We can take great comfort in the truth that God has never contradicted His Word or His promises and never will. But are we comfortable when His purposes contradict our own plans and preferences?
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Our church pastors have been working through a series on Romans 14, and it has really had me thinking. Staying centered (ie, walking the fine line between the countless ditches on either side of that line) feels much like an Indiana Jones movie as the enemy's chief strategy, at least for us moms, seems to be to constantly try to push us off that line into the ditches of one extreme or the other.
So I like the way Paul brings balance in this passage. As Brian noted, it is more important to have strong personal convictions based on personal Bible study, prayer, and the leading of the Spirit than it is to have flimsy convictions, for cultural, inherited, or half-hearted convictions will be absolutely insufficient when we stand before Lord and are held individually accountable on that day.
We must not, however, let our personal convictions about the NONESSENTIALS (which God has not clearly spelled out as righteous or sinful) separate us as a church body. For God can be glorified by differing convictions regarding nonessential matters. I love the balance in that passage and in the message delivered today.
Do you know why you hold the convictions that you do? Are you upholding them for the glory of God without causing division over disputable matters?
I have failed so many time in my witness to others by becoming too dogmatic over disputable matters. Doing so burns bridges between the church and the lost while stirring up bickering among the brethren which also works to turn away the lost. Love and grace must cover everything we do, and we must guard our words, especially on social media where written words are interpreted in a myriad of different ways depending upon the reader's current emotional state or personal circumstances, motives and theology, experiences and biases. How many times have I labored over a written message with the goal of giving a friend loving encouragement only to have it received as a stabbing criticism? How many walls have I built or bridges built either by careless words or totally by mistaken interpretation. While I continually pursue Biblical balance in all things, I know I need to focus on building the unity of the body of Christ, for I have a pattern of falling short as my passion for truth and justice consume me.
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I saw a headline the other day that expressed surprise when an atheist professor actually admitted what Christians knew all along regarding why atheists are so quick to ridicule and persecute Christ followers yet dare not say one contrary word about Islam. He doesn't fear Christians because they are a people of peace and forgiveness who are commanded to love their enemies and turn the other cheek, but he and his cronies are scared to death of extremist terrorists groups who think nothing of butchering all people (women and children too) who seem the least bit opposed to their belief system. So if you hate and kill those you call infidels, you are a protected class, but if you extend the love and mercy of God, you are despised.
What irony! So atheists are scared to death. All other religions
hold their followers in bondage to fear of death and the afterlife, for
they do not offer any certainty regarding one's eternal state. Yet,
believing Christians have no fear or any man or of death, for our
eternity is absolutely secure in Him apart from any works of our own.
Parenting Keeps Me Humble4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell.Yes, I tell you, fear him! (Luke 12:3-5)
At dinner recent, my daughter prayed, "Thank you, Lord, for the potatoes, veggies, and whatever that other thing is on our plates....."
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Does anyone from my generation remember those DAR patriotic writing contests from our school days? If a child voluntarily participated in that contest parents would be overjoyed by their child's patriotism and eagerness to write an essay. (I never participated because a few careless words by a teacher and/or a tendency to misconstrue words by my insecure little girl self convinced me I would never be a decent writer.)
From the moment my daughter received the flyer for a patriotic essay writing contest on the theme, "What Freedom Means to Me", she has been consistently nagging me to register her for the contest or working on yet another draft for her submission. Forget studying for tests this week...she only wants to write this essay which isn't due until November! Considering how much she disliked writing assignments during our homeschooling years, I should be overjoyed by her eagerness, but my enthusiasm is significantly tempered by the realization that she could not possibly win any such contest because her definition of freedom, while consistent with that of our founding fathers, is far different from the socially acceptable, politically correct definition today. And while parents are not allowed to assist with school projects or writing assignments at her school (and most parents during my childhood did not even consider helping as an ethical option), the winning essay for this contest will likely come from the "child" whose helicopter parent has the most writing experience. So, I guess I'll just keep encouraging her to write her very best essay for the glory of God but not for the purpose of winning any contest. Am I the only one conflicted over how to parent in a way that teaches them that life isn't fair and that few can be trusted without squashing their hopes and dreams? All we do and say should be for an audience of One anyway, but I sure do love watching my girl dream big.
Quotes To Ponder
"Truth, crushed to earth, shall rise again;
The eternal years of God are hers;
But Error, wounded, writhes with pain,
And dies among his worshipers."
The Battlefield (1839), st. 9 - William Cullen Bryant
Off Balance
I keep telling my husband that our world shifts out of balance whenever he is away on business trips. I'm the frugal planner, and he's the spontaneous one who doesn't mind spending money on things of great significance, so imagine how off center I was while he was away this week, given that I decided on a whim to buy all four of us our dream trip to Israel even though it requires pulling the kids out of school for at least 1.5 weeks. When daddy is away, Mama plans the grand getaway!!!! Yahoo! Let's go! Who wants to go with us? The more the merrier!
Balancing Priorities
When the kids came along and I realized how much of a full-time + OT job raising kids would be, I promised myself I would never work full-time while they were still home with me if at all possible. Desperate to give of myself and communicate with people outside of my own house, however, I have taken on various PT jobs or ministries over the years (rarely for money, though). As I am preparing to sign a contract for a PT consulting job which is the dream opportunity for me, I did some basic math. So why was I so surprised to discover that I am currently busying myself with 11 different PT jobs/ministries in 6 different industries while working under 5 different employers or ministry entities and serving over 131 clients? I am certified at time study, yet I never bothered to time-study myself? No wonder I'm worn out, eating junk, and barely sleeping. All those PT commitments add up to more than full-time!
Younger moms, beware of throwing yourselves into too many activities or
responsibilities out of a false sense of obligation, need for adult
interaction, or an escape from the monotony of SAHM-dom. Take time to
measure your day and the value of each commitment you make. I had no
idea I was so over-extended, but I bet my kids did! Find your passion
and calling, but never forget your priorities. I may have made a career
out of productivity improvements, but life balance is more important
than getting stuff done. Changes are coming for me, for the sake of my
health and my family, but school friends, I'm not letting go of STEM just yet.
Willing to Trade: One bunny and a cat for a loving, loyal dog
The pets are making me crazy. They are too much work, and are destroying my castle. If the kids and hubby did not love them so, I would totally be trading them in for a dog.
The rabbit doesn't clean herself very well, and our son is allergic to cat dander so both get baths each week. Thankfully, our daughter has taken over this responsibility.
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| The After Bath |
On most Saturday nights during my childhood, I remember sitting on the hearth watching refined television (Hee-Haw, ha ha), while my daddy combed out the tangles in my hair. Now I find myself spending my Saturday nights grooming my bunny's tangled/matted rear end, at least during heavy shed season. That's not quite the full circle payback I imagined for myself.
Movie Stars
Rob Lowe shared the photo below on social media on October 31. He was only five minutes from our house. I think his son attends a nearby university. Why didn't I instinctively grow nostalgic for 80s movies? It's only been 30 years since The Brat Pack became a thing, but I cannot imagine growing up without them. Hope you had fun at our new store, Rob and son, and I sure hope you were not as tempted to buy the horrid Bass Fish mailbox as my son and hubby were.
Teaching
During a class on oceanography and bioluminescence, somehow the discussion took a very different turn with a student asking how we can prove that the earth is only thousands of years old as the Bible says and not millions of years old as scientists' claim, especially given that many scientists refuse to believe or accept that they could be wrong and ultimately accountable to a higher power.
How thankful I am for that OPEN DOOR to explain scientifically the flaws and false assumptions regarding carbon dating and to point to repeated scientific studies done that prove the error in such dating methods. The more we learn and discover about all of creation, the harder it becomes to honestly deny that all God's words are true! I teach for a lot of reasons, but it's the little opportunities to encourage and strengthen the faith of our next generation that drives me to teach with such passion.
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I get to talk with my hands, point fingers, draw funny pictures on the dry erase or smart board, crack jokes, dance, play games, create digital animations, take rides on a hovercraft, make messes, blow things up, preach the WORD, feel taller than all the other students in the classroom (a new experience for me), watch cute kids learn and reach beyond perceived limits, turn household objects into anything from a fun toy to a projection microscope, give and receive (side) hugs, look into faces full of enthusiasm and covered with big smiles...all while being close to my kids.
I'll be teaching a unit on air pressure soon. My husband helped us out by building a human hovercraft as part of my object lesson. When we resolved to never become HOVERING PARENTS (overprotective, controlling, stifling a child's independence and growth by preventing them from failing or taking responsibility for themselves), this is NOT what we meant. Hover on!
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I love integrating so many different subjects into my STEM classes, but my favorite subject to integrate is Bible. I can't wait to show my students that the book of Job told us where the richest mineral deposits in the world (it specifically mentions copper ore), could be found over 3500 years before we had the technology to send ROVs there and find them just as foretold. That's just one of many beautiful passages we will examine during our study of geothermal vents. I've always viewed the Bible as a metaphorical treasure map, but it is literally as well.
I get to talk with my hands, point fingers, draw funny pictures on the dry erase or smart board, crack jokes, dance, play games, create digital animations, take rides on a hovercraft, make messes, blow things up, preach the WORD, feel taller than all the other students in the classroom (a new experience for me), watch cute kids learn and reach beyond perceived limits, turn household objects into anything from a fun toy to a projection microscope, give and receive (side) hugs, look into faces full of enthusiasm and covered with big smiles...all while being close to my kids.
I'll be teaching a unit on air pressure soon. My husband helped us out by building a human hovercraft as part of my object lesson. When we resolved to never become HOVERING PARENTS (overprotective, controlling, stifling a child's independence and growth by preventing them from failing or taking responsibility for themselves), this is NOT what we meant. Hover on!
I love integrating so many different subjects into my STEM classes, but my favorite subject to integrate is Bible. I can't wait to show my students that the book of Job told us where the richest mineral deposits in the world (it specifically mentions copper ore), could be found over 3500 years before we had the technology to send ROVs there and find them just as foretold. That's just one of many beautiful passages we will examine during our study of geothermal vents. I've always viewed the Bible as a metaphorical treasure map, but it is literally as well.
Access Ministry
I asked my little access ministry buddy at church last week, "What's something really good that has happened to you lately?"
She responded, "CANDY!"
#myheart
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She accessorized my face with stickers today. I forgot to take them off after Sunday School, so when I walked through the halls of church, I got lots of big smiles and warm greetings. Thanks for making me feel like a movie star, little buddy. You are officially hired as my personal stylist.
I asked my little access ministry buddy at church last week, "What's something really good that has happened to you lately?"
She responded, "CANDY!"
#myheart
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She accessorized my face with stickers today. I forgot to take them off after Sunday School, so when I walked through the halls of church, I got lots of big smiles and warm greetings. Thanks for making me feel like a movie star, little buddy. You are officially hired as my personal stylist.
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