Good as Gold

I'm a fan of nepotism. In my opinion, so is God. Just like I think eating lamb is an act of cannibalism. Read your Bible. Does it not say that we are His sheep? Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He's also the shepherd... a bit confusing. But the point is that there are way too many sheep analogies to eat them. God never compares us to cows or shrimp. So if you offer me a rack of lamb, I'll have to politely refuse and secretly judge you for eating one of our own. Offer me a steak and I'll say "medium rare, please. And throw another shrimp on the bar-by."

But that's not what we're discussing today. Now, the definition of nepotism is "favoritism granted to relatives or friends regardless of merit." I know. I wikipedia-d it. I feel that I need to clarify myself. I'm not usually a fan of nepotism. But when it comes to God, I totally am. Doesn't that definition of nepotism sound familiar? Grace- "the free and unmerited favor of God shown towards man." Oh, snap. I just blew your mind. Ok, probably not. But still, as children of God, He gives us favor that frankly, we don't deserve.

The key to successful use of nepotism is having a contact in high places. Your grandma might be able to vouch for you to get an invite to the local Bingo circle, but that's not going to get you very far. You need some real legit connections. You need to know a guy. As a service to you, I've concocted a list of the most important areas of life to "know a guy."

1. Mechanics
I learned this quickly when I moved away from my dad. For some reason, mechanics aren't as forgiving as dads are when you bust your head gasket because you didn't know you were supposed to fill up the oil every once in a while. They also don't like to change water pumps in a college dorm parking lot. (I love you, Dad.)

2. Accountants
Money is not a laughing matter. Taxes are confusing. And I keep hearing stories about accountants running off to Cabo with peoples' hedge funds. Not that I have a hedge fund. Or know what a hedge fund is. But I sound smart, right?

3. Plumbers
Plumbers have a crappy job. Pun completely intended. They also get paid. a lot. If you let your husband try to fix the plumbing, you will end up paying even more to reverse their damage. For every 50 guys I meet that thinks they can handle a plumbing problem in their home, one actually can. That's a 2% success rate. Not great odds. (P.S. My dad is the one guy. He's also a superhero.)

4. Library Administrators
Three words- no late fees.

5. Pastors
Due to the nature of their work, preachers usually know how to fix cars, plumbing, and do accounting, along with about a million other jobs. Not so sure about the Library administrating, though. And, they're available for all of the big moments in your life. Wedding? Covered. Baby Dedication? Bring it on. Funeral? Gotcha covered. Pastors are the glue that holds society together. (I'm a wee bit partial.)

The good news is we do "know a guy." And the guy we know happens to be a king. The last gift of the wise men is gold. Frankincense represented Jesus as our High Priest. Myrrh-our Savior through His death. Gold- He is our King. He is The King. He is all powerful, and all of Heaven and earth bow to Him.

Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name,
so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11

Jesus confirms himself that He is King-

"You say that I am a king, and you are right," Jesus said. "I was born for that purpose. And I came to bring truth to the world. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true."
John 18:37

And because of the grace of God, we have an everlasting covenant with Him. We have become adopted Children of God, and are recipients of His grace and favor in our lives. We share in the rewards of Jesus Christ, as well as the suffering of Jesus Christ.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God's very own children, adopted into his family --calling him "Father, dear Father."
For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God's children.
And since we are his children, we will share his treasures--for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later.
Romans 8:14-18

We serve a King who is mighty, and who is in control. We can put our complete trust in Him and know that He is with us and His hand is on us no matter what our circumstances dictate. As we celebrate Christmas, we remember that although He was born as a baby in humble circumstances, He was born as a King.

Myrrh-Man

The presents are unwrapped. The glistening trees are bare underneath. The living room floor is piled high with empty cardboard boxes and balled up wrapping paper intermixed with toys, electronics, and ugly Christmas sweaters we've just been gifted. The family is gathered together stuffing themselves without fear of remorse and settling down to play a board game (in our case "Rat Race" handmade by our brother and sister-in-law). It is Christmas afternoon.

I remember hating Christmas afternoon when I was a kid. It is the ultimate anti-climatic moment in a child's life. Especially if you just got a whole bunch of clothes for Christmas. I'm not knocking getting clothes (as long as the person buying is on my approved list of friends who have earned the right to pick the threads with which I clothe my body), but you can't exactly play with them all day. There's only so many ways to jazz up stirrup pants. (Hey, back up off of the stirrup pants. I grew up in the 80's.) Unless you just got a red Michael Jackson thriller jacket, getting clothes wasn't quite exciting.

I remember the one time I got exercise equipment for Christmas. I know, you're thinking of something like Tony Little's Gazelle or perhaps a Bowflex. Think more pink and purple yoga mat and a leotard that gave me a major wedgie. Super exciting. Not even being sarcastic. I felt like Suzanne Somers. Or a really young Jane Fonda. Just kidding. I had no idea who they were. I still kind of don't. I know Jane Fonda was in that Jennifer Lopez movie.

On one side of the mat there were pictures of different stretching positions you could do. I tried my darndest to figure them out. Four year olds don't have a whole heck of a lot of coordination. Also I'm pretty sure than I'm not cut out to be a yoga instructor. I gave it my best shot, but I'm pretty sure the most effective use of the exercise mat was for a Christmas afternoon nap. Which, to me, is what Christmas afternoons are for. That, or writing a blog entry.

See, a while ago I wrote about how I never finish anything. Then I started a series about the gifts of the wise men. And I haven't finished it yet. But I am determined. By the end of Christmas day, I will finish my Christmas blog series. Thank God there's only three wise men. (aaaand commence argument about the fact that the number of wise men is widely disputed and only folklore dictates the quantity as three. Congratulations, you're smart. But the song I sing says We Three Kings. That's enough evidence. Faith like a child. That's me.)

So, now we're focusing on the gift of Myrrh. Myrrh is similar to Frankincense in that it is resin from a tree. Myrrh is an oil that is used as a perfume or an ointment. Its main purpose is for the bathing and preparing of a dead body. The gift of myrrh brings to our attention the role of Jesus as our Savior. The pivotal moment of Jesus as our Savior took place at his death. But it all began at Christmas. It all began when Jesus made the initial sacrifice by becoming man. Philippians chapter 2 tells us about the humility of Christ, when he became obedient to death. He humbled himself to become man, even though He had full rights to His deity.

It is fitting that during Christmas, where we focus on the birth of Christ, we also think on His death as well. I adore reading the Christmas story in Luke during the holidays. But maybe we should also be reading Isaiah 53 as well. Please take the time to read this scripture and meditate on it.

Who has believed our message? To whom will the LORD reveal his saving power?

My servant grew up in the LORD's presence like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.

He was despised and rejected--a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care.

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins!

But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed!

All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the guilt and sins of us all.

He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.

From prison and trial they led him away to his death. But who among the people realized that he was dying for their sins--that he was suffering their punishment?

He had done no wrong, and he never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man's grave.

But it was the LORD's good plan to crush him and fill him with grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have a multitude of children, many heirs. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD's plan will prosper in his hands.

When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.

I will give him the honors of one who is mighty and great, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among those who were sinners. He bore the sins of many and interceded for sinners.

Isaiah 53

Thank you Jesus for your great sacrifice. Let us never forget the great price you paid for our sake.

Merry Christmas.

Frankinwhat?

Ah. Smell that? The delicate scent of frayed nerves, burnt out Christmas lights (should have switched to LED's), Dollar Store wrapping paper, those cinnamon pine cones that come in the mesh bags from Wal-Mart and the collective hopes and dreams of all the children of the world invades your senses. That my friend, is the smell of Christmas. Christmas is upon us. The masses are coming out in droves to lay waste to their mile-long Christmas lists.

The Christmas lights are up on the houses. Why are Christmas lights either tacky or boring? It's really hard to get that mix of perfection that lies somewhere between the two. I consider myself a Christmas light connoisseur, so I've compiled a brief check list of how to reach Christmas light Utopia. So without further adieu:

1. Unless you're going 100%, leave the trees alone. Ugh. Let's start this list off with a bang. Nothing turns me into a scrooge faster than seeing some shriveled up tree with one strand of lights haphazardly twisting halfway up its trunk. Like a four year old wanted to help and you said "sure honey, just go wrap this strand around that tree." Like the abominable snowman was ravenous and ate half of a lighted candy cane, leaving the rest of it in your yard as a warning to travelers that danger lurked near. What it really looks like is you were too lazy to go to the garage to get a ladder and finish the rest of the tree. Just. Plain. Sloppy.

2. Don't throw a strand of lights on a bush and call it decorating. Go for broke and buy one of those light nets. Ooh, fancy.

3. Involve a complex color scheme. White lights? yawn. White AND blue lights? Ooh. What a rebel. Come on, mix it up. But be careful. Too much craziness will quickly segue into a Christmas light conundrum. Mix icicle lights and epileptic seizure-inducing strobe snowflake lawn stakes? Woah. Take it easy there, cowboy.

4. You can never have too many inflatable items in your display. Fake snow globe with a snowman? Awesome. Santa with a reindeer? Sweet. Blow up Nativity scene? Even better. A nativity scene in a snow globe with Santa dressed as a shepherd worshiping at Jesus' manger? Christmas Utopia.

5. Two words. Live Animals.

6. Time it to Manheim Steamroller or the Trans Siberian Orchestra. That's the kind of stuff that gets you on the news.

7. Hire 24 hour security to patrol the property watching for obnoxious little newspaper delivery boys who unscrew unsuspecting victims' Christmas light bulbs and bust them on the ground because they like the sound it makes. (looking at you, Trevor.)

8. Take your lights down at the end of Christmas. At least by March. I'm talking to you. Yeah, you. You know who you are. The crafty one who thinks no one notices that you leave your lights up the ENTIRE year. Just because you don't turn them on doesn't mean we don't know they're there. We do. And we resent you for it. While we're outside in November untangling spools of Christmas lights, you're inside sitting by the fire watching "It's a Wonderful Life." That is not what Christmas spirit is all about. It's about suffering in the cold, arguing with your kids, and getting mildly electrocuted.

This Christmas season has been a roller coaster of ups and downs for our family. Aidan is getting old enough that we've embraced the traditions of baking cookies, seeing Santa, going on Horse-drawn sleigh rides, the works. But there's been tragedy all around us as well.

It makes you examine your priorities and refocus on the true reason for this Holiday we celebrate. I haven't been able to get my mind off of the immeasurable love that God has for us. Scriptures like Romans 5, which speaks about the amazing love Christ showed to us by dying while we were still in our sin keep coming to mind. The past few days my thoughts have focused on the person of Christ. I want to continue to know Him more and dig deeper into who He is.

I remembered hearing a speaker talk briefly about the gifts of the Magi and decided to study it some more. Each gift given to Jesus sheds light on a different side of who He is. I'm going to spend the next three days going over each gift.

Today's gift is Frankincense. Frankinwhat? It's not the most attractive of gifts, but it holds quite a value. In fact, at certain times it was worth even MORE than gold. It came from the resin from a certain tree, and the tree bark actually had to be wounded from an outside source to leak the resin. During Old Testament times, it was used in the temple as an incense that was burned during religious ceremonies.

Because of its use, many believe that frankincense symbolizes Jesus' role as the high priest. The writer of Hebrews refers to Jesus as the High Priest various times:

Therefore, it was necessary for Jesus to be in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. He then could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.
Hebrews 2:17

Before Jesus fulfilled the law, it was necessary for the priests to offer sacrifices to God in ceremonies on behalf of the people of Israel. Jesus, as our High Priest (our representative to God, because he has lived as man like us), came before God on our behalf and offered himself as the sacrifice for the atonement of our sins.

What an amazing love! What a complete relief for us. We have been completely shackled by the wages of our sin, but here we have an opportunity to be free. It reminds me of watching a baseball game where a batter comes up and hits a bunt of a pop fly to give one of his teammates on base the chance to run home. They call it a sacrifice play. Giving up yourself to save your teammate. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice play. He wrote the book on sacrifice plays.

Because of Jesus' humility and sacrifice, our entire lives are changed. We no longer cower in the shadows. We no longer feel we must hide from the certain condemnation of our mistakes. We accept the grace of God. We put on His righteousness like a priceless mantle. We cling fast to the truth that we serve a God who is powerful to cleanse us from all righteousness, and that we have a mediator, a High Priest in Heaven interceding on our behalf.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:16

We must remember that we are who we are because of who He is. On Christmas He came as a baby, but He will always be our High Priest.

Finished Off

I never finish anything. Bible College is just one of the things I haven't finished. Finishing something makes it so... final. I like it when things are up in the air. They still have potential to be amazing. When you're finished, you know what you ended up with. And as an idealist, that reality isn't appealing. Anything I've ever done I've gone into it thinking "This is going to change World History. What I'm doing today matters. It will be groundbreaking... the single most monumental moment in my life. My crowning achievement." I'm not even kidding you.

When I first started working at my first (and only, unless you count Wal-Mart) corporate job, I started at the bottom of the food chain. Basically I got hired because I could type fast, and the supervisor who interviewed me was a Christian and I impressed him with my Contemporary Christian Music prowess. I should be a DJ. That's my dream job. I can play "name that tune" with any Michael W Smith song. I took a chance when I expressed my distaste for Brian Doerksen, but he still took the bait and hired me. So, I walked into my office (a small room crammed with desks occupied by 9 women and a poor schmuck named Dave. He got out of there the first chance he had.)and was handed a stack of files about three feet tall. I was told to scan the papers in all of the files with this terminator-type super-speed scanner of the future. Ok, I can do that.

Scanning gets old really fast. Like, really. fast. So, I pretended that I was at the world scanning championships. Only by beating the previous world record (which was set by me, of course) would I defeat my other scanning foes. Scanner jams were the charlie horse equivalent. Man down! But I would quickly recover from any setback because I was in it to win it.

Yes, I really am that crazy. But I love the excitement that comes with the unknown. And, I lack follow through.

It started when I was a wee child. Actually, I don't think I was ever wee. I remember like it was yesterday: my awesome permed hair(the school secretary said I looked like Shirley Temple, but looking back at pictures it looked like I was aspiring to be a female trucker when I grew up), my white turtleneck with the pink polka dots, my neon-flowered stirrup pants, my awesome fanny pack... living life to the fullest. Then my mom would tell me to go clean my room.

I hated cleaning my room. And my mom was a bit crazy about cleaning. I know you're reading this, Mom. You were. Just a little bit. And I know what you're thinking right now. "I only wanted it done right." I'm right, aren't I? You are thinking that! In my mom's defense, I can't imagine putting up with me as a child.I was a flighty, messy, klutzy kid who was always imagining that I was a settler living on the harsh prairies or a famous figure skater, or I was doing something crazy like cutting the hair off of Barbies so I could have a guy Barbie to play with. And my room? A disaster.

So, mom would threaten to use a rake to gather all of my things off the floor and throw them in the garbage. So I would go in there all gung ho and I would start cleaning. Then I would find something interesting to play with. Then my mom would come check on me again and I'd start cleaning again. Then I'd lay on the floor and start "cleaning under my bed." I would realize how comfortable it was laying on the floor, half under my bed. I would start getting a little drowsy. Then, I'd wake up and it would be dark outside. Dang it. I was supposed to be cleaning my room. Oh well! That rake idea doesn't sound half bad.

This is the main reason I started writing this blog. I know I'm supposed to have it all together, but I don't. Not even close. I've been struggling with consistency in various aspects of my life. I realized that first I had to have consistency in my relationship with God. So, I thought, maybe if I write a blog and other people read it, I will feel compelled to continue writing devotions on a daily basis. And, it'll be the funniest, most insightful blog anyone has ever written! There I go again.

I think the most important realization I've made is that I keep trying to change myself on my own. I get so frustrated with my inadequacies. And I've got a lot of them. That, coupled with being home constantly with my darling four year old who is constantly showing me different ways to apply grace, mercy, and patience in my life adds up to a whole lot of frustration. At the end of the day I realize I'm left with no change and a lot of frustration.

Going back to the scriptures I've used in previous posts, I've realized that I was living according to my own instincts instead of living according to the Holy Spirit at work within me. I haven't been living in the power of the Holy Spirit. I've been living in my weakness.

But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. And continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit.
Jude 1:20

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit... May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.
Ephesians 3:16,19&20)

What? That HE is able to accomplish? In our works driven society, we're talking about what God accomplishes through us? Not only can He accomplish more through us than we can on our own, he accomplishes more than we would even dare to ask or hope for! This is major. What are we allowing God to accomplish through us? We need to quit focusing on ourselves. This twisted form of pride is spoiling the fruit of God working on us. We need to embrace the Holy Spirit in our lives. We need to allow Him to take over. Let God accomplish His work in you!

I'm praying that he will help me to grow in maturity that I may, through the power of His Holy Spirit have consistency and integrity throughout the different areas of my life.

Oh, and He always finishes what He starts. :)

And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.
Philippians 1:6

Be Blessed, and I'll see you tomorrow.

A Visit to Santa-

Reindeer, Elves, and Baby Jesus

One of my favorite parts of being in the ministry is the elementary school Christmas program. The show of all shows. The big Kahuna of the annual school festivities. I've seen some pretty awful Christmas programs over the years. Awfully cute. No. Not really. Mostly just awful. Like, bad.

You always have the man who owns a surround sound theater system at home and thinks that qualifies him to be the sound guy. You always have the one kid that's crying like he just watched someone shoot his dog before jumping on stage.

And that one kid who thinks they're the next Beyonce busting out "Up on the Rooftop" but they're really more like a Sanjaya. Or a William Hung. I was that kid. And who can forget the dead-panned-intended-to-be-funny lines delivered through a scratchy microphone?

But the spectacular part is it doesn't really matter. The kids could spin around in circles shouting "Santa Claus" until they throw up and people would still clap for them at the end. It's not about the show. Can't hear what the kids are saying? Doesn't matter. Can hear the kids and wish you couldn't? Still doesn't matter. Can the kids see you? Do they know you're their biggest fan? THAT's what matters.

See, I don't go to Christmas programs for the entertainment value. I go because there's some kids that I really care about who want me to be there. Today I got to attend one of these infamous Christmas programs. Eight of the kids from our church were in it. It was chock full of the hilarious mistakes that makes a kid's play so great. The crying kid. Snowmen doing moves from "Thriller." Reindeer and Elves doing a line dance. Mrs. Claus beating a microphone with no mercy because she inadvertently disconnected the cord.

I know it's cheesy. I know I'm overemotional and way too sentimental, but there were tears actually welling up in my eyes when I saw my kids perform. You see, one of the girls has been talking about this play for weeks. She's very special to me. She's becoming more involved with the church. She's been singing on the worship team. When she brought up the performance, she was testing the waters telling me how "silly" the song was that her class was singing. I could tell that she was looking for some validation and encouragement, so I let her know that I bet it was awesome and that I couldn't wait to see her perform.

When she stood on the risers with her class singing her heart out, my heart just about burst with pride. I saw her spot me in the crowd. Her eyes lit up. She did a little jump, squared her shoulders and sang even louder. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.

I saw a little girl who wasn't broken down by the failures of her past. She wasn't held back by fear of what others would think. She wasn't remembering all the times she had been a disappointment or made mistakes previously. She was able to grasp hold of the truth that I care about her and wouldn't miss her moment for anything in the world.

I wish we could do the same. I've been reading a lot about God as the Father lately. I remember during the performance thinking "I'm a mess and these aren't even my own kids! What am I going to be like when it's my kids up there performing?" Then I started thinking about God. And us. And how our version of reality is so screwed up.

We are so broken. We are just broken pieces scattered on the floor. We are failures. We are undeserving. We can't accept God's love because we can't get over our past mistakes. We certainly don't deserve any special treatment from God. Sure, I'll let him save me. But that's it. I'll accept his grace for salvation, but surely that's all he has to give. I can't accept his blessing on my life. I can't accept that he may actually have something good planned for me. Up until now I've been on my own. I've been in the same cycle of failure. I've tried to change who I am but it's just not working. Why would he want me?

But he sees you on the stage. And his heart bursts with pride. Sure, you sing off tune. You may be the crazy crying kid. You forgot your lines. But you're HIS kid. And he's proud of you.

"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"
Mark 7:9-11

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
1 John 3:1a

His love for you is so wide. so long. so deep. so high. Embrace it. Start living for the first time. Take a deep breath, square your shoulders, and sing.

The Shepherd

Let's talk investments. Now, I'm no authority on the subject exactly. I did, however, win the stock game in my Economics class my senior year of high school. I was supposed to get a free pie from Bob Evans for winning. I never saw that pie. I was going to get chocolate creme, too. You know, the one with whipped cream and the little chocolate sprinkles on top? (I realized that I just used two complete different spellings for the word "cream/creme." That's what living in Canada does to a person.) And I am the proud owner of 2 1/2 shares of Wal-Mart stock from my cashiering days. So, I may not be an expert per say, but I've done some dabbling.

When you've made an investment into something, usually that helps you gain interest in the success of whatever it is you've invested in. For instance, if you're a parent who's shelled out thousands of dollars for your kid to go to college, you'll probably cheer for the football team. Unless one of my kids go to Michigan. Then they're on their own. Heck, you may even buy one of those fancy butt warmers to sit on instead of those frigid aluminum bleachers during those chilly autumn days. Nothing says "support" like his and her monogrammed butt warmers. I mean seat warmers. But butt warmers sounds so much more inviting.

Now since I own stocks in Wal-Mart, I pay more attention to the health of the company. I was actually on the phone with a Walton just the other day. I faithfully attend the shareholders' meeting. Me and my two stocks. Not really. I hated working at Wal-Mart. I could care less how Wal-Mart is doing. The only reason I still have the stocks is I'm convinced that if I forget about them, by the time I retire Wal-Mart will own the world and I'll be rich. Oh yeah. I'm dreaming big. If that doesn't work, I'm going to live off of my children.

Also, the money that I paid for the stocks came right out of my paycheck. I never even saw it. Never even felt it leave my pocket. It was just like I was getting paid even less that Wal-Mart was already paying me. It never felt like it cost me anything. When you've had to sacrifice something, when it has cost you something to invest, you're going to do everything you can to protect your investment.

The Bible talks a great deal about the investment God has made into us. We talked about it yesterday. 2 Corinthians tell us that we have the treasure of God's spirit put in the lowly clay vessels that are our earthly bodies. Let's look at a passage in John where Jesus is speaking:

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will leave the sheep because they aren't his and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock.
The hired hand runs away because he is merely hired and has no real concern for the sheep.
"I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,
just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.
John 10:11-15

Jesus is naming himself as the good shepherd. The one who guides, protects, and cares for the sheep. He immediately points out his investment: "The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." His investment is himself. He's saying he will stop at nothing for the sheep that he calls his.

Jesus shows the difference between a shepherd and a hired hand. A hired hand will be able to lead the sheep just like a shepherd. He can guide them to fresh pastures and water. But when trouble comes, he takes off. Why? Because he has no personal investment in the sheep. He just draws a weekly paycheck. These sheep aren't his. Why would he sacrifice himself for something that he has no investment in?

We live in small town with a lot of cute little shops. When you walk in, you can definitely tell the difference between the owner of the shop and someone who just works there. The livelihood of the owner is tied up in the success or failure of that store. They are more inclined to work with their customers, doing whatever possible to ensure a purchase take place in their store. The hired worker may still work hard, but it the store closes up, they don't lose anything but their weekly paycheck, and they can just head over to another store down the road to get a new job.

The shepherd knows his sheep. He loves his sheep. When trouble comes, he stands up and fights for his sheep. When you are going through a hard time and you feel like you are left to your own defenses, you aren't. That's when God is right with you. He promises us that when the wolf comes he won't leave his sheep. He will stay and protect his sheep.

God loves us. He loves us enough to invest himself in us. How? He has sacrificed his son for us.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.
John 3:16-17

The even more amazing truth is that God loves us so much, he sacrificed himself for us the way we were. While we were still covered in the filth of our sins and brokenness.

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.
Now, no one is likely to die for a good person, though someone might be willing to die for a person who is especially good.
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Romans 5:6-8

I think of it this way- Everytime I imagine Christ as the good shepherd, I see him with these big, fat, healthy snowy white sheep. But in reality, when Christ made the initial investment into our lives, we looked more like skinny, ratty, dirty sheep that needed a lot of work. Not really "first prize at the county fair" material. Now can you imagine the shepherd laying down his life for a disease-infested, mangy sheep? Because that's exactly what happened.

He took us in our brokenness. He pulled us up out of the miry pit. He gave us his righteousness. He loves us. He loves you. May you reach a deeper understanding of the love and grace of Christ today.

And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.
Ephesians 3:18

Daily Dose of Awesome:
Airplane Face

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pride

I make excellent pumpkin cheesecake. Like, change your life cheesecake. Like, slap your momma cheesecake.

(a small interjection- I have loving, supportive parents who actually read my blog. At least they tell me that they read my blog. So, in the interest of my safety and their feelings, I am not endorsing or advocating parental violence in any form. So you found someone who makes amazing cheesecake. It changes the way you see creamy desserts for the rest of your life. I understand. I'm sorry I opened your eyes to the possibility of a better world. A world with amazing cheesecake. Do not punish your mother for this. Perhaps politely mention to her that you're seeing someone else. Someone who's cheesecake is way better. Maybe you can even slip her a copy of my cheesecake recipe. You know, with whatever tacky gift you give her for Christmas this year. You can even use the recipe card as the gift card on the present. Just use the back to address it-
To: Mom From: your son. I got you a springform pan so you can make this amazing cheesecake recipe.)

In the words of my friend Isaac, "It's like the cheesecake was sent from Heaven just for me." Yes. It's that good. Well, I only made it once. So, it's not quite been institutionalized as one of my delicacies that will take its place in the cooking hall of fame. It may have completely been a fluke. But now I've talked about this sacred cheesecake so much that I'm a little nervous to make it again. I mean, I've not let the subject rest since I made it on Thanksgiving. We were at a dinner party recently with my aforementioned friend Isaac and the subject came up (I'm pretty sure I brought it up). Another guest eventually interrupted our detailed commentary on the numerous physical and emotional benefits of my pumpkin cheesecake by saying "Wow. I can't believe we just spent the past ten minutes talking about cheesecake." It's so good, though. The graham cracker crust... it was like candied goodness that melted in my mouth. And the delicious blend of cinnamon and nutmeg- it was like the pumpkin threw a party and I was the guest of honor.

The truth is, I got the recipe from a message board on the internet (oh, the horror). But you see, I changed it. I used pumpkin pie spice instead of nutmeg and cinnamon individually. So, technically it's my recipe. I can legally take credit for it. The same way Dreamworks can make "Antz" (extra points for coolness by spelling it with a "z") right after Pixar makes "A Bug's Life", right? Is it just me, or does Dreamworks always do a gritty, darker version of the Pixar movie? Thank God they didn't do "Up"- It would probably be about a retired Mob Boss who tried to make it back to Italy before the Feds caught up to him. Anywho, the point is I technically have no right taking complete credit for making this incredible dessert. (It is incredible by the way. Words don't even describe.) I mean, sure, I like to chalk its success up to skill, but I'm just the manpower behind the genius.

Cue scriptural tie in:
Pride can destroy us. It sets us up for a big fall. We lose sight of who's in control. We lose sight of who's powering the ship. Of who's steering the ship. We're just the empty vessel. Without the wind in our sails and a captain to steer, we'll just bob around in the waves going nowhere in particular.

We don't go around preaching about ourselves; we preach Christ Jesus, the Lord. All we say about ourselves is that we are your servants because of what Jesus has done for us.
For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made us understand that this light is the brightness of the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
But this precious treasure--this light and power that now shine within us--is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own.
2 Corinthians 4:5-7 (NLT)

-The focus shifts from us to Christ. We are not the solution to anyone's problem. Jesus Christ is. Our lives should direct attention to Christ in us, not to ourselves. How is this possible? By our attitudes. What is our motive for doing what we do? Are we trying to bring attention and honor to God?

-We live in a state of constant remembrance of what Jesus has done for us. It really helps with the attitude. We are servants to Him why? Because of what He has done for us.

-We understand who we are, and who He is. We are the clay pots, as the NIV version puts it. We're the breakable containers. In the era in which the New Testament was written, clay pots were often used for the dirty jobs around the home. Nice metal pots were used for honorable purposes. Clay pots were used for collecting scraps from the table, garbage, and as chamber pots. Glamorous. Get the picture? YET God decides to put His treasure in the clay pot.
Why? So that it is completely evident that He is working in us. Putting a treasure in a beautiful, fancy pot makes sense. But you'll be focusing on the worth of the actual receptacle as much as the treasure inside of it. Put a treasure in a dingy, breakable clay pot, and your focus will be solely on the treasure.

So pride is being a clay pot and thinking you're a piece of art worthy of the king's table. Humility is realizing that we are a fragile clay pot, but we have purpose, we have the blessing of the King because he's chosen to put His treasure in us. It's realizing who we are, and who He is. Do we deserve His goodness? No, but thankfully He's given it to us anyway.

Does humility mean hiding in the corner with a pout, whimpering "I'm a little clay pot, short and stout"? No. It means realizing that we are the clay pot, but God has great purposes for us. It means giving everything you have to live your life to the best of your ability to serve God's purposes. Humility doesn't mean you must live in shame. It doesn't mean you don't give it your best. It means you are take seriously the calling of God on each of our lives to do our best to bring honor and glory to the Father whom we serve. It means giving credit where credit is due.

By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.
Ephesians 3:20

Even when it comes to making cheesecake. Next time I make cheese cake, I'm going to tell people that Jesus helped me.

Green Eggs and Ham Part 2: The Untold Story

One of the best parts of being a mom is having a good excuse to read kids' books. That, and having a good reason for looking like you haven't had a shower in three days and have never met a brush. People will just think "poor thing. Look at her. Those kids must be giving her a run for her money. I bet that baby hasn't let her sleep in three days." People aren't going to let kidless individuals get away with that garbage. What are they going to say? "Oh no, that poor girl has had so much time to herself she didn't even know what to do with it. I'll bet she's so busy doing interesting non-kidcentric activities that she didn't even get a chance to look in a mirror." mmmhmm. That doesn't sound plausible. But a word of advice for the other moms out there- don't take it too far. Especially in the "war wounds/shower of splatter from my kids all over my clothes" department. Here's a little guide on what's acceptable to help you out:

Ketchup and other condiments: Based solely on position and diameter of stain. Is it in a precarious region? You might want to rethink wearing it. If it's smaller than the diameter of a loonie (let's say a quarter in America- I know, tougher standards, but it's our fault for not having a bigger coin), you're generally good to go. Especially if you have an accompanying jacket or sweater to help cover up.

Chocolate- let's be realistic. How often does chocolate make an appearance on clothes? I wouldn't waste chocolate in that manner. Shame on you.

Spit Up- depends. Is it the really stinky kind? You know what I mean. To me, the acceptability of spit up depends on the smell. Unless you can train yourself to not turn your head in the direction of the spit up. If you can't, that my friend is a long day.

Poop- unless you can pass it for chocolate (which you can't. See aforementioned reasons), don't try it. We're lowering the standard. Not completely doing away with it.

Flour- this is my favorite go-to stain remedy. No, it's not one of those "rub cornstarch in it for 17 minutes, spray it with club soda, and soak in 3 parts cold water 1 part milk for 42 minutes" remedies. Its the "everyone loves a mom who bakes her own cookies" remedy. And it works. Everyone looks precious and homey with a spattering of flour on them. "Oh this? I was just baking some delicious homemade cookies for my husband and children and got a little flour on me. Now I'm going to go crochet afghans for orphans in Mexico." Flour also covers a multitude of other stains. Not baking? Burn your favorite baking-scented candle and throw on some flour. No one will ever notice. And, if they do no one will believe them and they'll look like a jerk for pointing it out to you.

Well, that was a lengthy rabbit trail. We were talking about kids' books. I mean, I would probably still read them if I didn't have kids, but I wouldn't get bonus points for being such an involved, caring mother. Who's about to go bake some fresh homemade cookies.

The revival of Seussianism has been coming on strong in our sector. Green Eggs and Ham has been a popular selection in our house lately. Now being the discriminating academic scholar that I am, I couldn't help but wonder what happened to our beloved Sam-I-Am and the not-as-likable unnamed friend who makes the all important redeeming character change at the end of the book.

First off, we need to assign our unnamed friend a moniker for the duration of this little blog entry. Let's go with Miguel.

Miguel- "Green eggs and ham! Green eggs and ham! Oh how I love them, Sam-I-am!"

Sam- "We can stop rhyming now. Nobody's reading this."

Miguel- "Oh, that's fantastic. Rhyming is exhausting!"

Sam- "Tell me about it. That's why I never said your name. I was having a hard time coming up with a lot of words that rhyme with Miguel. So far I only have swell."

Miguel- "Sam, I've been meaning to tell you- thanks so much for sticking by me all these years and never giving up on me. Green eggs and ham are the best things that have ever happened to me!"

Sam- "Well, that's a little extreme, but you're welcome."

Miguel- "I mean, my life has been changed since green eggs and ham, and it's all because of you! So far I've gotten 43 of my friends to try green eggs and ham, and I've started a fan club. Oh, and I made this snazzy pamphlet. Everyone loves pamphlets."

Sam- "There's a picture of you eating green eggs and ham on the front of it. What, are you just taking over my gig now?"

Miguel- "But I love green eggs and ham. You should know. You're the one who sold me on it."

Sam- "Well, yeah. But you're not supposed to like it more than I do. And you're not supposed to go get more people to like it. You're showing me up. I liked it first. I'm the green eggs and ham guy. Not you!"

Miguel- "Hey, there's enough green eggs and ham for all of us to love."

Sam- "It's not fair... I've liked green eggs and ham forever. It's my thing! I've been slaving away convincing people to try it. Do you know how much work it is to coordinate foxes, mice, goats, boats, boxes and trains? Not easy! Now you're getting all the glory? That's not the way it's supposed to work. You go get your own thing to love. Leave my green eggs and ham alone!"

And there it is. Jealousy. Certain people I know love knowing that they "discovered" certain bands. A part of you wants everyone else to realize how awesome this new band is, but the second that happens, you're frustrated that it isn't just YOUR band anymore. "Ugh. I found them first. I've liked them since they were just playing in the bass player's mom's garage. Go find your own band to be a fan of."

Reminds me of a passage in the Bible- in Luke 15, Jesus tells the story of the prodigal son. We know the story well. The son grabs his inheritance, goes off and parties like a rock star, and comes back wallowing in filth and repentance for his waywardness. His father doesn't punish him, but forgives him and showers love on him.

This is a fantastic portrait of grace: the same grace that God offers each of us. Now zoom in on the brother in the background. The faithful brother. The one who continued working for his father in his brother's absence. He probably had to pick up the slack from his brother being gone. Now he had to clear the table AND wash the dishes.

Dude's not exactly thrilled that this is going down. Dad's throwing a party for the lost son, but Mr. Faithful isn't getting the reward he thinks he deserves.

"Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on.
`Your brother is back,' he was told, `and your father has killed the calf we were fattening and has prepared a great feast. We are celebrating because of his safe return.'
"The older brother was angry and wouldn't go in. His father came out and begged him,
but he replied, `All these years I've worked hard for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends.
Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the finest calf we have.'
"His father said to him, `Look, dear son, you and I are very close, and everything I have is yours.
We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!' "
Luke 15:25-32

Mr. Faithful has a bum rap, but he had to deal with some pretty hard stuff. I can't imagine that I would have done any better. He's been working away, being faithful, and here his punk brother is getting a party thrown for him. It's not fair.

Have you ever been in a situation like this? Been a Christian for more years than you can count? Put in your pew time? Now this friend that you've been working on has FINALLY accepted Jesus, and they are on fire. How can God be using THEM? They can't even rap the books of the Bible. I bet they don't even know where Jude is.

And the pastor loves them! Keeps saying what an asset they're going to be to the church. Hello?!? See me? I'm all asset! Right over here! Ugh. Sometimes I wish I didn't even tell them about God.

Why is it so hard to see people being used by God? Being blessed by God? Losing the "God's Favorite" popularity contest? Maybe because we're using the wrong tally sheet.

1. We all rely on the grace of God. Don't forget where you've come from. We have all had our turns as the prodigal son.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

2. It's all based on relationship.

"His father said to him, `Look, dear son, you and I are very close, and everything I have is yours.'" Luke 15:31

The father reminds the faithful son of their relationship. Remember the advantages you've had to being close to the Father. You've had years to cultivate a relationship with the One who loves you with an everlasting love. Confidence in your own relationship with God will foster a desire for others to have a similar relationship with Him as well. He loves you so much. He wants to reveal more of Himself to you. He wants to help your roots grown down deep in His love. Don't settle for a Sunday morning surface-deep relationship with Him. Dive in!! You won't be sorry.

Daily Dose of Awesome:

The Compromised Christian

So I've been reading Jude. Yep. You saw that correctly. Jude. Honestly, I kind of forgot it was there... wedged snugly in Revelation's armpit... Oh wait, is a pastor allowed to admit they forgot about a book in the Bible? I mean, maybe one of those tiny Old Testament books like Nahum, but NT? No way! The NT is so relevant. I mean, it's so relevant we call it the NT.

People like to use acronyms nowadays. Honestly, I think it's gotten a little out of hand. That's what twitter does to people. There's only so many words you can type out fully and fit into 140 characters. I'm glad I don't have to worry about twitter. I mean, I just got a blog. I'm like, three years away from actually using my twitter account. Yes, I have an account. I'm not THAT much in the dark ages. I just don't use it. Too cool for school, this cat. And I am actually referring to myself as a cat. That's not an acronym for anything. But if I was forced to make it an acronym, it would mean "clearly abundant talent."

Here's a special link for losers like me who aren't up on their cool acronyms:
www.acronymfinder.com

What were we talking about? Right, Jude. So, I was minding my own business rapping the books of the Bible like every cool Christian does (I'm up for teaching a seminar of how to rap the books of the Bible if anyone is interested); I got to Jude and was like, "hmm... I can't remember what Jude is about." So, I read it.

Jude had a pretty serious message to share. Turns out that the church was having a problem with false teachers (nothing really new- we've seen Paul and John address this on other occasions). Yet these false teachers were coming in and teaching that God's grace gave them permission to live however they wanted.

I say this because some godless people have wormed their way in among you, saying that God's forgiveness allows us to live immoral lives. Jude 1:4

Jude explains that these people live according to their instincts, and he warns us about them causing division in the church and serving their own purposes:

But these people mock and curse the things they do not understand. Like animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and they bring about their own destruction.
When these people join you in fellowship meals celebrating the love of the Lord, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are shameless in the way they care only about themselves. They are like clouds blowing over dry land without giving rain, promising much but producing nothing. They are like trees without fruit at harvesttime. They are not only dead but doubly dead, for they have been pulled out by the roots.
They are like wild waves of the sea, churning up the dirty foam of their shameful deeds. They are wandering stars, heading for everlasting gloom and darkness.
Now they are here, and they are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They live by natural instinct because they do not have God's Spirit living in them.
Jude 1:10,12-13,19

I know it sounds pretty dramatic, but I believe Jude is painting a vivid picture to show how desperate this situation can become. We must not allow our faith to be compromised. How does this happen? By living according to our instinct instead of according to the leading of the Spirit at work in us and by His Word. Jude gives us the key to living according to the principles God has given us:

But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. And continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit.
Live in such a way that God's love can bless you as you wait for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you.

It may seem naive, but I believe when we live a life of fullness in the Holy Spirit, we are less compelled to compromise in our standards of faith. As we continue to build on the foundation of our faith, as our roots continue to grow deep, we are less likely to waver. We cannot live a full life, we cannot continue to bear fruit if we are compromising. Solomon writes about this:

"Quick! Catch all the little foxes before they ruin the vineyard of your love, for the grapevines are all in blossom." Sngs 2:15

Those crafty little foxes are like the compromises in our life: they ruin the vineyard. They ruin the fruit we are producing. What do our compromises look like? How are we fooling ourselves to believe the compromises in our life are not that big of a deal? The sad thing is, the compromise in our life costs a lot more than it looks on the surface. It's costing us our effectiveness as Christians.

And now a picture of my cute kids:

Fullness of Life (or Lyfe, depending on your trendiness factor)

I can't stop reading Ephesians chapter three. Ephesians isn't even my book. You see, when you are married to a fellow theologian (yes, I just googled the word "theologian" to make sure I spelled it properly. I did. Because I'm an awesome speller.) you've got to quickly make claim to your favorite passages in the Bible. You can't have the same favorite passages as your husband. You must be unique. Blame it on the feminist movement.

In fact, it's kind of like this TV show I watched where a bunch of women were going to one of those wedding dress sales. Everybody's running around this warehouse-looking place piling up random dresses in their arms, hanging the hangers from various orifices on their bodies as they force their way through the mire of other shoppers to the dressing rooms, because this is a race! Every woman for herself! Someone else might get the gown you want! There isn't time to use discernment to choose the perfect gown- grab everything you see, and hopefully there's something good in the pile.

That's what really holy Christians do with scripture, too. Can you imagine spending the rest of your life following your spouse around, and when they say "my favorite scripture is Romans 8:38." And you just meekly mumble "me too." Sheesh.

One way to cement your claim over certain scripture is by quoting it in public. That's why I spout off scripture everywhere I go. You never know when you'll sow a seed into some downtrodden person's life. And people will think you're crazy smart AND holy (that, my friend, is what we in the religious circle call "win-win"). Plus, the next time they hear some poor sap having to read the scripture from an actual Bible, they'll be thinking of me. "Hey, isn't this Elizabeth's scripture? She's got it memorized."

Well, Trevor got Ephesians, James and Galatians in the custody agreement. I got Philippians, Romans, and Colossians every other weekend. And Isaiah. He's not even allowed to touch Isaiah. I'm pretty sure I won in that deal, but I am going to have to swallow my pride and borrow Ephesians for a while. I don't think Trevor will mind. Especially since he preached from Philippians chapter two on Sunday without even clearing it with me.

I was reading Ephesians three (I was allowed to because it was for a Bible study. That's right, Bible study. Not cell group, lyfe unit, or any other trendy gathering nouns. Just a good, old fashioned Bible study.)and the words just started leaping out of the page to me. It was like Roma Downey's "Touched by an Angel" light shown around me- one of those "choir of angels singing" moments.

No seriously though, I believe that God will illuminate scripture and speak to our hearts through His Word during various seasons of our lives. Trevor and I have been praying about the vision of our church, and this scripture stood out to me:

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,
the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.
I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.
And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.
And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.
May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:14-19

Ahh!!! So much good stuff here, I could do a five week sermon series on it. Perhaps I will. It's fantastic.

You see, Paul knows a little something about living a life full with the goodness and power of God. I've been thinking a lot on nominal Christianity lately. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a "salvation based on works" anti-grace person. I am overwhelmed by God's grace and extremely thankful for his wondrous mercy. Yet, we're selling ourselves short if we stay in that first position of salvation. Salvation is miraculous, it's beautiful- but God calls us deeper. God cries out to us through His Word to venture on in our journey of faith, to grow deep roots in his love. To be empowered by the Holy Spirit! Yet, a lot of us are happy to be saved enough to keep the heat off.

A life empowered by the Holy Spirit is a full life. Allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us created fantastic results! The next verse (verse 20) says it perfectly:

Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.

May we experience the fullness of life that is in Christ Jesus! We won't regret the decision. When we offer ourselves completely to God, He can do mighty things! Let us be brave enough to grasp hold of this truth, jump in with both feet, and live with complete abandon for the causes he's put in our hearts. What might God accomplish through us then?