The description of the website http://www.allaboutgod.com/ is a "community of seekers, skeptics, and believers" - and I have been all three of these. If you want to read my story of how I passed through the different stages of skeptic to seeker to believer, check out my testimony.
In some aspects I am still a skeptic and a seeker, which is why I love a respectful debate with anyone who wants to challenge the teachings of Biblical Christianity. I always learn something from what you have to share with me.
For instance, back in February I had neat discussion with an old friend that I had recently reconnected with via Facebook. He read my blog Thinking about how hard the truth is, and mentioned that he was currently reading "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. He said he wanted to read it because he had just read Hitchen's book "god is not Great" and thought he should "walk the open minded walk" and not just talk it. Wow, what a contrast in books! So I asked him what his current beliefs are. He replied that he has both practiced Soto Zen Buddhism and attended a Unitarian Universalist church, and he believe in Interbeing, as described by Thich Nhat Hanh.
Before I became a follower of Jesus, I was curious about Buddhism and did some reading on it. But it's been a long time since then (over 15 years ago), and I couldn't remember much. So, being the Wikipedia fanatic that I am, I looked up Soto Zen and Interbeing. Interbeing is the idea instead of God as separate entity, there is instead an inter-connectedness of all things.
Interbeing also stresses "selflessness" as in "not-self characteristic which reveals the inter-connected-ness of all things" (Wikipedia). I couldn't help but contrast this to the New Testament teaching of death to self, through identification with Jesus' death, Galations 2:20 "... I am crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me..."
The Order of Interbeing has "14 Mindfulness Teachings" which I found very interesting. To name a few: "openness","non-attachment to views", "freedom of thought" (which explains my friend's interest in reading both Mere Christianity, and god is not great); "awareness of suffering", "living happily in the present moment", "truthful and loving speech", "dealing with anger".
These are very noble teachings, and I mean that sincerely. True followers of Interbeing must be very compassionate, loving people... here is another statement from my friend: "I've been thinking lately about the idea that the idea of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is roughly equivalent to the idea of bodhicitta ("the arising of spontaneous and limitless compassion for all sentient beings" - see Wikipedia for more details)." "We understand suffering because we see that we can just as easily have a hand in it as anyone else. When we _fully_ feel compassion for each other, then we naturally _love_ our brothers and we instinctively _know_ what to do in those terrible moments. My understanding is that this is what Buddhists call Perfect Wisdom."
The Perfect Wisdom of Buddhism sounds remarkably similar the unconditional, agape love of the New Testament. Here is Truth! But my worldview says there is still something missing - in one word, "help".
Before I go into what I mean by "help", here is a quick review of the Four Aspects of Buddhist doctrine or dharma from an article by Peter Kreeft.
The First Noble Truth is that all of life is dukkha, suffering. The word means "out-of-joint-ness" or separation—something very similar to "sin," but without the personal, relational dimension: not a broken relationship but a broken consciousness.
The Second Noble Truth is that the cause of suffering is tanha, "grasping," selfish desire. We suffer because of the gap between what we want and what we have. This gap is created by our dissatisfaction, our wanting to get what we do not have or wanting to keep what we do have (e.g., life, which causes fear of death). Thus desire is the villain for Buddha, the cause of all suffering... "I want that" creates the illusion of an "I" distinct from the "that"; and this distinction is the cause of suffering.
The Third Noble Truth.... to remove the cause is to remove the effect, therefore suffering can be extinguished (nirvana) by extinguishing its cause, desire. Remove the fuel and you put out the fire.
The Fourth Noble Truth tells you how to extinguish desire: by the "Noble Eightfold Path" of ego-reduction in each of life's eight defined areas, inward and outward (e.g., "right thought:" "right associations," etc.).
So here is where I come back to the missing factor, "help".
It is so hard for humans to truly live perfect wisdom/unconditional love - we can only grasp it for seconds at a time and the rest of the time we're basically selfish creatures. Meditating certainly helps and the more time you spend meditating on perfect wisdom, or the Noble Eightfold Path, or the 14 Mindfulness teachings, the more you will be able to live out Perfect Wisdom. But it is still "work-based". You have to do the work; you have rely on yourself for the motivation, for the desire, to keep doing this and doing this.
There is the temptation to try to live the noble, self-sacrificing life in Christianity, too. Jesus is our example; we strive to live our lives by asking ourselves "What Would Jesus Do?" and then, we try to do that. But your average person (ie. me) fails that task miserably 98% of the time. So I take incredible comfort in the fact that Jesus is interceding for me in this task.
It basically comes down to this: do you believe you can be compassionate and loving by your own will, your own efforts? Or have you realized that you keep failing at it, and you need help? Jesus said "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick... I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Here are some other challenges I've made. I love hearing responses and I'm always open to discussion.
Worldviews part 2: What about suffering?
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
May this dream come true
I've been debating whether to blog about this, because it's really personal... maybe I should just journal it? But my blogs have been getting more and more personal over time.
I decided to go ahead and share it because, first of all, my most favorite blogs to read from other people are when they take a "risk" and share something really personal. Because I think we all need to know we aren't the "only ones out there" going through some particular challenge or trial - we're not alone.
And then secondly, those you who may read this who are inclined to pray, this is a prayer request. I'd love it if you'd pray for me, and my parents. (added 4/13 - add a comment if you'd be willing to add us to your prayers)
Okay, last night (or probably very early this morning) I had a wonderful dream. I almost NEVER have amazing dreams like this. So I'm hoping it's a sign from God.
In my dream, my family and I were having dinner with my parents to celebrate their return from Hilton Head in May (they head south every winter for South Carolina). Some how or other, in the mysterious way of dreams, one of my dear Christian friends and her husband had also joined us for dinner, and somehow we got onto the subject of religion. My Dad was sharing his beliefs on how religion is just a crutch, that he believes it's all a sham. Then my firiend's husband asked him something like "do you realize that Jesus died for you?"
And there was this long silence, and I was wondering if my Dad was going to be angry or offended, when he answered, "yes, I know that Jesus died for me."
At this point the dream gets a little fuzzy, because I think my unconcious self was suffering from shock and amazment. But I asked my Dad something along the lines of "you mean, you believe now?" or "you're saved?" and he nodded and smiled at me.
Then my Mom said, "you know I've always believed in Jesus."
This is true; she has always professed faith in Jesus. She just doesn't seem to have any interest or passion in Him... and when Jesus truly saves someone, He transforms them. He makes them a new creature. They are awed by the fact that He died to save them from sin. In the verse I memorized earlier this year, Matt 9:12-13, Jesus said "It is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick.... I have come not to call the righteous, but sinners" - that's what has been missing in my mom's faith: any sense that she's a sinner, in need of a doctor, e.g. savior.
So I asked, "But do you believe He died for you? For your sins?"
She paused, then suddenly smiled and said, "yes".
Pitter-pat, pitter-pat, my heart was going crazy.
But in my dream I was worrying to myself, are they just saying this? do they really believe? Has Jesus really opened their eyes, and saved them?
Then I felt this overwhelming joy in my dream. An assurance that yes, it was true. Amazing grace had really, finally, reached my parents.
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind, but now I see.
My Dad stood up and held his arms out to me and I ran to his arms crying, and then my mom was also hugging us both, crying.
I woke up with a such a sense of joy that for a moment I thought it had really happened. But even when I remembered it was just a dream, I still felt joy. I have felt joy all day long everytime I think about this dream.
May this dream come true!
I decided to go ahead and share it because, first of all, my most favorite blogs to read from other people are when they take a "risk" and share something really personal. Because I think we all need to know we aren't the "only ones out there" going through some particular challenge or trial - we're not alone.
And then secondly, those you who may read this who are inclined to pray, this is a prayer request. I'd love it if you'd pray for me, and my parents. (added 4/13 - add a comment if you'd be willing to add us to your prayers)
Okay, last night (or probably very early this morning) I had a wonderful dream. I almost NEVER have amazing dreams like this. So I'm hoping it's a sign from God.
In my dream, my family and I were having dinner with my parents to celebrate their return from Hilton Head in May (they head south every winter for South Carolina). Some how or other, in the mysterious way of dreams, one of my dear Christian friends and her husband had also joined us for dinner, and somehow we got onto the subject of religion. My Dad was sharing his beliefs on how religion is just a crutch, that he believes it's all a sham. Then my firiend's husband asked him something like "do you realize that Jesus died for you?"
And there was this long silence, and I was wondering if my Dad was going to be angry or offended, when he answered, "yes, I know that Jesus died for me."
At this point the dream gets a little fuzzy, because I think my unconcious self was suffering from shock and amazment. But I asked my Dad something along the lines of "you mean, you believe now?" or "you're saved?" and he nodded and smiled at me.
Then my Mom said, "you know I've always believed in Jesus."
This is true; she has always professed faith in Jesus. She just doesn't seem to have any interest or passion in Him... and when Jesus truly saves someone, He transforms them. He makes them a new creature. They are awed by the fact that He died to save them from sin. In the verse I memorized earlier this year, Matt 9:12-13, Jesus said "It is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick.... I have come not to call the righteous, but sinners" - that's what has been missing in my mom's faith: any sense that she's a sinner, in need of a doctor, e.g. savior.
So I asked, "But do you believe He died for you? For your sins?"
She paused, then suddenly smiled and said, "yes".
Pitter-pat, pitter-pat, my heart was going crazy.
But in my dream I was worrying to myself, are they just saying this? do they really believe? Has Jesus really opened their eyes, and saved them?
Then I felt this overwhelming joy in my dream. An assurance that yes, it was true. Amazing grace had really, finally, reached my parents.
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind, but now I see.
My Dad stood up and held his arms out to me and I ran to his arms crying, and then my mom was also hugging us both, crying.
I woke up with a such a sense of joy that for a moment I thought it had really happened. But even when I remembered it was just a dream, I still felt joy. I have felt joy all day long everytime I think about this dream.
May this dream come true!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Encouragement from the strangest place
As I mentioned in my last post, B. and I have been pretty discouraged lately. He hasn't been getting enough business to keep going, and the bills keep piling up. But since last week there have been a few positive signs.One surprising blessing was the big snowstorm this weekend- B. got called out to put his skidloader to work pushing snow. Some much needed extra cash - thank you, Lord!
He also has about 2 weeks worth of new work lined up. 2 weeks isn't much, but still, part of the Lord's Prayer is to "give thanks for your DAILY bread".
Finally, the book Open Season by C.J. Box - talk about encouragement from the strangest place. It's not even remotely a Christian book, but God can use anything to lift our hearts. I borrowed this from my friend who is an inexhaustible source of great books (H.L.) and when I started reading it, I immediately thought that B. would really, really like this.
So I started reading it out loud to him that evening and sure enough he got hooked and finished reading it himself in record time (we almost had a wrestling match at one point over the book).
What fascinated us both about this book, besides being set in Wyoming (google Crazy Woman Canyon, Wyoming), and being a really edge-of-your-seat murder mystery, is that the hero's family is basically our family - very similar situation (minus the dead body in the backyard, thank goodness). Well, it could be a lot of families, I'm not saying our situation is unique.
Joe Pickett, Wyoming Game Warden, gets a call from headquarters in Cheyenne. He makes the six hour drive, only to discover that he's fired. He drives back home in state of depression (Game wardens live in state houses and drive state trucks, so not only had he lost his job, but also his home, and his pickup truck, and for a Wyoming man, your losing your pickup truck is the lowest blow possible). He's dreading having to tell his wife what has happened. He has to stop at a bar first, to fortify himself. Then he spills the beans. His wife listens quietly. He's expecting her to pack up the kids and leave. This is kind of the last straw - they've been through all sorts of other troubles leading up to this darkest moment.
But instead of freaking out, his wife stands firmly at his side. She believes in him, and she tells him so.
Of course everything ends up working out (a few gunshots and trips to the hospital later), but that was the defining moment for B. and I. We're at a pretty dark moment here, but we believe in each other, and we also believe in the Lord, which is a pretty awesome place to be.
A few other notes. Here is the latest verse I'm working on for Beth Moore's scripture memory challenge.
Psalm 34:1-2 NIV
I will praise the Lord at all times
His praise will always be on my lips.
My soul will boast in the Lord,
Let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
I plan to memorize this whole Psalm. Verse 4 "I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears" has been a mainstay in my life for 10 years now, and the whole Psalm is worth memorizing.
Last, writing progress. I got bogged down at the end of chapter 3 with the introduction of new character who just wasn't "sounding" right. So, to keep momentum I skipped ahead. Got as far as Chapter 5 and bogged down again because I needed to reference that conversation in Chapter 3 that I had skipped because the voice wasn't right. After staring glumly at my computer screen for a while (and turning off my wireless because Facebook kept distracting me), I came to the frustrating conclusion that this particular character isn't developed enough to sound authentic, and he's an important character, so that means - research & development.
Last year I bought materials from author Holly Lisle's "Create A Character Clinic" - kind of glanced over it but didn't do anything. So yesterday I unearthed it and started shooting interview style questions at my character. She provides hundreds of different questions such as "what is the character's compelling need?" "what pain does he most fear?" and so forth. You can pick any of the questions that interest you and skip the ones that don't, though sometimes pursuing what may seem like an "n/a" question ends up leading down new and fascinating paths. Or, should I call it a rabbit trail? If it doesn't get me past the chapter 3 road block by next week, it's definitely a rabbit trail.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
How we are hurting, and true heros
Alas, the economic recession has started to hit us, hard. B. has about three weeks of work left, and nothing else lined up yet for his business, which is unheard of for us this time of year. Actually, he did have a big job lined up (KOA) but we found out a few weeks ago that the verbal agreement he had would no longer honored; G.M. had got a less expensive bid. This has caused B. all sorts of grief because he had, in the mean time, turned down some other opportunities because he was assured continually by G.M. that this job was his because he's done a lot of work for him in the past. Losing this job could very well mean that B. will lose his business. It's really not looking very hopeful right now.
Now I know all over the country people are losing jobs and businesses, so I can at least take comfort that we're not alone.
In fact, part of me is glad that this economic crisis is occurring. Prosperity is not always a blessing. When things come too easily to us, we can forget how much we need God. Certainly this trial we are going through right now with the business has resulted in us praying more, both on our own and together. We don't know what else to do about the things we don't have any control over. As more people around us are affected by the economy, it may open new opportunities to witness to them. I certainly hope that with my parents: they've lost over half of their investments. My mom, a professor who teaches international economics, is horrified not only by what is happening here in the US but also globally. She is anxious about everything; she says she only gets 4-5 hours of sleep a night.
I've haven't been losing sleep, but I do feel the temptation to fret, to snap at my husband, or at the kids; I feel guilty over not having spent money wisely for the past few months when we were so sure all of financial problems would be solved by this big job we were supposed to get; I feel guilty when I'm reading or watching movies and I think about how I could get out my laptop and log a few hours of work, so I can pay a few more bills. I feel the temptation to jump all over B. when he comes home early from work ("couldn't you find something to do for another few hours, to get us a little more money?")
When I feel this way, this near-panic, I have only two choices: continue to fret until I end up snapping at someone, or take a deep breath and pray. I thank God for our blessings. We have so much to be thankful for. All we stand to lose, if it comes to that, is material things. Things that rust and rot and wear out, anyway. I think about how happy I was moving out here to Wyoming 15 years ago with all my worldly possessions (including my cat) packed into my car. Life was very good with very little. It can be, again.
I just finished My Heart in His Hands: Ann Judson of Burma by Sharon James (lend to me by S.H.). I have not read any biographies in almost a ten years (the last one I read was one about Jim Elliot). I have been missing out! God has certainly used the story of Ann's life to change my perspective about our current material difficulties. At the age of 20, Ann dedicated her life to overseas missions, feeling that sharing the Gospel with people who had never heard it before was far more important than anything else the world had to offer. She gave up not only material comfort, but her friends, her family, her familiar way of life. And she did this at the very beginning of the missionary movement in the early 1800's: truly going into the great unknown, back in the day when a voyage to Asia could take from six months to a year, and the likelihood of ever returning was very slim. Hers was a life of great faith in God and it has definitely inspired me.
I never had any heros when I was growing up; at least none that I can remember. If someone had asked me who my hero was, it would have most likely been a fiction character like Gandalf, the wizard from Lord of the Rings, or maybe Lucy, one of the four children in the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. As an adult looking back on my youth now, I consider my parents to be my heros, because they loved me so much, raised me so well, and gave me so many opportunities. As a Christian, I look on Elisabeth Elliot as the closest thing I can think of to a heroine, a woman I deeply admire because of her faith, her life experiences (many of them very difficult and sad), her wisdom, and her ability to share her faith and her wisdom through her writing.
As a mother, I am starting to think about who I want my daughters to admire and desire to emulate. Right now if I asked Blaze or Dreamer, I'd bet they'd name one of the princesses from the many princess movies I've let them watch so much (because I do love princess stories, myself, and there are some good qualities of these movie heroines... unfortunately faith in the True God is not one of them). Faith in a Disney Princess will not get them very far when they face the complications and hardships of life. I would really like them to discover the Elisabeth Elliots and Ann Judsons of the world earlier than I did.
Now I know all over the country people are losing jobs and businesses, so I can at least take comfort that we're not alone.
In fact, part of me is glad that this economic crisis is occurring. Prosperity is not always a blessing. When things come too easily to us, we can forget how much we need God. Certainly this trial we are going through right now with the business has resulted in us praying more, both on our own and together. We don't know what else to do about the things we don't have any control over. As more people around us are affected by the economy, it may open new opportunities to witness to them. I certainly hope that with my parents: they've lost over half of their investments. My mom, a professor who teaches international economics, is horrified not only by what is happening here in the US but also globally. She is anxious about everything; she says she only gets 4-5 hours of sleep a night.
I've haven't been losing sleep, but I do feel the temptation to fret, to snap at my husband, or at the kids; I feel guilty over not having spent money wisely for the past few months when we were so sure all of financial problems would be solved by this big job we were supposed to get; I feel guilty when I'm reading or watching movies and I think about how I could get out my laptop and log a few hours of work, so I can pay a few more bills. I feel the temptation to jump all over B. when he comes home early from work ("couldn't you find something to do for another few hours, to get us a little more money?")
When I feel this way, this near-panic, I have only two choices: continue to fret until I end up snapping at someone, or take a deep breath and pray. I thank God for our blessings. We have so much to be thankful for. All we stand to lose, if it comes to that, is material things. Things that rust and rot and wear out, anyway. I think about how happy I was moving out here to Wyoming 15 years ago with all my worldly possessions (including my cat) packed into my car. Life was very good with very little. It can be, again.
I just finished My Heart in His Hands: Ann Judson of Burma by Sharon James (lend to me by S.H.). I have not read any biographies in almost a ten years (the last one I read was one about Jim Elliot). I have been missing out! God has certainly used the story of Ann's life to change my perspective about our current material difficulties. At the age of 20, Ann dedicated her life to overseas missions, feeling that sharing the Gospel with people who had never heard it before was far more important than anything else the world had to offer. She gave up not only material comfort, but her friends, her family, her familiar way of life. And she did this at the very beginning of the missionary movement in the early 1800's: truly going into the great unknown, back in the day when a voyage to Asia could take from six months to a year, and the likelihood of ever returning was very slim. Hers was a life of great faith in God and it has definitely inspired me.
I never had any heros when I was growing up; at least none that I can remember. If someone had asked me who my hero was, it would have most likely been a fiction character like Gandalf, the wizard from Lord of the Rings, or maybe Lucy, one of the four children in the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. As an adult looking back on my youth now, I consider my parents to be my heros, because they loved me so much, raised me so well, and gave me so many opportunities. As a Christian, I look on Elisabeth Elliot as the closest thing I can think of to a heroine, a woman I deeply admire because of her faith, her life experiences (many of them very difficult and sad), her wisdom, and her ability to share her faith and her wisdom through her writing.
As a mother, I am starting to think about who I want my daughters to admire and desire to emulate. Right now if I asked Blaze or Dreamer, I'd bet they'd name one of the princesses from the many princess movies I've let them watch so much (because I do love princess stories, myself, and there are some good qualities of these movie heroines... unfortunately faith in the True God is not one of them). Faith in a Disney Princess will not get them very far when they face the complications and hardships of life. I would really like them to discover the Elisabeth Elliots and Ann Judsons of the world earlier than I did.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Are there toys (and horses) in heaven?
I guess I am just in a blogging mood today. When I picked up my four-year-old, Carey, from preschool today, she got me with this question, "Are there toys in heaven?"
This reminded me of a little ditty that my father used to sing: "There is no beer in heaven, so I'll have to drink it all while I'm here."
Fortunately I have this book called 101 Questions Children Ask About God, and this was one of the questions (apparently Carey isn't the first to be worried about not having her toys in heaven).
"We like toys because we have so much fun with them. But we can get tired of toys, too. You don't play with your baby toys any more. That's because you outgrew them and got tired of them. God will have just the right kind of toys for you in heaven."
Ah, I like that answer. It is exciting to think about the things we love here on earth, and then think about just how more wonderful everything in heaven will be, when we've outgrown all our "baby toys." Personally, I've always hoped when I get to heaven that God will give me a perfectly trained horse (or help me train one perfectly) so I can ride Grand Prix level dressage (the very highest, most complex, and most beautiful level). But just think, in heaven, there will a level even higher than Grand Prix. We just can't even begin to imagine what toys there will be in heaven.
This reminded me of a little ditty that my father used to sing: "There is no beer in heaven, so I'll have to drink it all while I'm here."
Fortunately I have this book called 101 Questions Children Ask About God, and this was one of the questions (apparently Carey isn't the first to be worried about not having her toys in heaven).
"We like toys because we have so much fun with them. But we can get tired of toys, too. You don't play with your baby toys any more. That's because you outgrew them and got tired of them. God will have just the right kind of toys for you in heaven."
Ah, I like that answer. It is exciting to think about the things we love here on earth, and then think about just how more wonderful everything in heaven will be, when we've outgrown all our "baby toys." Personally, I've always hoped when I get to heaven that God will give me a perfectly trained horse (or help me train one perfectly) so I can ride Grand Prix level dressage (the very highest, most complex, and most beautiful level). But just think, in heaven, there will a level even higher than Grand Prix. We just can't even begin to imagine what toys there will be in heaven.
Spring Break
I went to visit an old friend of mine from college over spring break. 800 mile drive one way to southern Nevada, but it was worth it for the beautiful weather and time to catch up with a dear friend and her family. When B. said he couldn't come with me (too much work) we had to divide up the kids, no way I could make that trip trying to manage all four of them! I decided to bring Blaze so she could see her friend Coraly, and then we debated which twin I should take... Serious is grumpier, but Starlet gets into more trouble - which would be easier for me to handle on the road, and for B. to handle at home? In the end I took Starlet, because Starlet is very attached to Blaze.
Blaze and Starlet handled the long drive really well (thank goodness for DVDs, and motel swimming pools). Also we stopped at a few pretty places along the way.
Here's a picture of Blaze at the beautiful red rock canyons at Colorado National Monument:
Blaze and Starlet at a resort in Nevada where we stopped for a picnic lunch:
Blaze at the base of Bridal Veil falls, Utah (yeah, I found another waterfall! Every place I go travel, I always look for waterfalls)
Now we are all back trying get into the daily routine again. For my writing progress, I am currently struggling with editing Chapter 3 - since I re-wrote chapter 2, it now appears as though I'll have to re-write a lot of chapter 3, too. But after this it should get easier - I hope!
My next verse to memorize for Beth Moore's scripture memory challenge is one that I chose specifically to pray daily for my friend D.W.
Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.
Beth Moore always seems to have something insightful on her blog, here's an encouraging little tidbit she shared to keep us motivated with memorizing:
Did you know that memorization is one of the best ways on earth to keep our brains sharp? Yep. And I also heard a few days ago that all the multi-tasking we're doing does not work the part of our brain that requires stimulation to tap into our brilliance. (Every single one of us has brilliance.) That part of our brain requires tremendous focus on one thing for extended periods of time, pushing our thoughts a solitary direction that stretches and works it beyond its normal exercise. That's part of what Scripture memory does!
Keeping up on my Bible read-through. And I have now lost 5 pounds, slow but steady progress. I have also been so blessed by three books I have been reading lately. I have so many good quotes to share from these... will have to wait for my next blog post, though.
Oh but one thing I do want to share right now though is this amazing Biblical resource: www.gty.org (Grace To You). I downloaded several sermons by John MacArthur before heading off on my long trip, and it was very refreshing to listen to powerful Biblical teaching to make the miles pass by (Seeing God's Purpose in Your Trials; Who is Jesus, and Why Should I Care). Years ago, I used to participate in Grace to You's tape library, where you'd pick 4 tapes and they'd send them to you, and you'd get four more once you sent the first bunch back. Now, they have all of MacArthur's sermons and studies on-line, most of them transcripted or available for download to listen to. I know there are many other good preachers out there (I'd like to check out John Piper, too), but my husband also loves listening to MacArthur when we go on road trips, so I keep going back to this familiar source.
Blaze and Starlet handled the long drive really well (thank goodness for DVDs, and motel swimming pools). Also we stopped at a few pretty places along the way.
Here's a picture of Blaze at the beautiful red rock canyons at Colorado National Monument:
Blaze and Starlet at a resort in Nevada where we stopped for a picnic lunch:
Blaze at the base of Bridal Veil falls, Utah (yeah, I found another waterfall! Every place I go travel, I always look for waterfalls)
Now we are all back trying get into the daily routine again. For my writing progress, I am currently struggling with editing Chapter 3 - since I re-wrote chapter 2, it now appears as though I'll have to re-write a lot of chapter 3, too. But after this it should get easier - I hope!My next verse to memorize for Beth Moore's scripture memory challenge is one that I chose specifically to pray daily for my friend D.W.
Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.
Beth Moore always seems to have something insightful on her blog, here's an encouraging little tidbit she shared to keep us motivated with memorizing:
Did you know that memorization is one of the best ways on earth to keep our brains sharp? Yep. And I also heard a few days ago that all the multi-tasking we're doing does not work the part of our brain that requires stimulation to tap into our brilliance. (Every single one of us has brilliance.) That part of our brain requires tremendous focus on one thing for extended periods of time, pushing our thoughts a solitary direction that stretches and works it beyond its normal exercise. That's part of what Scripture memory does!
Keeping up on my Bible read-through. And I have now lost 5 pounds, slow but steady progress. I have also been so blessed by three books I have been reading lately. I have so many good quotes to share from these... will have to wait for my next blog post, though.
Oh but one thing I do want to share right now though is this amazing Biblical resource: www.gty.org (Grace To You). I downloaded several sermons by John MacArthur before heading off on my long trip, and it was very refreshing to listen to powerful Biblical teaching to make the miles pass by (Seeing God's Purpose in Your Trials; Who is Jesus, and Why Should I Care). Years ago, I used to participate in Grace to You's tape library, where you'd pick 4 tapes and they'd send them to you, and you'd get four more once you sent the first bunch back. Now, they have all of MacArthur's sermons and studies on-line, most of them transcripted or available for download to listen to. I know there are many other good preachers out there (I'd like to check out John Piper, too), but my husband also loves listening to MacArthur when we go on road trips, so I keep going back to this familiar source.
Friday, March 13, 2009
25 random things about me
Writing progress to report: Or rather, editing process. By now I would have liked to report that I have chapters 3 and 4 edited now. But instead, I went back to Chapter 2 and completely re-wrote it. I think I like it better now. But I have to STOP completely re-writing things if I'm ever going to get to the point where I can submit something for publication. There is such a thing as re-writing to death.
Still, I'm glad I did it. Now, don't lose momentum...
I'm keeping up with my Bible read-through in one year, though I'm skipping around a lot. I'm in May already... ah, wouldn't it be nice if the weather outside was skipping ahead to May, too!
Keeping up with Beth Moore's scripture memory challenge too. So far I have memorized Galations 2:20, Matt 9:12,13, Romans 11:33-36, and now I am working on:
Hebrews 10:35-36
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly reward. You need to perserve so that when you ahve done the will of God, you will recieve what He has promised.
Which leads directly to my forth commitment I made this year, which I like to delicately refer to as TTLW (Try To Lose Weight). I decided to memorize this verse (which was Beth's selected verse for March, for reasons entirely different than my own, I'm sure), because it seemed to speak to me about this particular challenge. I AM confident that if I keep asking God for help (even if it 5, 6, 7 or even 15 times a day), He can help me overcome the desire to overeat. But this verse reminds that I also need to PERSEVERE.
The benefit of having to ask for so much help is two fold: I've lost 4 pounds in the past 2 weeks. That's a start. But even better, coming to him many times a day to ask for help has been such a blessing in many other ways, too. The more time I spend talking to God and thinking about Him, the happier I am, and it prepared me to face a really TOUGH trial this week. (Which may be the subject of another blog post some time. key word to remind myself: KOA).
I am also including something fun that's been going around on Facebook.
25 random things
The rules: If you are tagged, you are supposed to post a note with 25 random facts about yourself and tag 25 other people. (It's fun; I'm actually learning new things about my friends!)
1. I only ever planned to have 2 kids, but I love having 4 and a stepdaughter
2. When I moved to Wyoming my secret plan was to marry a cowboy and live on a ranch
3. I grew up in New York but wanted to live in Wyoming since I was 10 years old and read "My Friend Flicka"
4. I don't drink coffee, only tea, and only with cream and sugar in it, and I'm a beast in the morning until I get my first cup
5. My absolute favorite thing to do is ride horses with my family in the mountains. I can't wait till the rest of my kids are old enough to go.... but can we afford that many horses? :)
6. My second favorite thing to do is curl up with a good book near a fireplace (with a cup of tea, of course)
7. I can read a 700 page book in 7 hours if it's good enough
8. I am a terrible driver. Keep an eye out for my van (the back of it is all caved in) and STAY AWAY from it
9. I got saved when I was 23 when a friend challenged me to read the Bible and I read the whole book of Job in one night and couldn't believe God would let such terrible things happen to someone who loved Him but then I read Job 38:1-8 and oh, wow. Wow. I still get the shivers.
10. I have named every car I have owned, and most of my Christmas trees (my cars: the Beast, Shade, Flicka, Snow Flicka, Cindy)
11. I collect nutcrackers and quotes
12. I have to watch movies with subtitles, because my kids interrupt all the time
13. I am terrified to share my faith with others unless they specifically ask me questions about it
14. I like to play practical jokes on my husband (anyone have any good ideas?)
15. I like to read blogs and lists like this one
16. I have been planning a trip to Alaska for 14 years now. (Maybe this will be the year?)
17. I expected to published before I was 30. Now I'm aiming for 50
18. I love road trips
19. I am a geography geek - I look up locations in my atlas that I hear about on the news or on nature shows
20. I hate materialism but I get suckered into wanting things all the time
21. I was a terrible shoplifter my senior year in high school but I haven't done anything illegal since
22. I can't believe I just wrote that!
23. I'm going to end this list now before I admit anything else incriminating
A few weeks later a friend from church (T.S.) posted her random 25 things, and I thought so many of her answers were so thoughtful - like what I might have written if I had given more thought t what I was writing - that I've pasted in some of them here, with my own comments
2. I am a thinker. I like to question, reason, and consider both sides of an argument.
3. I think that one of the most quintessential questions that one must ask is this: Is Jesus who he said he was? There’s no gray area---either he was telling the truth--died for our sins, was resurrected, appeared to many witnesses, and is the only way to heaven….or, he was the most egomaniacal, self-deluded liar that ever existed.
4. I believe the former……Jesus told the truth and he is who he says he is. This is good news!....and I’m not ashamed to share it. [AMEN!]
5. If you disagree, I will love you anyway. [and I will enjoy respectful debates with you]
6. I had a wonderful childhood. [I did too, absolutely... my stepdaughter thinks this is because I was an only child, but I know it was because my parents cherished me and gave me lots of opportunities, and a lot of freedom]
7. I absolutely adore my family…..every single one of them. They are precious to me. [Not only my own family, but I am extremely blessed to be able the same thing about my husband's family too.]
16. I care about political issues, but I simply cannot identify myself with a political party. Until I find a party that actually stands for what they claim to stand for, not to mention what I believe in, I will remain a Liberpendipublicrat. [I love the name of this new party! I'm signing up!]
17. I like to play silly little word games with friends. Cereal you might not want to eat?.....Frosted Flukes….Count Botula.…Trixinosis. [I have got to ask her about more of her word games. Excellent character tag]
18. I really dislike the phrase “woman driver, no survivor”. The last time I really gave it much thought I backed into a car while the gentleman that I had just started dating laughed at me from my passenger seat. [I can relate to this all too well]
19. I love irony. [I like to call it "what goes around, comes around"]
22. I care about the environment, but I strongly believe we have to find solutions that are practical, fair, and sustainable. I find radical environmental groups that destroy industries with false propaganda (NRDC) as deplorable as self-serving, polluting mining companies. [as we get older... and hopefully, wiser, we have a harder time taking sides; or perhaps it's just that we can more readily see both sides of the situation]
23. I like being challenged…..mentally, spiritually, and physically. I enjoy a respectful debate, but dislike arguing. [I love being challenged too... respectfully. Arguing makes me want to cry]
25. I walk by faith and believe in things not yet seen, holding on to a glorious hope and future. [I believe the same, that we are actually only visitors here in this life, awaiting the day when we can go to our true home]
A late addition: here are a few more random things from another friend, H.L., that I wanted to keep (because I'm nostalgic, and also because some of these are wise)
7. I love chocolate. [I do, too, I think it is one of the greatest panaceas of life...one of many reasons why H.L. and I relate so well with each other!]
10. I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior after our daughter was stillborn in 2003. Even though I thought I was one of the smartest, most capable people I know, I realized I am not the one in control of my life or my eternity and I turned it over to the One who is. [so well said]
11. It is and always will be the best decision I've made. [AMEN!]
12. Second-best decision, marrying my husband, he's made my life better than I thought it could be. [my list said I like to play practical jokes on my husband. I am ashamed that I did not also mention that he is the most wonderful person I know, and I still can't believe I found the love of my life... and got to keep him]
18. I love to travel. [this should have been on my list, too. Oh wait, I did say that I love road trips]
19. My most appreciated daily luxury is a long, hot shower.
20. Some of you might have thought I would say reading, but in my world, reading is a necessity, not a luxury. [I agree with the necessity part for reading. For me, my daily luxury would be computer time - whether it's having fun on Facebook, writing/reading emails or blogs, journaling, or writing stories.]
22. I became a vet because I like animals better than people, but I've finally grown up enough to value people more than animals. [I like this humble admission]
Still, I'm glad I did it. Now, don't lose momentum...
I'm keeping up with my Bible read-through in one year, though I'm skipping around a lot. I'm in May already... ah, wouldn't it be nice if the weather outside was skipping ahead to May, too!
Keeping up with Beth Moore's scripture memory challenge too. So far I have memorized Galations 2:20, Matt 9:12,13, Romans 11:33-36, and now I am working on:
Hebrews 10:35-36
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly reward. You need to perserve so that when you ahve done the will of God, you will recieve what He has promised.
Which leads directly to my forth commitment I made this year, which I like to delicately refer to as TTLW (Try To Lose Weight). I decided to memorize this verse (which was Beth's selected verse for March, for reasons entirely different than my own, I'm sure), because it seemed to speak to me about this particular challenge. I AM confident that if I keep asking God for help (even if it 5, 6, 7 or even 15 times a day), He can help me overcome the desire to overeat. But this verse reminds that I also need to PERSEVERE.
The benefit of having to ask for so much help is two fold: I've lost 4 pounds in the past 2 weeks. That's a start. But even better, coming to him many times a day to ask for help has been such a blessing in many other ways, too. The more time I spend talking to God and thinking about Him, the happier I am, and it prepared me to face a really TOUGH trial this week. (Which may be the subject of another blog post some time. key word to remind myself: KOA).
I am also including something fun that's been going around on Facebook.
25 random things
The rules: If you are tagged, you are supposed to post a note with 25 random facts about yourself and tag 25 other people. (It's fun; I'm actually learning new things about my friends!)
1. I only ever planned to have 2 kids, but I love having 4 and a stepdaughter
2. When I moved to Wyoming my secret plan was to marry a cowboy and live on a ranch
3. I grew up in New York but wanted to live in Wyoming since I was 10 years old and read "My Friend Flicka"
4. I don't drink coffee, only tea, and only with cream and sugar in it, and I'm a beast in the morning until I get my first cup
5. My absolute favorite thing to do is ride horses with my family in the mountains. I can't wait till the rest of my kids are old enough to go.... but can we afford that many horses? :)
6. My second favorite thing to do is curl up with a good book near a fireplace (with a cup of tea, of course)
7. I can read a 700 page book in 7 hours if it's good enough
8. I am a terrible driver. Keep an eye out for my van (the back of it is all caved in) and STAY AWAY from it
9. I got saved when I was 23 when a friend challenged me to read the Bible and I read the whole book of Job in one night and couldn't believe God would let such terrible things happen to someone who loved Him but then I read Job 38:1-8 and oh, wow. Wow. I still get the shivers.
10. I have named every car I have owned, and most of my Christmas trees (my cars: the Beast, Shade, Flicka, Snow Flicka, Cindy)
11. I collect nutcrackers and quotes
12. I have to watch movies with subtitles, because my kids interrupt all the time
13. I am terrified to share my faith with others unless they specifically ask me questions about it
14. I like to play practical jokes on my husband (anyone have any good ideas?)
15. I like to read blogs and lists like this one
16. I have been planning a trip to Alaska for 14 years now. (Maybe this will be the year?)
17. I expected to published before I was 30. Now I'm aiming for 50
18. I love road trips
19. I am a geography geek - I look up locations in my atlas that I hear about on the news or on nature shows
20. I hate materialism but I get suckered into wanting things all the time
21. I was a terrible shoplifter my senior year in high school but I haven't done anything illegal since
22. I can't believe I just wrote that!
23. I'm going to end this list now before I admit anything else incriminating
A few weeks later a friend from church (T.S.) posted her random 25 things, and I thought so many of her answers were so thoughtful - like what I might have written if I had given more thought t what I was writing - that I've pasted in some of them here, with my own comments
2. I am a thinker. I like to question, reason, and consider both sides of an argument.
3. I think that one of the most quintessential questions that one must ask is this: Is Jesus who he said he was? There’s no gray area---either he was telling the truth--died for our sins, was resurrected, appeared to many witnesses, and is the only way to heaven….or, he was the most egomaniacal, self-deluded liar that ever existed.
4. I believe the former……Jesus told the truth and he is who he says he is. This is good news!....and I’m not ashamed to share it. [AMEN!]
5. If you disagree, I will love you anyway. [and I will enjoy respectful debates with you]
6. I had a wonderful childhood. [I did too, absolutely... my stepdaughter thinks this is because I was an only child, but I know it was because my parents cherished me and gave me lots of opportunities, and a lot of freedom]
7. I absolutely adore my family…..every single one of them. They are precious to me. [Not only my own family, but I am extremely blessed to be able the same thing about my husband's family too.]
16. I care about political issues, but I simply cannot identify myself with a political party. Until I find a party that actually stands for what they claim to stand for, not to mention what I believe in, I will remain a Liberpendipublicrat. [I love the name of this new party! I'm signing up!]
17. I like to play silly little word games with friends. Cereal you might not want to eat?.....Frosted Flukes….Count Botula.…Trixinosis. [I have got to ask her about more of her word games. Excellent character tag]
18. I really dislike the phrase “woman driver, no survivor”. The last time I really gave it much thought I backed into a car while the gentleman that I had just started dating laughed at me from my passenger seat. [I can relate to this all too well]
19. I love irony. [I like to call it "what goes around, comes around"]
22. I care about the environment, but I strongly believe we have to find solutions that are practical, fair, and sustainable. I find radical environmental groups that destroy industries with false propaganda (NRDC) as deplorable as self-serving, polluting mining companies. [as we get older... and hopefully, wiser, we have a harder time taking sides; or perhaps it's just that we can more readily see both sides of the situation]
23. I like being challenged…..mentally, spiritually, and physically. I enjoy a respectful debate, but dislike arguing. [I love being challenged too... respectfully. Arguing makes me want to cry]
25. I walk by faith and believe in things not yet seen, holding on to a glorious hope and future. [I believe the same, that we are actually only visitors here in this life, awaiting the day when we can go to our true home]
A late addition: here are a few more random things from another friend, H.L., that I wanted to keep (because I'm nostalgic, and also because some of these are wise)
7. I love chocolate. [I do, too, I think it is one of the greatest panaceas of life...one of many reasons why H.L. and I relate so well with each other!]
10. I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior after our daughter was stillborn in 2003. Even though I thought I was one of the smartest, most capable people I know, I realized I am not the one in control of my life or my eternity and I turned it over to the One who is. [so well said]
11. It is and always will be the best decision I've made. [AMEN!]
12. Second-best decision, marrying my husband, he's made my life better than I thought it could be. [my list said I like to play practical jokes on my husband. I am ashamed that I did not also mention that he is the most wonderful person I know, and I still can't believe I found the love of my life... and got to keep him]
18. I love to travel. [this should have been on my list, too. Oh wait, I did say that I love road trips]
19. My most appreciated daily luxury is a long, hot shower.
20. Some of you might have thought I would say reading, but in my world, reading is a necessity, not a luxury. [I agree with the necessity part for reading. For me, my daily luxury would be computer time - whether it's having fun on Facebook, writing/reading emails or blogs, journaling, or writing stories.]
22. I became a vet because I like animals better than people, but I've finally grown up enough to value people more than animals. [I like this humble admission]
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