Bonding with Jesus in The Holy Sepulchre: Resurrection

"Where, O grave, is your destruction?" Hosea 13:14

The second part of this lesson from Meeting God in Holy Places by F. LaGard Smith looks at what Jesus's resurrection means to us. When we think about the tomb of Jesus, we think of an empty tomb that has the stone rolled away from the entrance. We remember with awe and wonder that Jesus came out of the tomb, having been raised from the dead. We praise God that our Savior is a risen Lord!

LaGard asks whether we, in our rejoicing, might have missed something important about Jesus's burial, as well as our own. What did Paul say to us? He said: "We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

We all have our own spiritual tombs with a stone against the entrance. To roll away the stone, we must be buried with Christ. To identify with Jesus in life, we must identify with Him in death. What does it mean to be buried with Christ? "Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?"

The symbolism of baptism is a means of identification with God, since God identifies with the darkness in our lives, we must also identify with the darkness of the tomb where He was laid. And this act of identification can be called bonding. Having died to the world, our former selves are buried in the tomb of Christ. Only by being buried with Christ can we rejoice in a resurrection. Resurrection always requires a burial.

You may remember the story of a young prophet who was sent to warn King Jeroboam that he was about to be punished for his idolatrous behavior. Having been instructed not to eat, drink or return the same way, the prophet went on his way. An old prophet lied to him and told the young prophet that an angel had said that he should eat with him. Believing the lie, the young prophet eats with the old prophet and is later killed by a lion.

When the old prophet hears of the young prophet's death, he claims the body and buries it in his own tomb, distraught and weeping over his deception. He says to his sons, "When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones...for the message he declared...will certainly come true." The message for us is that there is life in being buried with Christ...bone to bone with the Son of God!

When God spoke to Ezekiel in his vision of the dry bones, He said: "I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will show that I am the Lord." This isn't a picture of shrouds and sepulchres, death and decay. It's the opposite! He isn't describing a TOMB, He's describing a WOMB!

The little group realized as they stood in the tomb, the connection to the womb. They sang "Abide with Me" and went out of the tomb...bone to bone with Jesus forever.

Have a beautiful Lord's Day!
Blessings...Mimi

Bonding with Jesus in The Holy Sepulchre ~

"Where, O grave, is your destruction?" Hosea 13:14

Can you imagine viewing the tomb of Jesus? In the second chapter of Meeting God in Holy Places, F. LaGard Smith gives us his thoughts and observations about his visit to "Jesus's tomb" in the city of Jerusalem.

Upon entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, visitors are met with an ostentatious scene filled with a mixture of Crusader and Byzantine styles, along with pretentious religious trappings. Five sects fight over jurisdiction of the shrine, and all of them contribute to maintaining it. One observation is that if the Church of the Holy Sepulchre sits on holy ground, shouldn't there be more respect for it? The Jews fear walking on the Temple Mount lest they should walk on ground that is holy. Quiet viewing from a distance seems more appropriate for the tomb of Jesus, if their claims are true. ~

In any case, millions of pilgrims and tourists for centuries have flocked to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in hopes of touching the essence of their Christian faith from cross to tomb. And even though the immediate scene with it's lavish decorations, smells and bells was offensive, the guide took the group behind the "official tomb" to a cave-like tomb which would have been like the tomb where Jesus was buried.

~ Suddenly the little group was squeezed into a darkened tomb, where the tiny light from a match went immediately out, and they were left in a close and claustrophobic darkness. The smell and coldness only added to the atmosphere. A stone at the entrance was all they needed to feel completely trapped.

~ These pictures are probably more like Jesus's tomb than any others. But we don't have proof of either.

Astonishingly, two things rushed to Lagard's mind: "the Lord of heaven and earth was actually buried in such a place.... And, who knows, perhaps this very place!" These thoughts took him from reading about Jesus's death and burial to feeling His very presence closely and intimately, as if He were lying right there wrapped in a linen cloth next to him! Remembering that Jesus said to Thomas, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed," LaGard felt blessed to have seen in this special way.

And what can we take from this experience? For one thing, it reminds us that our lives can be swallowed up in darkness and despair. You can be slowly suffocating in a job you hate. Or some of you may be trapped in a lifeless marriage. For us, remembering that "God in human flesh allowed himself to be trapped in the suffocating darkness of a cold, musty tomb, as if to say, 'Wherever you are, I'll be with you. I've been there before'."

There is a second part to this blog, which I'll bring to you tomorrow. My last Bible blog was in August of last year. Life has been as crazy for me as it has for you, but I hope that I can manage to blog more often now. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

~ Blessings...Mimi

Chapter 2: The Holy Sepulchre--John 20:29; Romans 6:3-4; I Kings 13:1-32; 2 Kings 23:16-18; Numbers 19:16; Ezekiel 37:1-14; Matthew 26:30.

Bethlehem: A God of Surprises

"Tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you." Joshua 3:5

     Good Sunday evening! This is the second part of the first chapter from the book Meeting God in Holy Places by F. LaGard Smith. As I've explained, this book is a result of  LaGard's visits to the Holy Land. You may have to go back to my blog yesterday to pick up the thread of thought for this one, but putting the two together made it much  too long! If you remember, the point of this chapter is that God does everything differently from the way humans would do things because HE IS GOD. He surprises us with the  amazing ways He brings about His will. We--human beings that we are--would have used a more mundane and unimpressive way! So to continue with "A God of Surprises."

     Being a God of surprises, He gives us a different kind of story that turns our thinking on its head. No "Breaking News" alert. No bright cameras and lively interviews. Just an announcement from an angel to lowly shepherds that the Savior of the world was born! But what rejoicing by the heavenly hosts!

     Now think about it: When a  writer in Hollywood comes up with the idea for a script depicting the true story of the birth of God's Son, would it be the same scene? Lowly shepherds. Humble Bethlehem. Obscure virgin girl from Nazareth. Does this sound like a script you or I would write? God's divine drama is meant to grab our attention! It's meant to change our realities! It's meant to turn our values and preoccupations upside down! And surprise us! With God, almost nothing is as it seems.

     There are several people in the Bible who were surprised by joy: Abraham and Sarah, Hannah, and, of course, Mary, the mother of Jesus. Can you imagine the astonishment that Mary and Joseph felt? A virgin who was pregnant! And being the mother of the Savior, did she expect Him to be born in a dark, smelly pit in the earth? His bed a manger? Hearing his first cries, any disappointment she might have felt turned to immeasureable peace and joy! And joy is almost always a surprise--and almost never what we expect!

     What the unlikely circumstances of Jesus's birth tell us is that the God of surprises delights in bringing us unexpected joy. Whether it's in the middle of a crisis, or in the middle of our mundane days, God is likely to surprise us with a special gift, wrapped in a way that surprises us. Think about God's greatest gift, Jesus, who was the Son of God wrapped in ordinary human flesh, a gift which allows you and I to become extraordinary! Far from gold, burning tapers and treasured icons, the birth of Jesus was surprisingly unworldly.

     LaGard says: "But then, that's what is so fun about being one of God's children: just when we least expect it, God surprises us with pearls of joy gift-wrapped in plain brown paper!"

I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Blessings...Mimi

Bethlehem: Surprise

"Tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you." Joshua 3:5

     As I explained in my last blog, I'm going to be using Meeting God in Holy Places: A Devotional Journey by F. LaGard Smith to lift our spirits from time to time. I made an explanation for my long absence from my blogs on my regular blog: http://memosfrommimi.blogspot.com, so I won't repeat it here. But at this point, I'll remind you that this book gives us  an inside look at the HOLY LAND.  The first site is Bethlehem, and the chapter is titled "Surprise."

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     Our God is a God of surprises. Just when we think we've got Him figured out, He gives us what we least expect. I'm talking about the humble birth of Jesus. Read on to learn of some things that may surprise you. First, you'll be surprised to hear that when LaGard first saw the little town of Bethlehem, he was not only surprised, but disappointed. After seeing the  town where Jesus was born beautifully illustrated on cards at Christmas time all his life, seeing the real city wasn't anything like those pictures. Bethlehem is a  city which isn't sitting in a pretty little valley in stillness, but a city set above steps cut into a hill of olive groves. Buses, cars, tourists, noise and congestion are the main characteristics of this Israeli town.

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     Many tourists were there to visit the "massive, fortress-like Church of the Nativity." And even though no one knows exactly where Jesus was born, it was most certainly somewhere close--a fact "to take your breath away in anticipation." But going into the church through it's low doorway (built to keep marauding Turks on their horses out), there are some beautiful and ancient  mosaic tiles on the entrance floor. The church's antiquity is impressive as it is the oldest church anywhere, constructed by Constantine and his mother in A.D. 325.

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     But is that the point? For Christians who make the pilgrimage,  the point is to see the manger where Jesus was born. But there isn't an inn, or a manger, or straw and not even any  gentle animals. Like the icons dripping with gold in the entry to the chapel,  the place shown as Jesus's place of birth is a gaudy white, marble-lined niche in a cave wall that is dimly lit by hanging lamps, strange to those who had an entirely different picture in mind from reading the description in the Bible.
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     But more to the point, there may be some real surprises in regard to other ideas about Jesus's birth. It will disappoint those who haven't already learned that December 25 is not a likely time of year for the Savior's birth. The sheep grazing in the green fields and being watched by shepherds would have been there in the spring. And even though we speak of three wise men because there were three gifts, we don't actually know how many wise men came to visit the new king. And they didn't visit the manger, but went to visit the king six months later when the family was in a house.

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     Now, if these details disturb you, think of King Herod's surprise when he was asked by the Magi about the newborn king. He knew nothing about Micah's prophecy that Bethlehem would be the Savior's birthplace. Not only was he surprised by this news, but threatened. He didn't know anything about the God who fills our lives with surprises.
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    Now think of the shepherds in the field, how they were surprised by the appearances of the angel and the heavenly host! Their fear turned to joy when they found the baby "wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." They went from surprise, shock, fear, disbelief, hope, trust, and confirmation to--finally--indescribable joy! God came near, and these lowly shepherds were there to witness it. Lowly shepherds were the first witnesses to the one birth that gives meaning to all other births! Does that surprise you? Would you have presented this important event the way God did?


     Enough for today...I'll finish up this chapter tomorrow. I hope you're having a wonderful week!
~
Blessings...Mimi

The Journey Begins...Meeting God In Holy Places ~

"Israel was holy to the Lord." Jeremiah 2:3 

It's been a while since I posted on this blog, but as I'm sure you know, I'm still working on a novel that I began last November. I have wanted to do something here that gives all of us an uplifting few minutes during our week. This time I'm going to  summarize each chapter of the second devotional book by F. LaGard Smith called Meeting God in Holy Places: A Devotional Journey, so that it's easier to understand. LaGard made several visits to the Holy Land, and the sites and sounds of those trips are shared with us through this devotional book. Once again, I'll be summarizing the chapters for you, as I did over a long period of time with Meeting God in Quiet Places: The Cotswold Parables. I'm partial to these two devotional books, and I feel close to all of you as I'm sharing them here. I hope you feel the same way.
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The first picture on here is of the Mount of  Beatitudes in the Spring. It is one of the places which we read about in the Bible, and one of the places that LaGard visited. He says: "Stand on the Mount of Beatitudes on a lovely spring day, and you're surrounded on every side by the 'lilies of the field' and 'birds of the air' of which Jesus spoke. Why, indeed, should we worry? Are you not much more valuable than they?" 

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Today I just want to give you the introduction and a few words about this book. It takes time to read and summarize, but it's just these kind of spiritual thoughts that I want to share with you. I usually take two blogs for each lesson because they are long and have so many gems of encouragement in them. I'll be hoping to put on a chapter a week, but that may get sidetracked until I finish the novel!
                                                                                                                        Mount of Beatitudes with view of Plain of Genesseret

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      On the inside cover, there is a description which lets you know what is in the contents of the book: 

"Imagine walking through the Holy Land, the people and places of Scripture coming vividly to life. Touch the stories in the valley where the boy David defeated the mighty Goliath. Visit the pool of Bethesda and ponder the healing power of Christ. Come closer to Jesus as He prays in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. As these meditative parables lead you gently into the land of God's great promises, you'll discover a deep peace that comes from walking in a place like no other--a place that Jesus called home."
~
I find the Table of Contents very interesting, as it contains such topics as Bethlehem, The Holy Sepulchre, the Valley of Gehenna, The Wailing Wall, The Dead Sea, The Ossuary, the Pool of Bethesda, Masada, Mount Carmel, Passover, Gethsemane, Mount of Olives, Judean Desert, Sea of Galilee, Jordan River, Mount of Beatitudes, Dome of the Rock, and the Bell Caves, along with a few others. If you love the Bible and places where its history took place, this is a way of connecting to those sites in a way that also moves your heart. We can meet God in holy places without actually making the trip!
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From Jerusalem, the City of David, to places of biblical events, such as the pools of Siloam and Bethesda where Jesus performed at least two of his many miracles of healing, to the Way of Sorrows, where Jesus walked to his crucifixion, and on to the tomb where He is believed to have lain. And there are also the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane. And who wouldn't want to visit the city where Jesus was born? The city where "God came into our world so that we might enter into his." And, in fact, the Holy Land is the place where God chose to reveal himself to us. It is a breathtaking pilgrimage through history--God's and ours.  

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If any of this sounds interesting to you, stay tuned. I'll get the first lesson on here for you to read very soon. In the meantime, keep God in your hearts and minds as you make this walk on earth!

Blessings...Mimi

Preparation for Hard Times~Warplanes

Each with his sword at his side, prepared for the terrors of the night. Song of Songs 3:8

I have two thoughts this morning about Chapter 9 of Meeting God in Quiet Places: The Cotswold Parables by F. LaGard Smith, which is titled "Preparation: Warplanes." One thought is about a book I taught when I was teaching at MTSU for a year. Another teacher recommended it, so I didn't really know the book until I had already given it out as one the students would read that semester. Obviously naive, I wondered how bad it could be. Well, for me, it turned out to be pretty bad. The title of the book was Welcome to Hard Times. The "hard times" part of the title was the name of a town in the old West that had built up out of absolutely nothing. One day a bully came along and completely destroyed the town. That was the shocker for me...as I prefer books with happy endings.

  Another thought is closer to the analogy that LaGard has made with warplanes. Kelly, my granddaughter, is married to Eric, a Harrier pilot. He just got back from a tour in Afganistan. His life on the job is training in his Harrier jet with his squadron. You're probably wondering: What does this have to do with my spiritual life?

In this parable, LaGard talks about his walks into the beautiful Cotswold hills, where he can look down on life below, almost Godlike. But it seems that the hills and valleys of this area are perfect for practicing wartime manuevers for the Royal Air Force. So one day, when he was deep in  reverie, war planes came swooping down at him, which was not only jarring, but shook his body and nerves to the bone. It felt like an invasion!

 Life is like that, isn't it? Our lives resemble a war zone, because life is about conflict. You may be going along very well, when suddenly--out of nowhere--comes bad news! From peace and security, you're thrown into catastrophe! The bad news may be unbelievably bad...your husband has cancer, your teenager is pregnant, your child is very sick and may die. Or even less life-threatening news, but still disastrous--you've lost your job, or your child failed a year in school...and so on and so on. From a position of control and security, you suddenly feel adrift. Like a Harrier jet, catastrophe just swooped down and shattered your life into bits and pieces! And there is no escape. 

Remember how Job lost everything? Flocks and herds, servants, and even his sons and daughters...one piece of bad news after another. What had he done to deserve it? Well...as it turns out...nothing! It can happen to any of us: death and disease, alienation, fear, loneliness, and many other kinds of disaster are part of this world. And since you're in it, you may experience more than your share of bad news. 

And yet, you may have managed to get along with all your problems, with nothing being really catastrophic. You may simply experience sneak attacks of depression or loneliness or anger. And just when you thought you were doing so well! Here I want to quote LaGard directly: "Nothing is more terrifying than those spiritual intruders--those secret thoughts, forbidden relationships, and fleshly desires that drag us down. Those moments of weakness that attack us just at the point when we think we are strong. Even those times when we get so tired of fighting off temptation that we are tempted to let the intruders win, hoping in vain that we can find peace in compromise." 

I know that Eric would never allow foreign intruders into our territory. He knows who he is:  a Marine who understands why he's fighting. He knows that he's a Christian fighting an Islamic threat to the security of our country. And it makes me feel safer and more secure knowing that he's on our side. But I'm really talking now about your own personal invaders. Will you fight, or will you compromise to have some peace? Tomorrow I'll give you some ways to deal with those spiritual invaders that are destroying your peace and happiness.

We're going to celebrate Michael's 9th birthday tonight. I've got several things to do before I go to their house: wrap his presents, make some muffins, and chose something to wear. I hope all of you have a very good weekend! 

Blessings...Mimi   

Meeting God in Quiet Places~DVD

This morning, I want to tell you about the DVD which F. LaGard Smith so generously sent to me. I had asked him if I could use his book, Meeting God in Quiet Places: The Cotswold Parables, for my blog. He agreed to let me summarize the chapters to share with you, then sent me a copy of the DVD. As you can  imagine, the scenery in these 7 short videos is the awe-inspiring beauty of the Cotswolds of England. I enjoy these parables on film that share God's handiwork with us, the natural surroundings God uses to gently teach us about His love and care for everything He has made, including you and me. 

 These vignettes can be viewed separately or all at once, and would serve beautifully as the devotional centerpiece of your day. If you want to lift your spirits and your soul to soar, watch these videos with LaGard's fitting analogies. The cover says: "Come on an exploration of faith in the beauty of the English countryside." And you get that beauty in every story. LaGard walks through the hills and villages close by his home in Buckland and lets nature punctuate the meaning of his parable. And what glorious meaning there is!

Like the idea behind "The Walking Stick." What does a walking stick mean to a person who is walking? It's not only a support as a staff, but comes to be a companion. In the same way, God is our staff of support and protection, as well as our companion through life. God not only wants to be our protector, but our friend...our FRIEND! Jesus made that possible when He came in the flesh. God knows our weaknesses and gives us grace. And because of Jesus' sacrifice, we can talk to our Father in heaven and be His friend.

Another parable is called "Gates." Jesus is our gate to God and into heaven, where a mansion is prepared for us. And the good people who have gone before us are waiting for us on the other side of that gate.

In "Gravestones," LaGard make the point that most of us aren't going to be remembered by those who come after us. But we can leave a legacy--something good that will give those who come after us both strength and courage. The vapor of our lives will disappear quickly, but not our good deeds and example.

I really identify with "Dreamhouse." LaGard makes a tour of a beautiful house that is for sale. He says that it's his dreamhouse, but admits that it's way out of his price range. Then he reflects on the fact that the beautiful cottage he lives in was once his dream house, the analogy being that human beings are rarely content. 

I think my favorite parable is called "Snowfall." You won't be surprised at this, but I comfort myself with the fact that most of us are the same--choosing the wrong path when the right one was clearly visible. But the prospect of having my sins covered feels delightfully magical. With a "snowfall," our sins can be covered, hidden from view and made white as snow--gone from our sight and God's. 

So don't look behind you...look ahead and see what is possible for you. See your past as a snow-covered field, and your future as a brightly lit opening--a gate to go through to reach your highest and best self. God can lift you out of your present state and into a fresh beginning with His love--if you'll let Him. And that is your part. Take a look at this DVD. It's a beautiful companion to the book, and will bless you every time you watch it.

Blessings...Mimi

Church Bells: Reminders of Holiness~2

We all need to be reminded of holy things because "the world is too much with us." One of the reminders in England is the ringing of church bells. From all accounts, England is no longer a spiritual country, choosing rather to take God for granted with their stiff-upper-lip attitude. This has been true for many years now, and it's showing in their choices.

So even though there are at least 160,000 church towers with bells ringing out a reminder of holy things in their villages, it's what is in their hearts that matters. In this 4th chapter of  F. LaGard Smith's Meeting God in Quiet Places, he has told us that there are tiny golden bells on the bottom of the priest's robe to announce his coming before the Lord, so that he would not die.
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A thousand years later, when Zechariah prophecied about the day the Savior of the world would revolutionize the nature of worship before God. Zechariah says:

"On that day, 'Holy to the Lord' will be inscribed on the bells of horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord's house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar." What a dramatic change from tiny golden bells on a robe to bells on horses! What a shift in attitude with the enormous "holiness gap?"

We don't understand all the underlying meanings, but the message for us is clear. If you have ever felt that you aren't worthy of being loved by God, or felt at such a distance from Him that He doesn't even care that you exist, or that your guilt is too great for Him to cover, then read on.

LaGard says: "The good news is that, with the coming of Jesus Christ into the world, we are no longer kept at arm's length from God." Christ has himself completed the work of the high priest, bringing our guilt and unworthiness before God. He offered himself as the sacrifice, and while we are unworthy, He is worth for us. Where we are unholy, He is the holy Lamb of God. This means that Jesus has given you and me unlimited access to God. You can reach out and touch God. AND...because of the cross... God has reached out and touched you!" These are amazing and comforting words.

The moment of Jesus' death, "the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." This "curtain of separation" is no longer between you and God. Through Jesus, you can now approach the throne of heaven--an act that could not have happened when Aaron was high priest. Think about that!

LaGard goes on to say: "Jesus is our announcement, like the bells announced the priest. In one single hour of history, His crucifixion became the greatest moment of mourning, celebration and peace ever witnessed by humankind. Jesus' death was the loudest anthem of bell-ringing the world has ever heard!"

Yes, the bells are a reminder that YOU can approach God joyfully, and find help when you need it. Or the bells may remind you to love Him and praise Him in your life. God longs for a relationship with you, and you surely yearn for a relationship with Him. The bells peal out the sound of joy, which is felt in the hearts of many around the world.

Decide today that you will meditate more seriously on holy matters. So many of us are caught up in the poor quality of spiritual life that is dominant in our society. Only you can change your attitude toward a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God.

Have a good weekend! Remember to thank God always.

Blessings...Mimi 

Church Bells: Reminders of Holiness

Among those  who approach me I will show myself holy. Lev. 10:3

Yes, I made it to Santa Fe and back by 10 A.M., just in time to have lunch at Hannah & Nate's with my friend, Alice at 11 A.M in Corrales. This small restaurant uses organic produce from Los Poblanos Organics, a farm that isn't very far away from them. I am getting about 2 deliveries a month from LPO, and I enjoy the fresh, organic produce, as well as products from other organic companies.

Today I'm adding another of my summaries from Meeting God in Quiet Places by F. LaGard Smith and it's from my original blog, so please be patient. Chapter 4 from Meeting God is probably my favorite parable from this book. The idea that golden bells on the edge of a priest's garment mean so much is very moving. See what you think. 

This parable equates the ringing of church bells to holiness. There are about 160,000 bell towers in England. In fact, most villages have bells in the church tower to tell the villagers that something important has happened. Births, deaths, weddings, and even times of peace after a war are all cause for ringing the church bells.

Some of the bells are over 10 feet in diameter and very heavy...weighing tons. And in England, there must be bell ringers who have practiced the art of "change-ringing." This style of ringing dates back at least 3 centuries. The bell-ringers are proud to pull the ropes of the bells perfectly. There are episodes in All Creatures Great and Small series about a group meeting to practice their bell rope pulling. But what all of this got to do with holiness?


Bells are mentioned only twice in the Bible. The garments of Aaron the high priest were sacred and included a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a tunic, a turban, and a sash. Instructions for making the robe say that it shall be made of blue cloth with pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn around the bottom of the robe with gold bells alternating between them. Aaron wore it when he ministered as a priest before God in the Holy Place. The explanation for the bells is: "Their sound will be heard when the priest enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes out, so that he will not die." DIE???!!! The tiny golden bells were a matter of life and death. 

How could this be? Because the high priest was the only mortal man who went into the presence of the God of all creation. Anyone else entering would die. It seems the bells were to announce the coming of the priest before the Lord--the unholy one before the Holy One.
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I'll continue this parable tomorrow with more explanation about the bells. Have a wonderful Friday and a great weekend!

~

Blessings...Mimi

Graffiti of the Heart: Verbal Abuse~2

Well, it's Wednesday and I had a good day talking to two of my daughters and cutting out doll dresses yesterday. I know my life is simple compared to many people, and I'm very thankful. It hasn't always been that way.

I learned last night that my brother, Ron Roark, is leaving from Birmingham, AL, for Africa the 20th of October to teach and preach the gospel in Mozambique until November 9th. Please pray for him!


Now I want to continue telling you about the way David dealt with slander and betrayal. Remember how David asked God to help him get back at his enemies?
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You cheer David on because you too have felt the hurt--maybe not of hatred, but of spite, or selfishness, or even an important difference of opinion. You want to feel better, and lashing back at your "enemy" will put salve on your wounds. Unfortunately, it doesn't heal them completely. But you can cover over the ugly words of grafitti with paint, and ugly abusive words with love. In fact, you may remember that the apostle Peter tells us to "Love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins."

Covers...yes, but what about forgetting those hateful words? It's because David wrote the 23rd Psalm that we know that he didn't allow vindictiveness to consume him. Writing the 23rd Psalm showed that no matter who came against him, he depended on God. "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies...Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Depending on God worked for David, and it will work for you!

And, of course, the best example of forgiving your enemies, your friends, or your relatives is Jesus. Betrayed by friends and hung on a cross by enemies, Jesus also looked to God and turned all His grief and pain over to Him, saying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing?" Forgive them?!!! Can you really learn to be that commpassionate and forgiving? Certainly, you can be strengthened by realizing that God knows how much you have been hurt. Bearing the greatest slander, the greatest scorn, the greatest hatred the world has ever seen, Jesus said to God: "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."

That is what you should do when you're faced with verbal grafitti--FORGIVE. To be like Christ, you must forgive and turn it over to your heavenly Father as He did. Sometimes you treat your family like the enemy, and your acquaintances like family. That is a false way of moving through the world. You must realize that you haven't been perfect either, and someone has undoubtedly covered your wrongs with their love. For God to forgive you, you must forgive others. We all forget that sometimes!

Have a good Wednesday and thank God for all your good gifts!

Blessings...Mimi

Graffiti of the Heart: Verbal Abuse

The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
Proverbs 15:4

Is there anyone who hasn't felt the sting of hateful, mean-spirited words spewing out all over their formally placid mind? The shock of those bitter words flows through you like no other feeling you can recall. We've all been there and know that feeling--the paralyzing quality of their meaning. And all of us ask the same questions: How could they say that? What are they thinking? What have I done?!!! Sometimes we can answer those questions, and sometimes we can't. We usually respond with anger and outrage. But should we?

In Chapter 3 of F. LaGard Smith's Meeting God in Quiet Places, he addresses this kind of desecration written on our mental walls. How do we cope with this kind of attack? Can we find a similar situation in the Bible? Yes, David's anguish at being attacked with slander by friends can be compared to our own. And who has suffered the most pain from slander and betrayal by friends? Jesus, our Saviour. 

I have often referred to the Psalms because within them lies all of the elements we experience in our own lives. In this parable, the same connection is made when David writes poems about his enemies speaking evil of him. Not great armies coming against him, but hateful words. David even prays for protection from the words of his enemies, many who hate him simply because he is "a man after God's own heart." Like our own enemies, David's were just waiting for him to fail, so they could heap scorn on him. Our enemies are waiting for us to fail, waiting for us to show our struggling faith, so they can express words of derision and hurt. 

But when you think about it, it isn't surprising that our enemies throw hateful words at us. Having no regard for anything spiritual, and by pointing out our faults, they justify their own sinful ways. That is the way it works in the world. 

However, it is when the one who has abused you is a loved one that you are most deeply hurt. This also happened to David, and we can only guess who he was talking about in one of his psalms: Was it King Saul, who loved him like a son, then tried to kill him? Or maybe his beloved son Absalom, who brought a rebellion against him? Two people close to David--people he loved--betrayed him!

Can you imagine how David felt, because you have also had this experience? Has a close friend or relative betrayed you? Your first reaction is to give back in kind. Like David, you feel totally validated in asking God to help you get back at them. David said of his enemy: "May his days be few. May another take his place of leadership. May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. May his children be wandering beggars. May a creditor seize all he has. May strangers plunder the fruits of his labor. May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children." 

OUCH! Can this be the same David who wrote the 23rd Psalm?

You'll get the answer to that question tomorrow. I hope your week is going smoothly!

Blessings...Mimi 

Trusting In the Unseen~Riding in A Hot Air Balloon

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Proverbs 3:5

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is ending today. These pictures were taken sometime this week. Every day there is something new to see...the Mass Ascension, the special shapes, the races, and the balloon glow at night. Many people pay to take a ride in one of the beautiful balloons, and as you can see, it's a never-to-be-forgotten experience. Would you be brave enought to climb into a basket and take a ride in a hot air balloon? 

Trust is the basis of Chapter 2 of Meeting God in Quiet Places by F. LaGard Smith.  Here he's comparing the trust you must have in the person who is flying the balloon--that they will take you up and bring you down safely--to the trust you must have in God with your life. It's easier for you to trust a person that you can see than it is to trust an invisible power that you can't see. And you're more easily persuaded that you'll be safe in a real person's basket, because you might trust someone you can see, but you aren't likely to trust an invisible power you can't see. And isn't faith in the unseen what faith is all about?

 Think about seeing a balloon floating lazily in the sky...you think about how much fun it would be to ride in it. Or maybe you run after it as it floats along. But the question is, would you actually ride in it? You must answer the same question about trusting God enough to get into His basket and give him control of your life. You may feel confined at first because you have to do things His way...which goes against the grain. But isn't that a normal response to giving up control? 

Have you ever really given up control to God, been dependent on God, and felt how freeing it is? Here LaGard gives you something more to think about: "Jesus talked about the kind of freedom that is really free. 'If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed,' said Jesus. What makes us really free? In the words of Jesus 'the truth will set you free.' The truth that we are never in control even when we think we are. The truth that a life without God is the most fearful life anyone can live. The truth that the most fulfilled people in the world are those who have 'let go and let God'." 

But letting go isn't all that easy, is it? We cling to our fears and stay on the ground. We cling to our fears and stay out of God's basket. What is preventing you from climbing into the basket and taking off with God? What is preventing others? Sometimes you may run after God--like running after the balloon--to seek a relationship with Him. But running and seeking are just replacements for actually letting go of everything that is holding you back and knowing true freedom. 

Allow yourself to compare the feeling of letting go of everything to take a ride in a hot air balloon with letting go and letting God control your life. Both choices are yours! You can experience the exhilaration, freedom and joy of being carried along by God in your life. The sensation will be very much like that of riding in a hot air balloon!

Have a wonderful day~

Blessings...Mimi  

Spiritual Perception

Thankfully, you've made it through another week and are ready for a nice, relaxing weekend. I'm having someone to stay the night with me, so I'm trying to get things in order. It's actually not working very well, as I seem to be glued to the computer! But I'm going to put this blog on--a repeat from my original blog--and hope that it's worth reading twice. I like this one very much. It's called  "Spiritual Perception," and it's a summary of Chapter 1 of Meeting God in Quiet Places: The Cotwold Parables by F. LaGard Smith.

Does the length of a rabbit's ears help it hear? Dogs don't have long ears and they have acute hearing. Watching rabbits reminds us that rabbits are doing what rabbits do, but they are also being what rabbits are--animals. God tells us as His children to DO and BE a person that pleases him.

Now I want to quote LaGard directly: "In much the same way (as the electronic sound waves that create what you listen to on the radio or television), there is also a spiritual dimension which surrounds and permeates our material world. Think of it as the realm in which angels exist--and Satan. It is in this unseen world that the Holy Spirit moves and in which spiritual warfare is taking place. The spiritual dimension is the arena of prayers and miracles. It's the world of the supernatural, the transcendent--a trysting place between the human and divine."

And now I hear you saying, WHAT???!!! Because you probably hadn't realized that the angels of God and the angels of Satan are fighting for your soul every moment of every day! The choices you make are not only choosing what you'll wear and where you'll go, but whose side your're on: God's or Satan's!

In some ways, it is to Satan's advantage to be moving in a material world, appealing to the lust of the eyes--what you see, the lust of the flesh--what you touch and feel, and the pride of life--what you own and what you do. But most of us have learned that these things are disappointing in the end, and do not fill us with what we most crave: love, peace, and happiness (or even contentment). Making choices out of our own wisdom is often choosing short term, when knowing what God wants us to be, and choosing on that basis is long term and fulfilling.

Going back to LaGard's analogy of the rabbits who use their ears as an "early warning system," did your "ears" go up when I mentioned that Satan is out to claim your soul? You have been given ears to hear and a heart to understand, but you must take time to be aware of the spiritual dimension around you in order to save your soul!

Have a great weekend!

Blessings...Mimi

Intro: Meeting God in Quiet Places by F. LaGard Smith

In searching for books which may touch your heart and change your life as they have mine, I pulled Meeting God in Quiet Places: The Cotswold Parables off the bookshelf. Written by F. LaGard Smith, it is one of my favorites. I have already been sharing the chapters on my original web site, and so this is a repeated blog, but I want to make sure that the people who are only interested in spiritual thoughts would have the opportunity to read it.

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The picture is of a church outside of Buckland, where LaGard's home is. I mostly want to show you the lay of the land, because it is a factor in the mental pictures given--analogies from life to compare to the spiritual. You may call them parables, if you prefer, much like the parables in the New Testament, which Jesus used to teach. I find them both beautiful and practical, and that's why I determined to summarize them and share them with you with LaGard's permission. This is a devotional book, which will move you closer to your Creator than you may ever have been before.

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LaGard says in his introduction: "The Scriptures tell us that Enoch 'walked with God,' as also did Noah. It's the way of the righteous to walk each day with God. As the prophet Micah saw it, walking with God leads us to the very heart of our purpose for living. 'He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.' How could we not be humble, knowing that our Maker has invited us to share each day with him, whether we are literally taking a walk or perhaps unable to walk at all?" He ends by saying that it is his hope that you'll "experience new depths of love and new heights of faith in your daily walk with God." I echo that hope.

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The life which includes quiet villages and tranquil hills is going to teach you about yourself and your purpose for living. You have a purpose, you know! Are you fulfilling your purpose? If you can't answer that with a yes, take some time to ask yourself, why not. I believe that many of us live a life stuck in survival mode. We feel lucky to get through a day, much less think about its purpose. You are the only one who can change that mode of operation. Only you can decide to make your life more meaningful and worthwhile.

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This is half the original blog I put on the other site. In an effort to shorten my blogs, I'll put the rest on tomorrow. I think I'll go take a walk!

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Blessings...Mimi

Living Stones: Sages Among Us

"Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?" Job 12:12
In Chapter 5 of "Meeting God in Quiet Places," F. LaGard Smith compares the beauty underneath all the dirt, ivy, grass, weeds and brambles on an old stone wall after it's cleared to uncovering gifts and talents--"gemstones of character"--within every person. We tend to be shallow when looking for treasures in other people, don't we?

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When you see an old person--perhaps not even a very attractive old person--have you thought about what that old person might have learned in their life? When you think of the tales the stones in an old wall could tell, as we say, "If only stones could talk," you might remember that old people are living stones who have a lot to say: not only have they seen it all, but they still have the ability to get back to basics and true values.

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It's what I call my lifetime of learning, so that I can share wisdom with others. As I've said repeatedly: I enjoy being older because I have finally learned to do some things well. And I've learned not to try and run other people's lives. Yes, I fail sometimes, but I'm aware that I shouldn't do it, and back off sooner. Now I'm able to see "through" things and don't take them at face value.

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And that's what LaGard is saying here: many people have trouble letting their inner beauty show. Circumstances beyond their control, such as child abuse, or an alcoholic parent, or an abused wife, who has spent most of her marriage trying to cope--all hide the inner beauty of people in your life. These people have a story to tell. I have a story to tell. You have a story to tell. Painful? Yes. Scarring? Yes. Blighting? Yes. So blighting of your true value, it's hidden beneath briars and brambles. Only One can uncover your true self.

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Only Jesus can bring out your true beauty. It was something He specialized in. Whether Jesus was talking to a hated tax collector, a beggar, a cripple, or even a prostitute, each person was important, and each person had a story to tell. Each person had wounds to heal and sins to be forgiven. Shame? Yes. Guilt? Yes. But that is what Jesus came to do! He came to take away the guilt and sin. Jesus saw through their suffering to a penitent heart.

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Once a person had been with Jesus, they were never the same. Not only was their body transformed, but their mind and spirit. Would they ever have a lapse in faith? Yes. Would they ever need to renew their faith and weed out the evil thoughts and deeds? Yes. But the difference would be that they would never again completely give in to the ways of the world. And now they knew where to turn for the reassurance to go on with their lives.

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It's one thing to uncover an old stone wall. And while it's worth doing and is gratifying, think how much more wonderful it is to uncover the beauty that is hidden all around you! If you had the eyes of Jesus, you too could see the people around you with His eyes. You could touch the hearts of those who are forgotten, because their problems isolate them. It is just those people who need to feel a sense of belonging. It is just those people who want to feel useful and get a bit of encouragement from you. And many times, that is all they need to move on.

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Then what happens? When you allow the love of Jesus to move through you to others, YOU are never the same. You will blossom as well! This beautiful hymn says it all:

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Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
All His wonderful passion and purity;
May His Spirit divine all my being refine.
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

George L. Johnson

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Will you see things in yourself that you must keep weeding out? Yes. But have you noticed a big difference since you took the time to clear out most of the debris? I believe you'll say YES! The attention you give to your spiritual life makes a difference in the beauty that is seen by other people. And eventually by you, looking at yourself. Unlikely people can be shown to be so much more than you ever imagined. Look at unlikely people and see if you can uncover their story and their beauty. You'll be adding gems to your collection!

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If you're feeling disconnected, it is your own lack at the moment. God is waiting for you to approach Him! He will reward you with His healing warmth.

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This blog is dedicated to my grand-daughter-in-law, Jill, because she read my blog "Church Bells: Reminders of Holiness" and said she would like to feel holier. The message of this blog will help her--and all of us--to do that.

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Blessings...Mimi