Archive for the 'Following Jesus' Category

I came across this awesome post and I knew I needed to pass it on. She so eloquently says what I have been thinking for a long time…although I am no where near deciding to stop blogging! My favorite part of the post:

“It is almost like if I have a problem my first thought is Google not God.”

And the part at the end about looking into your child’s eyes…that was convicting! Read it today! A big thanks to Amy at Lavender Sparkles for posting it first.

The more time I spend with Jesus, the more disenchanted I am with the things of this world. I’m soaking in His words and realizing once again what He is all about. And I’m wondering. Pondering. Over and over in my head…

How can people who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ live a life of EXCESS?

I don’t know the answer…because there are so many more questions that go hand in hand with this:

“What IS excess?”
“Is one person’s excess different than another person’s?”
“Is living with excess ever ok?

Let’s start by defining excess:

1. The state of exceeding what is normal or sufficient.
2. An amount or quantity beyond what is normal or sufficient; a surplus.

Ok. So…excess is having more than you need. But what exactly is a “need”? Is having a new living room set a need? Is having brand name clothing a need? Is having more than two pairs of jeans a need? Is having organic food a need?

See what I mean? It’s very difficult to nail down exactly what a need is. Everyone defines it differently. I may look at someone and think that they are living a life of excess…but chances are, they don’t see it that way. They may see it as being “blessed”. Each part of the country will have a different answer. Each income bracket. Each church. Each family.

Has our definition of excess and need changed over the years? Yes. TV and advertising has radically altered our view of necessity. Your parents’ and grandparents’ definition of need is most likely different than yours. Go a few weeks without watching TV. Don’t visit the mall. Don’t read the advertisements from the Sunday paper or open “SALE!” emails in your inbox. And then….see how different those wants and needs feel. How much less “urgent” they seem.

Is excess having more than one of something? Is it having two or three or four of something? Bikes? Cars? Cell phones? Coats? Shoes? Pots and pans? Why do we have so many of these things? When there are people in the world without shelter, without food, without basic necessities…how do we go on accumulating more for ourselves? It reminds me of the quote by Ghandi, “Live simply so others may live”. How can we stop consuming so much…so that we are able to provide more resources for others?

I would suggest that we figure out WHY we are running after all of these “things”. Why are people working 80 hours a week to pay for a house that they are never there to enjoy? I’ve heard it so many times since we hit the road for the tour…people saying “I wish I could do that!”. When I tell them that they COULD do it…they give me all the reasons why they couldn’t. They have a big house payment.They just bought a new car with payments. They have too much credit card debt. Notice a pattern? Everything holding them back is related to money. Money they spent that they didn’t have anyway. They were seduced into believing they needed these things, and now they must work endless hours to pay for it all. And now they just want a real life.

On a somewhat related note…
I’ve often heard it said that if there weren’t wealthy Christians with an excess of possessions and money, who would minister to the wealthy unbelievers? Who would be “in their crowd” to show Christ to them? What about Christians who use their abundant resources to reach the lost? Who open up their large homes for people to use? Could all of that extra money be used in a different way that is more effective in ministry? I don’t know what the answer is to this. I’ve asked so many people this question over the years and no one gives me the same answer. My initial thought: Isn’t God bigger than that? Does he not own all the resources in the world? I don’t think it’s necessary to “blend in” to the world to minister to the world. I think everyone could live simply and still minister to all types of people.

I read an interesting excerpt on the Youth Specialties website regarding how Christians and consumerism:

The materialism of American Christianity rests entirely in the fact that we’ve turned one single verse on its head. Paul surrenders himself with the words, “To the Jews I become like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those not having the law” (1 Cor. 9:20 NIV). When in Rome, we might say.

But American Christians are largely doing this in reverse order. Paul chose to be like the Gentiles to minister to the Gentiles. We choose to minister to the suburban middle class, because we have chosen to be like them. The average American Christian seeks to go to college, secure a career, move to the suburbs, have 2.5 kids, and then declare, “Here I am, Lord! Send me!” We, the crew, have cast out the anchor and settled down before asking the captain, “To where are we sailing?” And I imagine that Jesus feels like his call to us is like a captain trying to steer an anchored ship. In the Navy, this is called mutiny.

I just wonder. I wonder what kind of amazing, crazy adventures God would take us on if we gave Him the reigns before we TOLD him what we were doing and asked Him to come along?

Jesus makes it very clear in the following parable that having “riches” makes it more difficult, but not impossible to follow Him.

The Rich Man

16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher,^[a] what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep^[b] the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” the man asked.

And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[c]”

20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”

21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 24 I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

25 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.

26 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

I’ve found this to be so true in my own life. In times where our income has been small…I rely on Jesus for EVERY LITTLE THING. I ask him to help me be wise in my grocery shopping…to help me choose the right foods for the right price. When we are bringing in more money, I tend to forget about praying before I head into the store. More money feels like security. I mistakingly believe that I have provided myself with a safety net. But in reality…ALL things come from God. Nothing is ours to begin with. And if you continue on that road long enough…believing that YOU are the one who EARNED your income to buy all of your excess things, it will be harder and harder for you to rely on God for your daily needs.

I do not believe that making a good income is bad in itself. It’s when people start to put their hope and trust in it…when they start to think that the world would fall in if that money went away tomorrow. The following quote by John Wesley really hits the point home:

“When I have money, I get rid of it quickly, lest it find a way into my heart.”

 

Jesus knew the seductive power of money…and this is why he spoke about it more than most things in the Bible.

“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” (1 John 3:17).

“Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘who is the Lord’? Or I may become poor and steal and so dishonour the name of my God” (Proverbs 30:8).

“And my God will supply all our needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

Living simply and giving money away to others is a radical way to live in today’s society. But are we not called to live a life set apart? A life that is different? Right now, it just seems like most people are blending in. Be different…and confront your ideas about excess.

I’d love for this to be a starting point for a discussion about these ideas…I truly have no answers here. In fact, I think I asked more questions in this post than I answered. These are ideas that are constantly in my mind…and I would love to hear your thoughts. I know there isn’t one “right” answer to the question about having excess…but let’s all learn from each other’s experiences and insight.

It’s a NEW YEAR! A fresh slate. A blank canvas. I love the coming of a new year…there is so much hope and excitement. And as we all know, a perfect time for setting goals. This year, I would like to:

• Draw closer to Jesus by spending time in intimate conversation with him DAILY.
  • I want to depend on Him to be my lifeline throughout the day…which means I need to pray a lot! Nothing is too small or too trivial for Him to be involved. His throne room is open to me 24/7. My desire is to meet with Him in the early morning hours, and I’ve committed to not getting on my computer or reading anything else until I have done that.
• Read through the Bible in one year.
  • I really love The One Year Bible…and have succeeded in reading every day so far. I love that there is a reading for each day, and I truly feel that the passage I read that day is specifically for me on THAT DAY. The format of the OYB (Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, Proverbs) is really nice. It’s also available online.
• Walk/run at least 30 minutes a day and to spend time outside daily.
  • There are so many benefits to working out every day, but it’s been at least 4 years since I did it regularly (before Bella). I’m 31 years old, and I’m starting to feel like it. I’m determined to get back in shape! I’m 3 days in…and I feel goooooood. Sore, but good.

If I am to succeed at these things, it will take a mindful effort and prayer. Not just “hoping” that I can follow through. I love how the Forerunner Commentary describes “self-mastery”:

Self-mastery is self-government, or self-control, the foundation of a strong godly life, growth, and producing fruit. If a person cannot govern himself, if he cannot master his passions, he will certainly not have a good relationship with his fellowman or God. His life will likely be marked by major excesses.

A person who has self-mastery is even-handed, and his passions are under control. He makes proper use of his drives and desires, and his manner of life is not one of extremes. A person reflecting this quality will be making steady progress in growing into the perfectly balanced character of Jesus Christ.

If I cannot “master” a certain area of my life, it will lead to excess in that area. Concerning my goals, if I do not spend time with God daily, my relationship with my family and friends suffer. My not-so-lovely traits slowly start to surface…and I am overcome with an “excess of self”. If I do not read and meditate on His word daily, my heart and mind become stagnant and indifferent. I start to display an excess of sarcasm, impatience, and worry. If I do not exercise, my BODY will be in excess of pounds and stress.

On the other hand, if I CAN master my “self” and follow through with these goals…it says I will have the “foundation for a strong godly life, growth, and produce fruit”. Yes!! Show me the FRUIT!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galations 5:22-23

I love how The Message has interpreted this verse:
But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Galations 5:22-23 (The Message)

Who wouldn’t want those things!? It’s amazing to me that God wants to give those things to us…all we need to do is ASK and follow hard after Him. On a side note, if you’re looking for an amazing Bible study on the fruit of the spirit, check out Beth Moore’s “Living Beyond Yourself“. It’s available online…complete with videos.

When you are passionate about something, it doesn’t have to automatically be a bad thing. However, there is a stronger possibility that your passions could become a problem in your life. For example…the Internet is a wonderful resource and networking tool…however, it’s so easy to get sucked into hours and hours of endless clicking. All of this clicking creates discontentment with our current life and slowly lures us away from our families and responsibilities. At that point, it becomes a “major excess” that needs to be mastered.

Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:7-8

I love this passage in Timothy…because it reminds me that although I want to get my body healthy this year, my spiritual health is infinitely more important. Not that eating healthy and maintaining an exercise regimen isn’t a good thing…it’s just not of eternal importance. I want to spend twice as much time exercising my mind in my relationship with Christ than I spend exercising my body.

I think it’s also a good idea to PRACTICE denying yourself of indulgences…to become better at mastering the “self”. Yes, you COULD have dessert after your meal…but why not consciously decide not to, and focus on thoughts of self-discipline instead? Yes, you COULD spend your money on a new X, Y, or Z…but why not fast from spending if for nothing else but to make your mind sharper…becoming the master of your passions.

Our culture screams the opposite of this to us every day. Buy now! You deserve it! Bigger and better! More, more, more! EXCESS is our country’s middle name. Walk the opposite direction of the world and focus on what Jesus said about these things:

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ” Matthew 16:24

Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” Mark 10:21
“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. ” Matthew 5:29, 30

“But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:27

Off we go…a new year, renewed passions, and a self to be mastered. Weeeeee!

Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons/monkeyc.net

Every year, my dear Grandmother gets everyone a gift certificate from Barnes and Noble. We all went out the day after Christmas and I browsed for quite some time until I found the perfect selections. I had two books in my hand as I walked towards the registers. In one hand, I held “Eat, Pray, Love” and in the other, “Three Cups of Tea”. For some unknown reason, I felt like I should put “Three Cups of Tea” back and just get the one book…which is very unlike me! I usually use up my gift cards in one trip

Fast forward to that evening…I am squatting in front of the book section at the Goodwill, looking through all of the castaways. Most are from the 1970s…parenting books, cookbooks, novels. And then I see a very familiar cover…one that I had in my hand earlier that day! There is was…”Three Cups of Tea”! It was marked a whopping 59 cents. I caught my breath as I pulled it off of the shelf and quickly tucked it under my arm. I simply could not believe that it was the very book I had almost purchased at full retail price earlier that day.

Fast forward to the next day. I had been telling Rebecca about “Eat, Pray, Love” and that it would be the perfect book for her to read on their airplane ride to Brazil. I had prayed earlier about just giving her my new book, but I quickly (and selfishly) brushed that idea aside. I told God that if I was supposed to give it to her, then He better make it obvious. As we were sitting at the cafe drinking our coffee, Rebecca says, “could I just borrow that book from you for now”? And of course I said “NO! You can just have it!” I knew that God had spoken clearly and I heard Him.

The best part about all of this…was that because I didn’t buy “Three Cups of Tea” at Barnes, I still had enough money to go back and buy another copy of “Eat, Pray, Love” for myself. God prepared the way in advance for me to bless Rebecca that day over coffee.

I don’t believe in coincidence. I don’t believe in luck. I believe in a sovereign God that weaves together every strand…every circumstance in our life…for good. Sometimes it may not feel “good” at the time, but when we look back years later or even at the end of our life, we can see that it was all working towards a purpose.

When I am abiding in Christ (spending time reading the Bible every day and regular time in prayer), I am so much more able to hear His gentle voice. My eyes are open and eagerly awaiting the amazing things that God has planned for my day.

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him” Matthew 7:11

My mind always comes back to this verse when God does something that delights and surprises me. My earthly father loves to go out for coffee…and he blesses his kids by taking them with and buying them coffee too. It’s a sweet time a fellowship together and we love doing it. I’m always especially blessed because a Grande Soy Caramel Macchiato doesn’t usually fit into a tight traveling budget! A few days ago, I was out running errands and I really wanted to stop and get a “fancy coffee”, but I didn’t want to spend the money on it. A few stops later, I was at the Co-op getting some groceries, and they were offering hot cups of fair trade, organic coffee for FREE! I was giddy with joy…and my mind went immediately to Christ, who I KNOW had a hand in that. Coffee with your Father is a good thing

Don’t get me wrong…I don’t believe that our prayers should be “you give me this, and I’ll give you that” kind of prayers. I just know that when you walk with Him in a constant intimate relationship, He WILL bless you. He loves to bless you. And because you are in that close relationship, you will immediately recognize his touch.

Thank you God for good gifts!

“Infinite and yet an infant.
Eternal and yet born of a woman.
Almighty, and yet nursing at a woman’s breast.
Supporting a universe, and yet needing to be carried in a mother’s arms.
Heir of all things, and yet the carpenter’s despised son.”

–Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Thank you Lord for coming to earth to save us. We give you praise and honor your name on this Christmas Day! Here are some photos of our Christmas. It was a day full of laughter and memories…I hope yours was the same!

Love,
Sara

Several people have asked me how I was able to get books on the road…since I have no library I always laugh and tell them that I have NO time for reading anyway! However…I have refocused my priorities a bit and have been reading again. And OH! How I missed it. Reading feeds my soul. I so LOVED one of the books, that I just knew had to share it with you. I found it on my dear friend Angela’s bookshelf when we stopped at her house in Tennessee and she was gracious enough to let me take it with me to finish.

The book is called “Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God” by Noel Piper (John Piper’s wife). She tells the stories of five women who have been used by God to do mighty things…some were missionaries, some were mothers, all were amazing. There was one paragraph in the book that really stuck out to me. It was the chapter on Lilias Trotter, an artist and missionary to the Muslims in Algeria.

I’ll give you the paragraph before for some context…

She was free now to throw herself wholeheartedly into her ministry in London. She remained Ruskin’s friend to the end of his life, though he never understood her decision. and she still loved art–how could she not when her soul was so tenderly vulnerable to beauty. But she enjoyed her art now as a gift, not a passion. Much later, she realized even more strongly the importance of focusing on Jesus, rather than on all the good things he gives us.

Never has it been so easy to live in half a dozen good harmless worlds at once…art, music, social science, games, motoring, the following of some profession, and so on. And between them we run the risk of drifting about, the good hiding the best. It is easy to find out whether our lives are focused, and if so, where the focus lies. Where do our thoughts settle when consciousness comes back in the morning? Where do they swing back when the pressure if off during the day? Dare to have it out with God…and ask Him to show you whether or not all is focused on Christ and His glory…

How do we bring things to a focus in the world of optics? Not by looking at the things to be dropped but by looking at the one point that is to be brought out. Turn your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look and look at Him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him.

…excerpt from “A Passion for the Impossible” (Rockness)

…a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him. Wow. I need to repeat that again and again. How often do we search and endlessly for something to change our life? For something that we can ADD to our life to make it better…more fulfilling…more exciting…when all we really needed to do was to change our FOCUS? We don’t need to add anything…or even deliberately take things “away” from ourselves (unless they are causing sin in your life). We just need to “look and look”at Jesus…His words, His ways…and a “strange dimness” will come over all that is apart from him.

This has happened often in my life…and I know that many of you can relate. When I start to read my Bible more, I crave more and more of God’s word. Which, in turn, makes a strange dimness come over my desire to watch TV. When I spend more time with Bella and Matt…a strange dimness comes over surfing the web aimlessly for hours. Jesus is a “light” that washes out things that aren’t pleasing to Him.

Where is your focus right now? Are you “living in a half a dozen good harmless worlds at once”? As wives and mothers, we are prone to taking on too many extracurriculars…being involved with too many things outside the home…spending too much time on hobbies…all of these things are “good harmless” things, but when they draw your focus away from Christ and from your ministry to your family. You must reassess…and return to your first love. And if you’re like me, you need to continue to do it on a regular basis.

I’m not sure, but I wonder if Lilias Trotter was thinking of this beautiful hymn when she wrote the words above…my mom used to sing it to me when I was having a particularly bad day, and these words still comfort me in times of struggle:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.

 

Amen.

One of my very favorite singing duos, Shane and Shane, have recently come out with a new album called Pages. The entire album is amazing, but one song in particular stuck out to me from the first time I heard it.

Beg

Here I am
One more day of not
Loving Him the way He asks
In fact my heart is singing praises to the things
that make me feel alright

So I’m sinking fast like a stone heart should
And on the way down
I’ve done what I could
To try and try to turn this stone to flesh

I’m haunted by my God
Who has the right to ask me
What by the nature of my rebellion
I cannot give.

So I beg for you to move
I beg for you to move
I beg for you to break through

So here I am
Got my deeds for the day
All my cute little words about
How I am saved
Am I saved?

Could I love you with my mouth like a church kid should
At the end of the day
My words get burned as wood
Oh, but I was good.

I’m haunted by my God
Who has the right to ask me
What by the nature of my rebellion
I cannot give.

These songs are noise
In your ears
A clanging drum
You want my love

Sometimes we just get stuck in a spot in our life where we are literally begging for God to move. For Him to show Himself mighty. To come out from behind the clouds. We get bogged down trying to DO the things we think we should do to make God happy with us…with our “cute little words”, when His main concern is for us to love Him with all of our heart, mind, and soul. If we are doing that…the days become brighter. Filled with hope for our future and a confidence that cannot be shaken even in our deepest trials.

Here is a clip of this song for you to check out. If Shane and Shane are in your area during this tour…you MUST go see them. They put on the most amazing worshipful concert I’ve ever been to. Their songs are so rooted in scripture…you’ll be mesmerized and blessed.

As I look back through my past prayer journals…I see a definite trend in things that I struggle with. One of those things is my mouth. It seems over and over throughout my life that my mouth has gotten me into trouble. Starting when I was a teenager Boy, was I sassy. And on into my 20’s, my mouth kind of stayed with me. I don’t think I thought I was ever hurting anyone directly with my words, but even the TONE of voice I may have used toward someone, or a bit of sarcasm falling on sensitive ears…they all have negative effects. It carries over into my relationship with my family as we discuss topics that we may not all agree on and I really want to get my point across. It carries over into my marriage…when I let my mouth speak to Matt before my mind/heart has caught up to it. It carries over into my relationship with Bella…when I can all too often get frustrated and use an impatient tone with her when I’m in a hurry to get something done.

I could make excuses all day about why I am the way I am. I’m “passionate”. I’m “outgoing”. I have “strong opinions”. But the truth is, Jesus doesn’t care about the excuses. His standard for our speech is so much higher than an explanation of “why I did it”. I’ve read that the “mark of a spiritually mature woman” is that she has tamed her tongue. Oh…LORD!! How I long to be spiritually mature. I want all of my words to be only WISE & KIND! I want my words to be GENTLE!

Words are powerful. They have the ability to tear families apart. But they also have the ability to mend broken hearts and relationships. They can completely rip away at someone’s self-esteem. But they can also be used to encourage and support. Jesus had MUCH to say about the words that come from our mouths.

Proverbs 17: 27
He who has knowledge spares his words,
And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.

James 3:2-12
For we all stumble in many ways. If someone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual, able to control the entire body as well. And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies. Look at ships too: Though they are so large and driven by harsh winds, they are steered by a tiny rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination directs. So too the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it has great pretensions. Think how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze. And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence – and is set on fire by hell.

For every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and sea creature is subdued and has been subdued by humankind. But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord^, and Father, and with it we curse people made in God’s image. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters. A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it? Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water.

Proverbs 13:3
He who guards his mouth preserves his life,
But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

Proverbs 21:23
Whoever guards his mouth and tongue
Keeps his soul from troubles.

James 1:26
If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.

Luke 6:45
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Just a quick glance through these verses is enough to make me fall to my knees! Our words CONTROL our lives, set the tone for our day, and give credibility to our faith. The last sentence of the last passage is so convicting…if my mouth is speaking from the abundance or “overflow” of my heart, what is truly in my heart? Have I let Jesus come completely in and wash away all of the negativity, anger, envy, impatience…?

“From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters. A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it?” How often have we been speaking harshly/”cursing” to someone in our immediate family and when a stranger or friend comes near, we start speaking “blessing”? When we switch back and forth like that, what does it say about our character? And about our relationship with God?

I know without a doubt that when I have neglected my spiritual life and my time in God’s word…my mouth starts to get sassy. I start to speak with negative words and with harsh tones. The inward “words” I allow myself to think are affected as well. When I am in God’s word consistently, HIS words fill my heart. HIS words come to mind in a hard situation. HIS words bring LIFE.

I want to start examining my speech with a fine-toothed comb…weeding out anything that is not pleasing to Him. I only want to say words that are wise and kind…and most of all, spoken with a gentle spirit. It’s not human nature to be those kind of things all the time…so it’s only by the power of the Holy Spirit that I will be able to accomplish it. Sometimes I physically have to “bite my tongue” to stop from saying the first thing that comes to my mouth. It’s definitely an exercise in self-control….that’s why it’s called TAMING the tongue. A rule we try to live by at our house…”don’t ever say the first thing that comes to mind. Or the second. The third thing is usually the best.” And of course, you could just not say anything at all…and that’s ok. It gives your heart time to catch up.

Speak truth today. Speak wisdom today. Speak kindness today. Speak gentleness today. You’ll be amazed at the change in your family life/relationships and ALL of the situations you encounter.

I’ve been meaning to write about dumpster diving for awhile now, but Colin at No Impact Man beat me to it. Be sure to watch the video he posted from CNN and also all of the comments on his post…it’s a great eye opener. A fortune 500 executive dumpster diver? Who woulda thought?

I just cannot wrap my brain around the fact that we as a nation throw away and waste so much food every day…and yet there are people who go to bed hungry. Why on earth would a restaurant or grocery store taint food it throws out for the sole purpose of keeping people from eating it? They threw it out…it’s trash in their eyes. Why not let someone else make use of it? I just don’t get it. I can understand why they would be upset if someone was taking food from their dumpster and making a mess around the area, but one of the generally known rules of dumpster diving is to leave the area cleaner than you found it.

I have never gotten food from a dumpster (although I have found other lovely household items like this!), but I am certainly not opposed to it…and have been quite fascinated by it for awhile. What a brilliant form of activism…the ultimate in anti-consumerism. Freegan.info describes the activism side of it like this:

“Freeganism is a total boycott of an economic system where the profit motive has eclipsed ethical considerations and where massively complex systems of productions ensure that all the products we buy will have detrimental impacts most of which we may never even consider. Thus, instead of avoiding the purchase of products from one bad company only to support another, we avoid buying anything to the greatest degree we are able.”

I think this might be why people are so opposed to letting their trash go to whoever wants it. Food, trash, possessions….they are all highly political. The choices you make about these things reflect your values. And when you get your food from a dumpster, it makes others uncomfortable…like you are judging them for NOT getting their food from the dumpster. They don’t understand it, so they fight against it. They can’t imagine themselves doing it, so in their mind…it’s wrong/weird for anyone to do it. There seems to be feeling of “if I have to work hard for this…then you do too!”.

In the book Evasion, the anonymous author brings up the absurdity of it all:

“There is the odd paradox — the casualness with which they will throw something into the dumpster, and the lengths they go to protect it once it’s there. How an innocent and harmless act — dumpster diving — will be confronted by greedy shopkeepers, store managers, and employees with scathing words, rage, and violence. “

What would Jesus say about dumpster diving? I think he would hold weekly dumpster diving parties. He would be right there inside the dumpster with everyone else…exclaiming words of joy when he finds a sealed box of bread or a bright shining apple. He would take the food and feed those in the neighborhood…and then go fight for better processes when it comes to food waste!

I think one of the biggest reasons for people throwing things away, wasting food, etc. is pure laziness. I am just as guilty as anyone else of this….although I am much more mindful about my choices now. Household items that you could Freecyle get put in the trash because you’re in a hurry. Restaurants throw out food because it takes too much work in their mind to partner with a food bank or homeless shelter. There needs to be a greater network of people who are willing to be the liason and fill the gap. How about a restaurant with only dumpstered food? A health inspector’s worst nightmare, I’m sure…but what a wonderful thing for a community. And Jesus would be the general manager

More resources:
Everything you ever wanted to know about “freegans” and dumpster diving at Freegan.info
A friend of mine on MySpace documents her loot here.
How to Dumpster Dive

Photo credit: Flickr/toddmundt

I do not believe in being lucky or unlucky. Or in coincidences. I DO believe in a God that is sovereign and who knows all things and can control all things. He is in charge of the universe and yet still delights in me and the knows the details of my daily life. And if He knows those details AND He is in control, why would I waste one minute of my day worrying? Your life will be transformed when you can grasp this fully. It truly is amazing , and I don’t think our human minds can fathom His greatness.

I love to read the Psalms to be reminded of the characteristics of God…as the Psalmists pour out their love for Him. I long to understand whom I serve….and what I find is a loving, personal God who wants to be involved in every decision of our lives. He allows us to wake every morning…can He not handle the problems of our day?

John Piper had this to say in response to the Minneapolis Bridge Collapse and the sovereignty of God (see full response here):

“All of us have sinned against God, not just against man. This is an outrage ten thousand times worse than the collapse of the 35W bridge. That any human is breathing at this minute on this planet is sheer mercy from God. God makes the sun rise and the rain fall on those who do not treasure him above all else. He causes the heart to beat and the lungs to work for millions of people who deserve his wrath. This is a view of reality that desperately needs to be taught in our churches, so that we are prepared for the calamities of the world.”

Piper reminds us of our frail existence here on earth…and of a God who is POWERFUL beyond measure. Powerful, and yet He desires that none should perish. He has a gentle spirit. He longs speak with us all day. To be close to us. Isn’t it amazing how easy it is to forget who holds all things together? We walk away from His love and His plan so easily.

Elisabeth Elliot shares this:

I know of no greater simplifier for all of life. Whatever happens is assigned. Does the intellect balk at that? Can we say that there are things that happen to us that do not belong to our lovingly assigned “portion”(“This belongs to it, that does not”) Are some things, then, out of the control of the Almighty? Every assignment is measured and controlled for my eternal good. As I accept the given portion, other options are canceled. Decisions become much easier, directions clearer, and hence my heart becomes inexpressibly quieter. A quiet heart is content with what God gives.

Are some things, then, out of the control of the Almighty? No! So why do we act as if they are? In every circumstance, God’s purpose can be found…although it may take years or even a lifetime. It’s ok to question God when you are in a difficult, painful situations…but we must never doubt His purpose in it and His desire to be glorified through it.

If you have never read the blog “Especially Heather”, you need to start. I have been reading Heather’s response to her brain cancer since she was diagnosed…and I am encouraged daily by this amazing woman’s understanding that God is sovereign. She is continually blessing others with her wisdom and giving God glory, despite the incredible pain she is going through right now. She has recently posted a couple of videos/lyrics that have really made me think about what it means to give God glory in ALL things. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did (the titles link to the videos).

Bring The Rain
MercyMe

I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that
I’ve gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You

Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It’s never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings
You glory And I know there’ll
be days When this life brings me pain
But if that’s what it takes to
praise You Jesus, bring the rain

I am yours regardless of the clouds that may
loom above because you are much greater than
my pain you who made a way for me suffering
your destiny so tell me whats a little rain

And one of my favorites…

Shane and Shane
Psalm 145

great is the Lord, so worthy of praise
great is the Lord

one generation will
commend Your kingdom
to one another
they will speak of You
and i will meditate
on Your wonder
and they, they will speak
of Your glorious splendor
of Your majesty
everyday i’ll praise thee
forever and ever

everyday i will praise
for You open Your hand
and satisfy desires of all things
my God the King

the Lord is gracious
and slow to anger
He is rich in love
He is good to all

all who call on Him
in truth He is near to
and He hears their cry
and saves them