Some Random Thoughts

Recently, I've been brain storming, reading, etc. It's funny that I've even had the time to think since I have been so busy. Apparently, my head is never allowed to be empty. ;-) Some of these quotes are from the internet, some from the radio and some from my many years of memorization of the Bible. They are all connected in some ways and completely random in others.

There is one reason I am posting these: to give you something to think about. That's all.

  And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. -- Ephesians 6:4

Resolve to serve no more, and you are at once freed. I do not ask that you place hands upon the tyrant to topple him over, but simply that you support him no longer; then you will behold him, like a great Colossus whose pedestal has been pulled away, fall of his own weight and break into pieces.

- Etienne de la Boetie, "The Politics of Obedience" (1553)

"Sometimes we see evil in the closed eyes of a recklessly naive wife.." --Lydia Lovric

A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves. -- Bertrand de Jouvenel

Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;  ... To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people.. -- Isaiah 10

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. -- Ephesians 5

Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. -- 1 Peter 3:7

Beautiful Me

 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. -- Isaiah 61:3

Calm self-confidence is as far from conceit as is the desire to earn a decent living is remote from greed. -- Channing Pollock 

There is a trend that has settled so long on the Church that it has become a core belief of religious peoples. It goes something like this:

To think any positive or flattering thing about oneself is pride and, therefore, is a sin in the eyes of God.

There are so many examples of this, but one that I will always remember was some advice given in a girls magazine: "If you look in the mirror and have trouble with prideful thoughts about your appearance, you should get rid of the mirror." And what about the many women who dress in unflattering clothing and cover their head? No form is shown; no beautiful hair is let down; any desire other than a neat, tidy appearance is frowned upon. Men are to guard their thoughts about themselves just as sharply: no thoughts about attractiveness and definitely no thoughts about sexuality. The Amish are especially infamous for their strict guard upon their members; are the buggies too shiny? Could there be a smidgen of pride in the heart of the buggy owner? What about that apron or that hair cut or the roofline of that barn? Is it too different from the others? Could there be pride involved? Some Mennonite groups are also very similar in concept. The examples could go on.

And there is the other side of the coin: people never being content with how they look. People going through surgery to make themselves more attractive. People killing themselves because they are bullied or feel that they are too imperfect for this world. And what about people saying, "I am ugly" or other degrading statements about themselves. One thing all of these groups or individuals have in common is this: they believe they are acting in a meek and humble manner or that it's better/safer/more attractive spiritually to feel negative emotions about ourselves.

Before going on, I feel I must point something out: my thoughts are rarely conclusive these days. My current state is that I seem to always be searching for more answers and deepest truths. That being said, through the years I have seen a disturbing amount of unnatural thoughts and actions resulting from these beliefs and mindsets. I think it's time someone said something about it. Also I wish to digress by stating that I do not wish to judge others for their beliefs. All peoples are free to believe as they will, as long as their beliefs are not harming others. I simply seek to bring love and contentment to this world and I believe part of the change must come through seeing ourselves through the eyes of God.

I am writing from personal experience. Each day I struggle through loathing, self pity, doubt, frustrations, depression, pain... Lately, especially so. My dearest Jesse and my God have been very close to comfort and hold me. But I am learning! I am learning about my humanness and God's omnipotence. I am learning about forgiveness and love. I am learning about what it means for a broken heart to heal. I am learning that it is wrong not to acknowledge the truth. God created you and me uniquely with beauty in mind. When you look at yourself in the mirror and think, "I am attractive," it doesn't mean you suffer from a pride filled heart. It can be as innocent as a simple nod to the Creator that he didn't make a mistake when he made you.

I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. -- Psalm 139: 14

 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. -- Psalm 27: 4

The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head. -- Proverbs 20: 29

There are as many verses in the Bible promoting beauty as there are verses warning against it. Where is the balance? There are verses that proclaim God's beauty and many more that tell us of his desire to create humans in his image. What does the Bible say about the image of God? In Ephesians, it refers to the glory of it. Colossians refers to the invisibility of the image of God. Other verses, as quoted above, refer to the marvelous beauty of the Lord. Scholars have discussed this concept a great deal. Most believe that this reference includes the creation of our spirits, souls and personalities, "the mirror image of God's essential nature." My personal belief is that it must be a balance of all: God created us, a human species, to have a certain type of appearance and He created us to have his personality, understanding and wisdom. Of course, all of these attributes work together to create something wonderfully rich in each of us.

Each day that I live and the more people I meet brings me more strongly to a certain realization: every person in the world has fears and insecurities. It might be about their appearance or their personality or people not liking them. There are some who struggle with their imperfections, because they can never be as good as they think they should be. These thoughts lead to depression and frustration; ultimately, unhappiness. All people in the world come from different walks of life: Atheist, Christian, Islamic, Mormon, Seventh Day Adventist, agnostic, Hindu... the list goes on. But the fact of the matter is: we all think we're not good enough.

It is true. We aren't good enough. We aren't nearly good enough. We will never be good enough. But we are perfect. We each have a unique mix of qualities and different opinions. We all have the beauty of true unique perfection. We all deserve to be loved and accepted for who we are. That love and acceptance must start in each heart: God loves you; God thinks you are perfect and beautiful; God wants you to be lifted out of your frustrations and realize your potential.

"Do exactly what you would do if you felt most secure." Meister Eckhart

The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. -- Ephesians 5:22

I'm talking about you. How are you going to walk your path today? Are you going to look in the mirror and think how ugly you are? Are you going to miss an opportunity to bring the oil of joy to someone who needs it because you feel insecure? Are you going to selflessly love others? Or will you not be able to do that because you can't love yourself as God loves you?

There is the danger of sin in every aspect of life. We all fall into sin through our humanness. We could concentrate on that and mourn over our foolishness. I know people who can only talk about how sinful they are; they think this attitude is one of meekness. But I personally know others who have risen above the ashes of their pain and confusion to embrace whom God created them to be. You know what the Bible says? God loves a cheerful heart and that we are to rejoice and be glad.

Be happy today. Embrace the beauty that is you. You see, it is a choice.

Winebibbers Inc.

Just a couple of random thoughts that have been first in my mind all day...

Every man I meet is my superior in some way. In that, I learn of him. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. (Matthew 9:10) 

The son of man is come eating and drinking; and  ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. (Luke 7:34) 

The older I get the more I realize that holding ourselves apart from the world and "sinners" is not the way to spiritual enlightenment or becoming Christlike.

My greatest desire is to become more like Jesus. I want to have the same attitude and feelings towards the entire world. I want to learn to love like He did.

a Post of MaNY ThinGs

[Note: this post contains a series of comments regarding flu symptoms that I knew you would want to read all about. Enjoy!]

Instead of many words, the month of March showed my life in a series of pictures. It was so much fun! I really enjoyed the challenge of finding something unique to take a picture of. Actually, not only unique in subject; shape, composition, angle, size, color and many other things that make up a good photograph made it a good month for me and my camera.

The big question now is: will I decide to take another photo challenge in April? The answer is... I don't know. ;-)

There are a couple reasons I am hesitating but mostly, the problem is that my energy level is way down because of this cold/flu. Sam had it first, then Di; Jesse got it next... and of course, I was the last in line. Jesse was getting well by the time I got it. I don't think I have it as badly as any of the other three. I have no idea about Sam's symptoms, but Di and Jesse were coughing badly, had a fever, no strength whatsoever, etc, etc. They were so sick. There was a day when I thought I was going to have to take Jesse to the hospital. But he started getting better and he is on the tail-end of it now.

As I said, I didn't get it as badly. Part of that is due to my overdosing of oregano oil, vitamin D and ginseng. I don't have the cough, thank goodness! But there is an down side to my version of this: my symptoms seem to come and go as they please. For instance, a week ago Thursday, I started feeling sick. I was sick until Monday night, then I suddenly felt better and was improving until Friday. Suddenly, in the afternoon, my air was cut off. I could not get my throat to open up. I was wheezing and coughing and could not catch my breath. Between Jen and myself, we got it fixed (luckily, I was at work). Saturday, I was feeling much better... even great. Sunday, I was sick all day. All solids and fluids were through me in a flash. I was getting dehydrated. I managed to stop the flow by evening and come morning, there I was: feeling GREAT. All morning, I was feeling awesome. Noon rolled around and suddenly, I was feeling horrible. It felt like I got slugged in the stomach. Stuff was going through me again... I had to leave work at 1 pm and go home. I was so disappointed.

But I have decided that there are a couple ways of dealing with this. I could complain and moan. I could just think about myself. I could ask God, "Why?" Or, I can be thankful for the rest... the chance to read... the ability to write blog posts and share my little universe with people across the world... I can trust that He doeth all things well.... I can be full of faith and love in this very moment... I can rest content in His love for me. I think I'll choose the "Or" option. :-)

...even the very hairs on your head are all numbered... 

Because of the past week or so, I have been able to do a lot of reading. I finished "The Golden Compass" trilogy and "The Hunger Games" trilogy. I found both series to be amazing in their own way. "The Golden Compass" is written from an atheist/agnostic perspective. While I certainly did not agree with some of his theories, I did carefully consider what he had to say. I really enjoyed The Dust. I have had a similar theory for a couple years because I see colors. People, living objects, sounds/tones all have different colors. I feel that these colors come from their souls or spirits. These colors are the equivalent, or at least have similarities to Pullman's Dust. But there is one major difference in our beliefs: I believe God is in Dust or the colors (or whatever you wish to call it). Pullman does not. I believe that God is an Infinite Being with no beginning or end. Pullman teaches... well, the exactly opposite.

I did agree with his view of religion and the Church: both have been the destruction of many souls... snuffing out life after life. Is this to say that The Church is at fault? Partially. But it is up to us, as human beings, to seek out Truth. People can order us about, confiscate, bully, manipulate, try to hide the inside of the tomb or whatever they choose to do. However, I think it is easier to follow orders than to seek our way to God and Truth. When it's just me and God having a chat in eternity, I will not be able to say, "He/she/it made me do that." No, it was MY choice. It was MY choice to sit around helplessly and let people tell me what to do or to learn to walk on my own. It was MY choice to allow the abuse or to stand up for what was right. MY choice to remain in a bad situation or move on. MY choice to react in anger or in love. No one made me do anything. God didn't even make me do anything. He threw open doors, even pushed me a bit. But in the end, it was up to me to make the decision. Such is a scary realization. This is why people do not want to think for themselves: the responsibility of freedom feels threatening. That is why the Church, religion or even our communities and our homes, have so much power. But only because we allow it.

And Jesus answered, I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me....

Just to clarify, just as I have a right to make decisions means that other human beings do as well. They may hold beliefs that I do not agree with at all. That does not mean that I judge them or do not take them seriously. I change my mind all the time. That means that I used to be wrong or may be wrong now. So, I expect others to have different ideas than I do, or wrong ideas. I respect the learning process... I must admit that I respect it more for having been there so many times myself.

At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

The Hunger Games was quite a reading experience. They're brutal. If it had not been for the overlapping theme of Hope, getting through them would have been even more difficult. I don't want to give too much away because I want people everywhere to read these books but I shall allow myself a small comment: You may not enjoy these books but they are worth reading. And PLEASE do not stop after book one... or even book two. Read them all. The story is not complete until the very end.

And where is now my hope?

Love Thy Neighbor

Disclaimer: This post has missed some very essential points. I do not have the ability or wisdom to express exactly what I would like to say. I have issues with the extreme of what you are about to read. Some quotes, some words; that is all I can do right now. My hope is that it will enable someone, somewhere, to think.

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

I consider myself blessed among women. My husband loves me. He views me as his equal. Love for him involves aspects I thought existed apart from love: respect, equality, cherishing, honor, faithfulness. When I prayed for a husband, I prayed for a man. I prayed that he would protect me and that I would be able to protect him. I prayed that we would cherish and honor each other. I prayed that I would be able to submit to him and that he would submit to me. I prayed that we would grow old seeking Truth together.

I have wanted to be married for as long as I can remember but about five years ago, I realized that I was not interested in getting married unless I met a man. I hardly realized what that meant until I met Jesse. To him, all men and women are the same. All have the same intelligence. All deserve to be treated with respect. That includes me, his wife. The longer I am married to the man, the more I realize how deep his belief rests in his soul.

The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her... (Proverbs 31: 11 - 12) 

This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem... Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave... Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. (Solomon's Song)

Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. (Matthew 19: 4-6)

Mary Poppins and I had a date the other evening. I was sick with the flu and we had just purchased the movie (finally! I've been searching for a copy of that film for years). What better thing to watch when you're feeling sick and blue? At any rate, Mr. Banks and Mrs. Banks made me stop and think long and hard. Their relationship is probably more clear cut and exaggerated than real life but I believe we can learn some important truths through it.

Mrs. Banks was all for women's suffrage. She was out on the streets (neglecting her children) all day, singing her heart out and feeling very productive. She was finally expressing herself. At home, she was Mrs. Banks: wife of George, submissive, telling him what he wanted to hear, never arguing with him, mother to his children. She loved him and she loved them. But something was missing. She tried to fill it by asserting herself among her peers. When Mary Poppins' magic prevailed and Mr. Banks saw the light, he started treating his wife differently. He confided in her, he was affectionate with her, he treated her like she was his best pal... most importantly, his equal. The change in her was immediate and beautiful. No longer was something missing from her life.

One of the things about equality is not just that you be treated equally to a man, but that you treat yourself equally to the way you treat a man. -- Marlo Thomas

There are quite a few examples in the Bible of strong women and weak women. There were strong women who used their intelligence and charm for good. There were strong women who used what they had badly. There were also strong men and weak men in the Bible.... There are verses in the Bible on both sides of the coin on every subject imaginable. How to treat women, children, kings, prophets, enemies, etc., etc. We could treat people any way we wanted to, based on which way we read the Scriptures. Part of the reason for that is, in my opinion, God testing us to see what path we will tread.

Tell me, how did Jesus treat women? How did he treat men? How did he treat children? How did he treat those in authority? How did he treat those who were the sinners, untouchables? Unbelievers? Of everything else in the Bible, why can't we look at the two greatest commandments and follow those in every aspect of our lives?

We human beings do not think of people as equals. We think some of the same as ourselves, some are higher and some are most definitely lower. Is it skin color? Age? Walk in life? Religion? Sins committed? Why? Don't we remember that Jesus said: For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. (Matthew 22:30) Think of both sides of this coin. All those people we know of both in past and present who have expressed hatred. Now think of the ones who have allowed love to lead them.

If we were to select the most intelligent, imaginative, energetic, and emotionally stable third of mankind, all races would be present. -- Franz Boaz

I have known boys and girls who insult the intelligence that God has given them because they think they can't be a Priscilla (Proverbs 31 woman) or Aquila (man of God).  I know kids who are so smart and get bullied at school or don't receive the education they should because of some reason (whether at home or in public school). I have known men and women who wake up in the morning and feel nothing but bondage to their lives. I have read about, watched and known people who are "different". Abused. Ignored. Stuck. Never reaching the potential God had planned for them.

I have thought that I had been given a special understanding that 'unbelievers' don't have a clue about. I have thought that someone wasn't worth it. I have thought and said I can't understand why God would love someone so evil as that person. But I have been reaching for love and understanding. I have been seeking God for the ability to forgive. I have been accused of being friends with sinners. I have been told I am losing my standards and that I haven't been putting God first. I have found that Truth is often the opposite of religion.

And I have found that I don't care what your race, your background, your religion or your sex. I think lack of love is the worst curse that has fallen on the world.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond or free, there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Jesus Christ. (Galatians 3:28)

O the depth of riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 

"All I want from you is to trust me with what little you can, and grow in loving people around you with the same love I share with you. It's not your job to change them, or to convince them. You are free to love without an agenda." -- William Young (The Shack)


The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. (Nahum 1: 7)


And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:21)

Happy Thoughts

There something that makes me very happy and that is discussing spiritual truths with someone. It is nice when someone agrees with me. But I just enjoy the Truth I pick up in discussions. I love seeing something I have never seen before or thought of in that light. :-) It's an amazing feeling to finally understand something that's been puzzling me. "ohhh, that's what the Bible meant when it said..." ;-)

Today, if all works out as planned, Nathan and Jenn are going to pick me up and take me to their place in Deloraine, MB. I am looking forward to this visit very much. Music, good food, laughter, happiness, awesome conversation, cute kids, etc, etc. :-) :-)

What has been happening in your life lately? Happy things? Sad things? Regular things? :-) :-)

Lovin' Those Baby Steps (Wait A Minute, Do Holters Actually Know How to Take Those?)

And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? (Mark 4:40)

I have lately been posting status updates on FB like this: "I am so glad I don't know the future." Life brings so many questions to my door. Part of me would really love to just know what the future holds and act accordingly. The other part of me is more thankful that I don't. :-) Why is this? Well, jest set down for a spell and I'll tell ya. :-)

If I knew the future, I would likely try to change it.
If I knew the future, I would act abnormally.
If I knew the future, I wouldn't be able to love people.
If I knew the future, I would hate myself.
And most importantly...
If I knew the future, I wouldn't trust in God.

Over the course of the past months, so many new experiences and situations have leaped up and presented themselves to me. I don't react well with change, even if it's good and something I love. So, I turn to God.

It is there that I realize something about our relationship. What makes it healthy? What makes God happy? What makes me a stronger, more faithful person? Yes, He wants us to cry unto Him when we are frightened and uncertain. Yes, He appreciates that we don't turn our backs on Him. But what parent doesn't admire a child who gets back up after tumbling down for the 300th time? Children face the new world on wobbly legs and a courageous heart, taking their first steps eagerly. They have no idea about the rough spot in the lawn just ahead of them. They have no idea that Legos really hurt when you sit down hard. They have no idea that they might hit their head on the cupboard door and get a goose egg. Interpretation: they don't know the future. Yet, they wobble on until they wobble no longer and the Legos are their friends :-)

Yesterday, the thought crossed my brain that I've been using God as something to blame things on. Analogy: I've been clinging to Him in fear and not willing to take those first steps. I've been "having faith" but not honestly walking in faith. I've doubted my strength and God's grace and love towards me. I have been approaching decisions weakly and without heart.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (James 1:5-6)


Me over the past week: "Um, God... like, I'm really happy but really, really scared and I really don't know if you know what you're doing, but um, if this is what you want...tell me why again??" Is there faith, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, love, etc, etc, in that? No. It is fear, a little anger, hopelessness. Where is my heart? I know God is standing right beside me. There is no room for fear!

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and love, and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

Oh yes, I am still approaching life with caution. My legs are still wobbly. :-) But with more joy and more faith... and different kinds of prayers. The "thank you, God" kinds of prayers. He has promised to accomplish a good work in me and I know He will. There will always be pain and uncertainties but they will never be too much for God's children. He has promised this.

So, not knowing the future, I walk away from my fears. My legs are still weak but my heart is learning courage and strength. There is more happiness and joy than I thought possible.

For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. 

                                                 (Proverbs 3: 26)

God, do you really want me to... what?!

Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand. (2 Cor. 1: 24)

There is always someone annoying in my life. It doesn't matter where I go or what situation I'm in, there is that person(s) that I find distinctly irritating.

All summer, there was this little girl in my life. Normally, I love little girls. But this little girl... well, let's just say that she was not enjoyable to be around. For the record, I wasn't the only one who had a hard time with her. But mine was the conscience who stung when I found myself disliking her. I knew that I did not have the attitude towards her that God wanted me to. I never treated her poorly but whenever I was kind to her, it wasn't from my heart. I was basically lying to her and to everyone I was around.

But she wouldn't leave me alone! All summer long, my path kept crossing this little girl's path. I knew God had a reason but I did not ask for help. I did not want to like this girl. She deserved to be disliked. So there.

Then, Michele came to camp. The little girl acted up, as usual and I suddenly found myself pouring out my heart to Michele. What should I do? I knew I was not letting God work through me and through my stubbornness, my relationship with Him, and others in my life, was suffering.

Michele smiled at me when I had finished my tale of woe and said, "I find that if I smother an unloving child with love, it makes all the difference in the world. Yes, our initial reaction is to not love them and to give them what they deserve. But what they need and what will change them is loving them." It was like a light bulb flash in my head. Duh. What I've missed out on this summer! I couldn't believe how blind I had been.

Of course, God had prompted me to ask for help. Of course, He hadn't forced the issue. He just let my conscience make me miserable for weeks on end. :-) I realized suddenly how unloving I had been. I was no better than this little girl.

After getting my focus back in it's proper place and asking for God to help me love this girl like He wanted me to, my life got much sweeter. My heart was finally at rest and I was able to love this girl with a true, pure love that can only come from God. I prayed for opportunities to show her that I really loved her.

Two times. Two brief encounters that made us both smile and the happiness spread like ripples from a pebble dropped into a puddle. Then, she was out of my life. I had to smile at the irony of it. As soon as my heart was in the right place, God took the irritation away. Then, he replaced her with people I absolutely love being around. Lol. I love Him.

This lesson has seen me through some difficult experiences the past few weeks. More irritating people in my life? Yep! But I am not as stubborn this time. :-) When you begin thinking 'what can I give this person' instead of 'what can I get from this person', your entire perspective of these people is so different. You see more of their qualities, instead of just their irritating habits.

I was reading in 1 Corinthians (btw, I love 1 Corinthians. It has so many gems tucked away in it.) chapter 15, verse 41: "There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory." Each person has their own purpose. I believe that each person needs comfort and help and love from God and other people to blossom into what they were meant to be.

I feel so overwhelmed at times. But there is no reason. I'm not the honey; with God's help, I am just the container. :-)

P.S. The girls in the picture are some of my favorites from camp. :-) Lexie and Cameron. If you think of them, please pray for them. Lexie especially needs all the prayers she can get.

Our Comforter

Mary stood in the shadow of the cross.

The Man who died on that cross was her Son.

From a human being's point of view, the life of Mary, mother of Jesus, was not one to be envied. As a girl, on the verge of womanhood, she was visited by an angel who told her she was with child by the Holy Ghost. She was betrothed to a good man, Joseph, whom I'm sure she respected, if not loved.

I wonder if she worried. I wonder if it was a struggle for her to simply trust in her Lord? What would Joseph do? What would her parents do? But God spoke again through his messenger Gabriel and Joseph took Mary as his wife... and claimed the baby as his by doing so. Can you imagine what their neighbors said? But Joseph and Mary believed.

Their lives forever tainted in the eyes of their countrymen.

There were those beautiful years when Jesus was growing up. A perfect human being for a son. Can you imagine? We don't know the details... in fact, I have a hard time even imaging what perfect is, in household life. Perhaps we have a glimpse when Jesus speaks to Martha about her sister when Martha complained that she had to do all of the work, while Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to him teach:

“Mary hath chosen the good part.”

And when Jesus left home. Imagine waiting for word about your son. Imagine knowing in your heart that someday, very soon, your son will die for the good of the entire world. Imagine keeping these things in your heart: knowing, waiting, pondering.

Our pastor preached a short message on Christ's death not long ago and he mentioned that if the family of Jesus had raised enough stink over him, the law demanded they set him free. But Mary said not one word. She let her son die.

Imagine having the faith and strength to do that. Even while your heart is breaking... and you are knowing pain as no other mother has.

I've been thinking about this a lot over the past few days and sometimes I think the essence of Jesus' life was uttered in one sentence.

When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, “Woman, behold thy son!” Then he saith to the disciple, “Behold thy mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

Of all people on earth, you would think these two would be the strongest, would have the most faith. Of all on earth, they had loved him most and known him best. But Jesus knew that each needed someone to comfort the other. And even while he was dying and in great pain himself, he didn't forget those he loved.

He did not leave them comfortless.

The past few days, I've been really struggling with some issues in my life. Fear, desire... the feeling of a certain emptiness in my heart... wondering if God will ever see fit to fill it. But over the clamoring voices of my struggling, God's voice is always strongest.

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.

...and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

Remember in your darkest moments to look for God. As with His mother and friend, He will not leave you comfortless as you walk the dark valleys or reach the mountaintop. Over and over again, He is faithful and ever will be.

Thinking on blessings...

John 16

7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth;

It is expedient for you that I go away:

for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you;

but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

8 And when he is come,

he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

12 I have yet many things to say unto you,

but ye cannot bear them now.

13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come,

he will guide you into all truth:

for he shall not speak of himself;

but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:

and he will shew you things to come.

14 He shall glorify me:

for he shall receive of mine,

and shall shew it unto you.

15 All things that the Father hath are mine:

therefore said I,

that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.