February 28, 2010
1 Cor 14: 33-35, Eph 4:11-16, Eph 6:21-24, Ecc 4:7-12
Marriage Rubric Part III: Mental Connection
I really like ideas. I like to think about them, I like to talk about them, and I like to write them down (obviously). I know enough about myself to know that I respect and appreciate people that I can connect with on a mental level. Since Ephesians is clear that, as a woman, I am to respect and submit to my husband, I believe I’ll have to marry someone that I can connect with on an intellectual/mental level, or else I’ll have a hard time respecting his brain.
Because of the type of person I am, my brain seems to hop around in a multitude of different directions – philosophy, history, psychology, anthropology, traveling, languages, words, communicating, art, music, economics, health, nutrition, etc. Obviously I might not marry someone who takes interest in EVERYTHING I find interesting, but there has to be enough connections that those few differences aren’t liabilities to the things we do connect on.
I don’t want to ever stop learning, because I think humility is a part of learning, and I want to be a humble, moldable person, being transformed to the likeness of Jesus. I need to marry someone who approaches life with that sort of perspective.
Ideally, I want to be able to present my untested ideas to my husband and know that he can analytically and objectively listen to them and provide me with feedback, while at the same time encouraging me to develop my own thoughts and opinions on the matter. Likewise, I want to be able to ask questions and be able to grasp his ideas and thoughts, while being a valuable asset to him and his mental development and growth.
The Bible clearly states that companionship is valuable, and I want to be able to be a mental companion to my husband. Life is too interesting, confounding, and exciting to miss out on having the ability to enjoy sharing the process of thinking with your spouse.
And practically speaking, it’s part of my plan to affair-proof my marriage and keep the risk factors to a minimum: when you’re able to have that mental connection with someone, especially if you’re a person like me who really values it, you don’t need to go looking for it elsewhere, or if you do, you can do it WITH your spouse.
My brain is certainly part of who God made me, and I know my husband’s brain is equally a part of how God created him. I desire to respect my husband holistically – and that includes his ability to think, process, analyze, and connect with me on a mental level.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
012: Rubric Part II
February 27, 2010
Song of Solomon, Genesis 1:28, 1 Corinthians 6:12-7:5
Marriage Rubric Part II – Sexual Connection
Sex. Making Love. Intercourse. There is, of course, a variety of other terms – some crude, some just cute – but I’ll stick with the reasonably non-offensive terms.
The verb “consummate” means, “to bring to a state of perfection; completion.” I think it’s vital that we keep that in mind as we consider sex.
As God outlines in the Bible, it appears there are three God-honoring reasons for sexual intimacy: for procreation, for enjoyment and pleasure, and for knowledge of each other for unity and/or comfort. (It would follow that the fourth reason indicated for sex - the healthy and holy direction of sexual passion to avoid lust - would be taken care of within the context of the three reasons listed above.)
I think sex should definitely not be overlooked as an important part of marriage. That’s why I’m addressing it second after “Spiritual Unity” in this little rubric explanation. We are sexual beings (Read “Sex God” by Rob Bell for a further discussion of Christian Sexuality). We were created to be sexual beings. Our bodies are, without exception, sexual in nature. And God created sex. That’s great! And He created it for the purpose of marriage – to be enjoyed and appreciated and used and practiced inside a permanent, covenant relationship.
Therefore, since I’m all about doing life God’s way, I’m all for sex in marriage. In fact, I want to experience a great sexual connection with my husband! I want to find my husband attractive physically and know that he finds me physically attractive as well. I want to not only enjoy having him touch me, but I also desire to initiate sexual closeness. I want to be free to explore anything and everything that is permissible by God’s Word with my husband and know that he’s eager to do likewise with me.
I feel like often times, in the church, sex and sexuality is addressed only from negative perspectives: Don’t have sex before marriage. Don’t have sex with anyone but your spouse after marriage. Don’t be too sexual – you might cause people to stumble or be confused or be embarrassed… But why don’t we switch that focus to the positive??! It’s true we aren’t permitted to have sex prior to marriage, but we are ENCOURAGED to have sex once we ARE married. So decide to grow up, pursue maturity and wisdom, and get married and enjoy sex! And while you’re at it, enjoy being adventurous and creative with it! The only requirement is that you have to keep it within God’s moral boundaries.
For me, sex is definitely something that motivates my desire to be married. It’s not the only thing, but it’s an element. I want to feel freedom to experience my sexuality to it’s fullness – as God intended – within my marriage, and likewise for my husband. And I want to experience it for all the purposes God encourages – for fun, for a more physical and deeper level of communication than words allow, for encouragement and comfort, for unity, and for making babies… all with my husband, the man who I choose to share my life with and who chooses to share his life with me, to the honor and glory of God. Because sexuality can and SHOULD bring honor and glory to God. That’s why He created it!
Song of Solomon, Genesis 1:28, 1 Corinthians 6:12-7:5
Marriage Rubric Part II – Sexual Connection
Sex. Making Love. Intercourse. There is, of course, a variety of other terms – some crude, some just cute – but I’ll stick with the reasonably non-offensive terms.
The verb “consummate” means, “to bring to a state of perfection; completion.” I think it’s vital that we keep that in mind as we consider sex.
As God outlines in the Bible, it appears there are three God-honoring reasons for sexual intimacy: for procreation, for enjoyment and pleasure, and for knowledge of each other for unity and/or comfort. (It would follow that the fourth reason indicated for sex - the healthy and holy direction of sexual passion to avoid lust - would be taken care of within the context of the three reasons listed above.)
I think sex should definitely not be overlooked as an important part of marriage. That’s why I’m addressing it second after “Spiritual Unity” in this little rubric explanation. We are sexual beings (Read “Sex God” by Rob Bell for a further discussion of Christian Sexuality). We were created to be sexual beings. Our bodies are, without exception, sexual in nature. And God created sex. That’s great! And He created it for the purpose of marriage – to be enjoyed and appreciated and used and practiced inside a permanent, covenant relationship.
Therefore, since I’m all about doing life God’s way, I’m all for sex in marriage. In fact, I want to experience a great sexual connection with my husband! I want to find my husband attractive physically and know that he finds me physically attractive as well. I want to not only enjoy having him touch me, but I also desire to initiate sexual closeness. I want to be free to explore anything and everything that is permissible by God’s Word with my husband and know that he’s eager to do likewise with me.
I feel like often times, in the church, sex and sexuality is addressed only from negative perspectives: Don’t have sex before marriage. Don’t have sex with anyone but your spouse after marriage. Don’t be too sexual – you might cause people to stumble or be confused or be embarrassed… But why don’t we switch that focus to the positive??! It’s true we aren’t permitted to have sex prior to marriage, but we are ENCOURAGED to have sex once we ARE married. So decide to grow up, pursue maturity and wisdom, and get married and enjoy sex! And while you’re at it, enjoy being adventurous and creative with it! The only requirement is that you have to keep it within God’s moral boundaries.
For me, sex is definitely something that motivates my desire to be married. It’s not the only thing, but it’s an element. I want to feel freedom to experience my sexuality to it’s fullness – as God intended – within my marriage, and likewise for my husband. And I want to experience it for all the purposes God encourages – for fun, for a more physical and deeper level of communication than words allow, for encouragement and comfort, for unity, and for making babies… all with my husband, the man who I choose to share my life with and who chooses to share his life with me, to the honor and glory of God. Because sexuality can and SHOULD bring honor and glory to God. That’s why He created it!
011: Rubric Part I
February 26, 2010
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1, John 17:9-26
Marriage Rubric Part I – Spiritual Connection
Yesterday I mentioned I have developed a rubric of sorts – or at least idealized standards – for what I want to have in my marriage. I’ve done this because it seems logical and wise to have some base line idea of what my priorities are for a marriage relationship prior to entering one.
Since I first and foremost love Jesus and want my life to demonstrate that priority, my marriage must follow suite. Not only did Paul forbid the church at Corinth to unite themselves with someone who wasn’t a follower of Jesus, it also make sense that if I want to honor God with my life, my life-long partner will also need to have the same priority.
Obviously, there are some big differences of thought, even among people who love Jesus. Even if my husband and I don’t agree on every minor issue in the Bible, I believe we must agree on the “big ticket” issues: salvation by faith in Jesus Christ through grace alone, the ultimate authority of the Bible, the necessity of community and communion with other Jesus followers, the holistic purpose of Christians to “love the Lord you God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself,” the responsibility to serve the church as the bride of Christ, the recognition that our marriage is a reflection of Jesus’s relationship with the church, and the desire to share Jesus and the hope of salvation with the broken world around us.
Knowing my own life priorities, I want my husband’s main desire in life to be honoring and glorify God – so we can do it together once we’re married – and to be a tool for God to use in sharing Jesus with the world around us. I see this as being evident in a man who is God-fearing, humbly coming before God recognizing his dualistic status as both a sinner that should be condemned to hell, and yet powerfully and affectionately redeemed by the work of Jesus Christ.
Since Paul mentions in his letter to Ephesus that husbands are to be the “head” of the household, I want my husband to be a man that will take responsibility for the spiritual well-being of our family. Practically speaking, he can only do this by actively pursuing his own spiritual growth, which I think would look something like personal study of God’s Word, group study and accountability with other men, and corporate worship.
Obviously, there are two humans involved in a marriage. I accept responsibility for my own spiritual growth, because I am not saved and sanctified by my husband’s work, but I would like my husband to encourage me in the pursuit of loving Jesus more, and to help me safeguard my relationship with Jesus. I see this as a safeguard for our marriage, and I fully intend to help him safeguard his relationship with Jesus. If we have children, I want my husband to model to our kids a humility and devotion in his walk with the Lord – modeling and encouraging prayer, discussion and application of the Bible, accountability, etc within the family.
I do believe good, healthy, God-honoring marriages are possible. But I don’t think they happen by accident. I think prioritizing a spiritual connection and compatibility is key to the kind of marriage I want to have.
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1, John 17:9-26
Marriage Rubric Part I – Spiritual Connection
Yesterday I mentioned I have developed a rubric of sorts – or at least idealized standards – for what I want to have in my marriage. I’ve done this because it seems logical and wise to have some base line idea of what my priorities are for a marriage relationship prior to entering one.
Since I first and foremost love Jesus and want my life to demonstrate that priority, my marriage must follow suite. Not only did Paul forbid the church at Corinth to unite themselves with someone who wasn’t a follower of Jesus, it also make sense that if I want to honor God with my life, my life-long partner will also need to have the same priority.
Obviously, there are some big differences of thought, even among people who love Jesus. Even if my husband and I don’t agree on every minor issue in the Bible, I believe we must agree on the “big ticket” issues: salvation by faith in Jesus Christ through grace alone, the ultimate authority of the Bible, the necessity of community and communion with other Jesus followers, the holistic purpose of Christians to “love the Lord you God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself,” the responsibility to serve the church as the bride of Christ, the recognition that our marriage is a reflection of Jesus’s relationship with the church, and the desire to share Jesus and the hope of salvation with the broken world around us.
Knowing my own life priorities, I want my husband’s main desire in life to be honoring and glorify God – so we can do it together once we’re married – and to be a tool for God to use in sharing Jesus with the world around us. I see this as being evident in a man who is God-fearing, humbly coming before God recognizing his dualistic status as both a sinner that should be condemned to hell, and yet powerfully and affectionately redeemed by the work of Jesus Christ.
Since Paul mentions in his letter to Ephesus that husbands are to be the “head” of the household, I want my husband to be a man that will take responsibility for the spiritual well-being of our family. Practically speaking, he can only do this by actively pursuing his own spiritual growth, which I think would look something like personal study of God’s Word, group study and accountability with other men, and corporate worship.
Obviously, there are two humans involved in a marriage. I accept responsibility for my own spiritual growth, because I am not saved and sanctified by my husband’s work, but I would like my husband to encourage me in the pursuit of loving Jesus more, and to help me safeguard my relationship with Jesus. I see this as a safeguard for our marriage, and I fully intend to help him safeguard his relationship with Jesus. If we have children, I want my husband to model to our kids a humility and devotion in his walk with the Lord – modeling and encouraging prayer, discussion and application of the Bible, accountability, etc within the family.
I do believe good, healthy, God-honoring marriages are possible. But I don’t think they happen by accident. I think prioritizing a spiritual connection and compatibility is key to the kind of marriage I want to have.
010: Mars and Venus
February 25, 2010
Genesis 2:4-25
Men. Women. Just writing those two words together evokes all kinds of emotions – humor, frustration, appreciation, delight, confusion… There is definitely something intrinsic to us all that recognizes a sort of dance – a strange and special relationship – between men and women.
Since I like to think and since I get paid to teach, and since I sometimes have time to think while I’m teaching or I think while I’m not teaching about what I was teaching, I was pondering male and female differences today. One of my challenging students (see day 003) has caught the attention of the Santa Claus-like man who comes to proctor tests in one of my classrooms every week. Mr. Santa doesn’t like my problem student and thinks I should boot him out of class. Sometimes I think so too… but then there is another element in me that wants to work together with my student, rather than against him, because we all essentially have stated the same goals: he wants to get his GED, I want him to get his GED, and the other people involved in his life and my work want him to get his GED too. So why do we have to fight over this???
I think it’s a male/female mentality, or at least that’s a theory I’ve heard. Women want to build a web – a community of sorts – while men want to have a hierarchy – a vertical ladder so to speak. Women want to feel connected; men want to feel respected. To be connected, one has to be involved with others. To be respected, one has to be above others.
I’m learning we need both. I think this will be a long learning process. I’m naturally inclined to appreciate my own biased leanings more. Maybe this is why God designed marriage – to help us appreciate His handiwork in creating the opposite sex.
The topic of love and relationships and marriage is always fascinating to me. I’m not sure if that would change if I do get married, because I’ll have my own real life love, relationship, and marriage to focus on rather than hypothetical what-if’s. At any rate, because it intrigues me, I think about it now. I’ve been reading a book called “Decision Making and the Will of God” and it’s making me think a bit outside my typical boxes. One of the ideas stressed in the book is the importance of applying wisdom and thought to decisions (because, as the author argues, we not only have the freedom to choose, we also have the responsibility to make our own decisions in life for many important things). As a result, I’ve been thinking about what premises I will make my decision to marry on. I have several areas to use as a rubric.
I’ll go over them over the next couple of days, and while I do, I’d challenge you to think about each of the areas. If you’re single, how could you set some of your own standards? If you’re married, how can you improve in these areas with your spouse?
Genesis 2:4-25
Men. Women. Just writing those two words together evokes all kinds of emotions – humor, frustration, appreciation, delight, confusion… There is definitely something intrinsic to us all that recognizes a sort of dance – a strange and special relationship – between men and women.
Since I like to think and since I get paid to teach, and since I sometimes have time to think while I’m teaching or I think while I’m not teaching about what I was teaching, I was pondering male and female differences today. One of my challenging students (see day 003) has caught the attention of the Santa Claus-like man who comes to proctor tests in one of my classrooms every week. Mr. Santa doesn’t like my problem student and thinks I should boot him out of class. Sometimes I think so too… but then there is another element in me that wants to work together with my student, rather than against him, because we all essentially have stated the same goals: he wants to get his GED, I want him to get his GED, and the other people involved in his life and my work want him to get his GED too. So why do we have to fight over this???
I think it’s a male/female mentality, or at least that’s a theory I’ve heard. Women want to build a web – a community of sorts – while men want to have a hierarchy – a vertical ladder so to speak. Women want to feel connected; men want to feel respected. To be connected, one has to be involved with others. To be respected, one has to be above others.
I’m learning we need both. I think this will be a long learning process. I’m naturally inclined to appreciate my own biased leanings more. Maybe this is why God designed marriage – to help us appreciate His handiwork in creating the opposite sex.
The topic of love and relationships and marriage is always fascinating to me. I’m not sure if that would change if I do get married, because I’ll have my own real life love, relationship, and marriage to focus on rather than hypothetical what-if’s. At any rate, because it intrigues me, I think about it now. I’ve been reading a book called “Decision Making and the Will of God” and it’s making me think a bit outside my typical boxes. One of the ideas stressed in the book is the importance of applying wisdom and thought to decisions (because, as the author argues, we not only have the freedom to choose, we also have the responsibility to make our own decisions in life for many important things). As a result, I’ve been thinking about what premises I will make my decision to marry on. I have several areas to use as a rubric.
I’ll go over them over the next couple of days, and while I do, I’d challenge you to think about each of the areas. If you’re single, how could you set some of your own standards? If you’re married, how can you improve in these areas with your spouse?
009: The End of a Process
February 24, 2010
Mark 15-16
One of the most pleasurable things in life, for me, is processes. I love things I do or see or undertake to be a bit of a drawn-out event. It’s enjoyable to me to go through the process of a process – the anticipation, the various steps along the way, and the final conclusion.
The side of me that wants to be artistic capitalizes on this “process enjoyer” aspect of my personality. My favorite things are process events, like the sunrise, writing a song, visiting friends, or traveling. I like how they are time oriented – meaning, I can’t just do them and be done with them in a brief, momentary slice of time. They require some effort and investment over a span of my life.
Delayed gratification – and anticipation – is one of my personal delights in life, but today I was thinking about the “after” part of a process, or the concluding events of an event.
Mark 15 and 16 highlight the trial, crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. In the scope of his life, this process was the concluding events of his life. For 30 some odd years he’d been living along, doing normal things, and these two chapters are the end of that.
Read it slowly and carefully. Pay attention to the details. You might be surprised by what you find. I was struck by how Mark portrays these pivotal scenes in such careful and purposeful strokes of his pen. There isn’t a lot here, when you look at the scope of 30 years, but it’s certainly not scrimping on specifics.
My very favorite part comes at the end, though. Jesus goes up to heaven, and the disciples go out to share the good news. The end of Jesus’s process of life here on earth is the beginning of something new for the disciples. I think that might be part of why I like processes – the conclusion of one is just the commencement of another.
I often find myself pondering conclusion. At the end of class everyday, I usually need to spend some time thinking and analyzing how class went, what went right or wrong or good or bad, and what I’d like to do different or utilize again in the future. As I wipe down the white boards, with the gentle “swishing” of the eraser clearing away the evidence of the previous hour or two, it’s like I can mentally close off one process in preparation for moving on to the next.
But I’m not always like that about every process in my life. Sometimes I don’t erase what is there, and I end up trying to move on before I’ve attained a proper conclusion. It’s fun to reminisce for a time – with the old notes on the board – but there comes a point where I have to stop trying to write everything without erasing anything. I recognize that I need to be more purposeful about this act sometimes. After all, if Jesus hadn’t closed the door on his work here on earth, ours wouldn’t have started.
Mark 15-16
One of the most pleasurable things in life, for me, is processes. I love things I do or see or undertake to be a bit of a drawn-out event. It’s enjoyable to me to go through the process of a process – the anticipation, the various steps along the way, and the final conclusion.
The side of me that wants to be artistic capitalizes on this “process enjoyer” aspect of my personality. My favorite things are process events, like the sunrise, writing a song, visiting friends, or traveling. I like how they are time oriented – meaning, I can’t just do them and be done with them in a brief, momentary slice of time. They require some effort and investment over a span of my life.
Delayed gratification – and anticipation – is one of my personal delights in life, but today I was thinking about the “after” part of a process, or the concluding events of an event.
Mark 15 and 16 highlight the trial, crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. In the scope of his life, this process was the concluding events of his life. For 30 some odd years he’d been living along, doing normal things, and these two chapters are the end of that.
Read it slowly and carefully. Pay attention to the details. You might be surprised by what you find. I was struck by how Mark portrays these pivotal scenes in such careful and purposeful strokes of his pen. There isn’t a lot here, when you look at the scope of 30 years, but it’s certainly not scrimping on specifics.
My very favorite part comes at the end, though. Jesus goes up to heaven, and the disciples go out to share the good news. The end of Jesus’s process of life here on earth is the beginning of something new for the disciples. I think that might be part of why I like processes – the conclusion of one is just the commencement of another.
I often find myself pondering conclusion. At the end of class everyday, I usually need to spend some time thinking and analyzing how class went, what went right or wrong or good or bad, and what I’d like to do different or utilize again in the future. As I wipe down the white boards, with the gentle “swishing” of the eraser clearing away the evidence of the previous hour or two, it’s like I can mentally close off one process in preparation for moving on to the next.
But I’m not always like that about every process in my life. Sometimes I don’t erase what is there, and I end up trying to move on before I’ve attained a proper conclusion. It’s fun to reminisce for a time – with the old notes on the board – but there comes a point where I have to stop trying to write everything without erasing anything. I recognize that I need to be more purposeful about this act sometimes. After all, if Jesus hadn’t closed the door on his work here on earth, ours wouldn’t have started.
008: Honesty
February 23, 2010
Job 29-31
The book of Job has long been one of my favorites. The telling of the story of a man who seems to have everything in his life right – possessions, wisdom, humility, fear of God, etc – and then, for some strange reason, God allows Job to be tested by Satan and, voila, I’m intrigued. Not only do the scenes in heaven appeal to my closet sci-fi passion, but I especially love his honesty with God. Job is clearly not feeling too happy-go-lucky and peachy, and he tells that to God.
I keep my journal with me almost all the time. I’m terrible about recording the events of my day – those journal entries always bore me anyhow when I go back to re-read them – rather, my journal serves more as a functioning, ongoing conversation directed toward God. Frequently, when I pray, I get distracted by other things. But journaling my prayers seem to keep me focused.
I pray for my friends and family, I pray over situations in my life and things that evoke strong emotions, and I converse with God about what I read – in books and in His Word. As I come across passages in the Bible that impact me in some way, I’ll write the reference down and then tell God what it is that is impacting.
When I read Job, I frequently journal responses. This read through, it’s his honesty, bluntness, and sarcasm that is catching my attention.
Sometimes I think I try to impress God. That’s silly. He already knows exactly what I think, how I feel, and all the hidden motives and ideas and thoughts in my heart. I’ve been a little shocked that Job would be so affrontive in his complaints about his life, but then I realized that it only makes sense for him to be so transparent before God. God knew how he was feeling! God knew he wasn’t happy and was questioning why he was going through what he was going through! It doesn’t change the fact that God is holy and sovereign and can do whatever pleases Him, but it does remind me that God has invited me into a relationship with Him.
I’ve been going through a bit of an introspective season in my life, trying to figure out why some of the underlying sins in my life are still there – haven’t I dealt with them already?! I also feel as though I’m at a crossroads of sorts and I’m not sure exactly which way to go or which way I even want to go, and it’s frustrating me. As I sort through heart issues and try to be obedient in sacrificing and giving up some of the baggage that I seem to have collected in my heart-closet, I find myself alternating between being thankful to be able to give over these things to a God that I know can handle it, and being mad and angry and hurt that I have to let go of some stuff I think is valuable and precious.
Reading Job has inspired me to be honest with my God about where I’m at. You’d think I would have learned by now that nothing is hidden from the all-seeing eyes of God, but I guess I’m just a little slow sometimes.
I long to have a real relationship with God. I think honesty is essential to that. Are you honest?
Job 29-31
The book of Job has long been one of my favorites. The telling of the story of a man who seems to have everything in his life right – possessions, wisdom, humility, fear of God, etc – and then, for some strange reason, God allows Job to be tested by Satan and, voila, I’m intrigued. Not only do the scenes in heaven appeal to my closet sci-fi passion, but I especially love his honesty with God. Job is clearly not feeling too happy-go-lucky and peachy, and he tells that to God.
I keep my journal with me almost all the time. I’m terrible about recording the events of my day – those journal entries always bore me anyhow when I go back to re-read them – rather, my journal serves more as a functioning, ongoing conversation directed toward God. Frequently, when I pray, I get distracted by other things. But journaling my prayers seem to keep me focused.
I pray for my friends and family, I pray over situations in my life and things that evoke strong emotions, and I converse with God about what I read – in books and in His Word. As I come across passages in the Bible that impact me in some way, I’ll write the reference down and then tell God what it is that is impacting.
When I read Job, I frequently journal responses. This read through, it’s his honesty, bluntness, and sarcasm that is catching my attention.
Sometimes I think I try to impress God. That’s silly. He already knows exactly what I think, how I feel, and all the hidden motives and ideas and thoughts in my heart. I’ve been a little shocked that Job would be so affrontive in his complaints about his life, but then I realized that it only makes sense for him to be so transparent before God. God knew how he was feeling! God knew he wasn’t happy and was questioning why he was going through what he was going through! It doesn’t change the fact that God is holy and sovereign and can do whatever pleases Him, but it does remind me that God has invited me into a relationship with Him.
I’ve been going through a bit of an introspective season in my life, trying to figure out why some of the underlying sins in my life are still there – haven’t I dealt with them already?! I also feel as though I’m at a crossroads of sorts and I’m not sure exactly which way to go or which way I even want to go, and it’s frustrating me. As I sort through heart issues and try to be obedient in sacrificing and giving up some of the baggage that I seem to have collected in my heart-closet, I find myself alternating between being thankful to be able to give over these things to a God that I know can handle it, and being mad and angry and hurt that I have to let go of some stuff I think is valuable and precious.
Reading Job has inspired me to be honest with my God about where I’m at. You’d think I would have learned by now that nothing is hidden from the all-seeing eyes of God, but I guess I’m just a little slow sometimes.
I long to have a real relationship with God. I think honesty is essential to that. Are you honest?
007: A Rescue
February 22, 2010
Psalm 70
I spent my whole afternoon today being rescued. I hate having car problems – there is nothing that makes me feel more helpless and childish than when my car breaks down. I drive a junky Geo Metro for economical reasons, but I’m realizing that not having a dependable car can be downright annoying.
While I was borrowing yet another car today to meet my obligations and responsibilities, I was thinking about how I hate to be rescued (yes, I know, it’s my pride. I prefer to be able to take care of myself), but how much God enjoys doing it for us.
Again and again in the Bible God steps forward and rescues His people at the last minute to bring glory to His name. Usually it looks like the last minute has already expired. When the Israelites were standing on the shores of the Red Sea with the Egyptian army behind them, that was probably past the time when they thought, “Maybe God will come through for us.” When the Israelite army heard Goliath come out and taunt them day after day, I’m sure they were thinking, “Man, we’re in deep trouble now.”
But God doesn’t just leave them. He never leaves them – even when it seems like He has during the 70 years of exile and the hundreds of years of silence between the Old and New Testament. God is a God of endurance, patience, mercy, grace, forgiveness, and relentless, passionate love.
I hate being rescued, but I do want my life to bring glory to God. I hate being rescued because my pride must acknowledge that I am not capable of doing all that I’d like to think I can do. I hate being rescued because it means I must be dependant on other people and be vulnerable to being rejected by them. When I called up my friend Chris today to come help me get my dead car battery into a shop where I could charge it and get it tested, he could have easily said no. And because he’s my friend, I know that his “no” wouldn’t have actually been a rejection, but it still runs the risk of hitting a bit of a bruised spot: if someone rejects helping me, I can’t help but wonder, “Maybe what I don’t want to believe about myself really is true. Maybe I really am not valuable enough to be helped.”
What foolishness! What lies can permeate into my mind and trickle down to my heart. Of course I’m valuable enough to be rescued! Not because I deserve it, but because God says I am. God set my value and price when He Himself came to die for me.
And once again, God performed a dramatic rescue. I was dead in my sins. Jesus was dead in the tomb. All looked like it was the end of hope. But it wasn’t. God performed His greatest rescue feat of all time.
Why can I not see these minor rescues from car problems as a blessed reminder of how I have been rescued and redeemed by my God? Why does my pride have to get in the way and I have to be frustrated by the opportunity to embrace my own humility?
Psalm 70
I spent my whole afternoon today being rescued. I hate having car problems – there is nothing that makes me feel more helpless and childish than when my car breaks down. I drive a junky Geo Metro for economical reasons, but I’m realizing that not having a dependable car can be downright annoying.
While I was borrowing yet another car today to meet my obligations and responsibilities, I was thinking about how I hate to be rescued (yes, I know, it’s my pride. I prefer to be able to take care of myself), but how much God enjoys doing it for us.
Again and again in the Bible God steps forward and rescues His people at the last minute to bring glory to His name. Usually it looks like the last minute has already expired. When the Israelites were standing on the shores of the Red Sea with the Egyptian army behind them, that was probably past the time when they thought, “Maybe God will come through for us.” When the Israelite army heard Goliath come out and taunt them day after day, I’m sure they were thinking, “Man, we’re in deep trouble now.”
But God doesn’t just leave them. He never leaves them – even when it seems like He has during the 70 years of exile and the hundreds of years of silence between the Old and New Testament. God is a God of endurance, patience, mercy, grace, forgiveness, and relentless, passionate love.
I hate being rescued, but I do want my life to bring glory to God. I hate being rescued because my pride must acknowledge that I am not capable of doing all that I’d like to think I can do. I hate being rescued because it means I must be dependant on other people and be vulnerable to being rejected by them. When I called up my friend Chris today to come help me get my dead car battery into a shop where I could charge it and get it tested, he could have easily said no. And because he’s my friend, I know that his “no” wouldn’t have actually been a rejection, but it still runs the risk of hitting a bit of a bruised spot: if someone rejects helping me, I can’t help but wonder, “Maybe what I don’t want to believe about myself really is true. Maybe I really am not valuable enough to be helped.”
What foolishness! What lies can permeate into my mind and trickle down to my heart. Of course I’m valuable enough to be rescued! Not because I deserve it, but because God says I am. God set my value and price when He Himself came to die for me.
And once again, God performed a dramatic rescue. I was dead in my sins. Jesus was dead in the tomb. All looked like it was the end of hope. But it wasn’t. God performed His greatest rescue feat of all time.
Why can I not see these minor rescues from car problems as a blessed reminder of how I have been rescued and redeemed by my God? Why does my pride have to get in the way and I have to be frustrated by the opportunity to embrace my own humility?
Sunday, February 21, 2010
006: Passion
February 21, 2010
Ephesians 3:12-4:32
“That which is of most importance is a long pursuit in the same direction.” – Neizche
My African Dad and Mentor wrote that quote on my “visitor poster” in a little above-the-garage apartment I had for six months. One of the things I admire about my African Dad is his steely-eyed gaze and fixed passion on Jesus.
I was just listening to a sermon about passion. The pastor was saying that one of the hardest things for humans to do is maintain an intense passion for one thing over a long period of time.
I see this to be true in my life. I’m a passionate individual, but I’m a shallow one. I dabble in a variety of things, getting excited about it, but never really going anywhere with them. Soccer, Hip-Hop dance, Ballroom dancing, Song Writing, etc. There are a few things that have sustained interest and pursuit in my life over the long haul, though: people, healthy living, writing, and… Jesus.
Although I prayed to be saved from my sins as a young girl – 3 or 4, probably – I do not count my faith as my own until I was about 13. Through a variety of circumstances and minor emotional incidents, I realized that if I didn’t have my own relationship with God, I didn’t know what my reason for living was. It’s been a developmental process, with some times being more productive and progressive than others, but I can look back on the last nine year of my life and say with confidence that God has been a priority in my life.
But what this sermon was challenging me to think about is whether or not God has been THE priority in my life. Has Jesus been THE passion of my life?
Humbly, I must admit he has not.
There have been seasons where he has been – I’d say the last several years His ranking on the priority list of my life has regularly been in the top three – but that’s not good enough.
That’s not good enough because Jesus didn’t rank me at number three. Ever. He didn’t think, “Oh, well, I should probably die for Dani’s sins – she definitely needs me to – but I’m having too much fun painting these sunsets over here in the Orion constellation, and I just created this new game of throwing moons into a black hole. Maybe later I can get to Dani.”
Absolutely not. He was and is and will always be passionate for me, because he’s passionate about his church – his bride – and I’m a part of that.
I don’t really care if I’m not steadily passionate about hobbies or careers in life, although I’ll admit bouncing around can form a pattern that is detrimental. But I do want to be passionate, for the long haul, about Jesus. How do I make that happen?
Ephesians 3:12-4:32
“That which is of most importance is a long pursuit in the same direction.” – Neizche
My African Dad and Mentor wrote that quote on my “visitor poster” in a little above-the-garage apartment I had for six months. One of the things I admire about my African Dad is his steely-eyed gaze and fixed passion on Jesus.
I was just listening to a sermon about passion. The pastor was saying that one of the hardest things for humans to do is maintain an intense passion for one thing over a long period of time.
I see this to be true in my life. I’m a passionate individual, but I’m a shallow one. I dabble in a variety of things, getting excited about it, but never really going anywhere with them. Soccer, Hip-Hop dance, Ballroom dancing, Song Writing, etc. There are a few things that have sustained interest and pursuit in my life over the long haul, though: people, healthy living, writing, and… Jesus.
Although I prayed to be saved from my sins as a young girl – 3 or 4, probably – I do not count my faith as my own until I was about 13. Through a variety of circumstances and minor emotional incidents, I realized that if I didn’t have my own relationship with God, I didn’t know what my reason for living was. It’s been a developmental process, with some times being more productive and progressive than others, but I can look back on the last nine year of my life and say with confidence that God has been a priority in my life.
But what this sermon was challenging me to think about is whether or not God has been THE priority in my life. Has Jesus been THE passion of my life?
Humbly, I must admit he has not.
There have been seasons where he has been – I’d say the last several years His ranking on the priority list of my life has regularly been in the top three – but that’s not good enough.
That’s not good enough because Jesus didn’t rank me at number three. Ever. He didn’t think, “Oh, well, I should probably die for Dani’s sins – she definitely needs me to – but I’m having too much fun painting these sunsets over here in the Orion constellation, and I just created this new game of throwing moons into a black hole. Maybe later I can get to Dani.”
Absolutely not. He was and is and will always be passionate for me, because he’s passionate about his church – his bride – and I’m a part of that.
I don’t really care if I’m not steadily passionate about hobbies or careers in life, although I’ll admit bouncing around can form a pattern that is detrimental. But I do want to be passionate, for the long haul, about Jesus. How do I make that happen?
Saturday, February 20, 2010
005: Without Words
February 20, 2010
Job 2:13, Lamentations 3:26
Silence.
It reminds me of staring at a blank white screen on my computer with a blinking curser. I usually think of silence as being empty, expectant, lonely, and sometimes awkward.
Why?
I was talking to a student yesterday morning. He was already in class when I came in at 7:35AM. He mentioned that he loves to arrive early before the 8AM start time so he can sit in the quiet. “It’s so silent,” he said, “It’s the most peaceful part of my day.”
He’s referring to the fact that there are no words around him, because there is noise. There’s the noise of a solitary pair of high heels clicking down the hall, and there’s the noise of the occasional door opening or shutting in the building. There’s even an annoying humming/buzzing sound from the air ventilation, but there aren’t people’s voices.
I like silence. I agree with him, it’s very peaceful to be surrounded by a lack of words. When I wrote papers or read through my three-foot tall stack of English Literature each semester in college, I had to find quiet places to study. I can’t focus on words on a page if there are understandable words in the air around me.
My friend Jordan told me last Fall that I might be served well by sitting in silence. He had heard me talk and rattle on as I verbally processed thoughts and analyses and asked questions and then answered them myself. “Dani, just stop,” he said, “You run around and around in your head, but maybe you need to just be still. Be silent. Pray your prayers in writing in a journal – a BIG journal – and then sit quietly and listen.” Perhaps Jordi’s words got sucked into my whirrling brain because my best friend Bri had said almost the same thing just a few days prior, “Dani, can you please stop? Just stop. Stop trying to figure all this out and just let some of it be.”
I’m a fixer. When there is an idea or a thought that doesn’t seem to be complete, I want to fix that. I want to solve it. Which is OK, but God’s the Master fixer. I need to make sure my fixing-propensities are being directed by Him.
I’ve been reading in Job for a couple mornings now, and I’m not sure I even begin to grasp all of it. But I love looking for little details in the Bible. Job’s three friends were kind of jerks, but they did get a couple things right. They came to Job – an effort to comfort him in his pain – and they sat down in silence with him for a week (then they said stupid things, but that came later...).
A week! How many of us can be silent – either with someone or by ourselves - for a day? For an hour? For a few minutes? But silence can be comforting and healing. Even when it’s agonizing.
Maybe I should work more on being quiet… on being silent… on being still.
Job 2:13, Lamentations 3:26
Silence.
It reminds me of staring at a blank white screen on my computer with a blinking curser. I usually think of silence as being empty, expectant, lonely, and sometimes awkward.
Why?
I was talking to a student yesterday morning. He was already in class when I came in at 7:35AM. He mentioned that he loves to arrive early before the 8AM start time so he can sit in the quiet. “It’s so silent,” he said, “It’s the most peaceful part of my day.”
He’s referring to the fact that there are no words around him, because there is noise. There’s the noise of a solitary pair of high heels clicking down the hall, and there’s the noise of the occasional door opening or shutting in the building. There’s even an annoying humming/buzzing sound from the air ventilation, but there aren’t people’s voices.
I like silence. I agree with him, it’s very peaceful to be surrounded by a lack of words. When I wrote papers or read through my three-foot tall stack of English Literature each semester in college, I had to find quiet places to study. I can’t focus on words on a page if there are understandable words in the air around me.
My friend Jordan told me last Fall that I might be served well by sitting in silence. He had heard me talk and rattle on as I verbally processed thoughts and analyses and asked questions and then answered them myself. “Dani, just stop,” he said, “You run around and around in your head, but maybe you need to just be still. Be silent. Pray your prayers in writing in a journal – a BIG journal – and then sit quietly and listen.” Perhaps Jordi’s words got sucked into my whirrling brain because my best friend Bri had said almost the same thing just a few days prior, “Dani, can you please stop? Just stop. Stop trying to figure all this out and just let some of it be.”
I’m a fixer. When there is an idea or a thought that doesn’t seem to be complete, I want to fix that. I want to solve it. Which is OK, but God’s the Master fixer. I need to make sure my fixing-propensities are being directed by Him.
I’ve been reading in Job for a couple mornings now, and I’m not sure I even begin to grasp all of it. But I love looking for little details in the Bible. Job’s three friends were kind of jerks, but they did get a couple things right. They came to Job – an effort to comfort him in his pain – and they sat down in silence with him for a week (then they said stupid things, but that came later...).
A week! How many of us can be silent – either with someone or by ourselves - for a day? For an hour? For a few minutes? But silence can be comforting and healing. Even when it’s agonizing.
Maybe I should work more on being quiet… on being silent… on being still.
004: Idealism
February 19, 2010
Mark 12:28-34
I love coffee shops. It’s a blessing to me that I live in the Pacific Northwest because coffee shops are plentiful. I have a long list of favorites, each for unique reasons, but they all share what I call the “coffee shop mentality”. The most evident thing about “coffee shop mentality” is how coffee shops are nurturing places for artistry and brilliance.
Coffee shops invite people to think big thoughts.
I’m an idealist. I’ve had many friends point that out to me, usually with a shake of their head. I’ve been reading “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” ever since it came up three times in three different conversations over three weeks – three is one of my favorite number, so it seemed like good enough of a reason to pull it off my shelf and dust off my intentions. In the section I was just reading, Robert Pirsig, the brilliant author (and I say brilliant because I think I’m a little blinded by some of his ideas, but the ones I do understand I think are quite novel and revolutionary… or at least worded to sound such) was discussing Quality and what that is exactly. He delved into the realm of understanding Quality while teaching at a University in Bozeman.
Tonight I was also watching Freedom Writers, the inspiring – albeit romantically portrayed and somewhat unrealistic – story of the influence an English teacher has on an integrated public school in Southern California. The movie impacted me profoundly on two occasions:
The first was when Gruwell sat at the table with her husband and acknowledged that he was right, she was in love with the idea of him and who he could be, not actually with him as himself. She said, “But it was such a great idea.”
The second time was when Gruwell’s father told her she’d been given “the blessing of the burden” of responsibility toward her classroom. He told her that how she had handled it meant he could “look at [her] and be impressed.”
Pirsig, Gruwell, and coffee shops have made me ponder ideas – big ideas – and how we interact and work with their presence in our lives. There is a peculiar balance we must attain. Gruwell had great ideas, and ran with them, and it brought tremendous success and failure together. Pirsig did the same. Coffee shops are the womb of idea babies. How will I live in light of my ideas? How will I live in light of my ideals?
I’m thankful that I have “the blessing of the burden” of being an idealist. I want to use who I am and how I’ve been made in a way that, when I see my Creator and Father face to face someday, He can look into my eyes and say, “I look at you and I am impressed by you. I am proud of you. Well done, my good, faithful, and beloved daughter.”
And that challenges me to think, am I living in a way that will bring that response today?
Mark 12:28-34
I love coffee shops. It’s a blessing to me that I live in the Pacific Northwest because coffee shops are plentiful. I have a long list of favorites, each for unique reasons, but they all share what I call the “coffee shop mentality”. The most evident thing about “coffee shop mentality” is how coffee shops are nurturing places for artistry and brilliance.
Coffee shops invite people to think big thoughts.
I’m an idealist. I’ve had many friends point that out to me, usually with a shake of their head. I’ve been reading “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” ever since it came up three times in three different conversations over three weeks – three is one of my favorite number, so it seemed like good enough of a reason to pull it off my shelf and dust off my intentions. In the section I was just reading, Robert Pirsig, the brilliant author (and I say brilliant because I think I’m a little blinded by some of his ideas, but the ones I do understand I think are quite novel and revolutionary… or at least worded to sound such) was discussing Quality and what that is exactly. He delved into the realm of understanding Quality while teaching at a University in Bozeman.
Tonight I was also watching Freedom Writers, the inspiring – albeit romantically portrayed and somewhat unrealistic – story of the influence an English teacher has on an integrated public school in Southern California. The movie impacted me profoundly on two occasions:
The first was when Gruwell sat at the table with her husband and acknowledged that he was right, she was in love with the idea of him and who he could be, not actually with him as himself. She said, “But it was such a great idea.”
The second time was when Gruwell’s father told her she’d been given “the blessing of the burden” of responsibility toward her classroom. He told her that how she had handled it meant he could “look at [her] and be impressed.”
Pirsig, Gruwell, and coffee shops have made me ponder ideas – big ideas – and how we interact and work with their presence in our lives. There is a peculiar balance we must attain. Gruwell had great ideas, and ran with them, and it brought tremendous success and failure together. Pirsig did the same. Coffee shops are the womb of idea babies. How will I live in light of my ideas? How will I live in light of my ideals?
I’m thankful that I have “the blessing of the burden” of being an idealist. I want to use who I am and how I’ve been made in a way that, when I see my Creator and Father face to face someday, He can look into my eyes and say, “I look at you and I am impressed by you. I am proud of you. Well done, my good, faithful, and beloved daughter.”
And that challenges me to think, am I living in a way that will bring that response today?
003: Attitudes
February 18, 2010
Philippians 2:1-18
Sometimes it is not easy for me to “have the same attitude” as Jesus. In fact, a lot of the time it is not easy for me to act and imitate Him.
I teach GED classes for the local community college and some of my students are a bit rough around the edges. One of my new students is particularly challenging me. He is one of those smooth-talking hot-shots that just irritates me. I’ve never liked guys who act like they have it all together – that goes for my students, I guess!
Today one of my other students came and complained to me about Smooth-talker’s behavior in the classroom (trust me, I wish I could go to the authority figure and complain too!), and stated she was offended by his crude behavior and comments.
In hearing what she had to say, I was feeling extremely frustrated. I am sick of dealing with this student’s flirty attitude toward me, but when flirtation turns to vulgarity when I’m not in the room, I find myself disgusted. And I find myself angry.
I was angry at my student while I was driving away from class today. Literally, I sat at a red light fuming and rehearsing in my head everything I would like to say to him.
And then, while I was waiting and waiting at an agonizingly slow light, it was like the light bulb switched in my brain. I felt offended and upset that I was being devalued, that a student was making crude comments about my body, that I was being treated like a collection of sex parts walking around in public. And, although Jesus wasn’t necessarily facing the same gender issues I was facing today, He has experienced life in my shoes.
He was mistreated, misjudged, abandoned, rejected, insulted, humiliated, abused, and used.
Just about the time I was getting my attitude in gear and realizing that my reason for justified anger were nothing in comparison to God’s own reason for justified anger over the treatment directed at Him, the second lightbulb went off and I realized that just as Jesus could relate to me and how I was feeling, I have been the one standing in my student’s shoes, mistreating Jesus.
When the tables were turned, my vision of the situation was a lot clearer.
I was humbled. I was sorrowful. Somehow my hate wasn’t so much hate for my student and how I was treated – how women all over the globe are treated – but rather it was hate for sin in general. And a deep, deep gratitude for how God loves me and how Jesus humbled himself to die for me while I was still sinning.
I serve and love a great God. I am thankful for how He uses situations in my life all the time to reveal Himself and His ways and His character to me. How has He been showing Himself to you lately?
Philippians 2:1-18
Sometimes it is not easy for me to “have the same attitude” as Jesus. In fact, a lot of the time it is not easy for me to act and imitate Him.
I teach GED classes for the local community college and some of my students are a bit rough around the edges. One of my new students is particularly challenging me. He is one of those smooth-talking hot-shots that just irritates me. I’ve never liked guys who act like they have it all together – that goes for my students, I guess!
Today one of my other students came and complained to me about Smooth-talker’s behavior in the classroom (trust me, I wish I could go to the authority figure and complain too!), and stated she was offended by his crude behavior and comments.
In hearing what she had to say, I was feeling extremely frustrated. I am sick of dealing with this student’s flirty attitude toward me, but when flirtation turns to vulgarity when I’m not in the room, I find myself disgusted. And I find myself angry.
I was angry at my student while I was driving away from class today. Literally, I sat at a red light fuming and rehearsing in my head everything I would like to say to him.
And then, while I was waiting and waiting at an agonizingly slow light, it was like the light bulb switched in my brain. I felt offended and upset that I was being devalued, that a student was making crude comments about my body, that I was being treated like a collection of sex parts walking around in public. And, although Jesus wasn’t necessarily facing the same gender issues I was facing today, He has experienced life in my shoes.
He was mistreated, misjudged, abandoned, rejected, insulted, humiliated, abused, and used.
Just about the time I was getting my attitude in gear and realizing that my reason for justified anger were nothing in comparison to God’s own reason for justified anger over the treatment directed at Him, the second lightbulb went off and I realized that just as Jesus could relate to me and how I was feeling, I have been the one standing in my student’s shoes, mistreating Jesus.
When the tables were turned, my vision of the situation was a lot clearer.
I was humbled. I was sorrowful. Somehow my hate wasn’t so much hate for my student and how I was treated – how women all over the globe are treated – but rather it was hate for sin in general. And a deep, deep gratitude for how God loves me and how Jesus humbled himself to die for me while I was still sinning.
I serve and love a great God. I am thankful for how He uses situations in my life all the time to reveal Himself and His ways and His character to me. How has He been showing Himself to you lately?
002: Doing Good
February 17, 2010
Galations 5:16-6:10
Today, at my afternoon class, one of my students came into the class with 20 new pencils and at least that many erasers caps. She said to me, “Here, Dani, I brought some new pencils.” I was overjoyed.
Last week – or maybe it was the week before – I went around and around with one of my students because he did not want to use a pencil to do his work. And if he did have to use a pencil, he wanted it to be sharp, with an eraser. We don’t have a lot of sharp pencils with erasers in my classroom. I should have just gone and bought a couple packages myself, but my memory is terrible about little details like that, so I kept forgetting.
Barb did not forget.
Barb always brings her own pencils with erasers – she’s very responsible – but she knows that not everyone does. I’m not sure if she was just tired of my trying to coax the other students into using the pencils that we had, or if she just randomly thought to herself, “Oh, we need pencils in the classroom – I’ll get some!” but regardless, she remembered when I forgot.
Her contribution to the class made me think of the list of Holy Spirit developed attributes that believers should exhibit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Specifically, Paul states after this list that, “there is no law against these things!” He goes on to say, “Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone – especially to those in the family of faith.”
Barb’s generous gift – her “doing good” for the sake of the classroom – was a convicting challenge to me in the best way possible. What am I doing that is “good”? What am I doing that is above and beyond my duty and responsibility and, essentially, what I’m getting paid for? Anything? Perhaps more importantly, when do I have the opportunity to do good and I don’t jump at it? Why don’t I?
The pencils are sharpened and sitting in the basket in our room for whichever of the students needs them. Barb herself might use them at some point, or she might just continue to bring her own pencils and let the other students utilize the ones she supplied. I don’t think it really matters. She did something she didn’t have to do, but did anyhow for the sake of her classmates.
I want to be someone that does good things.
Galations 5:16-6:10
Today, at my afternoon class, one of my students came into the class with 20 new pencils and at least that many erasers caps. She said to me, “Here, Dani, I brought some new pencils.” I was overjoyed.
Last week – or maybe it was the week before – I went around and around with one of my students because he did not want to use a pencil to do his work. And if he did have to use a pencil, he wanted it to be sharp, with an eraser. We don’t have a lot of sharp pencils with erasers in my classroom. I should have just gone and bought a couple packages myself, but my memory is terrible about little details like that, so I kept forgetting.
Barb did not forget.
Barb always brings her own pencils with erasers – she’s very responsible – but she knows that not everyone does. I’m not sure if she was just tired of my trying to coax the other students into using the pencils that we had, or if she just randomly thought to herself, “Oh, we need pencils in the classroom – I’ll get some!” but regardless, she remembered when I forgot.
Her contribution to the class made me think of the list of Holy Spirit developed attributes that believers should exhibit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Specifically, Paul states after this list that, “there is no law against these things!” He goes on to say, “Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone – especially to those in the family of faith.”
Barb’s generous gift – her “doing good” for the sake of the classroom – was a convicting challenge to me in the best way possible. What am I doing that is “good”? What am I doing that is above and beyond my duty and responsibility and, essentially, what I’m getting paid for? Anything? Perhaps more importantly, when do I have the opportunity to do good and I don’t jump at it? Why don’t I?
The pencils are sharpened and sitting in the basket in our room for whichever of the students needs them. Barb herself might use them at some point, or she might just continue to bring her own pencils and let the other students utilize the ones she supplied. I don’t think it really matters. She did something she didn’t have to do, but did anyhow for the sake of her classmates.
I want to be someone that does good things.
001: The One-Year Challenge
February 16, 2010
Psalm 1
There is absolutely nothing remarkable about today. Which means, of course, that it’s absolutely remarkable in it’s everyday-ness.
Nobody seems to remember February 16th as something special (unless today is your birthday – in which case, happy birthday!). February 14th we have hammered into our heads as the day to celebrate Love. But what is February 16th? Just the calendar date two days after the Love day.
That’s why I like it, though. That’s why today is the day I’ve chosen to start an undertaking I’ve been toying with since I saw the movie Julie and Julia a couple months ago. I’m challenging myself to blog for a year, with the specific purpose of blogging a spiritual trail. The reason I’m challenging myself to this task is tri-fold:
1 – I love a good challenge, specifically a challenge against myself. That’s why I want to run a marathon. That’s why I want to complete my Master’s degree. That’s why I have my list of 101 things to do before I die. The type A side of my personality likes to be striving toward something.
2 – I want to be in God’s Word every day, and I want to set up a system that helps me stay accountable. I want to be a woman of God – someone that acts as His ambassador here on earth through my conduct and actions. I believe I can’t do that if I’m not immersing myself in His teachings. I want this to be a daily practice. By publishing a blog, any readers who look through my blog entries (if there ever are any readers) will be helping me stay on target, simply because I’ll know they can see.
3 – I enjoy writing. I do not know exactly what I want to do “for the rest of my life,” but I do know I love writing and reading. Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers, points out that people who are excellent in their craft are people who put hours and hours of time into it. If I want to write and be good at it someday, I figure I should probably be practicing as much as possible.
Today may have nothing remarkable about it on the calendar, but it’s incredibly remarkable to me. There is sunshine coming in my window and landing on the couch where I was just reading. It is a Teacher in-service day, which means I’m enjoying a day off. It is a day in February, which means we’ve made it through December and January and we’re moving into Spring. I think, overall, it’s a good day for an ordinary person to take on a challenge.
What do you want to accomplish in the next year? How are you going to get there? What can you challenge yourself with to make progress? Are you – am I – prioritizing the things I want to prioritize? Are the things we want to prioritize the things we should be prioritizing?
Psalm 1
There is absolutely nothing remarkable about today. Which means, of course, that it’s absolutely remarkable in it’s everyday-ness.
Nobody seems to remember February 16th as something special (unless today is your birthday – in which case, happy birthday!). February 14th we have hammered into our heads as the day to celebrate Love. But what is February 16th? Just the calendar date two days after the Love day.
That’s why I like it, though. That’s why today is the day I’ve chosen to start an undertaking I’ve been toying with since I saw the movie Julie and Julia a couple months ago. I’m challenging myself to blog for a year, with the specific purpose of blogging a spiritual trail. The reason I’m challenging myself to this task is tri-fold:
1 – I love a good challenge, specifically a challenge against myself. That’s why I want to run a marathon. That’s why I want to complete my Master’s degree. That’s why I have my list of 101 things to do before I die. The type A side of my personality likes to be striving toward something.
2 – I want to be in God’s Word every day, and I want to set up a system that helps me stay accountable. I want to be a woman of God – someone that acts as His ambassador here on earth through my conduct and actions. I believe I can’t do that if I’m not immersing myself in His teachings. I want this to be a daily practice. By publishing a blog, any readers who look through my blog entries (if there ever are any readers) will be helping me stay on target, simply because I’ll know they can see.
3 – I enjoy writing. I do not know exactly what I want to do “for the rest of my life,” but I do know I love writing and reading. Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers, points out that people who are excellent in their craft are people who put hours and hours of time into it. If I want to write and be good at it someday, I figure I should probably be practicing as much as possible.
Today may have nothing remarkable about it on the calendar, but it’s incredibly remarkable to me. There is sunshine coming in my window and landing on the couch where I was just reading. It is a Teacher in-service day, which means I’m enjoying a day off. It is a day in February, which means we’ve made it through December and January and we’re moving into Spring. I think, overall, it’s a good day for an ordinary person to take on a challenge.
What do you want to accomplish in the next year? How are you going to get there? What can you challenge yourself with to make progress? Are you – am I – prioritizing the things I want to prioritize? Are the things we want to prioritize the things we should be prioritizing?
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