We've Been Travelling a Little

Over the past week, we've been enjoying some much needed time away. With a scant amount of available funds, we've been imposing upon family for our R&R. But we did travel to southern Kentucky Sunday and Monday to see a couple of sites unique to our state: Abraham Lincoln's Birthplace and Mammoth Cave.
Many, many years ago I visited Lincoln's home in Springfield, Illinois and have been to his monument in Washington, D.C., three times so it seemed only fitting that I should see the place where it all began.

Yes, Noah's a little goofy...but we've all become quite accustomed to this!

The original cabin is no longer there, but the Sinking Spring where his family would have "fetched" their water is. A memorial was built in the early 1900's and looks very similar to what I remember about the Springfield burial site.

We stayed at Barren River Lake State Park and I cannot recommend it highly enough. We stayed in a nice cottage and decided we'll probably go back when we can stay longer. It would also be a fun place to go with another family. Each cottage has a full kitchen and all the linens you need, plus sleeps up to eight people. We even found an internet special which I think they're still running.

There's a lot to do at the park, but we probably would have done more if it had been warmer and we'd had more time. All guests have free use of the pool and beach (both open seasonally), shuffleboard, tennis, hiking trails (which are short and not very rugged) and they'll even loan fishing rods and tackle to registered guests. There's also a marina where you can rent boats and the park is located on a golf course. The lodge has a restaurant. We ate there and while it was a little high for our normal budget, the food was good and there was something for each of the kids picky palates. We even bought dessert to go for each of us and it cost under what Dale and I spent alone at Bonefish Grill for our anniversary.

Rebekah and I went for an early morning walk and saw some wild turkeys.

I even played around with the new camera a little and took a panoramic view of the lake.

After breakfast in nearby Glasgow, Kentucky, we headed just a little north to Mammoth Cave National Park. This was National Parks week and they were providing free tours. But of course, it was the shortest tour and the one where you saw the least amount of the cave. So naturally, not wanting to make the three and half hours in the car the day before a total waste, we paid for the Historic Tour. I'm glad we did. I love tours and this one did not disappoint. Even though we had to duck a few times (although Leah never did!) and the one serpentine course was a little tricky and I think there were even a few bumps and head bonks...it was well worth the money. It sounded like a lot when I was handing over the cash, but I quickly was reminded (I think a little nudge by the Holy Spirit) that it was less than just one ticket into Disney World!

It was difficult to get good photos, but Abbey kept trying and came away with some good ones.

This is when you walk over the "bottomless pit"!

There's much more to see and do at Mammoth Cave, but we were short on time. It's definitely a national park where you could spend a few days and still not see everything.

After leaving Mammoth Cave, we headed back home for a night before we left to visit family in Ohio. Overall, I enjoyed our little getaway and was pleased to discover a little more about this state we've called home for almost 6 years.

A Quandry

As I've been praying and seeking God's wisdom regarding finances, possible future employment and some ministry opportunities coming up for our kids, I found myself frustrated over and over again with trying to figure it all out. Yes...I still haven't managed to relinquish my ability to plan and strategize my way out of anything.

A friend and I were even laughing about our common planning capabilities on Tuesday morning. But then she mentioned a Jesus Calling entry she'd recently read. The conviction that planning for every possibility can be an idol is something I honestly don't like to hear. I have shared on this blog before though that God has been leading me for some time to give up this "gift" that comes so naturally.

While copying down some verses in my Beth Moore study of Esther yesterday, I was comforted to be reminded that I don't have to figure out the "how".  You see, I'd forgotten already what I'd learned in Esther: "It's tough being a woman who feels responsible for the "how"

Moore shared scriptures that I wrote on some index cards when faced with the insurmountable task of figuring out the "how". The one applicable for me today is this: "For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust." (Psalm 103:14) He knows my frame. He knows how I feel completely "in the zone" when I'm home being a wife and mom, when I'm able to give full attention to homeschooling, when I'm able to have time to serve in ministry. (see First Day After Taxes)

Not only this, but He knows my passion to serve Him and my desire to afford our children and our entire family the opportunities to minister in the name of Jesus in our city, our state and our world. Amazingly enough, He also knows that this costs money...and nobody knows our utter dependence on Him for provision better than He.

Where would the money come from when anyone in our family wants to participate in a missions trip, leadership conference or even just having the gas to serve someone locally? Good question, right? I know we can solicit support from friends and family...but honestly...as much as we hunger to serve...we may wear out our welcome quickly. Some may begin to dread mail or calls from us...and that's not what we want. We're not afraid to solicit on behalf of the kids or for occasional trips, but what God is calling us to is so much bigger and we've got to start raising funds somewhere.

So there's been this idea bouncing around in my noggin for about a week or so. I even shared it with my friend Tuesday morning and my sister-in-law yesterday. They both thought it was a good idea and not that I need their approval, but sometimes confirmation that you're on the right path is nice to have.

Back to the "how"...God knows "how" I'm wired and He's given me certain gifts that I love to share with others. I'm excited He's putting this all together. Here's what we're going to do (drum roll please!):

I'd like to officially introduce Blessings from Baking!

This new blog will showcase the cookies, pies, cakes, breads and candies that we are selling in order to raise money for ministry. 100% of the profits will go toward ministry. 10% of that amount will be shared with Boundless Ministries which goes directly to serving single moms and their families. The other 90% will go toward mission trips, leadership conferences and ministry opportunities for anyone in our family. All of this fits perfectly within our goal of "Writing a Better Story!" I just said to my friend Tuesday that any time we are serving the deeply impoverished, either through a work day, Single Moms' Night Out, at the Henry Hosea house, sending our kids on a missions trip here or abroad, sponsoring a child through World Vision, serving at LifeLine ministries or Master Provisions, etc...we are falling within the boundaries of our desire to serve single moms. If you're serving the poor...you're mostly serving single moms.

So check out the new blog. I'll obviously post regular updates to it on here as well. It's brand new, so it will take some time to build our "offerings". My prayer is that when you venture that way, you'll notice the background. (I can't believe blogger offered an African slum as a background photo!)Divinely placed there for just this use, I hope it's a reminder to those who'd like to order to what purpose their purchases will contribute. It's a reminder to me of the calling to where God is leading and if baking is how we're going to get there...then Hallelujah! and Amen!

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End note- This new adventure will in no way distract us from our service through Boundless Ministries.  We will still accept donations as God provides them, but those donations are specifically earmarked for single moms. Monies earned through Blessings from Baking will be utilized as described above.

No Longer a Slumdog

Recently, I found an ad next to my Facebook home page about a free book that Francis Chan recommended. If you've been reading this blog for a while or have explored some of my pages on the right-hand side, you know I like what Francis Chan has to say.
So I clicked on the link and discovered that the name of the book was entitled No Longer a Slumdog. You might have read a few months ago, that Slumdog Millionaire is one of my favorite movies...ever. Of course, I ordered the free book right away.

When it arrived, I was hooked from the first page. I not only learned the background of how Gospel for Asia's Bridge of Hope program began, but why. Providing free education to the deeply impoverished of Asia breaks the chains of ignorance, poverty and has side effects that we don't often consider. Care for the environment increases and troublesome statistics like fertility rates are reversed when people become more educated. This is also the only way out of poverty for those in the lowest castes of India.

The author, K.P. Yohannan, explains the caste system in a way that I understood for the very first time. I knew it was bad...I just didn't know how bad. I cannot imagine going through my entire life believing that I deserved to be treated worse than even some animals are...all because of the caste into which I was born. It's the whole "karma" thing...you get what you deserve.

But praise God...we don't get what we deserve! God's mercy and grace gives us far more than we could ever deserve by our own merit. You can now begin to understand why the "good news" of Jesus Love is transforming lives radically wherever Bridge of Hope centers are located.

This link will take you to Gospel for Asia's webpage to order a copy of the book for $5.00. But watch on Facebook for the free offer. Also, my copy came with a postcard to request another free copy if I just give away the first one. If you'd like to have my copy, I'll gladly request another.

Probably the best recommendation I can give for the book is not from me, but from my daughter, Abbey. After having recently watched Slumdog Millionaire, I encouraged her to read No Longer a Slumdog. It took her only a few days to complete it. What encouraged me even more was that when her co-op book group recently compiled a list of books they would recommend to the rest of the co-op for reading...No Longer a Slumdog was one of the three she recommended. High praise from a 16-year old.

Get a copy and allow God to open your eyes (and your heart!) to another part of the world that desperately needs hope.

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Just Had to Share This Quote Today!

We're visiting with family and their internet explorer is not compatible with blogger, BUT I just had to share this quote I came across in Beth Moore's "Esther" today.

"When, because of your faith, your life too becomes perceptibly different; when your reactions are quite opposite to what the situation seems to call for and your activities can no longer be explained in terms of your personality; that is when your neighborhood will sit up and take notice. In the eyes of the world, it is not our relationship with Jesus Christ that counts; it is our resemblance to Him!" --from "The Queen and I"

It's also been interesting in my experience that when "the neighborhood sits up and takes notice" is sometimes when Christians start asking if you're on the right path. Just something to chew on!

A Marked Woman

Have you ever felt like a moving target? I know I have. There have been times in my life where I felt like I must have a big, fat bulls eye painted right between my eyes, because the enemy's arrows were flying fast and furiously.

You can imagine my consternation and then relief to find out this wasn't just my melodramatic imagination running away with me. I actually do have a target on my head! Better still...if you're a Jesus-follower...you do too!

I first started pondering this I think a year or so ago. I believe it was in the Living Beyond Yourself Beth Moore Bible study that I heard her mention this. She was actually conveying the idea that we are "sealed" by the Holy Spirit when we place our faith in Jesus and claim Him as our Lord. Her biblical reference escapes me now, but she was trying to convey peace in knowing that you can never be possessed by demonic forces if you are a Jesus-follower, because they just can't get in.

It had to be this study, because I know when I repeated it a few months later, something occurred to me: "If the evil forces around me know that I'm sealed against them...then there must be a way...a sign...a symbol...that is recognizable to them. If that's the case...I'm a marked woman!"

Suddenly...it was as if the clouds parted, the stars aligned and the world finally made sense. Now I understood why so much had happened to us...why it seemed we could never "just get a break"...and what I had unleashed when for the last almost two decades I've told God time and again (with ever increasing levels of commitment) "No matter the cost, no matter the sacrifice, I will go wherever You lead and do whatever You want me to do!"

You see, that kind of talk is just crazy talk if you want to lead a nice, peaceful, "normal" life. But honestly, ever since I was a kid...I've wanted anything but "normal". I have a lot of passion, emotion, desire and life pent up in me and I guess somewhere inside of me I've always known I was meant for more than "normal".
Back to the idea at hand: a marked woman. When I first realized this, it also gave me great peace in knowing that either God has big plans for me (and our family) or we must already be at least in the proximity of the right path, because satan doesn't mess with his own. I'm not excusing any foibles we've committed along the way and I am the first to tell you that I'm so far away from perfect that it's not even in my sight lines. But I think there is something to this idea of not only experiencing great growth in your trials and God choosing to refine you when tragedy strikes, I think sometimes satan's also working overtime trying to bring down the ones that want to serve God first and foremost with their lives.

Then today in Beth Moore's study of Esther...joy of joys as she wrote again about this idea that we "are marked--even dressed--in ways obvious to both heaven and hell but invisible to man." She uses a references to Revelation 13:16-17 and Revelation 14:9-10 to propose the idea that what I grew up hearing called "The Mark of the Beast" is satan's counterfeit version of the true mark of God. This theory completely aligns with what I've just learned in Peterson's Reversed Thunder. Peterson points out that the antichrist and the false prophet are counterfeit versions of Jesus and even the dread number 666 is a knock-off of a complete 777....7 being often used in Scripture as a whole, complete or divine number.

When I read this today, I even jotted in the margin a note about phylacteries. According to dictionary.com a phylactery is 'either of two small, black, leather cubes containing a piece of parchment inscribed with verses 4–9 of Deut. 6, 13–21 of Deut. 11, and 1–16 of Ex. 13: one is attached with straps to the left arm and the other to the forehead during weekday morning prayers by Orthodox and Conservative Jewish men.' And I remembered the verse Deuteronomy 6:8, "Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads." The "them" is the commandments of God.

Were the phylacteries just a forerunner of a spiritual mark that we would one day inherit when the Holy Spirit arrived to reside in any man or woman that bound themselves to Jesus Messiah? Hmmm?? It's worth considering. And I definitely see how "The Mark of the Beast" is a paltry counterfeit to the divine stamp of God. Growing up fearing the dreaded "mark" and even having nightmares about it, it amazes me to look back now and wonder at what point I lost that fear. Hallelujah! "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1)

I know this was lengthy...but thanks for hanging with me to the end. It might not even mean that much to you right now. I just pray that the next time your world is crashing down all around you, you can can look up and be confident that you imagination is not running away with you...you are in fact, a moving target! And your enemy will hurl absolutely every arrow in his quiver at you. So quit wondering why it's happening! Instead, Ephesians 6:16 tells us when this happens, don't walk, don't dally...run to take up your "shield of faith".

After all every good dragonslayer knows "You always go for the shield!"

"You Will Always Fail"

Settle in...this could take a while.

I know a couple of ladies that have been regularly posting their friend's blog posts on Facebook. The reason they've been doing this is because this pregnant mom received a devastating diagnosis a few months ago...her baby has Trisomy 18. Aleisa's raw vulnerability, humility and courage to face another day have been awe-inspiring to behold. I do not know her, but as evidenced by her blog, I believe she would give all credit to the Heavenly Father that has been carrying her. [To read the blog, click here I Will Carry You ]

Baby Nora was born on Tuesday the 17th, and as evidenced by the Facebook posts that were circulating that day, I believe hundreds of people have been praying for this family and this tiny little fighter that lived through a miracle, just by living through her birth. As I've been reading through the posts, one thought that's occurred a few times is "What would I do?" But Tuesday, as I kept going back to the blog to find out how things had turned out and just being amazed at this family's courage to share their heartbreak with the world, I was almost numb thinking about this burden they've had to bear.

Then yesterday, as a friend of their family posted some amazing birth photos and I was once again awed at the beauty of exactly what God has done in their lives, my thought was, "I can not imagine!" And the Voice I know so well and love so much said, "And that is why you will always fail."

Strange, I know, to give credit for this to the Holy Spirit but I know it was Him because instead of feeling condemned, judged or shamed...I only felt peace, assurance and light-weighted freedom! I knew exactly what He was saying...but it's taken several hours to be able to put it into words.

"I can't imagine"...what this family is going through, what a single mom faces every day, what a rebellious teen does to his parents' souls, what having a cheating husband who promises to change yet doesn't feels like, what it means to feel starvation, malnutrition, homelessness, molestation, abuse...the list goes on and on and on. And my loving, Almighty, amazing God assures me that because I can't possibly imagine going through any of these...I will always fail.

I will fail to provide all of the grace, mercy, compassion, assistance, understanding, faith, persistence, peace and above all else, Love that is needed for any given situation. I am only human, there are absolute limits to what I can do. And I will fail by judging, condemning, questioning, distancing for fear of reprisals or association or lack of resources...not because I want to...but again, because I am human and every thought or action that comes forth from me is filtered through my limited experiences and understanding.

Why do I find freedom in my failure? Because the burden to "figure it all out" isn't mine! Amen!

This has been a theme for a few days, as just last week I heard Beth Moore's conclusion to one of the points in her Bible study of Esther. The previous week she'd shared that it's "Tough being a woman who feels responsible for the 'how.'" In the last listening session the Scriptures she used to dispel this burden were found in 2 Peter 2:9 and Psalm 103:14

"then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment" (2 Peter 2:9, NASB)

"for he knows how we are formed,

he remembers that we are dust." (Psalm 103:14, NIV)

I don't have to know how because God not only does, but He also knows how finite and limited I am. But do I always remember how finite and limited I am? No! So yes, there is freedom in knowing that I will fail!

I will fail to be everything that everyone needs me to be in every situation that they may ever experience. Ohhhh...but guess Who doesn't?

• "The LORD within her is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail" (Zephaniah 3:5)
• "Lift up your eyes to the heavens", look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail" (Isaiah 51:6) 
• "The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail" (Isaiah 58:11)
• "Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail" (Lamentations 3:22)
• "For no word from God will ever fail" (Luke 1:37)

And the greatest of these?

• "Love never fails" (I Corinthians 13:8)

Amen! and Amen!

First Day After Taxes

I know it's like I'm "beating a dead dog" with mentioning taxes again. I'm just amazed that I'm sitting here absolutely exhausted. I should get up and go to bed, but it's one of those times when you're almost too tired to move.

The wonderful thing about this is that it's physical exhaustion...not mental. And I love it!

I woke up and went for a 30 minute power walk but was back home before 7:30 a.m. Abbey and I fixed waffles and strawberries for breakfast. We all did school. I had a little God-time in the midst of them working on school. We had lunch and I think everyone was done with chores, school and exercise by about 1:30 or 2 p.m.

Then came their media time...and a little for me too. About 3 p.m. or so, Leah and I walked to the bank and of course, had to stop by Penn Station to split a cookie on our way home! Once I got home, it was time to start Mexican black bean chili for supper.

Got everyone fed and Dale's dinner together so he could take Abbey and Rebekah to youth group by 5:45 p.m. Then started work on what was left of the 24 pounds of organic strawberries I got at a great discount yesterday.

I froze two gallons of whole strawberries, pureed more than five cups of strawberries or strawberry/banana blend for future almond milk ice cream making and made about five and a half pints of strawberry jam. By 9:30 p.m. I was ready to call it a day.

I know working outside the house is a necessity at times, but when I'm working at home on a day like today...I know God wired me first and foremost to be a wife and a mom. I think I could have made a pretty good farmer or at least farm-wife too!

Now to hit the hay! [Pun absolutely intended!]

Me & My Honey

Every time someone opens up this blog, they see the photo to the right. It's of my husband, Dale, and I. I intentionally chose a photo of both of us when I updated it several months ago, because this ministry is as much his as it is mine.

Even if he doesn't post or seem to be the "front" man (for lack of a better term), he is integral to everything I do. Not only do I consider what would God have me do in any given situation, but whether Dale even realizes it or not, I always filter through "what would Dale have me do". Often I don't know exactly what he would do or say, so I ask him.

You know...God just has an amazing sense of humor...and He could not have brought two more opposite people together. But 18 years ago yesterday, that's exactly what God did and I'm forever thankful. I am most definitely the leaper in our duo and Dale is the calculator. We're still not really smooth at it, but we do compliment each other well. His wisdom pulls me back from the edge and my passion pushes him closer to the edge...and I think that's what a solid marriage does. Knowing your strengths and weakness and letting the other help you in both is a huge blessing.

And as you've probably seen in a lot of couples that have spent many years together, we've even become a little more alike. I'm thinking at this rate, by the time we hit our 50th anniversary, we might just meet in the middle somewhere!

I'm secretly hoping it's a little closer to the edge though!

Tax Day 2012

Yeah!

It's finally here! And probably no one is more excited than me. It's been a tough season...and that's saying something. You'll know I kept the frustration in too long when you find out that yesterday my lunch was accidentally locked in a room no one had a key for and although I kept my composure for two more hours (with a very rumbly tummy too!), I finally blew a gasket when Dale picked me up for our anniversary dinner (post coming soon!).

Yes, it was immature and petty and yes, I'd also realized my new $200 reading glasses were in that room and my absolutely indispensable Klean Kanteen water bottle...but really? Did I really need to have such an emotional breakdown over these?

I realized right away it wasn't this stuff that was truly bothering me. It was all of the interpersonal stuff that's happened this season about which 98.9% of the time I've kept my mouth shut. But yesterday was excessively busy and I'm just plain tired of being treated like the scum under someone's nails when I've gone over and above what was scheduled or expected of me for the last four months.

So although it was just a lunch (which obviously I survived without!) and a few things that I knew I could retrieve once the door was opened...I was steaming. But even as I swallowed my pride, kept my cool and the fury of all the pint up emotions under control while I finished work, there were a few blessings...of course there were because that's the kind of God I serve.

I had a few moments of down time (very few!) and God's Spirit just kept reminding me of what I heard Pastor Marksberry say Sunday and I'd first heard from Bill Hybels about 10 years ago, "Every person we make eye contact with throughout the day is a soul loved by God and someone He desires to be in His kingdom." Holy Spirit was nudging me to remember that even the ones that won't make eye contact with you, will barely speak to you and treat you as if you don't exist in their world...are still pursued by God and desired for His kingdom.

The next blessing? An older gentleman, Gary,  that I've been working with and has been very kind to me as I've helped guide him through learning the ropes this year, leaned over in his chair at one point and said, "Angela, do you need some money for another salad or something?" I know my voice wavered as I considered his kindness, smiled and said, "No, I'll be fine...but thank you...for asking." Missing my lunch also just gave me more room to enjoy our anniversary dinner a few hours later!

I'm smiling even now just thinking about these.

I also reflected on the great conversations I had with James, a preparer that worked in the same office earlier in the season. He was a former pastor and at a time when I had some confusion and questions, God opened up some discussions with James that were encouraging and precisely what I needed to hear on those days.

As always, even in the pettiness of my immature, selfish moments, my God is amazing. He doesn't let me wallow and even after venting to Dale later...His gentle Spirit reminded me that losing my lunch for the day was minor compared to the billions who probably didn't even have lunch yesterday.

Oh God...purge my selfish heart!

So yes, it's Tax Day 2012...and I'm thrilled it's over. But I've also learned a lot about myself this season...and that has been a very humbling thing.

Spiritual Urgencies

Heard a great sermon today about "The End". This much-feared "end" has been in the news a lot lately...actually for the last several months. I've watched my fair share of conspiracy theory videos, a lot of them sounding very similar to doomsday movies like "2012" (cataclysmic earthquakes & weather patterns), "Deep Impact" (asteroid hurtling toward Earth), "Knowing" (solar flares that incinerate Earth) and "Outbreak" (flu virus gone haywire). There is no limit to these types of films and I actually enjoy the disaster film genre...always have.

But here's the thing that happened a few months ago...so many of the conspiracy theories started sounding eerily similar to some of these story lines...and actually even plausible. I did find myself beginning to get concerned. And when thoughts of stocking up on water or food or moving to a farm in the middle of nowhere so we could survive the coming, inevitable apocalypse began to consume my thoughts, my loving, all-knowing (as in He already knows what's going to happen!) merciful Saviour gently reminded me of a few things:

• He hasn't forgotten me, my family or where we live.
• Just exactly in whom or what am I placing my trust?
• There will come a day when to survive and still be around for what's coming won't be the optimal choice.
• And if my heart and thus my focus, is on meeting Him some day and living with Him for all of eternity...then something that speeds up the inevitability of that day can actually be a good thing, right?

I'm not sadistic, and I don't relish the thought of pain, starvation or watching any of my family go through either...but as soon as I was able to let go and say, "You know what God...you're right!" I could quickly add, "No matter what may happen, what I may have to endure...even so come Lord Jesus...come!"

I used to tell people that I wasn't afraid of death, but I was afraid of what I'd have to go through to get there. That's no longer the case. This has been a slow awakening for me that's probably taken about a year to process through and become at peace with...so if you're not there yet and you still fret about death, pain, etc., give yourself some grace, talk to God about it and allow Him to give you His peace.

See the thing I keep trying to bring out in so many conversations and even on these blog posts is that this world is not our home. We were never meant to die, be buried and that be the end. We were meant to live forever with the One that loves us most. As authors like Gregory Boyd and Eugene Peterson have reminded me in the last few months, the promise of Heaven is why early Christian martyrs (or even martyrs in this century) could go to their deaths singing, praising and worshipping their risen Lord...because they absolutely knew His resurrected life meant their own lives would endure forever as well. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, right? And Paul reminded the early church time and again that our focus was to be on God, not our circumstances. Peter even wrote that, "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials." (I Peter 1:6)

So today when the pastor began to ask how we feel about the thought of "The End", I wanted to shout "Yes! Come Lord Jesus!" And as he attempted to ease the fears that undoubtedly were present for many of the congregation, I too was challenged by his reminder that the best thing we can do is to be ready.

We remain ready and watchful, yes. But we also remember that no matter whether the date is 12-21-12 or 1-1-3000, every day we are one day closer to the return of Jesus Messiah. When that day comes, everyone will be sorted and will spend eternity in one of two places. And you know what...we were meant to have a happy ending. You know it in your soul, right? Happy endings resonate with us for a reason, don't they?

The "spiritual urgency" is for those of us who know about the happy ending...we are commanded to "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19) Whether we want to stare it in the face or not, the clock is ticking. I'm not trying to be an alarmist, just facing the facts.

But many times the road seems long and the struggle to climb the mountain of obstacles seems far too difficult to climb, that's when, as Eugene Peterson writes "We are apt to think (who has time for preaching)--until, in the middle of the battle we find our courage flagging and our commitment wavering, and realize that the world is not primarily a place where information is stored and retrieved, but a moral and spiritual contest in which we are embattled. Then we are grateful for a proclamation from some midheaven pulpit, telling us again what God says about what is happening, turning information into command or promise, translating moral memories into spiritual urgencies (Revelation 14:6-13)." Reversed Thunder

"Spiritual urgencies"...that's what I was reminded of this morning. How easily I am lulled into forgetting this. Today, I am "grateful for a proclamation...telling (me) again what God says about what is happening." And what He says is happening is urgent...spiritually urgent.

Yes! (Amen!)

A Skeptical Mind

I've always been skeptical, analytical, critical...whichever -cal you want to insert and while most of these words have negative connotations, I recently learned that to be skeptical is sometimes a good thing.

In Reversed Thunder, Eugene Peterson writes, "There is something seemingly incompatible, on the surface anyway, between a skeptical mind and religious faith. For people whose habit is faith, whose disposition in matters of God and the supernatural is towards acceptance, it is easy to be deceived by religious leaders. There is, in fact, no part of life in which deceit is more prevalent than in religion (just as there is is no part of life in which violence is more prevalent than in the state). Organized behavior is prone to violence; organized belief is prone to deceit."

As long as I can remember, I have questioned absolutely everything. I've almost always believed this to be a bad thing. But, about 15 years ago, I read a book by Philip Yancey entitled The Jesus I Never Knew and in it's pages, I learned that it was not only okay to ask questions of God...He even delights in our questions. Around eight years ago, I read a different book by Michael Card, A Sacred Sorrow, that explained God delights in our questions (even amidst tragedy) because then at least we're engaged in "the dance"...this dance we call life. If you don't "dance", your basically a wall-flower letting your life pass you by. God wants to dance with us through this life...and one way to engage in the dance is through our questions.

We learn in Job, that no question is too tough for our God. And my sister-in-law even said to me one time, 'I guess if David could write what He wrote in the Psalms, I think God can handle my outbursts too!' Wise words from someone ten years younger than me.

So why add some skepticism to your life? Peterson writes, "How do we protect ourselves from organized deceit? St. John is blunt: use your heads."

I even once had someone tell me that I was "pushing" them and that I've always been a deep thinker...like that was somehow a bad thing. Yes, I fully believe that you can get tripped up by your skepticism just as easily as you can be deceived by religion. Trust me, I've had it happen numerous times! But this is where it comes back to the dance analogy. Whether I'm accepting something by faith or questioning everything around me...each must be taken back to God, presented to Him to sort through as we ask Him for the discernment, insight and perspective of His Holy Spirit. This is the dance...with Him in the lead of course!

I hope I'm not making too big of a leap here...I highly recommend this Peterson book...but without going into all that he expounds upon regarding false religion and how we succumb to it, there is one more quote I'd like to leave you with.

It seems I'm hearing a lot of people talk about letting go and surrendering everything to God's Will...again, remember the idea of the dance. He's your partner. You're not in this alone. Peterson's final paragraph on the subject of false religion falls within this vein: "The visions show us that while we are doing our best to worship God and not the powers of the world, to understand our faith and not be misled by the devil's religious flimflam, and to cultivate a life of holiness in a weed-filled society, we are being helped to do each task."

Amen! We're not dancing alone...ever!

So it's okay to question why church leaders are leading congregations in a certain direction. It's okay to question why things have always been done a certain way. It's okay to question absolutely everything. But take those questions to the One that has the answers.

Mentioned in this post:

Easter Sunday

It's been awhile since I lined up the kids and took photos of all of them on Easter Sunday...and at this age, they don't much enjoy it! So obviously, I thought I'd share! (I know I'm a pretty great mom in that way!)

I'm telling myself the frowns are because of the sunshine...as least it makes me feel better!

Abbey, 16

Noah, 13

Before you ask, yes...in our family it is perfectly normal to break out the new Indianapolis Colts t-shirt for Easter. We do live in Kentucky after all!

Rebekah, 11

Leah, 8

And no, we do not have twin 8 year olds. We simply had a wardrobe change after this photo was taken...thus, the green/brown/white dress in the group photo above.

We had a great morning worshiping our risen Lord at church and a delicious lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant. Even a little cheesecake to top off the afternoon.



Politics

Yeah...I know...one of the two things you're never supposed to discuss with people. But since the other one is religion and that's the prevailing theme of this blog, I thought I'd dive in!

In Reversed Thunder, one of Eugene Peterson's chapters is entitled "The Last Word on Politics". It's an interesting perspective on politics according to the Kingdom of God.

"The political metaphor of kingdom invites misunderstanding because all the politics that we know require the exercise of power, either through the manipulation of force (militarism) or the manipulation of words (propaganda), and usually both. We quite naturally assumed that if there is a Kingdom of God there will also be coercion by God, and will not be hesitant in exercising some of it ourselves, either verbally or physically, on his behalf."

Ouch!

"Two temptations exert a powerful pull on the Christian community. One is to retain the political dimensions of the gospel and to take up the usual political means, namely, force. Instead of riding that silly donkey, Jesus should have charged into Jerusalem on a stallion and let a few heads roll. The other is to give up the political and have a nice little fellowship--cultivate a faith that more or less abandons the world of government, economics, culture, and society, and settle for saving a few souls."

I confess...I primarily fall into the latter of these two categories. But I know a whole lot of people that fall into the first...those who think if we just get the right man in the right office, the U.S. will turn toward God, He will bless our nation and all will be well.

Don't get me wrong, this is a nice hope and I'm the first to admit I'd love to be blessed (usually that means financial blessing when people are talking about our nation) and I would be thrilled for us to all live in peace. But I guess I'm just naive enough to believe that God doesn't need a specific person to complete His purposes.

Now I know in the eyes of many I'm being very rebellious suggesting such a thing. There may even be some who would suggest that I'm either unpatriotic or not a committed Christian. All I can say is that I know in my heart neither could be farther from the truth!


If you've been reading recently, you'll know that I've been working as a tax preparer this winter and spring. One of the questions I hate to ask is: "Would you like to designate $3 to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund?" Nine out of ten times it evokes comments about our President, Congress, or how we'd all just be better off without any of them. Trust me...I've heard it all this year. And the funny thing is, these clients of mine sound an awful lot like many of the Christians I know...or Christian organizations that have political agendas at least. I'm pretty sure as evidenced by other parts of the conversations I'm having,  90% of the people that make these political comments would not call themselves Jesus followers.

And here's the question I keep coming back to and the one I want you to ask yourself: At what point along the way did we buy into this lie that this world is our home?

I'm talking to Christians here...Bible-believing, faith-seeking, God-loving, Holy Spirit-filled, Jesus followers. Yes...we are called to further the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven. But we're also told over and over again that this world belongs to the Enemy of our souls. God's Kingdom on earth, as Gregory Boyd puts it in Is God to Blame?, is more like a pushing back...sometimes inch by inch...against the gates of hell. And Jesus even told us that the gates of Hades couldn't withstand the power of Jesus the Messiah. (see Matthew 16:16-18)

So I'm not advocating a total abandonment of politics. I do believe that Jesus taught us to pray "Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." (KJV) (see Matthew 6:9-13) I believe it's entirely appropriate to be involved in our local communities. We should pray for our leaders--national, state and local. I also believe that if so led, Jesus followers should pursue public service, even politics, in any capacity that God requires.

But my prayer for all of us is that we simply don't ever lose sight of Whom we serve, the hope that we have in Him and His call to love all...even if their politics happen to be different from ours!

March Financial Statement

Here's the latest link to the Financial Statement for Boundless Ministries.

"Hell Hath No Fury...

like a woman scorned"...is the complete phrase I believe. But this afternoon the first four words took on a new meaning for me.

I was driving in the car with two teens in tow, no radio on...so there was some silence to actually have a few minutes to think. I usually prefer no radio on in the car because that's sometimes where I do my best (or at least deepest!) thinking. And I don't know how I got to where my thoughts led because (I believe) I'm a little ADD and my thoughts are rapid-fire...that's putting it mildly. But at some point, my thoughts were something like this: 'I just wish every woman I knew...knew...without a doubt that she is loved with a passionate, wild, unlimited, jealous...' and in my mind I knew I was heading toward the word...Love!

But another word slipped in between jealous and Love and it's one I've never thought of before when pondering the Love of God. It even made me pause and ask if this word was just my ADD-meandering mind or if God's Holy Spirit slipped a new word in there to give me pause and learn something new for myself. After a few hours of reflection...I'm gonna give Him credit.

So backing up...here's how it went: 'I just wish every woman I knew...knew...without a doubt that she is loved with a passionate, wild, unlimited, jealous...furious...Love!'

Truly...I did a..."What the...?" (yes...insert...heck!)

Furious? Huh?

I've never thought of God as having a furious love. When I started asking Him about it, at first I couldn't get around the fact that "to be furious" is usually seen as a negative thing. And then He asked me how I feel when others mistreat my kids, when they wrongly judge or accuse them, mock them, shun them, criticize them and I began to get a glimpse at what He meant.

Then He brought back to mind what I'd been thinking before my "wish" for the women I know. I'd been praying that I would feed on His faithfulness...something I've been praying a lot lately. (see "Feeding Time")And as always, when I pray this phrase: "Lord, help me to feast (or feed) on Your faithfulness alone!", He reminds me, and often has me say to myself, that His faithfulness means His really, real reality...not the smoke and mirrors that satan throws out before us constantly.

When I began to put together how I feel when my kids are mistreated, how frustrated and even sometimes angry I get when people can't see how much they are loved (not angry at them, but angry that we are all so deceived) and to what extent I've told God I am willing to go so that others will know His Love...yep, I began to understand. And I'm not even the One who loves us most and knows us best. Right now...I'm not even sure "furious" is a big enough word to describe this aspect of His Love.

So let me leave you with this:

Somewhere, possibly in the depth of your being that has been so long forgotten that you don't even recognize it...do you get that you are loved? And not just any love. But a Love that is passionate...wild...unlimited...jealous...and yes...absolutely furious!

• Furious at the way your enemy has mistreated you.
• Furious at how he has mocked, judged, shunned and criticized you.
• Furious that you have been deceived into believing that this world is your home. That somehow life doesn't get any better than this.
• Furious that you believe that the pursuit of things and pampering and "me" time are all that life is worth living for.
• Furious that you are missing out on the most amazing blessing ever...just being loved.

And you know what? This is a good time of year to be reminded that hell didn't have enough fury to hold a furious Love like that. Hell couldn't stop that furious Love from gritting His teeth, holding His tongue, enduring the torture, and the mocking, judging, shunning and criticizing. Hell couldn't overpower that furious Love from ushering in a new Kingdom "on earth as it is in Heaven"...a Kingdom without the deception. Hell couldn't stop this furious Love from declaring that you were bought with a price and your life is not your own. But most of all...there will never be enough fury in hell to stop the furious Love of the heart that now beats for you!

Embrace Him Beloved. You are His child, He is your Abba (Daddy) and "Hell hath no fury..." like His furious Love!

The Addams Family

I don't normally blog about the shows Abbey and I have ushered for, but this one was so well done, I just had to share!

Last Thursday night, at best I was hoping for funny. And because we've signed up to usher this show twice, I was really hoping for just bearable. I never was a fan of the original TV show and have never seen the movie with Raul Julia. But I was pleasantly surprised not only by the witty humor (yes, sometimes a bit ribald!) but also the excellent music, the fast pace that kept your attention, the superb vocal and acting ability (particularly of the actor portraying the patriarch of the Addams family, Gomez) and the amazing usage of staging, lighting and even makeup. All of this on a night when two of the main characters were even played by understudies.

While everything was above par, what fascinated me the most was the staging. Having a little drama background myself, this is one thing I often notice. Does it take too long to make set changes? Is there "dead space" or "dead air" while changes are taking place? Do you see too many stage hands while the changes are taking place?

Every touring Broadway performance I've seen in the last 10 years utilizes automatic wireless systems to move sets, props, etc. off and on stage. Honestly, I've been out of the drama loop so long I don't even know how they do it. What I do know as a member of the audience, is that if frequently takes my attention away from what's taking place onstage, no matter how unobtrusive they attempt to be. But what was over and above any show I've seen in this last decade was the Addams Family's ability to manipulate the downstage curtain to incorporate it into the exact amount of space needed for the scene. The curtain was not open completely for most of the performance. It would simply move to show the half, third or even quarter of the stage that was needed for that scene. Thus, characters could be in place when the curtain moved so time wasn't needed for them to walk off and on stage. This made the flow of the show seamless.

What I couldn't help thinking was that this would be a great first Broadway show for kids. Yes, there is some humor you hope would just go over their heads, but as far as keeping their attention and an easy to understand plot with catchy and upbeat music...this is definitely kid-friendlier than most. It's not Disney...but it's still fun!

From the first duh-duh-duh-duh (snap, snap!)....the audience was sold and never stopped laughing or clapping throughout. If you have some time and a little extra money, tickets are still on sale at the Aronoff Center's website On our night, there were still a lot of good seats available.

The show runs through Easter Sunday, including matinees for all Saturdays and Sundays until the end. We'll be back to usher on Saturday the seventh and I can't wait!

Bi-monthly Prayer Requests

There have been some updates to the Prayer Request Page and this is the latest.

Please be in prayer for the moms that are facing custody and final divorce proceedings. They need peace, wisdom and above all to experience an overwhelming confidence that God's Presence is near!

Thanks for praying...it does make a difference.