rebuked and learning child

"'My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.' 

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all children have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 

Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we have respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?"

I've been learning to treat the unloving with love. And I've definitely messed up, but God is honoring my efforts and my genuine desire to imitate Christ with a feeling of peace. I had felt pounded down by inner rebukes as I have realized my short-comings, but I am choosing to not define myself by my short-comings. I am choosing to define myself by Christ, and allow Him to syphon those things out of my heart. And it is good to know that God acknowledges me as His child during this time.

Psalm 130

So, as I was reading Psalm 130 today, I read about how much God loves us. I feel like a lot of my focus during the first few weeks of Lent was on how messed up I was. Though this is part of it, I didn't remember how much God loves me in spite of all this and wants to transform me. Small group last week helped remind me of that and Psalm 130 reinforced it. Instead of trying to fix things about ourselves, we have to go through the painful but hopeful process of finding our areas of sin or struggle, tracing them back to lies they stem from, and giving it all up to God. Because HE is the one that will redeem us of our sins. And he wants to. He loves us.


If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption
He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.

Psalm 130: 3-8

THANKFUL

I have definitely been struggling with high-horse thoughts as well as complaining. Loneliness and the high school have been dragging my attitude down! It's not an excuse, but an external attack on my flimsy internal self. Thank GOD for conviction. After coming home yesterday, all I wanted to do was complain and threaten to quit the profession and run away to the mountains somewhere... where there are mountains. My attitude, admittedly, was extremely poor.

Instead of posting my woes on a public forum, I read a book on thankfulness. I read quotes that talked about thankfulness and trust washing away complaints and fears. I ate a bowl of cereal. I asked for PRAYER on facebook, instead of divulging complaints. I napped. THEN, after I had slept, I talked to Mike and Rachel on the phone and they both listened as the dams crashed down and I admitted my discouragement. They pointed me towards God and encouraged me.

God answered prayers today. He sent me a very clear message of my weakness. He also sent me a very clear message of His strength. Thank God for growth. He will provide.

I am thankful for Lent. Thank you if you are praying/have prayed for me. Please continue to do so if you feel led. :]

It's not easy to be human.

Bethany Berens posted this video/article on the Exit facebook page, but I just wanted to emphasize it to you guys. Contemplative prayer is really neat and I like Huertz' take on it as a center in living a life of social justice. Keeps our intentions pure and helps us to remember that we are human and cannot do the work of the Lord WITHOUT the Lord's strength. I know it seems so elementary, but I find myself trying to do things without His strength and failing pretty bad...  

http://www.faithandleadership.com/multimedia/phileena-heuertz-its-not-easy-be-human

1 Peter 4:11

"If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen."

Ezekiel 36, 37.

Happy Spring Break all you non-student-teaching IWU-ers. Happy teaching to Bethany. Happy working to Sean and Brian.

Our Lent reading for today is the "Dry Bones" passage in Ezekiel 37. I hope this is a good reminder of our time together last week, and our discussion of God's desire to do a powerful work of re-creation and resurrection in our lives.

In chapter 36 Ezekiel prophesies words of restoration to the land of Israel and redemption for God's people. Ezekiel 37 then provides the object lessons that embody these promises. I read a little further this morning in Ezekiel 37.  Following the "Dry Bones" passage is a story about "the Two Sticks." Ezekiel is told to take two sticks -- one representing the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and one representing the Southern Kingdom (Judah) -- and join them together into one stick. This is to represent a fundamental principle of God's redemption: healing of division."I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms" (v. 22).

I believe that when God does works of re-creation and redemption people who were once divided are unified. I believe that one calling we have as Christians is that of unification and healing. God's people are not meant to be divided; they are meant to be one. Let God show you where you are divided with others during this Lent, and then ask him to perform a work of re-creation, one that fills your dry bones with spirit and heals your divisions.

Some Lenten Encouragment

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/02/the-secret-to-fasting-in-a-lent-that-is-failing/

This is too good.

Epiphany Begins Today!

Hello friends! 

I am excited to see you all and start meeting again. Here is the game plan:

1. We are going to continue meeting on Wednesday nights this semester at 7:45. 

2. I'd like to start ASAP, so this week! That'll be January 11. 

3. This semester we cover a lot of awesome stuff: Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Pentecost, Ordinary Time. Buckle up!

We will talk about this much more extensively, but I wanted to give a short introduction to the season of Epiphany. The Feast of Epiphany is today (January 6th). This kicks off a 4-9 week season of Epiphany; the length fluctuates based on the date of Easter, which determines the date of Ash Wednesday, which determines the length of Epiphany. 

The season of Epiphany focuses on the Manifestation of Christ. In other words, it focuses on 1) Christ's manifestation of his identity and mission in the Gospels, and on 2) our manifestation of Christ in the world through witness. 

The four primary texts for this season are 1) the visit of the wise men, 2) the baptism of Jesus, 3) the wedding in Cana, and 4) the Transfiguration.

Christ is the light of the world. We are stars shining in the world, testifying to the light. 

This year, we will have four or five small groups during Epiphany, and I am working on what I want to talk about. But one thing is for sure: It will be Jesus (Gospels) focused with implications for how we manifest Christ in the world. 

In Advent we waited. 

In Christmas he came.

In Epiphany he works; and we tell about him!

Here are some ways that you could prepare for our discussions:

1) read the Epiphany chapter in the Bobby Gross book

2) read through a Gospel account

3) prayerfully consider in a new way what it means to be a witness

I'll see you all in less than a week!