Days of Our Lives

Everyone wants to be remembered. No one wants to think of their live as  a story that is merely written in the dust of time simply to be forgotten. However, Jeremiah 17: 13 says that those who do not trust in their Lord are ultimately writing a story that will soon be forgotten: one that is written in the dust and sands of times.

LORD, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust.

In order to have a memorable a story, a story that leaves an inheritance for others, one simply can not afford to live for one's self. One must live beyond the pages of the banality and mundaneness of life. To escape the meager offerings of everyday existence, one must collaborate with a Being with a higher purpose and greater initiative. We must leave off the writing to God. We must surrender the pen to His hand, to His plan, to His foresight; in other words, we leave our story to His divine script and rest in the promise that what He does with the pages of our lives will have  meaningful value in the present and eternal value after we die.

Who best to write our story than the author of our lives? God writes every day of our lives, from the moment of conception to our dying breath: "Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" (Psalm 139:16).   Psalm 56:8 testifies that "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book."

No one wants to think that their existence has no value- that they are simply dis-remembered once they are placed into the ground, once dust has returned to dust. One wants to believe that one's days have had significance and worth and value, but how can one be sure that is the case, how can one leave a lasting legacy? Simply, by resting and trusting in the truth that God's plan and hope for a future which He promises in Jeremiah 29:11 is a reality.  It  is not a bogus promise on which He has no intention of keeping.

My heart overfloweth with a goodly matter; I speak the things which I have made touching the king: My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. (Psalm 45:1). The psalmist is able to proclaim that God's praises are the only things he needs to inscribe, for he truly believes that goodness and mercy shall follow him all the days of his life as He dwells in His King's presence (Psalm45:1).

The psalmist is not in denial: Indeed, You have made my days as hand breadths, And my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah.(Psalm 39:50. Selah means pause and think on these things. He is inviting the reader to recognize the brevity of life and its indeterminate length. All that remains of consequence is what we have done for others and our God.

A striking story of Jesus finds him stooping low one day to write in the dust (John 8:6). Some people think that He was cataloguing a list of the offender's sins- those hypocrites who dared stoned a woman for committing adultery, but who conveniently left the man alone. But what if Jesus was writing done all the hopes and dreams that the Creator had for these men, for that solitary woman; what if He were chronicling the story of their lives in the dust?

Adam in the Hebrew means earth. From the earth we have come and to earth our bodies return for  awhile, but our souls, the eternal parts of us live on. Our lives can tell a precious story if we surrender the pen to our Creator.

Still Being Written,

MJ

New Year's Resolution: Spiritual And Emotional Balance

  I realized there are two components to true healing. If you lack one, serious consequences and repercussions will be the result. The two kinds of healing are emotional and spiritual maturity. What are the differences? Someone may spend hours in counseling, addressing the past, the wounds, and received managing and coping strategies, but still be afraid. That is from where the spiritual component comes. One can see a problem, but not have the power to forgive, release, and be a whole confident individual, free of fear. One lives behind walls in order to protect one's self. The fear has bound the person.  He knows that Jesus said that He came that he might have life, and life more abundant. But, he experiences none of it. He knows that perfect love casts out fear, but he still leaves bound, trying to protect himself.

Then there is the spiritual person. That individual knows the Word of God. He is acquainted with prayer and fasting. To be sure that discipline, if added to seeking healing, would be the perfect combination, but they often are not. These spiritual disciplines are often practiced in isolation. This individual is one likely to dismiss any brokenness and claim the blood of Jesus has washed all pain away though he has spent no time hearing God’s voice directly on that issue.

Now, put the two together. For instance, this same person is quietly seeking God’s face, and God reveals that there is an issue: for instance, a person he needs to forgive, and perhaps, the key to the forgiveness is he also receiving healing for the event. The order typically happens in this way: Jesus walks the individual back to the event so that He relives the feelings (this reliving of the pain is the number  one reason why individuals don’t want to go back; it is easier to say the blood of Jesus covered it instead of walking back into the situation and facing the pain). So, the individual and Jesus spend time in the Secret Place; they talk frankly and candidly about what occurred. Now, the individual knows exactly what he is forgiving; the price that has to be paid for the pain that was inflicted or perhaps, he learns that he has misconstrued the event all together and been in pain needlessly.

No matter. The individual experiences the honest emotions of grief and anger. He wants to know who will pay this debt. Then, Jesus reveals his scarred hands, ands says that He already his paid it. This truth allows the individual to forgive the offender; thus, closing the cycle. The spiritual and emotional are no longer disconnected. He no longer tries to smother, push down what he considers are negative emotions- emotions which are not negative at all, but God’s attempt to get his attention that something is broken and needs to be addressed.

I pray that God will bring a greater sense of peace through His love and healing in our lives this year. For there is no fear in love. But, perfect love drives out fear. (I John 4:18).
Progressing, though Imperfectly,
MJ

A Pioneer's Christmas: Fill up your wagon with joy!

The most important and the most precious thing the pioneer had was his wagon. The wagon was his home.  He slept in the wagon. It was the parlor or living room where he might read, pray, or play checkers.

Secondly, the wagon provided shelter from the elements; it kept out the wind, sleet, and sun. What lessons can we learn from the wagon? Don’t overload your home with unnecessary burdens. A marriage and family can only sustain so much. Don’t forget the provisions of love, kindness, gentleness, perseverance, humility. These are the knives and other implements that hung inside the wagon’s interior. Pioneers always had a can of grease at the ready to oil and moisten the axles and wheels of the wagon. Forgiveness is your oil in your family wagon.

The most important part of the wagon was the tongue.  If the tongue broke, the wagon would be useless. The oxen would have nothing to pull. Similarly, our tongues set the course of our lives. It directs where we will end. The power of life and death are in the tongue.  James tells us that "the tongue is set on fire by hell. With it we praise God and curse our brother made in His image. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself" (James 3:6).

We have all seen movies were the pioneers circled their wagons and fought the natives. A wagon became an instantaneous fort, a corral for the animals as well. The pioneers preferred oxen over mules or horses. The oxen were strong, but even so, a wagon could not carry more than 2000 pounds. Similar to the wagon, your family can only take so much stress. Your family needs more than just provisions, gifts; they require love, time, and listening. Be sure to protect your family from predators: overstimulation, lack of commitment, and too little quality time. The tongue stuck out a quite a bit in the front and onto it, the oxen were attached. Without the tongue, the wagon was useless, a dead heavy weight. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another"  (I John 4:20).

May we always use our words to build up and not tear down. Your words of affirmation and love protect the hearts of those whom you hold dear. It protects the hearts of your family from predators which would seek their destruction. Unconditional love and words of comfort keep the home fires burning. Circle your wagon so to speak and corral the lost ones inside the warmth of your heart. Pull them close this season and use every implement you can find to protect what you value most.

 

 

The Gate and the Pen

Jesus emphatically states that he is the gate to the sheep pen. What does He exactly mean by that? In my own life, I believe I’ve come to understand what Jesus means when he says we can come in and come out of the sheep pen and find pleasant pastures. In Psalm 16 , God has promised that the lines will fall in pleasant places.  We will have a good inheritance. Other versions of the same scripture says the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, and I have a pleasant inheritance. Both versions suggest that it is God who holds and maintains on lots.

It is God who chooses our relationships, our families, the very parameters of our existence. To be at peace with this truth, one must inherently believe God's intentions toward us are indeed good. There, our lives begin and end: the very parameters or boundaries of the lines of our existence are set because of God’s inherent goodness and love for us. We must believe as Psalm 145:17 God states that God is loving in all of his ways and is kind in all that he does. If we doubt this central fact, we will not be pleased with the boundaries that God sets for us. Instead, we will be typically angry, resentful, and fearful.

Jesus as the Good Shepherd serves as the gate that allows us to go in and go out freely. Begin to reflect on the fact that God offers us the freedom to come in and to go out of the  pen at our own discretion. God gave us free will but also the rules we need to protect ourselves.  The wall in the sheep pen is there to protect us.  In terms of our emotions, the  gate allows others access to our hearts and our emotions. As we open the gate, we allow people to know our intimate thoughts, but in order to gain entrance, a person must first pass through the gate who is Jesus. Hopefully, we will allow Jesus to be the gatekeeper he wishes to be and allow only things and people who decides to enter inside of our hearts for He has best interests at heart.

A Fellow Sheep,

MJ

Beeteeful Lessons

It is one thing to study something as a matter of academic interest and quite another to view it firsthand. Such is my experience with the bees. I had researched them and talked about them, but now I would learn about them experientially. So, one sunny day two weeks ago, I entered into the world of bees. There, I learned some new lessons.

First, I learned that bees are sensitive to smell. They do not like perfumes. I guess that I can understand this sentiment since they daily smell the freshest and best perfume that the world has to offer: flowers. Anything synthetic imitating the real thing should dissatisfy.



They also can smell fear. Like dogs, if they sense fear, they will attack. During my entire time with the bees, I had to remain quiet, calm, and full of faith. I trusted God's presence in the bees so much that I stood before the nest naked so to speak.: no hat,  no gloves, or mask. Even my lower body was open to attack if they so chose, but I believed that they would not. I walked in as a friend not foe.

Lastly, I want to describe the treasure I reaped: the honey and the honey comb. God's word and godly wisdom is compared to the honeycomb: "They are more desirable than gold, even much fine gold. They are sweeter than honey, even the drippings from a honeycomb" (Psalm 19:10). True sweetness in life takes much work. The bees work hard for their product, and rightfully become enraged when people try to steal their hard-earned work. What if we were as adamant about guarding God's word in hearts, His promises, and our faith in Him, as the bees are diligent in attacking those who attempt to steal their honeycomb? Wouldn't the sweetness of God's presence flow down our lives and into the lives of others because of His loving presence that saturates us?


I left that day with one terrible sting on my hand- that 's all. But isn't that life? If you live afraid, you may never be stung, but have you really lived? The sting of love and  death simply reminds us and others that we have truly lived and that without fear.

Honey-filled,
MJ

Children, You Gotta to Love Them

"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 18:3

 

"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, "'From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise'?"

 

Matt 21:16

Children, you have to love them. They say the first things that come from their heads or mouths. They ask the most private and daunting questions. But, we all begin as infants and then mature to childhood, only to regress to child-likeness, dependent upon others in our dotage, old age. Is there a graceful way to accept this transition? If the Bible is too believed, there is: become a child  again; remain a child forever.

Most of us feel like Nicodemus felt when Jesus told him that he must be born again:"You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' ( John 3:7).  Yikes! Who wants to experience birth and childhood again? I am sure Nick was thinking: I hope there is a door number 2. But, alas, there is only one way to enter the kingdom: accept it as a child, innocently filled with faith.
 
Children aren’t afraid of vulnerability. Who is more vulnerable than a baby? Perhaps,  an elderly person. Knowing this fact, God has promised that even to our gray hairs and whiskers, He will be faithful to us. God knew that entering a second childhood would be hard for most of us, so He promised that He would guard us and protect us until we got home: "Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save you" (Isaiah 46:4).

Children are honest about their needs and wants; they don’t hide behind subterfuge and false vanity. No. What they want, they let you know. Interestingly, Jesus tells us we can come to the Father with our requests: don’t be shy. Tell it: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Take a cue from a child: if he has to potty, he calmly, or not so calmly, lets the world know, its potty time. We are invited to get just that honest with our heavenly Father. Jesus says that God knows what we need already, but we should ask. Just as Mom knows that hop jump means it’s potty time.

In fact, Jesus settles even for a bit brutal honesty himself when he states emphatically,
"If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more
will your Father who is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him?" (Matt 7:11).
So, why not relax today in being God's child. Lean back in His arms, and let Him Father you.

Daddy's Girl,
MJ

 

Wind, Waves, and Mountains

Standing at the base of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa brings humbling feelings. Truth be told, standing at the base of any formidable mountain range may produce the same effect- one simply feels small, perhaps even in significant in nature’s landscape, but not in God’s.

How does the Creator of the universe manage to keep His eyes on me and the small furry rodent with the lines and dashes across its tiny back? He watches it safely cross the path of pedestrians, steadily climbing the mountain path, and He watches my journey as well- one seemingly achingly slow step after ponderous step.

At the precipice of the mountain cliffs, God promises to hide me in the shelter of His wings. Despite the howling winds, and the fragile rock cleft, like Elijah, I am safe, and can rest there until I hear the next instruction of where to go. Even as I summit the mountain’s crest, He is there too waiting to reveal its grand and majestic panoramas and His ever constant word, “Be Still and know that I am God.”

I realized something yesterday, like a tourist so busy taking pictures, merely to show that she has been there, I too can be simply going through the motions of life without ever really being present, experiencing the here and now. So, I slow down, put the camera away, and just stand in the awesomeness of who God is  as revealed in nature . I allow my mind’s camera to open its shutter and take in the beauty that only the Supreme Artist can create and then take its beauty and lessons into my spirit. I will remember these pictures best even when I misplace the photos or they are destroyed. The wind seems to caress my souls  again with these words, be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted the earth and the heavens.

His care for me is as constant as the tide that comes into the beach, its roaring waves silenced as it reaches the shore. O’ that my soul would find its rest in God alone and be still its beating, and simply lie prostrate before His presence as the sea’s waters lap upon the soft sand of the beach.

The penguins clean and preen comfortable in their dark black and white suits. O' that my soul would take peace in the fact that I am clothed in the righteous of Christ alone and need do no more than preen to show His handy work, and clean off the debris that would destract from His glory and beauty.

Maybe the rocks strewn across this beach, the ugly masses of seaweed, and lumpy rubbery vines which resemble so much like nature’s debris after an upset stomach in the ocean are simply here to remind me not to turn Jonah. You know, come up with my own plan. Despite the rocks' bulk and placement, I can still walk upon the beach. Just as in life, obstacles do not have to stop me.

 

So many beautiful lessons in nature lie.
 
A Contemplative Today- MJ

Women's Issues Part I and Part II

Part I: The Heart of the Issue- Christ

Women’s issues were at the heart of Jesus’ ministry. He cared for the aged, the widow, the down-and-outer. He loved the prostitute, the divorcee, the sick and the chronically infirm. His love knew no bounds. So, before there were ever feminists, womanists, or any such nomenclature, Jesus loved women and at the heart of his ministry was a deep concern for women’s position and treatment in His society.

On one particular day, He raised from the dead the son of a widow. Knowing that she would have no one to support her financially, He broke Hallach ( law and tradition) and raised the boy from the dead. Then he went on to heal a woman who had a chronic bleeding problem. Having suffered for over twenty years from anemia, I understand her distress.  My anemia was so severe that it mandated surgery because my body was filled with tumors. So, I can only imagine the extent of her suffering.

After healing this woman, Jesus does not take a rest; He tends to a little girl, Jarius’ daughter. Age is no barrier for Him. He valued children, and not just boy children, as we often see happening in places like China and India. No, he rebuked his disciples, and made an incredible announcement when He told them that they must become like children or they would not enter the kingdom of heaven.

The plain fact of the matter is that Jesus was indignant of his disciples’ disrespect and devaluation of children. He told said that it would be better for an abuser to have not been born or have a milestone tied around his neck and thrown into the sea, than to hurt one of these little ones, and he did not specify gender. Their angels, He said, see God’s face in heaven.

Unlike people, Jesus was never in a hurry, too busy to look one in the eye and stop and chat. He dealt completely with the woman with the issue of blood before heading off to heal Jarius’ daughter. He made sure that all of her needs were met and satisfied.  Then and only then, after making sure she knew that she was both seen and heard, did He move on to touch another life- this time a girl child.

 Part II True Satisfaction of the Right Sort

Satisfaction is exactly what the woman was looking for at the well. She was thirsty and well she knew it. But, she didn’t know what would really satisfy. That is until she meet Jesus and He offered living springs of water, true worship, a new identity, and a calling as an evangelist. He restored her dignity, gave her purpose, and connected her in the most meaningful way back into her community all over a cup of water. Jesus truly is a mighty tall drink.

Women bound by addiction did not turn Jesus off. Whether they were mentally ill, sexually avarice, or tormented by demons, He touched them in all the right places for healing.

I know someone is already asking, “What about the Syro-Phoenician woman who Jesus compared to a dog?” I think Jesus wanted to teach his disciples a lesson, and He knew a persistent woman fighting on the behalf child would provide it. When the woman was undeterred, He grants her request and turned to the Jews to marvel at the faith of a Gentile when His own people did not believe.

Jesus strikes this cord again when He tells his disciples that should pray always and never give up. Who does He take as his example? A woman seeking justice for her child. Jesus trusts us to speak up on behalf of our children. He assigns us these roles. When he tells the parable of the man who goes to borrow bread from his friend, the man makes all types of excuse: his feet are dirty, his in bed with his kids, etc. Yawn. Yawn. If not for the beating on the door, the man would have soon as not responded to his friend. But not the women seeking justice for her child, even the fact that the judge feared neither God nor man could dissuade her from pleading her case and again.

We women have more in us than we give ourselves credit for possessing. Jesus knows us best because He is our creator.


Proudly a Woman,
MJ

Save Us From Ourselves

The message was clear; clean up, pack up, before it is too late. When Kim gave an impassioned plea to help clean out the church which had housed the Salvation Army for more than a hundred- years for vacancy, I had no idea what lay before me. Into a small space no larger than a walking-in closet, was a debris-filled room crammed with left-overs from decades ago. Old tapes, VHS, plastic cutlery, several vacuum cleaners, all in working-condition no less, CDS, bulletins, programs, tithing envelopes, old SantacCostumes, decorations from Christmas past, and even a Christmas tree found their way to the center of the room.



Assessing the Damage

Where do we start?



Our lives, unfortunately, are much like this ill-used room, crammed with un-dealt with issues, unhealed hurts, unmet needs, regrets, bitterness, and loss. When we think about facing the demons we have stuffed down emotionally, spiritually, and physically for years, we become faint-hearted. How could we bear to tackle the demons that reside in that dark closet of our hearts? Like children, we fear waking the monster of our past. But, there comes a time in everyone’s life, when they simply have to move.

That day dawned bright and early for Billie. Alas, the church was to be closed. Whether he was prepared or not, moving day was upon him.  He needed the help of friends and strangers to get him ready for his next journey. How like us, we can’t get where we are going without help. But receiving help means, we remain vulnerable. The world gets to witness our mess, our brokenness, our neediness.





Billie appraises  the progress.

  

Graciously, it was into such a mess that Y’Shua came. He knew all of our dirty little secrets, the pet demons, and licentious lusts, and yet He came.  He put on human skin and lived like one of us amongst the murk and dirt of society. One piece by dirty slovenly piece, He cleans out our closet. He washes the walls of our hearts with his blood, and vacuums about the broken decayed pieces of our tattered dreams. After He sets the room of our heart aright, He comes and resides there giving us piece. Now, that is quite a deal.

Still Cleaning,

MJ

1 Corinthians 3:16-17: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."