The Transforming Word of God

 Have you ever thought about the mentality of a slave? I mean, slaves were people just like we are. They had personalities, complete with dreams and hopes. Yet they lived in constant subjection to others—and not by choice! I remember thinking a lot about slavery when I was younger. Admittedly, my motivation was because I felt like a slave to my family—and resented it! My children were small and demanding and my husband wasn't home much. Cleaning. Laundry. Ironing. Cleaning. Grocery shopping. Meals. Cleaning. Diapers. Toilet training. Cleaning. Budgeting. Scrimping. Cleaning. Peacekeeping. Baths. Cleaning. Need I say more? I wondered how slaves did it—day after day, at the beck and call of owners who failed to recognize them as persons, persons who needed rest and refreshment. The difference is that I wouldn't have traded my "slavery" for anything in the world because, in spite of the fact that I might complain, I loved my family more than I hated the drudgery. And

We all have them. Misunderstandings. Foot-in-mouth moments. Overflowing stress. Mama bear syndrome. You name it. Reactions happen. Sometimes mountains are made from molehills. Sometimes we have major issues and confrontations. Regardless, it is so easy to allow our emotions to rule. We had one of those volcanic situations in our family this morning. I'm so often the one caught in the middle, listening to both sides. I had a high school teacher who used to tell me I should be a lawyer because I always defended the underdog. Well, I do that as a mediator, too. But when all is said and done, there is only one Mediator. Thankfully, our situation has been resolved, but it took a little time for emotions to subside enough to be dealt with.  I believe strongly in praying Scripture whenever possible. Since Romans 8 is the chapter I have memorized, I find I use it often. Below is the prayer I prayed, adding the references afterward: (Romans 8:26, 27) Father, we know that we do n

My parents were such complementary personalities: Dad, the strong, verbal, emotional leader; Mom, the gentle, quiet peacemaker. They balanced each other perfectly. Even their attitudes toward faith were different, but compatible. Mom simply believed, without question; if it was biblical, it was true. Dad, however, taught me to question all I wanted to as long as I never questioned the veracity of Scripture. The Bible is the Word of God and, therefore is God's truth. But there are times when we don't fully understand how its teachings work together. Thus he encouraged me to study and understand and become "a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15, ESV). As I reflect on my growing-up years, I realize how much they taught me about the fear of God. I know we often battle with the idea of fear of God while loving Him, while knowing of his never-ending love for us. "There is no fear in love, but perfect love c

Standing at the corner of our house, our hydrangea tree showed off a profusion of blossoms this year. There is something very inviting about the beauty of a garden, something peaceful. I thank God for the beauty He created but often wish I was a better gardener, a better keeper of that beauty. I would love to have one of those designer gardens with paths and benches and arbors and... I have a friend who is a Master Gardener. She has exactly the kinds of gardens I dream of. She and her husband even have a prayer garden with a cozy little spot tucked away where they can go and read God's Word and pray. I wonder if the Garden of Gethsemane was such a place when Jesus retreated there to pray before His crucifixion, if it provided the peaceful atmosphere He longed for as He prepared for and sought strength for the horror ahead of Him. As I ponder His time in prayer with His Heavenly Father, the example He set for us, I cannot help but examine His well-known prayer: Abba, Fat

Recently I had a young woman tell me her marriage relationship had gotten stale and so she and her husband were hoping to get away for a purely fun day. I understand what she meant, although I would be more likely to say marriage becomes a habit—a good habit. We all seem to long for that extra zip, the energy, the passion that was there in the beginning. But life becomes busy and feelings are almost buried beneath all our activity. But we also find that eventually in our familial relationships. We know we love our parents, but our emotions remain fairly steady. And those babies we couldn't stop kissing, the toddlers who bring so much joy we just want to hug them, those children we continue to smother with hugs and kisses even when their heads smell sweaty—they grow to be surly teenagers often shrugging off our attempts at affection. Then they get busy with their own lives. We still love them, but the feelings are no longer I-want-to-run-up-and-hug-them! But there are ways we

Several weeks ago, my brother called me filled with excitement because he had something to give to fill a special need. Being on disability means he has a very limited income and he struggles accepting help from others. So being able to "give back" meant a lot to him. His excitement has stayed with me as I've evaluated my own attitude toward giving. Admittedly, giving is habitual. Paycheck arrives; I write a check for church. Because pay is biweekly, sometimes I forget. When I do, I find myself thinking, "I owe church." In other words, I tend to treat my tithing like a bill. Granted, there are other giving avenues. We support a number of things and I enjoy giving where I know there is a need. Those are gifts above and beyond our tithes. Plus I enjoy making and giving cards to people. But do I have the kind of excitement, that overflowing joy, my brother expressed? The truth is, we won't always feel joyful as we give. Feelings are always fleeting and

One of the things my brother wrote on facebook during his recent despondency was that he felt forsaken by God because things were going so badly for him. My ensuing conversations with him have been the inspiration for my most recent posts. One of the things I appreciate about the Old Testament is the many accounts of very real people—people who sin against God and are restored to fellowship with Him, people who endure hardship and remain faithful to God, people who are swayed by their emotions but resolve to worship God.  Joseph is an example of one of those who endured great hardships, yet remained faithful to God. I cannot help but wonder, however, if there were times when Joseph felt forsaken by God, although never recorded in Scripture. But look at his life! Surely he had every right to question, to complain. Here he was, the favored son of his father, given that famous multi-colored coat that denoted him as the privileged son, the one who did not have to work in the

How would you define "good"? We usually associate that word with enjoyment, comfort, pleasure, purpose. Good things bring joy and happiness. Good tends to center on self—what you call good might not be good in my eyes. Or I might enjoy things and activities that you do not enjoy. When we see others suffering with ill health, loneliness, insufficient finances, etc., we Christians tend to use Romans 8:28 as a one-size-fits-all verse of encouragement: For those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. But the truth is that the discouraged may become more discouraged when things don't seem to be working out for their good, when problems seem to be multiplying rather than decreasing, when everything looks bleak. They begin to wonder, "Don't I love God enough? Does He have no purpose for me? Has God forsaken me?" The problem lies in our definition of "good". We can never take Scripture ou

My brother is experiencing very rough times right now. His health issues put him on disability, which led to financial straits. I sometimes wish I were a multi-millionaire so I could support him completely. However, that wouldn't even be good for him because it would take away his self-respect, something he is struggling with anyway. I try to help him with words of encouragement and occasional gifts to help him through. But he struggles with pity parties—and I totally understand. In our conversation this morning, I reminded him that we are to live by biblical principles, not our emotions. Let's face it, our emotions often skew our perceptions and keep us from honoring God. That said, the Bible is full of godly people who get sidetracked by their emotions.  Elijah is perhaps one of the best examples. He had just demonstrated the power of God in the "competition" with the priests of Baal but fled when Jezebel threatened his life. Fear and loneliness and, yes, self p

I know that title sounds rather absurd. Of course, everyone wants to go to Heaven. After all, it's supposed to be a wonderful place, although the idea is rather nebulous to most. Certainly it is beautiful; of course it's perfect; and surely it's a utopia such as we have never experienced here on earth. But what else is it? Many images have angels playing harps and floating around on clouds. Or some seem to think we become angels after death—remember The Littlest Angel ? Heaven is definitely better than Hell and it is certainly something to be attained, to "strive for." And many actually believe they can reach Heaven on their own, or that because God is a loving God all good people will be there. But all those concepts are figments of the imagination. They are what the average person wants to believe. And they sound totally boring to me. There's an old chorus that goes like this: Heaven is a wonderful place, Filled with glory and grace, I want to s

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech,  and night to night reveals knowledge. Psalm 19: 1,2 Do you, like me, ever find yourself in awe of the beauty of this world? We have the sunrise and the sunset, the twinkling of stars in a vast dark sky. We experience the wonder of changing seasons:   Spring with its glorious new life, that special green as leaves begin to appear, lawns that change from brown to green, trees that blossom, newborn animals, spires from bulbs pushing their way up from the thawing earth, the tug-of-war between winter and summer... Then summer triumphs, bringing warmth and dense foliage, blooming flowers, longer days of work and play, evenings with the sounds of birds and crickets, summer storms and the fresh smell after the rains... As summer wanes, the days grow shorter, the air cools, the leaves exchange their verdant clothes for colorful garments before curling up and fall

One week ago today I attended the funeral of a 57-year-old man whose godliness and integrity affected so many people. He was a man whose life reflected his faith and even those in place where he worked could not refer to him without including his love for God and family. As I sat there listening to the many things that were said about him, I was especially impressed by the fact that everyone seemed to know what his life verse was: He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy And to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 Fantastic verse to live by! And all who knew him said he did just that.  As I pondered his verse, I wondered if anyone would know my life verse, if I had ever even identified such. There are so many verses that mean so much to me, but I think I would stake a claim to Paul's prayer for the Philippians that I have made my prayer for so many years - a prayer I prayed for my loved on

    “Lovest thou Me more than these?” Okay, that’s the King James, but that’s the way I originally learned it. Since then I’ve used the NIV and now the ESV Bible translations. But the words that spoke to me, that jumped out at me almost as though they had been spoken in my ear were from my memory of the King James Version.     It’s a very familiar story. Peter had denied Jesus, not once but three times—and that was after he assured Jesus he would never do such a thing. Since then, Jesus had been crucified and raised again and had appeared to many of His followers.     I’m sure you’ve heard as many sermons on this passage (John 21:15-17) as I have. How much did Peter love Jesus? What kind of love did he have for his Savior? The application to ourselves is obvious.     But, as in all lessons, it takes longer for some of us to learn than others. Or it takes viewing them in another way. Or learning them again and again.     “Lovest thou Me more than these?” What are “these”? I’m su