This year has started out with a bang! So far in our family, we have managed to run one vehicle into a fence in the church parking lot and one of our pipes burst last week in our basement after the ridiculously never before seen low temperatures in Marietta, GA. I for one am ready for spring. Oh, and last Sunday, as I was driving to take my daughter to Bible Buddies, my son was yelling from our driveway at the top of his lungs that he hated me. This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.
Thankfully, I have our class and church to come to on Sunday morning. Though you will probably not pay for the fence or the burst pipe, somehow seeing you in SBS, week after week gives me joy and encouragement. None of you have told me that you hated me which is also nice. We are all on this journey of life and it's easier when we do it together. God knew this! And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
We have some new faces in our class that I hope to get to know in 2014 and I hope you do too. Let's welcome them and make 2014 a great year.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Silent Night Holy Night
Balancing on a balance beam is difficult. Not that I would know personally. Gymnastics requires balance and flexibility both of which I possess precious little of. I have a horrible gymnastics memory of standing petrified up high on the uneven parallel bars refusing to do the penny drop, I digress.. My only knowledge of gymnastics comes from watching the gymnasts on the Olympics, which I find extremely stressful. Invariably someone falls because like I said, it's difficult.
I'm finding it's the same way with balancing the jolly holiday Christmas with the Silent Night, Holy Night Christmas. It's difficult. But there has to be a way to balance Christmas activities with the real meaning. I would say I'm somewhere between ELF and a new favorite blogger who seems to exude tranquility 24/7 at her house. I'm sure that isn't the case, but her website would suggest otherwise. I have traded the chocolate candy advent calendar for an advent devotional book, The Greatest Gift. I'm finding the devotion is indeed helping me focus myself and my children on the beautiful story of Christmas even though I'm missing Day 3 and Day 6 ornaments! I hope this isn't a trend. We also suggested to our youngest kids that they choose a gift from the Joy of Sharing catalog at church to replace of a gift for themselves. It was interesting to see their choices. Our son chose to give the most expensive gift, my youngest chose to give the least expensive gift and my oldest chose the sheep because she likes animals. I think I have really confused my children this year because when I started to put up the Christmas tree, my son said," I thought we weren't going to do all that."
But I do want to give gifts. I am a gifter. I love finding the perfect gift for people, especially if they didn't know they wanted it. Yes, Black Friday has turned into an ugly display of consumerism that has nothing to do with Christmas, but isn't there something in between? And what about Christmas cookies and Christmas movies and candy canes? There is incredible fun and joy at Christmas time as we spend time with precious friends and family. There is also joy in giving. God is a gifter too! He invented giving and gave us the desire to give to others. I can tell that He enjoys giving and He in fact gave us the very best gift of his one and only son, the perfect gift we didn't know we needed.
It's true, no cookie exchange or Christmas light display can compare to going to the Christmas Eve service at our church with all the candles lit, singing Silent Night altogether in worship of Jesus. And this year, my son will be lighting the Advent Candle which will add another element to the service for me, hopefully the awe and wonder of Jesus and not fear of a fire catastrophe! Christmas is absolutely all about Jesus Christ being born in a manger so that he could grow up to give us himself to be our savior. There is no greater reason to celebrate!
I think I'm getting closer to finding balance, but it's only December 12th and my two young adorable grandchildren have yet to arrive at my house! Their cuteness can be overwhelming and I have loved picking out gifts for them, but I've refrained so far from going overboard with gifts I can buy. I mostly hope to find ways to point them to the manger where Jesus Christ came into the world which is the very best gift I can give them.
I'm finding it's the same way with balancing the jolly holiday Christmas with the Silent Night, Holy Night Christmas. It's difficult. But there has to be a way to balance Christmas activities with the real meaning. I would say I'm somewhere between ELF and a new favorite blogger who seems to exude tranquility 24/7 at her house. I'm sure that isn't the case, but her website would suggest otherwise. I have traded the chocolate candy advent calendar for an advent devotional book, The Greatest Gift. I'm finding the devotion is indeed helping me focus myself and my children on the beautiful story of Christmas even though I'm missing Day 3 and Day 6 ornaments! I hope this isn't a trend. We also suggested to our youngest kids that they choose a gift from the Joy of Sharing catalog at church to replace of a gift for themselves. It was interesting to see their choices. Our son chose to give the most expensive gift, my youngest chose to give the least expensive gift and my oldest chose the sheep because she likes animals. I think I have really confused my children this year because when I started to put up the Christmas tree, my son said," I thought we weren't going to do all that."
But I do want to give gifts. I am a gifter. I love finding the perfect gift for people, especially if they didn't know they wanted it. Yes, Black Friday has turned into an ugly display of consumerism that has nothing to do with Christmas, but isn't there something in between? And what about Christmas cookies and Christmas movies and candy canes? There is incredible fun and joy at Christmas time as we spend time with precious friends and family. There is also joy in giving. God is a gifter too! He invented giving and gave us the desire to give to others. I can tell that He enjoys giving and He in fact gave us the very best gift of his one and only son, the perfect gift we didn't know we needed.
It's true, no cookie exchange or Christmas light display can compare to going to the Christmas Eve service at our church with all the candles lit, singing Silent Night altogether in worship of Jesus. And this year, my son will be lighting the Advent Candle which will add another element to the service for me, hopefully the awe and wonder of Jesus and not fear of a fire catastrophe! Christmas is absolutely all about Jesus Christ being born in a manger so that he could grow up to give us himself to be our savior. There is no greater reason to celebrate!
I think I'm getting closer to finding balance, but it's only December 12th and my two young adorable grandchildren have yet to arrive at my house! Their cuteness can be overwhelming and I have loved picking out gifts for them, but I've refrained so far from going overboard with gifts I can buy. I mostly hope to find ways to point them to the manger where Jesus Christ came into the world which is the very best gift I can give them.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Gratitude
Like our fearless teacher suggested, I've been giving thanks for things big and small. Lately, I have found myself overwhelmed with thanksgiving with the birth of our new grandson, Wyatt. I'll count that one as both big and small! I've been pretty much walking on air since that happy day last week. But I'm also trying to make a point to give thanks for other slightly more ordinary things.
I find that you can't be in a bad mood at the same time that you are being thankful. It's like sneezing with your eyes open, something my son has been trying to do lately. It can't be done! Gratefulness forces you to just smile and take whatever is happening at the moment and look at it differently in a more thankful way. One of my favorite verses is, In everything give thanks for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. I think he means everything, even having to abandon my groceries in the self check out at Kroger because I discovered that I left my wallet at work. I was immediately thankful that I work at church and that it was indeed in my desk right where I left it. I would have been even more thankful had someone decided to pay it forward at that moment but I was thankful all the same.
I'm thankful that my Dad had to cancel his upcoming visit over Thanksgiving even though I am very disappointed I won't get to see him. I'm thankful that the reason is that he feels the need to be at the church he pastors to encourage the Adult Bible Study teachers who are struggling with classs attendance. I'm thankful he loves the Lord and that He continues to spend his life in service to Him, going on 55 years now!
Maybe there's something to this attitude of thankfulness. Think I'll keep it going. I may even pay for someone's groceries myself the next time I'm at Kroger.
I find that you can't be in a bad mood at the same time that you are being thankful. It's like sneezing with your eyes open, something my son has been trying to do lately. It can't be done! Gratefulness forces you to just smile and take whatever is happening at the moment and look at it differently in a more thankful way. One of my favorite verses is, In everything give thanks for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. I think he means everything, even having to abandon my groceries in the self check out at Kroger because I discovered that I left my wallet at work. I was immediately thankful that I work at church and that it was indeed in my desk right where I left it. I would have been even more thankful had someone decided to pay it forward at that moment but I was thankful all the same.
I'm thankful that my Dad had to cancel his upcoming visit over Thanksgiving even though I am very disappointed I won't get to see him. I'm thankful that the reason is that he feels the need to be at the church he pastors to encourage the Adult Bible Study teachers who are struggling with classs attendance. I'm thankful he loves the Lord and that He continues to spend his life in service to Him, going on 55 years now!
Maybe there's something to this attitude of thankfulness. Think I'll keep it going. I may even pay for someone's groceries myself the next time I'm at Kroger.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
November 10, 2013 class audio - Does Science Point Toward a Creator?
Discussion of session 6 of the Faith Under Fire book Exploring Christianity's Ten Toughest Questions
Led by Holly Lundberg
Led by Holly Lundberg
Monday, October 28, 2013
October 27, 2013 class audio - Is the Bible Bogus?
Discussion of session 5 of the Faith Under Fire book Exploring Christianity's Ten Toughest Questions
Led by Bill Gambrell
Led by Bill Gambrell
Monday, October 14, 2013
Finding God in Suffering
Finding God In Suffering
By Tim Keller
October 14, 2013
October 14, 2013
Tim Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Westminster Theological Seminary. He was first a pastor in Hopewell, Va. In 1989, he started Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan with his wife, Kathy, and their three sons. He is the author of the New York Times best-seller The Reason for God, and most recently, Walking With God Through Pain and Suffering.
Most books and resources for sufferers today no longer talk about enduring affliction but instead use a vocabulary drawn from business and psychology to enable people to manage, reduce and cope with stress, strain or trauma.
Sufferers are counseled to avoid negative thoughts; to buffer themselves with time off, exercise, and supportive relationships; to problem solve; and to “learn to accept things we can’t change.”
But all the focus is on controlling your immediate emotional responses and environment. For centuries, however, Christianity has gone both higher and deeper in order to furnish believers with the resources to face tribulation.
One of the main metaphors the Bible gives us for facing affliction is walking—walking through something difficult, perilous and potentially fatal.
The walking metaphor points to the idea of progress. Many ancients saw adversity as merely something to withstand and endure without flinching, or even feeling, until it goes away. Modern Western people see suffering as something like adverse weather, something you avoid or insulate yourself from until it passes by.
The unusual balance of the Christian faith is seen in the metaphor of walking—through darkness, swirling waters or fire. We are not to lose our footing and just let the suffering have its way with us. But we are also not to think we can somehow avoid it or be completely impervious to it either. We are to meet and move through suffering without shock and surprise, without denial of our sorrow and weakness, without resentment or paralyzing fear, yet also without acquiescence or capitulation, without surrender or despair.
In many passages in the Bible, affliction is likened to fire (Psalm 66:10; Proverbs 17:3, 27:21; Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:3). It is not surprising, then, that adversity and sorrow in general came to be characterized as being plunged into the fire (Job 18:14–16; Psalm 66:12).
Peter extends the metaphor and depicts suffering not just as fire but as a forge or furnace, which can obliterate or improve, depending on the object thrust into the fire and the manner in which it is treated.
If you believe in Jesus and you rest in Him, then suffering will relate to your character like fire relates to gold. Do you want to know who you are—your strengths and weaknesses? Do you want to be a compassionate person who skillfully helps people who are hurting? Do you want to have such a profound trust in God that you are fortified against the disappointments of life? Do you want simply to be wise about how life goes?
Those are four crucial things to have—but none of them are readily achievable without suffering. There is no way to know who you really are until you are tested. There is no way to really empathize and sympathize with other suffering people unless you have suffered yourself. There is no way to really learn how to trust in God until you are drowning.
But God is with us in the fire. He knows what it’s like to live through the miseries of this world—He understands. He is near, available to be known and depended upon within the hardship. He walks with us, but the real question is—will we walk with Him? If we have created a false God-of-my-program, then when life falls apart we will simply assume He has abandoned us and we won’t seek Him.
This is important to consider, because we all know that suffering does not only refine, it can also harden and consume. Plenty of people have been broken by suffering, terribly broken. So what do you have to do in order to grow instead of being destroyed by your suffering? The answer is that you must walk with God. And what is that?
Walking is something nondramatic, rhythmic—it consists of steady, repeated actions you can keep up in a sustained way for a long time.
There are many people who think of spiritual growth as something like high diving. They say, “I am going to give my life to the Lord! I am going to change all these terrible habits, and I am really going to transform! Give me another six months and I am going to be a new man or new woman!”
That is not what a walk is. A walk is day in and day out praying; day in and day out Bible and Psalms reading; day in and day out obeying, talking to Christian friends and going to corporate worship, committing yourself to and fully participating in the life of a church. It is rhythmic, on and on and on. To walk with God is a metaphor that symbolizes slow and steady progress.
So walking with God through suffering means that, in general, you will not experience some kind of instant deliverance from your questions, your sorrow, your fears. There can be times in which you receive a surprising, inexplicable “peace that passes understanding.” There will be days in which some new insight comes to you like a ray of light in a dark room. There will certainly be progress—that is part of the metaphor of walking—but in general it will be slow and steady progress that comes only if you stick to the regular, daily activities of the walking itself.
Throughout the Bible, we see many different actions and ways that sufferers face their suffering. We are called to walk, to grieve and weep, to trust and pray, to think, thank, and love and to hope.
Walking with God through suffering means we must treat God as God and as there. Of course that means to speak to Him, to pour out your heart to Him in prayer. It means to trust Him. But preeminently, it means to see with the eyes of your heart how Jesus plunged into the fire for you when He went to the cross. This is what you need to know so you will trust Him, stick with Him and thus turn into purer gold in the heat.
If you remember with grateful amazement that Jesus was thrown into the ultimate furnace for you, you can begin to sense Him in your smaller furnaces with you.
This means remembering the Gospel. He was thrown into the ultimate fire, the fire we deserve. And that is how we are saved: If we believe in Him, then none of that wrath comes to us.
What if, however, you believe that God saves only those who live a very good life? If that is your belief when suffering hits, you are going to hate either God or yourself. Either you will say, “I lived a good enough life. I deserve better. God has done me wrong.” Or you will say, “Oh, I must have failed to live as I should. I am a loser.” Either way, you go into despair. A heart, then, forgetting the Gospel, will be torn between anger and guilt.
But if you say to yourself when you get thrown into the furnace, “This is my furnace. I am not being punished for my sins, because Jesus was thrown into that ultimate fire for me. And so if He went through that greatest fire steadfastly for me, I can go through this smaller furnace steadfastly for Him. And I also know it means that if I trust in Him, this furnace will only make me better.”
Reprinted from Chapter 11 of Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Tim Keller with permission from Dutton
Sufferers are counseled to avoid negative thoughts; to buffer themselves with time off, exercise, and supportive relationships; to problem solve; and to “learn to accept things we can’t change.”
But all the focus is on controlling your immediate emotional responses and environment. For centuries, however, Christianity has gone both higher and deeper in order to furnish believers with the resources to face tribulation.
One of the main metaphors the Bible gives us for facing affliction is walking—walking through something difficult, perilous and potentially fatal.
The walking metaphor points to the idea of progress. Many ancients saw adversity as merely something to withstand and endure without flinching, or even feeling, until it goes away. Modern Western people see suffering as something like adverse weather, something you avoid or insulate yourself from until it passes by.
We are to meet and move through suffering without shock and surprise, without denial of our sorrow and weakness.
In many passages in the Bible, affliction is likened to fire (Psalm 66:10; Proverbs 17:3, 27:21; Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:3). It is not surprising, then, that adversity and sorrow in general came to be characterized as being plunged into the fire (Job 18:14–16; Psalm 66:12).
Peter extends the metaphor and depicts suffering not just as fire but as a forge or furnace, which can obliterate or improve, depending on the object thrust into the fire and the manner in which it is treated.
If you believe in Jesus and you rest in Him, then suffering will relate to your character like fire relates to gold. Do you want to know who you are—your strengths and weaknesses? Do you want to be a compassionate person who skillfully helps people who are hurting? Do you want to have such a profound trust in God that you are fortified against the disappointments of life? Do you want simply to be wise about how life goes?
Those are four crucial things to have—but none of them are readily achievable without suffering. There is no way to know who you really are until you are tested. There is no way to really empathize and sympathize with other suffering people unless you have suffered yourself. There is no way to really learn how to trust in God until you are drowning.
But God is with us in the fire. He knows what it’s like to live through the miseries of this world—He understands. He is near, available to be known and depended upon within the hardship. He walks with us, but the real question is—will we walk with Him? If we have created a false God-of-my-program, then when life falls apart we will simply assume He has abandoned us and we won’t seek Him.
Walking is something nondramatic, rhythmic—it consists of steady, repeated actions you can keep up in a sustained way for a long time.
There are many people who think of spiritual growth as something like high diving. They say, “I am going to give my life to the Lord! I am going to change all these terrible habits, and I am really going to transform! Give me another six months and I am going to be a new man or new woman!”
That is not what a walk is. A walk is day in and day out praying; day in and day out Bible and Psalms reading; day in and day out obeying, talking to Christian friends and going to corporate worship, committing yourself to and fully participating in the life of a church. It is rhythmic, on and on and on. To walk with God is a metaphor that symbolizes slow and steady progress.
So walking with God through suffering means that, in general, you will not experience some kind of instant deliverance from your questions, your sorrow, your fears. There can be times in which you receive a surprising, inexplicable “peace that passes understanding.” There will be days in which some new insight comes to you like a ray of light in a dark room. There will certainly be progress—that is part of the metaphor of walking—but in general it will be slow and steady progress that comes only if you stick to the regular, daily activities of the walking itself.
Throughout the Bible, we see many different actions and ways that sufferers face their suffering. We are called to walk, to grieve and weep, to trust and pray, to think, thank, and love and to hope.
Walking with God through suffering means we must treat God as God and as there. Of course that means to speak to Him, to pour out your heart to Him in prayer. It means to trust Him. But preeminently, it means to see with the eyes of your heart how Jesus plunged into the fire for you when He went to the cross. This is what you need to know so you will trust Him, stick with Him and thus turn into purer gold in the heat.
If you remember ... Jesus was thrown into the ultimate furnace for you, you can begin to sense Him in your smaller furnaces with you.
This means remembering the Gospel. He was thrown into the ultimate fire, the fire we deserve. And that is how we are saved: If we believe in Him, then none of that wrath comes to us.
What if, however, you believe that God saves only those who live a very good life? If that is your belief when suffering hits, you are going to hate either God or yourself. Either you will say, “I lived a good enough life. I deserve better. God has done me wrong.” Or you will say, “Oh, I must have failed to live as I should. I am a loser.” Either way, you go into despair. A heart, then, forgetting the Gospel, will be torn between anger and guilt.
But if you say to yourself when you get thrown into the furnace, “This is my furnace. I am not being punished for my sins, because Jesus was thrown into that ultimate fire for me. And so if He went through that greatest fire steadfastly for me, I can go through this smaller furnace steadfastly for Him. And I also know it means that if I trust in Him, this furnace will only make me better.”
Reprinted from Chapter 11 of Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Tim Keller with permission from Dutton
Monday, September 30, 2013
Aldo and Katie
Yesterday we had the privilege of hearing from dear Aldo and Katie. Every time I hear from them, I want to sign up to go work for their ministry, Young Life. But then I'm reminded that I still have some young lives in my house we are still raising! One day perhaps. I especially loved the part when Aldo spoke about seeing "dead" teenagers arrive at camp and leaving "Alive" in Christ with a beautiful smile on their faces.
Aldo and Katie had a difficult year with some painful losses, but they remain hopeful as they continue to trust in our faithful God. They reminded us that in this life we will have troubles, but God is with us through our trials. Sometimes that is enough.
Let's remember to pray for Aldo and Katie as they raise money for their ministry and also that they get much needed rest while with their family. Also, for their upcoming camp in October when they return to the DR. I've attached the link to the Global Leaders program that Aldo spoke about.
http://ylgloballeaders.org/
Aldo and Katie had a difficult year with some painful losses, but they remain hopeful as they continue to trust in our faithful God. They reminded us that in this life we will have troubles, but God is with us through our trials. Sometimes that is enough.
Let's remember to pray for Aldo and Katie as they raise money for their ministry and also that they get much needed rest while with their family. Also, for their upcoming camp in October when they return to the DR. I've attached the link to the Global Leaders program that Aldo spoke about.
http://ylgloballeaders.org/
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