My brain is beginning to stir....

My brain is beginning to stir with ideas to share, lessons that I am learning, and revelations close to my heart. Nearest the surface is a the conviction I sense to pray for my students. These young adults have already faced more trauma in their lives than my nearly 40 year old mind can comprehend.

Lord, may your grace and goodness rain upon these students. Bring healing to their bodies, minds, and souls. And Lord, guide my words and actions in Christ-likeness. Allow me to be a light, an example, a trustworthy individual who exemplifies your love for all people. May these dear lives experience You!

I am between Bible studies with a group of women, so I am focusing my quiet time on memorizing all of my 2009 verses. The Lord has blessed me in memorizing His Word in 2009 - beyond my ability to articulate. This process has taken me far beyond human plans and goals; it is mysteriously glorious. I had no idea the journey that was ahead of me when I signed on to meet this goal. No earthly idea! God is alive. His work is real on this earth. At the time of God's choosing, He will reveal Himself to every human.... I can not wait to meet Him f2f!

Psalm 90:17 - My 18th verse in 2009

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;
establish the work of our hands for us -
yes, establish the work of our hands."

Ahhh!

I know this video is all over the internet and TV, but my heart is so warmed by this daddy's response to his little girl. I could not help but share it today!! This is great parenting in a nutshell. Enjoy....

2009 Goal - August 15 through September 15

I have not shared my 16th and 17th verses in Operation Scripture Memory 2009. For all of 2009, I am memorizing 2 pieces of scripture per month along with other bloggers on Beth Moore's blog. To say that this journey has been enriching is an understatement of cataclysmic proportion. I have been completely challenged and changed by this experience. The focus of my life has been transformed; there is still much work to be accomplished by the grace and goodness of God.

August 15-31, 2009

"I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching is not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power" (I Corinthians 2:3-5, NIV).

September 1-15, 2009

The Lord says, "These people come near me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish" (Isaiah 29:13-14, NIV).

I am continually challenged by the difference between man's wisdom and God's wisdom. One aspect of this difference that rocks my world is the Biblical idea that man without God CAN NOT know and understand Godly wisdom. For this reason, I am driven to know God more in order to think critically about the issues at hand. As one of my previous verses highlights, "the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God" (I Corinthians 3:18-19a).

2 Kinds of Wisdom - Do you know the difference?

The past two weeks have been a flurry of fast and furious activity in The Tracht Home. We flew home from Oregon and hit the ground running as we prepared to begin a new school year - me at MVNU and the boys at East Elementary and the Middle School (MIDDLE SCHOOL!?!?). I seem to forget how much energy it takes to get 2 boys to school for the first time each year. School supplies, endless forms, fees for everything, schedules, buses, "cool" clothes, and the list goes on.... In the midst of it all, I go back to work, as well. This fall, however, is different as I will be teaching in addition to my regular responsibilities. I have high expectations for myself, and I am nervous about meeting them!

One aspect of going back to work that excites me is the schedule it requires of me. I am so much more efficient when I have a schedule to meet - though I get tired of it and crave spontaneity, too. I am back to my morning routine of Bible study in the car - I love it! This fall I am beginning to read, study, and consider First Corinthians. This book addresses Truth - so you can see why I am drawn towards reading it. In addition, a group of ladies is finishing up a Beth Moore Bible study about Esther.

In I Corinthians chapter 1 verse 20 stands out:

"So what about these wise men, these scholars, these brilliant debaters of this world's great affairs? God has made them all look foolish and shown their wisdom to be useless nonsense" (TLT).

Couple these sentences with the example Esther provides us. Esther was nothing by the world's standards - an orphaned, Jewish girl. She engaged the leader in a culture where her uninvited presence could have led to her immediate death. Yet, by the power of God, she negotiated with King Xerxes and saved the Jews. As Moore (2008) says, Esther was "mannerly, feminine, sweet, smart, and shrewd" (p. 157).

As God reveals Truth to His children, let us be like Esther in the midst of useless nonsense:

• Available for God to accomplish His plans;
• A patient, mannerly follower of God;
• A smart risk-taker on God's behalf;
• A shrewd negotiator bringing protection to God's children;
• Wise - by Godly standards;
• An active, feminine woman who obediently serves God and brings Him glory.

Lord, I ask for Your wisdom in this world because I know the wisdom of this world is foolishness to You. Help me to differentiate between the two, and to know You better than I know this world.

Moore, B. (2008). Esther: It's tough being a woman. Nashville: Lifeway.

The Leaning Tower of Me

As today's preacher prayed that we'd all adjust our minds to EXPECT something from the Lord, I felt my mind tuning in for a special message. Yes sir, He did it again! Praise His name. The preacher also asked us to pray this prayer: "Lord, Help me to care more about the Spiritual well-being of others." Yes Lord, may it be so!

One of my spiritual markers is Proverbs 3:5-6:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths."

This may be a combo of translations, but it is how my long term memory holds the verses!

I first found these verses during my teen years when I felt so alone in trusting God, and in acknowledging His Truth through my actions. At the time, I felt like I was missing out on parties, relationships, and fun. I wholeheartedly believed there was purpose in my trusting, but it was so hard. Now, at nearly 40, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the trusting as a teen was a very good choice. The Lord did guide my footsteps between then and now!

During today's sermon, a new application of Proverbs 3:5-6 became clear to me. The second half of verse 5 is flashing before me: lean not on your own understanding. When I started my master's program over 2 years ago, I prayed and asked the Lord for special wisdom in my educational pursuits. I have witnessed many people radically changed via education, and from my viewpoint, the changes were not the definition of wisdom. At the same time, I prayed for Godly sensitivity in embracing necessary changes related to my intellectual understanding of life issues. Today's sermon reminded me of the seduction that education represents when it comes to human knowledge.

"Stop fooling yourselves. If you think you are wise by the world's standards, you will have to become a fool so that you can become wise by God's standards. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God" (I Corinthians 3:18-19a).

Lean not on your own understanding. In reading Kevin Roose and A.J. Jacobs, I was overcome by their pursuits of Jesus within their own understanding. For those of us who believe there is a God, we believe (and we need to remember) that God is bigger in every way than our humanness. As a result, we will never understand Him this side of eternity. To me, this is a relief because the life that I experience and witness on this earth makes very little sense sometimes. Eleven years ago, I unexpectedly lost a nephew at birth due to a heart defect. This week, one of my closest friends also unexpectedly lost a nephew at birth due to birth defects. Two friends from college are dealing with the children in their care being subjected to unsupervised visits with their abusers. Every day good people are subjected to more pain than I can comprehend - it makes no sense!

Lean not on your own understanding. There are so many issues facing this world that I just do not understand, even though I may have an opinion. The only option I know of is to seek Truth through a personal relationship with Jesus. It is not acceptable to rely on the relationships others have with Jesus. Each one of us is personally responsible for our own lives; the truths we embrace and act upon daily. Only Jesus can fully know and understand our hearts. Most of us (if not all of us) often confuse our knowledge for God's Truth. Ask God for His wisdom and pursue it with all of your mind.

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who has called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires" (2 Peter 1:3-4).

The fact is that the world is corrupt - we see it every day. Part of this corruption is the belief that we can gain knowledge apart from God; that we can understand our culture, and live God-pleasing lives, without truly knowing Him. I am striving to find God's Truth in spite of the corruption around me. I desire to help others pursue God's Truth, as well. First and foremost, I seek to be an example and guide for my children - the next generation. As today's sermon reminded me, there is a tremendous amount at stake in pursuing, finding, and living Truth.

Lord, Help me to care more about the Spiritual well-being of others.
Guide me as I invest in the lives of others to influence future generations.

Urgent Prayer Requests

I have two unconnected friends, who happen to live in the same urban area, that are both facing difficult situations in regards to foster children/child custody. Both families are caring for children who are not safe in their homes of origin. In both cases, "the system" is forcing the children to be in the care of their potential and actual abusers unsupervised. This is beyond my ability to comprehend and is an utter outrage! Please lift these families in prayer - this is a desperate situation.

Heidi

A Collision of Thoughts

I am experiencing a collision of thoughts today. Whenever this occurs, I sit up and take note because I experience God through His use of themes in my life. In the two previous posts, I have referred to the recently published books of A.J. Jacobs and Kevin Roose. I can not stop thinking about the experiences of these men as written in their books. If you have read a few of my posts, then you know of my personal pursuit of Truth this year. You also know of my memorization goal (i.e., two pieces of Scripture a month in 2009). And, you know that I am a church-going conservative Christian raised by multiple generations of believers. That said, my collision of thoughts today comes down to the question of whether or not God is real, and whether or not humans can experience God.

Jacobs and Roose apparently set out to test whether or not God is real, and whether or not believers in Christ are having an authentic experience with God. Both authors admit their lack of belief at the beginning of their experiences. Both authors admit the lack of support they received from their families and closest friends. Some of their family members and friends actively worried about the possibility of their conversions. Their experiences are enlightening (and to be fair, I am still in the midst of Jacobs' book). Something, however, is missing....

Today I worshiped at a church in Medford, Oregon, and listened to a sermon preached by Dr. David Grinder. During his sermon, Grinder quoted Brad Bright, son of the late Bill Bright, "Truth is always the first casualty whenever we start with what we want rather than with who God is." Most people likely struggle with this way of thinking. So much so that a psychological/sociological term defines such thinking: confirmation bias. Confirmation bias leads people to seek information and/or answers in ways that only confirm their initial thoughts. Contradictory thoughts are unknowingly overlooked. Confirmation bias is common; it is antithetical to critical thinking.

Last fall I deeply desired to vote in the presidential election as an informed citizen with a pure and righteous heart. I had a natural inclination for who would receive my vote, yet I put my mind out there in attempt to truly move beyond myself and hear a larger message. I prayed, and I studied Scriptures as I searched for answers. In the sermon this morning, Grinder featured many pieces of Scripture that identified my experience with this kind of search:

"And if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding. And if you look for it as if for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God" (Proverbs 2:3-5).

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house; yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock" (Matthew 7:24-25).

As I have read authors like Jacobs and Roose, and as I have read the posts of many people, Christ-followers and otherwise, I have continually been perplexed by the enormous chasm in belief systems. Some folks have clearly made their decision. I recently listened to a podcast featuring an atheist and a Christian debating Darwinism (Note: the two debaters are friends; it was a respectful debate). The atheist absolutely stated the falsity of an afterlife. How can a living person absolutely know there is no afterlife? Jacobs absolutely stated his unbelief in creationism. There are no absolutes in the scientific method (oops - that is an absolute statement). Roose said from the very beginning of his journalistic immersion experience that he would not convert, or at least that it was extremely unlikely. With such belief systems, these three men are extremely unlikely to experience Truth from a Godly perspective, or come to know God. One must have an authentic open mind towards the possibility of God in order to know Him and experience Him.

Lest I sound incredibly self-righteous, I have some work to accomplish, as well. Believing God, and living a Christlike existence is not mindless. Actually, it is the people who attempt to believe God and be Christlike without using their minds who give all Christians a bad name. Not everything done or said by a person claiming Christ is actually of God.... God created our minds to continually use in thinking, processing, and acting!

In light of these thoughtful collisions today, my 15th verse of 2009 is meaningful:

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who has called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires" (2 Peter 1:3-4, NIV).

Critical thinkers in Christ focus more on their knowledge of God than their bias towards cultural issues. Godly knowledge begets Godly wisdom which can then be applied towards cultural issues in ways that enrich humankind and please God.