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macadamianutz
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Name: Lisa
Birthday: 12/30/1960
Gender: Female
Interests: Father, Spirit, Son. Praise and worship. My fellow man. Raising daughters. Alternative health.
Expertise: Distinguishing subtle flavours in single origin dark chocolate.
Message: message me
Member Since:
3/12/2006
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| To my daughters ..."... we must be careful with our lives, because it would seem they are the only lives we are going to have in this puzzling and perilous world, and so they are very precious and what we do with them matters enormously. There is always the temptation to believe that we have all the time in the world, whereas the truth of it is that we do not. We have only one life, and the choice of how we are going to live it must be our own choice, not one that we let the world make for us. Because surely for each of us there comes a point of no return, a point beyond which we no longer have life enough left to go back and start all over again.
To Isaiah, the voice said, "Go," and for each of us there are many voices that say it, but the question is which one will we obey with our lives; which of the voices that call is to be the one we answer. That is a choice we make each for himself, but I believe it is possible to say in general to all of us: we should go with our lives where we most need to go, and where we are most needed.
Where we most need to go. Maybe that means that the voice we should listen to most as we choose a vocation is the voice that we might think we should listen to least, and that is the voice of our own gladness. What can we do that makes us gladdest, what can we do that leaves us with the strongest sense of sailing true north and of peace, which is much of what gladness is? Is it making things with our hands out of wood or stone or paint on canvas? Or is it making something we hope, like truth out of words? Or is it making people laugh or weep in a way that cleanses their spirit? I believe that if it is a thing that makes us truly glad, then it is a good thing and it is our thing and it is the calling voice that we were made to answer with our lives.
And also, where we are most needed. In a world where there is so much drudgery, so much grief, so much emptiness and fear and pain, our gladness in our work is as much needed as we ourselves need to be glad. If we keep our eyes and ears open, our hearts open, we will find the place surely. The phone will ring and we will jump not so much out of our skin as into our skin. If we keep our lives open, the right place will find us.
Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God," and in the end every word that proceeds from the mouth of God is the same word, and the word is Christ himself. And in the end that is the vocation, the calling of all of us, the calling to be Christs. To be Christs in whatever way we are able to be. To be Christs with whatever gladness we have and in whatever place, among whatever brothers we are called to. That is the vocation, the destiny to which we were all of us called even before the foundations of the world."
O thou, who art the God no less of those who know thee not than of those who love thee well, be present with us at the times of choosing, when time stands still and all that lies behind and all that lies ahead are caught up in the mystery of a moment. Be present especially with the young who must choose between many voices. Help them to know how much an old world needs their youth and gladness. Help them to know that there are words of truth and healing that will never be spoken unless they speak them, and deeds of compassion and courage that will never be done unless they do them. Help them never to mistake success for victory, or failure for defeat. Grant that they may never be entirely content with whatever bounty the world may bestow upon them, but that they may know at last that they were created not for happiness but for joy, and that joy is to them alone who, sometimes with tears in their eyes, commit themselves in love to thee and to others. Lead them and all the world ever deeper into the knowledge that there can never really be joy for any until there is joy for all. In Christ's name we ask it and for His sake. Amen.
excerpted from "Secrets in the Dark" - A Life in Sermons by Frederick Buechner
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| For all find what they truly seek...I wept upon reading this excerpt from C.S. Lewis in his final Narnia book, The Last Battle. For I have known many good people seduced by false religion, people whose hearts yearn for God, who pray to Him and serve Him (perhaps using different names or having a different understanding, yet serving with their whole heart and mind and strength.) Does God reject people for being deluded, falsely taught, for doing the best with what they've been given? Dare we judge anyone, with our limited knowledge of people's hearts and motives?
"Then I fell at his feet and thought, Surely this is the hour of death, for the Lion (who is worthy of all honor) will know that I have served Tash all my days and not him. Nevertheless, it is better to see the Lion and die than to be Tisroc of the world and live, and not to have seen him. But the Glorious One bent down his golden head and touched my forehead with his tongue and said, Son, thou art welcome. But I said, Alas, Lord, I am no son of thine but the servant of Tash. He answered, Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me. Then by reasons of my great desire for wisdom and understanding, I overcame my fear and questioned the Glorious One and said, Lord, is it then true, as the Ape said, that thou and Tash are one?
The Lion growled so that the earth shook (but his wrath was not against me) and said, It is false. Not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites, I take to me the services which thou hast done to him. For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath's sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted. Dost thou understand, Child? I said, Lord, thou knowest how much I understand. But I said also (for the truth constrained me), Yet I have been seeking Tash all my days. Beloved, said the Glorious One, unless thy desire had been for me, thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek.
Then he breathed upon me and took away the trembling from my limbs and caused me to stand upon my feet. And after that, he said not much but that we should meet again, and I must go further up and further in. Then he turned him about in a storm and flurry of gold and was gone suddenly.
And since then, O Kings and Ladies, I have been wandering to find him and my happiness is so great that it even weakens me like a wound. And this is the marvel of marvels, that he called me Beloved, I who am but as a dog --"
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| I AM (the power of Now) who Was and Is and Is To Come
Sitting in the hair salon I found myself browsing an interview between Oprah and Eckhard Tolle, promoting his
book, The Power of Now. It seems he is suggesting that we not live in the past, nor
the future, but try to remain in the present moment - for there is
power in the moment, when we just embrace it.
Getting trapped in the past - giving power to old labels and
experiences, allowing them to name us...is counter-productive
and keeps us impotent. Likewise, always thinking about the next ten
minutes, the next hour, the next day or week ... robs us of experiencing 'now'. I thought of Jesus cautioning
us to remain focused on today, and leaving tomorrow to God.
My revelation came when Tolle described a moment when he was able to
quiet his thoughts and doubts and plans and fears, and just sink into the present, until he felt an overwhelming peace and power. He doesn't
name it, of course. But even if he doesn't, I know of what (of Whom) he speaks. For what is another name for
NOW? Not "I was". Not "I will be".
I AM. :)
It is when we give God the brokenness of our past, and the worries for
our future, that we can rest in NOW, and experience the I AM, God of
all. So - I'm sorry Eckhard, there's really nothing new under the sun.
There is, however, danger in knowing God yet refusing to honour Him. I
pray that all who seek to 'find themselves' will instead find Jesus, and fall on their face in
awe of His love and His grace.
Mighty God, let the power of Your truth illuminate the half-truths that mislead and distort. May all who seek the Father, find the Son, and be transformed into lovers of You.
amen
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| Christ Follower
Is your Christianity dull and boring?
Is it a burden rather than a blessing?
Then you're probably involved with rules instead of relationship: a system instead of a Saviour: a project instead of a person.
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| Dying to Self, Part TwoSo I've been pondering how many of those characteristics below I can claim as my own. ha haha. So, why do you think Jesus said in Matthew 5:48 to "be ye perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect"? Does He really expect us to be able to attain a standard of godly perfection? I think it's important to realize in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is cautioning His followers against a legalistic complacency. Instead of looking at our good works and congratulating ourselves, we are to live in awareness of our shortcomings - deeply aware of our need for God's grace.
Jesus commanded His followers to set their standards higher than the self-righteous Pharisees, who upheld the letter of the Law but who had little love for others. He called us to love more deeply, to forgive more readily, to humble ourselves as a guard against pride. He set a different standard for us, not so we would stumble, but so we would aim higher, press ourselves into service to our fellow man that would reflect God's love and grace to those around us.
Sometimes we beat ourselves up when we fail to reflect Him to others. But this is the beauty of His indwelling Spirit - we have a constant, gentle reminder that we serve a God who loves those who fail just as much as those who are doing well! Remember the prodigal? The firstborn son did nothing wrong in being dutiful and dependable. His father appreciated and rewarded him. Yet there was great cause for celebration when the rebellious son returned, repentant. (those who have been forgiven much, love much!)
So I guess what I'm saying is - that list below, that barely attainable perfection of selflessness - is a great guideline, and one we should strive towards. If we could love others the way God loves us, how many people would notice something different about us, and be drawn near? But we also need to guard against score-keeping, either against ourselves or others, for God looks at the motives of our heart, not the score.
And the best part is ... He loves us anyway.
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