Words of my Prayers

Speak, Lord (Prayer for guidance and sending)
1 Samuel 1:1-4:1

"Then Eli realized the Lord was calling the boy. So he told Samuel, 'Go to bed. If he calls you again, say, 'Speak, Lord. I am your servant and I am listening.' So Samuel went and lay down in bed. The Lord came and stood there and called as he had before, 'Samuel, Samuel!' Samuel said, 'Speak, Lord. I am your servant and I am listening.'" (1 Samuel 3:9-10)

I've always loved this account. Hannah gave her long-awaited son Samuel to be a Nazarite, quite a different type than Samson it would appear. So, Samuel spent his days 'doing was was good and right' and serving under the priest Eli. Eli's sons were 'wicked,' but Samuel followed the Lord's teachings and heard God's voice when He called out to him in the night. Lord, I want so much to hear Your voice, to listen to Your guidance, to listen even amidst the craziness of finals and business of packing up and moving around to different places. Lord, help me to take the time to listen and speak to me in Your ways, I beg You Lord... I want so much to know and follow Your will for my life.

Thank You, Lord (Prayer of thanksgiving)
Psalm 52:8-9

"But I am like an olive tree growing in God's Temple. I trust God's love forever and ever. God, I will thank you forever for what you have done. With those who worship you, I will trust you because you are good." (Psalm 52:8-9)

Such beautiful, beautiful images! And this lovely Psalm reminds me of all that I am so thankful for... I am so thankful for Your amazing love, Father, that covers all my sins, all my shortcomings. I am thankful for Your holiness and glory, that we may worship and praise You for who You are... always right and good and true and forever. I am thankful this morning for blessings both great and small- for a summer of serving You, for a wonderful summer with my brother and best friend, for a vacation with my friend Kammy, for words of encouragement from Brad to follow you, for a lovely prayer time with You, for the beautiful Tucson sunshine, for so many things, Lord!

Help, Lord (Prayer for forgiveness and correction)
Psalm 53:1-6

"God looked down from heaven on all people to see if anyone was wise, if anyone was looking to God for help. But all have turned away. Together everyone has become evil; none of them does anything good. Not a single person." (Psalm 53:2-3)

I find in this verse both frustration and comfort. It is comforting to recognize that we all are sinners- we all became evil. We have all turned away, and we do not look to God. Yet, imminent in this verse is God's frustration as well- that there is no one, not one, not a single person, none. Lord, I am sinful by nature, but I want so much to follow You. I do look to You. I call out to You for help, because alone I cannot... only with You can I overcome my own demons, which we all have. I ask for Your help to keep me in Your ways, for Your forgiveness when I falter, and for Your correction when I am going the wrong way.

Words, Words, Words

Words that Comfort
Ruth 1:1-2:23

"But Ruth said, 'Don't beg me to leave you or to stop following you. Where you go, I will go. Where you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. And where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. I ask the Lord to punish me terribly if I do not keep this promise: Not even death will separate us.'" (Ruth 1:16-17)

What a beautiful story! What beautiful words! What a beautiful promise! Listen to those words again, and think... if someone said those words to you, "Where you live, I will live," how would you feel? We don't even have this in families in today's society... kids grow up and move from parents... parents move away from kids... grandparents and cousins and other relatives are largely left out of the picture. Perhaps that's why I love to celebrate weddings so much. Truly beautiful marriage ceremonies celebrate the fact that two people are willing to make such a bold and courageous commitment- to stay together, no matter what, for better or for worse, even until death. Lord I thank You for the young couples that give me so much hope in their strong and loving words or commitment to one another... I pray that You guide them and give them strength as they begin a new part of their journey together.

Words that Bite
Psalm 52:1-7

"You think up evil plans. Your tongue is like a sharp razor, making up lies. You love wrong more than right and lies more than truth. You love words that bite and tongues that lie." (Psalm 52:2-4)

At first this verse seems nonsensical... for who loves lies? But, many people use lies to hide behind... they feel it keeps them safe from getting hurt. They don't need to really let people see who they are, a person, a mere human with frailties and struggles and missteps and poor actions. Lord, may I always have the truth and Your truth on my lips so that I may not deceive my brothers and sisters. Forgive me of my sin, Lord... I have been too unkind and unthoughtful. Teach me to love as we see in Your example and to love the truth always.

Words that Heal
Proverbs 15:4-5

"As a tree gives fruit, healing words give life, but dishonest words crush the spirit." (Proverbs 15:4)

Lord this morning I praise You! I praise You with all my heart, for You have poured such rich blessings upon me. I suppose sometimes in order to really really appreciate all the goodness You have given to me, I must see again how it would be without. But I praise You for such healing words that have renewed my soul... Lord, You are so good, so good to me. You have healed my broken heart, turned a frown into a smile, dried my tears and restored my soul.

Words that Praise
Luke 19:28-48

"...the whole crowd of followers began joyfully shouting praise to God for all the miracles they had seen. They said, 'God bless the king who comes in the name of the Lord! There is peace in heaven and glory to God!'" (Luke 19:37-38)

Praise be to You, oh Lord, for every good and wonderful gift... they all come from You! I praise You for the gift of friendship- dinners and surprise parties, I praise You for the opportunity to study and the opportunity to take a break from those studies, I praise You for a family I am so anxious to see once again and old friends who I also hope to reunite with soon, I praise You for a boyfriend who would be so amazing and supportive and loving to me, even when I don't deserve it, and I thank You for Your gift, for Your love, for Your son sent to save us all... I praise You for all of it, Lord, every day!

Pure, Gentle, Trustworthy

Pure
Psalm 51:10-19

"Create in me a pure heart, God, and make my spirit right again. Do not send me away from you or take your Holy Spirit away from me." (Psalm 51:1-2)

In church on Sunday the one thing that the pastor talked about was the importance of purity as a Christian value... something I greatly agree with. However, he mentioned purity mostly as physical cleanliness... while we do need to be clean on the outside... "who has washed needs only to was their feet." Jesus' washing of his disciples is more a symbol than a necessity for physical cleanliness. For me, purity runs deep... deep into the heart as this verse describes. Lord, make my spirit pure... "containing nothing that doesn't belong." My heart needs to be free of anger, jealousy, vanity... purely turned towards You and Your will... and Lord I seek only Your will for my life.

Gentle
Proverbs 15:1-3

"A gentle answer will calm a person's anger, but an unkind answer will cause more anger." (Proverbs 15:1)

Gentle and loving Lord, teach me in moments of fear and anger and anxiety to respond in a gentle and calm manner... to calm my own heart and soul, and that of others. It is so heart when something is so important, so deep, so real to answer in love in humility in meekness and in gentleness.

Trustworthy
Luke 19:1-27

"The king said to the servant, 'Excellent! You are a good servant. Since I can trust you with small things, I will let your rule over ten of my cities.'" (Luke 19:17)

Lord, I want to be faithful and always true to the commands that You have for me... large and small... when I have a stipend and when I have an income, when I have much responsibility and little. All of Your work is so important to me Lord.... and all I want is to serve You. I long to be this pure, gentle and trustworthy servant... all for Your glory, Lord.

Not Great, but Real

Actions
Judges 15:1-16:31

"After this, Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the Valley of Sorek. The Philistine rulers went to Delilah and said, 'Find out what makes Samson so strong. Trick him into telling you how we can overpower him and capture him and tie him up. If you do this, each one of us will give you twenty-eight pounds of silver." (Judges 16:4-5)

More interesting tales of Samson... some actually involving tails. (Samson wanted his first wife back and when his father-and-law wouldn't have it, he took 300 foxes and tied their tails together in pairs and then attached a torch to the end! Hmm... not exactly what I do when I'm a bit steamed. ;o) But let's consider Delilah. Poor Samson, he seems to be unlucky in love and he seems to fall pretty hard and pretty fast, so I myself wonder whether it was just a 'pretty face' type of deal. So, anyhow... his second time around, he chooses Delilah who turns in her own husband for 28 pounds of silver! I wonder why Samson wasn't suspicious when she kept trying to tie him up, but she must've been pretty convincing... and I suppose we let ourselves be convinced sometimes and sometimes we ourselves are deceitful in our ways. Lord, teach me to speak truth in word and action... because Your grace allows me to be real. Forgive me for times that I have been deceitful.

Character
Psalm 51:1-5

"I know about my wrongs, and I can't forget my sin. You are the only one I have sinned against; I have done what you say is wrong. You are right when you speak and fair when you judge. I was brought into this world in sin. In sin my mother gave birth to me." (Psalm 51:3-5)

This is such an important part of our spiritual lives that we so often forget. We sin, big sins and little sins, all the time. But we must remember that we do sin, so that we stop sinning and so we ask forgiveness from one another and from the Lord, who it hurts so deeply. Our character is sinful, perhaps why we are so susceptible to fall into sin... but we can call out to our Lord with a sincere heart and ask for forgiveness... for help so that we may not fall, for cleansing of our sins, freedom from our guilt and for a love that covers our inequities. Lord, I am not enough on my own... I am a sinner, and I have done so many wrong things... show me where I need to change Lord... and forgive me for those sins, because I need Your forgiveness.

Prayer
Luke 18:1-25

"A Pharisee and a tax collector both went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee stood alone and prayed, 'God I thank you that I am not like other people who steal, cheat, or take part in adultery, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I give one-tenth of everything I get!' The tax collector, standing at a distance would not even look up to heaven. But he beat on his chest because he was so sad. He said, 'God have mercy on me, a sinner.' I tell you, when this man went home, he was right with God, but the Pharisee was not. All who make themselves great will be made humble, but all who make themselves humble will be made great." (Luke 18:10-14)

Ah, the familiar story juxtaposing two prayers... we love to compare ourselves to the tax collector... but in doing so, don't we really make ourselves like the Pharisee who thought himself better than others? Humility is something that can't be forced or taught except through the guidance of the Lord and the Holy Spirit. It has to come from a place deep inside where we really know that we are not enough. If you feel like you've never failed, you've never struggled, you've never sinned, you'll never feel 'beat on your chest and feel so sad.' You'll never open yourself to God and cry in remorse, in sadness, begging forgiveness for the sins that have hurt you, that have hurt others, that have hurt the Lord. Lord, I'm not great... but I am who I am... and that to me is the most amazing thing about You. You love a sinner like me.

It Runs Deep

Deep Devotion
Judges 13:1-14:20

"Then Manoah's wife went to him and told him what had happened. She said, 'A man from God came to me. He looked like an angel from God; his appearance was frightening. I didn't ask him where he was from, and he didn't tell me his name. But he said to me, 'You will become pregnant and will have a son. Don't drink wine or beer or eat anything that is unclean, because the boy will be a Nazarite to God from his birth until the day of his death.''" (Judges 13:6-7)

Samson's birth is such an interesting story, but it starts out in a familiar way... Manoah is a man from the tribe of Dan and his wife is unable to have children, but an angel of God comes to his wife and promises a child. However, interestingly enough, Samson will be a Nazarite. According to answers.com, a Nazarite is "a Jew bound by a vow to leave their hair uncut, to abstain from wine and strong drink, and to practice extraordinary purity of life and devotion, the obligation being for life or a certain period of time." In Samson's case, it was evidently a lifelong commitment.

But I wish I had more examples of how Samson lived out that 'purity of life and devotion,' since there are some interesting stories right here in this reading. First of all, he tears apart a lion with his bear hands "as easily as tearing apart a young goat," which doesn't sound easy to me either. And then, he presents a riddle to some Philistinian people, and if they find the answer he'll give them 30 linen shirts. His first wife tricks tells them the answer, and Samson goes to the city of Ashkelon, kills 30 people and gives them those shirts. Hmm... I'm looking for the purity and devotion. Perhaps it is just in contrast to his first wife, who tricked him.

While I love the idea of purity and devotion... very pietist ideas, it's so very difficult to obtain. Dedication, loyal, and somehow something that comes from so deep in your heart. Lord, though I haven't taken an ascetic vow, teach me to be pure, to be devoted to You.

Deep Obedience
Psalm 50:16-23

"But God says to the wicked, 'Why do you talk about my laws? Why do you mention my agreement? You hate my teachings and turn your back on what I say.'" (Psalm 50:16-17)

How infuriating. Even worse than someone who doesn't follow your direction is the person that claims to uphold that, but turns around and does the opposite. It must be so frustrating to God how many of us speak His words and use His name but then turn around and do the opposite of His will. Lord, I pray that You guide me, as each day I grow to know You more and seek Your will, seek to know Your laws and Your wonderful ways.

Deep Within You
Luke 17:20-37

"Some of the Pharisees asked Jesus, 'When will the kingdom of God come?' Jesus answered, 'God's kingdom is coming, but not in a way that you will be able to see with your eyes. People will not say, 'Look here it is!' or 'There it is!' because God's kingdom is within you." (Luke 17:20-21)

Such an interesting and mysterious passage... and so so difficult for us to understand. Over and over, Jesus focuses on the unseen:

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at." (1 Samuel 16:7).
"...blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29)
"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." (John 3:8)
"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." (Proverbs 31:30)

Yet, culture, society, people in general all send us clear messages that counter a belief in anything beyond the visible, the physical, the right here right now, I can 'see' that. You can hear it in phrases such as, "I see.", "Ya see?", and "I can see that." Jesus tries to get us to believe beyond what we can see... something so deep it's in our souls, only then can we accept Christ and be blessed by the Holy Spirit and the kingdom of God within us.

Call & Response

The Bible clearly calls us to "ask and it shall be given" (Matthew 7:7). If our friends and family appreciate hearing our innermost desires, dreams, hopes, worries, concerns and struggles, our heavenly Father does so much more... a thing that continually amazes me. Lord, I am so small for you to value me so greatly. But the asking or the call is only one part of the conversation, there is the following response from God as He faithfully answers our prayers as well as our response to His faithfulness. I praise You Lord, my God who responds to even my call.

Jephthath
Call: Strength, Response: Promise
Judges 11:1-12:15

"Then the Spirit of the Lord entered Jephthah. Jephthah passed through Gilead and Manasseh and the city of Mizpah in Gilead to the land of the Ammonites. Jephthah made a promise to the Lord, saying, 'If you will hand over the Ammonites to me, I will give you as a burnt offering the first thing that comes out of my house to meet me when I return from the victory. It will be the Lord's....

When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, his daughter was the first one to come out to meet him, playing a tambourine and dancing. She was his only child; he ahd no other sons or daughters. When Jephthah saw his daughter, he tore his clothes to show his sorrow. He said, 'My daughter! You have made me so sad because I made a promise to the lord, and I cannot break it!'" (Judges 11:29-31, 34-35)

While it's certainly nothing out of the ordinary to read about someone calling out for help from the Bible, several parts of this story make it rather noteworthy. First of all, Jephthan was a strong soldier who was forced from his home, because literally he was "a brother from another mother." Those other brothers looked down on him, but when tough times came and the Ammonites started fighting, they called Jephthah to come to the rescue. He agreed, but on the condition that he would then be the leader of Gilead. So, this victory was no small thing for Jephthah. Not only did it mean protection for the people of Gilead but a redeemed place in society in his home.

God was faithful in providing Jephthah with victory, but when his only daughter was the first thing to enter his house, he cried out. What was he to do? He needed to be faithful to the Lord. Even more surprising than Jephthah's response of devotion was his daughter's response, "Father, you made a promise to the Lord. So do to me just what you promised, because the Lord helped you defeat your enemies, the Ammonites" (Judges 11:36). I wonder how young she was, this mature, faithful and obedient girl. I imagine she must've been quite young since girls tended to marry early in those days and we see that she wasn't married. In fact, she asked to go to the mountains with her friends and cry since she would never marry. (At least when the Bible was written, it mentions that this tradition was still practiced- for young women to go to the mountains for four days.) It seems tragic, and honestly I'm quite upset at Jephthah for making that silly promise. After all, did he think a goat would be the first to walk into his house? Why not offer up himself instead? But, his sincerity and commitment to the Lord are true, a response motivated by the Lord who listened to Him. And I have faith that Jephthah's daughter continues to dance and play the tambourine in our heavenly Father's kingdom.

God's Children
Call: Help, Response: Saved
Psalm 50:7-15

"Give an offering to show thanks to God. Give God Most High what you have promised. Call to me in times of trouble. I will save you, and you will honor me." (Psalm 50:14-15)

The juxtaposition of these two lines of the Psalm move me this morning as I reflect on how we are asked to give thanks to God, to give an offering to God of what we have promised. (Note to self: try not to promise the first thing to enter the door after a victory.) But this thanks and praise and giving are right before we are asked to call on God in times of trouble. To me, it seems that the Psalmist is recommending that all is done together. There doesn't seem to be a separation such as, "on other days" or "in other circumstances" or "or else." In good times and bad, we are welcomes to share deeply with the Lord, to call on Him for help but at the same time to praise Him for His blessings and give to Him our offerings, our hearts, our adoration.... for I know that He will save and honor us, as He has done through the gift of His son.

Apostles
Call: Faith, Response: Empowered
Luke 17:1-19

"The apostles said to the Lord, 'Give us more faith!' The Lord said, 'If your faith were the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Dig yourself up and plant yourself in the sea,' and it would obey you." (Luke 17:5-6)

This morning I am encouraged by the words of the apostles. I usually reflect more upon Jesus' words as encouragement, but the apostles recognized that they needed more faith and had the courage and the wisdom to ask for it. Lord, I also recognize that sometimes I don't have enough faith- that things will turn out well, that I am capable of all things through You, but I pray... like the apostles... that You give me faith to move the mulberry tree, to move mountains, to move hearts toward You.

Keeping Up Appearances

As the old adage suggests, appearances are deceiving. Yet, it is the first most noticeable attribute to our human eyes, so time and time again we end up making mistakes by taking outward appearance for the mark of true character, true commitment and true devotion.

True Character
Judges 9:1-10:18

"One day the trees decided to appoint a king to rule over them. They said to the olive tree, 'You be king over us!' But the olive tree said, 'Men and gods are honored by my oil. Should I stop making it and go and sway over the other trees?'...Then all the trees said to the thornbush, 'Come and be king over us.' But the thornbush said to the trees, 'If you really want to appoint me king over you, come and find shelter in my shade! But if not, let fire come out of the thornbush and burn up the cedars of Lebanon!' Now were you completely honest and sincere when you made Abimelech king? Have you been fair to Gideon and his family? Have you treated Gideon as you should?" (Judges 9:8-9, 14-16)

A little background about this interesting story... you'll remember from yesterday that Gideon had died and the people were not kind to his family. (They had forgotten him.) Now, the people of Shechem needed to choose another king, and they saw that out of Gideon's seventy sons, Abimelech was a relative of theirs, since he was son to a slave woman. This seems to have been the sole reason that they chose Abimelech as their king. Abimelech went on to kill Gideon's seventy sons, all except for Jotham, who tells this story and brings into question whether the people in choosing Abimelech as their king have examined his true character and thought about how he might 'burn up the cedars of Lebanon.' Lord, teach me not to be quick to judge, and to value in myself and others the beautiful characteristics that Your Holy Spirit fills us with.

True Commitment
Psalm 50:1-6

"He calls to the sky above and to the earth that he might judge his people. He says, 'Gather around, you who worship me, who have made an agreement with me, using a sacrifice.' God is the judge, and even the skies say he is right." (Psalm 50:4-6)

The USA is full of people who 'go to church on Sunday,' who have some vague idea of what religion they 'believe' in, yet many leave their 'beliefs' in the church pew. True belief and commitment to our Lord God is not something that happens on Sunday or special 'days of obligation.' Our agreement to follow Him is something that affects our whole lives on such a deep level, not just the 'surface' level. We worship Him inwardly and outwardly, and Lord I praise You that You are the only judge... the one that 'the skies say is right.' You see our belief in You which runs too deep for human eyes to see it.

True Devotion
Luke 16:1-31

"The Pharisees, who loved money, were listening to all these things and made fun of Jesus. He said to them, 'You make yourselves look good in front of people, but God knows what is really in your hearts. What is important to people is hateful in God's sight." (Luke 16:14-15)

Typical... that's what I think of this account. Here we see the Pharisees' reaction to Jesus' remark that you must serve one master and cannot serve both God and money. A typical reaction I believe, because it deeply challenged how the Pharisees were living. Whenever we are comfortable in our ways and those ways are challenged, we criticize those new ideas and make fun of the ideas that if we internalized them might necessitate change. In today's quite isolated individualistic society, it's easy to 'look good in front of people.' Not so in Campo Limpo where everyone knew everyone's business... there was no public or private sphere in our community. Everyone knew who was who, what they had done, where they had lived, who they were related to, everything. If someone bought a new anything it was the word on the street. But even if we live in a society where outward appearance in public is divided from inner private experience, God knows what is on our hearts. Lord, teach me how to keep Your will and Your love, all good things, on my heart... not what is important to people but what is important to You, Lord.

Second Chances for the Forgetful, the Self-Reliant, & the Lost

Forgetful
Judges 6:33-8:35

"As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel were again unfaithful to God and followed the Baals. They made Baal-Berith their god. The Israelites did not remember the Lord their God, who had saved them from all their enemies living all around them. And they were not kind to the family of Jerub Baal, also called Gideon, for all the good he had done for Israel." (Judges 8:33-35)

Ah, the Israelites. They keep forgetting all that God has done for them- all of the wonderful blessings, the protection. They turned away from God. But God is forgiving and keeps giving second-chances to this people He had promised to be His. Lord, I also forget sometimes Your wonderful mercies and blessings that You have poured out in my life. Help me not to forget, to always be faithful to You every day. Thank You for being a God of second-chances, who loves me even when I forget to praise Your name.

Self-Reliant
Psalm 49:10-20

"This is what will happen to those who trust in themselves and to their followers who believe in them. LIke sheep, they must die, and death will be their shepherd. Honest people will rule over them in the morning and their bodies will rot in a grave far from home. But God will save my life and will take me from the grave." (Psalm 49:13-15)

Especially in the US, it is tempted to be like these people who "trust in themselves." It's taught that it's a good thing, to be self-reliant and independent. Individualism and independence are highly valued, but that leaves us in a precarious position with relationship to God. People think they're enough on their own- that they can overcome their sins, that they can make themselves good enough, or even the people who believe they can somehow 'earn' their way into heaven. We have to admit that we're not enough on our own. God is the one with the power to save us, to lift us from the binding of the grave and grant us eternal life. Lord, help me to keep present in my mind that I am saved only through You.

Lost
Luke 15:11-32

"Then the younger son gathered up all that was his and traveled far away to another country. There he wasted his money in foolish living.... 'My son was dead, but now he is alive again! He was lost, but now he is found!'" (Luke 15:13,24)

God, I have been lost like this infamous 'prodical son.' I 'traveled' away from you and went to a place where I wasted precious gifts that You have given me. I lost myself in foolish vanity and forgot to live for you. I really feel like I lost my life. I lost myself in those moments, but friends and family led me back to Your side. And You accepted me and claimed me as Your own, helped me to recognize my value when I had completely forgotten that. As a child of God, I am so valuable, so precious in Your sight, Lord... though I am a sinner who was lost, You love me still... you give me another second chance and rejoice when I come to Your side. Praise to You, Father for loving me so much... no matter what!

The Value of Every...

The Value of Every Blessing
Judges 5:1-6:32

"On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song: 'The leaders led Israel. The people volunteered to go to battle. Praise the Lord! Listen, kings. Pay attention, rulers! I myself will sing to the Lord. I will make music to the Lord, the God of Israel." (Judges 5:1-3)

On this day when the Israelites defeated Sisera, Deborah and Barak sang a song of praise to the Lord. This song which admires the strength of the leaders, Barak, Deborah and Jael (including quite a gory depiction of Jael's contribution) praises God for His part in the battle... for the blessing of protection and safety and victory. It is a challenge to me in that I often find that when something good happens I'm often apt to attribute it to "luck" or my own efforts, when I should really be praising God for every blessing. After all "every good and perfect gift comes from the Father."

This morning I am thankful for the blessing of a weekend with amazing friends: Brad, Derek, Jessica, Kammy, Zohra, Kara, Kristi. I am thankful for the blessing of beautiful Tucson weather. I am thankful for the blessing of another Monday of classes. I am thankful for the blessing of a prayer last night and a beautiful church service yesterday. I am thankful for the blessing of being able to bake for my friends and hoping that they enjoy it. I am thankful for the blessing of friends who will visit me soon at the shore.

The Value of Every Life
Psalm 49:1-9

"...Why should I fear when evil people surround me? They trust in their money and brag about their riches. No one can buy back the life of another. No one can pay God for his own life, because the price of a life is high. No payment is ever enough. Do people live forever? Don't they all face death?" (Psalm 49:5-9)

When it comes to the really important and truly valuable things, no one can buy them. Love, friendship, family, trust, loyalty, peace, happiness, kindness, etc. I'm reminded of the Mastercard commercial that would say certain things were "priceless," while the rest could be bought by mastercard... with money that doesn't even exist in a physical sense yet... somehow heightening the absurdity of the idea.

Well, a life is extremely valuable... and I only have to look at the excitement and anticipation in the eyes of my friends Jessica and Derek and imagine the feelings of Chrissy and Jonathan to feel it myself. A new life... a journey that hasn't begun yet... that holds so many mysteries and so many treasures. There is so much to see... will he be a writer, will she play basketball? And I can't yet imagine, I am sure, how much a parent loves their child... and in doing so really recognizes in a deep way the beauty of this blessing of a new life, which the Lord has granted. I praise You, Lord for all of these new lives, and I ask Your protection and safety and comfort for these new mothers to be.

The Value of Every Heart
Luke 15:1-10

"Then Jesus told them this story: 'Suppose on of you has a hundred sheep but loses one of them. Then he will leave the ninety-nine sheep in the open field and go out and look for the lost sheep until he finds it. And when he finds it, he happily puts it on his shoulders and goes home. He calls to his friends and neighbors and says, 'Be happy with me because I found my lost sheep.' In the same way I tell you there is more joy in heaven oer one sinner who changes his heart and life, than over ninety-nine good people who don't need to change.'" (Luke 15:3-7)

The lost sheep, the lost wallet, the lost anything. Mmmm. I can relate. On many hurried morning in my family, we were rushing around about ready to go out the door and someone would ask, "Has anyone seen my keys? Has anyone seen my wallet? Has anyone seen my ....?" Undoubtedly followed by a "geez oh man," an abundance of quiet prayers, and a frantic search through the house from top to bottom until the important necessary item was recovered. But in those moments, here was no thought of the many things we still possessed, the roof over our heads was taken for granted (it was still there), the purses and shoes and socks (all still there), the car in the driveway (still there)... In those moments, we were concerned about what was lost and where it could be found. Similarly, Jesus is concerned about the hearts of these lost sheep and rejoices when they are "found." I rejoice in the blessing of each heart that comes to know my Lord and Savior, and pray for those who do not yet know Him.

The Strength to Stand Out

Strength to Protect
Judges 3:7-4:24

"'Of course I will go with you,' Deborah answered, 'but you will not get credit for the victory. The Lord will let a woman defeat Sisera.'" (Judges 4:9)

"But Jael, the wise of Heber, took a tent peg and a hammer and quietly went to Sisera. Since he was very tired, he was in a deep sleep. She hammered the tent peg through the side of Sisera's head and into the ground. And so Sisera died." (Judges 4:21)

Ode to strong women this morning... both Jael and Deborah were acting in counter-cultural roles. A woman judge to whom people went to settle their disagreements. And Barak wanted her there at the battle. The Bible itself doesn't say much about Jael in this passage, except that she was the wife of Heber and a member of Kenite family groups at peace with the King of Jabin.

It seems that not only did Jael demonstrate non-traditional roles of women in her strength of action but also non-traditional roles in that she took the initiative to act without her husband's consent... in a way that he would not have approved, since they were 'at peace.' Either way, the Bible is clear in future verses in praising the strength of both of these women and their non-traditional ways of serving the Lord.

Strength of the Lord All-Powerful
Psalm 48:8-14

"Walk around Jerusalem and count its towers. Notice how strong they are. Look at the palaces. Then you can tell your children about them. This God is our God forever and ever. He will guide us from now on." (Psalm 48:13-14)

Oh Lord, this morning I see the strong mountains, I see the strong palo verde trees and the strength of all nature that somehow springs from dry desert land. Thank You for reminders of Your strength and power in all things. I will tell all Your children that You are our God forever and ever... may I listen carefully in this day and every day, to what You are calling me.

Strength to Carry the Cross
Luke 14:25-35

"Whoever is not willing to carry his cross and follow me cannot be my follower. If you want to build a tower, you first sit down and decide how much it will cost, to see if you have enough money to finish the job. If you don't, you might lay the foundation, but you would not be able to finish. Then all who would see it would make fun of you, saying, 'This person began to build but was not able to finish.'" (Luke 14:27-30)

"Count well the Cost!" This is a saying that we as Brethren learn from a very young age... "coined" by Alexander Mack way back when (pun intended, of course). Most COB churches have classes and talks and times of reflection before stepping into baptism. This is an important step of faith, and most people do this in late high school to adulthood, a time when you might truly be able to "count well the cost," to understand the seriousness of this decision. You need to understand what it means to carry your cross and follow... to know what that really means in all circumstances, so that we might not start the foundation of our faith and then leave the worksite abandoned in tough economic times. Lord, as I discern Your will for my life, teach me to count well the cost and once again give my life to YOu and take up my cross and follow obediently, joyfully, and yes... with great strength that You give to me.

Praise Song for the Day- Forget Not All His Benefits!

¹ Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

² Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

~Something a little different today... I'll sing my own praise song.

Praise the Lord, O my soul;
4 1/2 friends- Brad, Kammy, Derek, Jessica and baby-to-be!

Praise the Lord, O my soul;
at Reid Park the hummingbird pauses to smile at me.

Praise the Lord, O my soul;
a clear paper topic and an end to the semester in sight.

Praise the Lord, O my soul;
sun-filled Tucson days and that moon so grand and bright.

Choose

Whom to Serve
Joshua 23:1-2:33

"Now respect the Lord and serve him fully and sincerely.... But if you don't want to serve the Lord, you must choose for yourselves today whom you will serve.... As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:14-15)

This has always been a favorite verse of mine, and I remember singing it in the summer bible school by the beach. We are called to choose. Among Joshua's last words, he is asking the people to really make the choice, between the gods that were worshipped on the other side of the Euphrates and the Lord God. There are things we have to leave behind when we choose to worship the Lord God above all, remembering that we serve Him... not our own desires, our ambition, our goals, our needs. Lord, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, and the Lord only.

Whom to Praise
Psalm 47:1-9

"Clap your hands, all you people. Shout to God with joy. The Lord Most High is wonderful. He is King over all the earth!" (Psalm 47:1-2)

Another beautiful Psalm for this morning, and it is calling me to praise the Lord God of all... King of all the earth- the mountains, the wildflowers, my friends, my family, everyone and everything... even cats. A friend was just sharing with me this morning how his cat is a source of stress-relief. Lord, you even give blessings to us in housepets. May I sing Your praises all day long. I forget too easily, when my words should be filled with exclamation points just like this song.... fill me with Your abundant joy, Lord.

The Narrow Door
Luke 13:22-35

"Jesus said, 'Try hard to enter through the narrow door, because many people will try to enter there, but they will not be able." (Luke 13:24)

I choose to serve and praise God, but I also choose to enter the narrow gate to the kingdom of heaven... following 'the straight and narrow.' Lord, I try to follow Your ways and do what is honoring to You, because I no longer live for myself only. I live to serve You, Lord my God... and I trust in You to guide me to that narrow door... for I admit that alone on my own power I cannot, but only by Your grace and the Holy Spirit that may teach me Yours ways.

A God of Wonders

Wonderful Promises
Joshua 21:1-22:34

"So the Lord gave the people all the land he had promised their ancestors. The people took the land and lived there. The Lord gave them peace on all sides, as he had promised their ancestors. None of their enemies defeated them; the Lord handed all their enemies over to them. He kept every promise he had made to the Israelites, each one came true." (Joshua 21:43-45)

The Lord has promised us so many blessings- the promise of a personal relationship with Him, the promise to hear our prayers, the promise of guidance and teaching through the Holy Spirit, the promise of love and forgiveness, the promise of salvation and an eternal life in heaven... And we need only to look back on history to see how faithful God is in all of his promises. "Great is thy Faithfulness" is a song I love to sing, to remind me that "[h]e kept every promise he made to the Israelites, each one came true." Lord, thank You for Your wonderful promises and how you are so faithful to each and every one of them.

Wonderful Peace
Psalm 46:7-11

"The Lord All-Powerful is with us; the God of Jacob is our defender. Come and see what the Lord has done, the amazing things he has done on the earth. He stops wars everywhere on the earth. He breaks all bows and spears and burns up the chariots with fire. God says, 'Be still and know that I am God. I will be praised in all the nations; I will be praised throughout the earth.' The Lord All-Powerful is with us; the God of Jacob is our defender." (Psalm 46:7-11)

What a beautiful poem on which to reflect this morning! Lord, how I love these words... "Come and see what the Lord has done, the amazing things he has done on earth." How could I not sing this every day, praising You for all the blessings You have poured out on my life and the lives of others. This morning I rejoice in a wonderful family that is so open and trusting and loving- no matter what. I rejoice in the mountains that seemed to smile down at me during my run. I rejoice in my friend Ke who is coming to know You and considering baptism. I rejoice in all of my friends from GCF and especially our wonderful Bible Study- I thank You for all of these people who are such blessings in my life.

But Lord, the other part of this passage talks about peace... "be still and know that I am God." I love the song "Peace Pilgrim's Prayer" and hope we might sing it at YAC this summer. And these simple verses are a reminder that I come before you for peace... a peace that we all need at this busy, hectic, stressful time of the semester. This is something I need right now- worried about my paper and how to begin writing it... a restless night of contemplating 'dual ergative languages.' And while not considering comparative linguistic, I know I am not the only one on this campus with a someone worried soul. Overwhelm us with Your peace, Father.

Wonderful Miracles
Luke 13:1-21

"'This woman that I healed, a daughter of Abraham has been held by Satan for eighteen years. Surely it is not wrong for her to be freed from her sickness on a Sabbath day!' When Jesus said this, all of those who were criticizing him were ashamed, but the entire crowd rejoiced at all the wonderful things Jesus was doing." (Luke 13:15-17)

I love to read of the miracles Jesus performed with a heart so willing to listen to those in need. The synagogue leaders were angry at Jesus, but Jesus was the one who decided to work on his day off. And he decided to do so out of his great compassion and love for this daughter of Abraham. And while the synagogue leaders were grumbling and complaining, the crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things they saw Jesus doing. Lord, I also rejoice in the wonderful things You do today.

Treasure Hunt

The Treasure of Waiting until Last
Joshua 19:1-20:9

"After the leaders finished dividing the land and giving it to the different tribes, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun his land also." (Joshua 19:49)

I was a bit surprised when I read this passage this morning... Joshua was the last one to have his land allotted to him. Joshua... who has a book named after him, who was leading the Israelites all this time. But he waited. And they gave him the town he asked for, where he built up the town and lived... just as the Lord commanded. What a wonderful leader Joshua must've been, more concerned with settling things for all the tribes than worried about having something left for him. And why shouldn't he be? After all, the Lord had already commanded that he should have his share in Timnath Serah in the mountains of Ephraim. Sometimes, even knowing the wonderful plans the Lord has for us, it's hard to wait patiently... yet that is when we will have the treasure of the Lord, when we wait upon Him.

The Treasure in Unearthly Things
Luke 12:32-59

"Don't fear little flock, because your Father wants to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Get for yourselves purses that will not wear out, the treasure in heaven that never runs out, where thieves can't steal and moths can't destroy. Your heart will be where your treasure is." (Luke 12:32-34)

This passage always reminds me of my years in BVS. When money gets tight, you really have to make decisions about what's important to you. You spend money on what you value- whether it's walking instead of riding the bus in order to buy Christmas gifts or not going out to eat in order to have enough for your tithe or donations. And while money is only a symbol, sometimes its given value transfers to those things which you purchase... in a real way, where your treasure is, your heart will be also. And so, the thing we should value the most is the treasure of heaven... though we cannot purchase it. It has been purchased for us, with a price that we could never pay nor repay. The true treasure is in not fearing or worrying about God's provision, but trusting that the God who has given us so much will be faithful in providing what we need and giving us a greater treasure than we can imagine in the promise of heaven.

The Treasure of the Trusted Servant
Luke 12:32-59

"The Lord said, 'Who is the wise and trusted servant that the master trusts to give the other servants their food at the right time? When the master comes and finds the servant doing his work, the servant will be blessed. I tell you the truth, the master will choose that servant to take care of everything he owns.'" (Luke 12:41-44)

Oh Lord, this morning, this is my prayer. I just want to be Your wise and trusted servant. I want to obediently do the work You have set out for me, whatever that may be. Lord, please teach me how to serve You in all I am every day... wherever that may take me in the future, Lord. I trust in You, and hope that I may be trustworthy and faithful always.... so that You may charge me with taking care of things, with doing Your work.

Now You Need It, Now You Don't

Needed: Land
Joshua 17:1-18:28

"Zelophehad had no sons, but he had five daughters, named Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They went to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua son of Nun and all the leaders. They said, 'The Lord told Moses to give us land like the men received.' So Eleazar obeyed the Lord and gave the daughtes some land, just like the brothers of their father." (Joshua 17:3-4)

How interesting to read this story here... this short account that I don't remember reading. This must've been quite strange at the time... a group of women inheriting land. But, Eleazar is obedient to what God commanded. Yet it does call into question why God would've commanded this. It must've been a need, of special significance that someone in Zelophehad's family would have an inheritance... otherwise the girls would not have any family land to go to. In countless stories in the Bible, our Lord watches out for the oppressed, those who have no rights or not prestige in society... I can't help but imagine He must've been doing the same here.

Needed: Richness toward God
Luke 12:1-31

"But God said to him, 'Foolish man! Tonight your life will be taken from you. So who will get those things you have prepared for yourself?' This is how it will be for those who store up things for themselves and are not rich toward God." (Luke 12:20-21)

When I went to the conference in Indiana, one of our workshops was on a holistic reading of scripture, and we discussed this scripture and its reading in light of orthodoxy, orthoprxis and orthopathy:
Orthodoxy: God is the one to judge. Jesus rejects the call to decide between the brothers about the property. There is also a human tendency toward greed.
Orthopraxis: What do I do with my stuff? How can I beware of the accumulation of wealth?
Orthopathy: Our passion shouldn't be for material goods but for the Lord. Our trust should be in the Lord, and this should be shown through not having excess... not amassing wealth.

Needed: God's Kingdom
Luke 12:1-31

"But seek God's kingdom, and all your other needs will be met as well." (Luke 12:31)

This is a challenge as we go about living in a world where seeking God's kingdom is not the focus of the day, but I do feel so blessed when I am seeking those ends and I pray, God, that You continue to use me each day to build up Your kingdom, to do Your will, may it all be to Your glory.

Lord, as I lift up prayers of petition this morning, I also lift up a great many prayers of praise. I thank you for a loving family, wonderful and sweet friends who love You, an amazing boyfriend who is a blessing to me in every way, an opportunity to study and teach here, and a beautiful run this morning... enjoying the different wildflowers along the way. You have given me more than what I need, Lord... and I am so thankful for all of it.

A Lord who Listens, Loves & Labels

Listens
Joshua 9:1-10:43

"The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and waited to go down for a full day. That has never happened at any time before that day or since. That was the day the Lord listened to a human being. Truly the Lord was fighting for Israel!" (Joshua 10:13-14)

What a coincidence... it seems that Jewish people around the world just celebrated a special "blessing of the sun"... which they believe was in the same place Wednesday as when the world was created. This special event is only celebrated once every 28 years, and though I at first thought it had to do with this scripture, the events appear quite unrelated. The relation however... is looking toward the sun and admiring God's power in creation.

Still more powerful than the sun in this scripture is verse 14. "That was the day the Lord listened to a human being." There are several passages in scripture where people not only call out to the Lord in prayer but seem to be engaged in conversation with our God. And our Lord listens! One is right here in Joshua, others occur with Moses and Abraham. This apparent aspect of God's character seems especially relevant in light of Easter... we serve and love and adore a living God... a God who engages in conversation with us, who guides us, who was and is and is to come!

Loves
Psalm 44:1-3

"But it was your great power and strength. You were with them because you love them." (Psalm 44:3)

God's love is what I perhaps can't quite conceptualize. His protection, power and strength are granted to us out of the great love that He has for each one of us. When we can't take any more, God can. Reflecting on Easter, I am reminded of an image the Dick Shreckhise presented to me: it's like we're carrying around a bowling ball. It's heavy and huge and not very fashionable. But then, God comes and says, "Here. Put that down. Give it to me. I'll take it." And suddenly, we feel so light. God's love is like that... it's the forgiveness that frees us from carrying around our sins that are so heavy. His strength, from His love, takes the weight away from us.

Labels
Luke 10:1-24

"...because your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:20)

Shakespeare asking, "What is in a name?" And while specific names may not be that important, knowing names and naming things give value to them. The botanist recognizes each flower and calls it by name, recognizing its qualities and unique beauty. A linguist recognizes dialectal traits and phonemes, miscues and transfer characteristics. Recognizing the importance of names, I make it a priority to learn my students' names as soon as possible. I hope to learn half of the class' names by the end of the first day. And even when I meet someone, I will make a conscious effort to commit that name to memory... because knowing someone's name implies that effort- that value... you are important and so I want to know you... starting with the very basic, your name. God knows us all... by name... by everything about us. And we should be happy that our names are written in heaven.

The disciples in this passage went out and felt very pleased with themselves that the demons and spirits paid attention to them. But Jesus reminded them why that happened and where that power came from... the fact that their names were written in heaven. Lord, may I always recognize that the power comes from You. Whatever I may be able to do, however I may be able to serve and show You to others, it is You who is working through me. Please work through me this week... in whatever opportunities may arise.

Oracao: Pray er and Action

Pastor Suely pointed out to me that the Portuguese word for prayer "oracao" consists of two parts of the word: ora and acao. "Orar" means to pray, and "acao" means action. In this I found a reminder that when we pray, we should not do so "sitting down" so to speak. We should also feel called to action... "to be the change we want to see in the world." And I feel in many parts of the Bible that God has called us to change, to praise, and to follow Him. May I do so in an especially mindful way this special and joyful time of the year!

Action- Change!
Joshua 7:1-8:35

"The Lord said to Joshua, 'Stand up! Why are you down on your face? The Israelites have sinned; they have broken the agreement I commanded them to obey.... Now go! Make the people holy. Tell them, 'Set yourselves apart to the Lord for tomorrow." (Joshua 7:10-11,13)

Here Joshua has just finished crying out to God, "Why, Lord?! Why?" The Israelites were defeated (destroyed). "Why have you brought us this far for this?" (7) God, in no uncertain terms, corrects Joshua. "Get up. Stop all that crying. You know why that happened. So now, go and be holy. Don't just cry about it... change!"

Sometimes when bad things happened, when all seems topsy turvy and a mess, I hoping that I am praying with the most open ears... leaving space and listening intently for what God wants to teach me. What is it I need to do, Lord? Teach me to pray trusting in You, but taking Your guidance and correction into action... with Your powerful to change.

Action- Praise!
Psalm 43:1-5

"Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to where you live. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God who is my joy and happiness. I will praise you with a harp, God, my God." (Psalm 43:3-4)

I have so much to praise the Lord for... so much joy in my heart for every day. In church they ask to share "testimonies" which are basically joys and praises for the day. I hardly know what to say, because I have so much to say. Lord, when I pray to You, I am amazed at having a Lord to whom I may turn in prayer. I am amazed at having a God who answers and leads me through my life. I am amazed at having this life... with new glories every morning. I am amazed at friends who open up to me and love me for who I am, just as You do oh God. I am thankful for the little things- like beautiful flowers on a morning run and a visit from dear friends and a beautiful moonlit walk and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Lord, when I come to You in prayer... I cannot stop praising You for things great and small.

Action- Follow!
Luke 9:37-62

"As they were going along the road, someone said to Jesus, 'I will follow you any place you go.' Jesus said to them, 'The foxes have holes to live in, and the birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to rest his head.' Jesus said to another man, 'Follow me!' But he said, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father.' But Jesus said to him, 'Let the people who are dead bury their own dead. You must go and tell about the kingdom of God.' Another man said, 'I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to my family.' Jesus said, 'Anyone who begins to plow a field but keeps looking back is of no use in the kingdom of God.'" (Luke 9:57-62)

I love this verse in the Bible, but I love a good challenge. And this certainly is a challenge! To me this morning, this verse seemed to scream, "No excuses!" Very early on, we become experts on excuses. In the text the excuses seem legitimate: "needing to bury his father, needing to say good-bye to the family." Our excuses are sometimes more 'lame.' "I'm exhausted," or "I have other plans," or "I'm busy" (the typical grad student excuse). What are the reasons that we don't come to God? Why don't we choose every precious hour that He has given to reflect on His majesty in prayer.

And on a grander scale, are we truly following Him? Are we following His will for our lives? Sometimes when we need to turn to God in prayer, we don't. When I'm struggling, sometimes I fear God's rebuke, God's call away from that which is doing me harm. And I avoid this challenging confrontation. Because it is a challenge. We are called to follow Him today, not tomorrow, and not to look back. So, if we have something that needs to be changed, we must change it... praying to God- asking forgiveness, rejoicing in His forgiveness, and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we may truly follow Him.

God Loves Us Through the Tough Times

While it's great to have a God to thank and praise, as we should do every day, I'm also thankful that I worship a God who understands. This is a God who came to Earth for us and lived life here... even "weeping" as the familiar verse describes. So, my God knows what it is to feel these very human emotions- the good along with the not so good, shame, sadness, doubt/fear. As expressed in so many verses, stories and psalms, we are welcomed to present those very real feelings before the Lord. I believe He wants us to be real, because He already knows, after all.

Times of Shame
Joshua 5:2-6:27

"Then the Lord said to Joshua, 'As slaves in Egypt you were ashamed, but today I have removed the shame.'" (Joshua 5:9)

Sometimes I'm frustrated by Christians who can't "be real." They feel they need to act "good two shoes," as if they do and say nothing wrong, they never have any struggles or any problems, they never make any mistakes. I think maybe that's why some people have problems dealing with Christians, because they only ever get to meet this facade, a very superficial level of the person. But I don't feel it should be this way. God's love and value and acceptance of us is so all-encompassing that we don't have to be ashamed of all our faults, our sins, our mistakes. Jesus has removed our shame. That's the amazing and miraculous blessing of Easter! Jesus came to free us from the binding of these sins. In a way, recognizing our sins openly and moving past those sins seems the perfect way to appreciate Jesus' unspeakable gift. Only then can we recognize that we truly needed that sacrifice and appreciate and accept the fact that we really are made shameless by Jesus.

Times of Sadness
Psalm 42:5-11

"Why am I so sad? Why am I so upset? I should put my hope in God, and keep praising him, my Savior and my God. I am very sad... Troubles have come again and again, sounding like waterfalls. You waves are crashing all around me. The Lord shows his true love every day. At night I have a song, and I pray to my living God. I say to God, my Rock, 'Why have you forgotten me? Why am I so sad and troubled by my enemies?' My enemies' insults make me feel as if my bones were broken. They are always saying, 'Where is your God?' Why am I so sad? Why am I so upset? I should put my hope in God and keep praising him, my Savior and my God." (Psalm 42:5-11)

What a beautiful Psalm. Some people may think I'm crazy for that, but it is really beautiful. Just as a piece of poetry, it's beautiful. But also because it feels so real. Who can't relate to a moment when they felt "so sad," "so upset"? Sometimes it seems without any real legitimate cause or reason. There is a theory that thinking certain thoughts creates pathways in the brain that make us more susceptible to think those thoughts over and over again. From this comes the theory of positive self-talk or "self-thought" (don't know if that's a word, maybe I just coined it). That's why people have positive encouraging poems or songs or words or phrases that they say, in order to re-route those negative thoughts and lead them instead down different paths. Still, the Psalmist is very real and open about his current emotions while at the same time recognizing what it would be helpful to think and feel.

Times of Doubt/Fear
Luke 9:18-36

"Jesus said to all of them, 'If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing to give up their lives daily to follow me. Those who want to save their lives will give up true life. But those who give up their lives for me will have true life. It is worthless to have the whole world if they themselves are destroyed or lost." (Luke 9:23-25)

I suppose this is the one that I'm struggling with most recently. And it is really challenging... the trick is to let it affect us. Listen with fresh ears, read it with new eyes and recognize what it is really asking us to do. While at Bethany I really felt challenged: Ok, Katie... now put your life where your mouth is. If you want this, you know what this means. You know what it means to follow me- put all other things aside... goals, plans, travel. Even if it means not earning a lot of money, even if it means not being sure where you'll end up, are you ready for this- are you ready to lose your life? Lord, I keep praying for Your guidance, knowing that when the time is right You will clarify all those questions for me. When the time is right You will make all of this known to me, and I will clearly see Your will for my life... able to faithfully follow you- losing my own life and plans and goals and dreams in return for much much greater ones.

Help for a Hectic Day

Beautiful Scripture to Help Me Through a Hectic Day

Lord, let me be faithful to you during this challenging day. Even when things are busy, let me remember that You are first. And with You in my heart, I can do all things... even a Dr. Troike exam! :o)

Holy
Joshua 3:1-5:1

"Then Joshua told the people, 'Make yourselves holy, because tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'" (Joshua 3:5)

Holy: set apart and different. Lord, teach me to handle the stress of the end of the semester with only the grace that You can give me.

Thirsty
Psalm 42:1-4

"As a deer thirsts for streams of water, so I thirst for you, God. I thirst for the living God. When can I go to meet with him?" (Psalm 42:1-2)

Thirst takes on a whole new meaning here in Arizona. Sometimes I drink a liter of water before even leaving the housing the morning! (Of course, that might have something to do with finishing my run, but it's still a lot of water.) After a day of fasting without food or water, the thing you want most is water. And I think it's no coincidence here that water is used and not food. The thing I want most in my live in all of my life in every day is You, oh God. May I remember this when the "to do" list gets in my way. I want to let you have me, lead me, guide me every day.

Endurance
Luke 9:1-17

"Late in the afternoon, the twelve apostles came to Jesus and said, 'Send the people away. They need to go to the towns and countryside around here and find places to sleep and something to eat, because no one lives in this place.'" (Luke 9:12)

I wonder what was behind this comment, if the apostles themselves were tired and hungry. After all, it was "late in the afternoon," and this was a culture where you sometimes need to talk around requests instead of requesting openly. Wouldn't the people go away of their own volition when they were tired and hungry enough? But, Jesus himself wasn't worried about becoming too tired or hungry, and He knew that He could provide enough for all. Out of a little, Jesus can make something great. And so it is with everything, Lord. Just a moment in Your presence, praying before You and reflecting on Your power and mercy provides for me- for my whole day. Thank You, Thank You.

Led into Leadership

Strong and Brave
Joshua 1:1-2:24

"Joshua, be strong and brave! You must lead these people so they can take the land that I promised their fathers I would give them. Be strong and brave. Be sure to obey all the teachings my servant Moses gave you. If you follow them exactly, you will be successful in everything you do. Always remember what is written in the Book of the Teachings. Study it day and night to be sure to obey everything that is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything. Remember that I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don't be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you everywhere you go." (Joshua 1:6-9)

I love this scripture this morning! What a blessing it is to me as I've been praying about the a possible call from God into various leadership positions... in the Graduate Christian Fellowship, ordination in my district, seminary, a possible future in the church. So, it is a great blessing to carefully observe the Lord's advice to Joshua in his new leadership role. He is told to be strong and brave- repeated several times throughout this text. While he must follow the Lord's teachings and study the word in order to follow it faithfully, the theme of being strong and brave is repeated 3 times.

For a woman to take on a leadership role in the church (and I would argue in society in general) is a challenge this day in age. It means contradicting implicit and explicit messages that are thrown at you about the 'appropriate' place for a woman. But with a bit of strength and bravery, I can be a leader like Miriam (Mic. 6:4)- "Have I not sent before thee Moses and Aaron and Miriam to lead thee?" And I do have this strength and bravery at the tips of my fingers, because all I need to remember is that "the Lord will be with me wherever I go." Thank You, God, for giving me strength and bravery... may I always use it to do Your will.

Compassionate
Psalm 41:1-13

"Happy are those who think about the poor. When trouble comes, the Lord will save them. The Lord will protect them and spare their life and will bless them in the land. He will not let their enemies take them. The Lord will give them strength when they are sick. He will make them well again." (Psalm 41:1-3)

Compassion... while this scripture does not explicitly mention compassion as a characteristic of a good leader, it does mention that compassionate souls will be protected and blessed. And anyone who has ever been in a leadership role knows that protection and blessing are two things that leaders can't get enough of. And aren't we all 'leaders' in some circumstance or another?

Of course, when we read that we are to "think about the poor," I'm quite certain that this does not merely mean in contemplation. I remember a Portuguese saying that Pastor Marcos would use: Some people with mansions have "a lot of room to talk about the poor." In thinking about them, we must consider them and consider how the choices we make affect them. It is clear that Jesus associated with poorer people, lived with and among them. And we are blessed for learning from people in different circumstances. Lord, teach me how to deal with the difficulty of appreciating my blessings but also considering those less fortunate than myself and doing what I can to care for them compassionately... leading others to do the same.

Encouraging
Luke 8:26-56

"...While all the people listened, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Jesus said to her, 'Dear woman, you are made well because you believed. Go in peace.'

"While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue leader and said to him, 'Your daughter is dead. Don't bother the teacher anymore.' When Jesus heard this, he said to Jairus, 'Don't be afraid. Just believe, and your daughter will be well.'" (Luke 8:47-50)

These two accounts in Luke appear to have happened one after the other. Two people reaching out for leadership... and two people encouraged in their belief. This shows some extremely important aspects of leadership.

1) People reach out to true leaders. The woman who was suffering from bleeding actually reached out to Jesus physically, touching His cloak and believing in His power to heal her. In a similar way, when leaders have gained the trust of a group of people, they will come with questions and ask for guidance. This leads to another important point:

2) Leaders should appreciate and invite this and not be 'bothered' by it. When the synagogue 'leaders' suggest that Jairus not "bother" Jesus, Jesus challenges their thinking. He turns to Jairus, encouraging him to believe.

As a writing instructor for English 101/102, I feel like more of an encourager than anything. I believe that people are capable of a great many things of so much more than what they have done. They only need a bit of encouragement to believe what they themselves want to believe- that they can do more, that they can do better. Lord, teach me to believe as faithfully as these humble servants and how to encourage others in their belief... welcoming whoever comes to me searching for You.

God... Who Takes Care

Of Those Who Belong to Him
Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12

"The Lord surely loves his people and takes care of all those who belong to him. They bow down at his feet and they are taught by him." (Deuteronomy 33:3)

This beautiful blessing given by Moses to the Israelites once again depicts the comforting message that he passed on to the people from God. Yesterday it was about the Lord not leaving us. Today it is about God's loving character which urges Him to take care of His people. And in turn, this care and consideration motivates His children to bow before Him, praising and honoring and aspiring to learn from the Lord.

When I think about the phrase "take care of...", it brings me a sense of comfort. Only when you really care about someone do you "take care" of him/her. I can only think that the position of the word "care" cannot be coincidental. We take care of little brothers and sisters, pets, family members, friends, those in need. On the other hand, we only "watch" or "guard" other types of things. Lord, thank You for caring enough to take care of me. I bow before You, I praise Your name, and I seek to learn Your ways.

Of Those in Trouble
Psalm 40:11-17

"Lord, do not hold back your mercy from me; let your love and truth always protect me. Troubles have surrounded me; there are too many to count." (Psalm 40:11-12)

Sometimes we need more of that care than other times. This psalm describes a time when troubles were 'too many to count.' And sometimes it seems that way. Troubles seem to come at us from all sides at the exact inopportune moment. And all it seems to take for trouble to enter in is another form of trouble. I remember when I was struggling it took a wonderful child of God to strictly tell me, "Katie, God's bigger than ______." Such a simple statement, but everything fits in it! God is bigger than everything! God's mercy and love and truth are bigger and stronger that the worst trouble, than a whole herd of troubles. Lord, thank You for Your love and truth that protect me from the biggest troubles... for You are bigger than them all.

Of Those Who are Afraid
Luke 8:1-25

"The followers went to Jesus and woke him, saying, 'Master! Master! We will drown!' Jesus got up and gave a command to the wind and the waves. They stopped, and it became calm." (Luke 8:24)

I'm sure that someone's taken the time to count how often someone mentions in the Bible, "Do not be afraid." And while I'm not that person, I can recall that it's a quite frequent repetition. It must be because we are so prone to feeling that fear... fear of the future, of failure, of rejection, of harm or pain or sadness or solitude. We fear what we do not know... perhaps because it entails recognizing that we do not know anything. We can only be comfortable with the multitude of things that we do not know, if we embrace it. We must appreciate the fact that there is only one who knows all... and that is our Lord... Lord of heaven and earth. Then, we will not be afraid of what we don't know. We can rest in the knowledge that God knows... and that is indeed enough.

When the waves get tough, Jesus gets tougher. He'll calm the storm. He has it all under control, even when we become afraid because he seems to be sleeping at the back of the boat.

Ohana

"Ohana means family, and family means no one gets left alone or forgotten." This is a line from "Lilo and Stitch," and it's a definition of family that I dearly love. My appreciation for this sentiment is exactly why my parents gave me a stuffed animal "Stitch" when I was leaving for Mexico. And to this day, he sits on my bed and goes with me wherever I go, a reminder of my connection to my family. As I read the scripture this morning, I'm challenged to remember my other family- my heavenly Father, my Christian brothers and sisters, in which "no one gets left alone or forgotten."

Family
Psalm 40:6-10

"Then I said, 'Look, I have come. It is written about me in the book. My God, I want to do what you want. Your teachings are in my heart.' I will tell about your goodness in the great meeting of your people. Lord, you know my lips are not silent. I do not hide your goodness in my heart. I speak about your loyalty and salvation. I do not hide your love and truth from the people in the great meeting." (Psalm 40:7-10)

Family to me is a really close bond... different than a lot of present day American families- something which really saddens me. I actually never realized that this was out of the ordinary until I was older. I just took it for granted that you saw most of your cousins every day, played soccer and participated in plays with them, went to Youth Group and Sunday School and sang in the choir with them. I thought everyone's uncle taught studied Bible stories with them for Children's Church and that everyone went to visit their grandparents every other weekend. Not to mention summers with the family and taking trips to wherever Annual Conference would be.

Those close ties help me to know and appreciate my family so much. And talking about each one of my family members gives me such joy. My cousin Lisa who is an amazing cook! My cousin Marisa and Aunt Anita who are amazing teachers! My brother who is working with the church in the DR! My cousin Em who helps brighten people's day every day... as she has always done! So many of my family members who encourage me to laugh and smile when I tend to take myself too seriously- Uncle Rod, Uncle Johnny, Josh, Ben, etc. My lips are not silent, and I cannot keep their goodness in my heart. In the same way, knowing God, having a close relationship to God, my lips cannot be silent, and I cannot keep God's goodness in my heart... when I experience God's love and goodness and grace every day anew, I praise Him out loud... to all day long. I love my heavenly Father, and so I will share His love and truth with everyone!

No One
Luke 7:36-50

"I tell you that her many sins are forgiven, so she showed great love. But the person who is forgiven only a little will love only a little." (Luke 7:47)

If there is one thing I'll confess to being, it's faithful and loyal. It's something that runs so deep that I can't even imagine leaving a friend's side. I feel the most awful when I have unintentionally done something to harm a friendship. Once I become friends with someone, it's a forever kind of friendship... though we may be far apart, we're always friends. And whatever may happen... if some of my friends get in quarrels, if someone changes their ways, if someone gets into something not so great or starts having some tough times, that agape (friendship) love is still there. They say that "love covers a multitude of sins," and for me it's true.

This beautiful woman who pours her tears, her heart and her perfume out onto Jesus' feet in love. And that 'great love' is a response to the forgiveness. We do not love in order to be forgiven. Rather, our great love for our Father is a response to His forgiveness... His faithfulness to us... though we have sinned and failed much. Teach me Your forgiveness... and may I always express my love for Your amazing grace and love which has covered my multitude of sins.

Left Alone or Forgotten
Deuteronomy 31:1-32:52

"The Lord himself will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forget you." (31:8)

Ah, I love this verse. A very I haven't ever taken much notice of before, but I love it... especially this morning it hit me. And this verse made me think of "Ohana." God is with me no matter what, and He won't leave. I think at the core, we're all a little bit afraid of being left or forgotten. Perhaps that is why this is so comforting.

This morning I'm still thinking about the 5k I ran about an hour ago. Most people when they say they want to run a race with you meet you there on race day and then run their own race. But then there are those special 'running buddies'... like Jared today. He actually ran the race "with" me, alongside me. It's rare. In fact, I can only think of Sarah Bay who ran a race "with" me before, but I like to think of God as my "running buddy" as well- running alongside me... not leaving or forgetting me. Sometimes He encourages me to run a bit faster or sometimes noticing that I'm quite out of breath, He slows down the pace a bit. But to me it's comforting to think of my God as a God who choose to run the race "with" me... even when He could've won it. Oh Lord, thank You for being Emmaneul... God with me.

Follow, Trust, Belong

Follow God
Deuteronomy 29:1-30:20

"This command I give you today is not too hard for you; it is not beyond what you can do. It is not up in heaven. You do not have to ask, 'Who will go up to heaven and get it for us so we can obey it and keep it?'" (Deuteronomy 30:11-12)

Following God- 'loving the Lord your God, doing what he wants you to do, and keeping his commands, rules and laws' (16)- is not something that is too far away. It's not so difficult to do, but we do need to focus on it, make it a priority. I'm challenged this morning as I read this scripture, because for a couple of days I've been getting back into things here in AZ, feeling like I'm drowning in work, and I haven't taken out a bit of time to read God's wonderful word, to pray and study and spend precious time with the Lord. It is when we need it the most that we sometimes don't continue our spiritual disciplines... and really a mere half hour or hour is the least that I can give to the Lord of my life. And in giving that hour, I gain a multitude of blessings in centering my day around the reason for it all. Lord, following You and remaining faithful is not way up in heaven or out far away in the sea... teach me that I need to continue in You always, even at the end of the semester, especially at the end of the semester.

Trust in God
Psalm 40:1-5

"Happy is the person who trusts in the Lord, who doesn't turn toward those who are proud or to those who worship false gods. Lord my God, you have done many miracles. Your plans for us are many. If I tried to tell them all, there would be too many to count." (Psalm 40:1-5)

God's plans and miracles and blessings are too many to count... oh Lord, I praise You for all the opportunities You have given to me as I travel through my life. I'm sure that so many things were in Your plan, for I never planned to do them... I just sort of followed as they happened upon me. I never planned to do BVS in Brazil, which wasn't even a BVS placement until I met Marcos and Suely. I certainly never planned on going to Lancaster, nor the guidance and friendship of Pat and Dick and the Marantha congregation would be some of the most meaningful parts of my experience there.

And this scripture challenges me to trust You, Lord. I need that trust right now. While I loved my time in Indiana at Bethany Seminary, I was also challenged to recognize that there are many churches in my dear COB that wouldn't accept a female pastor... that would rather accept a pastor from outside the denomination than a good Brethren girl raised up right there in one of their churches. What message does it send to the women in the congregation about their role or their part in ministry or their value as a part in building up God's kingdom? But, Lord... I need to trust that the plans You have for me are good and perfect, and I know that when You call me into ministry of some kind, there will be a place... You will prepare it. The plans You have for me are many... and though I don't know them right now, I trust that You will make them known at the right time. I so desire to follow Your plans and to serve You, God. Please, take me.

Belong to God
Luke 6:27-49

"A good tree does not produce bad fruit, nor does a bad tree produce good fruit. Each tree is known by its own fruit. People don't gather figs from thornbushes, and they don't get grapes from bushes. Good people bring good things out of the good they stored in their hearts. But evil people bring things out of the evil they stored in their hearts. People speak the things that are in their hearts." (Luke 6:43-45)

Each tree is known by its own fruit. I pray that we may all produce good fruit as Christians, so that ours may be the tree known as nourishing and sweet and abundant. Unfortunately throughout history it has not always been this way. The Crusades, religious persecution of various sorts, division and further division of denominations. Lord, unify us... just as Jesus prayed in John 17. May we together feel Your love in our hearts... so that what comes out of us ay be only good things... and that Your tree may be known to all the world by the love that we show to others. Teach me more each day how to speak the truth in love.

Great Questions about Life

The Promise of a Long Life
Deuteronomy 25:1-26:19

"Don't carry two sets of weights with you, one heavy and one light. Don't have two different sets of measures in your house, one large and one small. You must have true and honest weights and measures so that you will live a long time in the land the lord your God is giving you." (Deuteronomy 25:13-15)

Be honest with your judgments, and God will grant you a long life. While there are many important pieces to this Scripture, the thing that hits me right now is that this inherently emphasizes the beauty of life. If life weren't beautiful and wonderful (as two of my favorite movies suggest), then why would we want to live a long life? That promise wouldn't hold any promise. But, there is great beauty in this life that God created for us: in the world, in our brothers and sisters, in our days of learning and living and loving. And Lord, I sometimes forget how wonderful it is... this life that you grant me each day. Thank You, God! What a glorious and amazing gift You have given to me!

The Brevity of Life
Psalm 39:7-11

"...Everyone's life is only a breath." (Psalm 39:11)

There are two ways I can take this scripture. One would be: Life is short. Enjoy it. Appreciate it. The other would be: Life is short, so you better be ready for the next one. Keep your mind on the life that is to come. In this second reading, we are reminded that this life isn't all there is. This isn't the end for us, but only the beginning. It's a delicate balance of appreciating this life as a gift from God filling with blessings every morning and also remembering the blessing of an even more precious eternal life that we wait for. We do not live for this life, and for this very reason nothing can shake us, nothing can harm us. We may not be victorious in this life, but we will in the next.

The Value of a Life
Luke 6:1-25

"Then Jesus said to them, 'I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath day: to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy it?'" (Luke 6:9)

Jesus reminds the Pharisees here that life is precious, more precious than their strict rules. In fact, the Sabbath was meant as a gift for people to enjoy the life that God had given them. Jesus saves a life, showing the value of that person over a law that has become life-draining instead of life-giving as it was originally meant to be. Lord, may I value the lives of all my brothers and sisters, all of my friends and family, all of Your children everywhere... with all I do and say.