All Choked Up

Welcome back to unseen. Lots of changes, good and bad over the last 2 or 3 weeks. Thanks to those of you who have prayed for my husband during this time. As usual, God has lessons for us during difficult times. Read on to see what I learned from mine.
All Choked Up

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,and who meditates on his law day and night.³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. Psalm 1:1-3

We went visiting this weekend and in the Panhandle, it is a little cooler than it is here. We sat out on the back patio with the dog for a while and talked. My mother-in-law is having some health problems and I asked if there was anything I could do for her outside while it was cool. After some cleaning chores, she said that she really needed the grass out of the flower beds. With the dog supervising, I got down in the soft grass to work on the flower beds. It felt so good, with the cool, damp dirt on my hands. She showed me what she needed. There were long tendrils of grass filling most of the flower bed. It was using up the nutrients and the space that the flowers needed. In some places it was so thick that the sun couldn’t get to the flowers the way they needed. She reminded me to get the roots and identified which plants were desirable and which were weeds. After a while she asked if I was tired and wanted to stop, but by that time this story was churning in my head so I finished the task. The result was a cleaner, healthier flower bed and a story about what God can teach us through the natural world.

First and most obvious is the fact that just as the weeds were using up the energy and resources needed by the plants, there are things that choke out the word and the spirit in our lives. The ones that bother me most frequently are the evil threesome of resentment, guilt and worry. Like the grass, they are all three intertwined and mixed together, feeding off each other in a destructive cycle. Your weeds may be different, such as addictive behaviors and people, or toxic anger. Whatever they are, like my mother-in-law said, you need to get the roots. Positive thinking, will power and punishment/reward programs won’t work. It is a spiritual issue and one that needs to be dealt with. Finally not all the things that end up choking us are bad things. Guilt can be a motivator for change and anxiety a prompt for better planning. It is good to help other people and righteous anger has its place. The problem comes when things get out of balance and when we are not connected to the source of our life.

Passages about plants and nature are all through the scripture. The challenge this week is to narrow them down. The first that comes to mind is Psalms 1.
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,
² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,and who meditates on his law day and night.
³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—    whatever they do prospers
.Jesus teaches us about spiritual growth in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, and specifically talks about the idea of things choking out the word.  In John 15:1-9 he encourages us to abide in him, the vine, so we as branches can bear much fruit. This is such a beautiful picture.

Foundation

Foundation.

It started as a crack in the linoleum about an inch long. Mother put a rug over it so it would show. That was fine for a while, but before long the crack had spread past the borders of the rug on either side. It was wider, too. Rather than looking like a razor blade slit, it was a jagged crack about a half inch wide and a couple of feet long.  Mom got some linoleum and patched it. It looked fine for a while, but after a few weeks the crack reappeared and quickly grew until it was more than 5 feet long and more than two inches wide.  Deciding it was time to call in the big dogs, she called her cousin who owned a flooring and carpet company. She asked him about pouring concrete in the crack to level it up. He explained that the problem was in the foundation and pouring concrete wouldn’t correct the real problem. The foundation would continue to shift and could easily damage the plumbing and electrical conduits for the house. I am not sure what the house levelers that he brought in did, but the problem was corrected before any safety issues could develop.

In our lives we have things that are out of balance. Maybe we have come to Jesus later in life and have beliefs and ideas that are deeply ingrained. Even those of us who were in church the second Sunday of our lives can have gaps in our knowledge and understanding that keep us out of balance such as putting too much dependence on works and not enough on grace. We try to cover up the problem, maybe with our “happy church face”. (“I’m just fine, today, sister! Praise the Lord!” If we don’t address the real issue it will get worse. Then we may try to patch it up, maybe with addictive behaviors or, my personal favorite, Avoidance. Again, with our treatment at the foundation, it will reappear and get worse causing damage to our jobs, or families and our spirits. The good news is that we have a secure foundation and help in Jesus.


Isaiah 33:6 says, "He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.In First Peter 2 we read about being built into a spiritual house as living stones, and Jesus is the chief cornerstone.  Paul describes this in Ephesians 2:19-22.

 ¹⁹ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. ²¹ In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. ²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Jesus explained more fully in Matthew 7:24-27 in the parables of the wise and foolish builders. He said that the man who hears his words and puts them into practice will be like a house that is built on a rock, not shifting sand.
Let's be diligent to make Jesus the foundation for our families and our lives. Feed on the word to build your relationship with him and trust in him for your security.

Valuable

Valuable


1 Peter 1:18
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors

At our house we watch a lot of “Pawn Stars”. If you are not familiar with the show, it is a reality show where people bring things into a pawn shop in Las Vegas, trying to make a deal. The things that I have seen brought in range from dinosaur doodoo to expensive cars and boats, with prices ranging from $5 to several thousand dollars. According to what we have gleaned, there are several factors that affect the value of an object. Things that are rare are more valuable. If on item is made from valuable materials or has fine craftsmanship, its value increases. The value is greatly increased if it can be proven that the piece has been owned or used by someone famous or important. In the end, however, the value is what a buyer is willing to pay.

One of the enemy’s favorite weapons to use on me is to undermine my sense of value. I have discovered that I have a lot of pride in what I do, but feel doubtful about my innate worth as a person. I had a really powerful experience with God Sunday where I was absolutely convinced that my value is based on who I am to God, not what I do. I didn’t do too well today. I lost my temper before I had been out of bed for an hour. Since I am skillful with words, I was able to craft some excellent verbal barbs and passive aggressive taunts.  I was fearful and anxious all morning and didn’t pull it together until after lunch.

If someone had brought me into the pawn shop of life today, based on my actions, I probably would have fetched about as much as dinosaur doodoo. Thankfully that is not what my valuation is based on. I am not just rare. I am one of a kind. I am a miracle of craftsmanship, being "knit together in my mother's womb" by Almighty God (Psalms 139). I have been bought by the blood of the son of God, which means I belong to the most important person in the universe and he was wiling to pay the ultimate price for me.


We are uniquely made and planned by God. He told Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:9, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you and before you were born I set you apart." In Jeremiah 29:11 he says he knows the plans he has for us, plans for welfare and not for calamity. In 1 Corinthians 6:20, He reminds of why we should honor him. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body."


On a final note, when a person pawns something and wants to get it back, he pays the value plus interest. This is known as redeeming the item. One of the names for Jesus is the Redeemer. Please stand with me in walking in redemption and understanding the value that God puts on us as his sones and daughters.

Storms

Welcome back to Unseen. It seemed like a good idea to talk about storms. There are storms like the hurricane this week and storms in our lives. If you are not having a storm right now you are probably either recovering from one or headed into one. Read on for help in the middle of it.


Storm

 The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and they are saved. Proverbs 18:10.

It was the day before thanksgiving in 1992. I woke up to a winter wonderland, which quickly became less wonderful as I got out in it. The roads were an icy nightmare and ice driving has never been one of my best skills. I was driving a Mitsubishi and managed to slide it off the road and get it stuck really well. That was OK because I was prepared. I had just signed up for AAA and called them for a tow. The very friendly operator informed me that there was a 33 car pile-up on I-40 and it would be several hours before they could get to me.  Then I called my mom who was working at another school in town. I was going to ride with her and Dad to Austin for Thanksgiving.  Mom agreed to pick me up and take me the 30 miles from Amarillo to Panhandle. The snow and ice continued through the afternoon and the 30 mile trip took over an hour. We were sure that Dad would decide that it would be best to wait out the worst  of the storm. And leave in the morning. We were wrong, though. Dad wanted turkey and  dressing, pumpkin pie and UT football. In a statement that will live in infamy in our family, he said, “If we make it past Claude,(20) miles away) we’ll be fine.

We took off, with mom driving slowly and carefully. About 10 miles into the trip there was an overpass which Mom successfully navigated. Dad said, “That was good driving, Stella”. Then we crested the top of the hill and saw a semi stalled in the middle of the intersection and several cars sliding. Mom reacted and slid the car into a snow bank past the bumper. Dad tried unsuccessfully to flag down a tow truck and just as unsuccessfully to free the car. After a while he decided that we would walk the ¼ mile to the little 10 room motel and get a room. After the longest ¼ mile I have ever traveled, we walked into the lobby and told the clerk that we needed a room. She laughed and told us they had been full since noon, but we were welcome to wait in the restaurant with the 30 other people who were stranded. We agreed that that would be good because we were hungry. She apologized and said that the cook wouldn’t be in for an hour and a half. So, tired hungry and cold we made  our way into the restaurant. Dad immediately found 2 of his football cronies so he was happy Mom was immediately drawn to one woman , who it turned out was the only other person in the restaurant who was filled with the holy spirit. {I was not well acquainted with the holy spirit at the time, having grown up learning about the father, son, and Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm.) After supper, finally, and more visiting we heard the snow plows and waited for them. We waited and waited and waited. About 9:00 the owner said they were going to have to close. Someone called 9-1-1 and the judge called back and told him that they couldn’t close because there was no place for us to go. He explained that he and his family had been there since 4:00 AM and they needed some sleep. The judge, whose name really is Jay Bob, asked who was in the restaurant. The owner named my dad and his football cronies.  Jay Bob said, “Leave them in charge and go get some sleep.” They left the coffee pot and hot chocolate. We served drinks and honey buns, visited, and tried to get some sleep in a variety of contortions.  About 4:30 dads buddies came in looking bright eyed and bushy tailed. Mom asked what their secret was. They said that they had been sleeping in their car and if we wanted to we could take a turn. We gratefully took our bags, turned on the engine and the heater and caught a comfortable 40 winks. We woke up and leaving our bags in the car, mom locked the car and took the ignition key into Jimmy Don. When we didn’t see him, mom asked around and found out that he had left an hour earlier on the snowplow with Judge jay Bob.

Snow plows came with the sun and one after another our new friends dug out and went on their way. The owner comped our lunch for our help and finally the last snow plow came over the hill. In the passenger’s seat was Judge Jay Bob with the key to the car. We got our bags while they freed the car and were on our way. As we left, I looked back at the sign that said, Panhandle – 11 miles. Then I looked at the clock. It was almost exactly 22 hours since we left. The irony of our adventure was that once we got to Claude, the roads were almost completely clear.

Our lives can look a lot like that trip. The wind howls and the snow blows, and one thing after another hits us. What looks like a safe place to wait out the storm is not available. This may be friends who have been “temporarily disconnected or are no longer in service. It can be strategies that no longer work, such as addictions that have lost the ability to numb the pain. It can be a challenge to be crammed together with others  who are storm bound. There are people in my life right now for whom I would love to flag down a tow truck.  There are also times when it is hard to rest and we are weary, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It can be hard to wait while other people get their answers while you sit and wait for yours. Rejoice with those who rejoice sounds good in a song, but it can be tough to pull off.

 God is with us in all of these situations. He is our one true refuge. (Psalms 46:1.) He is the God who holds us in his right hand.( Psalms 43:1) He urges us to put on our spiritual clothes of compassion, Kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.(Colossians 3:12) and our spiritual armor ( Ephesians 6) in dealing with our fellow travelers. Finally there is Romans 12:12, where we are urged to be rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer. Jesus promised us in John 16:33 that in the world we would have tribulation, but be of good cheer for he has overcome the world.

Let’s be willing to lean on God and his peace and provision in the storm and to be compassionate with our fellow travelers.

What a whirlwind couple of weeks. No pun intended. Congratulations to the newest Faith works grads and other grads. Even when we are all grown up, sometimes we need to be like children. Read on for the why and the how.

Children of God

Behold what manner of love the father has given unto us that we should be called the children of God, and that is what we are. 1 John 3:1

Think about the first time you looked in your child's face. Close your eyes and smell the sweet baby smell and see the puckered red face and waving fists. There is absolutely nothing to compare with the feeling of awe and absolute love.  Knowing that a tiny person is completely dependent on you is amazing and humbling. Fast forward a few years and see the puckered red face and waving fists of that child as a teenager, screaming that you have ruined his life.(No sweet baby smell this time.) Is your love any less at that moment? Now flip the script and think about your mom. Think about her absolute love for you and the hurt in her eyes when you screamed that she had ruined your life. Picture the times sitting with her as an adult, knowing she really didn't ruin your life. I think of the hours spent at sporting events and homework and singing together with my mom at church, and now I have the same memories with my children. I love those deep voices rumbling beside me.  SHAMELESS PLUG COMING UP: My 18 year old had his Eagle Scout Court of Honor 2 weeks ago. I was getting teary eyed before the ceremony even started as person after person told me how much they loved and appreciated him and how proud they were of him. The ceremony was something I will treasure forever, complete with a proclamation from the mayor. Then toward the end of the ceremony he gave us pins, thanked us and told us he loved us. Both of my grown children hugged me in front of 150 people. I should probably buy stock in Kleenex. As a mother you would probably do anything for your children. When my older son was coming out of the very worst of his teenage years (the screaming, red faced, you ruined my life part) we celebrated Christmas late. When I told him I wished I had gotten him more, he said, "Mama, you could have gotten me dirt and I would have been thrilled. I know I have been awful." Later that day, one of my dear friends asked him, "Do you have any idea how much your mom loves you?" He said, "She'd step in front of a train for me, wouldn't she?" My friend answered, "Without thinking for a second!"

I am not going to pretend that all of us had great relationships with our mothers or with our children. I can't speak to dads and kids because it is different than what we experience as mothers. What I am saying is that that kind of love, as strong as it is, is an infinitesimal shadow of they love that God has for us. God's love for us began before we were born. The psalmist says, "you knit me together in my mother's womb. Your eyes beheld my inmost parts. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. "( Ps 139:15) He tells Jeremiah, "before you were born I knew and called you to be a prophet. (Jeremiah 1:9) Like children are dependent on their parents, we are dependent on God. Paul says in his sermon on Mars Hill, "In him we live and move and have our very being." Just as our mothers loved us and we love our children when they are difficult to love, God's love is steadfast (Lamentations 3:23) The entire book of Hosea is a picture of God's love for a stubborn, sinful Israel as Hosea loves his wife Gomer. God takes delight in the time we spend with him, whether it is prayer, meditation or worship. He has plans for us to give us a future and a hope and longs to bless us and make us "the head and not the tail, the first and not the last. (Deuteronomy 28, READ THE WHOLE CHAPTER OUT LOUD). In the Gospels, Jesus asks, Which one of you, if your son asks for a fish would give him a snake, or if he asks for bread, would give him a stone? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to you children, will not God graciously give you all things? Finally, just as we would give our lives for our children, God gave his son for us so that we could be his children.

As so often happens, this is not the plan I had for this story, but I think it is what God wants to tell us as his precious daughters and sons.

Body Work

Sorry, guys. It's not about car repair. It is, however about appreciation for all of you who help hold me up when I am weak. Read on.

Body Work

For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 1 Corinthians 12:13

This last week was a rough one. I was having car trouble and my car pool person was not able to help me one morning. Not wanting to miss work, I set off walking. If I have to walk to work I try to make the most of the time. It is a good chance to pray and many times I will get story ideas during a walk. I got a story idea on this walk, but not the way I expected. I was a little over half way too work when I stepped on an uneven sidewalk and went down hard. A woman in an SUV saw me fall and helped me up. Seeing that I was limping pretty badly, she asked me if I needed any help. I asked if she could help me get the rest of the way to work, about 10 blocks or so. She said no, stating that she was trying to get her dog into the groomers and then she had to get to work. I realized as I was typing this I realized that I need to forgive her. (I hope her dog turned out pretty.) I couldn’t reach anyone on the phone to help so I took off walking, or rather hobbling. The further I walked the more my ankle swelled. It would not bend properly so I started angling my foot to the side when I stepped down. I gritted my teeth and grimaced. I swung my arms to help balance. I think what I was muttering was dang, dang, dang. Then I noticed that the opposite hip was getting sore from the unnatural gait. Apparently I still need to work on looking pitiful because even with all of that going on several people passed me and just waved and smiled. The next trick involved trying to prop me foot on the chair at work and still be able to reach my computer and my phone. This created a cramp in my lower back. Also, through an engineering marvel, all the bathrooms at work are conveniently located the furthest possible distance from anywhere you are.  At home I fell into bed and looked up to see my dog gazing at me with his big brown eyes, wanting to know why I wasn't taking him for his walk.

There are two points to this story. The first is easy. Even in this busy world let's try to notice what's happening and help when we can. The second point is that we are not alone. God has created us to be a body and to work together. Look at how many body parts got involved in trying to deal with my sprained ankle. My foot, my teeth, my face, my tongue, my arms, my hip and my back all adapted to take the load off of my injured body part. Even the swelling is a protective mechanism to protect it from further injury. It is easy to look at our lives and think that what we do only affects us or our family members. It is just not true, though. When we are part of a faith community we are there for each other. My Sunday School class is a perfect example of this. If someone in the group is having trouble, people will step up with a hug, anointing oil, or a Kleenex. They will also show up with cookies, a ride, or furniture and have been known to help move. (That's love!)   A person who is weak and in need one week may be able to fill a need the next week.  I believe this is God's vision for his children.

1 Corinthians 12 discusses the family of believers as a body and the way each part has a different purpose but all work together, showing equal concern for each other.  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts

 Romans 12:15 says "Rejoice with those that rejoice and weep with those that weep." One of my favorite verses is Galatians 6:2-4 which says, Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.

If you are part of a faith community, rejoice. We are not meant to make it alone. Take strength and courage from them and give it to them. If you are not part of a church group, take the risk.

Weapons of our warfare

Welcome to unseen today. Have  you noticed that we are in a battle? I bet you have. I have a helpful hint for you. Don't try to write about spiritual warfare if you don't want to experience some. Apparently the enemy did not want this posted, which probably means you need to read it as much as I needed to write it.  Read on.

Weapons of our Warfare

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.2 Corinthians 10:4

Sticks and stones my break my bones but words can never hurt me.

Don't bring a knife to a gun fight.

A day that will live in infamy.

The mother of all battles.

Each of these phrases brought a picture to your mind. Weapons and war are part of life whether we like it or not, from the days of Genesis until now. As the ability to protect ourselves against weapons improved, so did the weapons. Shields and armor reduced the danger of bow and arrows, so the Chinese invented the hwacha (Fire Cart) which could fire up to 200 flaming arrows at a time. Chain mail and suits of armor fell to gun powder and then to weapons that could fire accurately at longer and longer distances. There are also non-lethal weapons designed to hurt, disable or confuse such as sound wave weapons or EMP weapons that destroy electronics. Perhaps most dangerous are improvised weapons which look like harmless objects. If we did not know that God was in control it would be easy to walk in constant fear. Soldiers protect themselves by using armor such as helmets and bulletproof vests, and also by having safe places that they can go, like foxholes or barricades. They also learn to be wise and cautious, and understanding their enemy.

There is another battle going on at the same time. It is no less dangerous because we cannot see it. Spiritual warfare is real and it is vicious. The enemy of our souls wants to take you out and if he can't take you out he wants to make you ineffective. Just as an attacking army tailors their attack to the enemy's weakness, so do the attackers in spiritual warfare. It would be useless to fire a handgun at an enemy behind a stone wall, but cutting off supplies could weaken them. It would be a waste of the devil's time to tempt me with drugs or alcohol, so he is more likely to torment me with doubts about my abilities, fears that I am unloved and guilt over past mistakes. Temptation to commit adultery would not affect me, but financial struggles can pit my husband and I against each other if we are not careful. The doubt and resentment over whose fault it is can weaken marriage as surely as an affair. Then like fall out from a nuclear explosion, these thoughts can mushroom into criticizing other faults and envy of people who "have it all together". This saps my energy to serve my family, to serve God and to encourage people through my ministry. I am not defenseless, though and neither are you.

Just as soldiers use protective gear, we have spiritual armor, which is described in Ephesians 6:11-20

Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having  the belt of truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Each piece of the armor protects and covers us with truth, faith and peace. We also have a place to run and hide. Psalms and Proverbs are full of descriptions of God as our refuge, such as Psalms 46, as a strong tower (Proverbs 18:10), and a fortress, (Psalms 18:2 and 91:2).  We also must be wise and understand our enemy.  Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:15, therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. Jesus cautions us in John 10 that Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy, and Peter describes him this way. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

Yes we are in a very serious battle, but there is good news. We are not in it alone. God tells Joshua "Be strong and courageous. Do not tremble or be dismayed. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9) Trust your weapons. Trust your armor. Above all, trust your Heavenly Father, who will never leave you.