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.

 

 

What is a Pioneer?

A pioneer is one who leaves all behind in hope of a better life ahead. Nations streamed to what was known as the New World. They came from Africa, Europe, and Asia to escape drudgery, persecution, and some against their own will, but they came all the same. They took Paul’s words of Philippians 3:13-14 truly:  one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.

In order to embrace the destiny and new life which lay ahead they had to forget their country and people. Like Ruth, the quintessential pioneer, they needed to forget their people, their land, and their god to find the new life before them: "Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. (Ruth 1:16).

Being a pioneer meant being prepared. One had to anticipate the dilemmas and problems one might encounter on the trail.  Life is a similar kind of journey, which at times, with its twists and turns, requires us to anticipate the challenges which may lie ahead. "But don't begin until you count the cost," Jesus warned; "for who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish? (Luke 14:28).

The pioneer needed to bring barrels to collect water and simple cooking supplies such as cornmeal, yeast, bacon, rice, and beans. All of the pioneers traveled with supplies such as needles, pins, leather, scissors, and all the necessary sundries to sew and make clothes. In essence, they took as much and as many supplies as possible on the journey.

They would have been destined for failure if they had not had the foresight to carry dried meat, potatoes, crackers, and yeast for baking. The family cow made the trip as well for it provided the necessary milk for growing children and nursing babes who were still suckling. Even a tin of chocolate might be taken for special occasions. A hen or two would provide the eggs that would serve as a good source of protein and a necessary ingredient in cooking.

No malls were nearby so leather was brought to fix worn-down shoes. They also made their own repairs to wagon wheels and such, so they brought nails, hammers, saws, knives, and the utilitarian string. When they set off toward their destination, they did not know exactly what awaited them, but they attempted to anticipate and prepare to meet their most basic needs.

Yet, we seem to little resemble the pioneer as we carelessly get into our wagons so to speak and head out on the trial of life. We give little thought to the gear that we will need to mend the broken parts of our hearts. Like a pair of broken worn shoes whose tread is gone, our hearts keep on trudging on the miles but are never restored, never mended.

We fail to sharpen our skills and intellect. No pioneer worth his or her salt would go on the trail without a good set of knives and the ability to sharpen them, but many people spend little time investing in sharpening people skills, relationship building, and cognitive growth.

 

The story of the pioneer provides a worthy allegory to life, and for next few installments, I will examine the tried and true virtues exhibited by the pioneer.

A Bourgeoning Pioneer,
MJ

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Monkey See, Monkey Do!

For [even the whole] creation (all nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be made known [waits for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship” Romans 8:19

When the Bible says that all creation waits in eager expectation for the revelation of the sons of God, it has exciting and frightening ramifications. I think I understand what it means in a deeper way because of a few trips that I have taken with English Language School. During a trip to Monkey Town, and also during a trip to refuge for abused primates, I heard similar stories about two different primates who had been taught to drink. One was a monkey who became an alcoholic like his human master. When the man died, the monkey was taken to Monkey Town where he was rehabilitated, but today still shows signs of his abuse. He abuses his wife and children, according to the guide. When he first arrived, he had the shakes and other identifiable traits of addicts.

The other was a chimpanzee who both drunk and smoked. He was taken to taverns and was made to drink for the sport of those who would pay, as he put on this sick display. Cruel humans thought that it was funny to exploit him in this way. To this day he displays great hostility and violence.

In addition, I have seen footage of animals that wait for fruit to ripen and fall from trees. As the fruit drops to the ground, it begins to ferment. Some animals don't even have the patience to wait for the process to be completed.  They consume so much of the fermented fruit they get tipsy and even fall down drunk during this season, staggering through the forest. I do not believe that these behaviors are indicative of the conduct that God intended from the animal kingdom, but as sin has encroached into their domain as well, we see the results of the fall of man.  It makes you wonder who needs to be caged and rehabilitated.

But what if we influenced the earth for good? What if creation's anxious waiting revealed a people anxious to do good, to protect the animals and their habitats? People who did not care about their own selfish pursuits more than obeying the first mandate given: to care and maintain guardianship over the earth. Genesis 1:28 states, “God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

It is not only unbelievers who act in ways that are egregious towards creation. It is not just alcoholics and circus  trainers who maim primates; it is large corporations that pollute our waters and environment; it’s the simple citizen who litters, who doesn’t recycle; that individual leaves a large carbon foot print on the earth. But when, we walk or bike instead of drive, put our rubbish in the compost heap, we are saying that we value the gift of creation God has given us.

Who really should lead the way of protecting the animal kingdom and the environment? The children of God of course. He gave us the responsibility, didn’t He?  One day, the lion will lie down with the lamb. There will be a day when there is no more death- animal or human on God’s holy hill. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain," says the LORD. (Isaiah 65:25). How I am bringing His kingdom to the earth now? How do I reduce the enmity between man and beast?
 

MJ

Creative Genius

 

 

As you browse nature’s aisle, your senses are awakened to its enticements. Like a visit to a home improvement store, you see a painter’s palette beyond imagination. You dream of how such picturesque beauties of wild flowers and honeyed branches could find a place in your daily life, not just the occasional visit. The fields are filled with flower carpets in the delicate and the bold; splashes of bright oranges poppies explode into view. Your sensations are most surely overwhelmed by this sight. God is clearly an uninhibited artist; his selection of pigment knows no limit. Yellows, oranges, reds coexist beside greens, browns, purples, and whites.

But you may ask why does a Creative Genius take such delight and precise care with such seemingly insignificant items? They are here today and gone tomorrow only to be replaced by others equally or even more beautiful and fragrant. These fantastic gems last so little time, yet He thoughtfully and carefully dedicated His attention to them. Can we do any less?

 

The best and most complete answer is that God wants to be seen and known, but even more so, He wants you to know how much He loves you. He goes about his job with a tremendous joy and a supreme finesse as He places each wild flower, the blue columbine, and cacti even in the arid air of the dessert. He places the succulents and the trees for the birds to build their nests near the beauty of the green mountains.

What purpose can beauty serve if it cannot draw us to rest, to contemplation, and to conversation with its Creator who has created a symphony of sight, sound, and smells? He has left His calling card and hopes you will give him a ring, so as you peruse the aisle of this world improvement store, let  each blade of grass, each petal of flower, and leaf of tree, sing  “Oh how He loves you!”
 

An Enraptured Shopper,
MJ

 

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,that we should be called children of God and that is what we are!

1 John 3:1

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

A Big Fat Chance

Carrying extra weight is like wearing a large and extravagant, me enough to conceal a person from chin to foot.

If necessary, even the eyes may be hid. The weight of the coat provides security for its occupant even while it imprisons. But what one doesn’t see is  that  underneath that heavy object is a frail human being, one who is cowering from the blows life has dealt it.

Paralyzed by fear of repeated beatings, this step-child hides behind this fortress of fat. Chipping begins on that fortress by the Master Craftsman-part Potter and Carpenter, He begins to remove the fortress bit by bit until the person emerges.

 Imagine if you will, snipping a section of that fur coat, which really represents  pain, fear, and shame more than lust, greed, a lack of self-control. Now, you see that hidden waters begin to flow, more trust is developing.  The healing touch of Christ brings peace and wholeness. The fur collar comes off- you see the face and the whole mouth is there to view.

Then an inch or two off the hem, one can walk. The sleeves are taken away- one is free to move. Then a foot is taken from the bottom of the coat year after year, and suddenly one discovers that one is no longer wearing a coat, but a jacket. Remove the fur trim. Shave it off. It looks more like a vest but still stifle; it constrict.  Your heart is covered and that is all that matters.

Finally Jesus offers a light-weight wind breaker- it is incredibly effective against the harsh elements of life, but one can’t even wear two coats at the same time. What to do?

He is wise enough to realize that one would have never exchanged the Teflon fur-lined coat for the fragile piece of cloth, but now one is as close to bare as one will dare to be, and so He offers it  just the same.

There may be many such exchanges.  One may demand to have  the vest back but eventually, one will enjoy the freedom of Jesus’ windbreaker or one may true to add a discarded remnant of the old coat to the new assemblage, but Jesus will have no of it. He will stop you- because He loves you.

A Vest-Wearer,
Mella