"Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love, and in order to distract himself...gives way to passions and coarse pleasures." Dostoyevsky, The Brother's Karamazov
This quote reminds us where lies lead – isolation and debauchery. However, through honesty and humility we can be on the course God has for us and find the joy and intimacy we were created for.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Quote on Parenting
This quote by M. Scott Peck really spoke to me.
"It is the task of parents to assist their children to achieve their own independence...It is essential (that they) tolerate their own loneliness, so as to allow and even encourage their children to leave them...To discourage separation (is) immature and self-centered...destructive."
"It is the task of parents to assist their children to achieve their own independence...It is essential (that they) tolerate their own loneliness, so as to allow and even encourage their children to leave them...To discourage separation (is) immature and self-centered...destructive."
God's love
Ps 136:1 Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love endures forever
Endure – to carry on through despite hardships; to continue in existence, to last. (American Heritage Dict)God’s love carries us through hard times and hardships – always.
God’s love LASTS, it keeps going – forever.
God’s love "always hopes, always trusts always perseveres. Love never fails." (I Cor 13:7-8).Nothing can separate us from God’s love. Hardships may come our way – we may go thru the darkest valley – but he is with us. (Ps 23) Nothing can separate us – if there is a severe famine, God’s love is still there. If we are in danger, God’s love is there. If we are persecuted or treated unfairly, God’s love is there. In the face of death itself – God’s love is there. “For your sake we face death all day long.” (Ps 44:22) Death cannot separate us from the love of God. We can face death because God’s love upholds us. Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of Christ.
Separate – to set or keep apart; to space apart; to differentiate or distinguish; to become disconnected or severed. (American Herit.)God’s love is always with us – circumstances do not disconnect us from God’s love. If something terrible happens, it does not sever our connection with God’s love.
God’s love is upon us like white on rice. You cannot separate white from rice. You can’t make God’s love go away. It endures – it stays with you despite hardships. Hardships do not mean God doesn’t love you!! God’s love does not fail. He never lets go.
Daughters and Sons
They crash into your life with unending demands. Clanging alarms requiring sacrificial efforts. Fulfillment seeps in as well – the snuggles, the smiles, the boundless list of “firsts.” Those cherished words – “I wuv woo.”
In time the demands lessen. Now everyone gets dressed, brushes teeth and gets a drink of water for themselves. They protest school work - yet play whole-heartedly. Pride and joy, along with teaching and training, fill your days.
Suddenly, they sprout much higher. Conversations spike – advice rejected. You push and pull and push and pull. Newfound independence leaves a hole of loneliness. A young adult is now emerging – and hopefully a friend.
In time the demands lessen. Now everyone gets dressed, brushes teeth and gets a drink of water for themselves. They protest school work - yet play whole-heartedly. Pride and joy, along with teaching and training, fill your days.
Suddenly, they sprout much higher. Conversations spike – advice rejected. You push and pull and push and pull. Newfound independence leaves a hole of loneliness. A young adult is now emerging – and hopefully a friend.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Thoughts on HInd's Feet on High Places
Hind’s Feet on High Places
By Hannah Hurnard
“This is the story of how Much-Afraid escaped from her Fearing relatives and went with the Shepherd to the High Places where “perfect love casts out fear.’”
“The Shepherd stooped and touched the flowers…then said…Humble yourself, and you will find that Love is spreading a carpet of flowers beneath you feet.”
“Those who come down to the furnace go on their way afterwards as royal men and women, princes and princesses of the Royal Line.”
“Then she heard the Shepherd saying, ‘I bring my people into Egypt that they, too, may be threshed and ground into the finest powder and may become bread corn for the use of others. But remember, though bread corn is bruised, no one threshes it for ever.’”
Reflections
Can you hear the Royal summons? Will you accept God's invitation? If you are fearful and anxious, great! Now you have an opportunity to be free. Freedom comes through humility. It comes from realizing your need for God and that your current hardship is actually your appointed teacher. As you humble yourself and learn, you will come into your true identity and become the gift that those around you so desperately need.
By Hannah Hurnard
“This is the story of how Much-Afraid escaped from her Fearing relatives and went with the Shepherd to the High Places where “perfect love casts out fear.’”
“The Shepherd stooped and touched the flowers…then said…Humble yourself, and you will find that Love is spreading a carpet of flowers beneath you feet.”
“Those who come down to the furnace go on their way afterwards as royal men and women, princes and princesses of the Royal Line.”
“Then she heard the Shepherd saying, ‘I bring my people into Egypt that they, too, may be threshed and ground into the finest powder and may become bread corn for the use of others. But remember, though bread corn is bruised, no one threshes it for ever.’”
Reflections
Can you hear the Royal summons? Will you accept God's invitation? If you are fearful and anxious, great! Now you have an opportunity to be free. Freedom comes through humility. It comes from realizing your need for God and that your current hardship is actually your appointed teacher. As you humble yourself and learn, you will come into your true identity and become the gift that those around you so desperately need.
More reflections on Hind's Feet
By Hannah Hurnard
“My Lord is of very tender compassion to them that are afraid.”
“The Shepherd laughed…Why I love doing preposterous things, he replied. Why I don’t know anything more exhilarating and delightful than turning weakness into strength, and fear into faith, and that which has been marred into perfection.”
“Much-Afraid, don’t ever allow yourself to begin trying to picture what it will be like. Believe me, when you get to the places which you dread, you will find that they are as different as possible from what you have imagined."
God really cares about us and doesn’t want us to be afraid. Fear can “begin painting a picture on the screen” of our thoughts and we must learn to reject it. Many years ago, I was tormented with thoughts of how horrible it would be for me to have to tell my college friends that my mom had died of cancer. When the time actually came, it was nothing like I had imagined it. God gave me peace. It is vital that we do not envision a negative future for ourselves. Whatever comes our way, God's grace will be there.
More HInd's Feet
By Hannah Hurnard
“Much-Afraid, said the Shepherd very gently…don’t you know by now that I never think of you as you are now, but as you will be when I have brought you to the Kingdom of Love and washed you from all the stains and defilement of the journey.”
I like thinking about how God sees us as already complete. How radical would it be if we all lived from the place of knowing deep down, who we are in Christ and treating others like the new creations they are becoming.
“All you have to do is to trust yourself to the aerial chair and be carried in perfect safety up to the place to which I wish to take you and without any struggling or striving on your part.”
“In a minute they were moving smoothly and steadily to the High Places, which had looked so impossibly out of reach, supported entirely from above, and with nothing to do but enjoy the marvelous view.”
Sometimes we must go through difficult trials and the way seems impossible and we need a deeper trust to keep going. Other times, God carries us above our trials. Either way, trials require faith. We can get victory in our lives when we entrust ourselves completely to God and enjoy the view.
An Imperfect Christmas
Sometimes at Christmas we can dwell on what we don’t have. It is at Christmastime that “Want is keenly felt.” Perhaps we don’t have enough money or we don’t have the companionship of a spouse, parent or children, maybe someone we love is ill. We all are living with the pain and uncertainty of an imperfect world.
When I think about the first Christmas, I’m struck with the imperfections of the coming of Christ. Mary gave up her reputation of being a good Jewish girl to become an unwed mother. She traveled a long distance, away from home and loved ones, only to give birth in an inconvenient place. If Christ were born in modern times, all the hotel rooms would be booked. Couldn’t God get Mary and Joseph a hotel room? No, there were no hotel rooms, but someone offered them their garage. Mary gave birth in a garage and put the baby on the back seat of a car. Not my idea of the best provision.
Mary and Joseph were further inconvenienced when God told them to leave Israel. Not many of us would relish being told to move to a place where we didn’t know anyone, not to mention the hardship of living in a foreign culture - another less than ideal circumstance.
One message of Christmas is that God did not come to earth to give us our ideal life. He came to be a light into our darkness. He came to guide us toward hope and truth. He came to be Emmanuel – God with us. So if this Christmas you are keenly aware of the imperfections of this life, know that He came to carry your burdens and share your sorrow. Like the first Christmas, He won’t make your life perfect, but He will be an “ever-present help in time of need.”(Ps. 46:1) Despite our circumstances, we can still rejoice that God loved us enough to send a savior - Christ our Lord.
When I think about the first Christmas, I’m struck with the imperfections of the coming of Christ. Mary gave up her reputation of being a good Jewish girl to become an unwed mother. She traveled a long distance, away from home and loved ones, only to give birth in an inconvenient place. If Christ were born in modern times, all the hotel rooms would be booked. Couldn’t God get Mary and Joseph a hotel room? No, there were no hotel rooms, but someone offered them their garage. Mary gave birth in a garage and put the baby on the back seat of a car. Not my idea of the best provision.
Mary and Joseph were further inconvenienced when God told them to leave Israel. Not many of us would relish being told to move to a place where we didn’t know anyone, not to mention the hardship of living in a foreign culture - another less than ideal circumstance.
One message of Christmas is that God did not come to earth to give us our ideal life. He came to be a light into our darkness. He came to guide us toward hope and truth. He came to be Emmanuel – God with us. So if this Christmas you are keenly aware of the imperfections of this life, know that He came to carry your burdens and share your sorrow. Like the first Christmas, He won’t make your life perfect, but He will be an “ever-present help in time of need.”(Ps. 46:1) Despite our circumstances, we can still rejoice that God loved us enough to send a savior - Christ our Lord.
Stars and Dots
A retelling of You Are Special by Max Lucado
Once there was a village of wooden people, called the Wemmicks. All the Wemmicks were crafted by a master woodworker named Eli, who lived at the top of a nearby hill.
Everyday, from morning until night, the Wemmicks went around giving each other stars and dots. If a Wemmick looked good or did something special, he got stars. But if the Wemmick looked poorly or did something stupid, he was given dots.
The Wemmicks who received stars felt so good. This motivated them to do something else that would get them more stars.
But there were also those who received mostly dots, which caused even more discouragement, earning them even more dots.
Punchinello was one of the latter. It seemed no matter what he did, he only received dots. One day he met a Wemmick named Lucia. Punchinello was intrigued by Lucia because she didn’t have any dots or stars. Punchinello approached Lucia to ask her why this was so. Lucia explained that people tried to give her stars and dots, but they didn’t stick. She told him that she went to visit Eli everyday.
“What does that do?” Punchinello inquired.
“Why don’t you pay him a visit and see,” replied Lucia, as she bounded down the road.
That night Punchinello contemplated visiting Eli. “What if Eli won’t see me? What if he sees my dots and rejects me?” Then he thought about how absurd it was for the Wemmicks to be constantly giving out stars and dots. Maybe there was something different about Eli. He decided to visit him the next day.
When morning broke, Punchinello hiked up to the top of the hill to the large workshop. Everything seems so big and for a moment Punchinello considered turning back. But then he heard someone calling him by name. He turned and looked, it was Eli, “Punchinello, I’m so glad you’re here. I was hoping you’d come. Come here – let me see you.”
Shaking a little, Punchinello approached Eli saying, “How did you know my name?”
“I know you because I created you. Let me have a look…Hmm I see you’ve received a lot of dots.”
“Eli, I can’t seem to help it, I try to be good.”
“I’m not concerned with what other Wemmick think of you.”
“You’re not?”
“No, and you needn’t be troubled by what others think either. What matters is that I created you and I think you’re valuable.”
“I am?”
“Yes, you are special because I created you.”
“Why doesn’t Lucia have any stars or dots?”
“Because she has found that what I think of her is more meaningful than what the Wemmicks think. The dots and stars don’t have to stick. If you come and visit me everyday, and begin to trust in my love, you’ll find you won’t need dots or stars.”
“I won’t?”
Eli looked deeply into Punchinellos eyes, “In time, you will see. I created you and you are not a mistake.”
As Punchinello left the workshop he pondered the sincerity of Eli’s words, just then a dot dropped off.
Once there was a village of wooden people, called the Wemmicks. All the Wemmicks were crafted by a master woodworker named Eli, who lived at the top of a nearby hill.
Everyday, from morning until night, the Wemmicks went around giving each other stars and dots. If a Wemmick looked good or did something special, he got stars. But if the Wemmick looked poorly or did something stupid, he was given dots.
The Wemmicks who received stars felt so good. This motivated them to do something else that would get them more stars.
But there were also those who received mostly dots, which caused even more discouragement, earning them even more dots.
Punchinello was one of the latter. It seemed no matter what he did, he only received dots. One day he met a Wemmick named Lucia. Punchinello was intrigued by Lucia because she didn’t have any dots or stars. Punchinello approached Lucia to ask her why this was so. Lucia explained that people tried to give her stars and dots, but they didn’t stick. She told him that she went to visit Eli everyday.
“What does that do?” Punchinello inquired.
“Why don’t you pay him a visit and see,” replied Lucia, as she bounded down the road.
That night Punchinello contemplated visiting Eli. “What if Eli won’t see me? What if he sees my dots and rejects me?” Then he thought about how absurd it was for the Wemmicks to be constantly giving out stars and dots. Maybe there was something different about Eli. He decided to visit him the next day.
When morning broke, Punchinello hiked up to the top of the hill to the large workshop. Everything seems so big and for a moment Punchinello considered turning back. But then he heard someone calling him by name. He turned and looked, it was Eli, “Punchinello, I’m so glad you’re here. I was hoping you’d come. Come here – let me see you.”
Shaking a little, Punchinello approached Eli saying, “How did you know my name?”
“I know you because I created you. Let me have a look…Hmm I see you’ve received a lot of dots.”
“Eli, I can’t seem to help it, I try to be good.”
“I’m not concerned with what other Wemmick think of you.”
“You’re not?”
“No, and you needn’t be troubled by what others think either. What matters is that I created you and I think you’re valuable.”
“I am?”
“Yes, you are special because I created you.”
“Why doesn’t Lucia have any stars or dots?”
“Because she has found that what I think of her is more meaningful than what the Wemmicks think. The dots and stars don’t have to stick. If you come and visit me everyday, and begin to trust in my love, you’ll find you won’t need dots or stars.”
“I won’t?”
Eli looked deeply into Punchinellos eyes, “In time, you will see. I created you and you are not a mistake.”
As Punchinello left the workshop he pondered the sincerity of Eli’s words, just then a dot dropped off.
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