• Oct. 19, 2009
Spiritual Neutrality?

I lay in bed last night thinking (I was wishing I was sleeping but, alas, sleep took it's time in coming.)  For some reason my mind kept turning to the topic of spiritual neutrality.  It probably came from a mix of the Bible Study I am a part of on Sunday nights and a book I have been reading.  I kept thinking of all the things we tend to think of as spiritually neutral.

As I thought about this topic my mind kept coming back to one constant refrain, "He who is not for me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters."  (Mat. 12:30)  Spiritual neutrality is NOT a biblical concept!  As Christians we know that it is not possible to "ride the fence" spiritually.  You belong to your father and their are only two options: "If God were your father....or....You belong to your father, the devil." (John 8:42...44)  There is no spiritual orphanage that you get to hang out in until the decision is made who your father will be.  You belong to one or the other.

Sometimes we fail, however, to realize that there is nothing in life that is spiritually neutral.  There are so many things in our lives that we think fall into that non-existent, spiritually neutral category.  And those are precisely the areas that Satan gains entry into our lives.  From the way we spend our leisure time, to our time spent on the job, to education.  We can be tempted to see these areas as a-spiritual, as if God is not concerened with them.  But we must remember that there is no area of our lives where God is not concerned.

When we spend our leisure time watching a movie God is either glorified or mocked.  The content either causes us to think of things that are "true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy" (Phil. 4:8) or it causes us to think the opposite of those things.  That doesn't mean that every movie we watch must have a message of salvation in it.  There are many movies that may seem "spiritually neutral" because they don't have a blatant spiritual message.  But stories and themes in movies cause us to either be lifted up to the true, noble, right, pure, etc. or they cause us to be dragged down.  They do not leave us unchanged.

When we are at our job or at home cleaning the house we can bring God glory or bring him shame.  We may be convinced that if we are not a pastor or a missionary that God is unconcerned with how we do our daily work as long as we aren't hurting anyone else.  But that could not be further from the truth!  "Whatever you do, wether in word or deed, do it all for the glory of the Lord."  (Col. 3:17)

There are areas of education where it is obvious to us that education is not spiritually neutral.  For example, as Christians we know that God created the world and everything in it, so any teaching that rises up against that immediately raises red flags in us.  But there is no subject that escapes unscathed.  Even math (if anything seems intrinsically unspiritual it would be math!), but even math is something that God designed and is therefore not a-spiritual!  God is a God of order and he designed an orderly universe!  "For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace." (1 Cor. 14:33)  God has put together our world in such an amazing way that it boggles the mind.  Mathematical equations, believe it or not, are a reflection of that order.  But what happens when someone comes along and says in their heart, "there is no God"?  Well, then you get "New Math" and suddenly 2+2 can equal 5.  That thinking flies in the face of a God of order! 

Everyone has a worldview, a lens through which they filter everything.  Non of them are spiritually neutral.  Let us "be very careful then how we live, not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." (Eph. 5:15)

Shannon

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• Sep. 21, 2009
The Parenting Conference

Last weekend our church had a parenting conference.  We had a speaker lined up to come in and on Wednesday the church got a call that he was in the hospital and would not be able to come.  After a slight panic and lots of prayer our pastor stepped up to fill-in and we were blessed by the fact that he did.  Below I have listed a few of the things that really spoke to me.

• We must defer to God's plan over our plans for our kids.  These are God's kids, not ours.  We are merely training them for His service.
• When your kids ask you if something is right or wrong, don't just give them your answer.  Take them to scripture to show them what God says.  Let them know you are not the ultimate answer.
• There is no "perfect way" to parent, but, God will use imperfect parents with imperfect kids to bring about His perfect plan.

And the statement that spoke to me the most was this:

• Do what you do as a parent for the glory of God and not to produce a result.  Parenting isn't for self-fulfillment, it is about creating people for His glory.

Finally, on Friday our pastor was asked to be a special guest on Albert Mohler's radio program to talk about being a parent of a Down Syndrome child.  You can hear that interview by clicking HERE and you can read the blog post that initiated the interview HERE.  Click on the blog link and look for the title from Friday "Will Babies with Down Syndrome Just Disappear?"

Shannon

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• Sep. 4, 2009
Beware Legalism

I have been thinking a lot lately about legalism.  I am not sure why, but I have, and a few days ago I was reading the testimonies of many people who had been subjected to a very legalistic setting when they were growing up.  Some, thankfully, had discovered the wonder of God's amazing grace, but others had been so brutally scarred by the legalistic paradigm that had been forced upon them that they have turned their backs on all forms of religion.

Legalism is so attractive because it gives us exactly what we want in our human nature, something to control.  We spend our lives trying to stay in control and legalism says we can do that.  It tells us that if we just follow these rules we will have a relationship with God and a perfect life.  There are just a couple problems with that premise.  First, God never promised any such thing and therefore; secondly, it is not true.

Sometimes legalism is difficult to discern right off.  It is usually couched in such beautiful terms, sometimes even biblical terms.  For example: Love = Obedience.  That statement is true in some form, Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey my commands."  So, being a Biblically knowledgable person you can hear someone say that and say, "Amen."  When legalism says "love = obedience" however, it usually has a list of rules you need to follow.  Some of these rules may even be biblical principles, making it even harder to detect the legalism.  But I challenge you, if you have a set of rules you feel you need to follow, read them carefully, then check them against scripture.  If you can't find them in God's word, then, while they might not be bad rules, don't give them the credence that you give to God's word.  When we take God's law, and add to it the laws that have been made up by men, we put on the robes of the Pharisees and Sadducees.  I don't know about you but I did not particularly care for what Jesus had to say to them, and I do not want to pick up where they left off.

I hope I am not rambling,  These thoughts make sense in my head but I don't feel like they are coming out correctly.  Maybe I should give an example.  I once had a friend (Godly, biblically knowledgeable friend) show me a book that had rules of etiquette in it.  They were interesting, nothing wrong with them, just rules of etiquette.  The problem was, these rules were presented as if they were Biblical principles!  Well, I would charge you with the job of finding in the Bible where it tells you what to do if you are eating a bite of meat and you end up with gristle in your mouth.  I don't think you will find it in the Bible, but this book had the answer!

I pray that we will be very careful with the rules we follow, and the rules we impose on our children.  Please don't get me wrong, we NEED rules.  We must have them.  God gave us the law, first and foremost, to show us our need for Him but also to protect us.  His laws do lead to good in our lives.  But we, like the Pharisees, are so quick to add more to them so that we have more control.  Not all these rules are bad, but if God's word does not spell them out or clearly show them in principle, then we must be careful not to give them Biblical importance.  And we must be extra careful not to look down on others who don't follow our ideas.  Love = Obedience applies fully when it applies to Christ.  We do show our love for Christ by following His teaching. 

I have been writing this with Christians in mind but I feel that I should finish by stressing the fact that there is no law we can follow to make us right with Christ.  The law was given to prove that to us, to show us that we could never do anything but fail on our own, and to show us our need for a Savior.  Christ did all the work, followed all the rules on our behalf.  To have a relationship with God we must only depend on Christ.  And while it is true that when we have a relationship with Christ we will want to do good, we will want to follow God's law, the act of following His law does not get us or keep us saved.  It does not make us more righteous in God's sight and it does not guarantee an easy life.  Our obedience to Christ is simply the evidence of our love for Him, not the cause of His love for us.

Praise God for His amazing grace!!!

Shannon

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• Aug. 31, 2009
House Church 2009

Well, this years house church is officially over.  With a roster of 33 people including the kids (we averaged around 25 per week) we had quite a lively house church.  This year we had a travelling group .  The first half of the sessions we spent at the Gabbert's house and the second half were spent at ours with 2 weeks at the Johnson house.  That made it fun and kept everyone on their toes!  There was a lot of, "Now where are we meeting tonight?".

It is so nice to meet and study God's word together in a more intimate setting where everyone can share together.  And the priviledge of bearing one another's burdens in prayer for each other is amazing too.  Last night Jay read through all the prayer requests that we have had throughout the summer.  It was amazing to see how God had answered prayers and also just how many major things had happened during the summer!

Of course one can not fail to mention the food!  Each week we also had a meal before study time.  Each family brought food and let's just say, no one went home hungry!  We had a fabulous bunch of cooks!

God blessed us greatly through house church 2009.

Shannon 

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• Jul. 19, 2009
Longing for Produce in a Chicken Nugget World

Strange things inspire me, but I am okay with that.    Yesterday a trip to the farmer's market really got me thinking.

If you have never been to a farmer's market it is a sight to behold.  Mounds of beautiful, fresh produce stacked higher than your head.  The sights and scents and sounds are overwhelming (especially in a market the size of the one we went to!)  People push all around you searching for the best deals on the freshest fruits and vegetables.  It is not just a good place to get produce, it is actually a lot of fun.

What struck me most however was the beauty of the different food items.  Yes I said beauty!  The cool, majestic purple of a tower of plums stands in contrast next to the warm, orange and yellow of the peaches.  Deep, blue blueberries and purple, nearly black blackberries surround the vibrant red of the strawberries.  Not to be outdone by the fruits, the vegetables put on a more subtle show of beautiful greens, yellows and earth tones.

Have I gone mad, waxing eloquent about produce?  Maybe.  But the beauty of the food God created really struck me!  He gave us food that is not only delicious and nutritious, but it is also a joy to look at.  So much so that we paint pictures of bowls of fruit and place plastic fruit in bowls around our house for decoration!  Think of the beauty of the food God made for us in comparison to the food we have created, like chicken nuggets.  Okay, so I have nothing really against chicken nuggets, they taste pretty good, but their nutritional value is somewhat minimal and they look, well, not pretty.  I got to thinking about how often I eat a plate full of man-made food and how often it is all the same color, brown or pale yellow, when God has given me a whole rainbow full of food to choose from that in the end will not only fill my desire for food, but nourish me and make me feel better as well.

Now at this point you might expect me to say I have come to some grand dietary crossroads but really, while there is much value to that discussion, that is not where I am going with this.  I got to thinking about how often we gorge ourselves on man-made pleasures.  Entertainment and activities that fill an immediate desire but do nothing to nourish our souls.  On top of that the pleasures that man can invent are dull and drab compared to the beauty of the pleasures God has for us.  We are as infatuated with fleeting, momentary pleasures as a 4 year old is with chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese. 

I long to be filled with what God has for me.  So often I get so fixated on the quick and the temporary, not taking time to see the beauty God has placed all around me.  I am glad He chose the farmer's market to remind me of His goodness.  I am thankful that He took the time to make things not only good, but beautiful as well.

Shannon

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• Jul. 6, 2009
One Christian's Critique of the American Dating Game

I have heard several different speakers and preachers on this topic and had many conversations about this topic lately.  So much so that as I was trying to fall asleep last night this conversation just kept turning over and over in my mind so I thought I would put my thoughts together here.  I want to begin however, by stating that I am not thinking of anyone in particular as I write this but about the nation and churches as a whole.  I stress again that I am not speaking of any church in particular and I am especially not speaking about my own home church since I do not know yet what is taught regarding this issue in my own church youth group.  When I mention the church in this article I am simply generalizing about the church culture that I have seen in general in this nation.

My daughter is 11; soon (though I can’t believe it) to be 12.  Because of this she is coming to ‘that age’.  ‘That age’ is the age at which our society believes she should start thinking about boys and desiring to date them.  Everything in society says this, from television shows and movies (which we avoid at all costs) which show even 7 and 8 year olds having ‘boyfriends’ to advertisements, to the clothes that are made to make our young girls look like they are 25.  Since my daughter was 7, well meaning, even Christian people have asked my daughter, “Who’s your boyfriend?”  Seriously, if there is one question that makes me cringe, this would be it!

So here are my questions:  Why do we want to “stir up and awaken love before it so desires”? (Song of Solomon 3:5)  Why do we encourage children to commit their hearts to someone when they are years away from being able to legitimately act on that commitment with marriage?  Why do we, even in the church, adopt the worlds view of what is appropriate in the arena of relationships?  Why do we pretend like the Bible has nothing to say about how to act toward the opposite sex?  In my experience churches are willing to seek the scriptures when it comes to how we should act inside the marriage relationships but leading up to that we act as if the Bible has nothing to say.  Instead we take what the world thinks is acceptable and try to Christianize it.

Here is what I mean.  The world says, “You should date as many people as you can, starting as young as you can so that you know what you want by time you are ready to get married.”  In the world’s estimation this includes experimenting with all kinds of intimacies that God says are reserved for marriage.  In response the church says, “No, that isn’t right.  You should only date other Christians and physically there is this certain line you shouldn’t cross, because after all we are Christians and we should be different.”  Wow, how compelling….  But here is the problem, where are the scriptures that mention this scenario?  Where is the Biblical authority to teach these dating regulations?

I would like to share with you what I heard a pastor say recently.  Here is a summary of what he said.  “I said to my 14 year old son once, ‘Son, do you see that girl over there?’  ‘Yeah dad.’  ‘She likes you.’  ‘How do you know dad?’  ‘Just trust me, I know.  I want you to stay away from her.’  ‘You mean you want me to be rude?’  ‘No, I just mean, well, yeah, if it comes to that I will show you how to do that, but no, what I mean is I want you to actively try to stay away from her.’  ‘Why dad?’  ‘Because you are not ready to fulfill her desires, you are not ready to be a husband and it is your job to protect her heart.’”

Wow!  Now that is biblically compelling!  The Bible commands Christians to think of others more highly than we think of ourselves and that command applies to relationships!  Most of the ‘dating sermons’ I sat under as a teenager dealt with keeping yourself physically pure until marriage.  While that is an admirable goal I know many people who got married, proud of their ‘technical virginity’ while that technicality was all they had left.  Even those who had been ‘physically responsible’ had in their past a trail of heartbreak from being emotionally attached to multiple people that were not the person God had for them to marry.

So what is wrong with this ‘keep yourself pure till marriage’ message?  Well, the problem is it tackles the issue from the end point for starters.  By the time you get to the point you are considering not keeping yourself pure, you have long ago left the path God had intended.  Another problem is that is that the focus of the argument is not complete.  In my experience these messages spoke only about keeping your body pure, not focusing in the least about keeping your heart pure.  The Bible says that it isn’t what comes into the body that makes a man impure, it is what comes out of him from his heart.  (Matthew 15:10-20)  While we try to keep our kids physically pure, we (no matter how unintentionally) encourage them to defile their hearts by getting emotionally involved with another.  We allow them to be inundated by what the world says is the way things are done and then just modify that message to be more ‘Christian’.  Finally, this ‘keep yourself pure till marriage’ message is faulty because it has a wrong focus.  Again, in my experience, this message almost always focuses on self.  “Keep yourself pure, don’t allow someone to talk you into doing something you don’t feel is right.”  We never encourage them to think of others more highly than they think of themselves. 

Why don’t we teach our kids that they should care enough about others that they should not be seeking relationships that are sure to not last.  Why don’t we teach our kids that, while it is natural to feel attracted to the opposite sex at a certain point, we cannot always act on everything we feel.  There are times when we get really angry at another person when we would really like to punch them in the nose, yet I have never heard a pastor or youth minister try to ‘Christianize’ that message.  No, we teach our kids how to deal with their anger in a Godly, Biblical way.  Why do we take a different approach here?  A 12, 13 or 14 year old, even most 16 and 17 year olds are still years away from marriage.  Why do we encourage them into relationships they are not ready for?

I pray that we begin to see that God has a higher calling.  I pray that we encourage our kids to focus their eyes on Christ instead of the cute kid sitting next to them.  I pray that we encourage our kids to guard not only their bodies but their hearts and minds as well.  On top of that I pray that we encourage them to seek to protect the hearts of those around them.  God has this wonderful gift of marriage that He has blessed His people with; this beautiful picture of His own relationship to His people.  Yet we so often come into that marriage with a bundle of physical or emotional baggage because we swallowed either the world’s message about dating or the churches ‘modified’ version of it.  What a gift we could give our children if we would be bold enough to stand apart and be different as the Bible calls Christians to be.  What a blessing to their lives if we would teach them that there is so much more to this than just being physically responsible.  Oh that we might be truly Biblical in this and every area of our teaching.

Shannon

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• Jun. 27, 2009

"You may have been told, 'I just do not think God would want me to be unhappy.'  Really?  Let me see if I get this straight.  The spotless, sinless Lamb of God, He crushed and killed, for your sin, not his, but you He wouldn't want unhappy.  Who do you think you are?  Unhappy might be right where God wants you to be to bring maximum glory to Himself." 

Voddie Baucham

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• Jun. 27, 2009
Something to ponder

"A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher."

Luke 6:40

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• Feb. 8, 2009
Painting Pictures of Egypt

This morning's sermon was based in Exodus 16.  During the course of the sermon our pastor mentioned that the fact that the Israelites began to complain about not having food and they began to glorify their time in Egypt saying they had sat aroung 'pots full of meat.'  He went on to point out the fact that we do that often, glance back over the past and glaze over the tough times remembering and embellishing the good. 

That is so true.  It is so easy to think back, especially if your current situation is a hard one, and remember only the good times.  It is tempting in hard times to want to go back to the 'good old days'.  In the case of the Israelites, God knew that they would try to go back as soon as the going got tough, so He made it impossible, taking them on a longer route out of Egypt and ultimately through the Red Sea.  I believe God does that in our lives too.  He lovingly places barriers in our lives to keep us from running back into slavery. 

One of my favorite songs by Sara Groves is about this very thing.  Here are the Lyrics:

Painting Pictures of Egypt

• I don't want to leave here, I don't want to stay.
  It feels like pinching to me either way.
  And the places I long for the most are the places where I've been. 
  They are calling out to me, like a long lost friend.
• It's not about losing faith, it's not about trust.
  It's more about comfortable, when you move so much.
  And the place I was wasn't perfect but I had found a way to live. 
  And it wasnt' milk and honey but then neither is this.
• (Chorus) I've been painting pictures of Egypt, leaving out what it lacked. 
  Cause the future feels so hard and I want to go back. 
  But the places that used to fit me, cannot hold the things I've learned. 
  And those roads were closed off to me, while my back was turned.
• The past is tangible, I know it by heart. 
  Familiar things are never easy to discard. 
  I was dying for some freedom but now I hesitate to go. 
  I am caught between the Promise and the things I know.
• (Chorus) I've been painting pictures of Egypt, leaving out what it lacked. 
  Cause the future feels so hard and I want to go back. 
  But the places that used to fit me, cannot hold the things I've learned. 
  And those roads were closed off to me, while my back was turned.
• If it comes to quick, I may not appreciate it. 
  Is that the reason behind all this time and sand. 
  If it comes to quick, I may not recognize it. 
  Is that the reason behind all this time and sand?

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• Feb. 6, 2009
A Prayer For Our Children

The following is Amy Carmichael's prayer for her children:

Father, hear us, we are praying,
Hear the words our hearts are saying,
We are praying for our children.

Keep them from the powers of evil,
From the secret, hidden peril,
From the whirlpool that would suck them,
From the treacherous quicksand pluck them,

From the worldling's hollow gladness,
From the sting of faithless sadness,
Holy Father, save our children.

Through life's troubled waters steer them,
Through life's bitter battle cheer them,
Father, Father, be Thou near them.
Read the language of our longing,
Read the worldless pleadings thronging,
Holy Father for our children.

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• Jan. 30, 2009
Inspiring Quotes

The following are some quotes from the book I am reading about Amy Carmichael that have spoken to me.  I hope you will find them encouraging or enlightening as well.

"These children are dear to Me.  Be a mother to them, and more than a mother.  Watch over them tenderly, be just and kind.  If thy heart is not large enough to embrace them, I will enlarge it after a pattern of My own.  If these young children are docile and obedient, bless Me for it; if they are froward, call upon Me for help; if they weary thee, I will be thy consolation; if thou sink under thy burden, I will be thy reward."

"We are not asked to SEE.  Why need we when we KNOW?  We know - not the answer to the inevitable Why, but the incontestable fact that it is for the best.  It is an irreparable loss, but is it faith at all if it is 'hard to trust' when things are entirely bewildering?"

"A little thing is a little thing, but faithfulness in little things is a very great thing."

Shannon

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• Jan. 26, 2009
Doing the Lord's work

As I said before, I am reading the life story of Amy Carmichael right now.  I came across a statement from her that really went straight to my heart and I wanted to share it with you.  As a bit of background, in case you know as little about her as I did before I began this book, Amy Carmichael was a very active, dilligent, missionary.   She chafed at being asked to be still ever, when there were so many around her who needed Christ.  Eventually God called her to rescue many girls from being given to the temples in India.  At first she could not believe God wanted her to give up going from village to village just to care for these children.  Here are her own words:

"'Could it be right,' Amy had asked, 'to turn from so much that might be of profit and become just nursemaids?'  The answer was yes.  It is not the business of the servant to decide which work is great, which is small, which important or unimportant - he is not greater than his master.  'If by doing some work which the undiscerning consider 'not spiritual work' I can best help others, I inwardly rebel, thinking it is the spiritual for which I crave, when in truth it is the interesting and exciting, then I know nothing of Calvary love,' Amy wrote after many years of such 'unspiritual work.'"

When I read this I was reminded again of how skewed our vision gets at times.  We are so wrong focused that we forget that God told us "whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all for the glory of God."  He didn't ever say that only those who are pastors, missionaries or evangelists would bring Him glory.  He has given us all a specific way to serve Him, and to desire more or less than what he has given us to do is for the servant to instruct the master.

I hope that you are encouraged by this.  If God has called you to be a wife and mother, then God is glorified by your willing service to Him.  If you are a painter, plumber or mechanic, God is glorified by your willing service to Him.  If you are a pastor, deacon, missionary or sunday school teacher, God is glorified by your willing service to Him.  God is glorified, not when we are doing the most interesting type of service that we can think of, but when we are doing what He has placed before us with a willing and humble heart.

Shannon

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• Jan. 18, 2009
Something to think about

In our Sunday night Bible study we are discussing the topic of indwelling sin.  Tonight we were talking specifically about the doctrine of sin, focusing on the fall.  Our associate pastor said something in a way that really got me to thinking. 

In speaking of Eve's being tempted to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he brought up the fact that Eve had no need.  She and Adam were good; sinless at that; in a perfect place under perfect circumstances.  She lacked nothing.  In essence, she was full.  To place her focus on 'the fruit' or the desire to be like God, she had to remove something else from her focus.  What she removed was God.  She substituted God with her own desire. 

This thought of Eve being complete, lacking nothing, really hit me.  I began to think that, though we live after the fall and we have physical needs that Adam and Eve did not have, if we are Christians we have the fullness of Christ in us.  We lack nothing spiritually.  Sometimes, when I am focused on the issues of life I have the tendency to think that I have a divided focus at the worst.  I deceive myself into thinking that I haven't really stopped looking at Christ, I have simply started looking at other things in addition to Him.  But, since I am full in Him, since I lack nothing spiritually, then there is no room to add something else, I must replace my vision of Christ to allow other worries to come into view.

So now "let us fix our eyes on Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, scorning it's shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."  Hebrews 12:2

Shannon

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• Jan. 16, 2009
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow

Many of you have been praying for us for the past several months.  We want to thank you and let you know how God is working.  He is forever faithful. 

Much of the time over the past few months we have not really been able to see how God was providing.  He has done it though.  We have been able to pay the bills without having to acquire too much debt.  But I honestly can not tell you how it was done.  This week however God has decided to let us see how he is working and we want to praise Him publicly.

Jay is working today!  And he worked yesterday!  Okay, so normally that is not news but since he has basically not worked in a month, this is news!  The jobs he had lined up that had been postponed are finally starting to come through.  Thanks to the job he is doing paying some in advance and dear friends of ours who had scheduled work in spring that asked to pay us in advance, we ended up getting just the amount we needed for our house payment that was coming out of our bank account today wether we liked it or not!  In addition to this our renter has finally contacted us and come up with a full months rent.

Praise God for being forever faithful!!

Shannon

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• Jan. 14, 2009
What is God doing?

Yesterday I heard a quote that challenged my thinking.  It was from Oswald Chambers book "Abandoned to God."  I got the audio book as a free download from Christianaudio.com.  You can get your own free copy HERE.

Here is the quote, "I am not concerned with what God is doing, I am only concerned with who God is."

That got me to thinking, have I been more concerned about who God is, or what He is doing.  I think I must confess that after the trials of the last few months and having basically no income for the past month I have been more concerned with what God is doing.  But it seems that God has been driving this point home.  I don't need to worry about what He is doing simply because I know who He is.  Because I know He is good, just, holy, righteous, etc., I can trust that He is working even when I can't see how.  Because He has told me that He cares for me and He will never leave me, I don't have to worry about what we will eat, drink or wear.  He knows what we need and He will provide.  I am slowly (although far from consistently) learning to think differently.  It really should not concern me so much what God is doing.  His thoughts are so far above mind that I will often not understand.  All that should concern me is who He is.  And I know that He is great. 

Shannon

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• Jan. 12, 2009
Bow The Knee

It seems that we have been called to a period of testing.  Since I posted God is God...and He is Good too things have not really changed all that much.  In fact they have gotten a little worse!  One rental house is still empty, one is over two months behind on rent and though Jay had a very full month of work lined up for January, each and every one has called to put the work off for another week or so!  So, here we sit, wondering what in the world God is doing.  We have searched our hearts, we have asked all the questions we know to ask, and the answer always seems to come back, "Just trust me."  Okay.  That isn't always so easy.  In fact, when I look at the bill pile, its kind of hard.  But, then again, the One who calls me to trust Him is the same one who called the universe into existence by His mere word.  So really, getting my bills paid isn't all that tough right?  Oh how I wish my faith was stronger. 

God was so good to provide us with music!  Songs really help me.  They have a way to go straight into your heart the way simple words can not.  Here is a song that is helping me right now.

BOW THE KNEE

There are moments on life's journey, following the Lord, when God illumines every step you take.
There are times when circumstances make perfect sense to us as we try to understand each move he makes.
But when the path grows dim and our questions have no answers, turn to Him

Bow the knee.  Trust the heart of your Father, when the answer goes beyond what you can see.  Bow the knee.  Lift your eyes toward heaven, and believe the one who holds eternity.  And when you don't understand the purpose of His plan, in the presence of your King, bow the knee.

There are times when clouds surround us, the rain begins to fall, and the cold and lonely winds won't cease to blow.
And there seems to be no reason, for the suffering we feel, we are tempted to believe God doesn't know.
But when the storms arise, don't forget, we live by faith and not by sight.

Bow the knee.  Trust the heart of your Father, when the answer goes beyond what you can see.  Bow the knee.  Lift your eyes toward heaven, and believe the one who holds eternity.  And when you don't understand the purpose of His plan, in the presence of your King, bow the knee.

Shannon

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• Nov. 17, 2008
God is God -- (and He is good too!)

Last week was yucky.  I know, that is not an opening line you would expect with this title but, never the less, it is true.  Last week was really yucky.

We were robbed ..... twice.  We have been working on one of our rental properties, fixing it up to sell it.  Thursday night we went down to work on it and found that Jay's miter saw, air compressor and nail gun were missing.  Saturday when we went back a ladder was gone along with a heater.  The robbers were apparently going to steal some of the copper pipes as well until they cut one and found that the water was on.  So they also left a cut water line which left water gushing out into a bathroom from Thursday night till Saturday morning. 

On top of this, we have another rental house in which the renter is over 1 1/2 months behind in rent and is due for another month in the next 10 days.

Last week was yucky.

So what makes me say that God is God and He is good too? 

Yesterday we went to church.  I know, that is not news, we go to church everytime the doors are open.  But yesterday when we went to church, we were hurting.  Just the really down, defeated feeling that creeps in when life's pressures seem so huge.  I appreciate the Psalms so much, because you read of people crying out from the depths of their soul to God.  They pour out their pain before Him, yet they acknowledge Him as faithful.  That is where I was yesterday morning.  I knew that God was faithful, yet I was still in the place of pouring out my pain to Him. 

First, the entire day seemed to be directed precisely to my heart.  From Sunday School, to the music, to the sermon.  All of it spoke of God's sovereignty.  It pointed to the fact that, even when we can see no evidence of it, God is always working His master plan.  I spent much of the morning crying as I felt my Father speak to my heart, "Don't fear, I am working.  Look at the birds of the air, they neither toil nor reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than these?"

During the evening service I realized something.  We were singing and I realized something.  I was singing without the slightest tinge of tears!  I was smiling!  I had peace!  How had this happened?  Nothing had changed, no giant check had come in the mail, none of our stuff had been returned.  But my Father had stepped in and filled me with His peace that passes understanding.  And He had done it without me even noticing.  After church I found that Jay had the same experience.  I really expected God to work.  I just expected that He would do something to change my circumstance.  He didn't.  But He gave me something better.  He gave me himself, and that is enough.  I know that in time He will provide the rest, but it will be in His time, not mine, and I am okay with that.  Right now I rest in the fact that God is God, and because of that, I know that He is good, all the time.

Shannon

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• Oct. 19, 2008
God's Providence

We got to hear an excellent sermon on God's providence tonight.  It was based on Exodus 2:1-10.  I would like to share with you one quote and a few application points.  I hope they will encourage you in whatever situation you may find yourself in.

Shannon

"What is your only comfort in life and death?  - That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ who...so preserves me that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must work together for my salvation."  (Heidelberg Catechism, 1563)

1.  God is bigger than my problems.

2.  God is not limited by circumstances like we are.

3.  No power on earth can thwart God in doing His will.

4.  Gos is working in ways bigger than our personal circumstances.

5.  God is using our personal circumstances in ways bigger than our ability to understand.

6.  Gos will provide the resources to do His will.

7.  Divine providence should cause God's people to rest in Him and His will.

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• Sep. 28, 2008
Day of Rest?

I can not say that this was the most restful day of rest I have ever had but it was fun.  We started our morning at church (of course).  After a wonderful service that was focused on the temple veil being torn in two allowing us access to God's throneroom (Praise The Lord!) it was off to the races.

We split up girls and boys for the afternoon.  Jay and Timmy were invited to go to the Cardinal game with friends.  They had great seats, only twelve rows back!  On top of that the Cardinals won 11-4!  The down side, Timmy has no idea what baseball is all about.  He had no idea why everyone was sitting out in the blazing sun for so long.  In the middle of the 1st inning he was begging to go home.  Jay did a lot of walking with him.  To his relief, Timmy fell asleep in the 5th inning and slept through the 8th.

Sarah and I had the opportunity to go to Six Flags with friends.  Because of the crazy prices we haven't been to Six Flags since Sarah was 5.  It was hot, but it was fun.  3 hours is not a lot of time to spend at Six Flags, so it was somewhat of a whirlwind.  Sarah braved the Batman roller coaster for the first time.  Though I thought she might pass out before she even got on, she ended up really liking it.

After our afternoon outings it was back to church for AWANA and women's bible study, followed by a service focused on the resurrection of Christ.  Our pastor shared something I had not thought of before.  In talking about the fact that the priests, with Pilate's help, posted a gaurd around the tomb; God used the enemies of Christ to prove His resurrection!  How like God to use the foolishness of men to forward His plan!

After church was the only sad time of our day.  Dear friends are preparing to move away to help out at another church.  While we are excited at what God has in store for them, we are very sorry to see them go.  It is never fun to say goodbye.  We have only known them for 2 years now and it has not been long enough.  It is times like this that it becomes more evident that God created us for eternity.  Life was never meant to have the limits that were created by the fall.  How good it is to know that one day we will never have to say goodbye again.

Shannon

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• Sep. 8, 2008
Bible Rant

Alright, I know that is a somewhat misleading title.  I am not upset over the actual Bible.  I am, however, miffed at the Bible I just purchased my daughter.

It is called the True Images Bible for girls.  My daughter saw it at a Christian bookstore and told us she would really like to have one.  It has a really cool pink and brown (they call it bubble gum and chocolate) cover with a belt around it.  She was overcome by the cuteness of it I guess!  Anyway, I looked it up online and it looked pretty neat so I ordered her one.

Needless to say I was somewhat taken aback by the inserts in the bible.  It has several magazine like inserts scattered throughout the Bible.  These are on full color, thicker, shiny paper and contain different quizzes for the girls to take.  Some of them are good, there is a spiritual gifts quiz, parent/child relationship quiz and friends quiz.  Then there are others.  These deal with dating (a.k.a. divorce practice).  Okay, so I have strong opinions on dating that I know not everyone shares but these particular inserts don't even attempt to make a biblical connection.  They are nothing different than what you would find on the magazine rack at the store.  There is an insert on your self-image which includes this question with the following answers:

At the top of this year's New Year's resolutions list is ...

• A.  Start lifting weights - you heard it's good for your bones.
• B.  Work on that muscle tone - no more dreading swimsuit season.
• C.  Lose 15 pounds and buy a push-up bra - the new me!

Now, could you please tell me what place that has in a Bible!?! 

Then there are the 'ever so inspirational' reflections from the other side which have quotes from boys.  Here is one:

• What makes you ask a girl on a second date?  My dream girl...if I went out with a girl and had fun and was able to hold an interesting/funny conversation with her and was also attracted to her, then I would certainly ask her out again.

Well, fabulous, so if my daughter reads this she will think all she has to do is be attractive and be able to talk and she will make the perfect date.  No need to be devoted to Christ, just cute and funny.  Good grief!  Zondervan really let the ball drop when they published this Bible with these pages in it.

In the interest of fairness I want to say that we are keeping the bible.  I know that sounds strange after all that I have just said, but the actual bible and study helps in it are good.  It has an introduction to each book to give a grasp of the setting.  There are profiles of all the women in the bible, good and bad, so that girls can learn from their examples.  There are little study notes throughout that are helpful.  But, we will be cutting out the 'magazine' pages.  I have no intention of bringing pagan teen magazines into my house and I will certainly not have them coming in through my daughter's bible.

Shannon

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