"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." Phil 1:27.This was the bible verse for day two of 40 days in the word.
As I was pondering this verse the phrase "worthy of the gospel of Christ" popped out at me. How can I "conduct" myself in a manner that is "worthy" of it? I started by thinking about being well-behaved but then my mind took a different turn. I began to think about the gospel of Christ and what it is. The gospel is often referred to as "good news." If the gospel of Christ is news what is that news and what makes it good? It is the news that Christ died on the cross and rose again. It is good because it is about forgiveness, reconciliation, grace and love. We have been separated from God but he loves us and has made a plan for our return to him. It is the news that we don't need to try to gain his favour by our actions he has given it to us. I have done nothing to merit my status as child of God. It was done for me by him. He took the insults, the scorn, the nails and thorns. He died in my place.
I believe what the Lord is telling me isn't that I am to be "better behaved" than others but that I have been granted a great gift which I did not earn. I need to be aware of that. My inner attitude and outer conduct toward others needs to be humble, gracious, forgiving and loving no matter what. I have "sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23) I live in His grace daily. I still sin, he is working on me from the inside out. Not everyone can tell that "I am a new creation" all the time, in all situations.
The other aspect of the "gospel of Christ" is self-sacrifice. Too often, in too many situations my attitude is one of self-preservation. I must look after my own interests first. I must make sure that I win at all costs. This attitude has done real harm in the past. I fight tooth and nail for My rights, for My position. I have been insulted, My pride has been hurt. The craziness is that too often while fighting for my own I actually lose something. I throw darts and wound those who are closest to me, and I lose a little bit of their trust. In my lack of humility I abase the gospel of Christ.
For me Phil 1:27 echoes Micah 6:8 "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."
I believe the only way that I can achieve these things is to keep close to him, depend on him. I can't do this alone, I've failed a lot trying. Day three's verse says this "God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him." (Phil 2:13) and what pleases him?--->Micah 6:8
I know that I will fail to live up to this at times but the gospel of Christ means that I need to confess, accept forgiveness, forgive myself, pick myself up and carry on.
Monday, 5 March 2012
Sunday, 4 March 2012
My list of honour
Last Thursday was International Women's day, our local paper printed a list of women leaders in the community and the editorial featured the names of some of the prominent leaders of our region. I thought that I would write up my own list of women whose lives have inspired me over my lifetime.
Biblical women of note:
Ruth-as a widow she left the security of family and homeland to accompany her widowed mother-in-law back to her land. She gave her word that she would not leave her mother-in-law saying to her "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried." Ruth kept that word. She cared for her mother-in-law, she went out into the fields and picked up the grain that was left behind so that they could eat. She inspires me to be loyal and keep the promises that I've made.
Deborah- she led Israel as a judge, people came to her for decisions about all kinds of things. She went out to battle with Israel. She inspires me to believe that God calls both men and women into ministry.
Anna- was a fixture at the temple "worshiping day and night," she was a widow and a prophetess. At 84 she witnessed the dedication of Jesus and recognized hem for who he was. Then she went and told everyone about it. She inspires me to remember that the physical world is not the only world and to let others know about Christ.
Famous women
Rosa Parks-She inspires me with her courage in the face of incredible opposition.
Mother Theresa-Inspires me with her self-sacrifice, her willingness to answer the call from God and spend her days taking care of the lowest of the lowest. She makes me remember that there is no such thing as the lowest of the lowest. In Gods eyes we are all precious. She is one of my all time biggest heroes.
Everyday women who are anything but:
These women all raised their children and then returned to work. They have inspired me to believe that it is never too late to start something new:
Aunt Elizabeth- went to seminary and became a Presbyterian minister.
Aunt Margaret- went back to university after raising 8 children and became a teacher.
Anita Teeninga- went to college and received a diploma as a speech therapy technician. She had to leave her home for a year and live in a city about an hours drive away(more during rush hour).
Mary Blake- Took courses online and became a library reference technician.
These women are a large part of the reason that I have returned to school, without their example I may not have done it.
The following women have taught me that seemingly small acts of kindness can make a huge difference.
Shirley Evans- she gave her time to me when I was a young mother with 5 small children. She came and visited, chatted and folded laundry. She brought me soup and picked up groceries and medicine for me when I was stuck in the house with a bunch of sick kids. She baby-sat for me when my mother-in-law passed away and then again so that I could go to counselling sessions.
Barb Buldyke- a woman who has often blessed me with prepared meals during times of difficulty. She has also done some child minding for me.
Val Penney- Blessed me with encouragement, friendship and many meals. When my mother died 4 years ago she and her husband drove the 3 hours to Stratford to attend the funeral.
Aunt Mimi-left her home and family to follow my father to Canada as she promised she would. She is a soft spoken, kind woman. She inspires me to loyalty and gentleness.
My favourite professional woman:
Amy Caughlin-my boss- Took over as the CEO of our local library and saw us through a major renovation project. She has made the library welcoming to people of all ages and a great place to work and study. She initiated programs for all ages. Our library now has programs for preschoolers, school aged children, teens and adults. The library has become a happening place because of this focused and accomplished woman.
The women nearest and dearest to me:
My Mother-Helen Neil Walton de Wever- She raised 5 children, went through many sad and difficult times and never let them embitter her. She was welcoming and nonjudgmental. Her strength came from the one who is strength, her peace from the one who is peace and her love from the source of all love. She has inspired me to seek out the Lord at all times.
My daughters- Tina, Anna and Grace- these three women inspire me with their strength, determination, creativity and devotion to a relationship with Christ. They cause me to marvel at the diversity of personalities in one family.
They inspire me to actively pursue my relationship with the Lord.
Well this is my personal list, what does yours look like?
Biblical women of note:
Ruth-as a widow she left the security of family and homeland to accompany her widowed mother-in-law back to her land. She gave her word that she would not leave her mother-in-law saying to her "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried." Ruth kept that word. She cared for her mother-in-law, she went out into the fields and picked up the grain that was left behind so that they could eat. She inspires me to be loyal and keep the promises that I've made.
Deborah- she led Israel as a judge, people came to her for decisions about all kinds of things. She went out to battle with Israel. She inspires me to believe that God calls both men and women into ministry.
Anna- was a fixture at the temple "worshiping day and night," she was a widow and a prophetess. At 84 she witnessed the dedication of Jesus and recognized hem for who he was. Then she went and told everyone about it. She inspires me to remember that the physical world is not the only world and to let others know about Christ.
Famous women
Rosa Parks-She inspires me with her courage in the face of incredible opposition.
Mother Theresa-Inspires me with her self-sacrifice, her willingness to answer the call from God and spend her days taking care of the lowest of the lowest. She makes me remember that there is no such thing as the lowest of the lowest. In Gods eyes we are all precious. She is one of my all time biggest heroes.
Everyday women who are anything but:
These women all raised their children and then returned to work. They have inspired me to believe that it is never too late to start something new:
Aunt Elizabeth- went to seminary and became a Presbyterian minister.
Aunt Margaret- went back to university after raising 8 children and became a teacher.
Anita Teeninga- went to college and received a diploma as a speech therapy technician. She had to leave her home for a year and live in a city about an hours drive away(more during rush hour).
Mary Blake- Took courses online and became a library reference technician.
These women are a large part of the reason that I have returned to school, without their example I may not have done it.
The following women have taught me that seemingly small acts of kindness can make a huge difference.
Shirley Evans- she gave her time to me when I was a young mother with 5 small children. She came and visited, chatted and folded laundry. She brought me soup and picked up groceries and medicine for me when I was stuck in the house with a bunch of sick kids. She baby-sat for me when my mother-in-law passed away and then again so that I could go to counselling sessions.
Barb Buldyke- a woman who has often blessed me with prepared meals during times of difficulty. She has also done some child minding for me.
Val Penney- Blessed me with encouragement, friendship and many meals. When my mother died 4 years ago she and her husband drove the 3 hours to Stratford to attend the funeral.
Aunt Mimi-left her home and family to follow my father to Canada as she promised she would. She is a soft spoken, kind woman. She inspires me to loyalty and gentleness.
My favourite professional woman:
Amy Caughlin-my boss- Took over as the CEO of our local library and saw us through a major renovation project. She has made the library welcoming to people of all ages and a great place to work and study. She initiated programs for all ages. Our library now has programs for preschoolers, school aged children, teens and adults. The library has become a happening place because of this focused and accomplished woman.
The women nearest and dearest to me:
My Mother-Helen Neil Walton de Wever- She raised 5 children, went through many sad and difficult times and never let them embitter her. She was welcoming and nonjudgmental. Her strength came from the one who is strength, her peace from the one who is peace and her love from the source of all love. She has inspired me to seek out the Lord at all times.
My daughters- Tina, Anna and Grace- these three women inspire me with their strength, determination, creativity and devotion to a relationship with Christ. They cause me to marvel at the diversity of personalities in one family.
They inspire me to actively pursue my relationship with the Lord.
Well this is my personal list, what does yours look like?
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Outside the box
Enthusiasm for life is not something that comes naturally to me. I tend to be complacent with a tendency toward inaction. I often crave quiet. So when our fourth child, Luke, was born I was not ready. He entered the world loudly. With only his head emerged Luke's cries could be heard in the birthing room, down the hall, through a fire safety door and into the waiting room.
One of my nick names for Luke as a child was Mr. Happy. He didn't always wake easily in the morning but once he was up he was really up. He would wake with a song and I think he still does.
Luke had a few minor problems as a child but those things never got him down for long. Once when he was about three we had to rush him to the hospital with a severe case of the croup. He spent the night in a croup tent, singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
One of the difficult things for me as a mother was sending my kids off to school. I always worried about them the first few days. With Luke my worries were very short lived because he found such joy in being there and in learning.
For the past several years we have only had one child at home at a time and so our house has become a quiet place. When Luke comes home for the weekend he bursts through the door and pops the quiet bubble. During his first weekend home, his first year of university Pete and I had just gone to bed and were quietly reading when Luke flung open our door while playing guitar, dancing and singing In the Jungle. He jumped onto our bed and continued to sing and dance causing Pete and I to laugh.
Luke is not always making noise but when you can't hear him you can be assured that he is either asleep, creating something or doing his philosophy homework. He is creative and sometimes asks the oddest questions.
Every one of my children is precious to me, every one different, each one adds something wonderful into the mix and every one of them has taught me something. Luke brings energy and laughter. You never really know what to expect. He challenges me to think outside of the box, find joy in small things and have some fun too.
One of my nick names for Luke as a child was Mr. Happy. He didn't always wake easily in the morning but once he was up he was really up. He would wake with a song and I think he still does.
Luke had a few minor problems as a child but those things never got him down for long. Once when he was about three we had to rush him to the hospital with a severe case of the croup. He spent the night in a croup tent, singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
For the past several years we have only had one child at home at a time and so our house has become a quiet place. When Luke comes home for the weekend he bursts through the door and pops the quiet bubble. During his first weekend home, his first year of university Pete and I had just gone to bed and were quietly reading when Luke flung open our door while playing guitar, dancing and singing In the Jungle. He jumped onto our bed and continued to sing and dance causing Pete and I to laugh.
Luke is not always making noise but when you can't hear him you can be assured that he is either asleep, creating something or doing his philosophy homework. He is creative and sometimes asks the oddest questions.
Every one of my children is precious to me, every one different, each one adds something wonderful into the mix and every one of them has taught me something. Luke brings energy and laughter. You never really know what to expect. He challenges me to think outside of the box, find joy in small things and have some fun too.
Florida or Bust.
Friday, 10 February 2012
Our true Home
This blog is called The Only Story I Can Tell because it is my story but I am not the author of this story.
I make choices everyday. I am proud of my accomplishments but should I be? Jesus said, "you cannot make even one hair white or black." What if I'd been born in abject poverty or in a place where women are held down and must be hidden away? What if I'd been born with an extreme handicap or mental illness? Let's face it I've won a lottery that I didn't buy a ticket for.
What if the questions I asked in the last paragraph were true? Would my life still be worth living? Would I still be of value? This is what Jesus had to say about our worth, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." and "For God so loved the world he sent his only Son." (paraphrase John 3:16)
I used to think that somehow I chose Christ but the reality is I didn't. I called out to him out of complete desperation that had nothing to do with material possessions. I realized that I was alone, completely and utterly alone. I had friends, family, a boyfriend and yet I was alone, unmoored, adrift. I couldn't help myself out of this situation. So I reached out and grabbed the hand that was reaching toward me. He pulled me out, he took me in, he wrapped his arms around me. He demonstrated his love to me, he showed me the cross and the nails that seemingly held him there. He taught me to know that it wasn't the nails that kept him on the cross or the soldiers or the angry mobs, it was Love. He showed me that I was not meant to be alone. I was meant to be with him. Once he rescued me I saw the futility in hanging onto the floating wreckage of this world; possessions and ambitions, status, education and beauty. Even if I built those things together they wouldn't make a boat. They would be cobbled together pieces that at best made a leaky raft. We can loose our possessions, our status, our beauty even our intelligence. We may never attain our ambitions and after all we end up in a grave, alone. But Christ is more than a boat upon a sea he is dry land. He is home.
I have possessions, I have a job that I enjoy, I have dear family and friends, these things are not bad. But sometimes I forget that all of it can disappear in an instant. I forget that I "cannot add one day to my life by worrying." That I "can't even change the colour of my own hair."(dye grows out eventually) I begin to believe that some of those things are really important, that they make up who I am. I forget that the One from whom all blessings flow "is before all things, and in him all things hold together." When this happens I begin to roam. I don't get very far though he always taps me on the shoulder and reminds me of who I really am and to remember "who I was when God called me. I was not considered wise by human standards. Nor powerful." [paraphrase 1 Cor 1:26] The great thing about having Christ as my home is that He is always there around the next bend in the road waiting for me to realize that. "Because of what God has done, we belong to Christ Jesus. He has become God's wisdom for us. He makes us right with God. He makes us holy and sets us free."(1 Cor. 1:30)
Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals he's waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.
Come home, come home,
Ye who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home.
I make choices everyday. I am proud of my accomplishments but should I be? Jesus said, "you cannot make even one hair white or black." What if I'd been born in abject poverty or in a place where women are held down and must be hidden away? What if I'd been born with an extreme handicap or mental illness? Let's face it I've won a lottery that I didn't buy a ticket for.
What if the questions I asked in the last paragraph were true? Would my life still be worth living? Would I still be of value? This is what Jesus had to say about our worth, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." and "For God so loved the world he sent his only Son." (paraphrase John 3:16)
I used to think that somehow I chose Christ but the reality is I didn't. I called out to him out of complete desperation that had nothing to do with material possessions. I realized that I was alone, completely and utterly alone. I had friends, family, a boyfriend and yet I was alone, unmoored, adrift. I couldn't help myself out of this situation. So I reached out and grabbed the hand that was reaching toward me. He pulled me out, he took me in, he wrapped his arms around me. He demonstrated his love to me, he showed me the cross and the nails that seemingly held him there. He taught me to know that it wasn't the nails that kept him on the cross or the soldiers or the angry mobs, it was Love. He showed me that I was not meant to be alone. I was meant to be with him. Once he rescued me I saw the futility in hanging onto the floating wreckage of this world; possessions and ambitions, status, education and beauty. Even if I built those things together they wouldn't make a boat. They would be cobbled together pieces that at best made a leaky raft. We can loose our possessions, our status, our beauty even our intelligence. We may never attain our ambitions and after all we end up in a grave, alone. But Christ is more than a boat upon a sea he is dry land. He is home.
I have possessions, I have a job that I enjoy, I have dear family and friends, these things are not bad. But sometimes I forget that all of it can disappear in an instant. I forget that I "cannot add one day to my life by worrying." That I "can't even change the colour of my own hair."(dye grows out eventually) I begin to believe that some of those things are really important, that they make up who I am. I forget that the One from whom all blessings flow "is before all things, and in him all things hold together." When this happens I begin to roam. I don't get very far though he always taps me on the shoulder and reminds me of who I really am and to remember "who I was when God called me. I was not considered wise by human standards. Nor powerful." [paraphrase 1 Cor 1:26] The great thing about having Christ as my home is that He is always there around the next bend in the road waiting for me to realize that. "Because of what God has done, we belong to Christ Jesus. He has become God's wisdom for us. He makes us right with God. He makes us holy and sets us free."(1 Cor. 1:30)
Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals he's waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.
Come home, come home,
Ye who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home.
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
A Jewel
Hello again! I've said that each of my children has taught me something. I also look at my children and am amazed at who they are. God has made each one wonderfully unique. I love it! So I share another jewel with you.
The first thing that you notice when you meet Anna is her smile. It lights up her face. It is a smile that elicits a smile in response. She is an intelligent woman. She has an honours BA in sociology/social work with a minor in psychology. After graduating from university she spent a year teaching in South Korea. She has an adventurous spirit. This summer she took a road trip with 2 friends with no real plans for accommodation. They camped in a hippie camp ground, and on a beach, where they were woken up in the night by a sudden storm, and in a guest house owned by a very elderly man.She has a zest for life. She not only dreams of doing things, she does them. I am amazed at her courage.
Camping on the sandy beach taught Anna and her friends the truth of Jesus teaching about building our lives on a rock foundation rather than on sand!
After spending a year teaching in Korea Anna realized that the thing that gives her the most joy in life is working with small children. She becomes animated when she tells us stories about "her children." She is a great at mimic and makes us laugh at the children's antics. Anna is now doing an intensive ECE program at Sheridan College that is meant for people with a BA in the social sciences.
When Anna was growing up one of the things that impressed me was her determination. We have an old home video of Anna at the beach. She must have been around three and a half at the time. She's built a sandcastle and runs to the ocean with a little cup to fill with water for the moat. She runs up from the ocean with the little cup. When she comes close her Dad asks her "what have you got in the cup." She starts to reply, then looks down at the cup and realizes that it's empty! Does Anna give up, no. She runs back to the ocean and scoops up some more water. This time she walks very slowly, carefully covering the little cup of water with her hand and this time she has water to put in her moat! It was the same when she was learning to ride a bike and then later when she was having a difficult time in a high school course. Anna does not give up easily. She puts all her effort into things, especially those things that she finds challenging.
She has had her sorrows. Two summers ago one of her good friends from high school was killed when she lost control of her car and crashed. This was a sad time for Anna. It is always difficult when someone your age dies young. It doesn't seem fair. You realize your own mortality. It is hard to watch your child grieve. You want to help them in some way or take the pain away, you can't and you feel powerless. All you can do is give hugs, love and pray, pray, pray. Little by little these types of things have taught me to let go. To trust my children to God and to trust my children in their relationship with him.
Anna really cares for people and I think that is why she chose to study social work. She has been a blessing to me. She is understanding and warm, an easy person to talk to. Her approach to life dares me to get out of my comfort zone, to work hard and not give up and to have some fun too!
Camping on the sandy beach taught Anna and her friends the truth of Jesus teaching about building our lives on a rock foundation rather than on sand!
After spending a year teaching in Korea Anna realized that the thing that gives her the most joy in life is working with small children. She becomes animated when she tells us stories about "her children." She is a great at mimic and makes us laugh at the children's antics. Anna is now doing an intensive ECE program at Sheridan College that is meant for people with a BA in the social sciences.
When Anna was growing up one of the things that impressed me was her determination. We have an old home video of Anna at the beach. She must have been around three and a half at the time. She's built a sandcastle and runs to the ocean with a little cup to fill with water for the moat. She runs up from the ocean with the little cup. When she comes close her Dad asks her "what have you got in the cup." She starts to reply, then looks down at the cup and realizes that it's empty! Does Anna give up, no. She runs back to the ocean and scoops up some more water. This time she walks very slowly, carefully covering the little cup of water with her hand and this time she has water to put in her moat! It was the same when she was learning to ride a bike and then later when she was having a difficult time in a high school course. Anna does not give up easily. She puts all her effort into things, especially those things that she finds challenging. She has had her sorrows. Two summers ago one of her good friends from high school was killed when she lost control of her car and crashed. This was a sad time for Anna. It is always difficult when someone your age dies young. It doesn't seem fair. You realize your own mortality. It is hard to watch your child grieve. You want to help them in some way or take the pain away, you can't and you feel powerless. All you can do is give hugs, love and pray, pray, pray. Little by little these types of things have taught me to let go. To trust my children to God and to trust my children in their relationship with him.
Anna really cares for people and I think that is why she chose to study social work. She has been a blessing to me. She is understanding and warm, an easy person to talk to. Her approach to life dares me to get out of my comfort zone, to work hard and not give up and to have some fun too!
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
I've been thinking about loneliness lately.
The worst thing about loneliness isn't the aloneness. It's the idea that there is no one in this world that thinks enough of you to take the time to connect with you.
There are different reasons for loneliness. The first reason is isolation caused by a person's circumstances. A person may be lonely because they are physically, mentally or emotionally unable to reach out. Seniors, the disabled, the mentally ill and even young stay-at-home mothers of multiple children fall into this category.
There are lonely people who, because of circumstances, have become bitter depressives who repel people.
Then there are those who are physically isolated because they live in remote areas.
But last I think that there is a newer breed of lonely people. This last breed is a product of our culture. They are those who choose to be alone. They are the busy people of this world. Most of us these days have fallen into this category at one time or another. Our modern society makes it easy to be alone. One no longer needs to leave the comfort of their home to; pay bills, check out, request or renew books from a library, gain access to newspaper and magazine articles, shop, go to school or even socialize.
When my kids were small I fell into the first category. There were times, during flu season, where I hardly left the house for months at a time. I don't know how I would've made it through if it weren't for those women whose children were no longer wrapped around their ankles who came to my rescue. I had several friends who would visit, sit, have a cup of tea. There was one woman who used to come and chat while we folded laundry. There was always a mountain of laundry..
I no longer fall into this category and yet there are times when I feel lonely. Over the past year or so I've backed out of commitments at church because I've been busy. Recently I woke up to discover that I was lonely. I began to think about how I'd come to this place, to ponder the Bible verse in Genesis where God states "it is not good for man to be alone." In the garden man had a relationship with God with no barriers; yet God saw the need for a companion for Adam. God created Eve out of Adam's rib. He could have scooped up a handful of clay, formed it in the shape of a woman and breathed life into it but he didn't. I believe that God wanted there to be a deep connection between Adam and his companion. Since that time every human being has started life connected physically to another human being. We are not meant to be alone, we are meant to have deep connections with others.
This Sunday our pastor preached from 1st Corinthians 12:12-26, about community. (The passage where Paul compares the Church to the human body.) The sermon was one of the best that I've ever heard on this passage. It spoke to me personally because God had been talking to me about this already. Fred's final points were on how to experience community. He said first of all; one needs "to show up"; secondly participate in the community; one should share, tell their story; stay and spend time with others; and lastly don't give up. Community is not necessarily an easy thing to deal with sometimes people get on our nerves or offend us. It is important for me to remember that sometimes I get on people nerves or offend. Lots of grace is required in order to have community.
This week I've decided to do something about my lonely state. I've decided to get out, show up, participate, spend some time getting to know others.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)