November 16, 2012
I have been struggling with some of the very foundations of the Bible, probably for the last few years, but it seems to be much more intense lately. I think that is part of the reason I am having such trouble finding what it is I am supposed to be doing here in Chinle. I tend to get sensory overload and then all systems shut down. For instance, I go into a Joann’s looking for a project or even just something as simple as yarn. I get caught up in looking and looking and comparing prices and quantity and trying to decide what it is I really want to make and 9 times out of 10 I will leave the store making no purchase. If I do make a purchase I then fuss over whether I made the right decision or not.
Then later at home when I pull out the projects there is all likelihood that I will not be able to complete the vision I had in the store and either something else will be made or it will get partially made. Just ask my daughter, it only took me 30 years to complete a quilt hanging for her.
So here I am grappling with questions of universal importance…struggling to act out the truth I know but most of all, to truly believe what I believe. I have come to the conclusion that the reason Christians, myself first and foremost, don’t do half of what they desire to do is because deep down they do not truly believe what God has said. Still ringing in the ears of humanity are the words from the Garden, “Has God truly said?”
Unbelief!!!! But how can that be? I know that I know that I know that God sent His Son into this world to die for sinners, that He is my Lord and Savior, that on the cross He paid for all my sins, that there is nothing I can do to earn or deserve His favor, but He has given it to me freely. I would die for that but I find that living for that is much more difficult. Not that I would deny my Lord, but that I let the everyday little unbeliefs keep me weak. That nagging thought that God cannot use me, or there must be someone more qualified. And sometimes the most deadly thought, God I can handle this one, and then we forget to include Him.
So while I grapple with election, predestination, total sovereignty of God, suffering of the saints, etc, I want you to know that is not my problem. In fact, I am looking forward to an eternity in God’s presence, at the side of Jesus, discovering what those things are and how they have played out in human history. But for the right here and now my prayer for myself and for you is that I would believe God and do what it is He has put me on this earth to do. I would stop the excuses, and just believe Him; that I would live each and every moment knowing that “All things work together for good for the Glory of God”. Not just an overall belief, but a moment by moment one.
So for now, I plan to continue my study of the Word of God and I hope there will be those that join me on that amazing journey, but the most important thing will be to deepen the relationship I have with Jesus each and every day so that I will believe Him completely, knowing that He is the author and finisher of my faith. As my love grows for Jesus, so will my belief. Let’s stop making excuses and join the Lord on this amazing journey He has prepared.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Pick your battles...
August 8, 2012
For some of us, El Guapo is our El Guapo!!!
In The Three Amigos, the boys are trying to rally the townspeople to see what they are good at and use that to fight off the soon arriving banditos that are coming to destroy the town. They go on and on with the idea that we all have something that we must fight. For some, fear is our El Guapo, for others poverty may be our El Guapo…etc, etc, etc. But the thought is ended by saying: for us, El Guapo is our El Guapo. I think we need to realize that we do have an enemy of our soul; we try to fight all the other little El Guapos but fail to realize that behind it all, our El Guapo is our very own sin nature. And the sooner we realize it is not the symptoms, the sin, we need to be fighting, but that carnal nature that desires above all else to be god or ruler of our life. This is where the real battle is.
Listening to Jerry Dirmann yesterday, I got some clarification on what is actually going on in our Christian walk of Sanctification. For those of you that wonder what sanctification is, simply, it is the process of becoming more and more like Jesus. We are promised in the letter to the Romans that God is busy at work in each of our lives to make us more and more like His Son.
Many of us live our lives as Christians in failure because we look at Jesus and then we take an honest look at our own lives and we see that there is no resemblance at all. We more identify with Paul in Romans 7 where he talks about doing what he doesn’t want to do and not doing what he knows he should. Why this failure, this disconnect, if we are being changed from glory to glory?
It is because we are our own worse “El Guapo”. We are living in our minds, emotions and body, rather than allowing our spirit, which is now alive in Jesus to be the leader. The more we realize we are no longer the physical part of our person, but we are the ‘born again’ spirit that is alive to God…redeemed…bought for a price so that we can now live in true freedom. We are no longer subject to the bondages, addictions, sins, temptations, accusations, weaknesses, being victims of people and situations….BUT we are free in the spirit to Jesus…the author and finisher of our faith.
When we screw up we can now say…Hey that was my old rotten nature…that is not me now…of course we take responsibility for the actions and ask God to forgive us knowing He will because He has promised us that He will. We no longer have to listen to the devil or people or even our self trying to bring us down for our actions…telling us we are not worthy to be called a Christian. We can agree with them that we are not worthy, but then speak the truth that Jesus paid the price and because of what He has done for us, we have been made worthy. We are now the righteousness of Christ, because He took our place for the punishment of all of our sins.
Now there are some practical things we must do if we expect our body, mind, emotions and will to catch up with our spirit in walking in true freedom. First and foremost we must spend time in the Bible getting to know the Truth. We cannot live our lives in ignorance, expecting that God will just take care of everything for us without our even taking the time to get to know Him. This is a love relationship and just like you would want to know everything you could about a person you are falling in love with…you should take the same attitude with Jesus. And amazingly, the more you get to know Jesus and what He has done for you, the more you will fall in love. The more you fall in love the more you will want to know, and the more you will want to be like Him.
In conclusion, do not let El Guapo intimidate you any longer. It is defeated!!! You have the right and the freedom to live in victory. You no longer have to do what El Guapo wants, but the ability to follow in the footsteps of a living and loving Savior.
For some of us, El Guapo is our El Guapo!!!
In The Three Amigos, the boys are trying to rally the townspeople to see what they are good at and use that to fight off the soon arriving banditos that are coming to destroy the town. They go on and on with the idea that we all have something that we must fight. For some, fear is our El Guapo, for others poverty may be our El Guapo…etc, etc, etc. But the thought is ended by saying: for us, El Guapo is our El Guapo. I think we need to realize that we do have an enemy of our soul; we try to fight all the other little El Guapos but fail to realize that behind it all, our El Guapo is our very own sin nature. And the sooner we realize it is not the symptoms, the sin, we need to be fighting, but that carnal nature that desires above all else to be god or ruler of our life. This is where the real battle is.
Listening to Jerry Dirmann yesterday, I got some clarification on what is actually going on in our Christian walk of Sanctification. For those of you that wonder what sanctification is, simply, it is the process of becoming more and more like Jesus. We are promised in the letter to the Romans that God is busy at work in each of our lives to make us more and more like His Son.
Many of us live our lives as Christians in failure because we look at Jesus and then we take an honest look at our own lives and we see that there is no resemblance at all. We more identify with Paul in Romans 7 where he talks about doing what he doesn’t want to do and not doing what he knows he should. Why this failure, this disconnect, if we are being changed from glory to glory?
It is because we are our own worse “El Guapo”. We are living in our minds, emotions and body, rather than allowing our spirit, which is now alive in Jesus to be the leader. The more we realize we are no longer the physical part of our person, but we are the ‘born again’ spirit that is alive to God…redeemed…bought for a price so that we can now live in true freedom. We are no longer subject to the bondages, addictions, sins, temptations, accusations, weaknesses, being victims of people and situations….BUT we are free in the spirit to Jesus…the author and finisher of our faith.
When we screw up we can now say…Hey that was my old rotten nature…that is not me now…of course we take responsibility for the actions and ask God to forgive us knowing He will because He has promised us that He will. We no longer have to listen to the devil or people or even our self trying to bring us down for our actions…telling us we are not worthy to be called a Christian. We can agree with them that we are not worthy, but then speak the truth that Jesus paid the price and because of what He has done for us, we have been made worthy. We are now the righteousness of Christ, because He took our place for the punishment of all of our sins.
Now there are some practical things we must do if we expect our body, mind, emotions and will to catch up with our spirit in walking in true freedom. First and foremost we must spend time in the Bible getting to know the Truth. We cannot live our lives in ignorance, expecting that God will just take care of everything for us without our even taking the time to get to know Him. This is a love relationship and just like you would want to know everything you could about a person you are falling in love with…you should take the same attitude with Jesus. And amazingly, the more you get to know Jesus and what He has done for you, the more you will fall in love. The more you fall in love the more you will want to know, and the more you will want to be like Him.
In conclusion, do not let El Guapo intimidate you any longer. It is defeated!!! You have the right and the freedom to live in victory. You no longer have to do what El Guapo wants, but the ability to follow in the footsteps of a living and loving Savior.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Starting on the blog again;-))
August 16, 2012
I feel like a kid waiting for Santa Claus! The internet man is supposed to be here to hook me up. I have been offline for almost 2 weeks. Talk about going through withdrawal…not only am I away from my kids and grandkids, I cannot even keep up with what is going on in their lives on facebook. But in a way it has been nice, no news, no TV, no outside problems, just enjoying some of the books I downloaded onto the computer before I left and lots of music.
Well, 2 weeks ago I was preparing to load up the Uhaul to come up here to Chinle. For those of you that have no idea where Chinle is…I am 1 mile from the visitor center for Canyon de Chelly. So I am in the Northeast corner of the state of Arizona and only 300 miles away from Gilbert. In many ways it feels a lot farther. Even in Costa Rica it was only a 10-15 minute walk to get on the internet.
The land is beautiful and the skies are amazing. The people have been very friendly, but they are a quiet and reserved people and I think it will take a while to make friends. The city seems to mostly be made up of people that either work for the schools, the district, the hospital or some other governmental type agency. We all live in housing that is provided, mostly in the form of apartment communities. There are homes and trailers around that are obviously not parts of the system and for the most part these are very rudimentary. There are even a few hogans around but they do not seem to be their primary residence but either something left over or used for something else. We are most definitely in the minority but it does not seem to be a problem.
The funniest thing is the horses and cattle that roam the streets. You really have to watch out when driving around or you could end up with a hood ornament. We were sitting at A&W last week and I could see across the highway. There was 4 head of cattle grazing on the side of the road. Eventually one of the cows decided she liked the look of our side of the highway better and stood at the edge of the road. She actually looked both ways and waited for a clearing before crossing the street. I started laughing and told David to turn and look. Sure enough she made it across before any other cars came, but her 3 buddies were not so smart, they just saw she had left and started following. By that time there were some cars, which had to stop to let them cross. Oh, I forgot to mention, when we had driven up to A&W there were 2 horses grazing in the dumpster.
We have taken a couple of short drives to the Canyon. First time we went on the north road and stopped at an overlook of where 2 canyons meet. Very beautiful! And last Sunday we took the southern road and stopped at 3 or 4 overlooks. David talked with some of the native artisans and I decided that we needed to get in shape and come back when it is cooler to take the hike down to White House ruins. This is the only trail that goes into the canyon that outsiders can go on without a Navajo guide. It was late when we were there and it says on the sign it takes about 3 hours to do, besides that I was out of breath just walking around on top. But definitely a place we will take visitors…should be really gorgeous in the fall.
I feel like a kid waiting for Santa Claus! The internet man is supposed to be here to hook me up. I have been offline for almost 2 weeks. Talk about going through withdrawal…not only am I away from my kids and grandkids, I cannot even keep up with what is going on in their lives on facebook. But in a way it has been nice, no news, no TV, no outside problems, just enjoying some of the books I downloaded onto the computer before I left and lots of music.
Well, 2 weeks ago I was preparing to load up the Uhaul to come up here to Chinle. For those of you that have no idea where Chinle is…I am 1 mile from the visitor center for Canyon de Chelly. So I am in the Northeast corner of the state of Arizona and only 300 miles away from Gilbert. In many ways it feels a lot farther. Even in Costa Rica it was only a 10-15 minute walk to get on the internet.
The land is beautiful and the skies are amazing. The people have been very friendly, but they are a quiet and reserved people and I think it will take a while to make friends. The city seems to mostly be made up of people that either work for the schools, the district, the hospital or some other governmental type agency. We all live in housing that is provided, mostly in the form of apartment communities. There are homes and trailers around that are obviously not parts of the system and for the most part these are very rudimentary. There are even a few hogans around but they do not seem to be their primary residence but either something left over or used for something else. We are most definitely in the minority but it does not seem to be a problem.
The funniest thing is the horses and cattle that roam the streets. You really have to watch out when driving around or you could end up with a hood ornament. We were sitting at A&W last week and I could see across the highway. There was 4 head of cattle grazing on the side of the road. Eventually one of the cows decided she liked the look of our side of the highway better and stood at the edge of the road. She actually looked both ways and waited for a clearing before crossing the street. I started laughing and told David to turn and look. Sure enough she made it across before any other cars came, but her 3 buddies were not so smart, they just saw she had left and started following. By that time there were some cars, which had to stop to let them cross. Oh, I forgot to mention, when we had driven up to A&W there were 2 horses grazing in the dumpster.
We have taken a couple of short drives to the Canyon. First time we went on the north road and stopped at an overlook of where 2 canyons meet. Very beautiful! And last Sunday we took the southern road and stopped at 3 or 4 overlooks. David talked with some of the native artisans and I decided that we needed to get in shape and come back when it is cooler to take the hike down to White House ruins. This is the only trail that goes into the canyon that outsiders can go on without a Navajo guide. It was late when we were there and it says on the sign it takes about 3 hours to do, besides that I was out of breath just walking around on top. But definitely a place we will take visitors…should be really gorgeous in the fall.
Friday, April 13, 2012
April 11, 2012
April 11, 2012
This morning we went for a walk to the arbolito. It is a tree that is living in the ocean and we were told that there are only 4 like it in the world. It is rooted in some rocks that are under water at high tide and out of the water at low. Actually some around here call it the “Jesus Tree”. Evidently during Semana Santa, people come from all over to see the tree and have made it into an icon. But what mostly happens is people camp around the area and get drunk. When we had been told that I thought, that is exactly what happens with idolatry, it is turned into an orgy and has nothing to do with God.
As I was walking down the path wondering what we would see at the end I thought about how I would view the tree. I knew I was not making a pilgrimage to a holy spot, to come and say some special prayers in hopes that God would answer me because of where I was. I was going to see a tree that was completely out of what would have been its natural environment. This tree was meant to grow at the edge of the ocean, like in a mangrove swamp, not out away from the shore.
It struck me; God is to be glorified here. He can make anything grow anywhere He wants it to. And that does not just apply to trees. He can take you or me and put us into a situation that is completely foreign to us; and in that place He can cause us to thrive. Why? Because He is our source; He is the One that nourishes us and protects us from the elements. It is in Him, that I live and breathe and have my being. As long as I am planted where He wants me, I will continue to grow and mature and glorify His name. The trouble only comes when I decide I do not like where God has planted me; when I am not content with His plan for my life and try to plant myself someplace I think I would like better.
In this way I need to be like arbolito and flourish where I have been planted. What does arbolito do? It does tree things. It sends its roots down, it spreads its branches and it has leaves. It is a tree! It offers a perch for the birds, the insects crawl on it, and weary walkers can take a moment and enjoy its shade. And most importantly it glorifies God by being what He has called it to be, nothing more and certainly nothing less.
Some of us may be called to be planted by ourselves like arbolito, but mostly we are called to be planted in the midst of others. Whichever God has called you to do, make sure that you are where He has planted you and that you are doing those things He has called you to do in that place. True joy can only come when we are fulfilling our true purpose and not trying to live someplace else.
This morning we went for a walk to the arbolito. It is a tree that is living in the ocean and we were told that there are only 4 like it in the world. It is rooted in some rocks that are under water at high tide and out of the water at low. Actually some around here call it the “Jesus Tree”. Evidently during Semana Santa, people come from all over to see the tree and have made it into an icon. But what mostly happens is people camp around the area and get drunk. When we had been told that I thought, that is exactly what happens with idolatry, it is turned into an orgy and has nothing to do with God.
As I was walking down the path wondering what we would see at the end I thought about how I would view the tree. I knew I was not making a pilgrimage to a holy spot, to come and say some special prayers in hopes that God would answer me because of where I was. I was going to see a tree that was completely out of what would have been its natural environment. This tree was meant to grow at the edge of the ocean, like in a mangrove swamp, not out away from the shore.
It struck me; God is to be glorified here. He can make anything grow anywhere He wants it to. And that does not just apply to trees. He can take you or me and put us into a situation that is completely foreign to us; and in that place He can cause us to thrive. Why? Because He is our source; He is the One that nourishes us and protects us from the elements. It is in Him, that I live and breathe and have my being. As long as I am planted where He wants me, I will continue to grow and mature and glorify His name. The trouble only comes when I decide I do not like where God has planted me; when I am not content with His plan for my life and try to plant myself someplace I think I would like better.
In this way I need to be like arbolito and flourish where I have been planted. What does arbolito do? It does tree things. It sends its roots down, it spreads its branches and it has leaves. It is a tree! It offers a perch for the birds, the insects crawl on it, and weary walkers can take a moment and enjoy its shade. And most importantly it glorifies God by being what He has called it to be, nothing more and certainly nothing less.
Some of us may be called to be planted by ourselves like arbolito, but mostly we are called to be planted in the midst of others. Whichever God has called you to do, make sure that you are where He has planted you and that you are doing those things He has called you to do in that place. True joy can only come when we are fulfilling our true purpose and not trying to live someplace else.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
April 8, 2012
April 8, 2012
For the first time since being here in Costa Rica, I have felt sad to be here. It started yesterday, the 7th, because it was Joshua and Nathan’s birthday. It has always been a joy to be with my boys on their birthday to celebrate and joke around and of course eat some yummy food. Well this year, instead, we had to joke via Skype. And although I thoroughly enjoyed being able to talk to them, it made me realize how much I am missing my family.
And today is Easter, and I am missing seeing the grandkids dressed up and going to church with me. Spending time with family and extended family; enjoying the day while the kids hunt and re-hunt for eggs; and of course, more yummy food.
I had already been feeling excited about the soon return to the U.S., but now the time is almost not going fast enough. I know that by the end of the week I will say, ‘where did that week go?’ So I need to get back in tune to where I am and why I am here, instead of dwelling on what is not yet. I know that God is not finished with what He brought us here to learn.
I am looking forward to next weekend as we spend time in San Jose learning about an outreach that is based from there. We met their founder a few weeks ago at a local church and he invited us to come see what they are doing to reach out to the youth and the sick in this country as well as others. They call themselves Conexion and can be found on the web at www.extreme-service.com
I do know that if we are ever to return here that I am going to have to learn more Spanish. We have met so many wonderful people and it would be such a pleasure to be able to sit down and really carry on a conversation with them. Maybe that will be my next project along with finishing the second Bible Study that I have recently started.
For the first time since being here in Costa Rica, I have felt sad to be here. It started yesterday, the 7th, because it was Joshua and Nathan’s birthday. It has always been a joy to be with my boys on their birthday to celebrate and joke around and of course eat some yummy food. Well this year, instead, we had to joke via Skype. And although I thoroughly enjoyed being able to talk to them, it made me realize how much I am missing my family.
And today is Easter, and I am missing seeing the grandkids dressed up and going to church with me. Spending time with family and extended family; enjoying the day while the kids hunt and re-hunt for eggs; and of course, more yummy food.
I had already been feeling excited about the soon return to the U.S., but now the time is almost not going fast enough. I know that by the end of the week I will say, ‘where did that week go?’ So I need to get back in tune to where I am and why I am here, instead of dwelling on what is not yet. I know that God is not finished with what He brought us here to learn.
I am looking forward to next weekend as we spend time in San Jose learning about an outreach that is based from there. We met their founder a few weeks ago at a local church and he invited us to come see what they are doing to reach out to the youth and the sick in this country as well as others. They call themselves Conexion and can be found on the web at www.extreme-service.com
I do know that if we are ever to return here that I am going to have to learn more Spanish. We have met so many wonderful people and it would be such a pleasure to be able to sit down and really carry on a conversation with them. Maybe that will be my next project along with finishing the second Bible Study that I have recently started.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
April 5, 2012
April 5, 2012
Spiritual insights learned in Costa Rica
• God cleans house starting in His house
• We are to be a living example of God’s word, He is wanting to write His words on our heart
• We can always be stripped of more than we thought possible and still have more of Him
• Repentance is necessary when re-establishing relationships
• Forgiveness must always be part of our walk of freedom
• God can replace lost joy in a relationship
• It’s never too late to re-connect with one another
• The more we love God the more we can love others
• And the more we love God and others the less we think about ourselves
• The simplest things in life can be the most profound and enjoyable
• With a person, even though you can get an immediate read on the emotion, you’re offending them in a past or present action, they can’t cast you into a lake of fire and yet God we will offend and we have no sense of how offensive we are.
• Be careful what you wish for
• You can adapt
• God will use whomever He wishes
Spiritual insights learned in Costa Rica
• God cleans house starting in His house
• We are to be a living example of God’s word, He is wanting to write His words on our heart
• We can always be stripped of more than we thought possible and still have more of Him
• Repentance is necessary when re-establishing relationships
• Forgiveness must always be part of our walk of freedom
• God can replace lost joy in a relationship
• It’s never too late to re-connect with one another
• The more we love God the more we can love others
• And the more we love God and others the less we think about ourselves
• The simplest things in life can be the most profound and enjoyable
• With a person, even though you can get an immediate read on the emotion, you’re offending them in a past or present action, they can’t cast you into a lake of fire and yet God we will offend and we have no sense of how offensive we are.
• Be careful what you wish for
• You can adapt
• God will use whomever He wishes
Saturday, March 31, 2012
March 29, 2012
March 29, 2012
Today we were invited to breakfast by some people that David had originally met on the beach. They are a couple from Switzerland that has lived here in Costa Rica for a year and a half. David had met Claudio on the beach and then Elke and their daughter Mia later when they offered him a ride home from one of his many walks. At that time they said we should come over some time so they could practice their English.
Elke has her own catering business that she is trying to grow, so I thought that eating at their house would be a good idea. Not only does she cook meals, but she bakes breads and makes her own jams, chutneys, sauces and other delicious things.
Since they live in Panica and it is about 3km away, Claudio offered to pick us up. We had a very enjoyable time, eating and telling stories. Sometimes we would say something and then Elke would have to say it in German so that Claudio could understand. Other times I would use some Spanish to explain what was being said….I felt very international.
The highlight of the morning is when Mia found a baby gecko on one of her toys and then both men and Mia get out their cameras and start taking pictures of it sitting on a coffee cup. This went on for awhile until Mia knocked it into the coffee. It was then set free on a bush but I laughed to think of a caffeine crazed baby gecko running madly back and forth on the branches. Later I told David, isn’t it wonderful being in such a laid back place that the highlight of the day is an inch long lizard;-))
David has offered to help Elke with a brochure for her business, so we are planning on seeing them next week. On the way back to the house Claudio asked David if he were a priest or pastor. He said no, we are Christians.
Today we were invited to breakfast by some people that David had originally met on the beach. They are a couple from Switzerland that has lived here in Costa Rica for a year and a half. David had met Claudio on the beach and then Elke and their daughter Mia later when they offered him a ride home from one of his many walks. At that time they said we should come over some time so they could practice their English.
Elke has her own catering business that she is trying to grow, so I thought that eating at their house would be a good idea. Not only does she cook meals, but she bakes breads and makes her own jams, chutneys, sauces and other delicious things.
Since they live in Panica and it is about 3km away, Claudio offered to pick us up. We had a very enjoyable time, eating and telling stories. Sometimes we would say something and then Elke would have to say it in German so that Claudio could understand. Other times I would use some Spanish to explain what was being said….I felt very international.
The highlight of the morning is when Mia found a baby gecko on one of her toys and then both men and Mia get out their cameras and start taking pictures of it sitting on a coffee cup. This went on for awhile until Mia knocked it into the coffee. It was then set free on a bush but I laughed to think of a caffeine crazed baby gecko running madly back and forth on the branches. Later I told David, isn’t it wonderful being in such a laid back place that the highlight of the day is an inch long lizard;-))
David has offered to help Elke with a brochure for her business, so we are planning on seeing them next week. On the way back to the house Claudio asked David if he were a priest or pastor. He said no, we are Christians.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)