Day 31: Wholly His, More Yourself Than Ever!

This week, Colin and I (with the help of some friends) were able to give Elizabeth something special - going on the church hayride despite our unavailability to take her.  How delighted we were to provide something her little heart desired; how delighted she was to receive!  I was so thrilled to give her the news that she would be able to go with her friend Mei and her parents, because I knew exactly the joyful response she would have.

If you are a parent, doesn't it just tickle you to do something special for your child that you know he or she will love?

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Jesus said something similar to this about our heavenly Father:

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 

   ⁹ “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! ¹² So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.  

Matthew 7:7-12

Do you have some longing or dream?  Have you shared it honestly with the Lord?  He is the giver of good gifts!

This month, around the themes of abandoning the clamour of self-will and becoming more ourselves that ever, we have:

• journeyed through the process of salvation by faith through grace,
• lingered amidst some of our many sins and sought to apply the Gospel to those places;
• considered how God works through our circumstances to mold and shape us, and
• dwelt on the Holy Spirit, what Scripture says about Him and how we interact with Him.

I want to finish up the month by challenging you to take some time to think about what God might have you do next.  Are there things you'd like to ask Him for that you've never officially verbalized to Him?  Are there things you'd like to pursue for the Lord, but you've never had the courage to?  What's your heart's desire these days?

Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.  Psalm 37:4

Your desires may seem out of reach, but if there's an inkling there, chances are Someone planted it there.  God is not a tease; He's the good-gift giver!

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A couple of years ago, I started prayerfully pursuing a dream.  I wasn't praying about it all the time, but I had become aware of the need to use my gifts in the church and also cognizant of some specific gifts and personality traits that God had given me.  So I began to work more intentionally at my writing, got bold enough to share my dream with others, attended a training conference, and kept read, read, reading.

What has ensued has astounded me.  While I was doing things to prepare for the future, God had the idea of delighting me with a little dream-fulfillment in the present.  Out of the blue, late last winter, I get an email from a woman at our church in Cambridge asking me to consider being their women's retreat speaker in the spring.  Wow!  (And the one who suggested she ask me did not know that part of my dream was a desire to speak someday for those dear ladies on their retreat.)  Then God took it another step further and allowed me to share what I had prepared two more times, for the women at our church here in Pittsburgh and at a retreat at a friend's church in Washington, D.C.

All I can say is Thanks, God!  with the same kind of enthusiasm Elizabeth had when she learned she would be going on the church hayride.

So I leave you with this final encouragement and challenge as we bid farewell to October and usher in a new month:  PRAY and PURSUE.

PRAY that God would open your eyes to gifts He's given you and ways He's equipped you.  PRAY and ask God for both the desires of your heart and how He'd have you use all He's given to you.  PRAY and give thanks for the many ways He's already worked in your life.

PURSUE means and opportunities to strengthen and exercise your gifts.  PURSUE growth in the fruit of the Spirit by reading the Word, praying, participating in the sacraments, and being with fellow believers.  PURSUE the God who pursued you, becoming wholly His, because by belonging to Him you'll become more yourself than ever.

May God bless you richly in the journey!

*     *     *

And, oh yeah, the book winners are ...

Lydia!

Carol!

Congratulations, ladies!!

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Special thanks:  This month has given me the opportunity to synthesize many things I've learned over the past  decade.  I'd like to thank a few people and resources who've been influential.

Kit - for the 31-Days idea (and for being my friend!) 

Biblegateway.com - for making it easy to post chunks of Scripture and to find Scriptures for which I don't know the reference 

Authors - Jerry Bridges, Sally Clarkson, Os Guiness, C.S. Lewis, (to name a few) 

Pastors Rick Downs and Matt Koerber - for faithfully preaching the Gospel on Sunday mornings 

Tom - for reading a lot and always passing along great book 

Friends and family - who have supported and encouraged me in life from the beginning until now through prayer and so may other means

God - for creating, redeeming, transforming, and giving hope to all His people

If you're just joining in, this is Part 31 of a month-long series you can learn more about by starting with Day 1 here.  There are many others doing super cool series this month as well, perhaps you'd like to see the list?

Day 29: The Greatest of These is Love

Wow, this is the next to the last "real" post for October.  I asked on Facebook a couple of days ago if you have any ideas for where we should go next.  Please share if you have anything you're dying for me to talk about: topics, single posts, whatever!  I will be cutting back from daily posts to 3-4 per week.  This month has been fun, but not something I can keep up in this stage of life (or any stage ever?!)  Thanks for joining me on this journey; it's been a blast!  If you're just joining in, this is Part 28 of a month-long series you can learn more about by starting with Day 1 here.  There are many others doing super cool series this month as well, perhaps you'd like to see the list?

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<sup>Yesterday we closed with the cliff-hanger of Paul's statement Now I will show you the most excellent way, to eagerly desire the greater gifts.


Guess what the most excellent way is?


LOVE.</sup>


Perhaps you've read this passage:

¹ If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 

 ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

 ⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. ¹² Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 

 ¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

In this description of love, we hear echos of the Galatians 5 description of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Real love encompasses all of these things.  In our reflection on who we are, what gifts the Spirit has given us, and how we might serve His church ... we have to take a look back at our hearts.  It doesn't matter how awesome your Spiritual gift-bag is, if your very character is not marked by love.  Are we growing in the fruit of the Spirit?  Or are we trying to maintain a facade when it matters and doing whatever we want otherwise?


Just today I had to clean up soup from behind my sink and dish drying rack that got there, not because a child was clumsy, but because a frustrated woman, feeling overwhelmed by what she needed to do this afternoon,* threw a half-full bowl into the sink in a very not patient and not kind way, hoping to release a little of that frustration.  The clean-up time allowed me to reflect on my need for a Savior, how much room I have to grow, to take note for the future that God's way of love is the better way.


Pressing into the Spirit (especially when we've just "failed"), asking Him to grow His fruit in us, actively working to change old patterns, confessing when we sin, praising God when we choose righteousness - in these things we will begin to see spiritual growth.  As we practice these habits of faithfulness, we'll find God molding us into exactly what He created us to be.  With good fruit growing inside, we don't become suddenly sinless or better than anyone else, but we do become more of who God wants us and designed us to be!


Elsewhere in the Bible it says that God is love.  Jesus came and lived that love - he could do astounding things, but He loved first - both God and man.  He knew that it didn't matter what kind of miracles He did, if He did not love.  Paul reminds us, in the context of thinking about our own unique calling and gifting within the church, that the baseline call to love God and love our neighbor is the same across the board.


What this all draws out for me is that there's always a lot going on when we're walking with the Lord.  Even as we love and serve in the church, we never outgrow our need for the blood of Jesus; we've grown and changed some, but God's always got more growth and change for us!  Jesus is always interceding on our behalf.  And the Spirit that is in us transforming and empowering us is the One who will also continually point us back to Him, to amazing grace.  As we gaze on the Savior and meditate on His love, we are drawn to love the Father that called us and to love the neighbors around us, with whom we are equal at the foot of the cross.


With that focus, using our gifts is just another way to love God and love others.  Our concern is no longer the specifics of the gifts, but rather the glory of the Giver, honoring Him by using what He's given to His glory.


In the here and now, to love God and our neighbor takes work, parts of us must die, we're constantly aware of our weakness, but Paul wraps up I Corinthians 13 with a breath of hope.  One day the struggle will be over.  We will see!  We will know!  We will worship in spirit and truth all the time.  Right now we're in preparation for those glorious days.

And they're going to be eternally spectacular!

*Ironically, I was overwhelmed by things I needed to do to get ready for the Sabbath and the need to post on the blog today - things that are invitations to breathe-deep and trust God!  How desperately we all need Him, huh?

Day 28: Christ's Body and You

Oh boy, Bible study makes me tick.  I'm so excited to dig into the rest of I Corinthians 12 with you today.  Let's start by reading it "together."

¹² The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 

¹⁴ Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ But eagerly desirethe greater gifts.  And now I will show you the most excellent way.

There is much that one could go into here, a lot of which I don't know enough about to instruct well at this time.  So, we'll proceed like we did yesterday, with a bullet list of overarching points (and a few comments.)  I love lists almost as much as I love Bible study! And I know that you have a finite amount of time to be hanging out here at Life in the Valley.

• Diversity in the Unity - Christ's body, just as our own bodies, is a single unit made up of many parts that work together to make us whole.  The Spirit is our starting and unifying point; no matter what kind of body part we are, we all drink from the same source of life!
• You're exactly the body part God wants you to be. I'm sure you've heard people say things like (or you've thought them yourself), He or she has so much more to offer, so I'll just steps aside or not initiate....  Dare we mock God and deny that in fact He has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be (v 18) and not seek to glorify Him with whatever He's given us at the moment, no matter how mature or immature, qualified or unqualified, sure or doubtful we feel?  (I am so guilty of this.)
• You need all of the other parts of the body.  As my friend Kit pointed out in her post yesterday it's easy to hang with people like you, but quite another story to mix and mingle with those who are quite different ... or even a little different.  And yet, as we look around on Sunday morning or other places we interact with fellow Christians, we find more folks unlike us than like us, don't we?  And Paul strongly states here that we NEED each other.  We can never say, I don't need so-and-so in my life, they're too weird, too charismatic, too dry, too slow, too fast ...  (Guilty on this point, too!)  Perhaps they are the VERY with whom you or I need a relationship!

Dear Christian, not only do you need the church (the body), but the church needs you!  We're so united (whether it feels like it or not) because of the Spirit  that if one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. (v 26)  I cannot write you off, nor you me!!  God's always taking it to the next level isn't he?

Questions to consider:

• How do I currently approach being part of the local congregation to which I belong?  How could this passage influence my future interactions with people and participation in the church?
• What are some of the gifts God has given me (spiritual gifts as well as talents, life experiences, etc.) and how can I put them to use for the edification of the body?
• How can I be looking out for others' gifts and affirming the "body part" that they are?

In the final verse of chapter 12, Paul says, And I will show you the most excellent way to desire the greater gifts, to be fully invested in and part of God's body.  We'll move that direction tomorrow; get ready!

Have a great day!

This is Part 28 of a month-long series you can learn more about by starting with Day 1 here.  There are many others doing super cool series this month as well, perhaps you'd like to see the list?

Day 27: The Spirit and His Gifts

As a follower of Christ, I know that His Spirit lives within me.  Jesus promised the disciples He would come; He arrived on Pentecost, enabling them to preach with boldness and in new languages.  A fire was lit, not only above their heads, but in their hearts.  Now, God's people had within them the power of the very Spirit of God.

When I was in college, I had this phase where I was trying to figure out how to "get the Spirit."  The root desire was that when I got the Spirit, I'd have it made, I'd get "the Christian thing" right, I'd be a superstar believer.  Yeah, really honorable, I know.  I honestly did want to follow God passionately and understand His will, but I was looking for an end, wanting to skip over the process of sanctification and my daily need for the blood of Jesus.  In the midst of searching for some Spirit experience, I missed the fact that He was already dwelling within me.  He was there; I just didn't get it.

Over the last several years, the Holy Spirit has become very dear to me.  I'm in awe when I have an inclination to serve someone or when someone comes to mind who I need to call or write, because I know the Spirit is prompting.  I'm even more in awe when my proud heart feels convicted of sin.  That's not a sign that God's done with me, that's a sign God's at work in me, whispering, Hey, it's time to repent and believe, little one.  The more we're aware of the Spirit of God at work in us, in fact, the less we feel like a superstar and the more we're drawn to worship the God at work in our hearts.  It's cool and I wish I could dwell more in that place ... so looking forward to heaven!

But we're here now, given days to love and serve God on this side of heaven.  What should that look like?  

Over the next few days, we'll consider a couple of chapters of I Corinthians, 12 and 13.  Here's how this connects to what we've been talking about there rest of the month.  God calls us as individuals to believe and follow Him, but he calls us into a new community, a new family.  He's got work for us to do there.  In previous weeks, we've looked at our need to be saved from our sin, several specific sins and how the Gospel frees us to admit them & root them out, and ways that God uses our circumstances to shape us - all of these are means God uses to help us abandon the clamour of self-will.  Now we're getting into the becoming more yourself than ever part of Lewis' quote.  Who are you?   How has God knit you together?  What do you bring to the body?  Beyond the basic call of all Christians, what specific calling does God have for you?

That's too much for one post, for sure, but we'll get started today and see where it takes us!

¹ Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. ² You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. ³ Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. 

 ⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. 

 ⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.I Corinthians 12:1-11

Some overarching observations for consideration (verses in parenthesis):

• Spiritual gifts exist. (1, 4)
• There are a great variety of spiritual gifts. (4, 8-10)
• The variety of gifts come one source, the Spirit. (4, 11)
• Spiritual gifts are given with a purpose: the common good. (7)
• Spiritual gifts are given intentionally, just as the Spirit determines. (11)

Here are some things I think we can take away from those general points:

• If you call Jesus Lord, the Spirit lives in you and you have been given spiritual gifts.
• Though there may be some overlap, your spiritual "gift bag" will not be the same as others'.
• Our differences should bind us together and we should encourage one another in using our gifts, because the same Spirit has given these gifts intentionally for the good of the church.

Differences too often drive a wedge between us.  I love the constant reminder through these eleven verses that all of that great variety of gifting comes from ONE source.  The Lord expressing Himself in so many ways through His people.  I think it's neat, to say the least.  It also challenges me to think differently about how I interact with those next to me in the pews on Sunday or fellow believers I know in other spheres of life.  We'll move on to that tomorrow, taking a look at the rest of chapter 12 to consider our interconnection with the body.  Then we'll follow that up with chapter 13 on Saturday.  Sunday will be a day of rest, and Monday I'll conclude the series and announce the book winners - comment here if you want your name in the running!

Nurturing Your Kids When They're in Their 30s

Thursday, my mom and dad joined us for dinner.  Prior to coming mom had to get some things at Sams.  She arrived with some very tasty bread to go with our soup, a painting I'd asked her to pick up for me from a thrift shop, and NEW FUZZY PJs!

Moms.

If you have a one that takes care of you, even though you're all grown up, you know how I felt about those new pajamas.  She didn't know it, but I really did need a new pair.  They are red.  And they are fuzzy.  And they just made me feel so filled up in side.  Can't wait to put them on again tonight!

We never outgrow our need for mom, do we?  We never get over needing to be cared for.

Your mom may be near, far, or gone.  But think about her or mom-figures in your life.  What comes to mind?

 

my mom and my kids

 Two suggestions, if you've been blessed by a good woman in your life:

 1. Send that person a little note of thanks today.  (Mom, this one's yours.
  Ha!)

1.  2. Consider how YOU could do the same for another woman in your life - your   
2.  own child, a young single woman, a young mother you know whose 
3.  folks are far away, a widow, etc.

 I still call my mom "Mommy" - how about you?

Christmas Day 2010

We celebrate Christmas day with Colin's family.  Here are some photo highlights from our day together.

From Grammy and Grampy:
a bed for Molly!

My first toaster oven!

Colin got slippers!

From Grammy and Grampy:
a digger that you can take apart with a battery operated screwdriver

Toy Blending: putting the screwdriver to sleep in Molly's new bed

We got a good deal on a used guitar for Elizabeth!

We had fresh snow on the ground Christmas morning, but didn't get to it until the afternoon!

My husband is a excellent snowball maker.

Christmas dinner was DELICIOUS!

a crown from a Christmas cracker

Merry Christmas.

Snow & Eye-Fi

During Sunday's snowstorm, we celebrated our immediate family Christmas. (One set of grandparents arrives tomorrow afternoon with gifts from both sets; we don't want the kids to be completely overwhelmed on Christmas morning! And we want Elizabeth to register who gave her each thing. Do you even care?! Should I keep going with this parenthetical???) My gift from my very loving and very techie husband was an Eye-Fi card, an SDHC memory card with built in WiFi! So far it seems like it will be pretty sweet. When I want to write a blog post, the pictures and video will already be available; I won't have to fumble around with the card and wait for things to upload.

Here are some photos (from the old card) of time we spent in the snow. You'll note that Colin is absent for the revelry because the man is writing his thesis!!!!


Brian is getting used to a world with snow:

At first he preferred the cleared paths,

and learned how difficult it is to drive in the snow.

Elizabeth's extra height and years of experience give her an edge on enjoying the snow:

eat it,

make snow angels,

jump in it,

and slide really fast in your snowpants.

But most of all, just have fun!