"Just a Coincidence? I Think Not!"

While singing in church today, I really paid attention to the words...I didn't just lose myself in worship like I normally do. 

Now's the time for us to rise

To carry hope to hopeless lives

To show this world that mercy is alive.

We're not afraid

We will abandon all

To hear Your name

On lips across the world

Another song even said something about us taking to the streets. And somewhere in the middle of this, I thought "No we aren't or we'd already be doing it. We don't want to give up everything for others." And right then I realized that if I still believe that worship music is a form of praying like I've come to think it is, then I am lying to my God and to these people that can hear me. I quickly deflected the uncomfortable scrutiny I felt (as would any good American!) and thought...well most of these people are lying too, then! 

I'm not proud...but it is what it is. The Holy Spirit promptly reminded me to look at myself, not others. I had to admit, He had a point about this lying thing though. It had never occurred to me to be careful about what I sing...that I need to be spot-on with integrity for anything that proceeds from my mouth.

We came home, and I read this Facebook post from a former pastor of ours: 

"Christians don't tell lies, they just go to church and sing them." Author, A.W. Tozer

(Insert jaw drop and and a little laugh out loud!)

I shared this all with Rebekah, our 12 year old, on our walk in the park and the title of this post was her response...I have to agree.

Make Poverty Personal by Ash Barker

I have already blogged about this book, Make Poverty Personal by Ash Barker (see The Kingdom of Needle Eyes and  We Have Been Told to Go!), so I won't belabor the point...except to say this:

Through books such as this and many others that God has strategically placed in my path, I have come to the realization that I cannot honestly say I love Jesus and want to be more like Him, unless I am willing to give up everything and stand side-by-side with the Poor..."the least of these".  Don't get angry with me if you don't agree, I'm not the One who first said it.

I no longer can placate my "white man's guilt" by giving away items to Goodwill (which doesn't help the Poor anyway, but that's another vendetta altogether!), sponsoring a child in a developing country, paying a tithe to my church and maybe volunteering a few times a year. Jesus calls all believers to a total life transformation...not just a select few. If my life and attitude toward the Poor (yes, even the ones that think they're entitled!) is no different than my non-Christian counterparts, then how dare I have the audacity to claim Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

Can you sense how I have been challenged by this book? You need to know though that I am presenting this much more harshly than Ash Barker does. I am just fed up with myself and it's coming out in this post.

There is a theme that is running through current Christian literature these days. The books that have changed my life forever have all been written in the last four to five years. Crazy Love, Forgotten God, A Thousand Miles in a Million Years, (from which this blog receives its title) A Hole in Our Gospel, In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day, Radical, and Passport Through Darkness...plus the older Irresistible Revolution and thousands of blog posts by authors such as Ann Voscamp, Beth Moore and others less famous are ALL crying out for us to let go of this non-existent "American Dream" and become the people of God that He created us to be. If you have one ounce of perspective, discernment, intuition or analytical aptitude...you can only acknowledge that God's Holy Spirit is moving and working and calling us to follow Him into establishing His kingdom "on earth as it is in Heaven".

While chewing on all of this over the last few weeks, I recalled a conversation with a lady I went to church with in Indy. At one point my exuberance over what I wanted to do in service to God was bubbling over and I said something like, "I just don't want to miss out on being a part of what He is doing." She replied, "And that's why you won't." I know the Holy Spirit wasn't chastising me because my life now looks nothing like what I thought it would then. Rather, He was reminding me that if I still long to not "miss out", I need to follow wherever He leads...that is where my real life will begin.

The Kingdom of Needle Eyes

I've already blogged about the "rich young ruler" passage in Matthew 19:16-26. Ash Barker writes, "Jesus's life gave authority to the lives of the poor and gave a new reference point for all to see." The question I've been asking myself lately though is this: What am I afraid of seeing?

The rich young ruler walked away after Jesus told him to sell everything and give it away to the poor. He couldn't do it. Jesus said, you know...a camel can get through the"eye of a needle" easier than a rich person can get into the kingdom of heaven. Peter wants to know, if that is the case, then how can anyone be saved? Jesus tells him right up front...in your own strength, you can't...but with God "all things are possible."

Barker adds, "Jesus was turning upside-down the notion of the day that 'blessing equals wealth.' This was even more explicit in Jesus's sermon on the plain, where he said, "Blessed are you who are poor...but woe to you who are rich" (Luke 6:20, 24). The rich are not good enough, and the poor are not good enough; but the poor are generally under no illusions about their situation." (emphasis mine)

What is it that I'm not willing to give up? Barker delves into a brief comparison of the rich young ruler to Peter, one of the original 12 disciples of Jesus. When Jesus was at His lowest, Peter denied even knowing his best friend three times...yet he went on to become the founder of the new church movement that began after the death and resurrection of the Messiah. Peter was just a simple fisherman, but it was the only life he knew. Barker states, "Sure, he didn't really have that much to lose compared with the rich young ruler. Yet, he was giving up something real and something that he knew. In the end, it was a small price to pay to help change the world and have an eternal impact."

These few sentences speak very loudly into my life right now. I don't have a lot of "stuff" to lose, but I have my way of life, my comfort, my "familiar" that could be taken from me in a heartbeat. And that's what's scaring the living daylights out of me.

The Lone Ranger

This Disney version of the masked rider was nothing like what I remember of the reruns I used to watch as a kid. I'd heard fairly poor reviews of this one, so we hadn't rushed right out to see it, even though it was originally a high priority on My Summer Movie Wishlist.

In the grand scheme of things it still doesn't matter if we saw it the day it came out or not...but despite what I'd heard, the three of us from our family that saw it really enjoyed it! I've shared my disappointment with Star Trek: Into Darkness. Man of Steel was a huge letdown for my superhero geekiness. So the pleasant surprise of a good movie that wasn't just rehashing a worn out storyline was refreshing.

I'll confess that the storyline seemed new to me, but then again, I barely remember the old television series starring Clayton Moore. "High ho, Silver away!" and the William Tell overture are the limits of my memories. Johnny Depp is always priceless, especially teamed with the directors and producers of his hit Pirates of the Carribean series. Armie Hammer, while not my favorite actor, pulled off the role...despite the Texan accent not coming across as natural to him. Helena Bonham Carter...no need to explain how great she is in anything she does and Tom Wilkinson is superb as always. 

I'm not certain how this movie has fared amongst all of the huge competition vying for your summer box office dollars...but when Superman has basically fallen off the map and Iron Man 3 and Star Trek are hanging out at the second run theatre and all of the theatres are being overrun by zombies, monsters, minions and snails (of all things!)...a little good old fashioned cowboys and indians was a fun adventure to share with my kids.

**End note: This movie is rated PG-13 and I think the level of violence was pushing that rating a little. There are some fairly gruesome scenes plus a brothel involved in the story. My children that attended with me are 15 and almost 13. I suggest using caution allowing small children to watch it.**

Just How Deep is His Mercy?

I'm continuing through the red letter words of Jesus, slowly but surely. Yesterday, something fell together that reminded me exactly how much God loves each and every one of us. It also spoke to the depth of His Mercy for all.

In Matthew 5:43-48 Jesus tells us that we should "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Why? "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven." But in case that isn't reason enough, Jesus gives us the example of how far His Father will go to care for (aka love) His enemies. "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

Did you notice that it's His sun? Or had you ever considered that He is the one who sends the rain? He doesn't have to share His sun. And He doesn't have to give us rain. Don't believe me? James 5:17 reminds us that there was a man, just like us, who prayed for God to shut up the heavens because of the wickedness of a generation...and God granted Elijah's prayer for three and a half years! One dry year in some parts of Africa creates a famine. Can you imagine what the famine of Elijah's day was like?

He prayed again and God sent rain to everyone. (The full story begins at 1 Kings 17) These weren't spotty showers only on the repentant ones. God, in His unlimited depth of mercy, sent rain to all. There is so much contained in these verses that I could ramble at great length. It's taken me two days to get this far. I've had much difficulty thinking how I should conclude this post. 95% of the time, my writing just pours out. It's very rare that after two days I still have no direction, summary, outline or conclusion.

I think the point is, that it (His mercy) never ends. I'm not sure that it can be "summed up".

Have you ever doubted that God would forgive what you have done? Do you sometimes feel like you have gone so far from Him that He would never take you back?

Did the sun come up today? Then His mercy continues on and He's ready to wash away the grit and grime too. Whether you ask for it or not, the rain is coming! You can choose to remain blind to the One who shares these gifts with you or you can open up your heart to the cleansing promise of another day to (with His help) get it right.

Coffee Toffee Ice Cream

This recipe is adapted from a Matcha Mint Ice Cream recipe Abbey tried last spring. I've made this once before and thought I'd share the recipe this time.

For whatever reason, our Kroger coconut milk only comes in 399 ml cans. That's a weird amount...don't you think? So I have had to adapt the recipe even further to accommodate mismatched supply sizes.

Take two cans of full fat coconut milk (and take a deep breath and remind yourself that healthy fats are not the devil incarnate!) and put the entire contents in a medium saucepan. If the cream is solid at the top of the can...even better! Stir in about 4 Tablespoons of brewed coffee or the instant equivalent. Yes, I prefer Starbucks, but for recipes I use the cheap stuff we already have on hand.

Heat these on a stove top on medium heat, just until the liquid is starting to boil. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Stir in about 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 cup agave, honey or sweetener of your choice. (If you use sucanot or granulated sugar, stir briskly to dissolve.) Whisk or stir mixture until well blended.

Place bowl in freezer for about one hour. Following your ice cream freezer directions, pour mixture into ice cream maker's container and churn.

When the ice cream freezer begins to sound like it is struggling, stop the machine, carefully remove lid (being sure to keep rock salt and ice out), sprinkle with crushed toffee bar pieces, chopped almond pieces and drizzle caramel ice cream topping on it. Allow machine to finish churning.

When complete, either enjoy right away or place in a deep freezer to obtain a firmer ice cream.

Variations:

• Use a different type of nut other than almonds.
• Add more or less coffee according to taste. Decaf or regular is up to you.
• Add chopped chocolate bits or mini chocolate chips in place of, or along with the toffee bits.
• Delete caramel and drizzle on top when serving or stir in after ice cream is complete, but before you place in deep freezer.

Technically this is vegetarian, but I would love to create a vegan version. I really don't know if it's possible, outside of making my own caramel sauce and toffee.

Updated Patio Garden Photos

In my previous post about my patio garden, I promised photos throughout the summer to show how it's growing. While these aren't the greatest, just click on the link above to see the difference.

No tomatillos yet, but they're growing.

Red bell peppers and habaneros are prolific this year.

The herbs have done well. Basil and mint to share!

Hopefully some tomatoes soon!

You're not really getting the full effect here. From the street, one of my kids says it "looks like a jungle."

She quickly added that looking like a jungle "isn't a bad thing." Nor do I think so either...especially when we can walk out our back door and get fresh, organic produce. Sharing with the neighbors is a bonus that has helped us build relationships too. You can't get any better than a two-fer. Two great benefits from one beautiful garden.

We Have Been Told to "Go!"

There is a story in the New Testament that we Christians have dubbed "The Rich Young Ruler". It's not one of the parables of Jesus, it was an exchange of words that took place between the Messiah and someone that was attempting to make himself feel better about his choices and wealth. Turn to Matthew 19:16-30 to read it. This was evidently so impacting that Mark and Luke recorded the conversation too.

In the book I'm currently reading, the author "unpacks" this passage and I readily admit that what he has to say is not always what my American-church ears want to hear. "Many Christians are more like the rich young ruler than any other New Testament character. Well-resourced, bright, charming, able to engage in religious discussion--talk about poverty, even--but unable to even comprehend what Jesus invites them to do and be."

After this young man had affirmed that he was religious, righteous and pious by having upheld all the commandments that Jesus reminded him to live by, Jesus exposed the man's true heart with this statement: "Go, sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow Me." (Matthew 19:21)

Ash Barker, author of Make Poverty Personal starts with the same two letter word that Jesus did..."Go!" A week later, I'm still pondering the implications. Because, you see, this isn't just a word of statement or fact...it is a command. Barker writes, "Go is a non-negotiable command."

It's non-negotiable...just like when the Gentile Centurion shows up and says to Jesus, 'My daughter is ill and I want you to heal her. No, you don't need to come to my home to do it, I know that You are a Man of authority...just like I am. If I say to someone "Go!"...he does it. I just need a word from You that she is healed and it will be so.' Jesus appropriately replies, "Go; let it be done for you according to your faith." (Matthew 8:5-13 for the full story)

Jesus also told the disciples to "Go and make disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:18-20) Jesus even prefaces this with revealing to his followers that "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth."  Barker writes, "There is never any ambiguity in these calls to obedience. The only options are to obey or disobey, with all the consequences that this might have."

So why...about 2000 years later...when three different writers believed that Jesus' command to the rich young ruler was so important that they took care to document it...do we Christians so quickly (and sometimes adamantly) explain away this command? We tell ourselves, 'It was only for that one man', or 'Well, Jesus could see that in his heart the man was bound by his possessions,' or simply, 'Yeah...but Jesus wouldn't ask that of me...I have a family and others that depend on me.' Well, according to Barker, to be called "wealthy" or "rich" in that day indicated he was "responsible for the livelihoods of hundreds of people." Think of an English manor with an earl that has tenants renting land, growing crops and making a living off his land and you have the general idea. Jesus knew He was asking everything of this man...and the rich young ruler did too.

Why would Jesus ask any less of us today just because we have more stuff or tell ourselves we're smarter or more indispensable? Barker continues, "...those who become Jesus's disciples can't do deals beforehand. They must surrender to Jesus first and then let him do through them whatever he wants to do." 

Have you attempted to work out some "deals" with Jesus, either before you surrendered to Him or even after? When He says "Go!" do you drop everything and instantly do it? Do you believe that when He has called you to "Go!" He will lead the way, equipping you for the journey? Do you long for significance, purpose and passion in your daily life? Then ask yourself, 'Where is He telling me to "Go!" and serve the poor?...and do it!

Just in the Nick of Time...Again!

If you've ever spent much time perusing this blog, you know what my title indicates. Yes, God's Holy Spirit asked me to take a leap of faith, be obedient to a call from Him and He would provide the ability for me to do it. Only this time, it wasn't me...it was for our oldest, Abbey.

Back in the spring, when I learned that our church was taking a trip to Canada, I felt an undeniable urging to persuade Abbey to go. She had not expressed interest, she knew no one on the trip, I didn't know where the money was going to come from...but I knew she was supposed to go. She's been a little frustrated with me at some times because of mama bird not giving her much choice about leaving the nest on this one, but for unexplainable reasons...only known to God...I know she is supposed to go.

The trip begins next Saturday, the 20th and only within the last week have I begun to wonder where the funds would come from. We'd already arranged for her to work for some of the money with my family in Indiana, so that part wasn't a surprise. Where the balance came from...was.

We've had to change insurance companies to get the cost down to a manageable level for Abbey because she has to pay for her own auto coverage. I knew we'd get a refund of the balance remaining on our policy, I just didn't know when to expect it.

Now...I know a lot of people that would say "this was just a coincidence", "well, actually you're providing the money", or "how can you call that God's timing when it was just a refund of your money"...and all of that may be true. But...when I took the leap to get her involved on this journey, I didn't know we would need to change insurance companies, I didn't know how much we would get for a refund, I didn't know if my family would be willing to let her do some work for them, I didn't know when the refund would arrive and I didn't know how God would have it all timed out to the last weekend that we could get the funds to the church. So, believe what you want to believe...but I choose to see God's Hand working all of this out just like I knew He would!

Amen!

More Berry Pickin' at Phillips' Berry Patch

I forgot to take a camera this time, but Rebekah, Leah and I went back to Phillips' Berry Patch in Guilford, Indiana. The crop of the day is the sweet, yummy blueberries pictured above...well, these and nine pounds more! The bushes are loaded. The three of us picked those nine pounds in under 30 minutes. 

You pick price is currently $2.90 per pound and $5.90 per quart if they pick for you. It might sound a little pricey, but for fresh off the bush, no pesticide berries, I'll pay to pick my own. 

If you're thinking about heading out to the Berry Patch, learn from my mistake and take the back roads through Greendale. Part of State Road 1 is closed and you can't get to the farm from Interstate 74. 

Staples

I used to think of "staples" as bread, milk, coffee, sugar and flour. For years I have laughed as people inundated the grocery stores in anticipation of a winter storm to stock up on items that apparently, they can't live without for a day. Usually, in our neck of the world, that is about the longest you might be stuck inside without access to a store. Since we've become apartment dwellers, I've been even more at ease because one of us could always walk to the convenience store or grocery just up the street.

What struck me as funny today when I returned from my (almost) daily trip to the store is that the photo above now depicts what the word "staple" means to us. I could have thrown some spinach, kale, and leaf lettuce in the picture too. And when I stopped to think about it, I chuckled at the thought of the next "blizzard", as I will undoubtedly trek out...not to help clear off the bread aisles...but rather to elbow out some granny for the last bunch of bananas! 

Warm Bodies

Today we watched our second Redbox pick of the weekend and with the opening credits still rolling, Rebekah and I both remarked that it was already a better movie than Beautiful Creatures. This is the current zombie genre poking fun at itself...in a Romeo and Juliet sort of way. Actually, make that "R and Julie".

Warm Bodies stars Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer as not just star-crossed, but more like "undead-crossed" lovers. John Malcovich plays Julie's father who knows from experience that the corpses can't change...or can they?

Don't get bogged down in over analyzing the plot. This story is meant to be fun and Hoult's narration throughout is the best part...sort of like the movie where I first saw him as a young boy. About a Boy is one of my all-time favorite movies and Hoult's tongue-in-cheek comments are reminiscent of Hugh Grant in that great film.

If you aren't easily offended and understand this is a zombie movie...there will be violence...then, rent and have a good laugh!

Beautiful Creatures, the Movie

I've distinguished that this is a movie review because my daughter, Rebekah, informed me it was also a book. And last night was Redbox night...thanks to a couple of e-coupons we'd received! We opted for this choice and Warm Bodies, which we'll have to watch later today.

Emma Thompson is hands down one of my favorite actresses...but sometimes I guess she needs to pay the bills. This movie must have been one of those choices for money over material. She's an Oscar winner and is always amazing, I just think she should have passed on this script. I'll add the same observation for Oscar winning actor Jeremy Irons, who doesn't have quite the same level of skills as Thompson, but was nonetheless wasted on this movie. You get the general idea of the quality, without me revealing any spoilers...not that there are very many to reveal.

About halfway through, I could see that someone must have thought, "Hey, let's make this as much like Twilight as possible and they'll be sure to love it!" Teen angst; "I'm a loser because I'm different"; "No you're not...you're powers are amazing!" Yes, it was even replete with bad special effects ala Twilight. I just kept thinking that the book must have been great for someone to make it into a movie. Not so, added Rebekah.

Apparently  the book wasn't "that good to begin with" and the numerous changes they made in the script did not help. All of this left me asking...why did she suggest we watch it? And...too bad Redbox doesn't give refunds for stinky movies.

Overall rating = C- (The only reason I didn't venture lower is because I try to be nice and I am giving props to Thompson and Irons...and Viola Davis...for showing up to work each day!)

My Child Asked for What???

Today at the grocery store, our youngest, Leah, bobbed up and down (like she frequently does) and asked if I would buy some cauliflower and make my knock-off version of mashed potatoes. It's also a healthier version. In the organic section, I looked at the price of $2.49 for one medium-sized head (nothing organic is usually very big...and that's a good sign that it's authentically organic!) and started to shake my head and say, "No, not today, it's too expensive."

But I hesitated just long enough to actually think about what I was doing. I quickly glanced around at the nearby Starbucks, deli, ready made food bars, take home pizzas and bakery and snapped out of thoughts of what she could be asking for and replied, "Yes!"

She's already eaten two helpings and will probably be back for more!