Give Thanks

When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself. -Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Savoring the moments of ... Saturday, October 28, 2006

• perfect fall day
• a gorgeous and comfortable home of a friend
• the leaves on the trees sparkling in the sunlight
• excellent camaraderie in preparing and assembling food
• 'Living Room Conversation' from two to four
• dual roles - committee member and quest
• anticipation as the clock approaches two
• arrival of about twenty interesting folks - college student, mothers, fathers, director, counselor, a few authors, college professors, a few pastors and many more roles I'm not aware of
• Author Philip Yancey and his wife, Janet
• humbled as Janet thanked me for addressing him as Philip instead of Mr. Yancey
• happy to express thanks to him for his writings that helped me process some of my life
• appreciated him taking his 'rightful place' as the guest of honor, but yet not making the afternoon about him
• happy for the breezes that found the open windows and refreshed us
• gave the accident story in a nutshell and was struck that it is because of it that I am 'here, now'
• heard perspectives different than my own and want to learn something from them
• felt the passion each has for living for their maker
• savored the moment - the present moment as a gift along my life's journey
• was awed and humbled by the wisdom in the room and took note of the difference between that and knowledge
• felt the love for others in the informal conversation after the 'conversation'

Janet is in pink blouse with Philip over her left shoulder

• fun, adrenaline rush to then quickly head to Twin Valley High School for the next event
• 'Finger Food Reception' for an hour with sponsors of the event
• watched human behavior with a 'famous' person in the room (some fascinates me and some humbles me)
• enjoyed being served by competent young adults
• event felt big and scattered after being 'close' in living room
• Main Evening Speaking Event from seven to nine
• loved the excitement and calmness of the committee members as it all came together
• as the auditorium filled with over 800 people wanting to hear someone talk about God, I noted the irony that it is in a building where typically God can't be mentioned.
• loved the fun energy as the music played
• very glad to have _____ (someone that is lost on their way through life) there
• blessed by a man of small statue with a big, powerful voice leading Amazing Grace
• interesting to see Philip's concentration during opening, leading up to his hour of speaking (prayer and gathering of thoughts, I assume)
• enjoyed hearing about international Christians and the many 'calls' of life
• wow, no notes, Philip?
• Bible and picture of important moment of his life was all that was needed
• walking the path of Jesus is different for each of us ... seek and you will find
• pray for your enemies ... could our enemies in this day and age be those men on the deck of playing cards ... do you think maybe we should pray for them?
• impressed with quick cleanup

Reflections a few days after the event ...

• amazed by the humble attitudes expressed by the ones 'in charge' - true servants!
• impressed with all the details taken care of
• loved his wife - Janet, sweet, insightful person
• appreciating more deeply the thoughts of Philip in answer to my question
• my question, "My first priority is to love God with my whole being and love others as myself ... is there many ways I walk that out or is there one specific purpose/plan that God has for me?" His main thought was to connect to God daily through prayer, reading, etc and just allow Him to direct. The choices are many and not to stress about finding the right one, but to put my energies into the relationship with God. The path for each individual will be made clear in that.
• also, loving Janet's comments to me more as time goes on. She noted that because I am married and have children, my first purpose is as a wife and then as a mother. And again, she said don't stress about what happens beyond that, but just continue pursuing God.
• the challenge to love (and pray) for our enemies
• thoughts about how the change in our country will probably not happen with the 'right' people in the right places politically, but with the followers of God loving others as themselves.

I can only Imagine

I am fairly sure this video will make you look at your day differently ... take the time to watch the whole thing ... it is inspiring for many reasons.

"I can only Imagine"

Big Event in Morgantown - Philip Yancey

I am very excited that on Saturday, October 28th, there will be a world-class author about a mile from my house. Philip Yancey is coming to Twin Valley High School is here for an evening speaking event from 7 to 9 pm. It is a fund raiser for Bridge of Hope, a great organization that helps single moms with education and housing.

Some of the best-sellers he has written are What's So Amazing About Grace?, The Jesus I Never Knew or Rumors of Another World, and his latest book, Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?. He has also written Where is God when it Hurts? and Disappointment with God

To purchase tickets: email me or call me 610-913-1044, or call Bridge of Hop at 866-670-HOPE

Jerry knows how much Yancey's writings have helped me process the trauma of the accident, so he secured me a spot in an afternoon living room conversation with Yancey from 2 to 4 on that Saturday. There will be only 16 of us that get to enjoy a conversation with him that afternoon :)

Real Forgiveness

Forgiveness ... it is so personal and yet can be so public. It needs to be a mental decision and yet deep feelings are involved. It's hard for me to fathom forgiveness without help from the Spirit of God, but he doesn't do it magically, we need to make the choice to speak it, live it and give it. Today is the day to forgive and yet it is a forever process. It is messy and has no clear finish line.

I like these thoughts I read recently ....

"Forgiveness is a brutal mathematical transaction done with fully engaged faculties. It's my pain instead of yours. I eat the debt. I absorb the misery I wanted to dish out on you, and you go scot-free. Beware the forgiveness that is tendered soon after injury; be suspicious. Real forgiveness needs a time lag, for it is wrought in private agony before it ever comes to public amnesty. All true acts of courage are thus done in secret." - Andree Seu in World Magazine

'Time Heals Everything' - not

Death is an obvious loss that needs to be grieved. There are also many other losses we as people experience that need to be grieved. As for the old saying 'time heals everything' ... not true. Time and proper grieving will change the depth of the hurt, but some losses one never 'gets over' ... they will always be woven into the tapestry of the person's life.

If 'time heals everything' then the disturbed man that shot the innocent girls in the Amish School shouldn't have been tormented with stuff from 9 or 20 years ago.

Amish School Shooting

Pray for the families who have children at this school. They must all be dealing with tremendous trauma right now, along with a zillion questions. Pray for each child that is hurt ... they are in critical condition.
Also, the gunman's wife and children most be going through deep suffering

(This school is located only about 25 miles from my house)

The Bible in a Nutshell - part 2 of 2

As the people cry out to him, the creator is listening and into the picture comes a leader/savoir in the form of a baby in a basket found by the Pharaoh’s daughter. She names him Moses and as an adult, he chooses to obey his creator after a unique brush-fire in the desert. As Moses prepares to lead the Israelite out of Egypt to the ‘Promised Land’ a series of events that is hard to believe occurs involving a few million frogs, gnats, flies and locusts. The creator does some amazing miracles and finally they cross a raging river on a dry river bed and they are free.

Then some bad choices occur and they end up on a 40 year camping trip. Yea, its roughin’ it, but then again, no one has to cook, food literally falls from the sky every day! (Isn’t that every woman’s dream?) Along the way, Moses has an amazing relationship with the creator and he is given a set of rules (the ten commandants) to teach to the people. A zillion more guidelines are added as they trudge through the desert to teach them how to live. The creator longs for a connection with humans and gives them instructions for a ‘lego-type’ tabernacle they carry with them. It’s the place where they connect with the creator by smoking numerous animals (sacrifices) as they repent repeatedly of their bad choices.

Due to choices, they make along the way, the entire adult clan that left Egypt, including Moses, dies in the desert before any of them enters the new country. Joshua is the new leader that is chosen to lead the ‘young ions’ into the Promised Land (Canaan) where Abraham/Israel/Joseph came from centuries earlier. Following the instructions given, they charge in, take over and set up tent.

For a few centuries, the creator talks to his people through prophets and provides protection from the unfriendly neighbors with various judges. Then the people demand a king so they can be ‘just like everyone else’. Saul, David and Solomon choose to obey and are the first kings, followed by many others as the one nation of Israel (now also called the Jews) splits into two kingdoms. Both nations eventually succumb to attacks from neighboring kings and the people are scattered through out the earth. The prophets continue to remind everyone of the love the creator has for them and they give promises of a ‘savior’ that will come someday to give them peace.

Centuries later, in a small town in the region a person named Jesus is born. Many miraculous events surround his birth and his life. He claims to be the ‘Son of God’ and often refers to the Words (the First Testament) that were written before his birth. Some see Him as the promised Savior, but not everyone agrees, and He is executed.

At this time in history … Jesus dies and is resurrected, and as a result something permanently alters in the universe. For the first time, all people have the opportunity for peace with God. Moreover, all of human history points toward a culmination in which he will return and restore the earth to its original design.
- Philip Yancey in ‘Rumors of Another World’

Jesus has power over death and His resurrection gives all hope. His friends know He is who He says He is and they ‘tell the world’. A man named Paul has an unplanned encounter with the Creator and makes a choice to spread the good news and becomes a dynamic teacher all over the region. His writings, along with others, teach that the permanent alteration involves ‘being saved by grace.’ Jesus becomes the ‘smoked animal’ (sacrifice) that is required for ALL impurities. The way to live is now written on humans’ hearts, as God’s Spirit is sent to each one that believes, to help them connect with Him and to guide them into truth and give comfort, counsel and strength. Hearts are now the tabernacle where humans connect with their Creator if they make the choice to as they wait to be reunited with the Creator to live happily ever after.

The Bible in a Nutshell - part 1 of 2

The plot of the Bible and the story of life – a spiritual being with unlimited power and no restrictions such as time, space and energy creates a universe. The third rock from the sun in this universe is a planet called earth. The creator makes plants that produce seeds and fruits. He also makes animals from the dust of the earth that live on the land, water and earth.

The creator then forms a being (he calls human) from the dust of the earth in his image, with his likeness. The creator breathes into his creation and the human gets the spirit of life. He is placed in a perfect garden with only one restriction, not to eat from a certain tree or he will die. The creator also gives him authority over all the other living things, plants and animals. It’s a big job and the human needs help, so time to create again. This time a woman is created in the image and likeness of God. The creator declares that everything is good. Both humans enjoy unbroken connection with their creator as she joins him in the garden to live happily ever after. The creator then rests for a day. (it was a tough week:).

Oops, the humans make a mistake, a major mistake. There is an opposing force to the creator, an enemy that wants to be in charge. This enemy tempts them and they chose to disobey the one restriction they have and the relationship between the creator and his creation is strained. Life gets tough; no more perfect garden, now weeds, pain and stress come into the picture.

The earth fills with more humans and connection with the creator seems hard and most forget about him. But there is one man, Noah who remembers his creator in the midst of the indifference all around him. He chooses to obey and is used to save his own family and the animals. A late step in creation happens as rain falls on the earth for the first time (only dew before) and doesn’t quit for 40 days and nights. Noah’s intense work for the past decades pays off and he and his family are safe aboard the floating zoo. They begin life anew months later on dry ground with a promise in the form of a rainbow in the sky from the creator saying he would never destroy humans like that again.

Ancient records vary, but some two to four thousand years later, the creator connects again with one of the humans. He chooses Abram and promises to not only bless him, but all people through him, if he does as directed. He is also told that his descendents will be too many too count. Abraham chooses to obey, so he moves north and waits. No baby comes to him and his wife Sarah until both are near 100. That means he is having senior moments while feeding the baby (who is this child? : ) One son, Issac is all they have, he marries Rebekah and they have twins, Esau and Jacob.

Jacob, later named Israel, marries and has 12 sons, the youngest one is Joseph. There is brotherly rivalry and Joseph is sold to the neighboring country of Egypt. Through an odd series of events and because of wise choices by Joseph, he becomes 2nd in line to the ruling Pharaoh of Egypt. A major famine happens all through the land, but due to Joseph’s connection with the Creator, he and all of Egypt have been preparing for 7 years for this, storing up tons of food. So, people from all neighboring countries come to Egypt for food. And yes, you guessed it, one day his brothers show up.

Another series of odd events happens and eventually Joseph is reunited with his father, Israel and the rest of his family as they all move to Egypt. Fast forward about 250 years and all memory of Joseph and Israel are gone. Concern of a rebellion by this large group of people known as the Israelites scares the Pharaohs of that day and they treat them as slaves, becoming meaner to them with each passing year ... to be continued.

Prayer

I was thinking about prayer recently and here are some thoughts about prayer that I like ...

There is a vast difference between saying prayers and praying.

To be a Christian without praying is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Prayer is when you talk to God; meditation is when you listen to God. - Diana Robinson

A grandfather was walking through his yard when he heard his granddaughter repeating the alphabet in a tone of voice that sounded like a prayer. He asked her what she was doing. The little girl explained: "I'm praying, but I can't think of exactly the right words, so I'm just saying all the letters, and God will put them together for me, because He knows what I'm thinking." - Charles B. Vaughan