Memorial Day

A couple of days ago, I was walking through SAM's and saw a whole tier of cakes and cupcakes decorated in red, white, and blue.  As I walked by, I thought to myself, "Hmmm, this is a little early for that sort of thing, isn't it?  After all they are not going to be any good by the 4th of July, are they?"

When I realized my mistake (they were actually to celebrate Memorial Day), I realized how much I take the freedom I have been given (not in any way earned) for granted.  I'm so thankful for the sacrifices that have been made for me, and indeed are being made for me every day.  Regardless of how I may stand politically, there are a lot of brave people risking their lives for me as I watch my uncle fire up the grill this afternoon.  There have been many who have given their lives for my privilege to go to church this morning and openly worship my Father in heaven.  There are lots of families who are grieving a loss today as I muse over the red, white, and blue nature of this "holiday" weekend.

I am blessed.  It is not to my credit when I forget how much so.

Currently Reading The Gospel according to Moses: What My Jewish Friends Taught Me about Jesus By Athol Dickson see related

Life Goes On

"Good questions have a legitimacy of their own.  They add to our understanding even before we can come up with and answer - and sometimes we glean insights precisely because we can't supply an answer.  In such cases the significance of the knotty question derives not from cutting the knot, but instead from the annoying fact that no analytic seems adequate to the task."  -Avigador Bonchek from Studying the Torah, A Guide to In-Depth Interpretation.

Have a second job interview on Thursday morning.  I'm a little nervous... I was sure I bombed the last interview there.  I was actually sort of surprised I was called back.  Goes to show I'm not really in charge of this whole thing I call life. 

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.  Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." -Proverbs 31:8-9.  Read this passage last night in my Bible reading.  Sort of puts life into focus.  I get so distracted with everything around me sometimes. 

"'Of all the commandments, which is the most important?' 

'The most important one,' answered Jesus, 'is this: "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  The second one is this, 'love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no commandment greater than these." - Mark 12:28b-31

Currently Reading How to Cheat at Cleaning: Time-Slashing Techniques to Cut Corners and Restore Your Sanity By Jeff Bredenberg see related

Facing my fears

"The bravest things we do in our lives are usually known only to ourselves."  -Peggy Noonan

I wonder sometimes what the scariest thing I've even done is.  It's weird because what is scary to me, won't be scary to someone else.  Even weirder is the thought that what I might consider totally terrifying, probably won't be the thing that God will be the most proud of me overcoming when I get to heaven.  Would it be sharing my testimony in front of my youth group?  Singing solos in front of church?  Witnessing to a friend?  The car accident?   Student teaching?  Interviews?  Spiritual warfare?  Being lost in the airport?  Losing my temper to the point of violence?  All of those things scared me...

There are so many things in life that are legitimately scary.  Then, there are so many things that just scare me.  I want to live a life, no longer in fear of what God might bring into my life, but in anticipation of what He will say when we chat about it in heaven.  I want Him to be able to say to me, "I know you were scared, but I'm proud of how you came to Me for help to overcome that fear.  Good job."

Currently Reading Light Of Eidon (Legends of the Guardian-King) By Karen Hancock see related

God is always good, I'm just not sometimes.

"The mature Christians I have met along the way are those who have failed and have learned to live gracefully with their failure.  Faithfulness requires the courage to risk everything on Jesus, the willingness to keep growing, and the readiness to risk failure throughout our lives."  - Bruce Manning, Reflections for Ragamuffins

Wow.  My control-freak self winces.  May I learn to live gracefully... even when I fail.

Currently Listening Woven & Spun By Nichole Nordeman Gratitude see related

Be thankful, even when it rains!

God is good.

It's hard to believe that sometimes.  Sometimes, I look at the world around me, and I don't understand how that can be true.  Bad things happen.  Bad things happen to people who don't "deserve" it.  Of course, I'm the first to start talking about the sin nature we all have and how none of us "deserve" anything, but in my heart of hearts, I still rage against the unfairness of it all.   So did King David...

Psalm 10

 1 Why, O LORD, do you stand far off?  Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

 2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises.

 3 He boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.

 4 In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

 5 His ways are always prosperous; he is haughty and your laws are far from him; he sneers at all his enemies.

 6 He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me; I'll always be happy and never have trouble."

 7 His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue.

 8 He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent, watching in secret for his victims.

 9 He lies in wait like a lion in cover; he lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

 10 His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength.

 11 He says to himself, "God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees."

 12 Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.  Do not forget the helpless.

 13 Why does the wicked man revile God?  Why does he say to himself, "He won't call me to account"?

 14 But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand.  The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.

 15 Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness
       that would not be found out.

 16 The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land.

 17 You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,

 18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

May I learn, through the circumstances that I go through and watch others go through, that God doesn't waste pain or suffering.  Even though I (often) don't understand it, may I begin to firmly believe I can trust Him and not be rocked off my moorings of faith and belief when things don't go the way I think they should.  May I trust Him to take care of His business and mine.  May I never be afraid and cry out "God has forgotten" - especially when it might feel that way.