Debra
Proverbs 22:1
A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
There are moments, although they may be fleeting, when God shows up and does something very personal. A moment in time that is designed just for us…showing His love, involvement and compassion for His child. I had one of those moments today at work. Totally unexpected…and wonderful.
There are times in the grief journey when the reality of the loss hits with such freshness, it seems like you are facing it for the first time. I had that moment last night looking at a picture of Rick. I see this picture everyday…several times a day. It’s the small picture of us on this blog. But, the original is a life size picture that was taken on Labor Day 2009 and is displayed above my desk. Last night, looking at Rick I had a wave of emotion that was so strong it totally caught me off guard. It was like I had gone backwards and was facing the reality of my loss for the first time. I so much miss seeing his face and his sweet smile. Holding his strong hand and hearing his voice say my name. And then God….
I work for a doctor in Louisville and after seeing the patients I do all the scheduling and instructing for their procedures. After seeing the doctor today a sweet little man of 87 came into my office and sat down. I had stepped out to see another patient out so I missed him coming in. When I came into my office, he looked at me with a serious look on his face and said, “You look like a Debra!” I said, “excuse me?” And he repeated it, “you look like a Debra.” I looked at him and said, “did the doctor tell you my name?” (He will sometimes say, my assistant Debbie will be here in a moment to help you.) He just looked at me and grinned. I told him that my name actually IS Debra and that no-one called me that except one person…my husband. And He had gone to be with Jesus 15 months ago. I scheduled his procedures and talked to him about several things, finding out that he was a Christian and loved the Lord very much.
I am in awe of a God who knows even the smallest details of our lives! I have not heard “Debra” since Rick stopped being able to talk. It was a loving name he used for me, along with “woman and Deb.” There was no reason for this man to say Debra other than one thing…God. I needed to hear it! I needed to know today, in that moment of time, that God was thinking of me. And He knew what would get my attention. Isn’t He wonderful?
What has He done that was just for you? He loves you and knows exactly what you need. It may not be hearing your proper name from a stranger…but it will be something just as personal. Look for it…expect it…and experience the joy of knowing He has done it just for YOU!
Sending much love,
Debra
Dandelions, Rocks and Sticks
Exodus 4:2
Then the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff”, he replied.
Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
The above picture is of my granddaughter Galilee. She was inspecting Dandelions. It happened that on this day she was the only grandchild here, but when my other 3 are here with us, we inspect, find and hold onto many other things as well. I am finding that what children hold dear and what adults hold dear can be drastically different. Children’s hands end up holding…dandelions, rocks, sticks, dirt, mud, bugs, feathers, leaves, flowers, nails, weeds and a plethora of many others. Adults can hold many of the same things, but somehow the meaning is different. Watching children hold things in their hands can be quite an experience. They stop (for a loooong time)…look intently…pick it up…inspect it very closely. Sometimes holding it up close to get a better look, or even putting it in their mouth so they can taste it. They will take seemingly forever for the whole process to take place and then…start the whole thing over again as they see another treasure. Simple, wonderful things in the hands of a child.
We place many things in our hands throughout the day as well. Most of us have some of the same things in our hands day after day. We don’t take the time to stop and closely look at what is there. We just assume that the purpose of this thing is the most apparent one. To serve us. But, God has something else in mind.
When God is getting Moses ready for the very difficult task of delivering His people out of Egypt, He does a strange thing, according to our standards. Moses wants to know how they will know that he, Moses has been sent by the living God. God does something so simple that we miss it. We miss it in the Word and we miss it in our daily lives. He asked him what was in his hand. Moses replied, “A staff.” Something he had with him everyday of his life. It was something so simple and to him, only used for one purpose…to lead his flocks. But, God turned it into something of great importance. It’s meaning completely changed when God took that staff and used it many times over to show His power. Just a staff…but so much more when used for His glory.
What do we have in our hands that fit that description? Children take things that look like junk to us…and turn it round and round in their hands…inspecting, looking, admiring. We have things in our hands every day that God wants us to inspect, look at and decide to do something with. Something for Him. Let me try and give us some examples. I know once you look at what you have, God will show you many more!
Our keys to our cars. Where do our cars take us? Where WE want to go. How about if we use those same keys to take someone to where THEY need to go? To the doctor, to the store, to visit a friend who is hurting. Our wallets and our money. Things are tough right now. Most of us think that we are struggling with finances. But, if we take a serious look at what we REALLY have, we will find that we have much more than most of the world around us. And more than we need. Why not give some away? Look for needs around you, take your money and spend it on others for His glory. Groceries, diapers, a meal, a special gift, gas…look for a need and meet it.
Hands. Your hands. My hands. They don’t even have to have any THING in them. Empty hands are sometimes the best hands of all. For several reasons. They are free to hug. Since Rick died, I think that is sometimes my greatest need. There are two women in church who find me every Sunday JUST so they can hug me. What a gift. Empty hands are free to touch, hold on to, wipe a tear, clap, raise in worship, fold in prayer… Empty hands are free to be filled with what HE wants to place there.
What do you have in your hand TODAY that He can use? Will you look at it differently than ever before? Will we be willing to take what He has placed there and use it for His glory? If we are, that changes everything! That “thing” is no longer just a simple “thing” anymore. It becomes a God given instrument with eternal impact. Even after the “thing” is out of our hand and gone from our sight…what it was used for will last forever. That’s God’s way…and only He can do that. Will we let Him?
Looking at my hands today and sending much love,
Debbie
Save Us
Psalm 60:4
Save us and help us with Your right hand, that those You love may be delivered.
A family member having emergency surgery and not getting the outcome that is prayed for…a friend faced with the reality of her mom needing to go to a nursing home…another friend starting chemo and radiation…a new friend living daily with grief and a drug addiction…a young man who lost his wife and unborn child in a tragic auto accident. All this in my life just in the past 2 days. Sometimes I look at life here on this earth and scream in my heart…we can’t do this much longer LORD!
And then there is this. Granddaughters who smile every time I enter the room…grandsons who WANT to come to Nonna’s house and play…sunshine…warm breezes…children who tell me they love me…food in my pantry…a hug from a new friend…a God who loves me…the ability to listen to others who are hurting and feel their pain…dreams for His glory…memories that warm my heart.
I remember a time not too long ago when I walked through my days with a smile and what I thought was real empathy for others. I was deceiving myself. Not until I experienced real pain and started opening myself up to the pain of others have I discovered something important. Once upon a time I thought I could do something to help somebody. That I actually had some wisdom or knowledge or answer that would be just what they needed. That if I was around and offered advise, it would somehow be what they needed to hear. God help me. How foolish. In reality…the truth of the matter is this…not me, not you, not anyone has ANYTHING that can help another. We can think that we know what others need…but NO ONE has anything that we have need of other than God Himself. If we don’t have HIM…we have nothing. If He doesn’t come and save us…we cannot be saved.
There will be times like the past two days were for me when we will be tempted to do things in the flesh. Give a standard, “I’m not really listening” answer to someone who is hurting…or not even give them our time at all. It’s happened to me time and time again…when I’m talking, NEEDING someone to listen, but knowing good and well by the look on their face…they’re not really caring, much less listening. How can we DO that? We will say a prayer that will go seemingly unanswered. We will see someone’s pain that is so deep we will be want to run the other way…and do. And in that same space of time we may experience normalcy in our day that causes us to not even give God a second thought.
But, let me assure you that during our days here…doing things our way is totally worthless. People who are hurting need more than just a nod of our head…no prayer really goes unanswered…running the other way will send us into a wall of selfishness and God needs our every thought…not just our first and second. Psalm 60 says something that should be on our lips and in our hearts every minute of every day. SAVE US AND HELP US. We cannot save ourselves. We cannot help ourselves…much less someone else. He is the only One who can. But, the wonderful news is just that…HE CAN and HE DOES. And the amazing, humbling thing is this…if we allow Him to, He uses us as His instruments to do it. When I allow Him to use me to help someone, those that He dearly loves…giving them the message of hope and deliverance…it not only changes them, but it changes me.
Suddenly the pain and sadness of others turns into a sort of healing for me. A knowing that I am being used…even though it hurts…to help others see the love of God. I must admit I’m weary after witnessing the pain of the past two days. It hurts to sit across the table from a young man who has lost his wife and unborn baby. It hurts to talk to a young mom who doesn’t realize just how much God loves her. And it is so painful to see someone you love more than anything in this world hurting. But, this I KNOW…
HE SAVES AND HE HELPS…HE DELIVERS…BECAUSE HE LOVES US
Even though it’s hard…Be His hands…Be His voice…and watch Him deliver.
He always does…
Sending much love,
Debbie
“Radical” Chapter 9 The Final Chapter
It’s hard for me to believe that we have finished the study of Radical. This book is unlike any other book I have read for quite some time. I have repeatedly told our Sunday night group of girls that we do not want to approach this book as if it has a finishing point. Just because we have finished the study does not mean what we gleaned from it has to come to an end. It should be just the opposite. It should be just the beginning of what God will do in our lives as we transition from living the American Dream to becoming a living sacrifice for the glory of God. I believe that if we take an honest look at ourselves and how we live out our faith in comparison to what God says in His word…it will bring us to repentance and change.
The ONE thing that God is after is our heart…not what we DO. If our heart is not right before Him, what we are about to talk about in this lesson will be absolutely worthless. I Samuel 16:7 says, “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’” This is our highest goal, to keep our heart soft and pure before Him. He is the only One that can do that for us. When we come to Jesus, we exchange a hard heart for one that becomes soft and pliable. Praise Him!
In this last chapter of Radical, David asks us to make a one year commitment to do five things. We will address each one individually and talk about how to do each. The reason for a one year commitment is simple. There are things we can do for a year that we may not be able to sustain for multiple years. And there are some things we can postpone for one year that we may not be able to postpone for longer. So the challenge here is not forever. But, if you make this commitment, you will discover, as we all will, that it will change us for many years past the one year mark. There is no doubt that we will be changed.
Commitment # 1 Pray For the Entire World
This commitment requires something very basic of us…we must already have a prayer life. We must be praying. To pray for the entire world sounds like a HUGE endeavor, but when broken down into a daily commitment, it suddenly becomes very do-able. David says that this is the step you and I are most likely to overlook and yet it is the one that is most dangerous for us to ignore! In the gospel we have seen the depth of our inadequacy and the extent of our inability to accomplish anything of eternal value apart from the power of God. We MUST invite HIM into the saving of the world and be active in asking Him to send workers into the fields that are ready for harvest.
There are several things here that will help you to pray for the entire world in a year. First, go buy a world map for your wall. I bought mine at Target and it was $4.00. Not a costly investment. The only wall big enough and with nothing on it in my house was in my bathroom. So that’s where I hung it. It is a constant reminder to me that I need to pray for those nations.
To help put some order to your praying go to www.operationworld.org or www.joshuaproject.org Both of these web sites are excellent. You can sign up for emails that will be sent daily to remind you to pray for a specific people group or country. By doing this you will have prayed for the entire world in a year. I am finding that by praying for things I will most likely NEVER know the outcome of, gives me a sense of freedom. I will most likely never know what God does with my prayer…I will never have to worry about trying to take credit for something or trying to make something happen in my time and not His. I pray for the nations, those people groups who have never heard…and then believe that God is answering…what freedom!
Commitment # 2 Read Through the Entire Word
This is a commitment we really should already be doing, but sadly is one that most of us have never done. We seem to think that reading a daily devotional or listening to a 20 minute sermon is enough to get us through. Until we come to a place in our lives where we need more. God says that His Word is the ONLY Word we will ever read that has LIFE in it. It has the power the change us, heal us and connect us with the ONLY One Who can save us. Today would be a great day to make the commitment to read it through in the next year! I have signed up at OneYearBibleOnline.com and receive daily emails with the scripture references listed to read for that day. There are many other similar websites, but this one has several different options to choose from. It is a DAILY reminder to be in the Word!
Commitment # 3 Sacrifice Your Money For a Specific Purpose
The word here is not “give”, but “SACRIFICE”. All we have to do is open our Bible and start reading and we will find this principle over and over again. God is all about our giving…and sacrificing. Romans 12:1 says that we are to be “living sacrifices”. As much as we have in our homes as citizens of the United States, we are still tempted to give our “seconds.” Those things that really cost us nothing. Things that we no longer have need of…used things…old things…things that don’t interest us any longer. How sad. This principle will most likely be one that will require much effort on our part. We like to satisfy our WANTS. The thought of doing without something we want, or especially giving until it hurts is not something that sounds very appealing. But, to the LORD, I am sure it is a sweet smelling sacrifice. Sacrifice is giving away what it hurts to give. Sacrifice is not giving according to our ability; it’s giving beyond our ability.
Concentrate on spending your money on something that is gospel centered. Go ask your pastor if there is an immediate need…a family in need…a missionary in need. And then determine what you are willing to do without to meet that need. Most everyone will be getting some sort of tax refund…you may have already gotten yours. And you may already have a list of things to spend that money on. Things that you “want”. Why not look past your own “wants” and into someone else’s need?
This is not about sacrificing just one time. This is a commitment for the coming year…to give sacrificially…intentionally for the next year. Our money tends to rule us in our society…knowing this about us…Jesus commands us to lay up treasures in heaven, not treasures on earth. You and I will discover that this will change us as the year progresses and we see just how God is using our sacrifice for His glory.
Commitment # 4 Spend Your Time in Another Context
As important as it is for us to be radical in our giving, it is even more important for us to be radical in our going. Here’s where our heart will be touched, possibly in a way that it never has before.
If you have ever been on a mission trip in any capacity, I know I would hear from your lips that you were more blessed than anyone you were suppose to be ministering to. That is God’s way. He is a much more than God…always doing more than we can think or imagine. If we are going to accomplish the global purpose of God, it will not be primarily through giving our money, as important as that is. It will happen primarily through giving ourselves. This is what the gospel represents, and it’s what the gospel requires.
So, how will be go? For every one of us, this clearly begins at home. Wherever you and I live, we are commanded to go and make disciples there. Jesus didn’t travel to EVERY place in the world while He was here on earth. And He didn’t go to all the multitudes. He poured His life into a few men for the sake of the multitudes in places He would never go. Because of this example, our homes, communities and cities are the primary places and contain the primary people we will impact for the glory of Christ.
Going does start where we live…but it doesn’t stop there. We are called and commanded to take the gospel to the nations. That cannot happen unless we GO. What is a matter of calling is where we will go and how long we will stay. All we have to do is read the gospels to KNOW that it clearly is the will of God for us to take the gospel to the nations.
There are so many places to go…and so many things to be done when we go. Why not take a look at your gifts and talents? God has gifted you for a purpose. He has set you in this time and place for a purpose. Look at your gifts, your vocation, your profession and your area of expertise. These things can be used not only as a means to an income, but as platforms for proclaiming the gospel in those same contexts around the world. You may have a real love for orphans or widows…look at missionary organizations that minister to those groups. You may be a nurse, an accountant, plumber, electrician, teacher, mom, or grandmother. Take the plunge and plan a trip. Don’t let fear stop you…it will forever change you…in the best way possible. After going to Mexico, Haiti and Ukraine, I can say that those trips have shaped my walk with the Lord in so many positive ways. May it continue to be so as we go for Him….
Commitment # 5 Commit Your Life To a Multiplying Community
The goal is not just for us as individuals to follow after Christ but to join together in communities of faith, denying ourselves, taking up our crosses, and following hard after Him. If the radical, simple living we see Jesus talking about were more common in the church, it would be much easier for us to live simply as well. But we look around and everyone else has nice homes, and cars, lifestyles characterized by luxuries, so we accept that this must be the norm for Christians. We may get convicted about our way of living when we look at the Bible, but then when we look at one another, we assume it must be okay because everyone else lives this way. As WE change and live radically for the cause of Christ, this will impact those we worship with.
The global purpose of Christ was never intended to be done by individuals. We are called to do it in community with one another…this is called the CHURCH. Find a church that you can be committed to…join a band of disciples that you can join with for the next year to multiply the gospel. If where you are attending is not in the business of making disciples…it may be time to take a hard look. Why? Can you help change that? This is what Jesus calls us to do. Acts 2 tells us emphatically that these first believers met together daily, breaking bread, worshiping, studying together and selling their possessions to help those that needed it more. This is the essence of the Gospel…we should be part of the same.
So what happens when radical obedience to Christ becomes the new normal? Are you willing to see? We each have a choice. We can cling to short-term treasures that we cannot keep, or we can live for long-term treasures that we cannot lose. (Matthew 6:19-21) People coming to know the Savior Who came to give them life. And the all-consuming satisfaction of knowing and experiencing Jesus as the treasure above all others!
So here we have it. Five things to commit to for the coming year. Don’t let the task seem overwhelming…that is exactly what the enemy wants. Us to think we can never do it…it is too much…too hard…too confusing…above our ability. And in the enemy’s twisted way…that is the truth and a lie all wrapped up together. It IS too much for us to do on our own…but it isn’t too much for Jesus to do in and through us. What the enemy intends to bring confusion and a sense of inadequacy…our loving Father uses to show us that those same things draw us to Him…allowing Him to be ALL that we need.
May we accept the challenge…take the plunge…and watch our lives and others change as we…pray…read…sacrifice…spend our time…commit our lives.…all for HIS GLORY!
Committing and sending much love,
Debbie
“Radical” Chapter 8
Going through my day…everyday…life just seems to reveal more and more of this fallen earth. Our flesh. Sin. Struggles. My mind at times goes back to a simpler time when I was a child. I think of how much different it was then (we won’t mention how long ago that was). But, the reality is…for me it was simple because I was a child. For my parents, I’m sure they struggled just as much as I do with this earth and all that comes with living here. The fact is…it’s not getting any better here…and it never will. We are not made for this place…and all we have to do is look inside ourselves to see that. All around us we search for something that will make us feel better. We buy something new…the newness wears off quickly, the sense of longing returns. We eat something that we long for…moments later the satisfaction it brought is completely gone. We engage in sin thinking that it will make us feel better, make us feel loved and wanted. Only to find out that we end up feeling just the opposite. If we have discovered nothing else in the book “Radical” we have discovered that EVERYONE needs the Only One who can take away the emptiness inside them…that Only One is Jesus. And we are the ones taking Him…in our neighborhoods, at our jobs, in the stores, on the ball field, and in the streets…Jesus is Who we need. Now onto our next to last week of Radical!
Please take the time to read Matthew 10:24-39 before you begin the lesson this week.
The Biblical truth that we want to learn this week is:
God’s People Are Called to Endure Risky Lives for the Sake of an Eternal Reward Found Only In Jesus.
Knowing that Jesus calls us to “risk” for Him and His Kingdom, there is a fundamental truth that we must learn, come to terms with and believe. Matthew 10:24…”A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.” This is Jesus telling us that He is the teacher and the master…we are the students and and servants. We MUST take this to heart. As a student and servant…we DO what the Teacher and Master commands. Not willing to do it…we DO it.
Lesson 1 Matthew 10: 25
Following Jesus means fully identifying with Him
Jesus says in this verse that it is enough for the student to be LIKE his teacher and the servant LIKE his master. In the context of Jewish tradition, Jesus is talking about His disciples in relation to Him as their Rabbi. As a Rabbi, those that followed him were not only following to learn all that the Rabbi knew…his knowledge. They also were encouraged as his student to fully identify with him…taking on his very way of life. They were to be committed to being like the Rabbi…in all things. Let me ask this question…how has our culture affected OUR commitment level to Jesus? Do our lives and churches more resemble our CULTURE or the LIFE and TEACHINGS of JESUS? In our study last night we discussed how our lack of real persecution in this country has caused us to become too “comfortable” in our faith. Nothing is demanded of us in the faith realm. We do not have to make a decision of either our life or our faith. This is not the case for thousands of others in this world.
Lesson 2 Matthew 10:26-31
God’s Sovereignty In Our Lives Enables Radical Living Instead of Fearful Living
In these verses Jesus says 3 different times to not be afraid. Why? Could it be that since He made us, He knows our tendency toward fear. If we were not afraid…we would not need God. We would think we could do it in our own strength. That’s where God steps in…in the midst of this very strong emotion…He commands us to look to Him and not to our fear.
When are you most prone to fear? I asked that question last night and got many answers…but overwhelming it was fear of the unknown. And when that fear of the unknown means that our families…our children…may be affected…fear can seem to camp right over the top of us. If God asks me to do something that could put my children in danger…what do I do with that? Is He asking me to make decisions that look scary and could result in harm to me or my family. The answer to that question is a very personal one…but I believe the answer could be “yes”. Because in all truth…what looks dangerous to us…in the recesses of our imagination…may actually hold no danger at all. But, even if that is not true and there is danger there…we are still called to be obedient. That is the test of our faith and obedience. And because He IS sovereign over all…doesn’t MISS anything…we can somehow rest in this fact. And because of that knowledge…He says…DO NOT FEAR.
We discovered in our conversations last night, that we really do cherish our comfort and security here in this land we call “home.” Safety here GREATLY influences our decisions and our lifestyles for the Kingdom. And most of the time, not in a positive, I’ll do whatever You say, kind of way.
Lesson 3 Matthew 10:32-37
A Radical Life is Spent in Devotion To and Longing For a Heavenly Home
On page 179 of the book David makes this statement. He believes that the key to taking back our faith from the American Dream and living a Radical life is realizing and believing that this world is NOT our home. We must learn to focus our lives, our minds and our attention on another world! How do we do that?
We spent much time on this one point last night. Fleshing out how to long for heaven. How to keep our focus on that HOME not this one. Because when that becomes our reality, it will change us. One of the things we discussed is getting rid of the DISTRACTIONS in our lives. Because those things that distract us will ultimately rule us. Whether it be a new book we just have to read, a TV show that we think we can’t live without, cleaning, talking on the phone, texting, facebooking, or you fill in the blanks…if it distracts us…if it keeps us from God…if we need and desire it over God…it is taking His place in our lives and it needs to GO!
Lesson 4 Matthew 10:38-39
Eternal Reward is Worth Earthly Sacrifice
Jesus tells us that when we loose our lives for His sake, that is when we find LIFE. His life…eternal life…life in Him that will never end…joy unspeakable. It really is worth whatever it will cost us.
Do we tend to loose our life for His sake…or do we spend the majority of our time guarding our lives for our sake? And in the process what is it doing for us? Is it working? It hasn’t for me. When I spend my time guarding my life…doing what I want…what pleases me…I end up at the end of myself. Miserable, anxious, selfish, sad and lonely. Always wanting more. Longing for something more. And the thing is…I know where the MORE is. It’s ALWAYS in Him…always in the sacrifice…always in the obedience. I must loose myself for His sake…and when I do that…it always ends up that somehow He makes it for my sake as well..for my good. Isn’t He wonderful that way?
In Matthew 13 Jesus tells a parable of Hidden Treasure. In this parable there is a great secret that is revealed to us. Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man found the treasure while out walking one day (my version)…dug it up, saw it’s GREAT worth, dug a hole and hid it so no one would find it. Here comes the secret…in his JOY…in HIS JOY…IN HIS JOY…he went, sold all he had and bought the field. Jesus could of left that one word out of the story. He didn’t have to say the word JOY. But, really He DID have to…because it is vital to the story line. Why else would he go sell everything he had? We could find something of great worth…something that someone else might think was priceless, but unless we think of it as treasure, it will be worthless to us. For this reason…there will be no JOY in it for us. But, when we discover that ONE THING that WE consider treasure, that ONE THING that is worth losing everything for…there is great JOY in the gaining of the treasure and in the losing of all we have to gain it. The Kingdom of Heaven is that treasure…the ONE THING that is worth it all.
I’ll leave us with this last question. If His reward is worth the risk..how will you commit to following Christ with RADICAL faith? Pray that He will show you what He has for you to do in RADICAL obedience to Him. He is worth it…He is worth it ALL!
Sending much love,
Debbie
Pictures On a Wall
This morning after I laid Galilee down for her nap (my precious 14 month old grand-daughter) I thought I would fold a load of clothes. By the way…these clothes have been in the dryer, crying out to be removed from their dungeon, for almost a week! Anyway…back to the story! My laundry room is also my mud room and has a very long wall with no window on it. On that long wall, I placed a plethora of pictures spanning mine and Rick’s 33 years of marriage. Pictures of us at our wedding, pictures of each child as a baby, school pictures, family pictures, casual pictures, funny pictures, serious pictures and many many more. I stood there…folding and looking at each one. My mind going back to when each one was taken and the memory it held. They are all so dear to me. The pictures and the memories.
As I stood there reflecting on each one…I had a thought that actually gave me a sense of freedom. You see, every time I have looked at these pictures up til this moment…I have longed to be able to go back. Do it all over again…return to that time so I can do things differently…make better choices…spend more time on the things that really matter. And by thinking those thoughts I have set myself up over and over again for more and more grief and sadness. Because the fact is…I can’t go back. None of us can go back. We can only go forward…really we can only do TODAY.
So standing there looking once again at these pictures I finally found freedom in THIS…My time for raising a family is accomplished. The time that Rick and I had when our 4 children were under our wings and protection is past. We had wonderful moments and by the grace of God (thank you Lord for Your Grace!), they ALL know Him and are serving Him from a grateful heart! BUT…now the freeing part...ALL MY CHILDREN ARE IN FAMILIES OF THEIR OWN!
Psalm 68:6 came to my mind as I stood there looking at past memories..He sets the lonely in families. Families…what a WONDERFUL concept…what a wonderful plan from a loving Father!
Now is their time! Now is the season of my children’s lives when they get to do what Rick and I did! They are making those memories that will one day be hanging on a wall. They are getting to do what Rick and I considered THE most important thing of all outside our relationship with the Lord…making sure our children knew what it means to be loved. Loved by a mama and daddy and loved by the One Who knew them before they even came to be. May it continue to always be true for generations to come in the Starr lineage…family.
Sending much love,
Debbie
“Radical” Chapter 7
After reading this chapter and teaching this lesson, I’m beginning to wonder if maybe this chapter should have come first. This chapter seems very foundational to me…with the rest of what we have learned building upon what we believe in this one.
We are having great discussion in our Sunday night study…I wish you could be with us to hear the hearts of other women and also so that we could hear yours. On Sunday night we discussed something that I think all of us may be feeling. We know there are things that we need to be doing, but are not quite sure how to do them. Where to begin…what needs to meet…how much to give…what need is greatest…do we need to go away to help someone or can we do it where we are? So many good questions and even though at this point we may not have answers to them, God is teaching and preparing us for wonderful things. I just know it. We may not know how it’s going to look…how it will fit into our lives…what it will require…where it will be…or who it will be with…but He does…and for now, that’s all that matters.
The Biblical Truth this week is this:
God has made a way of salvation available solely through faith in Jesus as the Christ.
David presents two different types of ideas regarding the phrase that “all men are created equal.” This is a true statement, but for some reason we have subtly shifted this philosophy into an equality of ideas. People think that just as every person is equally valued, so every idea is equally valid. Applied to faith, this means that in a world where different people have different religious views, all such views should be treated as fundamentally equal. In this system of thinking, faith is a matter of taste, not of truth. The cardinal sin, therefore, is to claim that one person’s belief is true and another person’s belief is false. The honorable route is to rest quietly in what you believe and resist the urge to share your beliefs with someone else.
Many professing Christians have embraced this universalistic idea that religion is merely a matter of preference or opinion and that in the end all religions are fundamentally the same. People do not have to trust in Jesus in order to know God or to go to heaven.
On the other hand, while some professing Christians have rejected universalism intellectually, practically they may end up leading universalistic lives. They claim Christ is necessary for salvation, yet they live their Christianity in silence, as if people around them in the world will indeed be okay in the end without Christ.
There are many famous people who live this Universalistic idea. There are many of us who live it. We want to explore in this lesson why we absolutely cannot live this way. Let’s look at four reasons why living in this way is totally against what God teaches us in the Word. Get your Bible out so you can look up the Scriptures!
Lesson # 1 All People Have Knowledge of God Romans 1:19-20
This passage of Scripture tells us emphatically that every person, including us, has knowledge of God. Of course, not all people in the world say they believe in God -
Lesson # 2 All People Reject God Romans 1:21-25
We see very dramatically in this passage of Scripture that EVERYONE rejects God. We have to be very careful here, because our tendency will be to want to make excuses for ourselves, but also for others. We could use a Native American Tribe as an example. “Maybe that tribe had never heard of Jesus and they didn’t have a Bible. But they did have an innate desire to worship, and so they worshiped what they knew - maybe the sun god or something like that.” And this statement can follow with…”They were doing the best they could with the knowledge they had. Isn’t that good enough?” It’s a great question, but it drives us back to the TRUTH that we cannot forget…all people, ALL PEOPLE, reject true knowledge of God. If we make an exception for a Native American Tribe, then what will prevent us from wanting to make an exception for someone whom we think is “good”, someone who has had a “hard life”, someone that we think “deserves” a chance. We must be careful that we follow what the Word of God says, and not what we want or wish it said.
Lesson # 3 All People Are Guilty Before God Romans 3:22-24
David, in this chapter, relates a story that many people come to him with. What about the innocent man in the middle of Africa who dies without ever hearing the gospel? What will happen to him? David’s confident response is, “I believe he will undoubtedly go to heaven. There is no question in my mind.” The question was “what will happen to the INNOCENT guy in Africa? The reality is, the innocent guy in Africa will go to heaven because if he is innocent, then he has no need for a Savior to save him from his sin. Problem is…the innocent guy doesn’t exist...in Africa or anywhere else. None of us are innocent. We all see in this truth that we are ALL guilty before a Holy God. Which leads to the next truth.
Lesson # 4 All People Are Condemned For Rejecting God Romans 3:20
This verse is saying that no matter what we DO it will never be good enough. This is the exact premise the world uses to get people to heaven without Jesus. We want to believe that if we are good enough, or do enough good “works”, surely that will count for something with God. But Romans 3:12 tells us that there is NO ONE who does good…NO ONE. There are not enough good things to do that would be good enough to get us a place in heaven. The ONLY WAY there is Jesus.
Lesson # 5 God Has Made a Way of Salvation For the Lost Romans 3:21
Have you ever thought of where you would be in your life without Jesus in it. What would your life look like right now, had you not been introduced to Him? Just about every day of my life I am thankful for the one person who changed my heart toward Jesus…and that person is Rick. I knew Jesus before I met Rick, but was not living like I did. I was hiding behind the mask of Christianity, but living in sin. When I met Rick, he showed me in ways that I had never seen just how real Jesus is and how exciting it was to serve Him. He lived that out every day. I realize more and more each day, that I AM TO BE THAT FOR SOMEONE ELSE. God is calling you and me to introduce others to the REAL JESUS.
Lesson # 6 People Cannot Come To God Apart From Faith In Jesus John 14:6
As we read this passage we may say we believe this central truth of the Gospel - but do we show it by how we live and what we say to others?
Lesson # 7 Christ Commands the Church To Make the Gospel Known To All People
There is one central question that seems to be voiced by Christians; “What is God’s will for my life? How do I find His will?” There are many things that God wants us to do. We may be in the middle of raising a family…we can KNOW that He wants us to invest ourselves for His Glory in our family, teaching them to love God and serve Him. We may be grandparents…the same applies to us…teaching and mentoring our grandchildren to love the Lord with all that they are. In our marriages…loving our wives as Christ loves the Church and wives respecting and being the helpmate that God has called you to be. So many things He has for us while we are walking the roads of this life. But, this ONE thing is central to His will. This ONE thing we do not have to guess on, wonder about or pray whether He wants it or not. We can KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that THIS IS HIS WILL. He has shown us that the Will of God is for you and me to give our lives urgently and fully to making the gospel and the glory of God known among all peoples, particularly those who have never heard of Jesus.
We may not know how that looks right now…or even how to go about making it happen. But, at least we know that this is His heart. He doesn’t want even one to be lost. Let’s be praying that He will begin to reveal to us how He wants us to be part of that.
We are the plan…there is no plan B.
Sending much love,
Debbie
