Due to wonderful sunny weather, my pictures are not great for viewing our babies, but a couple of the eggs have hatched. This our front door; the birds are nesting in the floral arrangement. Note the window for our viewing pleasure.
Friday, May 22, 2009
It's for the Birds!
Due to wonderful sunny weather, my pictures are not great for viewing our babies, but a couple of the eggs have hatched. This our front door; the birds are nesting in the floral arrangement. Note the window for our viewing pleasure.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
A Goal for 2009 - May 16-31
My thoughts are all over the place these days, so the 10th verse towards "A Goal for 2009" is sensible:
When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.
Psalm 94: 18-19 (NIV)
I have quite a lot my mind - my own stressors, and those of others near me.
Lysa TerKeurst wrote of "Mommy Guilt" recently - I definitely have that.... She also wrote about eating healthy - I have a problem with that, too.
I've been spending lots of time thinking about a potential change - praying for God's wisdom and clear guidance.
Who hasn't been thinking about the economy and its affects on ourselves, our friends, our country, our world?
I have four more weeks of graduate school - lots and lots to complete between now and then....
The tremendous, and sometimes overwhelming, needs of others....
Psalm 94: 18-19 (NIV)
Lord, May it be to me as You have said.... Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.
Psalm 94: 18-19 (NIV)
I have quite a lot my mind - my own stressors, and those of others near me.
Lysa TerKeurst wrote of "Mommy Guilt" recently - I definitely have that.... She also wrote about eating healthy - I have a problem with that, too.
I've been spending lots of time thinking about a potential change - praying for God's wisdom and clear guidance.
Who hasn't been thinking about the economy and its affects on ourselves, our friends, our country, our world?
I have four more weeks of graduate school - lots and lots to complete between now and then....
The tremendous, and sometimes overwhelming, needs of others....
- My dear grandparents;
- Little Ella, who was burned by hot tea on Sunday and is now in the hospital;
- Children and families in third world countries, and in our own communities;
- MVNU students leaving for the summer not knowing how they will afford to return in the fall;
- Two friends who have recently broken their legs - right before summer fun;
- Several families in need of selling their homes;
- My son, Tyler, and his physical healing;
- Friends in MV who are facing incredible adversity right now.
Psalm 94: 18-19 (NIV)
Lord, May it be to me as You have said.... Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
We're having babies!!!
I have something fun to share! Two months ago we had a bird building a nest in the perfect spot for easy viewing. We had lots of fun watching the eggs hatch, the babies grow, and the birds fly the coup. After the fact, of course, I realized that I should have taken pictures to document the cycle for my blog.... Mental note to self, take pictures next year.
Well, out of the blue, another bird has made our empty nest her new home - just a week after our previous occupants flew away.... Is that strange? I guess she heard we had some room in our inn. I don't know, but now we have 6 little eggs to watch. The previous mother bird laid only 4 eggs - and the nest was quite full as those birds grew. The should be interesting....
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
I've been quoted!
A few weeks ago, March 25 to be exact, I wrote a post entitled "How Do I Know God is at Work?" Today I have another edition of "How do I know" because... I've been quoted (by someone other than my mother)! Ha - All I can say is, "WOW - Praise the Lord!"
Ken Lightcap, senior pastor at Nall Avenue Church of the Nazarene in Prairie Village, Kansas, is one of my "mentors" in life. He was my pastor for about 8 years during our family's stint in the K.C. area. To say, "I grew under his ministry," is a ginormous understatement. I will forever look back on those years as a time of incredible spiritual growth and maturity. In fact, until recently, I have longed to experience that kind of challenge again. The Lord answered my plea, and here I am - in a different location, a different season in life, facing a new phase of growth with new mentors and challenges. God is good!
Anyway, when I wrote Christ, Culture, & Critical Thinking, I knew Pastor Lightcap would have an appreciation for the thoughts given me from God. He left an affirming comment, and he quoted me in his next sermon! If you'd like to take a listen, then it is available here (see 5/3/09). Beware: You'll find yourself drawn to take in Pastor Lightcap's previous sermon series, and the upcoming series (Lent at Nall is amazing!!!). Well, it is a good thing I am almost done with graduate school because I have many hours of Nall sermons to catch up on.... Summertime freedom, here I come!!!
This has been an odd sort of week.... I am not sure what is going on within me, but the Lord is at work. Will you keep me in your prayers? I need to make some progress on my master's integrative project, and I have another thought plaguing my extra energy. Though I can not publicly speak of it now, I need your prayers for wisdom.
Thanks, my friends!
Ken Lightcap, senior pastor at Nall Avenue Church of the Nazarene in Prairie Village, Kansas, is one of my "mentors" in life. He was my pastor for about 8 years during our family's stint in the K.C. area. To say, "I grew under his ministry," is a ginormous understatement. I will forever look back on those years as a time of incredible spiritual growth and maturity. In fact, until recently, I have longed to experience that kind of challenge again. The Lord answered my plea, and here I am - in a different location, a different season in life, facing a new phase of growth with new mentors and challenges. God is good!
Anyway, when I wrote Christ, Culture, & Critical Thinking, I knew Pastor Lightcap would have an appreciation for the thoughts given me from God. He left an affirming comment, and he quoted me in his next sermon! If you'd like to take a listen, then it is available here (see 5/3/09). Beware: You'll find yourself drawn to take in Pastor Lightcap's previous sermon series, and the upcoming series (Lent at Nall is amazing!!!). Well, it is a good thing I am almost done with graduate school because I have many hours of Nall sermons to catch up on.... Summertime freedom, here I come!!!
This has been an odd sort of week.... I am not sure what is going on within me, but the Lord is at work. Will you keep me in your prayers? I need to make some progress on my master's integrative project, and I have another thought plaguing my extra energy. Though I can not publicly speak of it now, I need your prayers for wisdom.
Thanks, my friends!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
A Recipe for Depravity
It is May 6th, and I just realized that I have not shared with you my verse for May 1-15. So many of you have commented, emailed, and called to remind me - not! :)
Here it is:
Jesus said to the people who believed him, "You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free."
John 8:31-32 (NLT)
To Obey Christ's Teachings = Knowledge of Truth & Freedom
Do you believe God? Not, do you believe in God, but do you really believe God? Beth Moore wrote a whole bible study about the the idea of Believing God. There is a powerful difference, and the difference will affect whether or not you are growing in your knowledge of Truth, and whether or not you are experiencing freedom.
As Christians living in this depraved culture, we must know Truth. Truth is sort a tricky sometimes - not that it was originally intended to be tricky, but we humans have made truth tricky. A biblical example is evident through Noah. In Noah's day, the scriptures refer to the flood being a consequence of God's frustration with mankind and their depravity. The part that stands out to me is "HOW" the depravity came to be so dark and pervasive. In Genesis 6:1-8, the scriptures speak of intermarrying being a source of the darkness. To me, this represents righteous people being woven together with unrighteous people to the point that the lines were completely blurred between that which was right and what which was wrong. My study Bible uses these phrases to describe the phenomenon: "weakened the good influence," "increased moral depravity," and an "explosion of evil." And, herein lies the difference between being in the culture and of the culture.
All it takes is one generation to completely erode Truth. It is a little like a recipe:
Mix a cup of evil (whether by choice or by victimization)
With a teaspoon (or less) of Christ's influence
Add a heaping tablespoon of exposure to the unimaginable
And, the result may be deep, unexplainable pain, rejection, questions, and/or doubt
Or, the result may be passion to make a difference
However, unless transformation through Christ is liberally added,
Along with a deeper devotion to Him, His glory, and His agenda,
then the mixture becomes confusion, chaos, unbalanced passion.... maybe even liberation theology.
As I attempt to make sense of the weakened good influence of Christians, the growing moral depravity, and the explosion of evil in America, I can't help but consider possible sources (i.e., the aforementioned "recipe"). At the same time, I must also consider my response. In 2 Thessalonians 2, the scriptures refer to something that is holding back evil. My study bible offers three possibilities: 1) government and law; 2) the ministry and activity of the church; and 3) the Holy Spirit. I am thinking my response to evil should include a combination of these three possibilities, with the strongest emphasis being the Holy Spirit.
If I truly believe God, then I have no doubt that I have a role to fill in Christ's mission -within this culture and on this earth.... Fellow Christ followers, so do you!
Here it is:
Jesus said to the people who believed him, "You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free."
John 8:31-32 (NLT)
To Obey Christ's Teachings = Knowledge of Truth & Freedom
Do you believe God? Not, do you believe in God, but do you really believe God? Beth Moore wrote a whole bible study about the the idea of Believing God. There is a powerful difference, and the difference will affect whether or not you are growing in your knowledge of Truth, and whether or not you are experiencing freedom.
As Christians living in this depraved culture, we must know Truth. Truth is sort a tricky sometimes - not that it was originally intended to be tricky, but we humans have made truth tricky. A biblical example is evident through Noah. In Noah's day, the scriptures refer to the flood being a consequence of God's frustration with mankind and their depravity. The part that stands out to me is "HOW" the depravity came to be so dark and pervasive. In Genesis 6:1-8, the scriptures speak of intermarrying being a source of the darkness. To me, this represents righteous people being woven together with unrighteous people to the point that the lines were completely blurred between that which was right and what which was wrong. My study Bible uses these phrases to describe the phenomenon: "weakened the good influence," "increased moral depravity," and an "explosion of evil." And, herein lies the difference between being in the culture and of the culture.
All it takes is one generation to completely erode Truth. It is a little like a recipe:
Mix a cup of evil (whether by choice or by victimization)
With a teaspoon (or less) of Christ's influence
Add a heaping tablespoon of exposure to the unimaginable
And, the result may be deep, unexplainable pain, rejection, questions, and/or doubt
Or, the result may be passion to make a difference
However, unless transformation through Christ is liberally added,
Along with a deeper devotion to Him, His glory, and His agenda,
then the mixture becomes confusion, chaos, unbalanced passion.... maybe even liberation theology.
As I attempt to make sense of the weakened good influence of Christians, the growing moral depravity, and the explosion of evil in America, I can't help but consider possible sources (i.e., the aforementioned "recipe"). At the same time, I must also consider my response. In 2 Thessalonians 2, the scriptures refer to something that is holding back evil. My study bible offers three possibilities: 1) government and law; 2) the ministry and activity of the church; and 3) the Holy Spirit. I am thinking my response to evil should include a combination of these three possibilities, with the strongest emphasis being the Holy Spirit.
If I truly believe God, then I have no doubt that I have a role to fill in Christ's mission -within this culture and on this earth.... Fellow Christ followers, so do you!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Deeply Touched
This week I have been deeply touched by an experience that I am vicariously living through another sister in Christ. I write over and over again about how perverted our American culture has made us, but, through the power of Christ, we can fight the perversion. Take a few minutes to read the following blog entries:
Speechless for the First Time Ever in my Life, but Compelled to Type
God's Shameless Love for the Poor
Agony & Ecstasy
How do you like my house?
In my quiet time this morning, I read some commentary about lessons from Silas' life: "Obedience to God will often mean giving up what makes us feel secure" (Life Application Study Bible, NLT, Acts 16).
What makes me feel secure, in no particular order:
Speechless for the First Time Ever in my Life, but Compelled to Type
God's Shameless Love for the Poor
Agony & Ecstasy
How do you like my house?
In my quiet time this morning, I read some commentary about lessons from Silas' life: "Obedience to God will often mean giving up what makes us feel secure" (Life Application Study Bible, NLT, Acts 16).
What makes me feel secure, in no particular order:
- the safety of my home and community
- dressing clean and nicely
- living in a pretty home
- Steve, Tanner, & Tyler
- our jobs, education, financial independence
- acceptance and affirmation from those in authority
- success
- health
- my parents and extended family
- my heritage
- the hope and purpose of a relationship with Jesus Christ
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Christ, Culture, & Critical Thinking
Well, I am finally back to write a post. As you may or may not know, I am completing a master's degree in educational psychology. This represents a two-year journey coming to a close - Praise the Lord! While I love learning and studying and researching and writing, it is very difficult to balance the other part of life that I love (i.e., family, friends, and fun) with school. I am a bit of a perfectionist (surprise, surprise) when it comes to coursework, so this journey has been quite challenging. More than anyone, Steve and the boys are ready for me to be back in body, mind, and spirit (cooking and playing will be nice, too). They have been very supportive (well, Steve has, anyway) during these two years, but we are all counting the days until I am done on June 12! A summer off of work and school sounds dreamy at this point!
My master's project is a literature review culminating in an educational model providing faculty development for online instructors to support critical thinking skills in higher education. So what? - You ask.... Well, actually this topic falls in line with the processing I am have been blogging about for the last 3 months. I believe it is a lack of critical thinking that contributes greatly to problems faced in our culture. So often we leave the deep thinking to those with letters behind their names, those in powerful positions, those with articulate views, or simply those with the loudest voices. Even worse, many people rely on the opinions of Hollywood stars and the media more than their own common sense (if they have any, that is). It is quite disturbing, to say the least.
Each of us can not be experts on every controversial topic; but, I believe, God does place passions within the Christians' hearts that draw us to particular areas of engagement. We need to seriously obey His guidance when it comes to these passions. We must contribute to the body of Christ as He leads. Such obedience involves critical thinking.
Critical thinking is directed, disciplined, monitored thinking. It involves intentional effort focused upon continually improving the quality of one's thought by taking control of processing a subject or problem (Paul & Ellis, 2006). Taking control means reading and researching multiple sides of an issue, being open-minded, and skillfully synthesizing facts and opinions, while recognizing that there will always be additional facts and opinions in the future. More importantly, as a Christian, it also means giving God one's agenda and one's bias; and it means seeking His Truth within this pursuit more than man's cultural persuasion. Critical thinking is challenging, but under God's leadership and revelation, it is incredibly fulfilling.
Read Acts 4:13 (NIV) - "When they saw the courage of Peter and John, and realized that these were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and took note that these men had been with Jesus."
This scripture gives me confidence in pursuing critical thinking for the glory of God. While I truly enjoy learning, I do not need to wait for the letters behind my name to have a voice. This is particularly poignant for me because I work in an institution of higher education. In such an environment, it is commonplace to be "looked down upon" because of the education one lacks. I believe we all have examples of this experience in our lives. And, SO DID PETER & JOHN!!! They were fishermen standing before the religious council proclaiming Christ's teachings. Backing up a bit, Christ did not choose the religious leaders and the politicians of the day to be his disciples - He chose ordinary, unschooled men!!!
Let this scriptural example give you confidence to pursue the passions Christ gives you. Pursue critical thinking and prepare yourself to share with those around you. Critical thinkers care about the message, they care about all sides of the issue, and they seek to effectively communicate in ways that Christ followers, and those who do not choose Christ, may take note and listen (i.e., move beyond personal bias; uncover the foundational issues; address the issues based on substantiated facts and revelation; and do so in an intelligent, respectful, and loving manner). Oh - love does not equal peace, folks. The enemy is not going to idly sit back and respect the message.... no matter how it is presented.
I Corinthians 16:13-14 (NLT) - "Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong. And everything you do must be done in love."
This world does not belong to the enemy - it belongs to its Creator. As children of the Creator, it is our responsibility and privilege to know Him better than our culture. He will show us how to engage the culture in Christlikeness. Do not rely only on the powerful, the loud, the educated, the charismatic, the entertaining, the passionate.... Do not be deceived by these characteristics and achievements - God works through all who depend on Him.
God continues to teach me so much, but I just do not have time to process it all on this blog. I pray you will continue to hang in here with me so we can continue to journey together. I will be back....
"Let the words of Christ, in all of their richness, live in your hearts." Colossians 3:16-17
Reference
Ellis, R.P., & Elder, L. (2006). The miniature guide to critical thinking: Concepts and tools. Dillon Beach, CA: The Foundation for Critical Thinking.
See also www.criticalthinking.org
My master's project is a literature review culminating in an educational model providing faculty development for online instructors to support critical thinking skills in higher education. So what? - You ask.... Well, actually this topic falls in line with the processing I am have been blogging about for the last 3 months. I believe it is a lack of critical thinking that contributes greatly to problems faced in our culture. So often we leave the deep thinking to those with letters behind their names, those in powerful positions, those with articulate views, or simply those with the loudest voices. Even worse, many people rely on the opinions of Hollywood stars and the media more than their own common sense (if they have any, that is). It is quite disturbing, to say the least.
Each of us can not be experts on every controversial topic; but, I believe, God does place passions within the Christians' hearts that draw us to particular areas of engagement. We need to seriously obey His guidance when it comes to these passions. We must contribute to the body of Christ as He leads. Such obedience involves critical thinking.
Critical thinking is directed, disciplined, monitored thinking. It involves intentional effort focused upon continually improving the quality of one's thought by taking control of processing a subject or problem (Paul & Ellis, 2006). Taking control means reading and researching multiple sides of an issue, being open-minded, and skillfully synthesizing facts and opinions, while recognizing that there will always be additional facts and opinions in the future. More importantly, as a Christian, it also means giving God one's agenda and one's bias; and it means seeking His Truth within this pursuit more than man's cultural persuasion. Critical thinking is challenging, but under God's leadership and revelation, it is incredibly fulfilling.
Read Acts 4:13 (NIV) - "When they saw the courage of Peter and John, and realized that these were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and took note that these men had been with Jesus."
This scripture gives me confidence in pursuing critical thinking for the glory of God. While I truly enjoy learning, I do not need to wait for the letters behind my name to have a voice. This is particularly poignant for me because I work in an institution of higher education. In such an environment, it is commonplace to be "looked down upon" because of the education one lacks. I believe we all have examples of this experience in our lives. And, SO DID PETER & JOHN!!! They were fishermen standing before the religious council proclaiming Christ's teachings. Backing up a bit, Christ did not choose the religious leaders and the politicians of the day to be his disciples - He chose ordinary, unschooled men!!!
Let this scriptural example give you confidence to pursue the passions Christ gives you. Pursue critical thinking and prepare yourself to share with those around you. Critical thinkers care about the message, they care about all sides of the issue, and they seek to effectively communicate in ways that Christ followers, and those who do not choose Christ, may take note and listen (i.e., move beyond personal bias; uncover the foundational issues; address the issues based on substantiated facts and revelation; and do so in an intelligent, respectful, and loving manner). Oh - love does not equal peace, folks. The enemy is not going to idly sit back and respect the message.... no matter how it is presented.
I Corinthians 16:13-14 (NLT) - "Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong. And everything you do must be done in love."
This world does not belong to the enemy - it belongs to its Creator. As children of the Creator, it is our responsibility and privilege to know Him better than our culture. He will show us how to engage the culture in Christlikeness. Do not rely only on the powerful, the loud, the educated, the charismatic, the entertaining, the passionate.... Do not be deceived by these characteristics and achievements - God works through all who depend on Him.
God continues to teach me so much, but I just do not have time to process it all on this blog. I pray you will continue to hang in here with me so we can continue to journey together. I will be back....
"Let the words of Christ, in all of their richness, live in your hearts." Colossians 3:16-17
Reference
Ellis, R.P., & Elder, L. (2006). The miniature guide to critical thinking: Concepts and tools. Dillon Beach, CA: The Foundation for Critical Thinking.
See also www.criticalthinking.org
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