Touche

Last week, in the class I teach at my church, I was bested by one of my students. My co-teacher asked for a volunteer to help with a project. She said he/she needed to be a very good reader to help with the next activity. David, who is new to our class, raised his hand frantically. The teacher chose another student, and David looked very sad. In an effort to comfort him, I said, "David, we needed someone who is a very good reader this time," to which David replied, "I am a very good reader! I can read the original 'Count of Monte Cristo.' " I was sure I had him now: "David, do you know that the original 'Count of Monte Cristo' is in French?" David's reply: "Bon Jour!"

Touche, David!

Why Does God Allow Suffering?

I can't believe it has been so long since my last post! With projects around the house and overtime at work, time just flies by! I have still had many, many opportunities lately to discuss and encourage others in their walk with the Lord! I have had multiple encounters lately based on one theme: why does God allow suffering?

This seems to be the biggest challenge for believers and seekers alike. My own grandfather refused to believe in God for many, many years because he couldn't find a suitable answer for his question. So, how did I answer my friends?

Unfortunately, there is no one-liner to cover such a complex and important issue, so it takes some time to explain. It has to do with several factors.

First of all, we have to look at sin and how it entered our universe. It originally surfaced in heaven, of all places. Satan, who started out as an angel, began to question God's ruling. He became jealous. He coveted God's position and wanted it for himself. (see Ezekiel 28:17 and Isaiah 14:12 -14) He started a war in heaven with his accusations and was able to decieve 1/3 of the angels (see Revelation 12:7 -9). (Side note: King David's son, Absalom, did the same thing, nearly destroying the nation of Israel).

Now, what was a God of love to do? He could have simply annihilated Satan and all of the fallen angels and eradicated sin and rebellion right then and there, sparing the universe from the possiblity of sin and pain. But how would the angels and the onlooking universe have reacted? Would they still follow Him in love, or would they follow Him out of fear? Would they start to believe that perhaps Satan was right, and doubt for themselves? No, God chose another option: to let sin run its full course, vindicating His character for all the universe to see.

That takes us to the next point: God designed us for a relationship with Him. He wants us to love Him and to interact with Him. He designed us with freedom of choice, freedom to choose to follow Him, to love Him fully and openly, or to deny Him and ignore Him as we see fit. Only then can we truly have a love relationship with Him. If He designed us without the capability to choose, we would be more like robots, and we would only follow Him, not love Him.

God then made an unimaginable choice, to allow Satan to test and subject us all to all manner of sin. God knew that we would fall to this temptation, but out of His amazing love, he designed a plan in which we could all be saved, even when we fall. Part of God Himself, Jesus, would come to earth, live a perfect life, and die for us, in our place, sufferring the punishment that is truly due to Satan and his followers. So, with the plan in hand, He let it all play out.

With the choices open to us, and with Satan making accusations against God's character, the way was opened for the sin and pain that we see all around us. See the story of Job in the Bible for an example of what is going on behind the scenes. This man, Job (pronounced JOBE), was a righteous man. He followed God and loved Him with all his heart. Satan accused God, stating that no one could really love God, and that Job only followed Him and claimed to love Him because God had blessed him. If God would withold his blessings, then Job would surely turn away from God. But God knew Job truly loved Him, and so he allowed Satan to put all kinds of suffering on Job. Satan cursed Job, killed his entire family, took away all of his posessions, and even struck Job with a painful, but not deadly, illness, which made Job suffer immensely.

To make things even worse, Job's "friends" misunderstood the whole thing and kept telling Job that he must have brought it all on himself, and tried to make him abandon his faith. He had no support at all. In the end, God blessed Job, after he passed the test, and God restored much more to Job than what he had lost.

This helps to explain what happens to us in this life. Sometimes we are tested, as Job was. It may be for us, to strengthen our own faith. It may be for others that are watching, as it was in Job's case. Other times, our suffering has more to do with natural consequences of our own foolishness, or we are victims of another's bad choices.

In any case, the reason for a Christian's faith is not that we expect to avoid suffering. Quite the opposite, we expect it. We know that every person on Earth, by virtue of the world we live in, will experience suffering. But God has promised us two things: He will be with us in all of our troubles, and He will make all things right when the time is right. (see 2 Corinthians 4:16 -18; 2 Peter 3:9)

Israel -- the God wrestler

In American culture, our names usually don't have specific meanings. We may be named after someone special, but usually our parents just give us names that sound good to them. In Eastern cultures, however, and especially in the Bible, names usually described a person's character, or significant events in the lives of the parents. So, I can only imagine the difficulty poor Jacob had in grade school, with a name that meant "cheater" or "manipulator". (that makes scary-Terri sound much better!)

In my devotional last evening, I read how Jacob's name was changed to Israel, or "God-wrestler". Jacob wrestled all night with the Lord (or more likely an angel, though we aren't told for sure). He would not let the man go until he received the blessing he was seeking. The angel blessed him, and his name was changed from that point on.

His descendents became a mighty nation, as promised to his grandfather, Abraham. The nation took on his name: Israel, God-wrestler. The rest of the Bible goes on to document the nation's struggles with God, their "wrestling" if you will, as they would follow God, then turn from Him, then suffer the consequences, then turn back to Him, over and over again.

In the New Testament, followers of Jesus Christ are told that they become children of Abraham and heirs according to the promise, by our faith. We become a sort of "spiritual Israel". How significant, as our whole journey in life consists of wrestling with God. Who is He? Why am I here? What is God's purpose for my life? We wrestle to follow God, we wrestle to give up our pride and selfishness as we learn to be disciples of Christ. And, just as Jacob limped away from the experience scarred, we, too, get lumps and bumps through the process. And, just as Jacob did, we find that the blessings of God are worth whatever the cost!

Sacrifice

I have a couple of friends that are on the fence about Christianity. They seem to be holding back, like so many people, out of fear over what they may have to give up, if they choose to follow Christ.

This has really made me think. At first, I wanted to say that following Christ isn't about what you give up, but about the new life that you get, (not to mention eternal life after this life). But then, I quickly changed my train of thought.

The Christian life really is about what we give up. Jesus calls us to become a "living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1), to be fully surrendered to God's will at all times. This is no small undertaking. In fact, it is impossible for us to do without God's direct intervention in our lives. Rick Warren tells us in "The Purpose Driven Life" that the problem with a living sacrifice is that it can crawl off the altar! How true!

When we accept Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, we give up our ideas of control and our thoughts and plans for our own lives and subject them to His will. That is a huge sacrifice! God doesn't want just a part of our lives, He wants it all... our bodies, our finances, our thoughts, our plans, our relationships, our dreams. We must surrender ALL to Him. Wow!

At first glance, this makes God sound like a control-freak, and Christians like mindless robots, but that's nthe case. We surrender all, because that is how we gain all. "When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life," Romans 6:20 - 22, NIV.

I think this is why God uses the analogy of marriage so often in the scriptures. When we get married, we totally surrender "I" & "me" to be replaced by "us" and "we". We sacrifice our selfishness and individuality for something bigger... family.


What if we really, truly surrendered our entire lives to God? What if we thought of ourselves and God as "We" in every aspect of our lives? How would "we" use "our" hands, "our" words, "our" time & money? How would a totally surrendered life look and feel? what if we woke up every morning and asked God, "What are we going to do today? You lead the way, and I will follow?" and then we followed through without reservation?

Do any of us have the courage to really put this to the test? I know in my heart that this is the true Christian life, but I still have so much to learn, and so far to go. Sometimes I feel like sacrificing 10% of my money, 1/7 th of my time, a few kind words spoken to others throughout the day, 20 minutes a day spent in prayer, a glance at the scriptures twice a day, and "being a nice person" is what it is all about...Ha!

My prayer is that God will help me, every day, to present myself -- my whole self -- to Him as a living sacrifice, without holding back, continuously until the day He comes and takes me home.

Comfort Zones

I help teach one of the children's classes at my church each week. Our lesson this week was on "doubting Thomas". I was getting more and more uncomfortable with this lesson as I studied it and prepared to teach. I thought, "we really give this guy a tough time. All he did is question whether what he heard was or wasn't true. He said he wouldn't believe until he saw it for himself. After all, his companions were claiming to have seen the resurrected Jesus, so was it inappropriate for him to have wanted to see for himself as well?"

Thankfully, my co-teacher volunteered to teach the lesson for me, though she did not know of my struggles with the subject. During class, I learned alongside the kids. My friend said, "Thomas had heard from his closest friends and companions that Jesus had risen from the dead. Did he have any reason to doubt what they were telling him? His friends were honest. They had no reason to mislead him." Hmmmmm. "His statement to the other disciples revealed what he was thinking in his heart, "I won't believeit unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side." It wasn't that he was unsure, but that he had determined against believing. This made me think about what I may be keeping myself from believing.

This came on the heels of an interaction I had with a coworker this past week. She is a wonderful Christian lady who is old enough to be my mother, and, thankfully, is willing to play that role on occasion, when I need motherly advice. She came to me a bit troubled by an experience she had earlier in the week.

There was a group of young adults that were on a bicycle trip to (from?) Colorado. They stopped and asked her and her husband if they could pitch a tent in her yard for the night as they were passing through. She immediately became concerned. She did not know these young men, and had never heard of someone stopping a stranger and asking for a place to stay. Why weren't they staying in a hotel or a campground? My friend hesitated, but her husband immediately agreed and let the young men stay.

My friend was counselled by her family that this is what Jesus would have them do. Where else would these men stay, where it would be safe for them, but in the yard of a watchful Christian family? My friend felt sad that she had been so hesitant about doing God's work.

I tried to reassure her, explaining that things are scary in today's world. What if these young men were up to something? Would her family be safe? I assured her that it was right to question them and think of the safety of her family, but she countered with, "Don't you think God is strong enough to protect us?" How could I argue?

This made me think about my own Christian walk. Sometimes I think I am such a great person. I do good works all the time. I am active in personal ministry to others. I give generously to charity. I volunteer. I am helpful and kind. But....am I truly willing to follow wherever God leads me? All of the works I do "for the Lord" I do within the framework of my personal safety and at little or no risk. Would I have opened my yard, let alone my home, to a stranger? Would I do anything for a person I did not trust? I am not so sure. Just like Thomas, I have areas where I have doubts.

During our sermon today, the pastor quoted James 2: 14 - 16. "Dear brothers and sisters, what's the use of saying you have faith if you don't prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can't save anyone. Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, "Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well" -- but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?" Ouch!

Obviously, God has opened my eyes to an area where I need to do some work. I am thankful for his patient instruction.

Part 3

Our trip went through Bryce Canyon, which was my favorite. The colors were amazing! Of course, the trees were a refreshing sight, in such an arid region. The hoodoos of orange and white were breathtaking!

God's handiwork never ceases to amaze me! "For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land." Psalm 95:3 -5.

Part 2

I was really amazed when I came upon this scene:

We were hiking on a nearly 100 degree day, in a place with such extreme weather and inhospitable conditions, when we saw this garden, planted and tended by God. The flowers were mostly balsam root, but there were blooming cactus and flowers of blue and orange and white as well. We also saw several lizards making their home in the garden.

The Majesty of God

I just returned from a vacation in southern Utah. I had never been there before, and I was in for a real treat! On our motorcycle trip, we were able to visit Arches, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Parks. I was amazed at the variety of rock formations, not to mention the flowers, lizards, hawks, and other signs of life in such a seemingly desolate place.

This is my husband and me, standing inside one of the many arches in the park. The terrain is steeper than it looks, but the rock faces are much easier to climb than the basalt rocks found in the Northwest. They are sandstone, which actually grips like sandpaper. In some places, I felt like Spiderwoman, climbing the faces of the rocks with my hands and feet in what felt like a nearly vertical climb!

Graduation blessing

In many families, there is a tradition of formally blessing each child as he/she grows up and leaves home. For my family, that involves my writing a "blessing poem" for each of my children upon graduation from high school. My youngest daughter, Keri, will be graduating this week, and this is my tribute to her:

Congratulations, Keri

How did we get from "Carry me! Carry me!"
To all grown up now; Keri's free?
From the sweet, quiet bundle, twisting Momma's hair,
To an independent woman who is going somewhere?

I remember her eating rocks, dirt, and bugs,
A timid little creature needing cuddles and hugs.
Now she's mature, has a mind of her own,
No longer a child; My, how she's grown!

And a fine woman you are; gentle, yet bold,
With a good moral compass -- you don't have to be told.
You still have that sweetness, that tender heart,
Full of kindness and love that we've seen from the start.

But I see something more, something daring and wild,
A strong-willed woman, not a stubborn child.
With such determination, you'll meet the highest goals,
And still have fun while you try out new roles.

For eighteen years, God has loaned you to me,
Now you're all His; in His arms you are free.
My only advice: Listen closely for His voice;
His alone will guide you to make the best choice.

So, go on now and celebrate your new life,
With its seasons of blessings and bursts of strife;
And remember always that you are loved and adored
And were planned from the start by our Savior and Lord.

Love,
Mom

Shaving the cat

Have you ever shaved a cat? I mean with clippers and the whole thing?

Unfortunately, my aged cat (I believe she is 14 or 15, I can't remember exactly when she was born), has had a little more trouble grooming herself these days. She is a long-haired Himalayan, and she used to get by with very little help from me in keeping her long grey hair in tip-top shape. But somehow over the past few weeks, she has become a matted, tangled mess, with knots so deep that she cried when I touched her. She had pine needles and sap stuck to her fur in several places, and try as I may, I could not get the tangles out.

So, out came the shears. The ones I use on the dogs in the summer no less! My husband held her up, with her claws as far away from me as he could keep them -- boy was that a challenge-- and away we went! Let me tell you, she was NOT HAPPY!

By the time we got done with her, she was much cleaner and softer, but now she has to run around with a freakish mohawk...what will her friends think? At least I didn't dye it pink (HMMM, that is an idea...)

Anyway, she is comfortable and clean and no worse for the wear, after going through such a traumatic experience. This made me think of what our spiritual growth often feels like. You know, when we find ourselves in a mess, with sticky situations and matted messes in our lives. Sometimes God needs to shave away some of the stuff that is keeping us in knots, and it is a painful and often embarrassing process, but in the end it works out for our good, and we are much better off after He gets done with us.

Well, that's my thought for the day, thanks, Kitty! (I'll spare her the embarassment of a photo).

Spring is finally here! After what seemed like endless days of rain, we finally got some sunshine. Of course, we had to take full advantage of it, so my husband and I decided to climb Hamilton Mountain in the Columbia River Gorge. It was beautiful! This is a view on our way up...still quite distance to go.



I don't know why we chose such a difficult place for our first hike of the season. Maybe we worried we wouldn't get another chance. By the time we got home, my whole body was rebelling! But it was truly worth it. The wildflowers were in full bloom, and I had a chance to see one of my favorites: Chocolate lillies!
I don't know why I love them so much. Maybe because they taste like -- no, they are named after -- my favorite food, Chocolate! And there were dozens of them, scattered all across the mountainside. The beautiful flowers bursting in every color filled the scenery in every direction. That is why I love living in the great Pacific Northwet, uh, Northwest!

Praise God for the glory of all He has made!

Thoughts on Hell

The theme of this week, apparently, has been hell. One of my patients called me into her room the other day to share with me that she had just watched a program on television, where an evangelist attempted to convince the audience that the actual location of hell had finally been discovered. He showed some kind of graphic and explained what a horrible place it was and how tormented the people were. My elderly patient was almost in tears..."It was so awful! Now maybe everyone will see for themselves. If this doesn't scare them into believing, I don't know what will!"

Indeed! I get so frustrated when I hear my brothers and sisters talk about scaring people into believing. While God is very forthright in His Word concerning right and wrong, sin and righteousness, I don't believe He had ever intended to scare us into believing. If He did, I don't think He would have been nearly as patient with us as He consistently has been. I could insert so many scriptures here about His patience and longsuffering, but I need to move on.

I also happened to finish "The Case for Faith," by Lee Strobel, this week. In this book, Strobel attempts to counter eight of the biggest objections to Christianity. Overall, I think he does a fine job, but a few of his examples are weak and lack support. One such topic is the doctrine of hell.

For a man as educated as Strobel, with a strong background as a newspaper reporter, I was shocked by his lack of reasoning and by his choice of "experts" on this topic. First of all, the "expert" J.P. Moreland, PhD, starts out by saying that hell is not a literal place and that there is no fire in hell. He explains that all of the biblical language describing hell is just figurative, meaning separation from God. He gives no evidence whatsoever to back up his opinion, and Strobel doesn't press the issue.

Strobel does point out, however, that "some theologians claim that annihilation is what's taught by the scriptures. They say the Bible teaches that while the punishment of hell is eternal, the punishing isn't eternal." He then goes on to give several examples that support this viewpoint. Then the "expert" starts with a circular argument, based on semantics, to try to discredit this line of reasoning. I often use semantics in my own arguments, but this guy's argument doesn't even make sense:

"Now, how about these passages concerning hell? The Old Testament has clear passages on hell being everlasting. Daniel 12:2 says at the end of the age, the just are raised to everlasting life, the unjust to everlasting punishment. the identical Hebrew word for everlasting is used in both instances. If we're going to say that people are annihilated in hell, we should say they're annihilated in heaven. You can't have your cake and eat it, too...In the New Testament, in Matthew 25, Jesus offers a clear teaching where he's intending to address the question of the eternal state of heaven and hell, and he uses the same word everlasting to refer to both."

So what? Everlasting is not the word in question! Everlasting what??? That is the question that begs to be asked. Everlasting torture? Burning? Punishment or Punishing? Effects or events? I don't mind a discussion about doctrine, but please, use some sense of reasoning in your argument!

My favorite response to the question of what the state of the lost actually is comes from a very familiar verse, John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have eternal life." I see two groups here: those that perish and those with eternal life. The effects of both choices are eternal.

What are your thoughts?

An Easter Revelation, Revisited

I have not been a very good blogger of late; my schedule has been jam packed. That doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about writing, I just don't have time most days to write these thoughts down. As Easter is fast approaching, I have been thinking deep thoughts about all that transpired this week, almost two thousand years ago. I have been in deep thought, but I thought that rather than sharing some rather scattered thoughts, I ought to reprint my Easter thoughts from last year, as they were worth another look:

"I am still reading "3:16 the Numbers of Hope" by Max Lucado. What I read this week just blew my mind, so I have to share.

"Mary, the mother of James, and Mary Magdalene have come to the tomb to place warm oils on a cold body and bid farewell to the one man who gave reason to their hopes." The women think they are alone. They aren't. They think their journey is unnoticed. They are wrong. God knows. And he has a surprise waiting for them." 'An angel of the Lord came down from heaven, went to the tomb, and rolled the stone away from the entrance' (Matt 28:2 NCV).

"Why did the angel move the stone? For whom did he roll away the rock?" For Jesus? That's what I always thought. But think about it. Did the stone have to be removed in order for Jesus to exit? Did God have to have help? Was the death conqueror so weak that he couldn't push away a rock?" I don't think so.

The text gives the impression that Jesus was already out when the stone was moved! For whom, then, was the stone moved?" Listen to what the angel says: 'Come and see the place where his body was' (v. 6 NCV). "The stone was moved--not for Jesus--but for the women; not so Jesus could come out, but so the women could see in!"

This was just such an amazing thought. The Lord was already risen. The tomb was empty. God had conquered sin and death. But no one knew. The angel had to move the stone so that humans could be in on the action! It made me wonder what other stones he has needed to move, in my life, so that I could see what was really going on!

Making a difference

This week in church, our pastor challenged us to try to make a difference in the community. I kept thinking, "well, duh... how can anyone have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ without making a difference? How can I go about 'business as usual', knowing that I have been given an incredible gift, without sharing it with others. How can I be loved so much, without showing that same love and compassion with everyone I meet?"

I don't want to sound like I am perfect; I struggle day to day with temptations and frustrations, just like everyone else, but knowing that God is with me every step of the way sure makes the difficulties easier to bear, and easier to work through.

To illustrate, let me share an incredible experience I had this week. I was at work, and I got a phone call from a patient that I had several months ago. She started with a question about nutrition and leg cramps, but I could sense that this was not the real reason for the call. After we chatted for a few minutes, and I answered her "health" questions as best I could, she got to the real point of the call: her family was in trouble, and she needed spiritual support.

While she did not know that I write books on abuse and emotional healing, she did know that I am a Christian. Not because I go around preaching and judging everyone, but because I feel a need to connect with my patients, to see to their hearts' needs, and I offer to pray and support each of them in a personal way to the best of my ability (with God's help). As my former patient explained her situation, she began to cry and told me that she knew I prayed and she just needed someone to pray for her family. I prayed with her on the phone and also have been praying for her family with the small group that meets together every morning at work. I know God has a plan to help her family through this situation.

I am thankful that God can use me to be a help to others. By being kind, by listening for even a few minutes, by building trust in my relationship with others, I am allowing God to use me to reach others in a tangible way. I don't have to be a preacher or an evangelist to share the love of God with others. All I have to do is follow His leading, to take a few minutes in my busy day to say a kind word, or more importantly, to be there for someone else that needs a listening ear. What an honor that God lets us be a part of healing the ills of our world!

Awesome Kids

I am fortunate enough to be a teacher of 7 to 9 year olds in my church. They are so fun and energetic! As a soon to be empty-nester, I am more and more excited each week to spend time with these great kids!

Last week, we started a new project: We are reading "The Case for Christ for Kids" by Lee Strobel. As I have been reading mostly apologetics books lately (books on why we can believe that God and the Bible are true and trustworthy), I thought it might be appropriate to share these ideas with my kids.

I was a little hesitant at first. Would the kids even be interested? We all sat in a circle in the back of the room, and I began reading. I asked the kids if they ever wondered if God was real. I was not prepared for the dialogue to come. One girl said, "We think that the Bible is right, and that God is real. But other people believe in different things, and they all think their way is the right way. We can't all be right. How do we know who is really right?" Another child spoke up, "I was thinking about that this week when I was riding my bike. I wondered if Jesus was real, or if He was just like the other stuff we read or watch on t.v."

As the conversation went on, I found that every single child in the class had been wondering about whether God was real or make-believe. I asked them if they ever asked their parents, and most of them said, "No." They were worried that the questions would upset their parents.

I am looking forward to our ongoing conversations over the next few weeks. I think that even the adult helpers in the class have similar questions. I am so thankful that there are real answers to these questions and that we don't have to believe by "blind faith", but that Jesus left us with some very compelling evidence to support the Bible claims of creation, of Jesus death and resurrection, and of a redeemed life for those who believe. Pray with me that these children will learn to trust in the God that loves them more than they will ever know.

Lewis on Hope

I have finished reading, "Mere Christianity," by C. S. Lewis. It was fantastic! I learned a lot about humanity and practical faith. My favorite was the chapter on hope:

"Aim at Heaven, and you will get earth 'thrown in': aim at earth and you will get neither." p. 112.

"Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise. The longings which arise in us when we first fall in love, or first think of some foreign coutntry, or first take up some subject that excites us, are longings which no marriage, no travel, no learning , can really satisfy...There was something we grasped at, in that first moment of longing, which just fades away in the reality." p. 113

"Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists...If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing." p.114

My friends, I hope that you, like me, will spend this day, and many others, searching for the real thing, until, at last, we all find it.

Punishment?

This week, I got an e-mail from a young lady that just finished reading one of my books. Her first comment to me was that she thought I was "a great Christian" and she wished she could be as "good" as I was. I was shocked, and I immediately replied that I am no better than anyone else, that my walk with God is minute by minute and day by day, just like everyone else's. I said that all we needed was a willing heart to follow where He leads us, and He will do the rest. She followed up with a comment that she thought that she was going through difficulty in her life because she made God angry when she stopped going to church.

Of course, that led to a lengthy conversation, but in the end it made me think about something else: why do we always head straight to the idea that God is angry at us, and that all of our trials are a form of punishment? I know that God will ultimately judge us each, and this may be the underlying fear that most of us have, but that is not all God is about. Judging us is more like some task He has to perform, but it is certainly not His main objective.

God is about love and relationships. This is the theme of the entire Bible. Would Jesus have died for us, if He were motivated by anything but a love that we can't even comprehend? Would God have stooped to our level and intermingled with humanity through the life of Jesus for any other reason? Does He offer us grace, mercy, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, if all He wanted was to punish us?

I think that when we make mistakes, or even choose to do wrong, that God is not sitting up in heaven, making a list like Santa Claus, thinking to himself, "Boy is S/he going to get it!" Instead, I think He has compassion on us and opens His arms to us, saying, "It's okay. I know what you are going through. I forgive you. Let me help you put it back together."

It is my prayer that we all accept His invitation.

Resistance Training

This morning I was going to share what I have been learning from C. S. Lewis, from his book, "Mere Christianity," but I have something else to share instead, so you will have to wait for my thoughts on Lewis for another day.

This morning, as with most mornings, I was working out. However this morning, I shared my workout with someone else. You see, last summer we got 2 new kittens. One of them is still small and timid. She is such a sweetheart. But the other one...well, he is a tiger in a domestic cat's clothing! He happened to be in the house this morning while I was working out.

During the aerobic portion of my workout, he sat watching me intently. Then, I got out my mat for floor work. I got down onto the mat and started doing crunches. The cat, however, took the opportunity to attack what, to him, was an obvious foreign life form that needed to be dealt with: My ponytail! Imagine trying to do sit-ups with a cat attached to your head.

Of course, I am a type-A person, so I couldn't just stop my workout and deal with the cat. So, I guess you could say I just finished the set with extra resistance. Then it was on to push ups. You would think the cat would go away after the sit-ups, but the push ups provided an extra level of entertainment: Not only was there a ponytail to kill and destroy, but he could hide in the "tunnel" to do it!

So there he was, sneaking under my belly, grabbing at my ponytail, which was hanging down beside my neck. He would just about reach it, then ... squish. He would back up as I came down, still keeping his eye on the prize. As I would raise up, he would crawl back under and grab, and down I would come.

Somehow, I finished my routine with my ponytail intact, and Zeus did not get smashed in the process. When I laid back for a stretch, he climbed up on my chest and nuzzled my nose, rubbing up and purring, letting me know that he had sooo much fun this morning. I petted him and smiled.

Tomorrow, the cat goes outside!

A Hall of Doors

Since my books have been published, I have been thrilled to have helped many people to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It has been amazing! Many of them have been baptized and have joined various churches. I have often wondered if I should be doing more to encourage these people to join my church instead of just any church. After all, if I didn't think my church was the right one, why would I keep going?

I was grateful to find the answer in a book I am now reading, which I am sure many of you have read. (If not, pick up a copy, it is brilliant!). I am reading, "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. In the preface, he gives an analogy that truly impressed me. In it he describes the idea of "Christianity" as:

"It is more like a hall out of which doors open into several rooms. If I can bring anyone into that hall I shall have done what I attempted. But it is in the rooms, not the hall, that there are fires and chairs and meals. The hall is a place to wait in, a place from which to try the various doors, not a place to live in. For that purpose the worst of the rooms (whichever that may be) is, I think, preferable."

He goes on to explain how one should choose a room, "In plain language, the question should never be, 'Do I like that kind of service?' but 'Are these doctrines true: Is holiness here?' Does my conscience move me towards this? Is my reluctance to knock at this door due to my pride, or my mere taste, or my personal dislike of this particular door-keeper?' "

He goes on, finally, to say to those of us already in a "room": "...be kind to those who have chosen different doors and to those who are still in the hall. If they are wrong they need your prayers all the more; and if they are your enemies, then you are under orders to pray for them. That is one of the rules common to the whole house."

So, in the end, which do I think is more important, that others know my church doctrines, or that they know my Jesus? The answer is obvious!