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
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
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).
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).
Friday, May 22, 2009
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!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
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?
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?
Thursday, April 9, 2009
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!
"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!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
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!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
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.
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.
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