Forgiving Their Past (Matthew 1:18-25)

Last time, we talked primarily about how we all have a mixed bag of good and bad in our family trees. But what if, because of the evil perpetrated by one or more of these ancestors, you were never allowed to reach your potential...and not just your potential, but your God-given right to lead your nation as their king?

Many of us may be able to identify with the first portion of that last question, but few in history would understand the unfairness of being stripped of a title you rightfully deserve. Joseph, step-father of Jesus, husband to Mary, was just such a man.

I recently heard Rabbi Johnathan Cahn say that if the Davidic line would have remained on the throne, if there had never been an exile to Babylon and the slow trickle of the Diaspora returning to Jerusalem, the first son of the first son of the first son...left to reign on the throne of Israel, would have been Joseph. Yes, that Joseph. I don't know why we are not taught this in Sunday school or church, but there it is. Just read the first chapter of Matthew.

This may seem insignificant, but as I dwelt on this for several weeks, the beauty of just exactly what this means was not lost on me. Instead of sitting on a throne, pampered, served and filling his coffers with treasure and wives, Joseph is a carpenter, trying to survive and start a family in a backwoods portion of the former glorious Israel. The calloused hands of a woodworker, should have been dipping in water bowls before tucking into a feast. The threadbare tunic of a commoner should have been exchanged for purple robes of royalty. And the king that should have had dozens of wives and concubines (although this practice wasn't condoned by God, it was "normal" for the era), was instead attached to a faithless teenager who has now turned up pregnant by another man (or so Joseph thought).

Best of all, Joseph can fully blame his ancestors for having the opportunity to rule Israel ripped out from underneath him. Yes, there were great, godly kings like Josiah in his family line, but the kings of Judah who wholeheartedly followed YHWH were few and far between. Instead, Joseph can give thanks to progenitors like Manasseh for ruining his life of ease and comfort. Manassah was so evil, that we are told he was more wicked than all of the Amorites before him. He not only participated in, but led his subjects in, the practices of child sacrifice, witchcraft, and divination. The depth of his depravity is maybe best exemplified in this one statement: "Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another." (2 Kings 21:16)

Fast forward a few hundred years, to a man who would be king...if it weren't for his horrific ancestors who led all of Judah into some of the worst debauchery mankind has ever known. Royal blood flowed through Joseph's veins and the people around him had to have known it. Matthew surely wasn't the only Jew who knew the names and whereabouts of the descendants of David. It would have been an honor for Mary to be betrothed (promised) to such a man.

You want to talk about depression? This man had earned the right to curl up and hide away from the world, incessantly licking his wounds and blaming his distantly removed family for his current circumstances. He could have himself chosen to become an evil tyrant, lashing out at anyone and everyone that crossed his path. Add to all of this, the disgrace of having picked the wrong woman to bind yourself to, and there are few people today who would say that Joseph wasn't entitled to be just a smidge angry.

Instead, we are told: "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was a follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly." (Matthew 1:19, emphasis mine)

The man who had every right to have Mary executed by stoning, is described as "righteous", which is a succinct way of saying he lived out YHWH's justice. How could he not want vengeance, retribution and the proverbial "pound of flesh"? I think the answer lies between the lines of what we have never been told.

Joseph must have been the living embodiment of humility. A family that was fallen from the throne to the woodshed would either be consumed with bitterness and rage or overflowing with grace and humility. There really is no third option. Joseph chose grace.

After forgiving your ancestors for ruining your present because of their unseemly past and doing it in such a way that the entire kingdom had to suffer the consequences..."sending (Mary) away secretly" was really the only option for a man who had come to terms with this pain. I call it a "humbling".

When you've lived through something, that through no fault of your own, drags you down into the quagmire of human depravity and shame, only by the grace of God, can this "humbling" wash over you and help you stand stronger and resiliently above the muck of this world.

How can I prove that Joseph had long ago forgiven his messed up ancestors? Because someone arrogant enough to believe they would never do the exact same thing if they "were in Solomon's shoes", can't possibly put away any offense quietly. Someone who fills their days accusing others for every wrong and unjust thing that has happened to them, misses the beauty of grace all around them. And someone who believes others could be below or beyond redemption or belongs in a future without the favor of God...will miss seeing the face of their Savior.

In the Old Testament, people were told they could not see the face of YHWH because it could kill them, Joseph's prize for living a humble life though was not only to see His face, but also to live the rest of his life in the Presence of the One sent to redeem us all.

Joseph taught YHWH incarnate how to walk, how to talk, the lengths a protective father would go to save his child. He taught Messiah the Torah and took Him to Jerusalem at the appointed times. He broke bread with Him daily and showed Him the living example of a righteous, humble man.

We all know that YHWH in flesh walked among us and was brought low...humbled...so that after His death, He would be exalted and raised up to sit at the right hand of His Heavenly Father. What we often neglect to remember is that this infant God, who now rightfully sits on His throne, was permitted to live because another king, who lost his own throne, didn't resent it.

**If the goal is to "Live a Life Like Jesus", then here's my homework: Who's choices am I blaming for my present situation? I need to ask YHWH for the humility to see them through grace-filled eyes. Pray for release from the bondage of blame. And pray these things in the Name of Jesus and by the power of His Blood.

Where Do We Come From? (Matthew 1:1-17)

When you turn to the first gospel account of the life of Jesus to try to understand Him, His mission and the legacy He longs for us to carry on, you first have to deal with the genealogy of Jesus, the man. After all, just like every one of us before Him and those who have followed in His wake, there is a list of ancestors that stretches back into the far reaches of when time began. Jesus is no different.

The genealogy of the Messiah is slightly irregular than most, as His human stepfather, Joseph, is the ancestral line we are given in Matthew 1:1-17. Having no earthly father, this is a logical presentation for Matthew to make.

We all have unsavory characters in our family. We also have spiritual forefathers who broke with their culture and followed YHWH no matter the cost. Most people gloss over the lineage of Jesus, son of Joseph. After all, those "begats" get slightly confusing. But as we delve into His heritage, we find a treasure trove of information and an even more amazing gift of how to deal with our own.

One of the first things you'll notice is that there are five women who are also named in the lineage of the Messiah. This was not normal protocol of the time period. "Bar" in a name meant son of...and a woman's moniker never followed. Thus, Jesus bar Joseph (Yeshua bar Yosef) would have been the earthly identity of Jesus in His village, not Jesus bar Mary. It just didn't work that way. So to have women specifically named in His lineage must be significant.

The inclusion of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary have typically been explained as Matthew wanted to signify that Jesus came to save the Gentiles as well. Nice thought, but Matthew is writing to a predominantly Jewish audience. The genealogy is proof of the Jewish roots of Jesus. In his recent book Reversing Hermon, Dr. Michael Heiser presents interesting scholarly reasons why these specific women were chosen as representatives of precisely whom Jesus was descended from. It goes back to Second Temple teachings on Genesis 6 and the sin of the Watchers. (Definitely a conversation for another day!) For our purposes here though, I just want to emphasize that there is no sin too big for Jesus to reverse/redeem and no sinner that Jesus would like to push back into the closet to hide in the darkness.

If I Live Like Jesus, I embrace the good, the bad, and even the downright ugly in this sordid, messy tapestry of lineage that was woven decades and centuries before I arrived on the scene. In fact, I wear those "incidents", "whispers", and "goings on" like a badge of honor...because they made me precisely who I am!!

I also don't hide the yuck, because only Darkness hides. Jesus is the Light of the world. We all know that Darkness can only be stopped by the Light. So throw open those closets, knock down those cobwebs and toss the skeletons out in the trash were they belong. 

This definitely is not as easy as it sounds. And don't throw this information out on social media for the ridicule and condemnation of everyone you met at a Gymboree play class for your kids. Instead, start by pouring it out to Jesus. Let him break the generational sins that have their hooks in your family. If you don't even know where those hooks are digging in, just ask Him...He'll be well-pleased to show you exactly where they are located.

Remember, every single one of these women and men for whom we know the darkness of their past...it was recorded in the Old Testament thousands of years ago...were also in the lineage of Joseph. Joseph had these sordid characters in his past too! This is what he brought to the table for Jesus, his divine step-son. Beth Moore says, 'to every generation is given the opportunity to break the chains of the past. It's just a matter of who is going to do the work.'

Next post, we'll look at how I believe Joseph 'did the work.' Without embracing every facet of who he was, who he was destined to be...yet failed to become, Joseph may never have been humble enough to recognize this child for who He really was...the Son of God.

It's Been A Long Time

Over 2 years ago, I wrote my last blog post. I knew then it probably wouldn't be the last one ever, but I knew it would be a lengthy hiatus at best. There were several reasons for this, and now there are several reasons for returning.

A lot has happened in the last 2 years...politics aside...I mean personally. For the last year, I worked in a homeless shelter. You want some perspective on what matters in this world, go to work for a population of people who carry all of their personal belongings in a backpack. Also, about 2 years ago, I embarked down an area of study in my spiritual life that has completely changed the way I look at this world and my place in it. More importantly, God has awakened me to His power within me and the dark forces that are at work against every single one of us, whether you're a Christian or not. Just being human means you have an enemy that wants to destroy you, because he wants to destroy everything and everyone that God created...and that means you.

But as a Jesus-follower, I am empowered with certain gifts...promised to each of us...that will not only aid in my survival, but will actually help me soar above the muckety-muck of this world we call home.

I'm now at the cusp of yet another new beginning on this Journey. And as the Holy Spirit always does, He has been prepping me for this one too. I don't yet know where it will lead, but I do know it will involve growing things and growing people. That's pretty much how He's summed up my purpose here. And because of the heart He's given me, I know those things include plants that feed people, and the people will involve those on the fringes of our everyday lives.

I've struggled a lot over the last year, first with my health, and then stress and anxiety that were digging deep roots into my soul and taking hold in ways I didn't know were possible...and I've had a lot of stress in my past. (Just read previous posts...particularly in years 2009-2011!) But as I finally listened to what He's been telling me to do for the last 2 months, the source of the stress is gone, and now I just need to let Him work on digging up the stump. I know He will be faithful to do it!

Not coincidentally at this same time, He's been calling me to get back to finding out who He really is. A lot of the teaching I've heard, and the lessons I've learned amid the cacophony of voices that seep into our lives through news, media, the internet and even our churches, is so diametrically opposed to who God says He is, that part of my stress has involved simply trying to hear His Voice.

The best way I know to get back to the heart of God is through Jesus. Who did He say He was? How did He live His life? Not just what did He say, but what did He do? To whom did He go?

I have to strip down that muckety-muck I referred to previously and look with new eyes upon the One who gave everything just so I could commune with Him. So the best place that I know to start is in the gospels...Matthew to be specific. I know I'll find Him there, because He promised that when I seek Him, I will find Him. (see Jeremiah 29:13)

Do you want to join me on the Journey? He promised there is no greater adventure! I don't know how long it will take, but it would be good to hear your thoughts and observations along the way. Oh, and I'd be remiss if I didn't insert here that the plan isn't just to find out who He is, but to put it into practice too! After all, James the half-brother of Jesus, told us that "faith without works is dead." (see James 2:20) I honestly don't need any more head-knowledge, do you? What I do need is the transformational power of Jesus to so infect my life that the world is different because I know and love Him!

I can't think of anything more worthy of my time, energy and attention...let's get started!

What I Have Learned

One of the mosaics from St. Mary's Cathedral
and Basillica, Covington

We've been in our urban home for about three and a half months now. I know I've been strangely silent. I haven't even kept up with my gardening blog like I had hoped.

Yes, I've been busy planting, weeding, harvesting, tilling, mowing, moving, unpacking, preserving, and now back to teaching school at home...but I don't think this is entirely why I've been less verbose.

What I've been learning over the last several weeks, is that some lessons (which are also gifts!) are simply too close to my heart to put words to them. I don't know that I've ever experienced God's Spirit so visibly working in any other season of my life, unless it was in the midst of great tragedy. To have Him obvious and apparent around every bend and bridge of this Journey has left me breathless. 

It's sort of difficult to speak when you're breathless.

But, as He always does in His impeccable timing, He's been placing words on my heart and in my mind, so that I can hopefully encourage someone else who is experiencing His closeness that can be most overwhelming...or to inspire someone who longs expectantly to see His hand and is ready for Him to pull back the curtain to reveal their next move.

This is in list format, because when eloquence fails me, lists help my analytical, logical mind process the fullness of the moment.

The things I've learned since moving into an urban environment:

• I've learned that "urban" places can still have huge trees, quiet streets, beauty and bugs. 
• I've learned that neighors in urban areas may be more willing to smile, wave, say "Hi!"...or tell you their whole life story!
• I've learned that urban neighbors will give your husband roses to bring home for you.
• I've learned that urban neighbors who have lived on the same street for decades may have never met each other.
• I've learned that when you move onto an urban street and are trying to "practice the art of neighboring", you sort of stand out and are even told by one neighbor that you are now the social hub of the street...as she laughs and delights in the fact that you know more of your neighbors than she does.
• I've learned that people who live in the "projects" at the end of your street...and need to walk down your street for access to groceries, etc...will avoid eye contact with the people in these pretty houses, and are caught completely off-guard by this white lady calling out to them to say "Hello!"
• I've learned that these same people will, with time, look for your face as they walk by your house, longing to see someone's smile light up as they pass.
• I've learned that when you pray for the Holy Spirit to interrupt your day for His Kingdom purposes, you better mean that He can interrupt your mowing, so you can take your neighbor that you barely know to get his car that his homeless buddy let run out of gas. And you better be willing to stand by the side of the road while he hot-wires this car...and you pray that any police passing by will believe that it's his car and that you are not in fact an accomplice to grand theft! [This is an hilarious story all by itself!]
• I've learned that when you try to live a more "green" existence and buy a manual mower, you better be prepared to be the entertainment on your street. You should know that every neighbor will have a comment...and you can hear them without a mower running! And the same neighbor you helped get to his car will adamantly insist on mowing your yard for you.
• I've learned that you need to have a plan for when people knock on your door asking for money. If you don't want to just turn them away, you need to keep cash on hand so you can stand at the bus stop with them or give them some work to do so they can feel empowered and not despised. 
• I've learned that God's Spirit can give you a burden to pray for people who are so obviously living outside of His Will for them,  that they can't even pretend to have it all together.
• I've learned that there are snakes in the city too! Ugh!
• I've learned that you better not be offended too easily by language that would make a sailor blush! And that your kids can't be offended by it either!
• I've learned that many people in the city can't hold up the mask of having it all together. They will tell you about their sordid past or present. They will walk stoned down your sidewalks and their dealers (or loansharks or whatever) will shout at them for their money from the front porch of their house.
• I've learned that the city doesn't take as good of care of your neighborhood park if your neighbors don't take care of it either.
• I've learned that the TANK and school buses, when faced with side-swiping a parked car or crossing the line toward an oncoming one (that you are driving), on a very narrow city street, will opt for the the chance of hitting the moving one. Go figure?
• I've learned that when you don't panic at the sound of gunfire...your kids won't either!
• I've learned that when your heart's desire is to find a church that will love and serve the people of your neighborhood...the Holy Spirit plants one...five houses away from your front door!
• I've learned that I can go to church to "serve and not be served"!
• I've learned that when you put free stuff out on your sidewalk for "Free Stuff Fridays", the drug dealer is a little skeptical that you're giving it away and completely caught off guard when you holler out to him to help himself! [I just love Jesus and how He works!]
• I've learned that you can grow food in the city...that your neighbors and those walking by on "Free Stuff Friday" are thrilled to enjoy your harvest. 
• I've learned that people who think your neighborhood is scary, just don't have the eyes to see the beauty that's all around them.
• I've learned that Jesus cares about my kids' hearts too when my lonely 12 year old finds a buddy down the street who has been waiting 10 years for another kid move in.
• I've learned that I can come home after celebrating a child's birthday dinner and find protestors and pray-ers at the end of my street...and be frustrated that I missed it!
• I've learned that Jesus is walking the streets of my neighborhood...and I want to follow Him wherever He goes!

I don't think I can ever adquately describe the overwhelming contentment, joy, love, mystery and adventure that I am experiencing almost daily. This list only scratches the surface of what I know is still to come.

Amen!

The Difference a Year Can Make

About this time last year, our family had been to Florida, enjoyed a cheap but great vacation to the Disney/Orlando area and Abbey and I were knee-deep in Abbey's Vegan Eats, raising support and awareness for her upcoming Mission Year. I don't even know at this point if she'd received her assignment in Houston, Texas. I only knew in a little over a month, our girl was flying out on that big bird, making her way into the wonderful adventure God had for her.

This side of a year's Journey and next Friday, we will welcome home a very different Sojourner of faith. I wish I could convey to you all the blessed ways in which Abbey has changed. 

She has learned compassion and patience by serving children who live in deep poverty in one of Houston's toughest neighborhoods. She's had the joy of becoming family with people she had never even met last July. 

Because of them and the neighbors that have welcomed them into their lives, she's had a taste of authentic, intentional community and she longs for more...more of God showing up and showing off His Kingdom Love in and through the lives of people committed to serving Him.

As evidenced by Abbey's Vegan Eats, food was already her passion...now it is her rallying cry for the injustice of food deserts and limited, unhealthy choices for those already confined by conventional thought, unfair practices and no means to pull themselves up out of the mire of cheap, traditional American convenience food, that is killing them. She longs to teach others how to live fulfilled, healthy lives, caring for the only temple God gave them...their bodies.

She has still found time to embrace the beautiful and to be creative, but her team and City Directors have helped unleash the inner Artist that has struggled to accept her gifts. Creativity through art, musical theatre, baking and more are necessary survival skills now that she has opened up the toolbox of talent that God had already equipped her with.

Who will come off of that big bird we put her on last year? I'm not exactly sure and I don't know precisely where she's headed next...but I am absolutely certain that with the Holy Spirit as her Guide, it will continue to be the adventure of a lifetime.

We love you Abbey and we long to see your face! (I Thess. 2:17)

*******************************

If you'd like to see more photos of Abbey's Mission Year experience, follow her on Instagram.

My Injustice

I've started working through Kelly Minter's study, What Love Is: The Letters of 1, 2, 3 John (Living Room) So far, I really like what I'm studying. But today, a commonly quoted verse brought me to tears as the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and opened my Kingdom eyes.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9, NASB)

You don't have to be a Christian very long before you hear this verse. In fact, if you had someone walk you through any step-by-step proselytizing format (like those used by Campus Crusade, Youth For Christ, YWAM, etc.) you probably recognize it as one of the scriptures used to illustrate that in order to receive salvation, one thing you need to do is "confess your sins".

You'll also notice that I put the letters NASB after the reference. That's because I use the New American Standard Bible. If you've known this verse, you probably stumbled over the word "righteous", just like I did. That's because most of us memorized, or have heard quoted a gazillion times, the word "just" there, as used in the NIV (New International Version).

This morning, when I saw the "righteous", but my brain slid in the word "just", something transforming happened for me. Holy Spirit nudged, "Now if just and righteous are interchangeable...do it again." What did He mean? Look at the last word of the verse and this is what I read:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all un-just-ness.

Now...you and I both know that "unjustness" isn't a word...but injustice is.

Injustice.

The kind of thing that keeps people enslaved to give me coffee or sugar.
The kind that allows me to spend $2 for an iced tea when a single mom in Asia only has that amount to feed her five children for an entire day.
The kind of thing that keeps one race feeling "less than" my race.
The kind that turns Christians ugly and mean when other people don't live up to their code of conduct.
The kind of evil that opens up gunfire in a church.
The kind that drives millions from their homes while we look on from afar.
The kind that allows people to live on top of a garbage dump.

I can actually go on. But I won't. You get the point, I hope.

We are surrounded by injustice. And often I am extremely self-righteous about it. [Notice the "self" part of that.]

When I back up in I John 1:9, I'm reminded that only God is righteous. Only God is just.

Ever since I was a small child, I've had this profound sense of "fairness". As a middle child, I have always wanted everything to be fair and equal. It isn't. And when it's not, I get downright angry. But there's one more big word in this verse. It's a word God's Spirit has been growing in me for a few years now. It's a word that I've shared the meaning of with anyone who will listen.

Faithful.

What does faithful mean? This isn't a technical definition, but as I studied this word a few years ago, I became aware that it essentially can be explained as this: God's faithfulness is God's really-real-reality.

You see, it doesn't matter what I say is real. It doesn't matter what our culture, government, family, school, neighbor, boss, friend, co-worker, coach or the rest of the world says is real. Everything goes back to God's reality.

His.

Not mine.

And His really-real-reality is that He is just...He is righteous...and when I admit honestly that every inclination in my heart is evil (Genesis 8:21)...only then can He begin to cleanse me of the injustice that lurks in my heart.

My heart.

No one else's.

I don't confess my sins so that someone else will be cured of their alcoholism, or convicted of their adultery. I don't admit my shortcomings so that the world will sanctify my point of view.

No.

I throw myself on the mercy seat of Jesus' blood, because a just and real God wants to purge me of my injustice. He's ready to cast out my judgmental ways, my critical spirit, my arrogant pride and anything else in this mortal, flawed shell that feels somehow I deserve better treatment than a leper in Calcutta, a slave in Indonesia or a pedophile in Wyoming (yes...I went there. I am no better than even him!)

So, I hope you'll forgive me if I haven't "taken a stand" or "voiced my outrage" or "shared my concern"...I'm too busy pleading with my Maker to clean me up and create in me a pure heart.

Like His.

More Covington Exploration

Did you know that there is a troll that lives under the Roebling Bridge? We didn't either. But while walking around Roebling Pointe yesterday, we discovered all sorts of wonderful things!

Leah wanted to visit the Basilica for her birthday, but that adventure would have to wait since there is no visitation on Sundays. Instead, we headed down toward the River to look for a coffee and bookshop I'd read about online. Last Sunday when we ate at Molly Malone's for Father's Day (which was absolutely delicious!) we tried to find it, but got turned around on the one way streets.

Yesterday...success!

But only about 10 minutes before they closed. We'll definitely be back.

I asked if we could walk around a little more and headed under the bridge where I thought I had previously seen murals. The first thing we found though, was this ingenious place called The Gruff. Why The Gruff?

Because obviously that's where the 3 Billy Goats would hang out after getting past the aforementioned Troll! 

Whoever thought up this restaurant idea at the base of the bridge is genius. I have no idea what they serve (they are closed on Sundays), how much it costs or if it's any good...but I will without question support such amazing local creativity!

A little further on, and we found the murals...

they're sort of hard to miss.

What followed was a great history lesson for my girls about Covington's Riverfront district and how the Roebling Suspension Bridge was actually a prototype for the world-famous Brooklyn Bridge. Historically important...aesthetically beautiful...and all I know is, scary to drive on.[I'm sure it's just me, but I always feel like my tires are slipping on it...even the new tires.]

It was a gorgeous day and a good way to celebrate Leah. 12 years ago we set off on an adventure with this little girl who is always on the go. She loves people, she loves life and most of all, she loves Jesus. Her passion and zeal for adventure is unlike anyone else I know. It was entirely appropriate to have an unexpected adventure on her day.

I Didn't Even Know I Could Ask!?

This may look like "just" some raspberries and very small garlic bulbs. You would be right.

And you would be wrong. It is so much more.

It's essentially a question I've been asking myself:  What have I missed out on because I was too afraid to ask?

I want to say flat-out that I am not a "prosperity" Gospel person. I believe God's Word that the rain falls on the just and the unjust. We will have bad things happen, simply because we exist. There isn't any magical set of hoops we can jump through to get the big house, fancy car, around the world cruise or _____________(insert your wildest dream).

But James told us that "Every good and perfect gift comes from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." (see James 1:16-17) In other words, God gives good gifts to His children.

If you've journeyed with me for any length of time at all, you know what a gift our new home is. I truly cannot think of one single thing that we needed...or wanted...that God did not provide. My children even tease me that I've developed a "script" of sorts when I give a tour of our new house. When they first mentioned this, I backed off of my exuberance a little...but then realized that the "script" was just the story of what God had done in us, through us, and for us.

One of the last pieces to fall into place was discovering a community garden a mere five houses down from where we live. I had a key within a week of moving in, and 10 tomato plants planted in my new plot by the following week.

Because I've seen how God has put this all together, I have not dared to say, "Oh...and God...if You don't mind...there's one more thing I'd like to have." I kept thinking instead that He has done immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine, so I didn't want to be greedy and ask for something else.

As I've plotted, planned and put in my gardening areas, the one thing I kept thinking was that I would never have space for berries (which are some of my favorites), asparagus or maybe not even a garlic bed. This was neither a request, nor a complaint...just wishful thinking. Obviously, this picture gives away the story.

You see God is so abundantly awesome that He prompted someone several years ago, to plant peach trees, grapes, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, garlic and yes...even asparagus so that one day I could come along, tend to them, and enjoy a little harvest. I'm not sure that words can express the delight, the joy and the amazement at how my Abba orchestrated all of this. 

No one has taken care of these plants in years. It will be my pleasure to do so. A good and perfect gift is worthy of great care and tender cultivation. I would not want to neglect something He so brilliantly grew in anticipation of my arrival in this neighborhood.

Today, as I scurried around looking for a container to carry home the delicious raspberries, my mind kept turning over the wonder and awe of a God who delights in giving us a handful of berries because He knows it will move us to tears at how tenderly merciful He is. I know He was smiling at my joy and basking in the praise I offered Him for knowing me even better than I know myself.

And the verse that just kept circling round and round in my awestruck brain was again from James: "You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your own pleasures." (4:2-3)

What have I been too afraid to ask?

What have I missed because I thought it was too insignificant to ask of my Father?

How do I live so that these gifts are not only "spent" on my pleasures?

What is He anxiously waiting to give me, because He knows I will appreciate it in a way that no one else will?

Why don't I ask Him what He wants me to ask for?

I have some homework. I think you do too. And if you get to a place in your thoughts that you think what you're asking is insignificant, tedious or you could just go out and do it yourself...please come back to this photo.

I mean...really...a God who puts together a few red raspberries to embrace the soul of one of His children. Yeah...I don't think you need to worry about it being too small.

Is it REALLY this easy?

Up front, I will affirm that there are times when I have longed to hear the Voice of the Holy Spirit and have gone many, many weary days and weeks without hearing Him. Today though, I need to give Him praise for when He speaks...clearly. Sometimes, so clearly that I even think "Is it really this easy?"

This morning has been one of those times.

Don't get me wrong...I have done nothing to deserve this. I haven't been diving into Scripture. I haven't worn callouses on my knees and I don't have any magic formula to offer you. I believe He's always calling (see John 12:32) to each of us. Speaking for myself, I am at times more receptive than others. 

Apparently, first thing this morning...I was listening.

I awoke with thoughts of one of my garden beds. It's up against the house and isn't going to get enough sun for the vegetables I've placed there. I've read about reflective light and even used some on my patio garden last year. While I'm contemplating this, I have a "sense" that I should arise and take a walk. 

I am not the most physically fit person you'll ever meet. But when we moved into a more urban setting, I took a cue from Mission Year's practices to start walking. It's difficult to meet your neighbors from your car. I'm calling my early-morning-intentional-prayer-and-devotional-walk, a "Jesus walk". So the sticky note on the kitchen wall is what I leave for the kids on my way out the door.

Today, I didn't head toward the cemetery (see photos on Instagram) for perspective, instead I felt a "nudge" to go a different direction toward Latonia's downtown. I'm walking along, enjoying the morning, conversing with Jesus, hearing the trash truck in the Monday morning background and I pass this...

or I should say "these"...because there were two of them...laying next to a trash can about 1/3 of a mile from our house.

To be honest, I saw...I looked...and I kept walking for a few paces and had that little brain nudge that I don't know how to explain to someone who hasn't had it. But what I heard myself say was "Is it really that easy?" Admittedly, I walked another block and a half trying to convince myself I actually was experiencing God's provision in this fantastic way!

If I've lost you, then back up to what was on my mind when I awoke this morning...reflective light use for my garden. Holy Spirit's promptings were discreet but apparent since I awoke and there...laying in a trash heap...was the answer.

For this to work though, two more things had to fall into place: I had to walk faster back to the house to beat the trash truck from getting them before I could come back with the van, which my husband couldn't have taken yet to go to work. As evidenced by the photo above, both worked out. Dale left a little later than usual, and I passed the garbage truck on my way back home after picking up the two mirrors!

Explaining to my husband what they're to be used for was entertaining for me and probably confusing for him...he's more of a I-need-to-see-it-to-understand-it kind of guy. All of this to say, I have my Pinterest-type project for the next few days.

As soon as I placed these mirrors on the front porch, I heard my thoughts expressing praise to the One who loves to give good gifts to His children, who longs to have us listen as He tells us ''this is the way, walk in it" (see Isaiah 30:21), and who even cares about the most seemingly insignificant details of our heart's desires that He somehow...unexplainably...puts so many pieces of this Giant-Jigsaw-Puzzle-of-Life together to bring a little reflective Light to our home.

I needed to share this with you this morning because I need to reflect His Light. He needs to shine out of me until the people around me see the glory of His Presence all over the place. The verse I've been trying to memorize each morning is appropriately timed for His teaching today, 

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, 

and the glory of the LORD rises upon you." (Isaiah 60:1)

Thanks for hanging out with me through this entire epistle. You see the last thing I heard as I headed down the stairs to start typing this lengthy tribute to my awesome God was "I have to share this or the rocks are going to cry out...and I don't want any rocks speaking for me!" (see Luke 19:40)

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Words of wisdom I'd love to leave with you on this amazing day, if you'll allow me the privilege of speaking into your life? 

Go.

Do your thing that you are passionate about and feel like you have to do.

Take Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, with you.

Listen.

And follow.

Amen.

Giuseppe's Neighborhood Pizzeria- Covington, KY

Maybe the best thing I can say to review this restaurant, is that we devoured the pizza too quickly to take a photo of it. It was that good.

Our family has always enjoyed finding local restaurants, not only to support our neighbors and keep money in our local economy, but usually, the "hole-in-the-wall" places are the best. Giuseppe's Neighborhood Pizzeria is no exception.

The server taking our order was very friendly and made a superb recommendation for the men (aka meat eaters) in our family. The Mainstrasse Monster did not disappoint with a plethora of Italian sausage, pepperoni, ham, bacon and gyro meat. The girls and I "just" had a cheese pizza. I say "just" because it was one of the most delicious cheese pizzas I've ever had.

Leah and I stopped in and ordered take out at about 5 p.m. on a Saturday night. There weren't many dine-in folks, but there was a steady stream of phone calls and carryout pick ups. Still...I was prepared for a long wait and I was surprised when after about 15 minutes we were told it was ready.

Our family will be frequenting Giuseppes' again. The price range for pizza is more than Pizza Hut, but less than Dewey's or Mellow Mushroom. I also feel great about supporting a local entrepreneur who invests in their community.

Bus Adventures & Taste of Newport

Today was the day for a new adventure! Dale and Rebekah were off to a music festival, while Noah, Leah and I wanted to check out Taste of Newport. This was the day for our first ride on...the bus!

I concede nervousness. 

I mean, give me a train in Philly and I'm all researched, asked advice of locals and have no problem looking like a tourist, reading all the signs along the way. But in my own back yard (almost literally!), I want to at least appear a little knowledgeable.

Taking a picture of the bus stop was the first clue that I'm a newbie.

Appearances aside, the first three are back home without getting lost and with the friendly assistance of two different TANK bus drivers. I didn't have to look for parking, and Dale didn't have to pay for parking. We had an air-conditioned ride each way and were almost dropped off at our front door. 

This, my friends, for a first-time outing...was a success!

And yes, the food was delicious too! There's definitely a few places in Newport we'll be visiting again.

For the one day event, several blocks of Monmouth Street were open to pedestrians only.

We now want to come back and check out this comic store sometime when it's open.

VERY cute (& some beautiful) cakes in this store front.
To the right was a cake that resembled pancakes, with eggs & bacon on the side.

More Than You Could Ask or Imagine

Sometimes...words are just so inadequate.

I have struggled to wrap my brain around what God has done in the last two months. I have expressed it to friends, discussed it with family and tried to compile feeble praise to an Abba who loves to give sweet surprises to His children. I have witnessed the exuberance of friends who have been on this Journey with us and delighted as their uncontained excitement for us has spilled over onto the walls and floors of our new home. And yet, words have often failed me.

How do you describe a God who patiently walked me through the steps of what I thought we needed to work toward sustainability (at least  a 1 acre farm) toward the reality of where He wanted us (a 0.1 acre urban farm)?

How do you find words for a God who prompted an annoying homeowner to walk down an alleyway at precisely the right moment we exited viewing his home, which "coincidentally" steered us to the next home that I didn't even think we needed to view (and where we now live)?

How do you honor a God that I know (after meeting them) inspired the previous owners to pray for the exact family to come along that would appreciate the home they had lovingly tended for 35 years?

How do you explain a God who gave you every minute detail in a home that you've ever wanted, but were afraid to believe you could have?

How do you thank a God who knew you needed a lawn mower, yard tools, a trimmer, a new queen-sized bed, a shower curtain, space for indoor hydroponics, even stakes to hold up your tomato plants...and had the previous owners leave it all in excellent, clean condition???

How do you give voice to the amazement of a God who kept whispering, "Don't worry that the size of the yard is too small. You never know what may happen. There may be an abandoned lot or other space free up someday?"...only to discover on Monday that there is a community garden less than 1/2 a block from our home, and by Thursday, find someone working in it, which prompts my sweet friend to laugh and say, "Let's go talk to her", and the woman graciously contacts the person in charge who seriously offers you one to one and a half of the plots, hesitantly asks if you're okay with using only organic gardening practices AND ALMOST APOLOGETICALLY ASKS IF YOU'D BE WILLING TO SET OUT ANY ABUNDANCE FOR THE NEIGHBORS TO TAKE FREELY????????

There is, as yet, one single heart's desire that I have to find unfulfilled! My husband and children are pleased with the location, we are excited to become familiar with the bus system, and there is low-income housing down the street that others may fear, but expectantly calls me to serve and Love in the Name of my precious Savior and Abba.

I have attempted and failed to express to those around me all that has happened these last eight weeks. I have apologized for appearing docile while their excitement cannot be contained. It has truly been more emotion than I can absorb. It almost feels like I'm beginning to simply "take it in stride".

I never want to take for granted the precious care my Father provides, but yesterday as we walked back from the community garden, I think my sweet friend summed it up best, 'How could the One who shaped and molded your small heart in His hands not know exactly what you needed and wanted?' 

I guess it was just a matter of time, refining in us, and prompting beautiful people to give up their well-loved home before it could all be played out to His glory and honor.

God, please create the words in my heart and soul that express my joy and delight in You. And when words are not enough, may my life be a reflection of Your grace, a witness of Your love and a steady stream of mercy flowing out into everyone around me. You. Are. Amazing. I am blessed to be Your's! Amen!

We're Moving!

Literally and virtually (at least partially-virtual!)...

Confused? Don't be.

Through a series of conversations with friends, strangers and the Holy Spirit, I've realized the next leg of my Journey involves teaching others how to grow their own food and become less dependent on our somewhat shaky (and cancer causing!) food system. Given that God has provided the perfect place for us to become more sustainable ourselves (post to follow soon), I'm packing up my gardening skills and passion for teaching others to my new blog The Beard Cutter's Farm.

I'll still post what God is doing in me personally here, but if you're interested in becoming more sustainable, finding great recipes, or if you're local, finding out what produce and treats we have for sale, then visit the "farm" through the link above, or in person.

We're excited to see what God has in store for us...but we absolutely know it involves loving, serving and teaching others along the Way!

Hope to see you soon!

Too Anxious to Stay Inside

What do you do when life is changing soon and the anticipation of it is more than your passionate soul can bear? Do you stay inside and wade through hours of math, algebra and geometry with the kids? Or do you surprise them with a day of "going out", soaking up sun, eating tasty treats and contemplating how different your life will soon be?

The rhythms, the hums, the cadence of life is steady and sweet. The joy, the elation, the significance of what is about to happen is not lost on anyone. Friends and acquaintances almost cannot contain their excitement, so how can I?

God's plans are so much bigger, higher, deeper, wider and all-encompassing than I could ever ask or imagine. Every detail of what we thought we "wanted" and the things we didn't even think were askable are all on the table. Do you have an hour? Soon you can come sit on our front porch and I'll tell you how He did it. 

Come to think of it, an hour may not be long enough.

Sometimes what I thought I "needed" and what He wanted me to surrender to seemed vast, untameable and more complex than this hyper-analytical brain could comprehend. That's why He is God...and I am not. 

Sometimes I dragged my feet and buried my head because it was just all too good for me to take in. If I had just let You be God and gone along for the ride, how much more could I have learned, experienced and absorbed? But my failings, You don't hold against me.

When friends and total strangers tell me they see me "come alive" in the gifts You have given me, I need no more affirmation of what You've been speaking to my heart. I hear Rafiki from the Lion King say, "It is time."

And so it is.

We'll be leaving this home soon. It has been a place of healing, a place of immense growth. It has been a respite from a world that dug its claws into us and threatened to defeat us.

"But our God is greater. Our God is stronger. Our God is higher than any other." We sing those words in R3volution...but I have lived them.

Now, because of His faithfulness, not ours...we begin a new chapter. In this leg of the Journey, we not only continue to grow, but are granted the absolute privilege of pouring our lives out so that others can know that they are loved.

Follow us here. Check out my new gardening blog (coming soon). Come sit on our front porch, sip sweet tea, visit the garden, or stay for a spell and pour out your life too. I can promise you nothing...except the ride of a lifetime!

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Note about these photos:  I love this River...and we're moving nearer to it. We'll be only a 10-15 minute drive from downtown Cincy, or a 25 minute bus ride...which will be our new (highly anticipated!) way of getting there!

The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden by Karen Newcomb: A Book Review

What a find!

As we're getting ready to move into our new place, where I highly anticipate creating an urban farming oasis, my delight could not be contained when I found this book as one of the options with the Blogging for Books program. I know this is a book I'll return to repeatedly in the years to come. I can foresee that it will be my faithful companion as I plant, grow, harvest and analyze pest and disease issues on my urban farm.

Postage stamp gardening is really taking off as people want to eat more local, organically grown produce. This book was originally published in 1975 and the new edition comes along perfectly timed for people like me who have small spaces and big dreams. 

The wonderful thing about gardening is that there is always something new to learn. Newcomb provides a thorough and easy-to-understand handbook for everyone from beginner to expert. She even honestly admits that when it comes to companion planting and organic pest control, there is always room for experimentation to see what works best in your climate and with the crops you grow. This book also contains a wonderful crop-by-crop analysis of planting, growing and harvesting tips. It's definitely a excellent place to begin when thinking through what you'll "experiment" with each growing season.

If you're curious about how to get started or have been growing vegetables for years and just want to increase your yield or lengthen your growing season, pick up a copy of  The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden: Grow Tons of Organic Vegetables in Tiny Spaces and Containers Like me, your copy will be dog-eared and dirt smudged in no time.

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In an attempt at full-disclosure, I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review as part of the Blogging For Books Program. My reviews will always remain unbiased.

Love Them Wherever They Are

There's a lesson I've been learning over the last few years and recently I've had opportunity to share it with others. It's a difficult lesson to absorb in our American culture. It often goes against the very nature of our being. If you're a compassionate, loving helper who just wants to offer the same blessings that have been given to you, this may be a lesson you have to mentally fight against over and over again:

Love people right where they are...not where you want them to be.

I've been in more than one conversation this winter where dreamers ask the obvious question:  What do we do to help the homeless get off the street? I respond audibly or in my mind (if voicing it wasn't appropriately timed) this phrase that is becoming my mantra for service and ministry:

Love people right where they are...not where you want them to be.

As we have served dinner monthly at the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky and in my mind I have begged the questions of my Abba, Where will these grandmothers go for the summer when the shelter is closed? Why is there no place for them? Why do they not have a friend to take them in? He has continued to reply: 

Love people right where they are...not where you want them to be.

When helping out the Chaplain at Turfway Park with a chapel service, dropping off donations of clothing, fruit or just meeting with him to make arrangements for our End of Season Party we held last week, he echoed this same thought about the people who live and work at Turfway. Many of them are simply grateful to have a roof over their head, food to eat, and a job that pays enough for them to send some money back home to their families who are dependent upon them for provision.

Love people right where they are...not where you want them to be.

We had a huge outpouring of help from the women in our Bible studies, but when I take my eyes off of what Jesus has called me to do, I can easily become discouraged by the ones who express no interest, who don't want more information about how to help or asked to be removed from the email list once we started asking for volunteers. I was once again reminded...

Love people right where they are...not where you want them to be.

As the End of Season Party effortlessly unfolded, as the donations came pouring in, as women who signed up to arrive at 11:30 a.m. were so excited that they asked if they could come early and set up, I saw grace, acceptance, compassion, mercy, understanding, new awareness of our fellow man and Love on display. The Holy Spirit affirmed in me, this it what happens when you...

Love people right where they are...not where you want them to be.

Jesus never said, Go into all the world and give everyone a three bedroom, two bath home, indoor plumbing and a down comforter to sleep under. But He did say that whatever we do to the "least of these", we do to Him. (see Matthew 25:31-46) I think there is a miraculous, divine transference of grace when we serve and love others that are marginalized in our world. I almost think that's what Jesus was talking about. I believe that's why I heard women promising to help next year at Turfway, why I saw smile after smile on the served and serving alike, why I walked away thinking about those who missed out on this blessing, that I will emphatically call out to so they won't miss it again, and why I feel compelled to cry out to the comfy American church that if they are not actively engaged in serving "the least of these", they are not fulfilling their God-given destiny.

But mostly, I want to serve and Love on anyone who will allow me to because God...

Loved Angela right where she was...not where He wanted her to be.

Amen!