for when we need to change the way we see

"Auggie can't change the way he looks.  Maybe we can change the way we see." ~Mr. Tushman

Like Auggie in Wonder, there is much about our lives that we cannot change.  As much as we are able to choose on our own through careful thought or wild abandon, control is something we have not been given, no matter how strongly we fight to take it anyway.  The reasoning for this is the most loving thing I can think of, because if we have the ability to control, our view will remain focused on ourselves, on what we want, and what we have to do to get it.  Eyes lost in themselves will always be lost.  

The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.  Matthew 6:22 

It is beyond our limited vision where Truth and Beauty lie.  It is with the eyes of Christ that light can flood in and enable us to truly see.  When His Father in all His omniscient perfection has created a world, our humanity does not have the ability to comprehend the view, it is only with the newness of life that the fuzzy begins to turn to a more clear crystal. 

Long ago in my days of teaching, the principal frequently talked about paradigm shifts, a change in how you view a person or a situation that results in a change of approach.  Within each believer is the ability to shift, led by the spirit within.  Like an artist in the midst of capturing their imagination on canvas, we sometimes need just a slightly different angle, a bit of a head tilt to see what is truly there and what is the core essential for life.  You don't have to walk a mile down the road.  It just takes a step or two to get a different view.

Baseball season started last weekend and with three boys it makes for a full few months with lots of excitement, lots of disappointments, and lots of red dirt!  Last night our oldest had his first game and for an abundant amount of reasons they got crushed by a team they should have been able to stand toe to toe with.  But instead of facing the usual sullen, frustrated, teary, angry, boy that typically appears after that type of situation, I looked into a face of peace and good attitude, ready to put that game behind him and move on to the next.  Somewhere in that hour and a half his vision changed and with it the ability to see the high and low for what they were and what they could teach instead of blending it all into a failure.  My mama heart was beyond thankful for those new eyes last night, even if in the growing up process they don't show up again next time.

Though we can not truly change our hearts alone, we can learn when they need to be changed, when our eyes, the windows to our souls, should be looking elsewhere than the spot they have chosen. 

Here are four different times when we need to change the way we see...

1. When you can't tell where you're going.

       Whether you choose to read this figuratively or literally, we all get lost sometimes.  Driving home from a place you didn't know how to get to in the first place and then now have to reverse directions to get back is tricky.  Life is trickier.  After plowing through thinking you're going one way, you can look up and see that you recognize nothing around you.  This is going to happen.  When it does stop, do not keep going without changing what you're seeing.  Stop looking at what you don't recognize and look at what you do.  What in the midst of the situation looks familiar, do you see Christ anywhere.  I promise he's there.  He will keep you in perfect peace when your mind is stayed on Him.  A promise to cling to from Isaiah 26:3. 

       The right way to go when you can't tell where you're going could be to turn around and start over or it could be to keep walking forward in faith, but if in all your ways you are acknowledging him, he WILL make your paths straight whatever direction they go.

2.  When you're not sure where to look. 

       Same answer, different situation.     

       Standing at the edge of decision, afraid of falling if you jump.  We all get lost, but then at other times we are all frozen in place not even having started because we have no clue where to even start looking for the "right" thing to do.

        If you are Christ's, lovingly held in the palms of your creator, His Good surrounds you with a greater safety than any other harness you wrap around you or any parachute you strap on your back.  Step off.  The feeling of falling will begin but at the end the safety of his arms will hold you secure and the view around you will be more than worth the first step.

3.  When things seem like they are falling apart.

       I am not an expert on watching life crumble around me, but that doesn't mean I am not well versed in the topic.  If you have a desire to read 31 posts written four years ago, follow along here.  Warning:  It gets real. 

       This world is not our home, not built for eternity.  No matter what your scientific beliefs and the billions, millions, or thousands of years you think it's been since creation, it is still not made to last forever.  A new world is coming.  Sometime, somewhere, Jesus comes back and we get to chill with him in that new place that will bring peace and calm and the end of everything we fight against.  Until then, we live here, on this earth and all it's magnificence mixed with all of its faults.  And when the surface shakes, those faults cause things to crumble.  In big chunks or little, the pieces fall down around and it feels like all we can do is watch with our mouths open trying to collect the fragments and hopelessly put them back how they were.

       Things fall apart because they were not meant to hold together.  Things on this earth are temporary and they will not last as long as we want them to.  That is why we can not put our hope in the things that are seen but the things that are unseen because the things that are seen are temporary and the things that are unseen are eternal.  Thanks Paul and the Corinthians for that.  When something falls apart around you, don't look at the pieces that fell, look instead to what is being built in its place.  When you are being made new it's not a cover job, it's not a paint over the old stuff to hide it from view situation.  When you are being made new you are pruned and renovated, ripping out all the bad and unneeded so that something else can be planted instead. 

       When things fall apart, in truth they are actually just being put together differently.  Let Him build you.

4.  When you are looking at something you know you shouldn't

       You can't unsee things.  Trust the girl who was convinced to watch the movie Candyman at a sleepover in elementary school and is still scarred 25 years later.  You can stuff the memories, you can learn coping strategies, you can heal fully, but you can't unsee.  That song 'be careful little eyes what you see' that you sang in preschool children's church a bazillion years ago?  That's the most Truth speaking song I know of.  Be careful little eyes what you see.  Be careful at what you are letting in. 

       Your eyes are the windows to your soul.  Your eyes can bring in light or bring in darkness.  Light fills you up and you can see Joy on your face despite the circumstance.  But (Matt 6:8) if your eyes is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If then the light that is in your is darkness, how great is the darkness.  

       Hear me when I say this does not mean turn your head at wrong doing.  This does not mean avoid hard situations.  This does not mean ignoring an entire people group who aren't doing what you think is right so that you do not "see" evil.  Your dedication to your human ideas of morality does not trump God's desire for us to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

       But, if you are looking at something you know you shouldn't, if you are allowing darkness to enter in, if you even recognize it and are trying to fight it on your own, I am praying that right in this moment there is a change in the way you see and that your eyes shift to the light.

In this ever changing, ever reinventing, more is better, flashy lights, look at me society around us there are an infinite number of places our eyes can settle.  There is lots to see, but where is the focus? 

Like Paul to the Ephesians, I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the Hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.  I pray your eyes know where to look and that there they will see light.  Pray for me.

bible in a year: week 11

This year a goal has been set to read the entirety of God's word and there is a host of women joining in on the journey.  Failure is always an option as we are each imperfect people but it is never a reason to give up!  Whether each day is done without fail, catch ups are needed, or some have to stop for a variety of reasons, each word read, no matter how many, will lead us to grow in wisdom, grace, and fellowship with both us and our creator.

It took less than a day of reading to get a deeper understanding of why one can study the bible for a lifetime and still glean new things.  In truth a lifetime is not enough.  As Saint Augustine said, "The bible is shallow enough for a child not to drown, yet deep enough for an elephant to swim.  Each verse opens up a new thought, a new question, a new understanding of what God has done and sometimes a confusion of why He is doing it.  In moments of questions research is good but there are times where I need to submit to His authority remembering what A.W. Tozer said in his book Pursuit of God, "God will not hold us responsible to understand the mysteries of election, predestination, and the divine sovereignty.  The best and safest way to deal with these truths is to raise our eyes to God and in deepest reverence say, "O Lord, Thou knowest." Those things belong to the deep and mysterious Profound of God's omniscience.  Prying into them may make theologians, but it will never make saints."

Exodus 23-29

Sitting in the wilderness God is laying out before Moses the exact things he wants them to do.  From the big 10 to anything else you could possibly think of.  He is instructing them and even explaining to them how He will hand their land over to them.  The people obviously respond to God with the words "We will do everything that the Lord has commanded."

And then Moses goes back up to the mountain, the presence of God was like a consuming fire on the mountaintop and there Moses will sit for 40 days and listen to God tell him the rest of the law.  And there the rest of the people will sit for 40 days without knowing what is happening and will quickly forget the words they uttered about obeying God's commands.  We quickly forget when we are without our leader.  This will not be the only time this will happen, again and again God's people will try and fail over and over, if only to prove that this Law God is currently passing down can not be fulfilled.  He is setting up their understanding that a Savior is needed.

Meanwhile on the top of the mountain with Moses listening intently, God is laying out in very precise ways exactly what should be done.  The description of the Ark of the Covenant, the Tabernacle, and the priestly garments is filled with beauty and extravagance.  They are building and creating for their creator and He is describing the best and the most beautiful.  And then He turns to describing how the priests must be consecrated and that beauty is interrupted by blood, entrails, and burnt offerings.  They are not worthy to be in his presence.  The killing of innocence is needed, daily.  The regular sacrifice of these lambs are required throughout all their generations.  But still they have God's promise that He will meet with them, He will speak with them, He will dwell with them and be their God.  He is never the one who leaves or turns away.

John 2-8

Jesus is patient.  Of course he is, but then you look at individual stories and people and the way he responded and then you stop yourself and think, man, Jesus was PATIENT.  Discipling another is not a quick job.  It requires repetition and patience, repetition and patience.  Each encounter whether with the twelve or another results in Jesus listening, speaking, questioning, and teaching.  Then, like with the woman at the well, those he encounters go off and tell others and when they seek him out they experience the same thing.  Jesus is consistency.  Giving again and again so that others may hear and believe.  I cannot imagine having the ability to do that.  I cannot imagine because I will never have the ability to do that.  Christ in me, like John the Baptist said, I must decrease and He must increase.  It's all Him in me.

Job 41-42

Praise Jesus Job is done.  That book kicked my mental tail.  The next time I read it it needs to be alongside an easy to understand commentary.  However it is hard to miss the meaning in that last chapter.  Job completely broken and humble, aware of how much he doesn't understand about God because He is simply to wondrous to know, is restored.  He died old and full of days.  I love that.

Proverbs 1-5

Proverbs can be read again and again without ever growing tired of it and with always learning new things.  I love the description in the first chapter.  "For learning wisdom and discipline; for understanding insightful sayings; for receiving prudent instruction in righteousness, justice and integrity...let a wise person listen and increase learning; and let a discerning person obtain guidance.

There are two things I see repeated over and over.  One is If, Then statements.  Cause and effect is huge.  There is an effect for every action.  Listening to God's commands will always bring a positive reaction.  Not always what we want, but always what is Good.  Also, over and over you see the reminder to Listen and Pay Attention.  We see how quickly we forget, we were reminded of that in Exodus.  We, no matter how highly we think of ourselves, quickly forget God and His teachings.  Over and over be reminded to listen and pay attention.  The moment our mind focuses elsewhere is the moment we can not focus on God.  

2 Corinthians 11-13

Paul finishes his second letter to the Corinthians in which he talks about the thorn he was given to keep him humble.  It makes me wonder, do I exalt my weaknesses knowing that in them Christ can be shown.  The answer, no.  Not nearly often enough.  I see my weaknesses as lacking instead of gaining.  In them I gain Christ.  Like John said, I decrease, Jesus increases.  

Galatians 1-4

This letter is not for the faint of heart.  Paul starts it off pretty angry and pulls no punches.  However, it is not a new thing being preached about.  "I am amazed," Paul says, " that you are so quickly turning away from him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel..."

No, the Israelites we have already spoken about did not have the gospel of Christ, but they did have the very presence of God around them and still they turned away quickly.  We turn ya'll.  We start with Jesus and then we try to take over.  "Are you foolish ?  After beginning by the Spirit are you now finishing by the flesh?"  Why yes, yes we are.  We don't think Jesus is enough, we somehow think we an do better or at the very least owe him something besides just the act of abiding in Him.  We want the push but then are bound and determined to do our own pedaling.

Galatians isn't sugar coated.  I want Paul to be sweet and say it's ok, just try again.  But sometimes that is not what we need.  We need blunt truths as well.  Ones given from someone who loves these people so much he refuses to let them waste their lives heading down a wrong directions.  He is loving with Gospel driven love.  I pray I can listen.

because Crossfit points me to the Body of Christ

Almost four years ago two friends opened a Box.  For those who are not up to date on CrossFit vocabulary, a Box is the term used for a CrossFit gym.  Personally, I just call it going to exercise because that is the term I have yelled out to all the boys these past five years as I walk out the door alone, "Bye guys, I'm going to exercise!"  Honestly, that's why I started working out in the first place.

After living too long on my dancer--as in ballerina and the like, not exotic--body from high school without any regular routine and having three babies my body was, shall I say, different than it once had been.  I was unmotivated to do anything alone at home and when a friend started boot camp classes two afternoons a week, the same two days my husband just happened to be working from home each week, he encouraged me to go.  That hour of driving in a car alone, working out with someone who planned everything and told me what to do, and then driving back alone fulfilled a need in me I didn't really understand I had.  Fast forward to that same friend opening a box with her husband and me not wanting to give up those two hours a week, I became a Crossfitter.

I could go on and on about the improvements that have occurred from muscle tone to confidence to the unique and diverse individuals I have become friends with, a group that you'd be hard-pressed to accumulate in many other realms.  Recently, another thing I have begun to learn is my weaknesses.  Understanding your weaknesses just reveals things you need to improve on, but as some appear, one thing has become clear, parts of my body just do not work the same way others' do.  At times it has been discouraging, as I am tempted to get upset as another easily picks up a new skill while my arms just can't figure out how to push my body up.  Well, God blessed me with monkey length arms--no really, my sister also understands this pain--and those extra inches provide a whole other level of difficulty.  Will I ever be able to do it, probably, will it ever be as easy, no.  And you know what, that's ok.

Right now all over the world, hundreds of thousands of people are involved in something known as The Open.  (Stay with me here, the Crossfit comparison is almost over!)  Five weeks long, with a different workout announced each week, we push ourselves and cheer each other on as we accomplish whatever has been set before us.  At our gym we have an in-house competition in teams.  God bless a team, because not only do you have people who you know are rooting for you, but being different people, we possess different skills, and others are able to pick up your slack as you pick up theirs.  It is in this, that I am reminded of the Body of Christ.

This has been a topic that has been on my mind for months.  What is the body of Christ?  What does it truly look like?  Are we, as Christians, fulfilling it's design here on this earth?

Christ is all things.  In Colossians 1 we read that, "for by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him.  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."  He was sent to dwell on this earth because he is all things and because we are not, and can't ever be.

We in our finite beings, were created for community, created to work together, to pick up where another leaves off and to accomplish tasks another was not created to accomplish.  Romans 12:4 states that, "For just as each of us has one body with many members, these members do not all have the same function."  It is all of us that collectively make up what our one individual Savior was able to do.  For a more in-depth look check this out.

Problem is, we fail at it often, and for a very obvious reason, we don't like to be different.

Conforming is exactly what we are warned again, but exactly what we long to do.  Let me look like everyone else.  Let me act like everyone else.  Let me attain what everyone else has attained.  We have a goal person we want to emulate and most of our time and money and mental capacity is spent achieving it.  We judge ourselves by what others are good at instead of looking at our own gifts and using them to their full ability.

Remember that interview with Sally Lloyd Jones?  She said, "We on our own have a hierarchy of what is worthy and what isn't.  God does not have that.  He sees each of us as what He created us to be and if we are filling that role it is beautiful and helps bring order to the chaos which is this fallen world." 

Not only do we try to conform in how we act and look, but also in working in our passions.  Recently, in a family conversation, we were discussing a hot topic, my husband's family LIVES to discuss 'hot topics.'  Another brought up suddenly that we shouldn't be talking about *this, we should instead be talking about *that.  But the thing is, there will never be just one issue with which the world is struggling.  No matter what is getting media attention, there are hundreds of other things that also need attention, need money, need support, need PEOPLE passionate about them and working to make them nonexistent.

Howard Thurman wrote, "Don't ask what the world needs.  Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.  Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." 

The world needs us in everything, so where are you going to come alive?

There is a statistic that is repeatedly stated in the Foster Care Community is, "If 1 family in every 3 churches adopted a child from the US foster care system then every child would be in a family."  

I can't help but think that would result in the same thing for other issues as well.  All families are not called to foster or adopt, but they are called to something, passionate about something.  What if 1 family in every 3 churches became involved in housing the homeless?  Or 1 family in every 3 churches came alongside young pregnant mothers?  Or 1 in every 3 families supported a refugee family trying to assimilate in this strange new part of the world? Or walked beside boys who searched out a family atmosphere in a gang related way?  Or became passionate about supporting their local public school? Or, or, or...

It is not enough to be a believer who only hears, James tells us we have to DO something as well.  Your actions don't produce salvation, but your salvation should produce action.

We are the beautiful body of Christ, individual of one another, but working together to do His work.

My oldest wants to pursue a career in engineering and my middle wants to become a sports star.  They can dream however they want, they can pursue whatever they wish, my only prayer for them is the same prayer I have for you.  Find what you are passionate about and be the Body of Christ within it.  Please pray the same for me.

bible in a year: week 9

This year a goal has been set to read the entirety of God's word and there is a host of women joining in on the journey.  Failure is always an option as we are each imperfect people but it is never a reason to give up!  Whether each day is done without fail, catch ups are needed, or some have to stop for a variety of reasons, each word read, no matter how many, will lead us to grow in wisdom, grace, and fellowship with both us and our creator.

It took less than a day of reading to get a deeper understanding of why one can study the bible for a lifetime and still glean new things.  In truth a lifetime is not enough.  As Saint Augustine said, "The bible is shallow enough for a child not to drown, yet deep enough for an elephant to swim.  Each verse opens up a new thought, a new question, a new understanding of what God has done and sometimes a confusion of why He is doing it.  In moments of questions research is good but there are times where I need to submit to His authority remembering what A.W. Tozer said in his book Pursuit of God, "God will not hold us responsible to understand the mysteries of election, predestination, and the divine sovereignty.  The best and safest way to deal with these truths is to raise our eyes to God and in deepest reverence say, "O Lord, Thou knowest." Those things belong to the deep and mysterious Profound of God's omniscience.  Prying into them may make theologians, but it will never make saints."

Exodus 9-14

"Pharaoh, Pharaoh, oh baby let me people go. Uh! nah nah nah nah nah nah nah I said Pharaoh, Pharoah..."

I know I am not the only one who was taught that song at church camp, walking like an Egyptian and singing like I knew exactly what I was talking about.  I don't want to use an ugly word, so I won't, but read between the lines when I say stuff is about to get REAL up in Egypt.  Ten plagues.  Ten different items ranging from some of the most annoying bugs, to disgusting water, to loss of livestock and crops and ending with the loss of lives.  

Never before had I noticed that "let my people go" was not the end of Moses' sentence.  He in fact , each time, says [in God's stead of course] 'let my people go SO THAT they may worship me"  This was not just a physical oppression the Israelites were under, but a religious one as well.  Because it was detestable to the Egyptians the Israelites were not able to fully worship God with the offerings they long to give that he so rightly deserved.  

Over and over again God hardens Pharaoh's heart after a plague is released so that Pharaoh will not let them leave.  It's hard to read that part at times, hard to realize that the God who shows mercy can also withhold it.  He is Just and the fact that I am still sitting here today completely forgiven because of His Son magnifies that sacrifice all the more.  I do not deserve it.  But I do notice, that it isn't until after Pharaoh gets what he wants that he changes his mind about letting them leave.  A lesson perhaps, or a caution even, that we cannot only ask God for mercy when things aren't going well and then go back to our old ways when things are as we like them.

As the story goes, they were released, almost 2.5 million people left that area in a day, more if you count the Egyptians that went with them.  And on their journey God was with them, not just in spirit but in a very visible way, as a cloud in the day and a pillar of fire at night.  He was guiding their front and leading them on and when the Egyptians pursued he went behind them instead, much like a father here on earth would push his child behind his back to get inbetween the danger and his love.

Were they scared?  Wouldn't you be.  But here is where we are reminded again of God's protection, His faithfulness, His unending love.  "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lored's salvation that he will accomplish for you today...The Lord will fight for you, and you must be quiet."  The Israelites could have used their number and might to try to stave off the Egyptian army coming, but that was not necessary.  God with His power saved each and every one of the Israelites and destroyed each of the Egyptians with Red Sea.  And at the end of it all, after seeing what they had seen, they believed in the Lord.

Luke 11-18

Is it ok to have "favorites" in the bible?  It makes me feel bad to think I have a favorite story, or book, or person. I mean it's THE BIBLE, it's like all good for me.  But if it IS ok to pick favorites, these stories in this section of Luke would qualify for that list.  

First up is the reminder that God will give good gifts.  I tend to think His goodness is only shown through the struggles and that what He sees as good and what I know will turn out to bring good does not actually look good from the beginning.  It's hard, when you have been through tough stuff, to believe that He will give good gifts, that he does bring good gifts.  

Next was the reminder of your eye being the lamp of the bible.  "Be careful little eyes what you see..."  Another popular song from childhood, this one brings more Truth then I ever really understood.  When my eyes are healthy my whole body is full of light, when they are not my body is in darkness.  So does this mean that I need to only look upon good things, beautiful things, clean things?  Well yes, and no.  It does not mean ignore the darkness around you it means make sure your eyes are focused on the light no matter what darkness you might be near.  The light of Christ.  

We move on to trusting the Holy Spirit to tell us what we need to say in the hours we need to say it and storing up treasures that can not be destroyed, the treasures of heaven.  Then being reminded that fruit comes from cultivation from the gardener and that the Kingdom of God, like leaven in bread, works its way into all parts of you, impacts all parts of you.  Because of this, because of the impact you can reach out to those who can not pay you back, those you need what you have, that you can simply give to without expecting something in return.

And now for the stories, these stories that do something that we still have trouble doing, celebrating repentance.  We celebrate good choice, bravery, talent and perfection but what we need to celebrate is a repentant heart.  A heart that makes it's way to salvation, that sees it's own loss and despair and reaches out to the One who can bring peace.  That one sheep searched and celebrated when it's found.  That son who is run to, hugged, and given a feast upon his return.  Celebrate repentance, celebrate that which brings you to the presence of God.

Job 27-33

Another character shows up in Job this week.  Elihu, who much younger has been silent the entire time, has heard every word and is compelled to speak.  As he says "I thought that age should speak and maturity should teach wisdom.  But it is the spirit in a person that gives anyone understanding.  It is not only the old who are wise or the elderly who understand how to judge" but "I must speak so that I can find relief."  In other words, he thinks Job's friends and Job are doing a pretty crappy job of explaining the character of God and understanding who He is and is therefore going to tell them what He thinks about where God is in all of this that Job is going through.

1 Corinthians 13-16, 2 Corinthians 1-3

Yes, this week had 1 Corinthians 13 in it.  This passage on love, real love, is wonderful, but there were three new things I read in other parts of the week and pondered...a lot.

1)  15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.  Paul is talking about himself and all I can say is #goals.  I want this to be true of me, pray that it is true of me, that HIS grace towards me will not be in vain, that His grace towards me will result in accomplishments for the Kingdom.

2)As Paul is closing out his letter he mentions a handful of people who have made a significant impact in his ministry and in the places he visited.  He reminds the Corinthians to "recognize such people that have refreshed my spirit and yours."  This hit me in two different ways.  The first is that so many have refreshed my spirit that I need to thank and show appreciation to.  The second is to actually recognize, as in pay attention to, or draw near to, or get to know, people who refresh the spirits of others.  His people are everywhere, His Light is everywhere through others, look for them, recognize them.  Recognize the refresh that comes from those He has placed on Earth.

bible in a year: week 8

This year a goal has been set to read the entirety of God's word and there is a host of women joining in on the journey.  Failure is always an option as we are each imperfect people but it is never a reason to give up!  Whether each day is done without fail, catch ups are needed, or some have to stop for a variety of reasons, each word read, no matter how many, will lead us to grow in wisdom, grace, and fellowship with both us and our creator.

It took less than a day of reading to get a deeper understanding of why one can study the bible for a lifetime and still glean new things.  In truth a lifetime is not enough.  As Saint Augustine said, "The bible is shallow enough for a child not to drown, yet deep enough for an elephant to swim.  Each verse opens up a new thought, a new question, a new understanding of what God has done and sometimes a confusion of why He is doing it.  In moments of questions research is good but there are times where I need to submit to His authority remembering what A.W. Tozer said in his book Pursuit of God, "God will not hold us responsible to understand the mysteries of election, predestination, and the divine sovereignty.  The best and safest way to deal with these truths is to raise our eyes to God and in deepest reverence say, "O Lord, Thou knowest." Those things belong to the deep and mysterious Profound of God's omniscience.  Prying into them may make theologians, but it will never make saints."

Exodus 2-8

The life of Joseph is over, the lives of all of his brothers have ended as well, the Israelites are left in Egypt unprotected by the name and stature Joseph held and under the rule of a Pharaoh who does not know of or maybe just doesn't care about the reason these foreign people are living in his land.  Soon the Pharaoh begins to oppress them and use them for labor and though they are multiplying in great number they still are bound.  Enter Moses.  Another babe born to save his people.  A babe who whose story helps us develop the ability to understand the greater savior who is to come.

His mother saw that he was beautiful.  I can't imagine that the other Israelite women thought their babies were ugly, but this mother saw a beauty so deeply that she was compelled to save her son.  I've said often that the reason two and three year olds are so cute is so they'll stay alive when they act like two and three year olds!  Maybe this is a little different but that mama set that baby afloat to his intended purpose and the part that got me the most this time reading the story was his sweet big sister who followed the basket to make sure he'd be ok!

The story of Moses is an epic one.  This boy raised outside of his family who then comes back to rescue his family.  This man who was terrified to go back, who didn't see himself as an able speaker.  So much of this week's chapters had Moses riddled with doubt and has God continuously reminding him that I AM the Lord, I WILL be with you.  Moses was not chosen by God because he was the bravest of his people.  I love when God says in Chapter 4, "who placed a mouth on humans?  Is it not I, the Lord?  Now go!  I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say."  And he did.  Through each situation God was right with Moses telling him exactly what to say, exactly what would happen, preparing and pursuing and following through and just plain showing off who He is!

Moses was 80 when God used him to save his people from oppression in Egypt.  Aaron was 83.  That's a long time after a wee baby took a ride down a river.  

There's a desire in this world to always have new, hip, beautiful and fresh.  Trade out old ideas for new progressive ones.  Old people with younger more energized ones.  God doesn't work that way.  He uses all ages, not just the ones the world sees as stronger, but the ones He has taken through what they need to be taken through before they are able to fulfill their purpose in the Kingdom.  36 is still quite young.  God is far from finished with me yet.  

Luke 5-11

Again these gospel books and their absolute overwhelming amount of story and teaching.  They each have their differences and it's interesting to me the ways they retell the same stories.  For example the other gospels make it seem like Simon Peter immediately saw Jesus, heard him say follow me and then he ups and goes.  Luke tells the story a little differently as he describes Jesus telling them to cast their nets to get fish on the other side of their boat which results in them hauling in a ton!  This miracle is what got Peter's attention and encouraged him to say yes and follow Jesus.  It helped me a bit with the times I have my own doubts and chastised myself for not being able to immediately go.  Yes obedience is right but there is grace all over it too and my doubt can be erased as I look to the miracles in my own life that have been placed their to remind me of his righteousness and faithfulness so that I will continually say, "Yes, I will follow you."

Luke's description of loving your enemies in chapter 6 is a section to go back to again and again, hearing again about the feeding of the 5,000 and the good Samaritan who loves his neighbor so well, and the "pioneering pairs"  Jesus sent out to pave the way and share his words comes up again as well.  

After Luke is over there will still be one more gospel book to read.  I don't wonder why these sames stories are put in here four times by four different people.  Instead I wonder why they are not told by them all.  We need repetition so badly, we are unable to get it the first time or the second or the third.  These words are placed here in this book so that we can come back to them again and again for reminders, for new knowledge, for forming wisdom.  

[Sarah, Sarah] you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary.  

These stories of Jesus, about Jesus, preparing us for Jesus and point us to Jesus have one thing in common.  Jesus, the one thing.

Job 19-26

Still trucking through Job, still have no clue if I am understanding it correctly or not but what I do understand is Job's despair and his present faith in the midst.  Job 25 gives us his heartbreaking words that he can not see God alongside his comforting knowledge that God can still see him.  In Chapter 26 he tells of God's creation and then shares that his description is still but the fringes of his ways.  God is majestic.

1 Corinthians 6-12

The heart, it all comes down to the heart.  I am not my own, I was bought with a price.  The cost was my Savior's life and then he bested the grave.  Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial.  Sure I can do it because I am loved and forgiven, but is everything going to help another, benefit another, let another see Jesus?  I am not my own, I am His, it's not all about me.  Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.  Let's build, build for the years we cannot see, build with love not impress with knowledge.  

Things will happen, temptations will happen, but I am not alone.  He will provide a way out, He does not let me fall to temptation, falling to temptation doesn't really happen, it's more of our flesh leaping at the chance, it isn't an accident, it's a choice.  Choose his way out, the one He promises to provide.

We are all different, yet we are all the same. We each have our own intended purpose to be accomplished with our own special giftings, but alone it won't work.  We are one body, each working for one purpose, for God's purpose.  Find your place, do it all for his glory, let the other members to their part as well without telling them they should be different.  Work together, separately yet together and if we are able to do that we will all rejoice.