THE BIG NOPE

2016

Lots of people are declaring a WORD for 2016.

Joy
Hope
Resolve
Enough
Blessed
Wild
Patient
Love
Grow

BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.

My word for 2016 - NOPE.  Which is funny. Because I actually think it's kind of cool to apply a certain theme to your life.  It's there to help keep you on track. I admire those who attempt such a thing and I'm about to join the ranks.

NOPE.  It might seem like a negative word, but for me it's not.  Here's why.

In 2016...

Am I going to get worked up as much? NOPE

Am I going to worry as much? NOPE

Am I going to take things personally as much? NOPE

Am I going to be depressed as much? NOPE

Am I going to be self centered as much? NOPE.

Am I going to over extend my self as much? NOPE (and how do I do that? By saying NOPE more often).

Am I going to care as much? YES.

Am I going to love as much? YES.

Am I going to enjoy as much? YES.

Am I going to sit around as much? NOPE.

So where did all this start?  It started with a shirt.  I found this shirt while on a mini get away over New Year's with the hubbs.  He would have much preferred if the shirt said, "Yes, Sir!" but it doesn't. :)

I LOVE THIS SHIRT!!  It's comfy, It's cute, It's SPARKLY, It's sarcastic.  It's pretty much ME.

Now, I'd love to tell you that I didn't get all gussied up to take this one shot for this blog post, but I can't.  It was actually an entire ordeal I blogged about in THE SELFIE SAGA.  Check it out.  Give your little selfie a little smile.

So as we get deeper and deeper into 2016.  Here's to saying NOPE way more often so I can say YES to so much more!

The Selfie SAGA

As I have stated in the past on various social media I hate taking selfies.  I'm just not any good at it. But, alas.  I really needed a good selfie of me in a certain shirt for a blog post I was working on called THE BIG NOPE.  The entire post was inspired by said shirt.  Here is a selfie photo journal on the adventure I took getting the shot I wanted.

First, I had to gussie myself up.  I showered, brushed & blow dried, and put on makeup.  I found the right layers, added the desired tee and just the right pair of jeans.  I had somewhere to be in about an hour, so I dressed both babies and started snapping away.

Here's the deal...

1. My phone was almost dead so I had to start somewhere next to an outlet.



Eh. Not bad.  But...

2. I needed my shirt in the pic.



Oh, wait.  I need to smile. My face looks like I'm trying to look at my shirt through a reversed camera on my phone.  And maybe not smile, but you know at least have a quirky half smile or something.



Hmm.  What's going on with my freakishly deformed arm and double chin?  Oh, yea.  LOOK UP...



Better. But why is there weird shadow across my body. It's almost as if I'm holding both my arms up trying to keep a phone still with one hand, while not blocking the lens with any of my fingers and attempting to push the dang button with the same hand all the time trying to look as cute and thin as possible (That's No. 3, BTW).  Yea. I totally get why people spend their days doing this.

Not to mention, I always have a difficult time knowing where to look. Screen or lens?

Try again.



Not quite.

Try again.



Read the shirt.

QUESTION: HOW do people do this?  I want to see my face, and my shirt in the same shot with out weird shadows and without finger and arm cramps. ANSWER:  The infamous MIRROR SELFIE.



Again.  HOW do people do this?  I'll just try every mirror in the house... Hmm. It's a little warm in here.



NOPE. NOPE. NOPE. NOPE. NOPE. Just read the shirt.

THE SHIRT!  Maybe if I just snap a selfie of the shirt!



Too much face.



Light Bulb! TURN THE CAMERA - GENIUS!!
And maybe if I try switching arms....



Yea. That didn't work.


Hey. That one's OK.  But, then I realize, if I just want a picture of my shirt, maybe the best thing is to take a picture of my shirt. I pulled my outer layer off and meticulously placed it on the couch.







*SNAP* Oh, wait.  Toddler bomb (excuse me while I "redirect" my child elsewhere).

Is it hot in here?



Ah Ha!  This one's OK.

But it's not a selfie.

I really wanted a selfie. Man. It IS hot in here!


I slip my shirt back on and by this time, I'm ONE HOT MESS!! Different lighting, different wall color backgrounds, phone high, phone low, mirror here, mirror there, near an outlet, unplugged for two shots, plugged in for three, chasing a toddler. What in the world possesses a person to do this?!

I'm going OUTSIDE to cool off!

HOLY COW - IT's FrEeZiNg out here!!

Back inside.






Selfie with a crying toddler who's Mommy went outside for two seconds (or for two selfies - whichever one is longer).



Well, this has been fun, but it's time to leave.  Wrestling around a toddler, an infant in his car seat and two diaper bags hasn't done anything to cool me off. But being outside in the cold to start the car and strap in the babies has pretty much done the trick.  It IS cold, but I'm still somewhat HOT.  I know.  I'll run back in and grab my signature sweater and scarf. Perfect.  Except I locked the house as instructed by my local law enforcement as to keep serial robberies at bay.  OK.  Now, I'm actually cold.  I get my keys from the car, run inside and grab the goods.  I totally need a Diet Coke.

Back in the car, I thought. Hey!  While I'm at the selfie thing, I'll take one to celebrate the fact that I'm in the car and ready to go ON TIME. WOOT!!



HOLY. FREAKING. COW.  The lighting is perfect.  My hair looks great.



My children are properly restrained. THIS is why people take selfies in their CAR!



Ooooo..  I think I'll snap a few more!



SELFIE. SELFIE. SELFIE. SELFIE. SELFIE. SELFIE. OH. SNAP!



Celebratory Sonic Selfie!  Now.  On with my day.

And no.  I didn't get the perfect selfie for my blog.  But I got one that will work.  Does that bother me?

What's IN and What's OUT?

I have been commissioned (along with my Worship Ministry Team) to review the current song bank at our church and make additions and subtractions as needed to fit our current culture of worship. Our task is to come up with 100-150 songs that we consider to be "our songs (thank you, Ed Stetzer)." These would be songs that the members of our congregation can identify themselves with individually and as unified church body.

But it's not just about picking the songs we "like." We have been challenged and convicted to examine each song and be able to communicate WHY we chose to have this particular song make the YES LIST.

Upon initial review I found that our song bank has approximately 250 songs in it as of now. And honestly, I was hard pressed to find more than 50 songs I would personally include in a song set (based mostly on my own preferences). There were also a handful of new pieces we've been working on but have not done with the church yet and another handful of songs I am not opposed to, but wouldn't personally choose to include in my worship sets. I soon realized that WE HAVE A TON OF WORK TO DO!!


So where do you begin?


Here are 5 guidelines for why a song should REMAIN in the set...

1. It communicates a truth from SCRIPTURE (Nehemiah 8:1-6)

2. The lyrics come directly from SCRIPTURE (Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:18-19)

3. It gives GLORY TO GOD for either WHO He is or WHAT He has done (Psalm 145)

4. It is TIMELESS and caries a weight of emotional and spiritual significance ACROSS GENERATIONS (Joshua 4:19-24)

5. It is NEW - to be sung for now, but maybe not forever (Psalm 149)


But it's not just about KEEPING songs. Some songs just need to GO and for good reason! So...


Here are 5 guidelines for why a song should be ELIMINATED...

1. It is a nice song ABOUT God things which are NOT THEOLOGICALLY SOUND (This one is tricky. All churches are different and it depends on individual interpretation - but think, "Does this song match up to what MY CHURCH believes about this idea/topic?" - Don't know?  Get a copy of your church's statement of believes, or ask a pastor or elder if it lines up with what they would teach the congregation.)

2. It’s a love song. If God is not specifically mentioned or if you can easily exchange God or Lord for “Baby or Girl," - it's not deep enough (Hebrews 13:15)

3. It Glorifies ME and WHO I AM instead of GOD and WHO HE IS or it glorifies what I GET OUT of God instead of what GOD HAS DONE for me – it has to be MORE about GOD and LESS about ME. (John 3:30)

4. It’s OLD - and no longer relevant – aka NOT TIMELESS (Mark 7:1-13)

5. It is UNCOMFORTABLE to sing either because it's too difficult or it's in a style that doesn't suit your congregation. (1 Corinthians 14:33a)


I will be putting these guidelines into practice first by selecting my personal TOP 10 LIST of songs our church already uses - that is quite the task!  Blessings to my team who are attempting to do the same.  I hope you find these ideas helpful in your endeavor.

Redeeming My Time

Simply Living for Him Heart Challenge - Part One

First off, I'd like to make a HUGE shout out to Karen DeBeus at Simply Living for Him for inspiring me to simplify in so many ways!  The thoughts she shares both from herself and others have helped me to simplify in my house and homeschool and now she has challenged me to simplify the things that try to capture my heart.

The first challenge she posted was about simplifying your time.  Time is such an easy thing to waste.  So to meet her challenge I decided to trade my "checking-out-this-is-when-Mommy-plays-games-on-her-phone-time" into time meditating on God's word.  So whenever I sat down for a breather instead of checking Facebook, browsing Amazon, or attempting to save the farm from eminent parking lot construction orchestrated by a nasty tie-wearing raccoon, I chose to sit and read Psalm 19. Now, before I get into my thoughts on the passage, I must tell you how this change of mind (or simplification of heart) transformed my week.

It was little things, really.  Things like reading the Bible out loud to my sweet baby as he nursed instead of browsing Facebook. Or asking my kids to identify the main idea of the passage while waiting for the hamburger to brown - Bible AND Language Arts: SCORE! Or myself and each of my kids reading the same passage to each other out of their preferred translation (yes my 8 and 10 year old have translation preferences) and then discussing the different nuances of each instead of us all just "hanging out" until bedtime.

And it was also bigger things like feeling more dialed in and less checked out with my family in general and humbling myself to ask my husband to pray for me as I tried to improve this area of my life - which he wholeheartedly did.

And I'm not going to go into the scriptural part of my journey too much - you can have your own adventures in the scriptures! But I will give you a few glimpses into my week. The first section of the passage I chose to meditate on was verses 7-9: "The Law of the Lord is perfect..."  which is what we decided was the main idea of the chapter since it was repeated - and if it's repeated, it's probably important, right?

Later in the week I was focused on the very start of the passage in verses 1-4a.  Here is where reading the different translations became important - go ahead. Try it.  We read it in NIV (84), NIV (2011), HCSB, and ESV.  And honestly it wasn't until I read it in the NET Bible that it actually made sense!  And sorry, you are going to have to go on that goose chase for yourself.  Let me know how it goes!

I'm looking forward to continuing this challenge into this coming week while meditating on Psalm 1 as well as taking on the second part of her challenge about storing your treasures in heaven. I'll let you know how it goes!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Just What I've Been Missing

CONNECTING CHURCH & HOME by Dr. Tim Kimmel is just what I have been missing.  The book outlines a, “grace-based partnership” between the church and home to win and keep the next generation of believers for Christ.  The best thing about this book is how it hooks you to keep reading by leaking out these bits and pieces about “grace.”  I know what grace is and what that means for my salvation, but what does it have to do with my ministry and how will it transform the relationship I have with my children?  I was left wanting to read more and more.

First, Kimmel lines out the problem of young people leaving the faith.  His take on this is that parents have been outsourcing faith training for far too long.  They have been looking to the experts to lead their kids to Christ then to disciple them into maturity rather than accepting their God-given role to do this themselves.  But not only have the parents expected the church to do their job for them, the church has happily agreed to take on the task and thereby usurped the parents’ and grandparents’ role in the faith training of their own children.

This information is nothing new in the “family ministry” circle that I find myself in, but my question quickly became, “Alright - so what about this GRACE?” And I just had to keep turning the pages.  From chapter to chapter on heart connections, ministry philosophy, the problems people have with grace, an introduction to a basic grace-based ministry plan, it all finally lined out with this: Grace is simply, “treating others the way God treats us.”  When we approach the ministry we have to our children (or the ministry we have to the families in our churches) we must relate to one another in the same way God relates to us.  God the Father, 1. Meets our innermost needs, 2. Allows us the freedom to be ourselves, 3. Gives us the tools we need to build our character which, 4. Leads us into a life of true greatness.

There were several well-communicated points about what this looks like in our relationships but the one that hit me exactly where I needed to hear it was that God isn’t surprised when we mess up and neither should we be shocked when our kids do the same.  By modeling the Grace of God,

“Parents and leaders aren’t surprised that children struggle with lying, passing blame, responding in an unacceptable way to their siblings, or speaking in an inappropriate way to their parents. Nor do they take it personally – even if it’s personally directed at them.  They do their best to catch as many of the kids’ mistakes and graciously deal with them accordingly.  Grace isn’t passive toward sin.  It clearly upholds the moral and relational guidelines of the Bible and disciplines children when they make mistakes.  But it always does it graciously without cultivating shame and with the child’s best interest in mind (p.72).”

Wow.  I’ve been getting better at this, but there was even a time in my life where I took it personally when my kids made messes in the kitchen!  Keeping this grace-based mindset specifically in my parenting (even in the short time after reading this book) has completely changed the relationship I have with my kids for better and for life.  I praise God for this book and the impact it has had on our family.

After really hitting the grace point home, Kimmel outlines the Grace-Based Family Ministry Model he and his team adopted for their home church.  He lines out the “Family Land Map” and the path in which you and your child travel in your discipleship journey together.  It lines up with several other models I have seen and this one is nothing short of excellent.  And yet, this is the point in which I found myself saying, “Hey, wait a minute.  I just spent three years of my life doing the exact same thing for my home church – maybe I should write a book about it too.”  But that’s for another day, I guess. 

BOTTOM LINE:  I highly recommend this book to parents and church leaders alike.  It is a short, easy read that gets to the heart of a lot of the issues churches and homes are facing today and then lines out a sample plan of action immersed in the grace of God that is clear and concise that any family or church could easily adapt to their specific God-given circumstances. 

"I Didn't See Anything..." *wink*wink*

Please Click & Read
Proverbs 10


People who wink at wrong cause trouble, but a bold reproof promotes peace. - vs. 10 (NLT)


According to the NLT foot note on this verse, this particular translation of this verse is taken from a Greek text rather than Hebrew.  Few translations chose to use this specific wording, which is one reason why I am glad stepped out of my box and chose to look at the NLT each week.  The moment I read this verse I was reminded of an ordeal that my daughter went through in early elementary school.

She came home one day and she wasn't quite herself.  She didn't want to play, wasn't really interested in a snack, and just kinda sat around moping.  Now for my little ball of energy and excitement these non-characteristic behaviors threw up a red flag.  Something was wrong.

The moment I asked her if she was OK, she laid it out there.  It was hard to tell exactly what had happened at first because of the quick talking mixed with loud sobbing, but eventually I pieced the story together.

Early in the day she was in line with her class moving down the hallways.  At one point she had lagged behind and ran to catch up.  Now everyone knows that you are NEVER to run in the hallways, so she knew she was in trouble as soon as she turned the corner and saw her teacher standing there.  But instead of a quick, "You know better than to run in the hall...," the teacher put on a silly face and looked away as if sarcastically saying, "I didn't see anything...did you see anything?" and down the hallway they went back to class.  No big deal.

Wrong. HUGE DEAL - to my daughter at least.  She was worried the entire rest of the day that she had done something wrong and that her teacher knew it and wasn't going to do anything about it.  She began to fear that her teacher would also be in for it for pretending and acting like it never happened. Because after all - everyone knows you NEVER run in the hall.  From that moment she was grieved not only for herself but was carrying the guilt of the fear of getting her teacher into trouble too.

Well I attempted to console her and tell her it wasn't a big deal - but that wasn't enough.  She INSISTED that she needed to apologize to her teacher for the mistake and ask for her forgiveness.  I told her that if she was going to do that then she needed to be able to explain to her why it upset her so much. Then she also insisted she needed to apologize to the school principal since, "she's the one that makes the rules, and I didn't obey them."

How amazingly humble.  

So the next morning we went to school a few minutes early so she could make amends.  Her teacher, of course, was completely shocked that what she had done had caused so much trouble by "winking" at my daughter's disobedience (funny how the woman called Foley in chapter 9 is described as, "ignorant and she does not know it...") - but I personally think SHE aught to have known better.  I'm all for having fun and being silly and friendly with your children/students - but when it comes to right and wrong, it's right or it's wrong.  How does the verse go again? "People who wink at wrong cause trouble, but a bold reproof promotes peace."  

If she had chosen the wise approach of instructing my child to righteous behavior, my child would have been at peace, rather than distraught over her own foolishness AND that of the teacher.  Carrying guilt for an entire day (especially when you're 7) is the opposite of peace and most certainly feels like trouble.

Our children need our bold reproof to be at peace.  They need to be instructed and guided into righteous behavior because there is a FINE LINE between childish behavior and foolish behavior and if we don't show our children where that line is - it won't even exist in their world and they will grow up to be fools indeed.

Lord, please let us not, "wink at wrong," and cause trouble for our children.  Let us not allow them to do wrong and write it off as "cute" or "funny."  Help us to realize what it is. It is SIN. And if we can not help them to recognize the sin in their life - how will we get them to the point of realizing their need to be free of that sin.  Forgive us when we act foolishly - help us to be wise.  Give us wisdom in abundance to pour out on our children.  Help us to be brave enough to discipline our children, to give them the, "bold reproof," they need that will, "promote peace," not only in their hearts, but in our homes as well.  

Thank you, Father.

Amen

You are Invited - Proverbs 9

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Proverbs 9

Receiving an invitation is always nice. Whether to a fancy dinner party, a child's birthday party, or just a casual night out with friends - it's always nice to be invited.  It's also great to be on the inviting end.  Making plans, prepping for guests to arrive, enjoying the company, and the compliments that follow of how "marvelous" a time everyone had.


Then there are those not-so-welcome invitations.  The ones that lead to those awkward occasions that you'd really just rather do without but feel obligated to attend (like extended family dinners on your spouses side... oh, come on, you know that sounds nicer than saying you hate to visit the in-laws). Then there are the invitations that we should decline - those that invite you to partake in something that could corrupt your values, that could taint your reputation, that might make others think less (or more) of you than they should - but we still find ourselves being obligated (or should I say tempted) to attend.


Solomon paints us a picture in Chapter 9 of two very different hostesses. One, who is Wisdom, has invited many to a feast in her home.  She sends out servants to call in everyone they see.  She invites those near and far - and she specifically invites those who are in need of her gifts. She has prepared choice food and drink from her own hands that will nourish all those who partake and while at her party she encourages them to accept the gift that she has for them so they can improve their lives once they return home.  


Then there is the second, who is Foley.  Foley goes to no length to seek out special guests, she just hollers from her balcony at anyone that might be passing by hoping to entice them to join her in her ways.  One by one they enter and she deceives them with food and drink she has stolen from who knows where.  She lies telling her victims that it is just as good or better than what her neighbor, Wisdom, has to offer.  But once they partake, and join in Foley's party, they find there is no happy return or blessing to be had, only death.


We must be able to decipher between the invitations that Foley brings which certainly will lead to our own demise and those that Wisdom offers us. For,

"Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life. If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit. If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer."   - vs. 11-12

Don't be an ignorant passer-by that is lured in by Foley and her wickedness. Rather, accept Wisdom's invitation. For the, "Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment." - vs. 10. Seek out Wisdom.  Seek out God.  You must know Him to know Wisdom.  Accept the invitation to the feast and your life will be blessed.  Reject it and you will die.


Chapter 9 Survival Skills:
This chapter tells us how to DISCERN between the invitations of Wisdom and Foley.  Choose Wisdom for Life and Foley for Death.

What Does She Look Like? - Proverbs 8

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Proverbs 8

Before a man makes any type of investment in a woman he is interested in what she looks like.  Does she look healthy?  Does she look happy?  Does she look like someone I want wake up with for the rest of my life?  Does she look like she will love and respect me? Every woman is beautiful, because God created her to be.  Chapter 8 gives us a picture of what Wisdom looks like, how she acts and where she came from. According to vs. 22-31 God also created the beauty that is wisdom itself.  She says,

“The Lord formed me from the beginning, before he created anything else. I was appointed in ages past, at the very first, before the earth began. I was born before the oceans were created, before the springs bubbled forth their waters. Before the mountains were formed, before the hills, I was born - before he had made the earth and fields and the first handfuls of soil. I was there when he established the heavens, when he drew the horizon on the oceans. I was there when he set the clouds above, when he established springs deep in the earth. I was there when he set the limits of the seas, so they would not spread beyond their boundaries. And when he marked off the earth’s foundations, I was the architect at his side. I was his constant delight, rejoicing always in his presence. And how happy I was with the world he created; how I rejoiced with the human family!"

Wisdom, The Architect - Prov. 8:30

These verses were the most interesting to me.  Some say that Solomon is giving us a picture of Christ and His role in creation.  I might be inclined to think that other than I believe that Jesus IS God and was NOT created by God because He has always been part of the Great I AM, the Alpha & Omega, the First and the Last from everlasting to everlasting.

What I do think Solomon is doing here is personifying the specific characteristic of God that is His Wisdom.  This poetic retelling of the creation story is told from the perspective of God's Wisdom and how God created the world consulting his trusty "architect" so that each molecule would be set with Wisdom as its binder.  

If we personified one of God's other attributes, such as Truth, into this passage it might read something like this, with Truth saying, "The Lord formed me from the beginning, before he created anything else...I was there when he established the heavens, when he drew the horizon on the oceans, I was the transit by which he leveled it...I was his constant assurance, trusting always in His presence. And how happy I was with the world he created; how I rejoiced with the human family!"

Truth, just like Wisdom, is a part of who God is.  God could not have created the world without them because he could not have created the world without all of himself - including Jesus and the Spirit.

So I encourage you to re-read chapter 8 considering how each lyric that creatively describes Wisdom is in fact painting a picture of God Himself.  So what does Wisdom look like?  She looks like the Everlasting, Creator God. Now who wouldn't want to wake up with that each morning?

Chapter 8 Survival Skills:
This entire chapter is outlining what wisdom looks like.  When we know what we are looking for it is easy to DISCERN what it is we are NOT looking for.

Be a Story Teller - Proverbs 7

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Proverbs 7

Solomon is an amazing story teller.  Here in chapter 7 he tells a story to his sons.  A story of a man's demise.  He is sharing from his own personal storehouse of experiences to teach his child a valuable truth.


My daughter asks me to tell her stories from time to time.  And she doesn't want ANY story - she wants a story about me.  She wants to hear the stories of my life.  She desires to understand who her mother is and I'm pretty sure it's because she wants to be just like me.  


In reality, I hope she turns out a lot better than I did.  Isn't that what we all want for our kids?  We want them to be happier, healthier and wealthier than we are. But what about spiritual prowess - do we desire that our children's spiritual journey would begin at the point where ours will end?  I DO!


But I realize that ineveitably I will in some small or large way - screw it up.  I will forget, leave out or totally miss something that is essential for her spiritual life.  And somewhere along the way she will indeed come to terms with how screwed up my life actually was.  But yet - I want her to understand it.


I want her to know where I struggled.  I want her to understand why I live my life the way I do - even if It means telling her some hard things.  It means I must humble myself, break down the exterior of my heart and let her in.  I must SHARE my life with her in order to TEACH her how to be better.  


I think that Solomon was so passionate about his sons' defense against the immoral woman because he probably struggled with the very same temptation.  He may not have been visiting prostitutes left and right, but by the end of his life he even embraced other gods because of his love for the immoral, foreign women in his own household.  But by pleading with his sons to avoid the same traps, I think he was doing his best to help them to break the cycle - to NOT follow in his footsteps where he struggled.


So I pray that when the day does come when my daughter finds out I'm a complete nut-job, she will have the grace to forgive me for screwing up her life because she will at least understand WHY I am the way I am through the stories I told her and the lessons she learned from them.


And in that - she would also recognize that the Great I AM has all the healing she will need if she will yield her life to him and accept his love and salvation. Cuz heaven knows, with me as her mom, she's gonna need it.


Chapter 7 Survival Skills:
This entire chapter is TRAINING his sons to use SELF DEFENSE against the immoral woman. What do we need to TRAIN our children to AVOID using the lessons from our own lives?

Changing the Message

So, today our family visited a friend's church.  A contemporary, very relevant, up and coming congregation that is roughly in our area.  From the first step inside these people have got it together!  We were welcomed and guided around the building.  We knew exactly where to go and what to do for our kids and ourselves.  That was a rare blessing indeed.  We visited with the minister before services, filled out our welcome card, picked up our gift from the welcome center and sat down.

The music was to our liking even if we didn't know any of the songs. The communion service was well done and everything seemed easy to "get into."  Then the sermon began.  Wow.  We heard a very impassioned sermon on making the right choices - specifically the choice to accept Jesus and how by NOT accepting Him we are rejecting Him.  All good, bold and powerful words.  

Then came another passionate plea, "Parents, Parents!"  

Ooo, I'm shifting in my seat! 

"Parents, Please!"  

Is he's gonna do it? He's actually going to do it...

"Parents it is so important that your children believe and serve God." 

Ok, Here it comes!  Is he really going to do it? 

"So get them here!" 

WHAT?!

"Bring them to Sunday School, Bring them to Jr. Worship (or whatever they called it)"

NO - It can't be...

"Sign them up for church camp..."

No. He didn't...

That was just it...he didn't. 

My heart sank into the deep pit that was my stomach.  What? That's your only solution, "Parents, bring your kids to us and we will teach them about Jesus?"  What about telling parents that GOD SAYS it is THEIR JOB to teach their children about Jesus!  Then the parents decide that yes, Sunday School, Jr. Worship, and Church Camp are all GOOD things that will HELP ME, but are certainly not the be-all-and-end-all of my child's faith training.  What a let down.  I must admit that for about three minutes after that I heard nothing. Nothing but my brain starting to worry for these people.  These poor people who have it all together and yet have it all confused.

Parents, Parents, PLEASE! Train your children in righteousness.  Teach them - in your home - about God and his plan of redemption.  SHOW your children - in your home - how to Love Him and to serve Him. And yes, take your children to church, put them in the kids programming and even sign them up for church camp so that what YOU teach them can be reinforced.  Connect with the church to help you do your job, but don't depend on the church to do it for you.

Parents...parents...please...

And, churches...please...please change your message.  The faith of the next generation depends not on how awesome your kids programming is, but on how effectively the parents impress the commands of the Lord on their own children. Empower parents, encourage parents, and equip parents to teach their children at home and you will save not only this generation, but many to come.

Lessons for Daily Life Indeed! - Proverbs 6

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Proverbs 6


Life Lessons from Chapter 6:
1. Free yourself from other people's debt
2. Don't be lazy - Work Hard!
3. Know what wickedness looks like.
4. Obey your parents and follow their instructions.
5. Don't be stupid - Keep it in your toga.


All of these seem pretty straight forward except maybe for number three. What does wickedness look like?  We must be able to discern that which we must avoid if we intend to survive on this quest.  Because we all know - wickedness can look just as appetizing (or even more so) than righteousness.  So let's look at vs. 12-19:

What are worthless and wicked people like?

They are constant liars, signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye, a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers. Their perverted hearts plot evil, and they constantly stir up trouble. But they will be destroyed suddenly, broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing.

There are six things the Lord hates - no, seven things he detests:

haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies,

a person who sows discord in a family.

First off (spoiler alert: rant ahead) - lying makes you a worthless, wicked person so CUT IT OUT.  No one likes to be lied to and if you are a liar I bet you HATE it when people lie to you, so just STOP IT. And if you can't (because you have told so many that you don't even know the truth anymore) BE CAREFUL what you say and CHOOSE to make it right when you do lie.  Make telling the truth your new habit and things will go a lot better for you and everyone around you.  Believe me, making the effort will not go unnoticed. Avoid the inevitable, instantaneous destruction that will break you beyond all hope of healing (v.15). TELL THE TRUTH.

Whew...Now that that's over...

Solomon also outlines the following thing that the Lord detests - which of these do you need to clean out of your life?  Believe me - I'm asking the same question of myself as I am typing this.

Haughty Eyes - Are you proud, do you judge with your eyes? Do you disrespect others with your expression?

A Lying Tongue - Well, I've already addressed this one...

Hands that Kill the Innocent - Murder/Neglect to Defend

Heart that Plots Evil - Do you wish for the demise of others?  Are you constantly scheming to get what you want?  Are you...Manipulative?

Feet that Race to do Wrong - Do you have a rebellious heart?  Do you struggle with submitting to authority?  Are you always on the look out for revenge?

False Witness Who Pours Out Lies - This is slightly different than a lying tongue.  I believe this means gossiping.  A gossip is a false witness because either they are not a first hand witness or they distort the information to make themselves look good (or someone else to look bad). Rumors - do you tell or even LISTEN to rumors?

Person Who Sows Discord in a Family - WOW. You mean God detests it when a wife disrespects her husband, or when a husband is not loving toward his wife?  He actually detests it when relationships between parent and child are wounded and never reconciled?  YES. Yes He does.  Families, after all, are the building blocks of His kingdom.  Set aside your pride.  Admit you have been wrong and seek forgiveness from your family.

Again, these are hard words.  No one likes to be told they are a sinner - don't we know it already?  But this is where we have to pull through the thorns and briars of our mistakes into the neatly manicured paths of righteousness.  Yes, each stick and thorn is painful to remove - but we must rid our lives of wickedness to be free from the devil's grasp.

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Lord, Thank you.  Thank you for showing us what wickedness looks like.  Help us to avoid it at all costs.  Thank you for giving us the remedy for our own selfishness - the blood of Jesus.  Thank you for still seeing me as precious even when my actions are detestable to you. You amaze me. Help me to be more like you.

AB


Chapter 6 Survival Skills:
Discernment - vs. 6-19
Self Defense - vs. 1-5
Offensive Maneuvers - 25-35
Training - all of chapter 6 is addressed to the next generation, 20-24

Prison of Me - Proverbs 5

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Proverbs 5

"For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes. An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him. He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness." vs. 21-23

These are hard words.  Each of us knows we are a sinner.  Each of us knows we are the worst of sinners.  How long will I be held captive by my own selfishness?  Will I die from lack of self-control?  What a statement.  

We see this happen time and time again.  Death from addiction, death from poor decisions, even suicide could be considered a lack of self-control. What harsh truth lies in these few verses.

A few years ago I was in a deep place because I felt that everything around me was becoming out of MY control until the Spirit suddenly snapped me back screaming, "It's not about you!"  I became angry with myself for allowing all the hurt others were feeling to turn my heart toward selfishness rather than compassion.  Yes, I had lost all control - all my self-control.  And then I realized I was trapped.  My selfishness was holding me captive, my self-pity had become the ropes that caught and held me.  Then I wrote these lyrics:

PRISON OF ME

My mind becomes a lonely place

When I’m the only one consuming my own grace

I only see myself, forgetting my own face

I dwell on that and nothing else but this solitary place

     So what? What if? If only…

     These are the bars that cage me

     It’s them, not me. No really!

     These are the chains that enslave me

I know I can’t run, I know I can’t hide

Secluded in exile with me, myself, and I

So here I am, restless and desperate and ready to scream!

Trapped in this prison of me.

Trapped inside my mind;

Decide the world is blind

I’m isolated, jilted and jaded

     Why me? Why now? Who sees me?

     These are the poisons that plague me.

     Who cares? Who’s there? Oh tell me,

     How can I ever be free?  

I know I can’t run, I know I can’t hide

Secluded in exile with me, myself, and I

So here I am, restless and desperate and ready to scream!

Trapped in this prison of me.

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Lord, I know I must continually ask for your forgiveness because I continually sin. Please increase my wisdom. Please increase my self-control.  Please free me from myself and save me...Oh, wait...you've already done that.  Praise be the Name of Jesus. Amen.


Chapter 5 Survival Skills:
Discernment - vs. 2
Self Defense - vs. 3-6, 8-14
Offensive Maneuvers - 15-23
Training - all of chapter 5 is addressed to the next generation, 5 & 7