New Family Member: Hatteras

I owned one cat, Indy and one dog, Blaze.  To me, this was an ideal number as they had each other to play with.  Once Indy was declawed in the front, he was a good playmate for Blaze.  Blaze is always welcoming to other animals, as long as he still gets his ears scratched regularly.

My cousin had several kittens on her farm that were needing a family.  I had resisted taking one home until the kittens had slowly been killed off by assorted farm accidents and tomcats.

I visited her on a Friday, and by the next Wednesday, another cat had disappeared.  So, my kind heart decided to take in another cat.  He's quite a character and seems to be fitting in with the other two.

Hatteras, as I've named him after one of my favorite places, was very gentle with my niece and nephew, despite being carried around a couple times by his tail and neck!

Now we are working on a few words like "No" and "Off."  I decided to lock him in the basement at night as he tends to wake me up too often to play.  He keeps Indy quite entertained, and Indy has learned to put Haty in his place when he's tired.

I realized today that I am already going through cat litter and food at a quicker rate, and I fear a moving water bowl is on the horizon.  But, for now, everyone is settling in quite easily.

Overnight Apple & Cinnamon Oatmeal

I made this recipe out of the November Prevention for my family over Christmas.  They loved it.  I love it because it is so easy.

1 cup steel cut oats
1 cup chopped dried apples
3 Tablespoons sugar (or granular sugar substitute)
1 Teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon vanilla
1/4 Teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup fat free milk (I use Almond milk)

Put in a slow cooker rubbed with 1 Tablespoon trans-free margarine.  Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

I put it on the last thing before I go to bed and in the morning the house smells great!

Leap of Faith

Instead of a New Year's Resolution, I try to find a new thing to try or learn each year.  I've taken classes on creating pottery from clay, simple plumbing and electrical fix-it classes,  guitar lessons, and Spanish lessons (to refresh my high school learnings).  I've gone on vacations by myself across the country (thereby learning to be independent, read maps and entertain myself).  My "new things" over the years have included writing novels in 30 days as a challenge and walking a 5K race.  On my list of things yet to do are learn to scuba dive, complete at least a 10K or a half-marathon, and learn to drive a motorcycle.

One thing I had always wanted to do is to learn to read Greek and Hebrew, specifically the Greek and Hebrew in the Bible.  A weird dream, but something that had been in the back of my mind for a long time.  So a couple years ago, I decided to investigate learning both ancient languages.

After looking into classes at the college level, I realized what I really needed or wanted to learn was available primarily through seminaries.  I had not considered going and did not want to go to seminary.  So, I decided to spend some time (a year) to decide whether this was something God wanted me to do or if this was just a whim that would pass with time.  

After the year, I had determined my real objections to going to seminary were the cost and the time it would take.  I knew that the sacrifice of my personal time would be high and that I would likely have to give up a lot of the activities and events I enjoyed doing.

But, after a year, I also was certain that this was something God was calling me to accomplish.  So, taking a leap of faith, I enrolled in seminary, and have spent the past year and a half taking classes online through Bethel Seminary in St. Paul.

The question I am asked most often when people find out I'm taking seminary classes is "What do you plan to do with it?"  The answer: I have no idea.  It has not been revealed to me, and I don't have plans to change careers.

But, the benefits to taking the classes have been enormous: new friends, a closer relationship with God, a firmer understanding of our faith, a clarification of ideas, and learning Hebrew.  While there have been costs as well, such as all of my vacations spent at school or lack of time to do things other than homework, the benefits clearly outweigh the costs.   I am certain that God wants me there, if for no other reason than to broaden my perspective.  Although, I suspect there is much more to it than that.



For more on this topic, click through the Women of Faith blog hop.

Merry Christmas!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas experience today and are able to continue the celebration through the New Year.

I have been spending time with family.  It has been great to see many of my aunts & uncles as well as my cousins.  My pets have been hugged, pet and cuddled to death.  My newest addition has been nearly strangled two or three times by zealous toddlers picking the cat up by the neck.  Fortunately, he is very patient and has not scratched or bitten anyone.

Kinect

I considered buying a Wii, but neer could justify doing it.  Would I really play it? Did I have time to play it if I got it.  Plus, some of the games I thought I'd like, were not available on it.

This Christmas, I decided to buy Kinect for Xbox 360.

Worth every penny.

I have been playing it this week with my parents and brother's family.  My 4 year old nephew has a ball playing the river rafting game, and my mother loves the bowling game.  I'm always amazed how much energy it requires to play and how quickly I get into the games.

I bought the fitness Kinect, but I haven't had a chance to play it yet.  The idea of doing yoga as a game is intriguing to me.  We'll see how it goes.

da Vinci Exhibit

I went to the Science Center of Iowa in Des Moines today.  The premier exhibit was one about Leonardo da Vinci.  I learned a lot about da Vinci through the exhibit.

First, he was an illegitimate, and thus not able to attain as much of the education he would have been able to get as a legitimate son.  However, this did not prevent him from taking apprenticeships with various people, learning a variety of trades.

The exhibit highlighted many of da Vinci's journals by bringing to life the inventions contained within them.  Many of the proposed inventions combined known ideas with da Vinci's observations of the world around him.

It is fascinating to consider the mind of da Vinci and the great works he created as a inventor and a painter. It left me wondering what his spiritual life was like.

Counsel Within

A few years ago, I started dating a man whom I had met at an event.  During our first date, I started asking the important questions, which are really my litmus test: Where do you go to church? Who is Jesus to you?  How do you live out each day with God?

It quickly became apparent that he was at best a marginal Christian.  It also became apparent that he was willing to promise to change for me and do whatever I wanted.  If I wanted him to go to church, he would - where ever I told him to go.  If I wanted him to believe in Jesus, he'd believe in Jesus.

On the second date, I got similar answers.  When I was describing his answers to a friend of mine, she commented "I think you know what you need to do."  And I did.  There were no further dates.

Proverbs 20:5 says, "Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart; a wise person draws from the well within." (The Message).

While the answer to the situation I was in was already within me, my wise friend was able to articulate and reflect that answer to me.

God provides us his Holy Spirit and the Bible to answer our questions.  Often, the answers are already there inside, waiting.  I sometimes don't want the answer that I know is right.  I'd rather do my own thing than listen to the voice calling me away from my rebellion.

A ship was being guided into the harbor.  The harbor had a tricky entry.  On one side, the water was so shallow that the ship would run aground if the ship did not remain within the narrow channel.  On the other side were rocks that would cause damage to the ship's hull.  If the ship was not kept within the channel, disaster would occur.  The harbor had its own harbor master who would come onto the ship and guide it into the harbor.

The captain asked the harbor master how he knew where to guide the ship.  He replied, "Do you see the lighthouse and those two lights?  Until those three lights line up, I am not in the channel.  But once they line up, then I know it is safe to proceed."

True wisdom is listening.  Listening to God's voice in our hearts, in scripture and in the counsel of others.  We need to "line up" those three lights in our lives before we proceed.

For more on this topic on Women of Faith blog, click here.

A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals

I have a love-hate relationship with Shane Claiborne.  At times, I really understand where he is coming from and think he has valid points.  At other times, I would like to thump him up-side the head with the largest Bible I can find.

So, it was with some mixed feelings that I purchased his newest "book," which is really a new take on an  old practice.  Claiborne, along with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Enuma Okoro, designed a new liturgy of prayer for the church.  The "old" liturgy was the divine office or common book of prayer depending on denomination.

The books is called "A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals."  As someone who is always looking for a new way to add prayer to my life, I am somewhat excited about this book.  I have used Phyllis Tickle's books for the divine hours and a Benedictine breviary.  Both are helpful, but have limitations.  I'm sure that Claiborne's book will leave me with the same feelings.

I also expect that Claiborne will challenge me with some of his more radical ideas.  Like some of his ideas, I'm sure I will disagree with quite a few. There are a few others, however, that as I think on them, I am finding more and more merit to the idea.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

I attended Mass last night as I was singing with Una Vocis.  It had been a few years since I had attended a Catholic Mass, and I'm still a bit confused on all the things "insiders" know about the liturgy.

Yesterday was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  For you Protestants, not that one.  This is the one celebrating Mary's immaculate conception.  Catholic doctrine holds that Mary, by virtue of her selection to be Jesus' Mother was kept pure from all sin, including original sin.  This doctrine is old, but was not official dogma until fairly recently, as far as Christian doctrine goes.

The dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary was promulgated in 1854 by Pope Pius IX.  This doctrine was one debated for centuries.  Luther originally celebrated the feast as a monk, but later rejected the doctrine.

At first, my reaction was that this was a concocted idea, but after some research, it does have some interesting implications.  First, does it imply that Mary did not need a redeemer?  If she was born without sin and was without sin until Jesus' birth, how does that figure into the idea that "All have sinned?"

It makes me think more about Mary - what about her set her apart so that God chose her to carry His Son?  How did a simple girl from the countryside of Israel come to be the most blessed mother ever?

Sense of Style for a 18 month old?

Online today, I found a headline that said "Twins share SJP's sense of Style." The article went on to describe Sarah Jessica Parker's life, including her twin daughters.  What caught my attention was that the article claimed an 18 month old child had a sense of style!

Now, I understand that children develop personality.  But how does an 18 month old who is trying to master language and life skills develop a sense of personal style?  I'd guess her selections are made from a very small pool of things: namely what her parents buy her.  She may have preferences within those parameters, but that is not developing a sense of style.  That is mirroring what Mom's sense of style is.  At some point these children will have preferences and ideas that expand from Mom's selections.  But right now, they aren't even out of diapers and they certainly are not perusing diaper catalogs for the latest styles.

1st Sunday in Advent

Today was the First Sunday in Advent.  As the First Sunday in Advent, it is also the first sunday of the liturgical year.  As a Protestant, I identify Advent because of the lighting of the Advent candles, and our sermon series turns to Christmas-like themes.  Beyond that, I don't know that I do anything significant. I think I miss out on some of the expectation that should be building.  Some of the wonder.

I rarely focus on how long the world waited for Jesus' arrival.  I miss the wonder of the creation of Fully God, Fully Man.  How does that come to be?  How can the ability to sin live in harmony and equality with perfection? I don't know that I can comprehend it. Yet at the same time, I have the same battle going on in my soul - my flesh demands its way, while the spirit tries to gain control.  Jesus never gave into the flesh.  The spirit does not often have control of my life.  Such paradox.  Such wonder.

So this Advent, I am trying to slow down and enjoy the wait.  I also want to spend some time meditating on Mary.  Mary deserves some recognition.  God selected her to bear His Son, so there must have been some glimmer in her, some spark, that the rest of us do not have.  What could Mary know that I don't?  What do I know that she couldn't?

In my chorale group, we are singing two Magnificat songs.  The Magnificat is the song Mary sings after Gabriel tells her of her pregnancy.  The songs I am singing are quite different but at the same time, mirror the words in Luke 1:46-55 (KJV):

My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior;
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden:
For, behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed,
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things;
And holy is his name,
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
He hath showed strength with his arm;
He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent away empty.
He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy
As he spake to our father, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.


I want my soul to magnify the Lord and my spirit to rejoice in God my Savior.

Black Friday Madness

I did not go shopping today.  In fact, I rarely go shopping on Black Friday.  I don't like crowds, and the deals are never on anything that I want or need.

At times, I think it would be an interesting experience to be at wal-mart or the shopping mall at 3 a.m. As an experience, it would be fun with the right people to be with.  I'm still not sure that the "deals" are worth the effort.

I am amused by the number of ads on TV, the newspaper and the internet advertising the sales on various things.  It appears that everyone has the same price for the same items.  I'm not sure how that makes anything a deal, but who knows.

Adopt from Foster Care or Internationally? Or Both?

Although I am still a couple months from getting my foster care license and about as long from making a firm commitment on adopting internationally, I am still wrestling with how to proceed.  My issue isn't so much whether I'll do either of them but in what order should I do it?

As I've written before, internationally adoption is an expensive proposition.  It can easily cost between $20,000 to $30,000 with an agency.  The other complicating issue is that Haiti, in particular, will not let you have children in the home.  This would seem to preclude foster to adopt while waiting for the Haiti adoption to go through (which could be several years).

By the same token, I know there are many children waiting for families here in the US. It seems silly to wait (possibly years) when there is so much need.

Thankfulness: A learned response

When I graduated from law school, I had to take the bar exam to be licensed.  I spent most of the summer studying and taking a class (which helps you study for the exam).  Finally, I spent three days in July answering questions.  Then the hard part started: waiting.  I was lucky, in Iowa the results are back by mid-September.  My classmates in California and New York had to wait until November and December to find out their results.

After all that waiting, I finally could find a job as a lawyer.  However, that was not so easy.  As September led to October and then November, I still hadn't found a job.  With student loan payments looming on the horizon, I needed to find a job to earn some money.

So, I became a Merry Maid and cleaned houses.  This job opened my eyes in a lot of ways.  First, I learned humility.  I had a bit of an ego after graduating from college and law school.  All that education had prepared me to be in charge of something.  With the Merry Maids job, I was working with women who generally did not have a college education.  Most of them had more seniority at the job than I did, so I got bossed around by them.  In reality, most of them were much better at cleaning than I was - they were more efficient, cleaned better and were more thorough than I.  It was exactly what I needed after months and years of having people tell me I was great for going to college and going to law school.  Being reminded that education isn't everything and that people without education have valuable skills and insight too was important.

I also learned from them that we humans have similar goals.  We all want a better life.  We want our children to be well fed, well educated and well-loved.  We have relationship troubles, often brought on by our own choices and actions.  As we traveled to various houses in the area, I had a lot of time to talk with my co-workers and learn from their life experiences.  It gave me great insight to my clients' lives.

As I worked cleaning, I was left a lot of time to think (vacuuming does not require deep thought).  So I started spending my work time praying.  It was amazing how many people I could pray for during the course of a day.  I could spend the time being thankful for the job I had, the job I hoped was around the corner, and the relationships I was forming with my co-workers.

I did finally get my first law job, and although it was what I wanted, it did require that I give up some of the prayer life I had developed.  Law required a bit more focus than cleaning out someone's sink and toilet did!

I was reminded this month of that job as one of my old co-workers died.  I wish I had gotten the chance to tell her how thankful I was for the time I spent working with her and the things she had taught me.

One More Step

I am now registered for PS-MAPP classes, which is the Iowa foster parent training.  The downside is it will not start until late February.  In any event, I am excited to be taking a few steps further down the path.

In the meantime, I have been contemplating the two possible paths: foster to adopt or international adoption.  I still feel like international adoption is something I'd like to try, but the cost is so astounding that I don't know if it is worth it.  I also am torn about which country to adopt from.  As a single woman, my options are limited.  Right now I like Haiti, the Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Burundi, the Congo and Brazil as possible options.  

As for foster to adopt, I am fascinated by the website adoptuskids.org which profiles kids available for adoption.  Just about any combination is available: 2, 3, 4, or up to 12 kids.  Boys and girls.  Infant to 18 yr olds.  All longing for families.

But in the meantime, I have to wait for the next step.

Gomer: Unfaithfulness to Redemption

Gomer was the daughter of Diblaim and the wife of Hosea.  We know she had at least three children (2 sons and a daughter)

Of the marriage relationships in the Bible, Gomer and Hosea have one of the most interesting and most controversial. 

Hosea 1:2 states that “The Lord said to [Hosea], “Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord.”  So Hosea married Gomer. 

Apparently God not only had a partner selected for Hosea, He specifically directed him to her.  However, the rest of their relationship would not be as simple as a God-given direction.

Commentators have differences of opinion on Gomer’s morality.  Is she a woman who marries, then falls into a sexual relationship with another man?  Was she a prostitute?   Or was she just  a sexually active unmarried woman?  Did Hosea know she had a “morally casual attitude?” Did she have children at the time of the marriage?  Or is this all allegory to make the people understand God’s analogy of their unfaithfulness to Him?

The debate comes from the fact that God’s word admonishes  priests from marrying prostitutes.  We recoil from the idea that God commanded his servant to marry someone clearly not up to God’s standards.  Hosea was not a priest, rather a prophet, but he is commanded by God to marry Gomer, who at the least had a shaky moral reputation.

In any event, Gomer’s lack of fidelity is on display for generations and generations.  She has a son with Hosea, then two more children – with questionable paternity.  Eventually, she and Hosea separate.  Hosea must purchase her back from another for 15  sheckels of silver (the cost of a slave) and some barley.

Grim and frustrating as it is, Gomer’s story is a wonderful one for us:  God loves us just as Hosea loved Gomer.  God stands ready to redeem us from our slavery to sin.  He will pursue us until He lures us back to Himself. 

Even though we are as unfaithful to God as Gomer was to Hosea, God wants a loving relationship with us.  Amazing!

Jezebel: A Character Study

Having It All

Jezebel is considered one of the most evil characters in the Bible.  She certainly did wicked deeds to earn that label:  plotted murder, threatened prophets, influenced her husband to do the wrong thing, and brandished power to her own benefit regardless of its cost to others.

How did she become so hated?  What propelled her to do these evil things which resulted in her death and the death of her family? 

What can today’s Christian woman learn from Jezebel?

Jezebel was born into luxury.  As the daughter of Ethbaal, King of the Sidonians, she probably never knew the anxiety of wondering where her next meal would come from.  She would have retainers, servants, and others constantly waiting on her every whim.  Jezebel may even had some teaching in how to read or write or figure, as her future dealings indicate.  These skills were not available for the average 9th century BC person, as a female, it was even more rare.

The Sidonians resided in Phoenicia.   Likely living in Tyre,  Jezebel’s family worshiped Baal, and it is possible that her name praises the chief storm god of Phoenicia.  However, in Hebrew, her name means ”not exalted.” 

Jezebel married Ahab, the King of Israel.  This meant Ahab was the ruler of the 10 tribes of Israel that did not stay with the House of David.  Whether Jezebel actually loved Ahab is a question that we may never answer.  Jezebel probably did not have a say in whom she was married to as royal daughters, since the beginning of time, were viewed as a way to solidify national ties.

We do know that her husband was greatly influenced by her.  Whether that means she was attractive, persuasive, intelligent or some combination, we do not know.  But it appears that if Jezebel wanted something, she got it.

True Believer?

Jezebel grew up in the Sidonian royal family, which worshiped Baal.  When she married Ahab, King of Israel, she imported her religion to Israel.  Jezebel, like most, grew up with a set of traditions, beliefs, and ways to do things.  For Jezebel, this meant that she followed Baal. 


Jezebel flexed her muscle and convinced her husband Ahab to abandon his father’s God and worship hers, much like Solomon’s wives lead him astray.  I Kings 16:32 relates that Ahab built Baal a new temple in Samaria.  And in that temple, he placed an alter for Baal worship.  Ahab also set up an Asherah pole.

What was Baal worship?  According to the Holman Bible Handbook, Baal means “master” and was a storm god.    His usual title was “Rider of the Clouds” and he is often depicted with a thunderbolt in his hand.   Jezebel had 450 prophets of Baal at the temple, for which she provided food.

Asherah was Baal’s female consort who was revered as a fertility goddess.  Jezebel provided food for 400 Asherah prophets.

In other words, Jezebel put her money where her heart was – with Baal.  She likely spent time with these prophets, and the prophets viewed her favor as something to capture and maintain - both for financial stability and to simply continue to live.

In I Kings 18:16-46, Elijah challenged these 850 prophets to a show down on Mount Carmel.  It appears that Jezebel was unaware this was going on, as she does not find out until later what happened.  Ahab, however, was present, as were the ”people from all over Israel.”  

Elijah told the people to chose between God and Baal.  He had the prophets of Baal prepare a sacrifice and call on Baal to set it on fire (Baal was viewed as a fire god as well).  From morning to noon the prophets called out to Baal, but nothing happened.

Elijah taunted them, indicating that Baal must be asleep or busy or deep in thought.  The prophets started shouting louder and slashing themselves.  Midday passed and the evening sacrifice arrived.  But Baal did not.

Elijah built an altar and had trench placed around it; wood and the meat sacrifice were placed on the altar.  He then had the people fill four large jars with water and they were poured out over the wood, sacrifice and altar.  Again, and Again, the jars were filled and poured out.   Elijah then prayed and “the fire of the Lord” fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the soil and the water in the trench.

When the people saw this, they cried out that “The Lord, He is God!”

Elijah ordered the prophets of Baal be seized and killed.

Ahab was dispatched to eat and drink, because Elijah prophesied rain (a drought raged in Samaria for years which caused a famine).  And Ahab finally got back to Jezebel to report that all of her prophets were dead.

Jezebel was furious.  Her yes-men were gone.  Her money was spent for naught, and she’d have to start training or recruiting a set of new prophets.  Baal worship and indoctrination would be set back for a few weeks, months or years. 

Maybe she even believed that Baal would have vengence on her for her failure to protect Baal’s servants.

In any event, she sent a message to Elijah, stating “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”  Jezebel was a woman used to getting what she wanted. 

Elijah, terrified, fled into the desert.

So was Jezebel truly a believer in Baal?  Or was it just a way for her to get power and control the people?  A way to cloak her plans in a divine manner?

Let Nothing Stand in the Way

In I Kings 21, Jezebel and Ahab lived in a palace in Jezreel.  Near the palace was a lovely vineyard owned by Naboth, a Jezreelite.  Ahab coveted the vineyard, desiring to plant a garden in it.  He asked Naboth to sell it to him, offering to pay the market price or a land swap for a better vineyard.

Naboth refused, noting the land was a family inheritance.  Israelites viewed the land as God's and that the people as tenants could not dispose of their land.   (Leviticus 25:23).

Ahab pouted all the way home, and arrived sullen and angry.  He refused to eat and laid on his bed.   Jezebel came in to see him, and asked why he was in such a mood and why he wouldn’t eat.

Ahab told her of the deal he tried to reach with Naboth.   Jezebel taunted him, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat!   Cheer Up.  I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”  

Jezebel grew up with a differently kingship structure – her father took what he wanted, when he wanted it.  Jezebel was not to be stopped by an Israelite inheritance law or Israelite property law.

She took Ahab’s seal and wrote letters. in his name, requesting the elders and nobles in Naboth’s city host  a fast.  At the dinner, the elders were to have Naboth seated in a prominent place among the people.  Two scoundrels were to be seated opposite him.  These two men would later falsely testify that  Naboth had cursed both God and King Ahab.  After Naboth was tried for blasphemy and sedition, the death sentence was carried out.

With Naboth dead, the land went to Ahab and Jezebel. 

Jezebel told Ahab that Naboth was dead, and Ahab promptly went down to the vineyard and took possession of it.

God, however, did not view this murder and theft as a trivial matter.  He sent Elijah to Ahab in the vineyard.  There, Elijah pronounced Ahab’s punishment for these crimes:  death, specifically, in the place where Naboth died, the dogs would lick up Ahab’s blood.  Dogs would eat those belonging to Ahab’s family and Jezebel would be devoured by dogs near the wall of Jezreel.

Ahab, hearing this prophecy, repented by tearing his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted.  The Lord saw Ahab humbled himself and decided to delay the disaster until after Ahab’s death.

Jezebel apparently did not repent.

Jezebel scoffed at the word of the Lord and schemed a way to get Naboth’s property for Ahab.  She was a dangerous woman because she was a poor loser.  If she didn’t get her way, she’d figure out a way to wield her power to get back at the person.

She was focused on making her own life easier, regardless of the impact on others.  In a way, her persistence should be admired.  Imagine if she converted to the Jewish faith and followed God with the devotion she demonstrated for Baal and for herself.  Instead of a legacy of ashes, she could have a legacy worthy of mention in Hebrews 11.


Lesson Learned


So what can today's woman learn from Jezebel?  First, there are consequences when we flout God's law.  Although they may not be immediate, those consequences do come.  Jezebel tried to ignore God's law and paid for it with her life and her family's lives. 


Second, Jezebel, like all of us, is deeply rooted in the traditions of her family.  We need to examine our lives to see what traditions (both good and bad) we carry over into our adult lives.  Things like gossiping, substance abuse, anger management problems, emotional manipulation, overeating, over-spending, abuse and other bad habits may be deeply embedded in our lives via our family traditions and patterns.  We must be vigilant to remove them from our daily life and thoughts, or we risk passing them to another generation of our families.


Self-centeredness or getting our own way without concern for others is a dangerous path.  In Jezebel's case, it lead her to murder and theft.   We can exhibit the same qualities when we steal time from our employers by talking on the phone or playing on the internet or when we assassinate another's character by talking about them.  In God's eyes, these are still theft and murder and they arise from the same selfish part of the heart that Jezebel's actions did.


Finally, we learn from Jezebel about our God.  He is powerful.  He pursues us (just as He sought to prove to Israel his power).  He desires that we keep his law faithfully.  He is just, in that He does not let scoffers like Jezebel go without punishment.

Spiritual Discipline: Scripture Memorization

A few posts ago, I commented that I wanted to rethink how I do my own spiritual disciplines and look at how we teach spiritual disciplines in the modern American church.  My first stop is scripture memorization.

My church is currently doing a sermon series on Romans 12, and as part of that, we read/recite the first two verses each week.  I think this is a good (and sneaky) way to get people to memorize scripture without even realizing it.  The repetition over several weeks certainly helps people think about the verse, and possibly commit it to memory.

I know that many churches have Awana programs that help teach and reward children for scripture memory, but I'm not sure how many programs exist for adults.

I never attended Awana, but we did do some scripture memory at church.  I am always surprised when a verse pops back to me (not always with the correct citation) in times I need it.  But I have recently felt the need to add more time in my schedule to devote to scripture memorization.

Of course, with anything I do, I have to figure out how to make it work in my schedule and not become another thing to check off.  I suspect many people don't do scripture memorization due to the time involved.  My current plan is to tape up a verse near my bathroom mirror to recite each morning and night.  My hope is that within a week I will have memorized it and can move onto a new verse.

In the past, I have tried memorizing while I walk on the treadmill.  I tried this first in law school when I was memorizing terms and concepts. A friend of mine and I would go to the gym with stacks of cards (available in any fine law book store) and study them, swapping decks half way through the gym session.  This approach did seem to work, but my treadmill walking has fallen off during the nice weather outside.  Never fear, this is Iowa and the weather is due to change any day now, making this method a possibility again too.

So how do you sneak a few verses into  your memory?  How do you think the church should encourage scripture memorization?

Solitude

As an introvert, I thrive on being alone.  I still need interaction with people, but I also crave the time to reflect, think, and plan that solitude brings me.  In fact, I get grumpy and frazzled if I am forced to spend too much time in a large group!

Someone asked me how I could spend so much time alone.  I find there are always things to distract you: television, radio, books, the internet, friends, housework or exercise.  I don't even realize most of the time that I am alone.

On the other hand, I wonder how people spend so much time together!  When do you find time to think things through when you are constantly interacting with others?  

Like most things, God intend us to enjoy a balance of time together and time in solitude.  Jesus modeled this to us during his lifetime.

I find comfort in the fact that Jesus took time to himself.  In solitude, he would pray and talk with God (Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12).  Occasionally he'd let a couple disciples come along with him, but the multitude did not get to intrude in this time (Matthew 26:36, Luke 9:18, Luke 9:28).

Have you ever wondered what Jesus prayed about?  What did he need to say to God on a consistent basis?  Why was it important to him to spend the time in solitude?  What benefits would solitude have for us today?

For more Women of Faith blogs on solitude, click here. 

SEEL Retreat #3

Three retreats in, and I'm learning a lot.  To recap, I'm doing an Ignatius spiritual retreat called "Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life." Ignatius' idea was to complete the exercises within 30 days; we are spreading out the exercises over nine months.

We have focused on finding solitude and silence and longing for God.  For the next month, we're looking at God's love.  

One of Ignatius' foundations is that we will strip ourselves of our "inordinate affections" so that we can make decisions that are not based on disordered affections, but rather on what God wants for us.

I think this foundation is very true.  I get skewed priorities and ideas that I need to set back aright. By remaining in God's presence through prayer, I learn about myself and about where He wants me.

Election Day

I've already headed to the polls to vote.  I love actually going instead of absentee voting because it evokes memories of going to vote with my parents.  I was fascinated by the voting booth with its sliding curtain, levers to pull and buttons to push.  They even had a sample machine that was Barbie-sized to see how things worked in the actual booth.

Another reason I love going to vote is to see my neighbors. It is amazing who you run into when voting.  And, since you usually have time to chat while you wait, you can always make a few new friends.

Given the nationwide impact our votes can have, it is important that everyone exercise their right to vote.  My motto is "If you don't vote, you can't complain!"

Rejoicing with Song

I have a secret: I like to sing along with the songs on the radio when I'm driving.  But I don't like to get caught doing it!

Here's another secret: I make up songs to sing at home.  They're usually nonsensical little tunes that I sing to the dog or cat. I catch myself singing them when I'm cooking or cleaning or just doing routine chores around the house.  For some reason, they lighten my mood and make me happy.

God has a similar secret tucked into a minor prophet's book: He rejoices over you with singing. (Zeph 3:17).  You read that right: God Rejoices Over You.  

This has been one of my favorite verses in the Bible since I discovered it several years ago. It speaks to my heart, giving me assurance and great hope.

The whole verse in the NIV reads: "The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing. "

Knowing our God, it is a unique song for each person.  Now, it doesn't say that explicitly here, but let's look at God and what His Scriptures say.   He is The Creator of the Universe.  (Gen 1-2).  A universe which has new discoveries each day (recent reports say in just the Amazon a new animal is discovered every third day).  He loves us enough to send his Son to die.  (John 3:16).  He gives us each a new name (Rev. 2:17).

A lavish and extravagant God like this would surely give each their own song!

When I think of this verse, it makes me smile.  God is rejoicing over me!  When I think how much fun I have making up a silly song to sing, it warms my heart to think that God is doing the same for me.

And I suspect that when I hear Him sing it to me in Glory, it will seem like a familiar melody to my heart.


For more blogs writing on this verse, check out Women of Faith.

Expect Delays

"Hurry up and Wait" is a motto I live by in my job.  Daily I have to get to court a bit early to meet the client.  I wait for them to arrive.  Then we talk, and sit and wait for the Court to be ready to go.  We wait a bit longer for the court reporter to get there.  Then the other attorney.  Sometimes, the Court is several minutes late.  When I finally get done with the hearing, another Court and client is usually waiting for me.

Patience is not my virtue.  I value efficiency and waiting seems like a waste of time. Perhaps that is why I have a profession that requires waiting: God is teaching me to expect delays!

"O Come, O Come Emmanuel" is one of my favorite Christmas songs.  It laments the long wait for Messiah to appear.  Ever since Adam and Eve were cast from the garden, people were waiting for the Promised One to appear.  All Adam and Eve knew was that the Promised One was to be born of a woman, but would crush Satan (Genesis 3:15).

Several generations went by.  Abraham was called and promised a nation (Genesis 15:4).  King David was born and promised a son who would sit on the throne forever (2 Chronicles 6:16).  But Israel had added other gods to the One true God, and as punishment, He destroyed them and sent them into exile.

But people were still waiting for Messiah to appear.  Maybe more than ever.  Daniel prayed regularly in Babylon (Daniel 6:10).  It isn't hard to imagine that a wish for Messiah to arrive would be on his lips.

But Messiah was Delayed by man's standards.  And even though God had given numerous prophecies about where, when and how the Messiah would appear, people still missed Him when He arrived.

They missed Jesus because he didn't fit into their idea of what Messiah would be like. Messiah shouldn't die.  Messiah would crush the nation oppressing Israel. 

But Messiah did die.  And He rose again.  And He will crush those who oppress His people.

But, once again, we are waiting.  Waiting for His return to earth.  We grow impatient and forecast that His return is near.  Like generations of Christians before us, we yearn for Jesus to appear on the clouds and usher in His Kingdom.  To crush Satan under his heel once and for all, as God promised our father Adam and our mother Eve.  To fulfill God's promise to David that a son of his would reign forever.  

Messiah is again Delayed by our standards.  Someday, we'll come to know that Jesus' return was not delayed but perfectly on time.  God's time.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel 

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God Appear

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel 

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

For more blog posts about Delays, click this link: Women of Faith

NaNoWriMo: What?

The end of October is always a time of great anticipation for me.  Each November, I embark on a crazy 30 days of writing called "NaNoWriMo."

NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month.  NaNo is a 30 day sprint to a 50,000 word novel. This year will be my fifth year of participating.

The rules are simple.  Write.  Do not edit.  Write some more.

I have successfully written 50,000 words in November the past two years.  One of my novels is completely finished, the other has a few thousand words left.  The first two years I tried, I was not able to hit my goal.  Then I found a secret weapon to the craziness...

Other writers.  I belong to the Central Iowa Writers, a group who meet during NaNo.  Nearly every night, they meet at some location in the Des Moines area (with ventures to Ames, Oskaloosa, Marshalltown etc) and have a write-in.  Write-ins are simply sitting together, each working on their own story.  Amazingly, we get a lot written during those sessions, and we still have a great time.

So, if you need something fun to do this November.  You enjoy a challenge, and are a bit crazy, try NaNo.  And if you try NaNo, make sure to attend a write-in - you'll have a blast and leave with about 5,000 words!

World Vision: Price for Life?

I attended a Women of Faith conference this weekend.  As I have attended in the past, I knew that WoF is heavily involved in getting women to sponsor children through WorldVision.

I have always thought sponsorship would be a good idea, but I had never put my money where my mouth is.  So, this weekend I decided to sponsor a child through World Vision.  My reasons were that I do have enough money to afford the monthly sponsorship and it was a great way to help those less fortunate.

WorldVision is a non-profit organization founded in 1950.  There is much more to their mission than just child sponsorship - you can gift animals, medicine, small business loans, and other things to those in need.  The organization serves over 100 million people in 100 different countries.  Most importantly, 89% of the money given to the organization goes directly into programs, not into management (4%) or fundraising (7%).

The money they raise go to families to improve their way of life.  WorldVision encourages sponsors to write their sponsored children to develop relationship.  The sponsorship provides food, tools to grow crops, water, health care and education.

In short, sponsorship is a great way to serve the "least of these" in Jesus' name.

Further Down the Adoption Road

I feel like I am once again back to the brink of making a decision on the adoption.  Of course, brink for me means sometime in the next six months or so...

First, I am signed up to take the introduction course with Department of Human Services, which gets me into the foster/adoptive parents course.  Hopefully by Easter, I will be licensed and ready to be a foster parent.

On the international front, my heart is still with Haiti.  After the earthquake, I had yearned to help with the orphans, but believed that the process would take a long time to reopen.  "A long time" in a country that was 2.5 years behind under the best of circumstances, seemed to put things out of reach.

Now, however, it appears that Haiti is processing adoptions again.  Most are with children who were in orphanages pre-quake and possibly children who were placed in orphanages by parents post-quake.  If a child's parents are unknown will not be adopted until a process can be established to identify that the child is truly an orphan without family.

In short, it appears that Haiti may be an option again.  Along with this decision, I am contemplating doing an independent adoption, which means I would not have an agency.  As most international adoptions require copious amounts of paperwork, which the prospective parents have to assemble, I would not be losing anything by doing it myself.  Instead, I would be saving tens of thousands of dollars.  On the other hand, I would not have someone to help me navigate the international governmental process nor would there be someone to meet me as I arrive in country.

I have "met" online a few people who are going through the process independently in Haiti.  Many orphanages in Haiti are comfortable with allowing these independent adoptions.  And as a Non-Hague country (an international compact which governs how children are placed and accepted for adoption), Haiti has similar requirements as those countries that are Hague governed.

The big problem with adopting internationally is financing it.  So, I need to make some hard decisions on how I am going to save or generate some extra funds.  But, with an independent adoption, I would not have to save as much to get things going.

New Woes?

I've never enjoyed reading the "Woes" in the Bible.  There over 95 "woe" versus in the Bible.  As most of them are in prophetic books or poetry ones, they have been and are difficult for me to understand and apply to my life.

I find I don't want to apply them to my life, but I'm sure some hit closer to home than I really want them to. Who wants to think that God is unhappy with their behavior? Who wants to consider their choices may cause God to punish them?  And where am I blind to the flaws in my behavior?

But, since I have been revisiting my poetic side, I find myself thinking about "woe" and what would God say to us today.  What does He see in our life and culture that He wants changed?  Where would He heap condemnation on our ideas, actions, and behavior?

My quick list of issues are abortion/convenience at any cost, homosexuality (lack of faithfulness to God's word vs. lack of compassion for sinners), pride, consumerism/lack of compassion to the poor, and poor shepherds/preachers.

SEEL Retreat #2

Today I had my second SEEL (Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life) retreat.  Like my first experience, it was a "Wow" moment connecting with others who are seeking to deepen their relationship with God.  I was struck anew with the idea that we are all different, yet have common experiences.  Unique, but the same.

Humans long to be infinite.  Something about our finite physical life bothers us.  We strive to make a mark that is permanent, whether through achievements or children, fantastic deeds, power or wealth.  We want to be remembered for our time here.  We want others to notice us, love us, remember us when we are gone.

We yearn for infinity.  And the only one way we can achieve infinity is through God.

Some of us haven't figured that out yet.  Others of us need to be reminded.

That's Not the Law...

I have a number of cases that I am trying to resolve within the next couple weeks.  Some will end up at trial, which is OK.  Others will not, which is OK too.

Unfortunately, I have a high number of clients right now who have a misunderstanding about the whole process.  Some of these are urban myths, and others are attempting to make-up their own law.

1.  "They'll just have to prove to me at trial that I did it."  Umm...NO.  The State will try to prove to a Jury, not you, that you are guilty.  Your personal standard may be higher or lower than that of 12 average citizens. Whether you believe you committed the crime or not does not matter if a jury says you did (or did not).  Remember these are average citizens.  Not a group of your 12 best buddies.

2.  "The judge never told me (Fill in blank)."  Don't try to sell this one to a judge.  You are either accusing them personally of not doing their job or the judge down the hall.  Either way, it will not be pretty.  And as most have a system of their own to get through the things they need to say/do, it is pretty hard to prove they missed something.  And, by the way, those notes at the bottom show that the judge thought he did give you a copy of the restraining order.

3.  "I was never read my rights." And ... that means nothing more often than not.  Unless you are in custody and interrogated, they don't have to read you your rights. Both "custody" and "interrogated" are loaded with legal meaning that the average person may not get.  Being handcuffed is not necessarily custody, and asking a question is not necessarily interrogation.  And even if they did mess it up and forget to read them to you, all it does is get rid of some of the statements at trial.  It does not mean the charges have to be dismissed.

4.  "My friend/cousin/co-worker had the exact same charge and they got a better deal."  Comparison games really don't work well.  Each circumstance is different and even co-defendants charged with the exact same crime can get vastly different sentences based on criminal history, who the State believes is the "true" bad actor, what evidence there is for each, what county you are being prosecuted in, which judge you have and about 100 other things.

Sunday Sabbath

I've been trying to intentionally set aside Sunday as a day I don't do housework, homework, or other "work."  So far, it has been rather successful.

It was difficult to not worry about when I'd get things done during the day on Sunday.  But, as time has gone on, I am better at setting these things aside.  I also find that I have to focus on getting things done on Friday or Saturday that I would otherwise have let slide until Sunday (which lead to a scramble to get it done before Monday).

With this process, I am also trying to be intentional with what I do with the time - spending some of it in prayer, devotional reading etc.  It is very relaxing to have the day to do whatever: walk, rest, read a book, be creative or spend time with friends and family.

I am trying not to get legalistic with it either - I realize at some point, I may be forced to do homework or other things on a Sunday.  But I think the experience over all is worthwhile.

Oatmeal for Breakfast

I'm trying to add healthy food to my diet.  I added rice and beans a couple weeks ago (and I'll admit that it isn't my favorite, but it does fill you up).

This week, I'm going to add oatmeal for breakfast.  I have never been an oatmeal in the morning fan.  However, I found a recipe for the crockpot which has cinnamon and dried apples.  The recipe makes enough for a week, so I'll be trying to have this every morning.

Yoga for Christians?

Southern Baptist Seminary President Albert Mohler is decrying yoga use by Christians.  Mohler points out, correctly, that yoga is a practice originated in India and is derived from Eastern religions.  The  Hindu, Buddhist, and Jainism religions all use yoga as a part of their worship.  Yoga is also a part of the "New Age" movement.

It is not a traditional Christian discipline or practice.  However, I wonder if yoga could be embraced (with modifications) by Christians.  My basis for this belief is in 1 Corinthians 10, where Paul writes about  eating meat offered to idols.  Paul asserts in verse 8, that eating the meat is not a sin, for "food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do."

Paul cautions that we need to be aware as Christians that our use of these items may cause others to stumble and we need to make sure we are not causing a downfall for others in our freedom.  I think this is the crucial issue with yoga.  We need to make sure that it is stripped of its "pagan" meaning - by removing the chants, prayers to Buddha and others, and by making sure we are not worshipping the body through our yoga.

We should also take care that our use of yoga does not encourage or confuse others  and mix Christianity with Eastern religions.

In short, unlike Mohler, I do not see yoga as something Christians have to shun, but it is an area we need to proceed with caution.

Sodom & Gomorrah

Today, as I was reading The Divine Comedy by Dante, I came across "the Sodomites."  Clearly, Dante is using the term to mean homosexual conduct and is punishing it in purgatory as a form of lust. (Note that these are individuals who are on their way to heaven, not hell.  Once purified, they will proceed into heaven).

I find it interesting that our current debate is whether Sodom & Gomorrah were punished for homosexuality or being inhospitable.  Apparently to Dante, in 1300, it was very clearly for sexual sin, not the lack of charity and friendliness.  Granted, Dante doesn't have everything right in his epic poem (it is written 200+ years before Copernicus and nearly 300 years before Galileo).  But I find it interesting that what some are trying to rewrite/clarify is something Dante took for granted 700 years ago.

Spiritual Disciplines & Growth

The Idea of Spiritual Disciplines has been rumbling around my heart and mind for about a year.  How does the Church help people to grow in Christ?  How can we inspire people to spend time praying, fasting, reading the Bible, memorizing scripture etc?

Churches used to have sunday school to teach both kids and adults.  I'm sure some churches still do this, but in my experience, it is slowly falling into disuse - primarily because people don't attend.  Growing up, we also had Sunday night church.  Now, I suspect, if we have a service then, we'd have about 2 people there including the three pastors at church!  I understand that people are busy and do not want to devote more time to another activity, even if it is a church activity (myself included!).

This leaves the small group model as the primary way to disciple people.  Most churches also expect small groups to be the caring community and social network for their members.  

While I have been in wonderful small groups, I wonder if the church isn't leaving too much to the small group model.  One complaint I have with the small group model is that while I get to know 6-10 people really well, I don't get to know anyone else in the church body.  In a church over 300 members, this can be a problem; in a church of over 1,000 members, this is a tremendous issue.  This says nothing of the fact that the groups can become cliques to the exclusion of others.

Sometimes one thing or another is left out or ignored due to the composition of the small group.  By this, I mean that either the social or the discipleship issue is stressed - the group gets together to socialize with no discipleship in sight, or is glued to a book/lesson with no time to socialize.  

I wonder if these small group models aren't the Church shirking some of its responsibilities.  Did we get rid of Sunday night and midweek activities because we have gone to the small group model? I suspect the answer is yes.

The reality is that church attendance is shrinking in every state in the US except Hawaii.  We have more and more nominal Christians in our churches and we give them less and less opportunity to dive deep into Christ's love.

So how do we inspire the diverse ages, backgrounds, and people in the Church to pick up the traditional spiritual disciplines in a non-traditional way?  Can the Church make Bible study, scripture memory, prayer, fasting, community and good works fashionable again?  

I suspect the answer is yes!  But it will take effort to convince people that these activities are worth while, are not legalistic (which they can become), and that doing these things will help them live the life Christ desires for them - one that involves walking with Him.

My hope is to look at some spiritual disciplines and figure out ways to get these back into the church in my upcoming blogs.

Sex and the Everyday Christian

This week, I read a dating profile that caused me to pause.  The man wrote that he was a firm Lutheran, but his goals in a relationship were #1 communication and #2 romance/sex.

What caused me to pause was the inconsistency between his faith and his motives for dating.  Unfortunately, this isn't unusual.  We tend to say one thing and then do another.

No where in the lives of the average Christian is this more prevalent than in our sex lives.  Society saturates us in sex talk, mainstreams questionable sexual practices (one night stands, threesomes, to name a few), makes celebrities out of porn stars, and touts the benefits of polygamy.

The societal water is so full of pollution we don't even realize we're in it - it flows into our music, our conversations and our thought-lives.

And it shows up in our daily lives.  We don't question sex before marriage or the birth of children outside of marriage.  We think, erroneously, that living together before marriage increases its likelihood of success.  We buy into the idea that sexual compatibility is more important than emotional compatibility.

The Christian Church remains silent.  Perhaps too many have fallen into sexual misadventure to speak into the void.  Perhaps many have bought into the idea that sex is private and shouldn't be discussed in the open.  Perhaps others think parents are the ones to address it with their children, not realizing parents are too busy, scared, and embarrassed to discuss it.

On the other hand, the Christian Church feels compelled to speak out on homosexual sex.  Forgetting that it is heterosexual sex that the Bible speaks most often about, and condemns outside of marriage.

We decry abortion, but fail to address the cause: sex in relationships that aren't really relationships!  Instead, we kill babies as a form of birth control and as a way to maintain the convenience of our lives.  Surgery is endorsed as a way to avoid something that is completely preventable in several other ways.

By forfeiting our position on premarital/extramarital heterosexual sex, we lose ground on other issues. Worse, by not conforming our lives to Christ, we lose out on the benefits of grace: peace, joy, and healing.

Beans & Rice

A blog I read suggested eating more beans and rice.  Her reason was that it was easy to make in a crockpot and rice cooker and, more importantly, all of her children would eat it.

There is also a movement to eat more beans and rice as a way to identify and support countries where the meal is a staple.  The meal is cheap, easy to make and relatively healthy as a vegetarian dish with protein.

And the variations are endless. Add a few spices, and it tastes one way; add some others and it is favored another way.

I decided to try it today, so I made my first batch of black beans (with a bay leaf, onion and garlic salt) and brown rice.  As it was my first use of the rice cooker, I had a slight malfunction.  But by the time to eat, I had everything done.  It had a good favor, and was fairly filling.

I cooked the beans in the crockpot overnight on low and the rice was cooked this morning.  I'm excited to see what I can do with the leftovers - Mexican dishes, cha-cha gohan, and other delicacies.

New Trend in TV Shows: Mainstreaming Polygamy

It started with "Big Love" an HBO show, featuring a man with three wives.  This year, TLC is following a  real life "family" with one husband, four wives, and sixteen children.

Why the fascination with multiple wives?  And why is the entertainment world touting this as an acceptable and desirable lifestyle?

The Old Testament featured these type of families, and generally things did not go well.  Jacob's family was split with strife by wives who felt less desirable, unloved and those who lorded their position in the family over the others.  The strife flowed to the following generations.

By New Testament times, the standard family had resolved to one husband, one wife (at least at any given point in time, as the wife or husband may change via death or divorce).

In the Muslim world, polygamy is more common.  But the issues that plagued Jacob's family still persist in these type of families.  Jealousy.  Child Brides. Women with no choice. Children with secrets.

What I do not understand is why there is no outcry from women's groups that these lifestyles are going on.  Why is it OK for one man to have multiple wives?  Why no shows celebrating one wife, multiple husbands?  The reason, I believe, is that it strikes at the traditional fears of men (and I am not saying this is necessarily a bad tradition).

But it is not empowering to women either.  Who wants to share a husband?  Who wants to have to wait until Wednesday to see Daddy because that is the night we get him?  Who can afford to support four wives and sixteen children?  And what happens when the man dies and social security only pays one wife?

Our culture has embraced an anything goes sexuality.  Polygamy is just another step on the path toward demolishing the remaining sexual boundaries.  Once polygamy is accepted, the envelope will move to another issue.

As Christians, we need to address the polygamy issue in our culture and not just look the other way.

Week One: Spiritual Exercises

As I've noted before, I am taking a class/program/retreat on St. Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises for the next nine months.  I've completed Week One, and am somewhat surprised at the results.

Right now, the exercises are working on silence and solitude.  The goal of the retreat is to set aside one hour each day.  The hour doesn't have to be at once (I can break it into 1/2 hr, 1/3 hour, whatever sized chunks).  I tried to do one half hour each morning and the remainder at night.  At first, I tried to be silent on the treadmill, but was getting some distraction from the rhythm of it.  So, I decided to sit and "listen."

It is hard to be silent!  My mind tends to wander and my prayers are more me talking than anything else.  I'd say the toughest part is trying to capture my mind's constant flight from one thing to another and focus on waiting for God.

I was also surprised how quickly the time passed.  Often, I would get toward the end of the time and be amazed how quickly and effortlessly it had passed.  I had worried that getting up a few minutes earlier each day would cause me to be tired.  But, I was not any more than usual.

God seemed to give me energy to accomplish the things I needed to during the day without feeling rushed or short of time.  I am encouraged to keep working on this time and to think of different ways to spend the time.

Conversion: One Time or Ongoing? Faith or Works?

Since Martin Luther, Protestants have exclaimed Sola Fideles, and painted Catholics as living by works, not faith.  My Confession:  As a Protestant, I have an uneasy relationship with Sola Fideles.

I understand what Luther was driving at - it isn't church attendance, daily prayer, tithing or not transgressing the ten commandments that gets you into heaven - it is faith in Jesus.  But, I sometimes think we Protestants have thrown out Baby Jesus with the bath water, as we have demoted faith to a one-time event.  Say "The Prayer," and that's all you have to until death.

We have eliminated works, which in turn eliminated relationship with and growth through Christ.  Worse, we've eliminated any incentive to obey God's commands.  Why avoid sex before marriage - I prayed The Prayer one day in Bible School.  Why not steal from my employer - I prayed The Prayer in college?

In Matthew 13, Jesus tells the story of The Sower.  In it, he points out that some seed falls in the rocks, springs up quickly and then withers.  I worry that with The Prayer idea we have sown solely in the rocks and have reaped nothing.

It is not my decision whether someone who prays The Prayer and then lives life with no other external or internal Christianity gets into heaven.  That will be up to God, and hopefully that will be enough.  But I have to wonder whether a one time prayer with nothing else demonstrates true faith in Jesus (obviously this doesn't get to death bed confessions as there is no time to have works evidence).

I think Sola Fideles has also led people to believe that they can pray The Prayer at the end of life and get into heaven for free.  However, there is no guarantee that there will be time to put faith in Christ, and there is no guarantee that the individual will want to put faith in Christ.

A friend of mine stepped in between two women who were fist fighting at a bar.  For his trouble, he was stabbed by one of them and was taken to the hospital in bad shape.  He knew that the doctors and nurses were very concerned that he was not going to survive the emergency surgery, in part because they sent in a nun to speak with him.  She begged him to repent his sins in case he died before the surgery was over.  He thought about it, but decided that he really wasn't sorry for the "sins" he had committed.  This worried him some later on, but not enough to change.  I'd guess Jesus would say his heart was hard.

I see faith as naturally flowing to works that demonstrate the heart is seeking to be more and more Christlike and to develop a relationship with Christ.  In my own life, I know that there are times I don't want to grow; I'm tired, busy or frustrated with "the church" or "Christians."  I want to take the easy road, not the hard, uphill one.

So then, I want to see evidence of works in the lives of Christians, in addition to faith.  I want to see that the conversion to Christ is real, tangible, and ongoing.

I guess I don't see conversion as a one time thing - I am constantly uprooting sin, bad habits, and idolatry from my heart.  We can never attain perfection until we see Jesus.  Conversion to Jesus takes work.

Spiritual Direction: The Lost Idea?

Today I started my nine month Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life (SEEL) spiritual retreat.  Part of the commitment is to meet with a spiritual director twice a month. Since SEEL is held at a Franciscan Spirituality Center, and the exercises are from St. Ignatius, I have once again embraced a few "Catholic ideas."  The Catholic idea of spiritual direction sounds like something the protestant church needs to take and run with it.

I certainly had not heard of spiritual direction until I started seminary, and today a co-participant asked how many spiritual directors I had worked with and how long I had done spiritual direction.  She was a bit shocked when I admitted none and never.  Spiritual direction involves talking with a listening director who helps formulate your thoughts, not someone who tells you want to do.  It is more of a sounding board for how God may be working in your life instead of a person who will tell you what decisions to make.

I decided that spiritual direction was something the catholic church did well as they have numerous people involved in daily spirituality (Monks, Nuns, etc).  In the protestant church, instead of celebrating singleness and finding ways to utilize singles within the church, we are pushing people to get married and have kids (see my rants on this topic elsewhere in this blog).  In the protestant churches I have attended, we celebrate small groups and mentoring, but not to the level of spiritual direction.  One to one accountability may be in fashion, but not one to one spiritual direction.

On the other hand, in the catholic church, one to one direction is par for the course.  Apparently, there are even directories to find spiritual directors.  Now, it also appears that spiritual direction is gaining protestant adherents as well.  As several of my co-participants are protestant and have taken classes on spiritual direction.

Spiritual direction could be a boon in the protestant church - in an age of counselors, consultants and advisors, I think people would embrace the idea.  Additionally, it would bolster the segments already in play in the church - giving pastors a respite, addressing issues small groups are ill-equipped to handle, help with developing a consistent, flexible and personal spiritual disciplines, and providing a confidential place to talk through sin and discouragement issues.

Let's hope the movement continues to grow.

New Beginnings Or I Hate Change?

A couple weeks ago, I applied for a different job - as a judge.  I did not get the position.  However, it put into motion a lot of thinking about what I want to do next in my life.  Do I want to continue to advance up the ranks at work?  What if that means moving?  What if an opportunity presents itself in the next couple months (which is actually very possible)?

Or do I settle in here, where I am comfortable and enjoy life?  Having just moved in the last six months, I am not keen on moving again.  I found I wasn't too excited about changing jobs right now.

Maybe that is because I just experienced those things and know how much work it would be.  Or maybe I am becoming complacent in a comfortable situation, which isn't a bad thing once in a while.

How does seminary fit in?  Is a radical change in my career in the offing?

My concern is that I don't want to change just to change, chasing an elusive dream instead of doing what will add to my quality of life (which is not necessarily money or more time at work).

Prayer, Writing, Contemplation & Dante

My reading for the past year (aside from seminary required reading) has included an emphasis on contemplation and prayer.  These things are areas God is working in my life, drawing me closer to Him.  The major benefit of singleness, as acknowledge through the ages, is time to think and the ability to determine for one's priorities.

I am convicted that prayer and writing are two areas I need to focus on.  I have always dabbled in writing poetry - both metrical and free verse.  I tend to go in "spurts" where I write a lot, then write nothing for months.  I also have in process several other writing projects, aside from the poetry, which need to be completed.

Since last fall, I have been struggling to figure out how to integrate more prayer and poetry into my devotional life.

I'm not sure I have the solution.

Last fall, I wanted to take a class focused on St. Ignatius' Spiritual Excercies at a Franciscan Spirituality Center.  Instead, I am doing it this fall.  It involves committing to praying an hour a day, and I am not sure I can really accomplish that, but I suspect the payoff will be worth it.  I've also become fascinated by the idea of Benedictine living & Benedictine Oblates- the focus on prayer while doing daily things.  In my mind, there has to be a way to integrate the everyday things into a prayer life (Brother Lawrence anyone?)

Last spring, I started writing a poem a day.  I was surprised at how easily it worked for about 60 days.  Then, I fell off the wagon.  I have spurts where I think I need to pick that up again, but I'm not ready to do that.  I suspect my poetry writing needs to take off again and will with the focus on prayer.

I'm also taking a class on Emotional Maturity and Spiritual Leadership.  Interestingly, the first book addresses our family of origin and contemplative living.  (Perhaps I was on to something with the prayer and poetry writing!).

My inspiration this fall is Dante, the medieval poet.  I started reading The Divine Comedy this summer and was astounded by the complex poetic verse and the religious ideas that permeate it.  How does one invent such things?  How do you invent it during 1300?  How do you do it in rhyming verse?

I love the imagery, the illusion to scripture, the structure of hell, purgatory and heaven, the addition of catholic ideas (when we were all members of the catholic church), and the fusion of Roman and Greek mythology.  My history classes definitely help me to understand Dante's comments on church history and function.

So, with Dante as inspiration, prayer as a devotion, and poetry as a method to express myself, I hope to dive into the contemplative lifestyle.

2010 Boone Supernationals

First, let me start by telling you I love the Boone Supernationals.  It is an experience unlike any other.  If you love racing, you really need to add this event to your "Must-See" list.

The Supernationals are a weeklong dirt track racing festival.  This year over 805 cars participated in over 340 races, with 2,000+ green flag laps, all culminating in six Champions.  A Typical race day starts at 3 p.m. and ends somewhere between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. (No, I'm not kidding).

Sponsored by IMCA, the Supernationals draw racers and fans from all over the U.S. and Canada.  This year, the crowd was more diversified than ever.  The fans that pack the stands and the campgrounds are friendly, excited, and willing to talk racing at any level (Nascar, local track, F1, sprint cars).  There are plenty of activities during the week - meeting the drivers, pancake breakfasts, parades, and whatever else happens in racing campgrounds.

The racing is truly at the grassroots level.  Most of the drivers hold another job and use the Supernationals as their vacation for the year.  They have raced weekly at their local track; some are track champions, while others are just guys looking for a good time and a race.  While there are sponsorships, they are local sponsorships - the town plumber, hotel, restaurant, towing service and parts supplier. You won't find DuPont, Home Depot or  M&M's here.  Cars are more likely to be sponsored by Mom & Dad, Toby K's Hideaway, Harris Auto, Smith Farms or Victory Chassis. 

Fans have favorites, demonstrated by their T-shirts and cheers, but they are also willing to boo a driver for bad driving. (Last night a fistfight broke out on track between drivers during a last chance race, which sparked some excitement.)   At the same time, drivers are welcomed into the stands after their events and chat with the fans.

Last night, four Champions were crowned in the Hobby Stock, Stock Car, SportModified and Modified classes.  Jason Wilkinson of Neligh, Nebraska won the Hobby Stock A Main; Jeremy Christians of Horicon, Wisconsin won the Stock Car A Main; Brett Meyer of Lytton, Iowa won the SportMod Championship; Jimmy Gustin of Marshalltown, Iowa was crowned the Modified Champion.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the races, talking to racing friends, meeting a few new ones, and getting lots of dirt blown on me.

Let's say taking three showers to get clean afterwards did not dampen my enthusiasm for the night...