Tri-unity is a foreign concept to us because although we were created in the image of God, we also have suffered the results of “the fall” and often embrace our sin nature and fleshly desires.
The problem and the cure can be summarized with a look at a few verses. (I like the Scripture highlighted in the book Share Jesus Without Fear, which brings to light the Truth and is an easy way to witness to others.) It is true that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23) and that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23). Jesus states, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3) and “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Furthermore, "if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, 'Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame'" (Romans 10:9) because, "he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again" (2 Corinthians 5:15). Jesus offers a new relationship, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20).
Meditate on these passages and their Truth. These passages, when embraced, point to a new life with Christ—one that is the beginning of unity with God and the starting point of a changed life through God’s grace. If you do not have this relationship, I pray you search your heart and the Scriptures and accept the gift of Jesus Christ that God has so freely given through His love for you.
If you are already in a relationship with the Lord, do you feel held back somehow? Do you feel like you are breathing but not really alive? That is not God’s desire. God continues His grace for believers with a new nature and new nurture by which we have full access and ability to completely embrace His power through Christ and His resurrection. The apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Being that new creation which is no longer held back by old flesh and being filled with the Spirit, we now have the opportunity to employ the unity of relationship given by God.
Again, tri-unity and intentional intimacy sound like foreign concepts. But, through God’s grace and understanding we can connect His teachings and live out His calling to love Him and love others as Jesus instructed, “Love the Lord our God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).
This is a key concept if we want to live a life of passion that brings God glory. What is our new nature and how do we embrace that new nature? Through embracing His teachings and obeying His calling in loving Him and others. This is especially prevalent in the closest relationships we have – within our marriages and our families who are our nearest neighbors.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Defining Intentional Intimacy...
How can one grasp a divine relationship and put it in a box? Understanding only begins through the revelation of Scripture and inspiration by the Holy Spirit. I pray that the words of my mouth are a sweet fragrance unto the Lord.
We believe that every relationship should seek God’s glory and that a core characteristic of all divine relationships is intentional intimacy. This essential component is defined as 'the passion and desire to pursue being known and to know one another deeply for the glory of God.' It is only with God and through God that any relationship can truly be divine--magnificent, pleasing, wonderful, and, yes, godly.
Where does that intentional intimacy definition come from? We will explore that in this, and our next several, blog posts.
As with any study or attempt to answer a question, let's begin with the answers God has given us through His divine revelation - the Bible. And, one of the best places to start is at the beginning. Now, if we look at time from a human perspective, we could start at the beginning of creation, where we came into existence. That would be a good place to start; however, God is outside time and space. "I am the Alpha and Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:8). Thus, we should look at what was going on before creation.
The only thing that the Bible reveals about existence before time is the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Trinitarian relationship of God has been debated by theologians countless times throughout the years; the aim of this post is not to debate but to embrace the divine relationship that God has revealed. Furthermore, this first divine relationship goes beyond just the three persons in the relationship but reaches to the ultimate unity within their relationship, so tri-unity might be a better term (Metzger). Dr. Kellemen of RPM Ministries is often heard to say, "Before God created, He related." The wonder of God and how He relates cannot be completely understood on this side of heaven, but we can be awed by what we can see.
What does that have to do with us and intentional intimacy? We are created in the image of God—the multi-faceted, relating, unified image. We reflect that image, although we often have a poor vision of God and poorly reflect His image. The apostle Paul writes "for now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then will know fully just as I also have been fully known" (1 Corinthians 13:12). With God’s leading, we are transformed more into His image (2 Corinthians 3:18). As we allow the Holy Spirit within us to draw us closer to God and His magnificent ways of relating, we are drawn closer to each other. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can reflect God's image and be transformed in His glory and power. We can relate as God relates. We can reflect His glory through our interactions with others and have divine appointments to increase our faith, magnify His hope, and dispense grace and love to those around us, as we focus on being known and knowing one another in unity.
We believe that every relationship should seek God’s glory and that a core characteristic of all divine relationships is intentional intimacy. This essential component is defined as 'the passion and desire to pursue being known and to know one another deeply for the glory of God.' It is only with God and through God that any relationship can truly be divine--magnificent, pleasing, wonderful, and, yes, godly.
Where does that intentional intimacy definition come from? We will explore that in this, and our next several, blog posts.
As with any study or attempt to answer a question, let's begin with the answers God has given us through His divine revelation - the Bible. And, one of the best places to start is at the beginning. Now, if we look at time from a human perspective, we could start at the beginning of creation, where we came into existence. That would be a good place to start; however, God is outside time and space. "I am the Alpha and Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:8). Thus, we should look at what was going on before creation.
The only thing that the Bible reveals about existence before time is the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Trinitarian relationship of God has been debated by theologians countless times throughout the years; the aim of this post is not to debate but to embrace the divine relationship that God has revealed. Furthermore, this first divine relationship goes beyond just the three persons in the relationship but reaches to the ultimate unity within their relationship, so tri-unity might be a better term (Metzger). Dr. Kellemen of RPM Ministries is often heard to say, "Before God created, He related." The wonder of God and how He relates cannot be completely understood on this side of heaven, but we can be awed by what we can see.
What does that have to do with us and intentional intimacy? We are created in the image of God—the multi-faceted, relating, unified image. We reflect that image, although we often have a poor vision of God and poorly reflect His image. The apostle Paul writes "for now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then will know fully just as I also have been fully known" (1 Corinthians 13:12). With God’s leading, we are transformed more into His image (2 Corinthians 3:18). As we allow the Holy Spirit within us to draw us closer to God and His magnificent ways of relating, we are drawn closer to each other. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can reflect God's image and be transformed in His glory and power. We can relate as God relates. We can reflect His glory through our interactions with others and have divine appointments to increase our faith, magnify His hope, and dispense grace and love to those around us, as we focus on being known and knowing one another in unity.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
rss feeds
For those who subscribe to RSS feeds - here is our url: http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/WzsG
With new technology (new cell phone) I have found it very easy to follow many blogs very easily. Hope you can also benefit from such technology. More postings to follow soon.
With new technology (new cell phone) I have found it very easy to follow many blogs very easily. Hope you can also benefit from such technology. More postings to follow soon.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Changes coming to Living Life on Purpose...
Many changes have been taking place in the last several months. As many of you know we have transitioned from Maryland to Tennesee. This blog is going to be making some transitions also... first with a name change and boost in activity. Hang on for the ride... it won't be a bumpy one.
Stay tuned - defining Intentional Intimacy will be the major theme this month.
God bless
Stay tuned - defining Intentional Intimacy will be the major theme this month.
God bless
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Sacred Friendships Blog Tour
God has blessed us with some wonderful relationships in our walk on this earth. Jim had the opportunity to learn from a man, Dr. Kellemen, who loves the Lord and simply wants to help heal the hurts that folks endure, but he is adamant that we all look to the Lord, first and last, for guidance in soul care and spiritual direction. His passion is for relationship with the Lord leading to relationships with people. This “spiritual father” to Jim and a former colleague, Susan Ellis, have teamed up to publish a book about women’s historical roles in soul care and spiritual direction.
We are posting a couple of questions that they have answered about the book as well as a couple about the ministry that Dr. K. has founded. Why do we post this here? Because we want to share some of the blessings that God has brought to us through the wisdom and diligence of those going into history and helping us learn how to deal with very present hurts and needs.
14. Many have heard of the theologian Augustine. Tell us about his mother, Monica, and her ministry in his life.
The name of Monica (331-387), mother of Augustine, is perhaps the best known of the Church Mothers. What we know about Monica we learn almost entirely from her son’s autobiography Confessions. Because we are fortunate enough to have Confessions, we can easily identify the most influential person in his spiritual life. Monica, his mother, stands out above all others as the spiritual guide and anchor, indeed, as the determinative relationship in his life.
Monica spent years suffering over her son’s pagan lifestyle until his conversion and commitment to Christian ministry. In the Confessions, which Augustine addressed to God, we hear of her reconciling witness to her wayward son. “In fact, as a boy I had heard about the eternal life that had been promised to us through the humility of the Lord our God’s lowering himself to our pride, and already I was stamped with the sign of his cross, already seasoned with his salt from the womb of my mother, who put great hope in You. . . . My fleshly mother was disturbed, because she more lovingly brooded over my eternal salvation, with a pure heart in Your faith.”
Coming to faith, Augustine describes a scenario to which every believing woman with an unbelieving husband can relate. “Thus already I believed, as did my mother and all the household, my father alone excepted, who nonetheless did not drive out the authority of my mother’s piety so that I did not believe in Christ, inasmuch as he did not yet believe. For my mother busied herself in order that You might be my Father, my God, rather than he, and in this matter You helped her so that she might overcome her husband, to whom she was subject . . .”
Christian mothers need to hear Monica’s voice. She confidently spoke and personified the reality that a mother’s piety can drown out a father’s irreverence. She also reminds mothers that they do not have to be both mother and father. In the absence of a believing father, Monica pointed her son to his ultimate Father, rather than trying to be a surrogate father.
Augustine reserves his final testimonial to his mother’s spiritual direction for her spiritual conversations with him in her dying days and hours.
“Thus we were talking alone together very sweetly, forgetting past events and stretching out to those ahead of us. We were seeking between us in the presence of truth, which You are, to think how the future eternal life of the saints would be, the life “which eye has not seen nor ear heard, nor had it entered the heart of man” (Is. 64:4; 1 Cor. 2:9). We opened wide the mouth of our heart to the supernatural streams of Your fountain, the fountain of life, which is with You, so that being sprinkled from it according to our power of comprehension, w might in some way reflect on so great a thing.”
Picture it. Mother and son. Leaning on a window, viewing the garden of their house, talking of eternal hope, knowing that she would soon be leaving this world behind. Imagine the encouragement in the midst of sadness that Monica brought her son.
When Monica passed away, Augustine wept. He lost his best spiritual friend. He lost the most important person in his life. He lost the earthly mother who led him to know his heavenly Father. Augustine grieved. But he grieved with hope because Monica had encouraged him with words of life.
15. Sometimes we may get the impression that when women “counsel” it is all emotion and empathy and “touchy-feely.” You found that while women counsel with emotion, they also were unafraid to confront boldly in love. Could you share some examples of that? What could we learn from this today?
Susan: One of my favorite stories is about Laura Haviland. If you read much about her, you’ll quickly see that she was a devout Christian, very much against slavery, and made no apologies for either. And yet she had the capacity to engage many slave owners and sympathizers in meaningful conversations.
One day she was talking to man who was a Sunday school teacher in his church. He told Laura that he’d have no problem turning in a runaway slave in order to collect the reward money. At that, Laura said she could no longer acknowledge him as a brother in Christ. He was quite offended, saying that was the most uncharitable thing he’d heard. They talked a bit longer, and he asked her to return to his home later that evening to discuss additional points of Scripture related to the topic. She said she would be in prayer before their next encounter and he agreed to do the same. When she returned later that night, he told her there wasn’t anything to discuss because he didn’t think his arguments would stand up. He died not long after that. Laura learned from his widow that he had a great deal of respect for Laura and his attitude toward “colored” people had changed after his conversation with her and that he “died a happy soul.”
One of the most challenging things about writing the book was deciding which women to include and which vignettes. Because Sojourner Truth was included in Bob’s book Beyond the Suffering, we opted not to write about her in Sacred Friendships. But there’s a great story about her at a meeting in Faneuil Hall in Boston. There was quite a large crowd in attendance, including Frederick Douglas who was one of the key speakers. As he was discussing the wrongs done to their race he became more and more worked up, to the point that he concluded the only way to resolve the issue was by blood; they must fight for themselves because the whites weren’t going to do it for them. He sat down and in the midst of the quiet hush Sojourner Truth stood up and simply said in a voice that everyone could hear, “Frederick, is God dead?” An eyewitness of the account says the entire tenor of the meeting changed in a flash. The abuses were very real, but Sojourner thought the conclusion about how to resolve the issue was misguided and she wasn’t afraid to say so.
Over and over again we see one unshakable commonality among all the women in the book. They are supremely focused on Christ. That’s something that we all need, whether male or female. When we are grounded in the Lord, we can be freed up to say the bold things, but we must do it in love.
I (Susan) think that sometimes women are afraid that if they speak boldly, they’ll be viewed as harsh, masculine, or unloving; that they think to speak boldly, especially when it’s a hard or confrontational truth, they won’t be seen as loving. What I hope women will come to realize is that sometimes the most loving thing we can do is to say the hard thing, even if means rejection. Loving enough to risk the relationship takes enormous courage, but it is no doubt godly love.
23. Tell us about your speaking, writing, and consulting through RPM Ministries.
Bob: I believe that most Christians care deeply, but struggle to speak the truth in love. RPM Ministries exists to equip lay people, pastors, educators, students, and Christian counselors to change lives with Christ’s changeless truth. We do so by speaking, writing, and consulting about Christ-centered, comprehensive, compassionate, and culturally-informed biblical counseling and spiritual formation.
Our passion is to empower the church and para-church to care like Christ. As a result, God’s people enter deeply into one another’s lives and make a significant different in the lives of hurting and hardened people.
RPM is our acrostic for Resurrection Power Multipliers. We based the concept upon Paul’s prayer in Philippians 3:10, “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering.”
We want to raise up a new generation of biblical counselors and spiritual friends who live out 1 Thessalonians 2:8. “I loved you so much that I gave you not only the Scriptures, but my own soul, because you were dear to me.”
To learn more about RPM Ministries, please visit www.rpmministries.org.
24. How can people get in touch with you and how can they learn more about your ministry and about Sacred Friendships?
I can be contacted by email at: rpm.ministries@gmail.com
A free sample chapter of Sacred Friendships is available at: http://bit.ly/1S1haj
Sacred Friendships is on sale at 40% off for $12.99 at: http://bit.ly/MG1l5
To learn more about RPM Ministries, please visit: www.rpmministries.org
We are posting a couple of questions that they have answered about the book as well as a couple about the ministry that Dr. K. has founded. Why do we post this here? Because we want to share some of the blessings that God has brought to us through the wisdom and diligence of those going into history and helping us learn how to deal with very present hurts and needs.
14. Many have heard of the theologian Augustine. Tell us about his mother, Monica, and her ministry in his life.
The name of Monica (331-387), mother of Augustine, is perhaps the best known of the Church Mothers. What we know about Monica we learn almost entirely from her son’s autobiography Confessions. Because we are fortunate enough to have Confessions, we can easily identify the most influential person in his spiritual life. Monica, his mother, stands out above all others as the spiritual guide and anchor, indeed, as the determinative relationship in his life.
Monica spent years suffering over her son’s pagan lifestyle until his conversion and commitment to Christian ministry. In the Confessions, which Augustine addressed to God, we hear of her reconciling witness to her wayward son. “In fact, as a boy I had heard about the eternal life that had been promised to us through the humility of the Lord our God’s lowering himself to our pride, and already I was stamped with the sign of his cross, already seasoned with his salt from the womb of my mother, who put great hope in You. . . . My fleshly mother was disturbed, because she more lovingly brooded over my eternal salvation, with a pure heart in Your faith.”
Coming to faith, Augustine describes a scenario to which every believing woman with an unbelieving husband can relate. “Thus already I believed, as did my mother and all the household, my father alone excepted, who nonetheless did not drive out the authority of my mother’s piety so that I did not believe in Christ, inasmuch as he did not yet believe. For my mother busied herself in order that You might be my Father, my God, rather than he, and in this matter You helped her so that she might overcome her husband, to whom she was subject . . .”
Christian mothers need to hear Monica’s voice. She confidently spoke and personified the reality that a mother’s piety can drown out a father’s irreverence. She also reminds mothers that they do not have to be both mother and father. In the absence of a believing father, Monica pointed her son to his ultimate Father, rather than trying to be a surrogate father.
Augustine reserves his final testimonial to his mother’s spiritual direction for her spiritual conversations with him in her dying days and hours.
“Thus we were talking alone together very sweetly, forgetting past events and stretching out to those ahead of us. We were seeking between us in the presence of truth, which You are, to think how the future eternal life of the saints would be, the life “which eye has not seen nor ear heard, nor had it entered the heart of man” (Is. 64:4; 1 Cor. 2:9). We opened wide the mouth of our heart to the supernatural streams of Your fountain, the fountain of life, which is with You, so that being sprinkled from it according to our power of comprehension, w might in some way reflect on so great a thing.”
Picture it. Mother and son. Leaning on a window, viewing the garden of their house, talking of eternal hope, knowing that she would soon be leaving this world behind. Imagine the encouragement in the midst of sadness that Monica brought her son.
When Monica passed away, Augustine wept. He lost his best spiritual friend. He lost the most important person in his life. He lost the earthly mother who led him to know his heavenly Father. Augustine grieved. But he grieved with hope because Monica had encouraged him with words of life.
15. Sometimes we may get the impression that when women “counsel” it is all emotion and empathy and “touchy-feely.” You found that while women counsel with emotion, they also were unafraid to confront boldly in love. Could you share some examples of that? What could we learn from this today?
Susan: One of my favorite stories is about Laura Haviland. If you read much about her, you’ll quickly see that she was a devout Christian, very much against slavery, and made no apologies for either. And yet she had the capacity to engage many slave owners and sympathizers in meaningful conversations.
One day she was talking to man who was a Sunday school teacher in his church. He told Laura that he’d have no problem turning in a runaway slave in order to collect the reward money. At that, Laura said she could no longer acknowledge him as a brother in Christ. He was quite offended, saying that was the most uncharitable thing he’d heard. They talked a bit longer, and he asked her to return to his home later that evening to discuss additional points of Scripture related to the topic. She said she would be in prayer before their next encounter and he agreed to do the same. When she returned later that night, he told her there wasn’t anything to discuss because he didn’t think his arguments would stand up. He died not long after that. Laura learned from his widow that he had a great deal of respect for Laura and his attitude toward “colored” people had changed after his conversation with her and that he “died a happy soul.”
One of the most challenging things about writing the book was deciding which women to include and which vignettes. Because Sojourner Truth was included in Bob’s book Beyond the Suffering, we opted not to write about her in Sacred Friendships. But there’s a great story about her at a meeting in Faneuil Hall in Boston. There was quite a large crowd in attendance, including Frederick Douglas who was one of the key speakers. As he was discussing the wrongs done to their race he became more and more worked up, to the point that he concluded the only way to resolve the issue was by blood; they must fight for themselves because the whites weren’t going to do it for them. He sat down and in the midst of the quiet hush Sojourner Truth stood up and simply said in a voice that everyone could hear, “Frederick, is God dead?” An eyewitness of the account says the entire tenor of the meeting changed in a flash. The abuses were very real, but Sojourner thought the conclusion about how to resolve the issue was misguided and she wasn’t afraid to say so.
Over and over again we see one unshakable commonality among all the women in the book. They are supremely focused on Christ. That’s something that we all need, whether male or female. When we are grounded in the Lord, we can be freed up to say the bold things, but we must do it in love.
I (Susan) think that sometimes women are afraid that if they speak boldly, they’ll be viewed as harsh, masculine, or unloving; that they think to speak boldly, especially when it’s a hard or confrontational truth, they won’t be seen as loving. What I hope women will come to realize is that sometimes the most loving thing we can do is to say the hard thing, even if means rejection. Loving enough to risk the relationship takes enormous courage, but it is no doubt godly love.
23. Tell us about your speaking, writing, and consulting through RPM Ministries.
Bob: I believe that most Christians care deeply, but struggle to speak the truth in love. RPM Ministries exists to equip lay people, pastors, educators, students, and Christian counselors to change lives with Christ’s changeless truth. We do so by speaking, writing, and consulting about Christ-centered, comprehensive, compassionate, and culturally-informed biblical counseling and spiritual formation.
Our passion is to empower the church and para-church to care like Christ. As a result, God’s people enter deeply into one another’s lives and make a significant different in the lives of hurting and hardened people.
RPM is our acrostic for Resurrection Power Multipliers. We based the concept upon Paul’s prayer in Philippians 3:10, “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering.”
We want to raise up a new generation of biblical counselors and spiritual friends who live out 1 Thessalonians 2:8. “I loved you so much that I gave you not only the Scriptures, but my own soul, because you were dear to me.”
To learn more about RPM Ministries, please visit www.rpmministries.org.
24. How can people get in touch with you and how can they learn more about your ministry and about Sacred Friendships?
I can be contacted by email at: rpm.ministries@gmail.com
A free sample chapter of Sacred Friendships is available at: http://bit.ly/1S1haj
Sacred Friendships is on sale at 40% off for $12.99 at: http://bit.ly/MG1l5
To learn more about RPM Ministries, please visit: www.rpmministries.org
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
God's Will and Waiting
Ever question if you put your will before God’s? Well, that is what I have wondered on and off over the last 14 days as we waited to hear whether the house would actually go to settlement (supposed to close Aug 31) after already moving out here to TN. We already know that the delay has had blessings because there is no way that I would have had the house ready on Aug 31; that took us an extra few days (with travel time in there to boot).
Waiting has never been my strength. When I wait, I usually lose faith in whatever it was that I felt so confident about just a short time ago. Yet, through all of the last two weeks, God has reminded me through my Bible reading time, through conversations with friends, through a new devotional my sister’s church is doing, through just about everything that I have read, that His timing is always perfect, and that waiting will draw me closing to Him.
A popular song right now belts out, “While I’m waiting, I will serve you.” As I have waited, I haven’t always done that—I have fretted and worried and wondered in between the times of truly holding tight to His hand and knowing that He will work all things out for our good. Thankfully, He is faithful even when I am not, and this time of waiting has strengthened my desire to learn more about Him, to trust Him in ALL things, and to know that I can forever be confident in His ways, whether I understand them or not.
BTW…
The children are loving their homeschool co-op here, and being near my family has been phenomenal. I was sicker than I have been in more than 2 years, and having the boys able to receive love and guidance and instruction while I was unable to function was such a blessing. God has moved and worked and protected and guided. The family will all be together again briefly this week when Jim flies in today for a conference later this week here in Nashville. He works 7 in a row at the hospital next week, and then he will be done with his work there.
Waiting has never been my strength. When I wait, I usually lose faith in whatever it was that I felt so confident about just a short time ago. Yet, through all of the last two weeks, God has reminded me through my Bible reading time, through conversations with friends, through a new devotional my sister’s church is doing, through just about everything that I have read, that His timing is always perfect, and that waiting will draw me closing to Him.
A popular song right now belts out, “While I’m waiting, I will serve you.” As I have waited, I haven’t always done that—I have fretted and worried and wondered in between the times of truly holding tight to His hand and knowing that He will work all things out for our good. Thankfully, He is faithful even when I am not, and this time of waiting has strengthened my desire to learn more about Him, to trust Him in ALL things, and to know that I can forever be confident in His ways, whether I understand them or not.
BTW…
The children are loving their homeschool co-op here, and being near my family has been phenomenal. I was sicker than I have been in more than 2 years, and having the boys able to receive love and guidance and instruction while I was unable to function was such a blessing. God has moved and worked and protected and guided. The family will all be together again briefly this week when Jim flies in today for a conference later this week here in Nashville. He works 7 in a row at the hospital next week, and then he will be done with his work there.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Whimpering
As I was packing the other day, my dog began to whimper. He followed me around, getting under foot constantly. I had many things to do, and one of them was preparing a better spot for him to ride in. You see, with four children and all our things, usually, the dog gets stuck down at the feet of two of the children when we travel. But, knowing that many trips were coming up, I wanted to prepare a better place for him. He rides well, obeys when we tell him to lie back down, and I wanted to ease his discomfort while also rewarding his good behavior. But, his whimpering was about to drive me mad. He was so concerned about getting left behind that he didn’t notice all the things that I was doing concerning him… bringing his dog dishes, gathering his leash and his brush, removing a seat, placing a blanket, etc. Even once he got to run outside and jump into the van, he ignored all the extra work I put into making a better place for him. He would not go into his new spot for anything. It took almost 14 hours of driving before he realized that not only would he still be coming with us if he moved to this new place, but that he would be more comfortable in the new place, too.
We are so like that dog of mine. We ask God for something, whimper and moan and groan while He is preparing things, and then we don’t even move into the new and better place He has prepared until He has had to show us a few dozen times that it truly is better.
God will never leave us behind. He is preparing a wonderful place for each of us, not only in heaven but also here on earth. He is listening, He is loving, He is patient (thankfully) during our whimpering. Most of all, His abundance of grace and mercy and love will never cease to bring us into better and better places.
We are so like that dog of mine. We ask God for something, whimper and moan and groan while He is preparing things, and then we don’t even move into the new and better place He has prepared until He has had to show us a few dozen times that it truly is better.
God will never leave us behind. He is preparing a wonderful place for each of us, not only in heaven but also here on earth. He is listening, He is loving, He is patient (thankfully) during our whimpering. Most of all, His abundance of grace and mercy and love will never cease to bring us into better and better places.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Passing through the storm
Lightning flashes, immediately followed by the crashing sound of thunder. Rain in sheets, wave upon wave upon wave pound down around. We have a purpose; we have to journey on. We could choose to stop and sit through the entirety of the storm, wishing that everything would just blow over, but there is another storm coming, and time is of the essence. What do we do? We slow down, yes, because safety necessitates it, and we pray that God will lead us through. He does; as the storm rages on, we travel, in God’s hands, safely through to the other side where the sun shines brightly and everything sparkles with the remaining drops of rain. Had we stopped, we would still be sitting in the midst of the chaos, and we wouldn’t have achieved our purpose at the end of the journey.
Travel on, follow workers, travel on; God is holding you safe.
Travel on, follow workers, travel on; God is holding you safe.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
July 4th
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. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
…
July 4th… freedom… freedom from tyranny, freedom from persecution, freedom from abuses.
The reason those freedoms have worked so long in the USA is simply Jesus Christ. We live in a country that was built upon the blood, sweat, and tears of our ancestors… people who knew what it meant to be treated as if they were less than human but knew through the saving blood of Jesus that they were, indeed, worthy. It was with the Creator standing behind them that they dared to stand before a mighty king and his military force.
Celebrate the freedoms of our country today, but remember the Creator of those freedoms every day of the year.
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. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
…
July 4th… freedom… freedom from tyranny, freedom from persecution, freedom from abuses.
The reason those freedoms have worked so long in the USA is simply Jesus Christ. We live in a country that was built upon the blood, sweat, and tears of our ancestors… people who knew what it meant to be treated as if they were less than human but knew through the saving blood of Jesus that they were, indeed, worthy. It was with the Creator standing behind them that they dared to stand before a mighty king and his military force.
Celebrate the freedoms of our country today, but remember the Creator of those freedoms every day of the year.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Teen Years
Question: “I’m wondering how the teenage years will go.”
Answer: “It'll be beautiful—though probably more like white water rafting than boating on a quiet lake.”
What an image and what a positive outlook on what would otherwise be viewed as a time of drudgery and pain. Of course, we all know that there will be times of difficulty and pain, but I am so inspired by this view.
If we only focus on the rocks, we will miss the beauty that surrounds us. This goes not just for the teen years, but for every day of our lives. Embrace the adventure and enjoy the ride.
Answer: “It'll be beautiful—though probably more like white water rafting than boating on a quiet lake.”
What an image and what a positive outlook on what would otherwise be viewed as a time of drudgery and pain. Of course, we all know that there will be times of difficulty and pain, but I am so inspired by this view.
If we only focus on the rocks, we will miss the beauty that surrounds us. This goes not just for the teen years, but for every day of our lives. Embrace the adventure and enjoy the ride.
Friday, March 6, 2009
The secret of the LORD
While reading in the Book of Psalms this morning, I was touched by Psalm 25:14.
The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him,And He will make them know His covenant.
My devotional Bible is the New American Standard Bible. The term ‘secret’ had other translations listed—counsel or intimacy. Obviously, the term intimacy caught my attention. I began thinking about how our relationship with the Lord can only be truly intimate when we fear (respect) Him.
When we have a friend who only calls when she needs something or who is always telling our secrets, we begin to lose respect for that person. We find it hard to trust her, we might begin distancing ourselves from her, and, ultimately, the friendship may fail altogether. Why? Because of a lack of respect. When our spouse has an affair or spends the family money on things that are selfish or wasteful, we will have many issues to work through, but, ultimately, until true respect is built again, the relationship will suffer greatly.
Just as in earthly relationships, true intimacy with God is only achieved when a deep, abiding respect is a fundamental part of growing the relationship. As we respect the Lord—building intimacy with our loving Father, he reveals His covenant to us.
What is His covenant? Literally, it is the covenant He made with Abraham, but also it is the covenant He makes with every believer that He will reveal Himself, making known to us what is the teaching we should follow and the path we should take in life. (John 7:17)
My friends, do you respect the Lord and desire to follow His ways? If you know Him, then the desire is in you. Call out to Him, ask Him to show you what His desire is for you, and let Him know that you care. Just like in any budding relationship or relationship that has faltered, there will be missteps, but God wants simply to hold your hand and be with you as you live this earthly life. He wants to help point out the pitfalls and make sure you don’t miss the abundant treasures hidden (sometimes in plain sight).
The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him,And He will make them know His covenant.
My devotional Bible is the New American Standard Bible. The term ‘secret’ had other translations listed—counsel or intimacy. Obviously, the term intimacy caught my attention. I began thinking about how our relationship with the Lord can only be truly intimate when we fear (respect) Him.
When we have a friend who only calls when she needs something or who is always telling our secrets, we begin to lose respect for that person. We find it hard to trust her, we might begin distancing ourselves from her, and, ultimately, the friendship may fail altogether. Why? Because of a lack of respect. When our spouse has an affair or spends the family money on things that are selfish or wasteful, we will have many issues to work through, but, ultimately, until true respect is built again, the relationship will suffer greatly.
Just as in earthly relationships, true intimacy with God is only achieved when a deep, abiding respect is a fundamental part of growing the relationship. As we respect the Lord—building intimacy with our loving Father, he reveals His covenant to us.
What is His covenant? Literally, it is the covenant He made with Abraham, but also it is the covenant He makes with every believer that He will reveal Himself, making known to us what is the teaching we should follow and the path we should take in life. (John 7:17)
My friends, do you respect the Lord and desire to follow His ways? If you know Him, then the desire is in you. Call out to Him, ask Him to show you what His desire is for you, and let Him know that you care. Just like in any budding relationship or relationship that has faltered, there will be missteps, but God wants simply to hold your hand and be with you as you live this earthly life. He wants to help point out the pitfalls and make sure you don’t miss the abundant treasures hidden (sometimes in plain sight).
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Comfort During Troubling Times
Often when we feel down, we pull into our shells, and we forget to go to God’s Word. We remember Him and cry out to Him, but often we simply don’t grab our Bibles and let God’s Living Word renew us. Here’s a psalm to bring you comfort.
Psalm 77
1 I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands
and my soul refused to be comforted.
3 I remembered you, O God, and I groaned;
I mused, and my spirit grew faint. Selah
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart mused and my spirit inquired:
7 "Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?" Selah
10 Then I thought, "To this I will appeal:
the years of the right hand of the Most High."
11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will meditate on all your works
and consider all your mighty deeds.
13 Your ways, O God, are holy.
What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 The waters saw you, O God,
the waters saw you and writhed;
the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water,
the skies resounded with thunder;
your arrows flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.
19 Your path led through the sea,
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Just as this psalmist remembers what God has done, we need to remember the numerous times that God was faithful in our past and hold onto the truth that He is faithful now, and we will be able to see it down the road.
Psalm 77
1 I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands
and my soul refused to be comforted.
3 I remembered you, O God, and I groaned;
I mused, and my spirit grew faint. Selah
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart mused and my spirit inquired:
7 "Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?" Selah
10 Then I thought, "To this I will appeal:
the years of the right hand of the Most High."
11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will meditate on all your works
and consider all your mighty deeds.
13 Your ways, O God, are holy.
What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 The waters saw you, O God,
the waters saw you and writhed;
the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water,
the skies resounded with thunder;
your arrows flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.
19 Your path led through the sea,
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Just as this psalmist remembers what God has done, we need to remember the numerous times that God was faithful in our past and hold onto the truth that He is faithful now, and we will be able to see it down the road.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
The Death of a Parent
The death of a parent can unleash so many memories that we have long since forgotten. When we think of the times we wronged our parent, the times that he wronged us, and all the numerous times forgiveness was not granted, we can feel like we are falling into a pit of utter despair, with no way of every correcting the situation.
Yet, with God’s love and guidance, we can climb out of that pit and realize that although we cannot tell our parent any longer that we forgive them or ask forgiveness from them, we can forgive their memory and ourselves. Forgiveness allows us to be free from the burden of unresolved hurts. The Lord does not want us to be buried with our passing parent, buried under the relentless pain and frustration of unforgiveness. He wants us to honor our parent’s memory by clinging to Him and the hope that these past situations can be used for our good. They can help us value our own children more, they can help us cherish every moment that we have with those around us, and they can help see the unspoken pain in another’s eyes and reach out in love and hope and acceptance.
My dear friend, hold tight to God’s TRUTH, not what your flesh is telling you in times of despair or what Satan would want you to believe. You are a precious child of God who is of infinite worth – no one could ever replace you in the lives of your spouse, your children, your family, and your friends. The grieving process is hard, and you must allow yourself time to feel your loss and your emotions; God says that there is a time for that (Ecc 3:4). But, remember… Fight, with God, to stay out of the pit. Live life on purpose!
Yet, with God’s love and guidance, we can climb out of that pit and realize that although we cannot tell our parent any longer that we forgive them or ask forgiveness from them, we can forgive their memory and ourselves. Forgiveness allows us to be free from the burden of unresolved hurts. The Lord does not want us to be buried with our passing parent, buried under the relentless pain and frustration of unforgiveness. He wants us to honor our parent’s memory by clinging to Him and the hope that these past situations can be used for our good. They can help us value our own children more, they can help us cherish every moment that we have with those around us, and they can help see the unspoken pain in another’s eyes and reach out in love and hope and acceptance.
My dear friend, hold tight to God’s TRUTH, not what your flesh is telling you in times of despair or what Satan would want you to believe. You are a precious child of God who is of infinite worth – no one could ever replace you in the lives of your spouse, your children, your family, and your friends. The grieving process is hard, and you must allow yourself time to feel your loss and your emotions; God says that there is a time for that (Ecc 3:4). But, remember… Fight, with God, to stay out of the pit. Live life on purpose!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Winning and Losing
We watched the Super Bowl last night. Lots of fun screaming, laughing, and eating. The team I wanted to win, didn’t. Kurt Warner’s life story is so inspirational to me that I really wanted him to have another Super Bowl victory. Yet, I know that God cares even for a football game, not so much the overall score but for each of the players, coaches, staff members, and spectators, so I trust that the reason for the outcome was in God’s plan.
Have you, too, suffered a loss like the losing team? Of your job? Of a friendship? Of a dream you have dreamed for a long time? Are you wondering why on earth God would allow such dejection in your life? You gave it your all, yet you came up short. Maybe you feel that God should have granted this win. You were faithful to Him, you played it out His way, and what did it get you?
Remember that God did not promise us that He would make life a bed of roses for His followers. We may now have the Holy Spirit living inside us, but we still dwell in this sinful, fallen world. People are sinning all around us, and we ourselves fall short of even our own best intentions. God did promise that He would get us through the times on this earth—the wins and the losses. When we choose to keep our minds and our hearts focused on the Lord, we choose to work together with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is always thriving, always flourishing. If we turn away from the Lord, even temporarily, we choose to live life without control, without guidance; that’s the difference from being “filled with the Holy Spirit” or not. As soon as we turn back to the Lord and realize that His control brings the ultimate best, ever, we can see His Holy Spirit leaping for joy, as He has been all along, and delivering peace to our weary hearts.
Keep loving the people around you. Keep getting up each day and praising God for a new day to serve Him. One moment, one step at a time… giving God the glory as He sees you through this time of defeat. That is our victory—our victory in Christ.
Have you, too, suffered a loss like the losing team? Of your job? Of a friendship? Of a dream you have dreamed for a long time? Are you wondering why on earth God would allow such dejection in your life? You gave it your all, yet you came up short. Maybe you feel that God should have granted this win. You were faithful to Him, you played it out His way, and what did it get you?
Remember that God did not promise us that He would make life a bed of roses for His followers. We may now have the Holy Spirit living inside us, but we still dwell in this sinful, fallen world. People are sinning all around us, and we ourselves fall short of even our own best intentions. God did promise that He would get us through the times on this earth—the wins and the losses. When we choose to keep our minds and our hearts focused on the Lord, we choose to work together with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is always thriving, always flourishing. If we turn away from the Lord, even temporarily, we choose to live life without control, without guidance; that’s the difference from being “filled with the Holy Spirit” or not. As soon as we turn back to the Lord and realize that His control brings the ultimate best, ever, we can see His Holy Spirit leaping for joy, as He has been all along, and delivering peace to our weary hearts.
Keep loving the people around you. Keep getting up each day and praising God for a new day to serve Him. One moment, one step at a time… giving God the glory as He sees you through this time of defeat. That is our victory—our victory in Christ.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Time alone
After a couple of snow days, we were able to get out and about to run some errands yesterday. The children’s desires for food (first on the list) and their own purchases (last on the list) were successful, so they were quite cooperative in between. You’d think I would have planned it that way. :-)
When we arrived home in the evening, we all went to do our own things for a time. I know, many families do this, but I usually feel as if I should do more to engage the children or my spouse in their activities or my own. However, God helped me to realize how individual we each are even though we walk this earthly journey together at this time. We had had two wonderful days playing, learning, serving, fighting, and mending together, really together, and now was a time for us to each just focus on our own needs of work or play or a combination.
Why bother to share this? Because I don’t want any of you to fall into the trap that I did about living life on purpose. Intentional intimacy isn’t about doing something together every available moment; it isn’t about making sure you are always focused on the other person in your life; it is about engaging your family members in meaningful ways, and sometimes those meaningful ways are to let them be on their own and plan for themselves what they will do for a while, even the younger ones.
When we arrived home in the evening, we all went to do our own things for a time. I know, many families do this, but I usually feel as if I should do more to engage the children or my spouse in their activities or my own. However, God helped me to realize how individual we each are even though we walk this earthly journey together at this time. We had had two wonderful days playing, learning, serving, fighting, and mending together, really together, and now was a time for us to each just focus on our own needs of work or play or a combination.
Why bother to share this? Because I don’t want any of you to fall into the trap that I did about living life on purpose. Intentional intimacy isn’t about doing something together every available moment; it isn’t about making sure you are always focused on the other person in your life; it is about engaging your family members in meaningful ways, and sometimes those meaningful ways are to let them be on their own and plan for themselves what they will do for a while, even the younger ones.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Hello there
We are new to blogging, but we are not new to intentional intimacy, living life on purpose. Early in our marriage (11.5 years ago), God called us to move outside of our own individual desires and look at our marriage as being one with each other and with God--no matter what feelings or situations came along. It hasn't always been easy and it certainly isn't always fun, but we love each other, respect each other, and truly enjoy one another's company.
This approach to our marriage trickled down to our parenting relationships as well. We are not perfect parents by any stretch of the imagination, but we hope that our children know that they are loved, respected, and enjoyed.
It is our hope that through this blog as well as our website www.intentionalintimacy.org that we can help share some of the amazing truths God has revealed to us to help us live life more abundantly. We want each family to feel the connection to each other and to the Lord. Our prayer reflects that of the Apostle Paul's - "that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19a
Journey with us as we journey with Christ.
This approach to our marriage trickled down to our parenting relationships as well. We are not perfect parents by any stretch of the imagination, but we hope that our children know that they are loved, respected, and enjoyed.
It is our hope that through this blog as well as our website www.intentionalintimacy.org that we can help share some of the amazing truths God has revealed to us to help us live life more abundantly. We want each family to feel the connection to each other and to the Lord. Our prayer reflects that of the Apostle Paul's - "that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19a
Journey with us as we journey with Christ.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
