Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Here's to . . .

Here's to . . .
maternity swimsuits
95 degree days in May
brand new Lightning McQueen balls
the healing power of animal crackers
camaraderie and sympathy
stretch marks
11 children under 5 in a pool (12 if you count the unborn ones as 1/2 each)
5 moms committed to not letting them drown
sharing
time-outs

and, most importantly . . .

Here's to . . . the best nap in 2 days.


It was a lovely morning.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Virtually Accountable-- Defeating Sin

This week's post brought to you by my wonderful husband, who is perceptive enough to notice my sin, yet kind enough to remind me of the hope that I have for change.

Anyone who has known me for more than a year or two knows that I have a problem with bitterness . . . I accumulate it like it's going out of style. When I was younger and single, this was mildly annoying, causing fractured friendships and fun nicknames (in high school, a friend of mine and I were referred to as "bitter, evil women"). Married with a child, though, it's a real problem. If I can't forgive my husband when he sins against me (or when I think he's sinning against me), then I will have, at best, an angry, loveless marriage.

Now, anger (and bitterness, etc.) is one of those sins that I had pretty much given up hope on. I had been praying and trying for years, but defeating this particular sin has always felt like running on a treadmill: working up a sweat with no forward momentum. I was convinced that God had abandoned me on this, which, of course, made me pretty bitter against Him. I had resigned myself to stifling my tongue as best I could, substituting "sugar honey iced tea" (thank you, Madagascar) for the string of expletives that runs through my head when something goes wrong, using a constant state of busyness to keep myself from thinking of the ways others have wronged me.

But that's not enough anymore, because when you live with someone (and hope to do so for many more years), you either forgive them, for real, from way down deep inside, or you push them away. Those are the only choices. Until recently, guess which one I opted for? Yep. Pushing him away. Safer? Totally. Unfulfilling and sinful? You bet. Then, in a 5am argument of immense proportions, he called me on it. And I admitted to feeling completely helpless to defeat this sin. He did his best to remind me where my help comes from, and I did my best to believe him. And then, this morning, I read this:

John 7:37-38
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"

Jesus has the power to change the inside of my heart, so that what comes out of it will be sweet, God-glorifying "living water". His expectation for me is not just that I learn to restrain my temper, but that all my self-righteous reasons for being angry in the first place would disappear in the deluge of his mercy. With apologies to our current President, this is change I can believe in. Yes, I will still have to work. Just because His mercies are new every morning doesn't mean I don't have a responsibility for my actions. I still have to let Him transform my heart; I have to give up my right to be offended, and I have to do this every day. It will probably still feel like running on a treadmill at times. But it's not. I've officially hopped onto the pavement. Run with me?

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Virtually Accountable-- Jesus Pursues the Lost

Welcome to the first post in this series. This week, one of the passages I read was John chapter 4. In it, Jesus talks with a Samaritan woman at a well and heals an official's son. I've also taken some ideas for this post from the sermon today (what I heard of it in between Lyndon's fussing).

One tool I've used in the past to meditate on Scripture is to write:

God:
I:

Then we fill in the blanks. So, in this passage...

God: sees into a woman's life and heart, and loves her anyway (v.1-26)
heals someone instantly from a distance (i.e. is infinitely powerful) (v.50-53)
shows extraordinary kindness to outcasts and misfits

I: cannot hide anything from God
will not be rejected by Him once I've been redeemed, even for my worst deeds
can be forgiven and have my thirst for sin taken away (v.13-14)
will not be turned away because of a lack of faith (v.48-50)

Jesus loves the lost. More specifically, Jesus loves the lost that nobody else loves. Samaritans were despised by Jews, and a loose, immoral Samaritan woman would have been about as far on the edges of society as you could get without catching leprosy. Also, John doesn't specify what kind of official this is, but he's probably a Roman, i.e. a member of the occupying army of oppressors... a real popular guy, I'm sure. Jesus isn't afraid to engage them both in conversation, and meaningful conversation at that. He also doesn't let their social status or brokenness get in the way of His redemptive work. How glad I am that God doesn't shy away from messy, awkward, broken people (like me).

On the flip side, do I shy away from messy, awkward people and the kinds of interactions they produce? Do I turn my holier-than-thou nose up at the girl with the tongue ring? the teenagers walking in the middle of the road? the woman dressed like a streetwalker? Do I think of myself as better than them? Absolutely. At the same time, am I a little intimidated by them? Yep. Scared to death at the prospect of having to engage them in conversation? You betcha.

No wonder I'm a lousy evangelist. But, as this passage shows, not only is Jesus my example, he's also my motivation. If he went to all that trouble to pursue me, in all of my brokenness and squalor, how can I not do the same for others? How can I not at least attempt to show them some of that love?

Friday, May 14, 2010

Virtually Accountable

So, I've realized that my time with God recently has not been what it should be. My Bible reading is spotty at best, when I get around to it, and almost never do I take the time to think deeply about what I've read. Lyndon is nearly four months old; it's time to stop using the "new baby" excuse.

(As a disclaimer, I know that even a good thing like consistent, meaningful quiet times is not my hope of salvation. It will not get me into Heaven. Only Christ's sacrifice can do that. BUT I do want to spend consistent, meaningful time with my Savior, and sometimes we need a little nudge to do even the things we want to do.)

So, I'm starting a series here on the blog. Once a week, I pledge to write about my time in God's Word. I hope to expound on something I've read, which means I will actually have to think about it, which will be good for me. Writing is THE BEST way for me to organize my thoughts and discover new things. It's how I learn. I used to go through journal after journal, crafting responses to everything around me, but it's been a long time since I've done that, and this is the closest thing I have to a journal right now. Plus, it will keep me accountable. If I don't write something, you will know.

So, here we go. Look for my first post sometime this weekend (as this post is already long enough) and AT LEAST once a week after that. Help me get back where I want to be.

Monday, May 10, 2010

vote for Lyndon!

I opened up my email this morning, and look what I found:
(Sorry that it's cut off; I can't for the life of me get blogger to show the whole thing. I describe it at the bottom, though.)





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I entered Lyndon in a contest at Parents Magazine a few weeks ago, to be a cover kid, just for fun, not expecting anything to come of it, and now, apparently, he's one of the favorites and a possible semi-finalist! So, now that I'm all excited about it, I think you should all go vote for him. :-)

In case you can't see the link, it's http://photos.parents.com/category/vote/photo/279761

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

This just in! Mow your lawn!

My husband has encouraged me to follow the news more. There ARE interesting stories online, he claims. It isn't all the "Someone was Shot in Philly" and "Deadly Fire Kills Apartment Owner and Two Dogs" types of stories that appear on televised news.

But I digress...

The point of this post is to inform you about a bit of news I read today. Apparently, in the town where I live, it is no longer acceptable to let your grass grow. According to the article (which you can find on Google News, if you happen to live in my town), a new ordinance has been passed that declares, "any grass or other natural growth above 10 inches on any residential property in the Town" is unacceptable. Growth of this kind will result in an official warning; the homeowner then has 7 days to mow his lawn or the Town will do it for him and send him the bill of "the cost thereof, together with any fines and cost".

Really? I mean, I knew I lived in cookie-cutter suburbia, but . . . really? We need an ordinance to enforce this kind of thing? Is someone really letting their townhouse grass go to seed? What about the family I saw growing corn in their backyard? It was taller than 10 inches. Or those homesteaders who have lived in this town since before it could pass ordinances? They don't have the right to do as they please with their property anymore?

Don't get me wrong; I believe homeowners have a responsibility to keep their homes and properties well cared for. But that's just it: it's THEIR responsibility. Different things pass for "well cared for" in different communities, and a homeowner should be in tune with that. Isn't that why we have deed restrictions? Just because a herd of sheep isn't acceptable in my townhouse community doesn't mean it can't fit nicely with my friend's neighborhood down the road (true story). Does the town government really have the right to declare that all properties must adhere to one standard of neatness, or else?

My husband was right. Internet news IS enlightening