot where he says will show him Mufasa]
Look down there.
Adult Simba: [looks into a pool of water]
That's not my father. That's just my reflection.
Rafiki: No, look harder.
[touches the water, as it ripples Simba's reflection changes to that of his father]
Rafiki: You see? He lives in you.
Mufasa's ghost: [from above]
Simba.
Adult Simba: Father?
Mufasa's ghost: [apears among the stars]
Simba, you have forgotten me.
Adult Simba: No. How could I?
Mufasa's ghost: You have forgotten who you are and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the Circle of Life.
Adult Simba: How can I go back? I'm not who I used to be.
Mufasa's ghost: Remember who you are. You are my son, and the one true king. Remember...

On the first day of class you revealed your personal crisis of searching for a new job, feeling a bit lost. Being laid-off after 10 years of teaching, I was familiar with those dark shadows of the soul. If I wasn’t Mrs. Morelock, the teacher, then who was I? At the end of class, I told you that through the chaos, I emerged on the other side with a new pair of glasses—those glasses are how I view the world, my personal bias. And, I remember your words to me as we parted after that first class, “Keep your glasses clean!”
Honestly, I’d doing the best I can. Sometimes I forget these metaphysical life-gems and my lenses get dirty. If they get too dirty, then God sends life-lessons. He begins with a whisper. Oprah Winfrey (1997) enlightened graduates a commencement address, “Try to get the whisper before the earthquake comes because the whisper is always followed by a little louder voice, then you get a brick I say, and then sometimes a brick wall, and then the earthquake comes. Try to get it on the whisper.” Yep, I’ll try to remember to keep my glasses clean!

Dunbar, Paul Laurence. We Wear the Masks. Retrieved from http://www.poetry-archive.com

Freud, Sigmund. (1910). The Origin and Development of Psychoanalysis. American Journal of
Psychology, 21, 181-218. Retrieved from http://psychclassics.asu.edu/Freud/Origin/

Hughes, Langston. Theme for English B. Retrieved from http://www.poetry-archive.com

Lazarus, R.S. & Cohen, J.B. (1977). Environmental Stress. Human Behavior and Environment.
2.Retrieved from http://www.cw.utwente.nl/theorieenoverzicht/Theory%20clusters/Health%20Communication/transactional_model_of_stress_and_coping.doc/

Lesser, Elizabeth. (2004). Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow. New York. Villard
Books.

Norman O. Brown (1959). Life Against Death: The Psychoanalytic Meaning of History. Middletown, CT:
Wesleyan University Press. Retrieved from http://www.psych-culture.com/docs/brown-life_against_death.pdf

Winfrey, Oprah. (May 30, 1997). Commencement Address Wellesley College. Retrieved from
http://www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/PAhomepage/winfrey.html

Various quotes Retrieved from www.brainyquote.com

2009-12-04T18:08:00.002-05:00

HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM “DEPRESSED” AND WHAT DOES SCRIPTURE SAY ABOUT DEPRESSION?
5. Irratibility~
The second commandment of “loving others” can be a difficult journey. Conflict is as old as the rivalry between the first siblings, Cain and Able. Genesis 4:6-7 uncovers the essence of the issue, “Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Like many of us, Cain dismissed God’s warning. His jealousy grew into wrath and he murdered his twin brother. Sin separates us from God; and so, as a result, Cain was ostracized from his family. The motifs of conflict, jealousy, and wrath are ever-present today. A wise friend states it so eloquently: Opinions are like body parts; some stink, some don’t. It is human nature to fear new situations and people who are different than us—often times our reaction to fear is distrust, envy, and rage. WE ALL BELIEVE OUR OPINION IS THE RIGHT OPINION. Again, our human nature is self-importance—we are irritated that others aren’t as “perfect” as we are. The evil one destroys humans by focusing our attention on what other people have and think. In the heat of the battle, we loose focus of what is really important—our relationship with God and how we honor others!
Conflict is inevitable; so what does the Bible instruct us to do about it? Anger isn’t a sin. After all, more than once Jesus speaks righteous anger against the Pharisees, “He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts…” Mark 3:5 We must be careful how we ACT upon our disapproval and irritability, “In your anger do not sin.” Ephesians 4:26
How do we deal with “righteous anger”? For years people had violated my emotional and physical boundaries. Figuratively, there were mounds of toxic trash in my emotional yard. I’m the one who had to either live with it or clean it up. Were they going to admit their role in my personal life becoming a landfill and help me clean it up? NO! Was it fair? NO! During the aftermath of my hospitalization, I was forced to confront the issues that lead to my feeling suicidal. I was like an exposed nerve. What would upset a “normal” person, infuriated me. For several months, I drove erratically, acted irrationally, and was hostile with my family and God. Did I have reasons to feel victimized? Absolutely, but how I dealt with the emotional pain only deepened my wounds and increased my shame. Letting anger fester causes bitterness and violence.
On the other hand, ignoring the “trash” causes suppressed emotions, depression, and isolation. When a violent attack occurs, neighbors and co-workers are interviewed; puzzled they shake their heads and state on the evening news, “I never imagined this. He was always quiet and kept to himself.” Ignoring the situation obviously doesn’t solve the problem, and more importantly, creates an emotional pressure cooker. As a child my southern grandmother wouldn’t even let me in the kitchen when she was canning. Numerous children have been scalded, hit with shrapnel, or worse. How many more children bare the invisible scars of the emotional pressure cookers? The cliché of “Letting off some steam” literally means to cautiously push down the pressure valve and let some pressure escape. The Bible encourages us to manage conflict in a timely manner, “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Ephesians 4:27 Furthermore, Jesus advises the disciples to have wise timing for their words, “Be as cunning as a snake, inoffensive as a dove” in Matthew 10:16. When confronting someone who has offended you, graciously speak the truth in love.
“What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself. Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don't stay angry… Say only what helps, each word a gift. Don't grieve God. Don't break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don't take such a gift for granted.” Ephesians 4: 25-30
The Bible clearly advises us to not hold in our anger, but to keep short accounts and settle issues with gentleness and compassion.
One of the devil’s strongest deceptions is that words will never hurt me. Proverbs 18:21 cautions that the “power of life and death is in the tongue.” God spoke the world into being. The Bible is The Word—words are so powerful and revealing. The wise King Solomon gives sound advice throughout Proverbs; for example Proverbs 21:23 declares that “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from troubles.” If you want to bridle your tongue, you must hand the reigns over to the Lord. The Apostle Paul exposes his personal struggle, “I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong…Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 7:21-25 The flesh is corrupt; we are unable to control our sinful nature without God’s help. Each and every one of us has said things we wish we could take back. Correcting the damage is like filling up pot holes; it may patch for a while but it is always a bump in the road. That is why Colossians 3:8 declares “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” He doesn’t say start tomorrow, but NOW. More importantly, Matthew 12:36-37 forewarns us that “men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." Simply put, we need to weigh our words carefully before we speak them. James 1:19, 20 explains, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” Be mindful of how your words impact those around you.
Luke 6:45 reminds us that words often mirror what is in the heart, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” Many women struggle with truly hearing what we are told. The boyfriend that belittles and abuses her becomes the husband that sends her to the emergency room with a shattered wrist and concussion. In the passion of the argument when his guard is down, the true feelings come out of his mouth. No matter how may times the words, “I love you…I’m sorry, but you…Trust me, I’ll never let that happen again…” the abusers actions speak volumes about his fear, control, and anger. Maya Angelou writes and speaks from experience when she says, “The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them." Many women overlook the sweet, good guy to pursue the handsome, rebel; then wonder why he can’t keep a job, does drugs, and has multiple affairs. Ladies, match up what he is telling you with what he says—if there is a discrepancy, start believing what his words and actions are telling you.
Lastly, the example of James shows us what God can do with envy when we let Him master our lives. The half-brother of Jesus, James, reminds us to keep our ego under control. I suspect that James dealt with resentment and pride first-hand… imagine having the Messiah for a brother! James 3:2-11 reprimands us, “We all stumble in many ways…With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.” Over our families we can speak either blessings or curses. Proverbs 31 describes how a noble wife should be treated, “She is more precious than rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life… Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her:’ There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!’ Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.” As Christians we need to speak blessings over children, “It is thus evident from the whole spirit of Biblical ethics that the parents' good-will and blessing were regarded as the greatest happiness that could come to children, and it is well known to those who are at all familiar with Jewish domestic life that this sentiment continues to the present day.”¹ One of my favorite blessings is the one Zechariah speaks over his newborn son who will become known as “John the Baptist”, And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” Luke 1: 76-79 Often times the words we say to our families become self-fulfilling prophesies. When I taught I had the poem Children Learn What They Live by Dorothy Law Nolte on my wall as a reminder, “If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn. If children live with hostility, they learn to fight….If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence. If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.” James summarizes Chapter 3 with the fruit from living with a bridled tongue,
“But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts,
do not boast about it or deny the truth.
Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.
For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure;
then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.”
verses 13-16

HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM “DEPRESSED” AND WHAT DOES SCRIPTURE SAY ABOUT DEPRESSION? 4.Sleep Changes/Appetite or weight changes~

2009-11-13T14:59:00.006-05:00

Is your head hitting the pillow and you are unable to put to rest the worries of the day? Do you wake the next day feeling like you are in a fog? When stressed, are you sitting down with a bag of potato chips 45 minutes after dinner? Are you craving sweets, like Milky Way bars and Twinkies…starches, like rolls and macaroni and cheese? On the opposite end of the spectrum, are you so frantic that you are painting until the early morning hours…so distracted by work that you go an entire day eating only one meal or a cup of yogurt driving to your next appointment. Dr.Janet Greeson summed up the issue in the title of her book, It Isn’t What You Are Eating, It’s What’s Eating You? As a result of “what’s eating us,” we are consumed physically, spiritually and emotionally. Some of us wear it as bags under our eyes and 50 lbs. of extra weight. Others neglect their bodies and wither away to empty shells.

The Master Craftsman designed a complex, integrated system in the human body. Physical signals remind us to meet our physical and spiritual needs. When our stomach feels hollow, it may even growl and we are reminded that we are two hours late for lunch. The food converts to energy that allows our bodies to function properly—our muscles have the energy to move. Nutrition empowers our brain to interpret, store, and send messages more efficiently. Similarly, sleep is a natural way for the body to restore and heal itself. Scientist confirm that sleep is the body’s way of hitting the reset button when over stimulated.¹ In addition, researchers are discovering the connection between sleep and memory.² Obviously, Americans are bombarded with weight loss advertisements, the food pyramid, and uber-thin models—we know about healthy eating habits but we aren’t following through. As a result, we ride the sugar high to the energy crash an hour later. The majority of us eat processed foods high in calories, but low in fiber and vitamins. Then, spend hours in front of computers and television. Studies show a strong correlation between the more hours spent watching television and the higher the chance for childhood obesity.³ Others have become obsessed with having control of their bodies and count every calorie and excessively exercise. Millions of Americans have had cosmetic surgery, striving to be perfect. Others cut gashes in their flesh to release the emotional pain, feeling alive from the pain and endorphin rush. The use of steroids and body dimorphic disorder is on the rise, especially for those 14-22.4 Numbing emotions with drug and alcohol is becoming “normal” self-medication. In summary, adequate rest and healthy eating are important to our cognitive, spiritual, psychological and physical well-being. Without it, we are emotional zombies.

For many years I rode the roller coaster ride of unhealthy extremes. When mildly depressed, I would overeat and oversleep. When severely depressed or there was an impending crisis, I couldn’t sleep or eat. During my year of unemployment, there were several months that I would pull the covers over my head and avoid mounting troubles. During my divorce, I didn’t care about eating—which normally I enjoy both as a social activity and the pleasure of food. After my mom’s death, I lost 35 lbs. in four months. As a result, I was drained emotionally and spiritually. If I wasn’t at work, I was in bed. Sleep was my “drug of choice.” I rationalized that I wasn’t getting drunk, doing drugs, or having sex with random strangers—it couldn’t be sinful. However, it is not in God’s will for sleep or eating to become unhealthy and negatively impact our daily lives. Balance is a key to healthy living. Proverbs is full of practical advice, “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.” Proverbs 10:3-5 Any indulgence can lead to a destructive lifestyle. The scriptures encourage moderation, “Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.” Proverbs 23:20-22 In short, seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance to find a healthy balance.

The Bible emphasizes the positive effects of getting adequate rest and nutrition. Fleeing for his life the prophet of Elijah prayed, “I have had enough Lord,’ he said. ‘Take my life; I am not better than my ancestors.” Maybe you are not running for your life; however, like Elijah, you may be frustrated by the current situation to the point that you see no way out. You feel helpless and alone. No one cares…no one understands…no one can help! When Elijah fell into a state of depression, God sent an angel to remind him to take care of his physical needs, “All at once an angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat’…He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.’ So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by the food, he traveled forty days and forty nights” 1 Kings 19:5-8 As I’ve emphasized before, we not only serve an omnipotent God, but a practical one too. Jesus and his disciples were ministering to large crowds and as a result their energy was drained—Jesus encouraged them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:31 Jesus understood firsthand that in order to give, we need to fill our own spiritual and emotional vessel. Numerous times, he went away from the crowds to be alone with God.

One of my dear friends is currently in the midst of a divorce. After years of trying to work out the difficulties in the relationship, she’s come to terms with the reality that her spouse isn’t willing to take responsibility for his role in the marriage. To the church and her children, she’s held up a facade of a Christian union—when in reality, she’s been devalued, disrespected, and emotionally abused. She’s been up many nights crying~ grieving the death of what she dreamed her marriage could be, lamenting the loss of her role as partnered parents/grandparents, worrying about the affects on her children, concerned about how it taints her testimony and upset by the negative rumors spread by her husband. One night she had a breakthrough in the middle of the night, she had a vision that Christ had wrapped his wings around her. She had a strong sense that God simply wanted her to rest and rely on him—He was there to shield her and heal the deep wounds. Jesus instructs us to earnestly pray in privacy, “When you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:6 The message of resting in God isn’t exclusive to the disciples; Jesus emphasized, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.” John 14:1

Do some soul searching and ask yourself are you having trouble finding rest, because God is forewarning you or trying to press a message into your subconscious? Scriptures remind us to pay attention to our dreams, “In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds, he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings…” Job 33:15-16 It isn’t that God doesn’t speak to people in modern times; it is that we are either too overwhelmed to listen or are simply ignoring the signs. My God is far too big to fit into anyone’s box or paradigm. He is unconventional and we need to look for Him everywhere and in everything, the smile of a stranger to the innate wisdom of a child.

After a recent surgery, I took extra time off of work to get some much needed rest and relaxation. When I rolled over at 3:30am, I was unable to go back to sleep. I did a mental check list: Do I have to use the restroom? Am I hurting somewhere? Am I worried about something to do tomorrow? So I just laid there thinking…eventually, I began praying. I was somewhere between consciousness and sleep when a vision of a river formed in my mind’s eye. The water was overflowing the banks and leaking out onto the fields—destroying the surrounding grass and corn fields. As I floated above and gently flowed with the river, I noticed the walls of the banks were starting to be reinforced. Finally, I came to a dam in the river. At that point, I began wondering, Lord, this is strange what does this mean? In no way am I so holy that God speaks to me on a regular basis—but when He does, I know and obey His voice. For me, the voice is gender-neutral, gentle and soft. It isn’t so much speaking—but rather, thoughts and feelings, similar to what people call an epiphany or “Ah-Ha Moment.” When I’ve experienced this, it is during quiet times, rather than the movie-depicted-hype, condemnation, and dramatic booming voice. Once again, I look to the story of Elijah, “Then he was told, ‘Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by.’ A hurricane ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn’t to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn’t in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn't in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper. When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there. A quiet voice asked, "So Elijah, now tell me, what are you doing here?" 1 Kings 19:8-16 In my dream-vision, it was me asking, What am I doing here? The wisdom came, You are the river. For a period of your life, you lacked direction and went against My plan for you. Now, I’ve redirected you and have stopped you. I don’t normally hear God speak to my spirit so clearly, so this was a startling revelation. Feeling like a reprimanded child, I thought, Why God? Why do you have me dammed up? When are you going to let me flow again? Like the river, I’m strong-willed and it is against my nature to be creatively and financially stuck. Like a great story-teller, it was almost as if He was turning the pages of a book; waiting for me to ask the question so He could turn the page. When the flow of the water is stopped, it has time to recollect, redefine its boundaries, and lastly, there is powerful energy stored up. Multiple landscapes flashed in my mind: a quiet brook, the Grand Canyon, whitewater rapids…Then, an electric power plant came to my mind’s eye and I admired its size and beauty. I instantly understood what controlled the water’s gentle ripples or powerful waves was God’s hand. Then, I became aware of pools of stagnate water around the edges; it was so different from the previous images. Lord, I don’t understand? He answered, That’s what happens to the river if I stays dammed. It is of no use to me or anyone else. I brought you to the Vineyard to heal and restore you--to help you understand the reason for and the love in boundaries. I’m getting ready to release you. Be alert! Watch for the signs. Otherwise, you’ll become stagnate. The voice of the Lord was so clear to me, that I didn’t worry about the vision—there was no need to ponder its meaning. Instead, I was at peace; I simply rolled over and went back to sleep. On the Friday of that week, my daughter had her fall parent-teacher conference and the school principal approached me about substitute teaching. I felt flattered and restored when she said to me, “In order to get hired full-time, you need to get your name out there.” I have to admit, God’s direction isn’t always so clear, so I’m very grateful for the vision. I can’t help but think that if I didn’t take a break to rest, I could have missed out. For me, the lack of sleep is usually my signal that I need to pray about the situation—that I am over-whelmed and under-equipped to solve the issue on my own.

Christ is waiting for you to hand your burdens over to Him so that you can rest and eat well. God is the healer of dis-ease. Furthermore, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27 A true gift is something given out of love; we didn’t do anything to deserve it. The peace the Holy Spirit infuses the Christ-believer with is a true gift—you just need to reach out to receive it.

1. Miller, Greg. (2009, April 3). NEUROSCIENCE: Sleeping to Reset Overstimulated Synapses. Science, 324.

2. Stern, Peter. (2009, April 7). NEUROSCIENCE Sleep and Memory. Sci. Signal, 2 (65), ec119. [DOI:10.1126/scisignal.265ec119]

3. Crespo, Carlos J. DrPH, MS; Smit, Ellen, PhD; Troiano, Richard P., PhD, RD; Bartlett, Susan J., PhD; Macera, Caroline A., PhD; Andersen, Ross E., PhD (2001, March 15). Television watching, energy intake, and obesity in US children. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 155, 360-365.

4. Ruffolo, J.S., Phillips, K.A., Menard, W., Fay, C., & Weisberg, R.B. (2006). Comorbidity of body dysmorphic disorder and eating disorders: Severity of psychopathology and body image disturbance. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 31, 11-19.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM “DEPRESSED” AND WHAT DOES SCRIPTURE SAY ABOUT DEPRESSION? 3. Major change in energy level~

2009-10-28T17:36:00.005-04:00

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Romans 15:4 [emphasis added]

3. Major change in energy level~
Often times we forget to be “human beings” not “human doings.” Maybe, just maybe, that change in energy level is both a divine and physical signal to SLOW DOWN, and not necessarily negative. Honestly ask yourself, What am I doing to refill my energy tank? For example, do you take time out of your schedule to spend quality time with your spouse? Do you have a hobby? When is the last time you had a picnic with your kids? How many times a day does your cell phone interrupt face-to-face time with a child, spouse, friend? Do you spend the evening on Facebook while your kids are playing Xbox in their bedrooms and your spouse is asleep in the recliner with the TV full blast? At the end of the day, do you melt into the couch with a bowl of ice cream flipping channels —day after day, year after year? I’m not the only one noticing these trends, “More than 31% of college-educated male workers are regularly logging 50 or more hours a week at work, up from 22% in 1980. Forty percent of American adults get less than seven hours of sleep on weekdays, reports the National Sleep Foundation, up from 31% in 2001. About 60% of us are sometimes or often rushed at mealtime, and one-third wolf down lunch at our desks, according to a survey by the American Dietetic Assn. To avoid wasting time, we're talking on our cell phones while rushing to work, answering e-mails during conference calls, waking up at 4 a.m. to call Europe, and generally multitasking our brains out” (http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_40/b3953601.htm). No wonder Americans are over their credit limit, over-worked, over-stressed, over-whelmed, over-stimulated, and over-fatigued.

Why is our energy level so low? Where are we spending our energy? Why are we working so hard? The whole book of Ecclesiastes seems to ponder the meaning of life—in Ecclesiastes 4:4-8 the writer observes, “And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind…There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. ‘For whom am I toiling,’ he asked, ‘and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?’ This too is meaningless—a miserable business!” The writer of Ecclesiastes seems to be encouraging moderation, to appreciate both hard work and the simple things in life. In the Good News Bible verse six translates, “It is better to have only a little with peace of mind, than be busy all the time with both hands.” In the New Testament, Paul emphasizes the importance of Christ-reliance and describes the peace he’s found as a result, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Phillipians 4:12-13 Therefore, the secret to success is find balance in our lives and trust in God to supply our needs.

When you lie down at night are you unable to turn off your mind and get adequate rest? Are you staying awake worrying how to keep the utilities on, how to pay for your child’s braces? Are you concerned about your to do list for the following day? David wrote in Psalms 4:8, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Can all your worrying change anything? No, but prayer can. My life verse encourages, “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let your petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” Philippians 4:6-7 That verse speaks to my heart when it says “petitions and praises”—it reminds me that I am to not only pray but praise. Thinking of all the things I have to be grateful--the roof over my head, the blanket, my spouse beside me, the children sleeping in their beds, the air in my lungs—suddenly, I’m breathing deeper and relaxing. Furthermore, Jesus emphases that “You cannot serve both God and Money. ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:24-25, 31-33 Worry is a demonic distraction—we stop focusing on praising God for all that He has provided and we lose our momentum to carry out the divine mission He’s placed in our hearts.

Did you know that the Bible talks about how business and worry interfere with our spiritual lives? The Bible speaks very clearly that our faith is to rest in Him not the false hope of wealth. The parable of the seeds in Matthew talks about how God’s word can be choked by the busyness of life and materialism: “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worried of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.” Matthew 13:22. Yet another example of Christ-reliance vs. financial-reliance is the story of the wealthy man who asked Christ how to have eternal life; “Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” Matt.19:21-22 Clearly, the man valued his worldly possessions more the eternal life.

Luke 12:33-34 summarizes over 800 Biblical verses that discuss money, “…a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” My grandmother had a beautiful vacation home where our family enjoyed visiting with relatives and relaxing in the country. A call in the middle of the night revealed the worst—a suspicious fire had reduced the home and contents to nothing but ash. Worse yet, my grandfather had only insured the home, not the contents. My grandmother’s heart was broken, so many lovely items…so many memories…so many future plans. As a woman of faith, my grandmother understandably grieved; but she also remembered that thankfully no one was injured, she had another home, and it was only wood and brick. If you think your worldly treasures can’t be gone in a minute, spend an afternoon listening looking at the sheriff sale section of your local paper, visit the unemployment office and hear about jobs sent overseas, and/or visit the oncology wing of the hospital. A recent article in The Atlantic points out that “Adverse medical conditions also lead to personal bankruptcy filings, but other adverse events such as divorce and unemployment have marginal effects. Over-consumption makes households financially over-stretched and more susceptible to adverse events, which reconcile the strategic filing and adverse event explanations” (http://meganmcardle.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/02/what_causes_personal_bankruptc.php). Biblical truths are apparent in the modern world—where the effects of sin are cumulating in personal, civic and economic meltdowns.

Moses instructed the Hebrews that “The Sabbath is the Lord’s gift to you…on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.” Exodus 16:29, 20:11 [emphasis added] If the Father honors rest; then, we, who are created in his image, must value it too. God urges us time and time again to be still, have patience, worship, and meditate on him. In my hectic life, I struggle to “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 The Sabbath is declared holy so that we can spend time alone with Him, the ultimate source of energy. Jesus instructs us, “Here’s what I want you to do: ‘Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play…Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.’” Matthew 6:6 I’m preaching to myself here, but the Sabbath is not intended as the catch-up day for all the things we didn’t accomplish during the week. Moreover, Jesus asked in Matthew 11:28-29 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” Life is a rhythm of seasons; some are for work and some are for rest. Most people who honor the Sabbath find that the rest of their week is more productive. Personally, songs of praise and worship refill my spiritual vessel—they focus my attention on all of my blessings and often readjust my attitude. Listening to WOW CDs or K-Love on my way to work helps focus my perspective for the workday, and on the way home, I can wind down from work. During church service, these songs allow me to close my eyes and join with the body of Christ in an unison of worship.
God is a renewable energy. Jesus reflected the will of the Father “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29 Pray for the promise of restoration: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31 In summary, I encourage you to find balance; focus on the eternal/spiritual rather than the temporal/earthly matters; trust God to meet your needs; and discover the restoration found by spending time alone with God.

2009-10-07T17:21:00.003-04:00

2. Feeling hopeless/helpless~

Maybe you are feeling hopeless and helpless because you aren’t seeing results YET…Dayton Vineyard pastor Doug Roe says, God is never late, but he is seldom early. He is always right on time! The first step should be to pray for discernment, “We should make plans—counting on God to direct us.” Proverbs 16:9 How many times have you rushed into something, to realize it was the wrong decision: the interest rate was 32% …he had put on his “game face” while you were first dating…? How many times have you been stuck and frustrated—and then God moves: the house you wanted sold, but now you found a more suitable house…? As Dayton Vineyard pastors are fond of saying: God’s will is often clearer in the rearview mirror. The human downfall is that we are anxious and don’t want to trust His omnipotent power.

Throughout the Bible there are numerous examples of God’s answer being, “No, trust me. It is for your own good.” We don’t tell our children no just to exercise our authority and neither does God. The commandments are there for our best interest. He is trying to protect us from the “wages of sin.” Deuteronomy 30:15-16 summarizes, “I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.” Maybe the “No” is a result of your sin. Moses and his siblings were not permitted to enter the Promised Land as a result of their disobedience and self-reliance.

On the other hand, possibly the “no” is prohibitive. Have you stopped long enough to consider that the “No” is possibly a road block to a destructive path? Sometimes God’s no is a way of keeping our attitude in check. Paul seems to have uncovered the purpose of God’s “No” in his life when he writes in 2 Corinthians 12:8-9, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.” The no makes us humble and realize how weak we truly are. Furthermore, James 4:3 explains, “When you ask you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” My dear friend calls those “Ouch, Hallelujah!” moments. The divine truth hurts sometimes, but we are better for it!

Sometimes God’s answer is “Yes, but wait.” The story of Abraham and Sarah’s long wait for a child illustrates the importance of God’s timing. Our impatience and intervention often leads to our demise. In Genesis 15, God promises the barren Abraham and Sarah children too numerous to count. In Genesis 18:14, “GOD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh saying, 'Me? Have a baby? An old woman like me?' Is anything too hard for GOD? I'll be back about this time next year and Sarah will have a baby." Not trusting in God’s timetable, Sarah impatiently convinces him to copulate with her maid. Not until Genesis 21 when Abraham is 88, does God fulfill the promise of a child (Ishmael) through the maid. Later, Sarah’s child, Isaac, is born when Abraham nears 100 years old. Not only does Ishmael cause conflict between Sarah, Abraham, and the maid; but many will ague that the children of Abraham are in conflict today—both physically through the Jews (Isaac) and Palestinians (Ishmael), and spiritually between the Jews/Christians and Muslims. When we don’t allow God’s will prevail, we multiply our heartaches. Unfortunately, this can impact our families for years to come. As a result of our interfering in God’s plan, we may have to wait even longer for our blessing.

Once again, Paul’s life is an illustration of faith and perseverance through hardships. Acts 27-28 tells the story of Paul’s enduring a storm, shipwreck, snake bite, and natives idolizing him as a god. I’m sure Paul wasn’t overjoyed by God’s detours, but he held fast to his belief that none would perish and that God would provide. As a result, the natives on the island where they shipwrecked heard the gospel and many were healed! God divinely orchestrated the shipwreck so that more people could have life-changing relationship with Him. Joseph being betrayed by his brothers, enslaved, and wrongly imprisoned led to his saving thousands of lives, including those who betrayed him. God’s unorthodox plans for us are bigger that we could ever imagine.

Put your faith in God, whose vantage point is higher than ours. Have you ever worked a 1000 piece puzzle? We stare at and fixate on that one piece. Sometimes it isn’t until we set the piece down and take a look at the whole, that we unlock the clues. How many times in life do we get stuck on that one piece, not willing to set it aside so that we can move on to the next piece? We become obsessed with the one piece…where could it possibly go…why can’t I figure this out?!? The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians, “I forget what happened yesterday, and I keep my eyes on what is ahead. I press on to win the prize that God is keeping for me - and that is to share in an everlasting life overflowing with love and happiness with Jesus.” We simply don’t see the big picture—but God does. Indeed, “And we know that for those who love God, that is, for those who are called according to his purpose, all things are working together for good.” Romans 8:28 Does Paul say, “Some things?…most things?” NO, all things! God wants you to approach difficulties with confidence in Him. “Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident! Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I the Lord, am with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 Our faith can be a journey, the simple act of moving forward like the man in Mark 9:24 who sought healing for his child “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Be authentic with God, tell him what you need and like the father in the story—he will heal you.

I have found that keeping verses in my pockets, on my mirror, or computer desktop serves as a visual reminder to “keep my eyes on the prize.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 is taped to my desk at work—my goal is to plant the words in my heart, “…do not lose heart…For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Furthermore, Christ emphasizes, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25 In the midst of the storm all we can see is the wind, lightening, and rain. But God, knows that there is a beautiful day, and sometimes a rainbow, on the other side of the storm cell.

In Christ, we are neither helpless nor hopeless: “I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 Claim it—not most…not a few—all things are possible. Later in verse 19 Paul states, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Please note that it doesn’t say that God will supply my wants—but my needs. In my life there have been so many times that an unexpected check has come in the mail when there is a past due notice is sitting on the kitchen table, or there is just enough change in the house to buy a pack of diapers….and so on. Let’s face it sometimes the check doesn’t come in the mail, there is a lesson to be learned in those times too. When trouble comes and Christ warns us it will come, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33; we must keep our eyes on the ultimate goal in order to not be distracted by life’s trials. Again, love God first and the rest will work out for itself. Like Paul, we just have to have patience and faith.

WHAT DOES SCRIPTURE SAY ABOUT DEPRESSION?

2009-09-23T15:04:00.002-04:00

WHAT DOES SCRIPTURE SAY ABOUT DEPRESSION?
Symptoms of depression:
1. Loss of interest in daily activities~

In my life, I find that overcoming the feeling of being worthless, lost or lacking interest is to realize that God created everyone with a unique purpose. God has given you a gift, a natural talent—use it and it will be multiplied. Hide it and He will bless others with opportunities that could have been yours. Matthew 25:14-30 tells the parable of the talents—it explains both the blessing and curse. Another Biblical example that demonstrates this truism is the story of Jonah, who ended up in the belly of a great fish because he was running from God’s instructions to preach in Nineveh. Where did the great fish spew him out? Nineveh! Only after surviving a literal storm and near death experience was Jonah determined to follow God’ path for his life. Numerous characters in the Bible struggled with hopelessness, depression, and despair, for example Elijah, David, Job. Even Christ cried out, “I am deeply grieved, even to the point of death.” Mark 14:34 Still he obeyed, “…what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour '? But for this purpose I came to this hour.” John 12:27 Similarly, Luke 5 reinforces the power of obedience, Peter was exhausted after fishing all night without success. Christ instructed him to cast his nets again~ even thought I’m sure Peter questioned this request, he followed Jesus’ directions. He was rewarded with so many fish that the fishermen began to worry that it might sink. That was the turning point for Peter; he recognized Jesus as the Messiah and became a “fisher of men.” By following Christ’s direction, which defied logic, his life was transformed, blessed, and enriched.

Do you know it is the devil’s job to steal our dreams by making us overwork, worry, guilt-ridden, insecure, depressed…? John 10:10 states, “The thief’s purpose is steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” The darkest days of my depression struck when after years of teaching and attaining my Master’s Degree, I lost a pregnancy, my spouse, my job—I felt total despair—It took several years of wallowing in misery to realize God cared more about who I am (character) rather than what I do (work). At the age of 37 I found myself single and pregnant. The doctors explained the health risks. My family worried over my financial and spiritual wellbeing. A coworker was the voice of many when she hinted that just because I was pregnant didn’t mean that I had to have a child. In my view, despite my sin, God would provide—God has blessed my faithfulness; she has never been without diapers or formula. I held fast to Romans 8:28 that God would turn a bad situation into good. Two years later, after seeking Godly council and forgiveness, I married her father. What a wonderful addition our little Katie has been! Now I work as a church secretary and my blessings are both seen and unseen. Reflecting on the talents parable Matthew 25, I joke that God is challenging me to be a good steward with my hourly rate, so that I can be a bigger blessing when he entrusts me with millions. My daily life is a continual challenge of faith!

We never feel more alive than when we are productively pursing God’s purpose. “Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires.” Matthew 5:6 God loves you and has wonderful plans for your life. “You (God) created every part of me; you put me together in my mother’s womb…You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe.” Psalm 139:13-16 There is no one else exactly like you and there never will be. Again, in Jeremiah 29:11 God explains his divine purpose, “‘I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Just like Queen Ester, God made you to witness and work for such a time as this. There are multiple scriptures which reinforce God’s divine plan, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” John 15:16 Earlier in the chapter, verses 1-5 explain that the branches (the church) draw energy and nutrients from the vine (Jesus). “…every branch that bears fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” God prunes the unnecessary from our lives so that we produce more spiritual fruit. What is this fruit? Galatians 5:22-23 describes what we should see in a Christian’s life, “..the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Therefore, I use this verse as a measuring stick for my life and use it to measure-up who I should associate with. Does my life and testimony reach out to others with love, forgiveness, humor, steadfastness, and discipline? As long as I follow His greater purpose of serving others; I have faith that he will provide my needs. I may be digging for change in my car for gas money, but somehow it is enough to get me where I need to go (but not always where I want to go).

Humans struggle to believe God can and wants to use us in our ordinary, daily lives. However, 1 Peter 4:10 explains how even the mundane can be an act of worship, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.” With our heart in the right place, washing dishes can be a godly act of service! Colossians 18-24 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” In modeling Christ’s life of servant/leader we can demonstrate to others God’s love in even practical tasks. Serve in a needy community and your heart will be transformed. “If a man shuts his ears to the cries of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.” Proverbs 21:13 Volunteers serving the less fortunate see first hand how blessed they truly are. “Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and they darkness around you will be as bright as noon. The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength.” Isaiah 58:10-11 In summary, “Give yourselves completely to God—every part of you…to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes.” Romans 6:13 The journey to recovery begins with the first step of obediently following God’s purpose for your life.

WHY DO WE EXPERIENCE TRIALS AND TESTS? Through the Trial a Miracle Awaits

2009-06-15T13:09:00.001-04:00

WHY DO WE EXPERIENCE TRIALS AND TESTS? Through the Trial a Miracle Awaits

As the Grand Architect, God can direct our path into perilous situations so that he can reveal His power, enrich our lives, and allow our testimony to spread The Truth. Escaping poverty as a child and the recent death of his wife, revivalist Smith Wigglesworth explains the lesson learned from his personal experience, “Great faith is the product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great trials. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials.” God purposely brought the Israelites to a crossroads, so that He could reveal his power and work a miracle in their lives by parting the sea. The Israelites were terrified and did not understand why God would lead them to be trapped between the mountains and the sea with the Egyptians in fast pursuit. Exodus 14:1-4 “And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.’ So the Israelites did this.” Are you standing at a crossroad in your life? God very possibly is bringing you to a place of humility—He is pruning away the unnecessary so that he can reveal His glory. It is very probable that if you choose the righteous path, God is waiting to reveal your miracle just around the bend.

Most of the miracles in the New Testament are multileveled. In the story of Jesus’ healing the man who had been blind from birth, we can see the act itself as miraculous; but we can also understand how God’s redemptive power is far reaching.
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. ‘Rabbi,’ his disciples asked him, ‘why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?’ ‘It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,’ Jesus answered. ‘This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.’

Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, ‘Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam’ (Siloam means ‘sent’). So the man went and washed and came back seeing! His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, ‘Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?’

… The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, ‘He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!’ Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.’ Others said, ‘But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?’ So there was a deep division of opinion among them. Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, ‘What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?’ The man replied, ‘I think he must be a prophet.’

…And they threw him out of the synagogue. When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ The man answered, ‘Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.’ ‘You have seen him,’ Jesus said, ‘and he is speaking to you!’ ‘Yes, Lord, I believe!’ the man said. And he worshiped Jesus. John 9:1-38
First, the healings and miracles of Jesus fulfill messianic prophesies to establish that he is the Savior. Secondly, Jesus challenges the religious establishment; the Law of Moses is transformed from outward rules into a righteous relationship with God. Thirdly, the healing transforms the recipients’ life. Lastly, the healed person becomes a living “case study” of God’s grace. It is not happenstance that the blind man was instructed to wash himself in the pool called sent. The physical washing symbolizes an internal cleansing of the spirit. It foreshadows the ultimate goal of Jesus ministry on earth, “ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” Matthew 28:19-20. Also, the raising from the dead of Lazarus of Bethany demonstrates these four principals. Lazarus’s sisters contact Jesus, letting him know that his dear friend is gravely ill; however, Jesus waits patiently. When Jesus finally arrives four days after Lazarus’ burial, the sisters lament that Christ could have arrived sooner to heal him. Seeing the grieving sisters and the crowd of mourners, Jesus wept—waiting for his friend to die must have been difficult, yet he understood that this was God’s will. “Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’ Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him” John 11:40-45. Once again, the miracle solidifies that Jesus is Lord, and as a result, the gospel is spread.

What the enemy of our souls intends for destruction, God uses for righteousness. “Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison. But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did.” Acts 8:3-6 Consequently, the crisis provides the opportunity for God to move; when God moves lives are transformed and the Good News travels.

Most importantly, the phenomenal example of God’s transforming negative into positive was Jesus’ crucifixion as the sacrificial lamb, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.” Romans 8:1-3 Accepting Christ brings us freedom—we need to wholeheartedly walk in that freedom and proclaim the truth to others. God is doing all He can to convince us to repent—to no longer have “pent up” emotions and be condemned. “We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God….” Acts 13:38-39 Therefore, the daily miracle is forgiveness, perseverance, and guidance; “He comes to us, not to shield us from the harshness of the world but to give us the courage and strength to bear it; not to snatch us away by some miracle from the conflict of life, but to give us peace—His peace—in our hearts, by which we may be calmly steadfast while the conflict rages, and be able to bring the torn world the healing that is peace” (Advent Devotional Guide). I was answering the phones for the church and a quite, male voice asked, “How do I know I am healed?” I simply asked, “Do you feel better?” Yes, it is that simple! Leave your past of sin and guilt at the Cross—move forward freely with the love of Jesus in your heart.

2009-06-09T11:31:00.001-04:00

WHY DO WE EXPERIENCE TRIALS AND TESTS? Grateful Heart
“On a good day, enjoy yourself;
On a bad day, examine your conscious.
God arranges for both kinds of days
So that we won’t take anything for granted.”
~Ecclesiastes 7:14~
When we are on the mountain top, humans congratulate themselves on all the hard work they did to place themselves there. One of the major flaws of the human condition is our forgetfulness…we forget the source of all things good…we forget the lessons learn from the last trials. The story of Job serves as an example of how trials serve to remind us that God is in control. In Job 1:10-11 the devil says, “You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!’ ‘All right, you may test him,’ the LORD said to Satan. ‘Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.’ So Satan left the LORD’s presence.” Through the life of Job we can learn that God works as a filter, nothing can happen to us without His permission. As always, these struggles’ purpose is to shape us into the likeness of Christ and produce the fruits of the spirit. Later in Job 42:1-6, after complaining and repeatedly questioning God, “Job answered GOD: ‘I'm convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans. You asked, 'Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes? I admit it. I was the one. ..I'm sorry—forgive me. I'll never do that again, I promise…"’ Trust me if I had to endure Job’s suffering I would complain even more so…it is an incredible story. As a result of his confession, God blesses Job even more than what was taken away and he lived another 140 years. The story of Job firmly explains to me that God is more concerned about our spirit, than our physical condition~ His concern is who we are rather than what we have. In addition, the lesson of what the devil had intended for evil, God used for good is powerfully illustrated; Job was stripped of all his material possessions so that he could be humbled and grateful. One can easily infer that Job’s torment was prolonged by his rebellion and complaining; the sooner he accepted God’s omnipotent power, the sooner the trial would have ended and the devil lost the bet.
As Americans in the age of instant gratification, we feel God has abandoned and punished us when our water or electricity is being turned off. We stand in front of the microwave wondering why it is taking so long. Like you, I am in full blown panic mode when my bank account runs dry, but do you realize how few people world-wide have clean drinking water or reliable electricity? How grateful are you for the blessings you do have? We feel the American Dream is a guaranteed blessing. We compare ourselves to our neighbors and constantly chase the carrot of success. The current economic crisis is a result of Americans living beyond their means. Financial expert Suze Orman highlighted the problematic attitude behind the economic crisis, “Suze commented that the economy is built on lies and deceit. A lack of regulation for banks, mortgage companies, etc combined with greed at the very top of the system all worked out to mean trouble for the American economy. Main Street America is not so different from Wall Street. Families have been buying homes they couldn't afford, leasing expensive cars, putting purchases on credit and basically living off of money they don't actually have but that is borrowed…Suze's tips for what families can start doing to protect themselves are very simple. First of all, stop living financial lies - Suze shared that if you are living an honest financial life, you will be fine no matter the state of the economy” (Elizabeth Borer, About.com, Recession-Proof Your Family with Suze Orman - Show Recap Tuesday, September 23, 2008). As humans are both physical and spiritual creations, our spiritual attitudes impact our physical lifestyle.
So I plainly ask you, what are your eyes watching—TV commercials, your neighbor’s new car, pornography, the gloom and doom newscasts? If our eyes are the lamp, then they are the gateway to coveting and jealousy as well.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:21-34
As with any journey, change begins with the first step. Living an authentic financial life will bless you physically and spiritually. Many times in the Bible restoration and thanksgiving are inextricably linked: “Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise” Jeremiah 17:14. In Luke the story of Jesus and the 10 lepers tells us that only one came back to thank Jesus. As a result, the thankful man not only received physical restoration, but spiritual healing as well, “Where are the other nine?...Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” Luke 17-15-18 After all, humans original design was for communion with God; it is no wonder that when we lose sight of this priority, our lives are out-of-focus and chaotic.
Most importantly, the last part of Matthew 6, offers a promise. Are you seeking His kingdom first? Thankfully give God your first fruits—the first 10% of your salary, day, time— and come back and tell me how your life is changing. I’m not endorsing your saying to God, Now God, I gave you $20, now where’s my $200?—that is not a grateful heart. Think about your relationship with your children, when they open up the Christmas gifts and ask, Is that it? How eager are you to give them more? Do we look to God with a sense of entitlement? Have we forgotten that God’s chosen people wandered the desert, the early church fathers were jailed for following the Great Commission and so on, why do we expect to be treated any differently? Even while imprisoned, Paul encourages others with the grateful heart, strength and peace he has found in relying on Christ to supply his needs, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Phillipians 4:11-13 Pray that God will change your point of view and give you a thankful heart.

2009-05-08T14:55:00.002-04:00

WHY DO WE EXPERIENCE TRIALS AND TESTS?

Build Character~. On Sunday, Sept 14, 2008, Dayton, OH was affected by unprecedented weather caused by hurricane Ike. Yes, a hurricane in OH! Even though trees and limbs looked healthy, the 75 mph wind gusts revealed their hidden flaws. Many came crashing down on power lines, leaving residents without water and electricity for days and weeks. Some seized the opportunity to play Scrabble with their kids by candle light; and others, picketed the electricity company for not working fast enough. When driving through the neighborhoods this spring, you can easily see the “gaps” in the fullness of the trees’ silhouettes. However, the trees have benefited—when looking at the gaps it is easy to miss the benefits; they aren’t trying to feed limited recourses into repairing dead branches. They can focus on feeding and growing the healthy branches. “I am the true Vine, and my Father is the Gardener. He lops off every branch that doesn’t produce. And he prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops” John 15:1–2. In God’s Power to Change Your Life, Rick Warren points out, “when God prunes us, he cuts off the sinful and the superficial, the deadwood in our lives. He does do that, but he also cuts off stuff that is alive and successful: a business that is going great, a satisfying relationship, good health. Some of that may get whacked off for greater fruitfulness. It is not just deadwood that goes. God often cuts back good things too, in order to make us healthier. It is not always pleasant, but pruning is absolutely essential for spiritual growth.” Similarly, life’s storms reveal our best and worst attributes.
As children, it is difficult to understand why we aren’t able to do something by ourselves...out of ignorance and frustration, youngsters throw temper tantrums. Often like children, Christians often need both time to mature and divine help till we can master the concept. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” James 1:1-3 I’ve often heard it said God always answers prayer, but the answer isn’t always yes!
Troubles often reveal our flaws; through repentance we become more Christ-like. None of us is perfect, nor can we achieve salvation through our works. It is only through repentance that we can be free and healed. I wholeheartedly feel that we are given free will and sometimes we diverge from God’s divine design for our life; but, He is powerful enough to take that sin/problem/illness and turn it into good. Joseph was sold into slavery, accused of rape, imprisoned—and yet, God used these “problems” to facilitate his being king! David coveted his neighbor’s wife, murdered her husband—and yet, the bloodline of Jesus is directly connected to David and Bathsheba’s adultery.
Not all trials are a direct result of our sin; after all the scripture explains, “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:45 Sometimes troubles can be a result of someone else’s sin or a generational curse. In the midst of my personal storm I wondered and still sometimes wonder, “Why me?” That became a very dangerous question, because instead of trying to improve my situation, I began to focus my energies on “Oh woe is me…I’m a victim.” When there is a car crash, you had better call the medics and seek immediate treatment…it isn’t the time to ponder why the accident happened. “Why?” should happen later in the healing process. The goal of reflection shouldn’t be to blame, but rather, to prevent another accident. We need to check ourselves and ask, I am going to choose “bitter or better”? Pastor Rick Warren reminds us, “… God is glorified when we bear “much fruit” (John 15:8), and that requires pruning. We must remember that the loppers are in the hands of our loving God. He knows what he is doing, and he wants what is best for us. If you are a Christian, you are going to be pruned. Count on it. You may be going through pruning right now, and it may not all be deadwood. God cuts off branches that we feel are productive so that more fruit may be produced” (God’s Power to Change Your Life).
As the church receptionist, I was startled by an unusual question: a quite, male voice asked, “How do I know I am healed?” I simply asked, “Do you feel better?” Yes, it is that simple! Leave your past of sin and guilt at the Cross—move forward freely with the love of Jesus in your heart. Therefore, I know that my daily struggles and challenges are a part of my life in order build faith and tenacity. “…we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who he has given us.” Romans 5:3-5

2009-03-13T14:39:00.006-04:00

THE PERFECT PLAN

In the Garden of Eden we see the perfect plan of what God intended for human beings—stewardship of the earth, communion with others and worship of God. Think of this: God had the minions of angels, Jesus, and yet, something was incomplete. Therefore, He created humans to have an intimate relationship. In Jesus’ own words, the heart of God’s purpose for us is to “… love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40 We often forget how much God loves us. “I have hope when I think of this, the Lord’s love never ends: his mercies never stop.” Lamentations 3:22 Moreover, the Bible is full of verses that declare God’s never all encompassing love for us, such as Psalms 145:8-9 “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” Furthermore, He created each and every one of us with a specific plan in mind. We were created to worship him. Romans 12:1 explains “…offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” Worship is cyclical. It ties back into the command to love one another; by loving one another we demonstrate God’s love and worship him simultaneously. “Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind…Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon, The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength.” Isaiah 58:8-11 When we serve others, we take the focus of ourselves and our own problems~in turn this is a healing process. In God’s infinite wisdom, He created a harmonious life-purpose for humans.

THE EFFECTS OF SIN

The problem was and is SIN GETS IN THE WAY OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. Psalms 66:18-20 clearly states, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” In short, sometimes our sins (the “big ones” and the “little ones”) block our prayers. Everyday each of us is faced with choices—choices that either draw us closer to God or away from him. “Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.” For my entire life I’ve struggled with my weight and that little Hershey’s kiss doesn’t seem so bad. After a week and a bag of kisses…well, let’s just say, you get the picture. Romans 6:16 and 23“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in union with the Messiah Jesus our Lord.” Anyone who has struggled with addiction can tell you that people don’t wake up one day deciding to be a slave to their vice. It is those daily little choices that determine the big consequences. Sin causes spiritual disconnection, physical illnesses, financial ruin, and emotional DIS-ease. The good news is God is waiting with open arms for us to repent and change.

God sent the second Adam, the Lamb of God, to atone for our sins: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.” John 3 16-18 We all can think of self-righteous people who truly feel holier than thou by pointing out all your sins and flaws. Clearly, this isn’t scriptural. “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Matthew 7:4-5 Mohandas Gandhi basically stated that he didn’t have a problem with Christ, but he did have multiple problems with the Christians. When the British colonized India they approached missionary work with an attitude of “my God and lifestyle is better than yours.” How many Christians try converting others today with this same thread-bare methodology? Just as destructive, some Christians drag a heavy suitcase full of guilt and depression around in their daily life. Why would a "sinner" want to become a Christ follower if that's the example of a Christian? Instead, Jesus pleads, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 Christ transforms lives by modeling a contagious love of others and adopting us as His own.

Condemnation of ourselves and others, isolation, hopelessness, regret and guilt are tools of the devil to deter us from fulfilling God’s purpose. If we are focused on our physical ailments and emotional problems, then we are not worshiping God for all He has done—that’s sinning! 2 Corinthians 7: 10 illustrates this point, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” For example, depression causes us to feel isolated and alone—that no one could possibly understand our troubles. I assure you, God is with you. “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13-14. By accepting Christ as Lord and savior, Jesus acts as a bridge reconnecting us to God and His divine purpose for our lives.

2009-03-11T17:48:00.005-04:00

WHY DO WE EXPERIENCE TRIALS AND TESTS?

Understand, that in no way am I passing judgment—I struggle daily to defeat depression and my personal thorns of the flesh. “I am quite happy about the thorn…for when I am weak, then I am strong—the less I have, the more I depend on him.” Luke 16:11 Pastor of Dayton Vineyard Christian Fellowship Doug Roe has been known to explain it by saying, “If I don’t listen to the whispers, He’ll allow the jackhammer.” God often tries to gently whisper truth to us, but as rebellious children, we don’t always listen. In short, “God sometimes uses sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek eternal life. We should never regret His sending it.” 2 Corinthians 7:10 Right now, I have the lyrics to Jesus, Take the Wheel sung by Carrie Underwood playing in my mind. Some of us have to crash, before we’ll hand over control. As humans it is difficult for us to see our trials from God’s perspective. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 explains what our Christian attitude should be, “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” There are two reasons for our trials: 1) they are a natural consequence of sin and/or 2) God is using trials to shape us into the likeness of Christ.

As a teacher, I broke down big concepts into daily lesson plans, provided clear goals and guidelines, gave demonstrations with visual aids, and assigned projects. But how did I assess student knowledge? I tested them! Have you been paying attention to God? The answers come when we go through tests and trials. Metals are fired to burn off impurities, clay is fired to make vessels, and sand is molten into glass—we are no different. Hebrews 12:9 explains, “We have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respect them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live?” Only God knows the bigger purpose for the events of our lives. Furthermore, John 12:24 explains, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” Smith Wigglesworth wrote, “Great faith is the product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great tests. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials.” Tests can let our patience and faith grow—but only if we let God have control. In order for God to mold us into the likeness of Christ, we have to be broken and reshaped into a “new creature.”

If God’s sinless son wasn’t immune from troubles during his time on earth, why should we arrogantly think we should be spared? Personally, “Why me?” was a dangerous question because my thoughts and actions reflected a victim mindset. Now I realize the more appropriate questions is, “Why not me?” Many televangelist and preachers focus on “feel good, prosperity” teachings; however, in John 16:32-33 Jesus explains, “These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye may have peace. In the world ye have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” The Footprints poem has lost its impact through overexposure, but the theme has resonated with many people…we will have troubles, but we are not alone.

Jesus understands our troubles. Although the Bible doesn’t chronicle all of these trials, I would imagine that in the flesh Christ was tempted by the Seven Deadly Sins. However, we do know that the devil plotted and waited for physical weakness to attack. After forty days of fasting and isolation, the devil offers Jesus food and power. John 4:3-12 tells the story of Christ’s temptation, “Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. ‘I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,’ the devil said, ‘because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will worship me.’ Jesus replied, ‘The Scriptures say, You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him. …When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.” We too can defeat Satan by knowing and planting the Word of God in our hearts.

Also, we learn from this example that the devil waits and plots for opportune times. With Jesus, he waited to attack when he was at the weakest point: hungry, alone, and dreading his persecution/death. Personally, I am the most irritable with my family when I am hungry, stressed, depressed, and sleep deprived. I am always humbled when I think of his sweating blood in the Garden of Gethsemane. Luke 22: 42-45 “’Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.’ Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood. At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief. ‘Why are you sleeping?’ he asked them. ‘Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.’” There is medical evidence to support that under extreme stress, humans can rupture the blood vessels of the face. Some women experience a mild case of this during labor, resulting in blood shot eyes and splotches of the face. Similarly, the labor of our trials often produces a huge blessing—how do we get to the blessing? Remember what Jesus told the disciples, PRAY for strength and discernment.

Once again, Jesus is the ultimate role-model for how we should cope with life’s trials. He asked God was there any other way…please, let this cup pass. Here Jesus fights temptation with prayer and God answers by sending an angel to comfort him. We are no different…God can answer our prayers by sending others to strengthen us. Like Christ we still may have to endure the trial, but we are not alone. Amazingly, Christ realized the gravity of what he was about to face and still accepted his persecution, trial, torture, and death because of his love for us. Hebrews 2:17-18 clearly explains, “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” His torture and death is the most powerful example of persecution producing a glorious reward, our forgiveness and reconnection with God.

Pastor Rick Warren reaffirms this belief in his best-selling The Purpose Driven Life, "It is a fatal mistake to assume that God's goal for your life is material prosperity or popular success, as the world defines it. The abundant life has nothing to do with material abundance, and faithfulness to God does not guarantee success in a career or even in ministry. Never focus on temporary crowns.
Paul was faithful, yet he ended up in prison. John the Baptist was faithful, but he was beheaded. Millions of faithful people have been martyred, have lost everything, or have come to the end of life with nothing to show for it. But the end of life is not the end!" (P.50)

Video:Third Day--Cry Out to Jesus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOb8ih

2009-02-27T15:57:00.003-05:00

REDEMPTION SONG

The life story of Billy Moore is a powerful, modern-day testimony of redemption. God clearly used the horrible decisions of a young man to demonstrate how all things come together to glorify God:

“I was told by a guy I had met that he knew a man who kept $30,000 in his house. And he was old. We could rob him, and nobody would have to get hurt. But of course, when you’re using drugs and drinking alcohol, you think you have things under control, and you don’t. While we were in this man’s house, he shot at me with a shotgun. And being intoxicated and messed up as I was, this scared me and caused me to shoot him…They arrested me and the sheriff told me the night they arrested me that he was going to make sure I got a death sentence. I didn’t care--I wanted to die. That’s how bad I was feeling.
…I got a copy of my transcript and court records, and in those records were the addresses and names of some of the members of the victim’s family. When I saw that, I knew in my heart that I had to write to these people to apologize. I did, and they wrote me back and said they were Christian people and forgave me. It was like a breath of life. They were giving me a breath of life. Here are the people who should want me to die--who had every reason to want me to die--saying that they didn’t want me to die and that they forgave me. We continue to write, even to this present day, and talk on the phone. I even go visit them at times.
… They told the parole board, "Listen, we lost one family member, and Billy is like another member, and we don’t want to lose another member of our family. We do not want you to execute him."
Then there were probably five or six ministers that I knew from being in prison who testified. And a friend of mine who was a Jesuit priest had talked to Mother Theresa about me. The parole board heard about her wanting to talk to them, so they called her, and she told them that they should commute the case. And they did. On August 22, 1990, they said that my sentence was commuted from death to life, and I would have to do 25 years before becoming eligible for parole.
A year later, the parole board had to overturn that 25-year limit and paroled you. …
But the poverty, the racism, the lack of education--that has an effect on kids. It would be different if you gave them a chance and an opportunity to do better.
The New Abolitionist - June 2004, Issue 32

Billy Moore is now a Pentecostal minister, preaching along with his wife in Georgia. He is an outspoken opponent of the death penalty and speaks throughout the world about his experiences. If God can forgive and use a thief and murderer, surely He can forgive and use you.

Even with our sinful nature, God can and will use us. Moses had a hot temper. Rahab was a prostitute. Mary was a child. Timothy was shy and young. Paul tortured and killed early Christians. Throughout his writings he discusses his “thorn” and poor eyesight. David was an adulterer---yet, God forgave, used, and blessed them each. David prayed, “Turn me away from wanting any other plan than Yours.” Psalm 119:37 and declared, “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” Psalm 119:32 If anyone knew about having a calling on your life even as a young child, it would be David. He knew that he wasn’t supposed to be a king in the same way King Saul had been—he even refused Saul’s armor, but stood before the giant Goliath with a sling shot. Later, he diverged from God’s plan by lusting after Bathsheba, placing her husband on the frontlines to be killed, and then, suffered the loss of their first child. David experienced what it was like to walk in God’s grace; and the sin and suffering of not following the heart of God. I firmly believe God created each of us with a specific purpose in mind, and then, He blesses us with talents to help us achieve His desire (Jeremiah 29:11). What complicates this is “free will!” We can easily diverge from the path God’s laid out for us. As David did, we often later come to realize that we are helpless without God. Amazing grace is that God uses all the negative decisions to enrich our understanding of His will and power. Remember that the word of God proclaims first seek Him, and then, you will reap blessings. David addresses his deeper understanding in Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” God’s word is full of promise. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 His greatest desire is to bless you! From before you were born, God was making plans for you!

2009-02-11T16:38:00.003-05:00

MY TESTIMONY
AKA ~The most valuable things in life aren’t things

I grew up in a single mother household. Even though my mother made mistakes, she was Godly and always kept my brother’s and my best interest at heart. True to her namesake, “Judith”, she was a self-sacrificing warrior. On the other hand, my father was the one with the new wife…house…cars…baby… To say their relationship was dysfunctional would be an understatement. Their version of getting together to talk about how the children should be raised was in front of a judge. However, they both instilled in me the lessons of being educated, hardworking, and thereby self-reliant. As soon as I could get out on my own and live the American Dream, I did and swore I’d never look back. At 27, I was a successful teacher who owned a four bedroom house in the suburbs. By 31 I was a classic “overachiever”: accountable for my alcoholic husband, a full time graduate student with a 4.0 GPA, a respected teacher, and a mother to a precocious three year old. I went to church, but to say that God was in the center of my life would be a lie.
I likened myself to a Martha Stewart~ I hosted parties and was generous. Because I had done without as a child, I over-valued materialism. Ironically, I was similar to the Biblical Martha as well. Martha complained, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?...the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better.’” Luke 10:40 I would be so trapped by the “devil in the details” that I would not take time to enjoy myself or the guests. As a result, I am sure many friends and family members were left uncomfortable by my frenzied rushing about and insistence on things being “just so.” To this day, I struggle with balancing a clean home and spending quality time with my children. I often feel overwhelmed with the responsibilities of working full time; being a gentle, wise mother to one year old and ten year old daughters; being a considerate step-mother to two teenage boys; being a loving wife; volunteering faithfully at church; keeping a tidy home; and making righteous decisions. When life gets chaotic, I clean…at least, I have control over that. My husband says that I get a “look in my eye” and he knows I have 12 D-I-Y projects going on at the same time. I have to remind myself that the most valuable things in life aren’t things. The story of Martha clearly demonstrates that Christ would prefer that we focus on fellowship and worship; rather than temporal, worldly concerns.

In addition, I passed judgment on those not leading a lifestyle that I felt was right~ Poor people were poor because of bad decision making or secretly believed that Poor people are bad people. That’s when the bottom fell out…I hadn’t listened to God’s whispers, so He sent the earthquake. I’d forgotten the story in Matthew 19: 16-24 “Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, ‘Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?’ ‘Why do you ask me about what is good?’ Jesus replied. ‘There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.’…. ‘All these I have kept,’ the young man said. ‘What do I still lack?’ Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."’ My sin was that I was proud and self-righteous.

I had a life-changing experience which refocused my perspective. The catalyst was a miscarriage, which revealed my husband’s infidelity. Instead of pleading for God’s mercy, like Job I shook my fist and said, “Why me? I am trying to lead a righteous life!” I let that event rip off the scabs from a troubled childhood…it inflamed all those negative feelings about men. I determined if being “good” didn’t insulate me from tragedy… then, let’s find out what is so wonderful about being “bad.” After all, my husband and father were ungodly and it looked like they lived an unscathed life. Unfortunately, I am the voice of experience and I didn’t always follow God’s commandments. For a while, I felt abandoned by God and rebelliously embraced a sex, drugs & rock-n-roll lifestyle. (My grandmother refers to this as the school of hard knocks; if so, I have a Master’s Degree.)

As a result of severe depression, I was unemployed for 7 months. My bills however, reflected a life of a middle-class family. I didn’t qualify for unemployment or worker’s comp until an entire 365 days had passed. Obviously, having no income and a mound of bills did nothing to help my depression. I experienced extreme weight loss/weight gain, sleeping 27 hours straight/ not sleeping soundly for weeks, panic attacks……. I state these challenges in order to let you know I can relate to your trials. In addition, I was in the midst of a divorce, grandparent’s terminal illness, and lawsuit with my uncle over my grandfather’s estate. More importantly, I was faced with losing custody of my child since I was unable to provide for her. Based on my personal experiences, I believe that the more potential you have; the more the devil will wage full out spiritual warfare to rob you of your blessing and fulfilling God’s path for your life. If Satan can destroy the mother, he can profoundly effect the children; her greatest potential.

Once again, I proudly clung to what had “worked” for me in the past: tenacity, hard work, self-reliance. I fought the doctors to return to teaching before the calendar year had passed; therefore, I would not be eligible for disability compensation. When I say “fought,” that is an understatement! After all, I was losing every material possession I had worked so hard for. Even though I had many things repossessed, foreclosed, given away, sold…I felt secure that I was back to work and living in a two bedroom apartment~ My daughter and I were together and we had survived…or so I thought. That spring, my teaching contract was “non-renewed” due to levy issues (But in reality, one could conclude it was due to my hospitalization for major depression). What would I do now? I was Mrs. Mitchell, the teacher for 10 years with a Master’s Degree. How would I provide now as a single mom?

With my life in ruins, I decided that my child was better off without me and that I would end my life. Unconscious for hours, I was awakened by a calm voice instructing me, “This is your second chance; go home.” Instinctively, I knew it was the voice of an angel, a messenger of God. Groggily, I woke up and he repeated the instructions. In my heart, I knew there wouldn’t be another “wake up call.” I knew this was my second chance at life to go home, take a shower, and return to my normal work day; I followed his message and was instantly delivered of suicidal tendencies. I’m not saying that I never feel worthless or hear the enemy of our souls whisper that I’m better off dead~ but now, I rebuke Satan and don’t let those thoughts linger. Please don’t misunderstand, I am not advocating a suicide attempt as a breakthrough; however, I am sharing my testimony and personal low point that lead to my deliverance.

The goal of this blog is not to come across as “preachy”, but rather, to say I share these struggles—after all, what people need is
1) Not to feel alone, that someone cares about their well being and understands their struggles
2) Appreciated and admired
3) Forgiveness and redemption
4) Unconditional LOVE
(http://eqi.org/needs.htm)

Now, I am grace-driven and am able to share my testimony with compassion. As a result of these devastating events, my attitude has been humbled and I realize there but the grace of God go I. I understand why someone would turn to drugs and alcohol, prostitution, or sin in general. Sometimes we feel that not even God could love us, or that we couldn’t possibly ever live a good life; so we might as well succeed at being hell-bent. There is a powerful attraction to rebellion, having the power to not listen to anyone. Humans are desperately seeking to fill a void that only God can fill and the self-destructive lifestyle temporarily may provide a “fix,” but this compounds physical, mental, spiritual, financial health issues. I’d forgotten the Biblical principal, “Therefore, do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. Four our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. When I reflect now, I truly believe this is what kept my mom going; somehow she never lost sight of this verse. I’d forgotten the principle she’d held fast to even on her death bed…when people would ask, “What can we do for you?” She’d humbly answer, “Pray for my children.” She knew that the only thing you can take to heaven is your loved ones!
I have found out time and time again that when I get my priorities out of whack and God isn’t the apex in my life, I feel pressured and anxious~ I lose sight of God’s real purpose for my life.

Life Lessons from the Father

2009-02-10T16:50:00.006-05:00

LIFE LESSONS FROM THE FATHER
Naturally, our troubles are often the consequences of our poor choices. In order to teach us a life-lesson, God may be like the father who quits reminding his son to do his homework; as a result, the boy fails the assignment. The goal is that the child then learns the importance of responsibility and self-discipline. On the other hand, we all can think of some bull-headed children who didn’t learn the lesson, and thereby, failed the assignment…the class…school.

5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."[a]
7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:5-11

Like the rebellious teen, we often shake our fist in anger and shout, “Why me?” We fail to see that our troubles really are the product of our decisions. When God teaches life-lessons, He begins with a whisper. “Try to get the whisper before the earthquake comes because the whisper is always followed by a little louder voice, then you get a brick I say, and then sometimes a brick wall, and then the earthquake comes. Try to get it on the whisper” (Oprah Winfrey's Commencement Address Wellesley College, May 30, 1997). God doesn’t abandon us; we abandon God. Nehemiah 9:29-31 describes the troubles the Israelites endured because of their rebellousness, “Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen…so you handed them over to the neighboring peoples. But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.” When you see the red flag or feel the sting of a reprimand, self-reflect and look for your role in the situation; that way you can avoid the crisis down the road.

As I continue my walk in faith, my impression of God is more like the father of the prodigal son; His love is unconditional. The son blew his inheritance on good times and loose women to the point where he was surviving on pig slop. With his head hung low, he goes home thinking that he’ll become a servant in his father’s house. Instead, the father welcomes him with a huge feast and celebration. (The other son is not too happy about this because he’d followed the rules all along, similar to those “church ladies” in every congregation.) God’s greatest desire is to welcome you home! Psalm 20:4 says, “May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” David also wrote, “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your hearts. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this.” If you break apart Psalm 37:3-5, you can see a clear cause--effect relationship described in the verbs:
trust,
do good,
dwell,
enjoy,
delight,
commit
… and then, you will be given the desires of your heart.

Many times in my life I’ve felt like the Samaritan woman at the well; Jesus gently coaxed her into confessing her sin. Then, he revealed himself as the Messiah and asked to drink from eternal waters. As a result, she told others about her experience with the Christ. John 4:42 demonstrates how this impure, foreign woman was able to share the gospel, “They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."’ This story is a concise example of how God wants to transform our lives into authentic witnesses of God’s grace. Ephesians 2:8-10 is a fundamental verse for explaining God’s grace, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” God saved us because he loves us; all that is required is faith. Furthermore, God has predetermined our talents and already opened the doors for us to serve—thereby, we can lead others to Christ. You are the messenger from God your widowed neighbor, the drug addicted teen, your under appreciated coworker, or your angry teammate has been waiting for. How awesome is that?!

Later in John 8:2-11 we read the story of the woman accused of adultery, who Jesus saves from being stoned to death: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her…being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up Himself, and saw none but the woman, He said unto her, Woman, where are thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." What a wonderful stories of God’s mercy and ability to use the most humble of sinners! Even in our addiction filled world, Jesus proclaims the freedom of forgiveness: “For the power of the live-giving Sprit—and this power is mine through Christ Jesus—has freed me from the vicious circle of sin and death.” Romans 8:2 I challenge you to self-examine and determine the deterrents that are standing between you and your transformation. What life-lessons is our Heavenly Father trying to teach you? “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.” Lamintations 3:40 Then, we can hold fast to the promise that “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:1

2009-02-05T16:15:00.001-05:00

WHY AM I WRITING THIS?
My purpose in giving you this is that I hope you’ll find the same strength in these scriptures, stories, and prayer as I do. Scripture encourages us to share our testimonies and struggles so that we can help others. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16 The New Testament contains Paul’s letters of encouragement and instruction to the early church. “I remember you in my prayers at all times…I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.” Romans 1:9-12. Furthermore, God uses everyday people to share our burdens. “He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.” 2 Corinthians 3-5 Have you ever been sitting on a bus, waiting in the grocery store line, or casually talking with a coworker, only to discover they have gone through the same struggles? That is God in action! Not only do we serve an omnipotent God, we serve a practical God too.

My childhood experiences in church led me to believe that God was holding back but would eventually rain down fire and brimstone in judgment for all my sins~ that I was truly a Sinner in the hands of an Angry God. The older I grew and the more mistakes I’ve made, I realize that I worship a merciful, loving God who is waiting to welcome me back home. He isn’t just a good father figure; He’s the perfect Father Figure. Psalm 103:8-16 declares, “The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. …. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. …But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!” If you are like myself and have a difficult relationship with your father, this might be a difficult concept to embrace. Imagine for a moment all the things you wish your human father would do and could be….God is willing and wanting to fill that hole in your heart.

2008-11-05T16:17:00.001-05:00

Why I Voted for Barak~

~Biblical principals demonstrating equality for all Christians~
BIBLE
New International Version

1 Timothy 2:1-6
1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 5 For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.

Romans 13:1-10
1-3Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it's God's order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you're irresponsible to the state, then you're irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you're trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear.
3-5Do you want to be on good terms with the government? Be a responsible citizen and you'll get on just fine, the government working to your advantage. But if you're breaking the rules right and left, watch out. The police aren't there just to be admired in their uniforms. God also has an interest in keeping order, and he uses them to do it. That's why you must live responsibly—not just to avoid punishment but also because it's the right way to live.
6-7That's also why you pay taxes—so that an orderly way of life can be maintained. Fulfill your obligations as a citizen. Pay your taxes, pay your bills, respect your leaders.
8-10Don't run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other. When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along. The law code—don't sleep with another person's spouse, don't take someone's life, don't take what isn't yours, don't always be wanting what you don't have, and any other "don't" you can think of—finally adds up to this: Love other people as well as you do yourself. You can't go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love.
Galatians 3:26-29
26You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Ephesians 2:18-20
18For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
At the base of a statue there is a poem written by Emma Lazarus. It says "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddle masses yearning to breath free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Martin Luther King, Jr.
"I Have a Dream"
delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!

Barack Obama
2004 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address

While studying here, my father met my mother. She was born in a town on the other side of the world, in Kansas. Her father worked on oil rigs and farms through most of the Depression. The day after Pearl Harbor my grandfather signed up for duty; joined Patton’s army, marched across Europe. Back home, my grandmother raised a baby and went to work on a bomber assembly line. After the war, they studied on the G.I. Bill, bought a house through F.H.A., and later moved west all the way to Hawaii in search of opportunity.
And they, too, had big dreams for their daughter. A common dream, born of two continents.
My parents shared not only an improbable love, they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or ”blessed,” believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success. They imagined -- They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren’t rich, because in a generous America you don’t have to be rich to achieve your potential.
They're both passed away now. And yet, I know that on this night they look down on me with great pride.
They stand here -- And I stand here today, grateful for the diversity of my heritage, aware that my parents’ dreams live on in my two precious daughters. I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible.

“My faith teaches me that I can sit in church and pray all I want, but I won’t be fulfilling God’s will unless I go out and do the Lord’s work.” ~Barak Obama