*EDIT* I forgot I was posting at the cafe today. Please see previous post for AI Re-Cap and most significantly, the 2nd Ugly Mug Update.*
Last January, I charged into a “Read the Bible in a Year” plan like a souped up race horse breaking onto the track. It wasn’t the first time I had attempted the goal, but this time, I was determined to complete it.
Imagine how deflated I was to have to start again in April. Let’s just say that this time I trudged out of the gate like a Belgian draft horse pulling a Levitical plow. It has been slow going, but I keep telling myself, “Slow and steady wins the race,” or at least wins a sharp Sunday school lapel pin for managing to “stick to it!”
Why has this reading plan been so difficult? After all, I read a user-friendly version. I grew up hearing Bible stories and memorizing verses. I was a literature major, so I obviously enjoy reading. If you asked what book I’d take to a desert island, I'd reply, “The Bible.” And I’ve received much guidance and comfort throughout my life from this book.
I do what I can to remind myself, placing my Bible on my nightstand, slipping it into my purse to read in waiting rooms, packing it on trips, sticking it in my tote bag, plopping it into my car—it’s always with me. Yet, I often find myself walking by it on the coffee table. Somehow, I always seem to have one more laundry load or phone call or three more hours on the Internet before I can pick it up ....
Read the rest of this riveting admission of failure today at:
Well, here we are at week 8 out of 10 in the study. I want to thank all of you who jumped on board with Diane and me. This is deep, serious stuff; I hope you can sense that you're growing through all of the lessons, as I do.
The basic text for this week’s study is Joshua 4-5, where God brought the Israelites around to beginning a new relationship with Him. At this point in Israel's history, the freed but wandering people have now crossed the Jordan river and set up 12 memorial stones for posterity (chapter 4). Then, by God's directive, they were “wounded” (circumcised) and healed, employing a physical action to symbolize a spiritual event.
Joshua 5:9 says, “Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Today I have rolled away the reproach [censure, shame] of Egypt from you.’ So the place has been called Gilgal to this day.” The word Gilgal means “circle” and sounds like the Hebrew word for “roll.”
I get it! Stones, roll, circle, circumference of a body part ... "Gilgal" is a turning point.
Why the focus on Gilgal in this study? Like the Israelites, many of us have our own personal Gilgals which can bolster our faith as we rehearse what God has done for/in us.
BM said that “The way He takes one of us full circle doesn’t have to seem significant to anyone else. If it’s significant to you, it’s significant to God.”
How do we define our own Gilgal moments?
A Gilgal moment is when we realize that: ~God has forgiven us and no longer condemns us (has rolled away our reproach). ~God has helped us to make a clean start and helped us be victorious over something that once ensnared us (has healed us). ~God has taken us full circle in some facet of spiritual growth. (We memorialize [testify to] what God has done and give thanks.)
Each day, BM shared several biographical sketches of modern giants of faith who began with small, unremarkable, even unfortunate origins and humbly accomplished great things for God’s glory. She recalled each man’s Gilgal experience.
The common denominator in these men’s lives was a sold-out commitment to God and active, unyielding faith, believing that: ~God is who he says he is. ~God will do what he says he will do.
Sound familiar?
Part of the week’s study included breaking our own lives into fifths and looking at each era to see what pivotal events happened, who influenced us, and how we were affected by those events.
Since the years from 32-36 or so were difficult for me, I dreaded re-visiting that time because I felt ensnared by a stronghold and was pretty miserable. But today, I do stand up straight to boast in the Lord because he brought me out of that pit.
Here is my boast, expressed in Psalm 94:17-19: Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’ your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.”
He is indeed “my glory and the lifter up of my head” (Ps 3:3).
I liked Beth’s observation: “I believe sometimes the emptiness around us can echo a single voice all the louder.” I know that God heard me in my distress. I know that I’m in a different place than I was ten years ago. I believe that was my Gilgal.
Questions to think about:
Is there a pivotal moment in your life when, from your perspective now, you can see that God brought you full circle?
If you are in the midst of a trying time right now, can you believe God--that he is with you and is about to do a new thing in your life? Are you expecting the waters to be rolled back and your reproach to be rolled away?
Finally, all this talk about stones rolling brings to mind that glorious, miraculous moment when the stone was rolled away from Jesus’s tomb. Because of that resurrection power, we can trust in all five major faith statements of this study:
1. God is who he says he is. 2. God can do what he says he can do. 3. I am who God says I am. 4. I can do all things through Christ. 5. God’s word is alive and active in me.
I’m believing God--because he specializes in rolling away the "stone" of death [literally, in resurrection, and figuratively, in strongholds and burdens] and in rolling away reproach. And for this, my heart is full of praise and gratitude..
Please visit Diane at Meyers on the Hood for today's official commentary on this week's lesson. Remember--you don't have to be signed up or committed to every week to join in the discussion.
Briefly, here are some ideas that spoke to me:
*Depth before Breadth. God desires a deep relationship with us. Whatever service or leadership comes after that is the breadth, and he will take care of that. I think that takes some of the pressure off of us to always be looking to be "blessed," or in other words, have our "territory" enlarged as far as ministry and service go.
*Three common denominators of the vital church: 1. Shield of Faith 2. Sword of the Spirit 3. Prayer
For me, probably the one that is practiced least in a pinpoint precision, faith-filled way is the prayer component. I think I have been afraid God would not answer prayers the way I prayed for them to be answered, and I didn't want to be disappointed. But since this study began and through some events unfolding at church, I am beginning to see prayer anew again.
*God is "roaming" to and fro over the earth looking for individuals whose hearts are for him because that is where the refining fire in the church is. Ironically, I had just read Job's story this week, wherein Satan says he has been roaming the earth, implicitly conveying that he was looking for individuals to destroy. I just thought the juxtaposition of the phrases within one week for me was interesting.
*Beth Moore also talked about the mustard seed of faith, and ironically, again, I had just started reading a book called "Mustard Seed Faith" this week.
*Beth's admonition not to fall for fear and discouragement probably resonated most with me. She says that although Satan cannot know our thoughts, he can observe and hear us, and thus, he knows our weak points. She says that he asks, "What is it that she [any one of us] fears she is?" and then he "sets out to confirm that fear," and then we buy into it.
Do I fear that I'm inadequate? Do I fear that God doesn't have much of a plan for my life? Do I fear that I'm not a good enough wife/mom? Do I fear that I'm failing God? Do I fear that I'm hypocritical? Do I fear that I'm inferior?
Yes, I do. And there's more. But what's new to me now is knowing that when I'm tempted to think negatively or let fear creep in, I can be aware that Satan is hell-bent on convincing me it is unarguably, irrevocably true. But as my pastor has said many times, "The truest thing about you is what GOD says about you." And if I should forget what God says about me, I can read his love letters in the Bible.
I hope you enjoyed the study this week. We're half-way through already!
*EDIT: Yes, I did the wrong week. I told Diane something like this would happen, not to trust me, but what did she do? She went right on and trusted me. This will teach her.
Honestly, this was a challenging week within this study for me. Good, but challenging.
Healing is something I think about on a daily basis.
Sometimes I feel as if I'm studying the issue of healing/miracles like I would a prismatic ball, holding it up to the light, slowly turning it, trying to understand all of the facets, the hows and whys, of healing. Because after all is said and done, even when people such as Lazarus are dramatically healed, they must pass away at some point.
And yet, love compels us to ask, "Please heal my loved one." And Love has permitted us to " ... come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" Heb. 4:16. We certainly have ample scriptural precedence for requesting healing.
Here are two "facets" of my prism that I think about often. I know that you don't know these people, but the reason I'm writing about them is to report to you what God is miraculously doing in their lives, proving the validity of 2 Corinthians 12:9: But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
Facet 1: I have posted a couple of times about my friend Diane who has cancer, unknown primary source (CUP) and has been given a discouraging prognosis. Curiously, Diane seems to have been transformed through her challenge. Because I don't want to discuss the specifics of anyone else's life on my blog, all I can say is, she actually seems happier now than she has in years. She just exudes joy, and I'm telling you, it's the real deal. I'm blown away by how strong she is in spirit and faith and how loving and tender she has remained. There is no bitterness in Diane. She has a great sense of humor. She blogs regularly on CarePages, and you can feel her joy leaping off of your monitor and wrapping itself around you, which is no surprise, since Diane is a hugger.
Will God eradicate her cancer? I don't know. I know that he can indeed do that. We just don't know if he will. Beth Moore said that it's better to err on the side of belief than unbelief. But if he doesn't heal her, he is still good and trustworthy. His fingerprints are all over Diane. When I am with her, I promise you I feel a distinct "otherness" about her. I know, I KNOW this is the Holy Spirit of our good God on his precious daughter. If he does not eradicate the cancer, I believe, like Beth said, he has something greater for Diane in that case. But I'll not stop asking for fear that he won't answer the way I'd like him to. That conviction was reinforced in this week's lessons.
Facet 2: My cousin's son, Nate who "is a 25-year old otherwise healthy young man who has been through a spell of viral encephalitis with residual epilepsy/seizures and Sjogrens Syndrome. He enjoys movies, video games, RPGs, and, of course, spending time with his girlfriend, Erin." - Carepages
One day Nate was a carefree, happy young man in his 20s who got sick. Since that day, his life and the lives of everyone connected with him have changed. It has been long road of recovery, but his recovery is a miracle.
Here are Nate's own words about his trials--prepare to well up with joy and inspiration:
I want to share a word that I got from church yesterday. The reverend was preaching from John 9, and MAN! Did it hit home! I have been asking "Why me?" for the longest time when it comes to these seizures. "Why me? What did I do?" Wrong questions to ask! What can I do with what has happened to me? In fact, when it comes down to it, if I could change something, I wouldn't now. He has it in His plans. The other night, Jesus came along and put mud on my face. I'm sure no one likes it to have mud put on their face. But He did put mud on my face, and then said, "Go. Speak with your dad." That was probably one of the hardest things I have had to do in the longest time that I can remember. I came back with my eyes opened, and I am the same person! Just like the blind man of John 9, Jesus put mud on my face and told me to go. I went and had my eyes opened. Now I wait to see what He has planned for me. I can't wait to go back to work so I can marry the most beautiful woman that is in my life. I do pray that God will take these seizures away, but I know He will use them somehow.-Nate-
I am praying for God to take away the seizures, too, Nate, but I'm blown away that you can also ask him to use them for his glory.
Touchpoints from the homework:
*"Believers are in desperate need of a fresh infusion of faith." This reminds me of my other friend who must receive iron infusions. Oh that we would see the need to regularly receive fresh infusions of faith!
*"God of Wonders" has been a popular song for a few years, and I'm reminded of what "wonders" truly connotes--inexplicable, marvelous, difficult to understand or fathom, miraculous.
*"Christ gave no time qualifier when he said, 'Everything is possible for him who believes' (Mark 9:23)."
*Believers in the Third World continue to report miracles, visions, dreams. I knew this already from our contact with missionaries, but it was good to read it here, as well. God will reach whom he wishes. He used dreams in the OT; he can use them today, as well. He can use any venue that he wants to touch people.
*I'm praying that if God does not grant the requested miracles I pray for, that he will grant greater ones.
How did this study touch your spirit this week? Please leave a comment or let us know you've written a longer response at your place.
Wow, what a busy week in my personal life and in this study. I knew that committing to doing "Believing God" would be difficult time-wise, but "committing" is the key word here, and I'm committed to staying on top of the homework and applying the principles.
How are you doing? By the way, remember that even if you're not enrolled in the study, Diane and I welcome (beg for) your reflective comments here. Just like those roadside church signs that say, "There is no 'church' without 'u' in it," Diane and I feel that there is no "conversation" without 'u' in it. We need converusation.
Week #2 of "Believing God" focused on "Believing God is Who He Says He Is." (Matthew 16:13-19 is the "home base" passage, where Jesus asks his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?")
One of the first things Beth talked about (we're on a first-name basis now, since she's been in my family room on the computer while I sip coffee, have hot flashes and unfasten my bra and everything) is understanding that all of us have perceptions about God based on what was 1) taught to us 2) caught by us (by assimilating both the explicit and implicit actions/statements of others as we moved through life.)
Beth states that it's safe to assume that somewhere along the way, we may have subconsciously picked up a few flawed ideas about who God is and what he's capable of.
Here's an interesting exercise to see popular images of God: Go to Google, choose "images" for your search, and type in "God." The first three pages of pics will provide food for thought.
Here's an example from my life: There's a well-worn postulation in Christian evangelism, "God loves you so much that if you had been the only person on the planet, he still would have come to die for you alone." My mother never fully understood or trusted that statement and voiced her doubt often enough that I think I absorbed her doubt. As a result, whenever I hear someone make that assertion, I think, "Really? Is that true? It sounds good. Is that biblical?" And yet highly respected Christian leaders have repeated this idea many times.
Question 1: Where did you develop your perceptions of God?
Question 2: Have you ever challenged any long-held or popular concepts about God? Care to share? BM says that "Faith that remains unchallenged ordinarily remains unchanged."
Do you ever wonder, "Why doesn't God just put an end to all questions about his existence and goodness by providing irrefutable proof for our enquiring little minds?" Beth says she believes the answer stems from Hebrews 11:6, But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that he rewards everyone who searches for him. It brings God pleasure when we believe in him, so he doesn't remove all doubt because he enjoys our faith, our belief, our trust in him.
I think of it like this: What if I had a child who had an emotional disorder wherein she could never develop a trusting relationship with me. She would always pull away when I reached out, always close her hand when I tried to give her anything, always suspect everything I told her. My heart would break. Part of knowing/loving someone is trusting in their character. I would probably say to her, "Please just notice how over and over I treat you with love and gentleness and kindness. Remember those times that so that the next time I reach out to you, you won't feel compelled to pull away. HAVE FAITH IN ME. I'M A GOOD MOM." Or in another context, "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." Psalm 34:8.
Beth also spent quite a bit of time talking about culture's attempt at the "Dumbing Down" of God--demeaning his name, mocking him, tearing at his greatness bit by bit, "voting" on the validity of his Word, etc. I feel passionate about this, too. The reason we do this? We're humans. It's what we do--like "Why do flies poop every time they land? They're flies." At least we're his enemies until by his grace the scales fall off our eyes and our ears unplug and our knees hit the ground, right? But it's important to remember that God doesn't get nervous when man does this. He's unshakable.
Finally, Beth, or "Beh" as I like to call her for short, reminded us through scripture that we (humans) will reflect (in actions, in speech, in appearance) who we believe God to be. Consider Psalm 135:
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands. 16 They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; 17 They have ears, but they do not hear; Nor is there any breath in their mouths. 18 Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.
Jeremiah 10:5, "Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good." Thus the scarecrow pic above. Just thought I'd point out that he's not God.
When I finished this week's teaching video, I felt as if I were having church while sitting there at the computer. That is, I was worshipping God for who he is, despite man's attempt to pin him down, dilute him, direct him, ignore him, take him for granted. There is none like him.
Basically, the lesson this week can be summed up, "Whoever you might think God is, aim a little higher" because our faith will never be stronger than the God we perceive.
The song on this video, "You Are God Alone" just reaffirms his praiseworthiness. It's not a fancy video, just the words, but the words--ooh they are powerful. If you have a couple of minutes to listen to this, it might change the rest of your day.
Thanks for stopping by. Again, Diane and I would love to "hear" your thoughts in the comments or in your own post.
Here are the promised pics from the last 9th & 10th grade girls' Bible study that met at my house on Monday evenings. At our last meeting, we grilled dogs and ate fruit (a staple each Monday night, esp. fresh pineapple) and then finished with a Sundae bar! Please check out the cute cups in the photo below because all of that color is really "wild" for me. It was a zany party because -- Woo--colored cups! Click on that sundae pic, and you will notice (please) Reese's Pieces, M & M's, crushed Andes, crushed Oreos, cherries, nuts ... Did I ever tell you I'm bilingual? I speak dessert.
Point of interest: Every single person in this group came wearing at least one item of green except for the blonde standing behind the sofa who is holding a green shirt because she wanted to fit in. There was no "green day" memo. All of these people wore green of their own volition and without consultation. I did not, but that's Ok because I'm the photographer! My kid is next to the one in green stripes. She and the blonde have been friends since preschool or before, if you count church nursery.
Funny story: when they were preschoolers, Blondie was playing at our house, but it was time to go home. I noticed she had money in her hands and asked where she found it, and she said that my daughter gave it to her as a gift. It was a $20 dollar bill! I cracked up. At that age, girls are always giving each other gifts, coloring pictures for each other, etc., so Kristin just decided she'd bless Blondie with $20, with no clue about the value or that doling out cash is tacky--unless you're the mom of a teenager who's just heading out the door, in which case it's the height of coolness.
We still laugh about it with them, joking that Kristin had to pay Blondie to be her friend. What's really weirding me out is that this girl is driving now. How is it possible that she is pulling into our driveway by herself? She's only about 6 months older than my girl. How are they growing up so fast? When will this growing up and away stuff end??
I'm heading over to Diane's today at Meyers on the Hood to see what she picked up from Beth Moore's Believing God online study ... you come, too! You don't have to be signed up, you know, to read and comment. Please join in.
Second matter of biz: Thank you all for your comments yesterday about what wall "treatment" (that's what we pros call it) I should go with. It just goes to show that it truly does take a village to help me make a decorating decision. And, as my husband has pointed out, isn't it a totally female thing to do--to get on your blog and ask other bloggers for their decorating opinions? Can you imagine a guy doing this? No. They still do not ask directions. GPS devices nearly emasculate them because it's like they're accepting advice--usually from a woman's voice. And that is reason #4,738 I'm glad I'm not a man: I can ask a bazillion women how I should decorate one wall in my home and feel just great about it, thank you very much.
Biz #3: Alert reader Cindy of Notes in the Key of Life pointed out that yesterday, I mistakenly called Dark Shadows' Barnabas Collins "Barnaby Jones," which is a giant mistake because you can clearly see that one of these men is from the 19th Century. Well, OK, you can clearly see that one of these men is angry and vengeful. OK--the guy with the mood ring? That's Barnabas. The guy with the sour puss? That's detective Barnaby Jones, aka Jed Clampett, aka Buddy Ebsen, who was originally cast as the Tin Man of Oz, but since he was deathly allergic to the suit, they gave him the boot, and he had that sour look on his face forever after. The last pic is of Bobby Sherman, who, in my 8 year-old estimation was the only man on the planet tough enough to put Barnabas Collins in his place. Bobby sure looks tough, huh. Did you ever write a letter to a famous person? (Not necessarily to ask one famous person to beat up another famous vampire person, of course.) Let me know who you wrote to, and then go say hi to Diane.
What you say on your blog can come back to you, ladies.
This week, I received an email message from Diane of Meyers on the Hood:
I have now seen a couple comments spread around the BloggyWorld where you mentioned you might want to/should probably do the online Beth Moore "Believing God" Bible study. I want to/should probably do it, too. If you sign up, I'll sign up.
I said that?
Yep. More than once. But as far back as January, I posted about being the last lone wolf who had not joined a Beth Moore study. As a result, no one has ever called me a Siesta.
What someone called me, instead, relative to my lack of Beth Mooreness, is "Penultimate Coolness," which is the same as saying, "Almost Cool But Not Quite." In fact, here is my favorite comment after that post from none other than Missy of It's Almost Naptime:
You are way too cool to not have done a Beth study. Seriously. That is the ONLY thing holding you back from Ultimate Coolness. Right now, you are Penultimate Coolness.
I think she and Diane are right. It's time. And besides, "Siesta" is way easier to say than "The Penultimate Coolness."
Anyway, several of you commented after that post that I was not the last lone wolf, that some of you, too, had not participated yet.
If this is you, and you would like to join Diane and me in this online study, here's a little sumpin' we cooked up that might make your eyes narrow and the fur on the back of your neck stand up.
Every Thursday for the next nine weeks, Diane and I will take turns posting about that particular week's lesson. While we Diane and I totally Ken Lee each other, it would be awesome to hear from you about what you took away from that lesson and how God is moving in your life and circumstances.
You know, it would be like Diane and I are the wolves who howl first at the moon, and then you howl in response, and then we howl in return and so on, until the sun comes up or someone shoots us. Fun!
We are so excited about doing this that WE GOT A BUTTON.
You are welcome to copy our "Believing God" button and put it on your own blog so that others can join in on this journey of faith-building. Kind of like adding to the fold. But not the sheepfold, for heaven's sake, because then we'd have to eat them.
Sound fun? Sound like an adventure that God might want you to be a part of? In that case, sign up and do your first week's lesson [watch a video, fill in some blanks] then meet us back here this Thursday, July 31.
We'll be here. Even if it's just the two of us. [Please don't let it be just the two of us.]
And now, this video doesn't have anything to do with Beth Moore or Diane or Missy, except that Missy is a child of the '80s, but here is Duran Duran with "Hungry Like the Wolf," which kept blaring in my head as I wrote this post. Maybe all Simon really needed was to join the Beth Moore online Bible study, "Believing God."
*Button designed by one of the most patient women in the world, Lindsay, of Splat Designs. Thanks!
*EDIT* I forgot I was posting at the cafe today. Please see previous post for AI Re-Cap and most significantly, the 2nd Ugly Mug Update.*
