Zion Revisited

Was working on my Bible Study, "Living Brave" by Kat Cannon, on 2 Corinthians 4 & 5 and found an old song going thru my head:  "Born in Zion" by Wayne Watson, from the album "Giants In The Land" (1985). Great song & great album.  I listened to the whole album (cassette tape, then CD) a lot in college, and even had the performance track for this song.  

Anyway, the lesson was talking about what waits for us in Heaven, including a new body (hallelujah!) and a judgement that has no condemnation.  While I was working through the part about judgment with no condemnation, the chorus for this song kept going thru my head:

     This one was born in Zion
     Make no mistake, this one is Mine
     This one was born in Zion
     This one will never, this one will never,
     This one will never die
    
It encouraged me then, and it encourages me now.  I hope it encourages you too. And if you have a chance, listen to the whole album.       

Being Brave enough to find my Ezer-ness

I got to spend Friday evening and Saturday at the5th annual BRAVE Women's Conference. The conference was created by my friend Kat Cannon and is a ministry of Austin Oaks Church.  Our church was privileged to be a partner church.  I learned a lot during the weekend and was encouraged.  


When God creates Eve as a helper for Adam, the Hebrew word used for "helper" is "Ezer". It appears in the Old Testament several more times, but as a military term.  Carol Custis James asserts in her blog post Return of the Ezer, that "Based on the Old Testament's consistent usage of this term, it only makes sense to conclude that God created woman to be a warrior."

To be a warrior requires bravery.  To help people also requires bravery.  The same people that you help may reject you, turn against you, or even take credit for your work.  And sometimes trying to help people may not have the results you are aiming for.  Then you have to deal with the failure to help and the consequences.  Basically putting yourself out there as a helper, an ally, or even a warrior involves risk, and yes, bravery.  It also involves a choice.  In order to be an Ezer, you have to make a choice to be the person God created you to be.

As I continue to learn more about the person God created me to be, I hope I am brave enough to live out my Ezer-ness.

Things Old and New

So the silver lining in having water in my storage closet is throwing out things that should have been gotten rid of long ago, along with motivation to switch to plastic document & storage boxes instead of cardboard.  Of course this, in addition to the interior de-cluttering means my house looks like a tornado went through it and/or I just move in. While I've been going thru things I found things that I haven't seen in years and brought back both happy & sad memories... pictures, cards, letters, and other things from different seasons of my life. The sappy, sentimental side of me is still probably keeping things that should be tossed, but, one step at a time.

Now on to the new thing... that is totally unrelated to the old things, and maybe a little silly mentioning it in the grand scheme of things. While I was at the grocery store last weekend, they were doing samples of items like they do most weekends.  I don't stop at the little stations that often, but there was one that had what looked like guacamole.  Seeing as I'm a big fan of guacamole, I stopped.  Imagine my surprise to find that it was not guacamole, but avocado hummus, especially given that I'm not a fan of most types of regular hummus. They also had a coupon for it, so I decided to try it at home, and yes, I still like it.  It's not the first time I tried something without knowing exactly what it was and ended up liking it. Sometimes being clueless helps in being open to new things... dontcha think?

Turning Questions into Statements

Yeah, it's been a while since I've posted.  "Why is that?" you may ask.  Not sure if I have an answer for that, or at least not a decent answer... got busy, got lazy, you name it. However, it does lead into what's on my mind... questions.  There are a lot of them in life.  Some have no answers, some require and answer and some beg to be turned into statements of truth.

I used to drive my college pastor crazy with questions.  Occasionally, I think I should tell Tom Westbrook that I'm sorry about driving him crazy, but then I realize, it was part of the learning process. So, no Tom, I'm not really that sorry.  Some of the answers have stayed with me, and are still true today along with other truths we learned back then.  The one that struck me the hardest was when I asked him how he knew that God would work in his life in certain situations, as a prelude to asking how I would know God would work in my life.  His answer, which I will never forget:  "I know He will because He has."  As a result, I've stopped asking if God is working in my life and started stating that He is working in my life.

There are other questions that come up that I pray will become statements as well:
"Am I brave enough in my daily life?"  "What does being brave look like in my life"  I know that God made me to be brave, but that truth hasn't quite fully sunk in to a practical place yet.  And I'm not the only one in this situation.  That's why The Fellowship at Scofield Farms is a partner for the BRAVE Women's Conference this fall.  With God's help I will stop asking "Am I brave?" and state "I am brave."  Thanks to Kat Cannon, the creator of the BRAVE Women's Conference for reaching out and allowing our church to partner with you.

Changing questions into statements is sometimes as easy as changing the order of the words and the punctuation.  For example, "Am I smart enough?" becomes "I am smart enough."  The trick, however, is yo stop wondering about the answer to the question and start believing the truth of the statement.  Then comes the blessing.  Yes, there are areas that God's still working on this in me, and that I'm still learning.  How do I know this?  I know He will because He has.  Thanks Tom.  And thanks be to God for taking my questions and turning them into statements.

Milestones and Memories

This is my last day in my 40's.  Yes, I admit it.  I turn 50 tomorrow... or more accurately, 29 with 21 years of experience.  (Thank you again Lisa Mayfield!)  So I'm asking myself: 'Self, how the heck did I get to this point in my life?'  Standard responses in my head are: "Time" (duh), and "The Grace of God" (double duh).  Other than the totally obvious just stated, I have no clue; especially since I'm not anywhere thought I'd be when I was younger. However, even though I never saw myself where I am now, or doing what I'm doing now, I'm really happy.  Even more so when I think about places I've been and things I've done that were not in "my" plan.  Sometimes not having your plans for yourself work out can be a good thing... sometimes it can even be a great thing.

And as it frequently does, reaching a milestone brings introspection & memories.  On my Facebook page I share my post from 1 year ago which lead to memories of a college student ministry retreat from 25 years ago. It was a little freaky thinking about the fact that it was half my life ago.  However, those memories brought a smile to my face.

Recently there have also been family memories both, good and bad, leading up to a family reunion in Kansas next month.  Family can certainly be difficult at times.  You still have to love them though... even when you may not actually like them at that particular moment.

I know this is sounding a little cheesy and maybe even a little sappy; but as I start the next decade, I'm looking forward to the new memories than may come from my plans not working out.

Kindred Spirits

From time to time God surprises me with a new kindred spirit friend.  For those who don't know what a kindred spirit is, Dictionary.com defines it as "a person who shares beliefs, attitudes, feelings, or features with another".  Some people use "soul mate" interchangeably with kindred spirit.  I personally don't agree with that because I have kindred spirits who are not my soul mate - and in one case I'm sure Jonathan's wife Rhoda is happy about that.  I know who my kindred spirits are.  I do not yet know who my soul mate is, or even if I have one.  While they can be similar, they are not the same.

Sometimes it takes a while to realize that we are kindred spirits. Sometimes we know after a short amount of time.  Even so, I have been surprised that after only 2 weeks, I have a new kindred spirit in Moses, the new interim pastor at The Fellowship at Scofield Farms.  It's nice to have another kindred spirit to do ministry with, and bounce ideas off of.

Having a kindred spirit in ministry can make it easier, and often more fun; or help you make it through difficult times.  Kindred spirits are a resource... a prayer supporter...  they help you grow, and grow closer to God.

I hope you appreciate and pray for your kindred spirits like I do mine.

Bittersweet Madness!

So I'm sitting here watching the NCAA Selection Show even if K-State isn't in it this year. It's the only time of the year that I'll cheer for KU. Yes, I know I'll hear it from both friends and family, but I recognize, and even admit, they are a good basketball team.  At least my 2nd school, UT is in at a #6 seed... Hook Em Horns!  I should also point out that 70% of the Big XII Conference is going to the dance; and what's good for the conference is good for K-State.  I'll let you know how soon my bracket is blown.

The Tournament Selection is fitting for this day that is bittersweet from beginning to end.
This morning at the end of the service at The Fellowship at Scofield Farms, we said goodbye to Pastor Russell and sent him and Brooke off to their next ministry.  

They are following God's call and aren't leaving the Austin area, which is good, but I won't get to do ministry with them on a regular basis which is sad.  And for those who know me... of course I cried, not as much as expected, but I still cried.  However, I was by no means the only one crying.  I had plenty of company in that, including Brooke and Russell.

Just because we said goodbye to the Pastor doesn't mean the ministry of the church will stop.  It won't.  We'll have an interim Pastor until a full time Pastor can be found, so we'll be in transition for a while.  It's been a while since the transition has been because of the Pastor leaving while I stayed.  The last few times, it's been me leaving a ministry.

Now that the Selection Show is over, I need to finish this and go fill out my bracket(s).  

Needless to say this day has been up and down, happy and sad, bitter and sweet... in other words total madness!  

Of Faith & Flutterbies

So we are 4 days into Lent - preparing for Easter.  I have not given anything up for Lent again this year, as I've promised friends and co-workers that I would never give up chocolate or caffeine again. It was ugly... don't ask.   

However, to prepare for Easter, I'm doing Margaret Feinberg's Lent Reading Challenge again this year. It's still soon enough that you can get caught up on the readings. [Hint, Hint] The daily readings are the books of Luke & Acts. I've added my own twist, and have started a journal to record insights as I read.  

Even though I've read both books before, I still learn new things each time I re-read. One of the things that have struck me so far is how Elizabeth and Zechariah each reacted when they found out that Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist.  Zechariah was struck dumb because he didn’t believe it when the angel Gabriel told him that Elizabeth would have a child.  Elizabeth, however, commented that “The Lord has done this for me”.  I find it comforting to realize that the women of the Bible had more faith than the men at times.

This week the Small Group at The Fellowship at Scofield Farms started the War Room Bible Study.  It promises to be challenging.  One of the things suggested is to create your own War Room (Prayer/Study Room).  Given the size of my condo, I'm using my back yard as it is also something of a sanctuary for me.  My sister helped helped me re-design the back yard a few years ago, and it turned out really well.

As you can see from the picture above, my backyard is decorated with butterflies, or as I called them when I was a child, "flutterbies".  Part of the reason I love butterflies is that they are a wonderful picture of how God can take a caterpillar, something that most consider ordinary at best, an ugly pest at worst, at turn it into something beautiful and graceful.  

It's also appropriate as we approach Easter.  This is the ultimate example of God's ability to take something ordinary like a human body and turn it into something extraordinary: a resurrected Christ who paid the price for our sins, and thru which we have salvation.  My faith in Christ is what gives me ultimate hope for the future.

My prayer is that we all become more aware of God & Christ's sacrifice during this Lent season.  Happy Lent!

I'm listening

"I'm listening."   It's what everyone wants to hear when they have something to say; and hopefully something we're willing to say when others need to talk.  However, listening isn't always a good thing.  The trick is in listening to the things that are beneficial to us, and ignoring the things that are false and/or harmful. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Yeah, it's not. I admit I've struggled with this off and on for years. (decades?)

The thoughts have bounced all over the place about where to go from here.  I didn't want to sound too "preachy", but I also didn't want to sound like it shouldn't be taken seriously. Listening to the lies that are all around us can cause more damage than we realize.  I'm still learning and struggling with this.  I used to think that when I got older I'd have this under control, but now I know this is a life-long struggle.  Some lies cause more damage than others.

However, the solution is the same as it's always been: Faith. When we hold on to those things we know to be true; the things that come from God, the easier it is to tell what is a lie. I confess that I've forgotten that more often than I care to admit.  But I got a reminder today at church.   The sermon was on the Supremacy of Christ in Colossians 1:15-23; and being reconciled to God thru Christ.  However, there is one phrase that struck me as also being helpful in combating against the lies that Satan wants us to believe: "if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel."  Part of being reconciled to God is Him helping us to not listen to the lies.

Thanks to Pastor Russell for the message.  He'll be happy to know I was listening.

Hmmmm... We'll see...

It's New Year's Day, 2016; and I feel like I should write something, but don't know exactly what to write, so stream of consciousness it is.  So let me start with "Happy New Year!"

Earlier today I went to a movie with my friend Susan.  Finally got to see the new Star Wars movie.  Glad I saw it in 3D. Some shocks and a lot of questions for next movie(s). Then we did a bit of shopping. Can't tell you what I bought because if my sister reads this, part of her birthday present will not be a surprise.

This evening is being spend watching cheesy movies I've already seen (more than once) and and reading newsy holiday letters - both hard copy and electronic - and new blog posts. New family pictures are on the refrigerator, and cards are up on the door to the coat closet.

I admit I'm taking my time unpacking.  I can procrastinate with the best of them.  Tomorrow the unpacking procrastination will come in the form of taking down the outside Christmas lights.  At least that's the goal.  We'll see.

That's actually what's been my reaction to the new year.  Hmmmm... We'll see.  Yes, I have goals.  And plans.  But I'm going to try not to get bent out of shape if I don't meet my self set goals or things don't go according plan.  I know that God can change my plans and goals.

My primary goal for this year, is to listen more, and be open to God's leading no matter what my plans are.  I know His plans are better than mine.  I just pray for the strength and help to follow what He has for me... and to say "OK God, your will not mine." even when He only gives me one piece of the puzzle at a time.  At least I know how the story ends.  So that's one thing where I won't need to say Hmmmm.

"The rest of the story" for 2016? (yes, that's a reference to Paul Harvey).  Just let me say Hmmmm... We'll see...