I have to laugh and I'm sure you will as well. Here's the short article:

The Associated Press
updated 6:23 p.m. ET, Fri., Sept. 26, 2008

PORTLAND, Ore. - A patient treated for agonizing abdominal pain received this surprising news in the hospital’s paperwork: “Based on your visit today, we know you are pregnant.”

Surprising indeed for 71-year-old John Grady Pippen.

The staff at Curry General Hospital in Gold Beach gave the retired mechanic and logger the ridiculously happy news this month, along with some pain pills.

Hospital administrator William McMillan says an errant keystroke caused the hospital’s computer to spit out the wrong discharge instructions for the grandfather.

© 2008 The Associated Press
All rights reserved.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26907144/

"An errant keystroke caused the hospital's computer to spit out the wrong discharge instructions..." Can you imagine? Think about the consequences if this had been a situation where the hospital staff treated him for an illness he didn't have, or gave him medication to which he was allergic simply because of "an errant keystroke"!

I'm so incredibly grateful we can trust God's input through His infallible Word. We don't need to worry about "an errant keystroke" leading us astray or giving us a false remedy for sin-sick souls. God's Word is COMPLETELY trustworthy! The problem is, we don't believe it or somehow we believe it doesn't pertain to us.

The Word of God is absolutely truth. No errancy. No misleading information. No wrong instruction. No hint of falibility.

Don't put your trust on any individual (even if they're a pastor or teacher) to replace the instruction and remedy for sin found in the Word of God.

Man fails. Computers fail. God never fails!


___________
© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Labels: Computers, Jan Ross, Pregnancy, The Christian Woman, Truth

Sometimes I’m not as thankful as I should be for my children. I confess. God always shows me so gently that while my heart was in the right place, I should have handled such and such situation this way. Then He shows me where I went wrong. It’s not to bring about guilt because God doesn’t use that tactic. He allows me the beautiful freedom of making of making my own choices (even if they aren’t in His perfect will) and He still loves me. He waits patiently for me to make this mistake and come to Him so He can show me where I went wrong.

God lovingly allowed me to experience this with my son recently. It wasn’t any major issue but it was something that I wasn’t prepared to handle. It became a dramatic thing because I made it dramatic. Looking at it now, I realize that I didn’t even try to let God handle it nor did I trust Him with it.

My son had his first “girlfriend” and I interfered every way I could short of making him end the relationship. I saw myself becoming exactly what I didn’t want to become and I did it anyway. I think that’s commonly referred to as rebellion. Yes, I became frustrated over it, I cried over it. I even prayed over it. My next step should have been to let it go and trust God to handle it. Notice I said “should have”. I tried to convince my son to handle it the way I thought he should. Of course I’m older, more mature. He should listen to me. Not exactly.

What I learned (and will hopefully be willing to apply the next time) is that my son is a kind hearted young man who loves His Lord.

Just when I thought I had reached the end of my sanity with his relationship, I tried talking with my son (which was more of my trying to force him to do what I thought he should do). After I had run my mouth for as long as he could endure he asked if he could be alone for a little while and walked away. I just knew that he would go to his room and think about what I had said, only to emerge 20 minutes later, more wise and ready to put my “wisdom” into action. What God blessed me with instead was a picture that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

My son didn’t emerge as I thought he would. Twenty minutes passed. Thirty minutes passed. After 45 minutes I could no longer contain my anticipation and went to his room to receive his gratitude (in complete humility of course). As I approached his door I was surprised to not hear anything coming from inside. Could he have fallen asleep? What I found was much more beautiful than I could have imagined. He was on his knees in prayer. I left him alone but continued to wait anxiously for him to come and tell me that he believed it was time for the relationship to end.

Have you ever been so wrong that what you assume to be true isn’t even in the same universe as the actual truth?

My son came out of his room an hour and a half later and hugged me but went straight to his dad who hadn’t tried to tell him what to do. My husband had listened and advised our son only when he was asked. My heart was broken and yet more grateful than words can express. I’m grateful that God blessed me with a husband who is so rich with wisdom and for a son who is so much like his dad. I’m grateful that God chooses to bless me in spite of myself and that God’s handiwork is becoming more and more evident in the lives of my children.

He didn’t “break-up” with her that day or the next. He didn’t break up with her that week. He chose to trust her even when every piece of evidence said that he shouldn’t. He took his concerns to her and lovingly asked her to help him be a better friend to her and he only did this after seeking God’s guidance. What a marvelous friend he is and a true man of God he is becoming!

God’s mercy is defies description. He knows that we’re guilty and yet He chooses to pardon us? He has all the evidence that He needs to lock me up and throw away the key and yet He purchased the key that set me free from the bondage to sin eternally.

“Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD.”
Psalm 25:4-7

Labels: choices, Cindy Price, drama, girlfriend, parenthood, relationships, son

What a day. You could stick a fork into me and tell that I am absolutely done.

Labels: u-turns, writing ministry

I’ve learned to cherish pink fingertips, that’s all there is to it! But, I’m sure you’re wondering what on earth I’m talking about. Let me explain …

Two weeks ago, Dana and I left for Washington, DC to be with Andrew while he had surgery. We packed up the car, got little Ethan all settled in (he’s not fond of the car seat), got our maps and backed out of the driveway.

Only 427 miles to go … we were on our way.

We got down the road about six miles and I realized my foot was a bit heavy on the accelerator; I commented to Dana and immediately backed off to slow down just as I noticed a Highway Patrol car coming over the rise ahead. My stomach sunk. I knew … I just knew I got caught. I watched as the car passed me, the brake lights came on while the patrolwoman did a u-turn right past me, blue lights began flashing. I pulled over …

“Ma’am, may I have your license, registration, and proof of insurance? You were doing 65 in a 55.”

Of course, I was rattled. I fumbled around finding all the documentation and handed it to the patrolwoman with a smile. I knew I was wrong—no excuses here! When done, I thanked her and told her to have a nice day and apologized for not paying closer attention. She smiled and said it happens to everyone from time to time.
Only 421 miles to go … we were on our way—again!

I debated whether I should call my husband or not. Nope! I wanted to tell him in person since news like that over the phone isn’t always the best. After all, it was only a silly speeding ticket and he got one a few months back for going faster than me. His ticket was more expensive, so I felt somewhat justified. [ha ha]

We went on our trip and I mostly did better with my heavy foot. There were a couple times I thought I got caught again, but there were people around me with heavier foots! Again, I felt somewhat justified.

We had a wonderful trip and Andrew’s surgery went better than expected. We made it home the following week with a little blue slip in my purse. I set aside some money from the trip to pay my ticket before the court date—there was no sense in appearing in court since I was guilty and fully admitted it to the patrolwoman. Days passed and it remained in the back of my mind to go pay the ticket. But for some reason, I thought I remembered the patrolwoman telling me the court date was September 29th so I never checked.

Yesterday, I was cleaning up the kitchen and had that unmistakable nudge from the Lord … Go check the date on the ticket!

I remember answering audibly, “Ok, yes Sir!”

So, I walked over to my purse and unfolded the dreaded blue slip only to find the court date had already passed and I was in contempt of court. I panicked! What am I going to do? How will I explain this? How much will the penalties and court costs be? How can we afford it? Is there a bench warrant out for my arrest? Will they take me into custody and fingerprint me? Will I have a police record now?

Well, you can imagine how all these thoughts were bombarding me. Ron was at work; Dana was working in the living room. I told her about the situation and we both agreed to just be truthful and explain that I had the dates mixed up and pray for leniency.

I cautiously drove to City Hall (I couldn’t afford to get stopped knowing there may be a bench warrant out for my arrest). As I arrived, I noticed my friend’s van was there—she was working. Praise the Lord! So I parked and went on in and caught her attention. When she came out I had to fight back tears while telling her my story. “What’s going to happen to me? Am I going to be arrested?”

She explained that it was no big deal and I wasn’t in any trouble; the court here gives plenty of time for people to come in to pay their tickets. We walked to the desk and handed the clerk my ticket and cash, and before I could say thank her, I had a receipt in hand.

Praise the Lord! I mean, really … PRAISE THE LORD!

On the way out, I looked at my hands … my fingertips were still pink and not stained by ink from fingerprinting. I deserved so much worse. I was wrong. I broke the law and then I was late in paying my fine. I deserved the stain that comes from sin, but my hands were clean.

Mercy!

Forgiveness!

Cleansing!

Suddenly, I stopped and thanked the Lord for His mercy and forgiveness and cleansing. I so deserve to bear the stain of my own sin. But I stand before Him clean—not only with pink fingertips but my heart is cleansed by Jesus’ righteous blood that was shed for me.

“Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" (Mark 1:41)

__________
© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Labels: Jan Ross, The Christian Woman

I just took Gracie outside for her afternoon walk. Oh my goodness! It’s incredibly beautiful today. The sun, though a bit hazy, is bright, the air smells of fall … drying leaves, fields ready for harvest, and the sound of geese overhead. The tips of the leaves on the trees are beginning to turn ever so slightly. The breeze seems to announce that it’s ushering in change … change we know to expect almost like clockwork, but still refreshingly new each year.

When I was a little girl, my Dad would take me down to the metropolitan park on the west side of Cleveland. We’d walk along the trails and look for beautifully colored leaves, peer at the clouds overhead through the towering trees, skip stones in Rocky River, wade through the water on the fjord across the river. I have amazing memories of our fall walks together. Father and daughter together where we could talk, laugh, and love. Such a picture! Such a precious time this daughter has cherished all her life.

Even though my Dad is gone, the seasons still change. Time goes on. The seasons come and go like clockwork, but still bring with them memories of a childhood that was a precious gift to me by God Himself.

I wasn’t born to my parents—I was chosen by them. My biological parents’ rights were severed by the court systems when I was nearly two years old. My parents saw me and fell in love, took me home to raise me as their very own. I became their daughter and they became my parents – parents who spared me from a lifetime of pain and suffering that would have been mine if God had not intervened. You see, it was all God – I had no choice. I simply grew into my new family, bore their name, adopted their customs and behaviorisms, and became every wit there’s. As I grew to adulthood, there was never a question about whose daughter I was – I was my parent’s daughter.

This is such a perfect picture of how God becomes our Father. When we are born, we are abandoned and orphaned because of our sin—fatherless and illegitimate children. In His great love and mercy, God chooses us – not because we have anything to offer Him, but because He wants children upon whom He can lavish His love. He takes us as His own and spares us from a life of pain and agony that would have otherwise been our destiny if He had not intervened. It is all God – we have very little say in it. Our part – our only part in the entire equation is to make ourselves available to Him, to submit to His sovereign call, and to come to Him as broken vessels needing to be made new.

We are powerless to become His child on our own volition. The Spirit draws us, He calls us, He reaches down to rescue us, and we submit. Just like my Mom and Dad. I was too young to come to them and ask them to take me as their own. But when they reached out, I became part of their family just like we become part of God’s family, bearing His name, growing to resemble Him more and more as we mature, taking on His character as we spend more time with Him.

Isn’t it amazing how God calls us to be His own by drawing us and stirring in our hearts? Isn’t it amazing how He spends time with us—one on one—to nurture us and teach us and lavish His love on us? Isn’t it amazing how seasons come and go even in our relationship with Him … we have seasons of unexplainable joy as well as seasons of unbelievable pain. Yet, He’s right there with us through it all, being our Father in His steadfastness and committed way. Even when we mess us, He never abandons us, but He woos us back into right relationship with Him.

Oh, yes! I love fall because it reminds me of my Father’s love for me through the changing seasons of life. The fresh, fall winds lead me to yearn for the day I will be changed, in the twinkling of an eye, and forever be with my Father in His house, to bask in the Sonlight, and to walk along the streets of glory breathing in the winds of eternal life that have enraptured my soul.

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Labels: adoption, fall, Father's love, God, Jan Ross

Jody Foster gives a stellar performance in The Brave One with her role as Erica Bain, a talk radio host in New York City. Her show is called “Street Walk” and that’s exactly what she does. She walks the streets of what she called “the safest big city in the world” with a microphone and recorder in hand. She records sounds from all over the city and then broadcasts them across the radio waves.

The story line is that she and her fiance’ are walking their dog after dark and are attacked by four men. The perpetrators had stolen a video camera prior to the attack on the character played by Foster and record the entire attack. Her fiance’ is beaten to death. She is beaten nearly to death but recovers physically. Out of fear, rage and need for revenge, she decides to take the law into her own hands and when she is unwilling to wait the required time prescribed by law to purchase a gun, she buys one illegally. At this point, I thought I knew what was going to happen. “Typical vigilante movie”, right? Wrong.

The movie is violent, contains bad language and sexual content, but the story of redemption literally took my breath away.

The authorities seem to be doing nothing about her case against the “men” who attacked her and her fiance’. Like I said, she takes matters into her own hands. After the killing, she is brazen enough to visit the scene of the crime and even interviews homicide Detective Mercer (played by Terrence Howard) about who the perpetrator might be.

After Bain has committed a few murders, Detective Howard begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Through a series of events, the recorded evidence of the attack is sent to Bain’s cell phone. She then forwards it to Detective Howard along with the simple attached message “good-bye”. Knowing what she is going to do, he is able to obtain the address of the men who killed her fiance’. He goes to the location but finds that Bain has already killed three of the men. When Howard comes on the scene, Bain is being choked with a crowbar and is defenseless. Howard stops the attacker and has him on the ground at gunpoint as Bain is screaming at them both. Howard is able to convince her to give him her gun and follows is a remarkable story of redemption.

Detective Howard knows beyond any doubt that Bain is guilty. He is so desperate to save her, however, that he chooses to put the law aside. He gives her his gun and walks away, allowing her to murder the last of the four that took part in her own attack and the murder of her fiance’. Howard steps back onto the scene and tells Bain the story of an arrest gone wrong in which he was wounded and the perpetrator escaped. She accepts his gun and shoots him in the shoulder and is able to walk away from the scene of the crime. Detective Howard then cleans her gun and his and puts her gun in the hand of the man that Bain has just murdered. The story ends with her fleeing free.

No, this is not a typical story of redemption. It won’t fit into any theological box and it shouldn’t be seen within the walls of a church. What I see, however, more than the violence, language and sexual content is the gift that God has given us as His children.

God knew without a doubt that we were guilty of sin. We are murderers, liars, cheaters, adulterers, etc…..We deserve to be tried, convicted and persecuted for our crimes. I personally have never committed a crime that is punishable by law but I have many times, committed crimes against God. He catches me in sin every day because He is always with me. He knows even more than I what I deserve and it’s not a pretty picture. Out of His great love for me, He asks me to surrender my weapon to Him. Some of my weapons of choice have been slanderous words, backbiting, lying, not submitting to those in authority over me, etc….My rap sheet is long and grievous, but because of the Blood of the Lamb, I have a clean slate.

My Savior came onto the scene of my life. He knew my sin. He knew I was guilty. Instead of casting me from His Presence, He asked for my weapon and when I surrendered it to Him, He wiped it clean, removed my guilty stains and set me free. All that was required of me was the surrender of my weapon of sin.

Romans 3:23-25 (The Message)

God Has Set Things Right

21-24But in our time something new has been added. What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. 25-26God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. This is not only clear, but it’s now—this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness.

Labels: fabulous 50, glorifying God

Row after row, in perfect array, the rolling hills bear the earmark of honor, patriotism, and sacrifice. Honor in life. Honor in death. Unsung heroes and high ranking military officials laid to rest side by side. White stones strategically erected in perfect military order. Line after line, row after row, section after section for as far as the eye can see. Each marker at Arlington National Cemetery represents freedom. Freedom of speech. Freedom of worship. Freedom to assemble. Freedom to bear arms. Freedom to exercise unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Rights enjoyed by all Americans.

The beauty and splendor of such perfection exudes a sublime sense of holiness, as if somehow there is more than meets the eye that beholds such hallowed ground.

Order—divine order. That’s what I saw. Not simply gravestones intricately spaced and precisely uprighted in uniformity, but order. As we drove through the Cemetery, I was amazed that not one headstone was skewed, not one marker misplaced, not even a weed blemishing the perfectly groomed grass on its 600+ acres. A place for everything and everything in its place, meticulously planned and organized generation after generation. The earmark of divine order.

Why would such a display move me so? I questioned this over and over again on our drive home. It was more than inspiring. The sight was more than awesome. There was a message woven through each headstone set in perfect array. But, what was the message? What was God speaking to me? What aspect of His character did He unveil?

Suddenly, it began to make sense. It was a picture of how one takes care to align his or her life perfectly to the standard of the Word of God. Each headstone is perfectly aligned. No deviation. If wind blows one out of alignment, it is immediately adjusted and realigned. What a lesson for us. What a lesson for me!

So often my own life needs alignment. Simple winds of affliction or hardship or unexpected challenge seem to knock me out of alignment. It’s so easy just remain misaligned, weak, out of sync with the Standard of the Word of God, resisting the work of the “Master Aligner” to realign my life. Oh, that I would be as meticulous about my heart’s alignment to the Standard as the keepers of Arlington National Cemetery are to keep every single gravestone perfectly straight.

Amos had a vision of the Lord holding a plumb line in his hand. The Lord said, “Behold I am about to put a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel.” This “plumb line” was a symbol of the testing Israel’s conduct. No more would the Lord tolerate Israel’s use of false gods, natural hills, or pagan influences to measure their uprightness. Now, God Himself would drop the plumb line and Israel would be measured accordingly.

The Lord has put a plumb line in the midst of His people: Yeshua Himself has become our “plumb line” as our lives are to be aligned to His example of righteousness and faith. We use His example to measure our conduct. No longer will the Lord tolerate our use of false gods or pagan influences to measure our goodness or uprightness. God Himself dropped the Plumb Line in our midst and we will all be measured accordingly.

How do I measure? How do you measure? Is Yeshua your Plumb Line? Or, do you measure your life against the standard of others’ lives?

The next time you see a picture of a national cemetery, take a close look at the rows and rows of white stones, in perfect array. Consider, then, how your life should be in perfect alignment to the Plumb Line we have in Yeshua.

Father, I repent. Those words simply do not convey what I feel in my heart. I have a desperate need to be realigned to the Plumb Line provided in Yeshua. Father, challenge each reader to take note of their own lives and remind them that You have dropped the Plumb Line into their midst (into OUR midst) and that we will ALL be measured accordingly. In Jesus’ name, amen.
_____________
© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Labels: Arlington National Cemetery, Jan Ross, Plumb Line, The Christian Woman

Pulpit Magazine has a good post on God’s High Call for Women which discusses God's design for women and their role in the church.

Here is an excerpt:

"God did not create the man and the woman at the same time, but rather He created Adam first and Eve later for the specific purpose of being Adam’s helper. Eve was equal to Adam, but she was given the role and duty of submitting to him. Although the word “helper” carries very positive connotations — even being used of God Himself as the helper of Israel (Deut. 33:7; Ps. 33:20) — it still describes someone in a relationship of service to another. The responsibility of wives to submit to their husbands, then, was part of the plan from creation, even before the curse. The first books of the Bible establish both the equality of men and women and also the support role of the wife (see Exod. 21:15, 17, 28–31; Num. 5:19–20, 29; 6:2; 30:1–16)."

Labels: Carrie, The Christian Woman

I know it was for me because as I was driving I was asking God to keep me on the right path...to show me where to go, what to do...I was praying that He give me a sign. I hadn't "heard" from Him in a while. I was shocked when that rainbow just fell out of the sky. I really do love it when He does that.

Rainbow in the soybeans field!

Labels: God, rainbows, sockrma18

My daughter Christian came home from school yesterday and told me that her friend's parents recently got divorced. We know the family fairly well because our daughter and their daughter were on the same Little League softball team for a few years. Her friend's dad and my husband became pretty good friends.

Even when the two girls ended up on different teams, we still ran into them at various athletic events. Over time, we didn't see them as much anymore, and the two husbands lost touch. So when Christian informed me that they divorced this year, I was stunned. We'd never seen any problems between the two of them. They had been married about 15 years.

Now their kids are scuttling between two homes. Even the dog is going back and forth. The kids don't have one "main" home where they can hang their hats. And they're trying to cope.

This kind of news hit way too close to home. That was very nearly our story only a few months ago. We were within a hair's breadth of walking down the same road. I could almost hear Satan rubbing his hands together in excitement.

But then I chose to do something that has made all the difference: believe. I chose to believe that God is who He said He is, and that God can do what He said He can do. I asked Him not just to save our marriage, or to improve our marriage. I asked Him to make it new, because God makes all things new. (Rev. 21:5)

Paul also said that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think. (Eph. 3:20) That means that however wonderful I think our marriage could be, God could make it far better.

So, do I believe Him or not? I'm choosing to believe.

Believing is not easy. In fact, it's crazy hard, especially when you can't imagine your marriage ever being something beautiful and romantic and nurturing. And just because I've chosen to believe in God's promises doesn't mean He immediately waves a wand and exchanges our tattered marriage for a sparkling new one just in time for the ball.

It's quite the opposite. Believing in God's promises is usually a long and arduous process, where weeks and months can go by without any outward signs of progress. There have been times when I've shouted out to God, "Throw me a bone here, would you? Just a little something to encourage me?"

And then, two of my friends, within a month's time, said to me, "Wow, Gwenn, I can't believe how much you have changed from a year ago. Back then, it was all your husband's fault. Now, you are yielding so much more to God."

I didn't know that God's work within me was so obvious--I didn't even realize it was happening. But I have noticed subtle changes in my heart. I now have the God-given patience to endure--this has been the biggest change. It is certainly not from me--patience was never something anyone would have credited me with.

I am also more willing to show love to my husband, even when I am not shown it in return.

If God is working so effectively and so diligently within me, I know He is working within my husband as well, even if the outward signs are not yet there.

I just have to wait. Be patient. Pray. And believe in His exceeding abundance.

Gwenn

"Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." Matthew 22:37-38

I've heard that many, many times. And it is sooo easy to just let it glide by because you know it already. It might have even been a memory verse when you were a child. You might even have memorized it recently in one of your bible studies. Or you might even sang it in church last Sunday or sang with it on the radio yesterday.

But do you really, truly know it? Is it real in your life? Do you really love the Lord with ALL YOUR HEART? AND with ALL YOUR SOUL? AND with ALL YOUR MIND?

The Experiencing God study (Blackaby et al) has a powerful question related to this: If you were standing before God, could you describe your relationship with Him by saying "I love you with all my heart and all my sould and all my mind and all my strength"?

The first time I encountered the question in February, I was trying to be careful how to answer the question because I knew what it meant. To me, that meant... Do you love God enough to give your life for Him? Not that you need to, but are you willing? Do you love God enough to surrender your most cherished whatever-it-is? Just as God gave His son for us.

I am embarrased to say that I could not say "yes" resoundingly. Yes, I could sing it out these words mindlessly or even with such emotions you would think that it is true. But confronted with the question of "do you, really?", then I realize my pitiful answer.

This made me realize that with all that God was and is to me and what he has done for me, I was not loving him with all my being as what he has commanded! I searched myself deeply and I realized that I was rebelling from not getting what I have been desiring for a long time - a child of my own.

In between, I have had gone through a laparoscopic procedure and 3 medicated cycles of trying to concieve unsuccessfully. I have cried to the Lord and He has comforted me dearly and sweetly. I wanted the Lord to tell me or show me what the future held. I didn't get the answer I want, only what I needed.

He has assured me that everything is happening according to His plan and that He is always in control. As He has been in my life since I have become His daughter. Imagine the worrying and anxiety the Lord has saved me from! Once again, He has given me His peace that passes all understanding.

God also brought to my mind Hebrews "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance." (Hebrews 11:13) As if saying, "see I promised things of more importance to these people and they were faithful until death. How then do you choose to live?".

Such a powerful challenge.

So the second time I encountered the question this September, I could now heartily say yes, yes, yes! I do love the Lord with all my heart, soul and mind!

How about you? What's in your heart? Where is your soul? What's in your mind?

Is it God or is it in the things of the world?

Can you say with all conviction that you love the Lord our God with ALL your heart, and with ALL your soul, and with ALL your mind?

If not, be not dismayed, my sister. God loves you anyway even if you cannot declare your love for Him with all your being. God will draw you back in.

Labels: christian living, Rela

In the pattern of AA introduction, I hereby declare that this is how everyone should introduce themselves at The Christian Women (TCW). See, I even have the acronym already. :)

Joking aside, I'm one of the new contributors and perhaps the last one to introduce myself. I didn't want to introduce myself and then not post anything for a long time. So I decided to just introduce myself when I am ready to post something. So here I am...

Let's see, what can I say about myself?

I am from the Philippines - born and raised there. I immigrated to the US in 2003 and lived in Boise, ID for 4 years. My husband and I just recently relocated to Austin, TX (dodged the worst winter in the last 5 years...wooo...perfect timing!) and have been here for almost a year now (loving the warm weather...just know when to go out in the summer to avoid the heat!).

I started my Blogger blog in July 2007 but didn't really write a lot. In fact, I only wrote 13 posts in 10 months! My writing started picking up in May 2008. So technically, I'm just a newbie blogger.

Anyway, I was raised by a Catholic father and an Aglipayan mother. (Aglipay is a Philippine church which resulted from the Philippine revolution from Spain and Roman Catholicism.) They were not real church-goers though. So, I guess they just agreed that we should be raised as Aglipayan. What I knew about God and church was what I got from attending the Sunday mass and various church activities. I knew of God but I didn't really know God.

When I went to high school in the city, I lived in the on-campus dormitories. Being separated from my parents and being away from home at 12 years old was the opening that God used to introduce Himself to me. So, God adopted me into His family on my freshman year in high school. He used a Campus Crusade for Christ worker who faithfully came to our high school campus and who would gather interested children to hear about God. I understood what she explained (and what I now know as The Four Spiritual Laws). She used those 3x2 cartoon tracts with a yellow cover to illustrate how God loved me, how sin separated me from God, how only Christ can bridge that separation and how I can be reconciled with God. I still clearly remember the page showing ego on the throne versus the cross (representing Christ) on the throne.

I didn't grow much as a Christian after that. I do not remember anymore if the CCC lady stopped coming or if I didn't go back to her sessions (which was a definite possibility because I quickly learned how to play volleyball and I became "addicted" to it to the point of playing under the noontime sun (think 100F). But I do know that after that I was questioning, albeit silently in my heart and in my mind, my upbringing's religion and beliefs.

Fast forward to the mid-1990s... I was on a successful professional path in the technology industry - going to different countries meeting with colleagues, visiting customers, and presenting technical papers, being recognized, making good money, lots of material incentives, etc. My personal life though was a mess - breaking up with boyfriends, missing many family occassions, always with my geeky contraptions to be on top at work. Work, work, work was all that consumed me. But somehow I had this sense of emptiness and insecurity.

I started trying out different churches...

And along the way, am glad I found Him again. Or should I say He found me. He was always there, I just was too busy with my own life. I was the one sitting on the throne!

From that time on, He has taught me that He is my Father whom I can always depend on. And just like a child who asks of a father, the Father knows what is best for me.

He has taught me that He is my Friend whom I can go to anytime - whether in happiness or in sadness, in excitement or in boredom, in anticipation or in exasperation, in hopefulness or in discouragement. He is a loving friend by my side.

I am so grateful that He is a faithful God. He never let go of me from Day 1. The CCC worker planted the seed, not many watered though. But the seed? The seed grew miraculously, even if slowly for the lack of feeding and watering. Indeed, He is the ultimate grower! In Him, nothing is impossible!

I now know what it means to be "confident of this, that He who began a good work in you (me) will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6) I continue to be a work in progress but I rest on the Lord's faithfulness.

Now that I have introduced myself, I look forward to sharing my thoughts. And hearing back from you, of course! :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rela blogs about her daily life at An Ordinary Life and her "secret" fertility journey in The Saga of Becoming Fruitful. So probably, you will hear from her once a week at the most. If you miss her, go visit her at her other blogs and tell her about your visit by leaving her a comment. She would absolutely love that!

Labels: introduction, Rela

Today I was adding some articles to the main website and had one of those moments where you stare at a word, wondering if the spelling is correct. Ever had that happen?

Anyway, the word that I stared at for a few seconds, convinced that it was misspelled, was the word “business”. Instead of believing the word was “biz-ness”, I saw the word as pronounced “busy-ness”. And then it struck me. My own struggle with working outside the home at a “business” was due to the resulting “busyness” it created in my life. I never noticed how appropriate the spelling of business was!

I realize nowadays everyone is busy regardless of whether both parents work or not. But being a Christian working mother has some extra obstacles that stay at home Christian mothers and non-believing working mothers don’t have to overcome.

First, if you are working outside the home you have schedule constraints (being at work at a certain time for so many hours, commuting time) that make managing the household a bit more challenging. And I do not mean for a second to imply that being a stay at home mom is easier (been there, done that, it was tough!), but when you work outside the home you are juggling household responsibilities around your work schedule. That can be stressful and leave little time to just relax with your family.

Second, when you are a Christian working mother you have obligations that the non-Christian working mother doesn’t have – God and church. Sundays are not a day to catch up on laundry but a day to worship God and fellowship with other believers. And that is just Sunday. There can also be bible studies, community groups, personal study, etc. So if you work with mostly unbelieving mothers (which is the norm), you won't find much support.

I think the main difficulty boils down to this - when you are a Christian wife/mother your role is the same whether you work outside the home or not.

“That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” Titus 2:4-5

"Keepers at home". Even if you work full-time outside the home, you still are responsible before God for keeping the home. In my mind, managing the household is a big job already, so working for a “business” ends up feeling like non-stop “busyness”.

Now, it is better to be busy than idle,

“She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” Proverbs 31:27

but it is not good to be so busy that your family or God are not getting your best. That is the struggle. And that is my struggle.

Labels: Carrie, Christian working mother

Being in ministsry and constantly looking for ways to build our international ministry, the topic of giving comes up often. I was just thinking about the ways we give and how people (including me) most often associate giving with finances. But, isn't it true that giving means giving of ourselves, our gifts, our talents ... anything and everything we have to offer?

Labels: Gift, Jan Ross, Psalm 103, The Christian Woman

My two daughters had their hair done yesterday to prepare for their first day of school tomorrow. Both have long blonde hair, and Christian, the 13-year-old got hers permed, while Jillian, the 9-year-old, had hers cut and styled. They both looked absolutely fabu when they walked out of the salon.

On the way home, we decided to go by Jillian's friend's house to show off her new 'do. Her friend was outside on her scooter. We stopped the car and Jillian got out to show her. Here is how the conversation went:

Me (through the window): "We thought we'd stop by and show you Jillian's hair. She just got it cut and styled."
Her friend (squinting at her): "That is just so wrong."
Me: "What do you mean?"
Her Friend: "I don't know. It just looks kind of wierd."
Jillian (her heart--the violet that just got crushed): "Yeah, it's different."
Christian (her protective older sister): "Well, do you like it?"
Her Friend: "I don't know. It's just wrong."

We drove away. I turned and looked back at Jillian and told her that her friend had been incredibly rude, and that her mother would have climbed her frame had she heard what her daughter had said. I know her mother. We're good friends. She would not tolerate such behavior. Still, there was my little girl, whose self-esteem, in about a minute's time, had taken a heck of a beating.

I think Jillian got over it much faster than I did. An hour later, I was still fuming. I wanted to take that kid and give her a lecture she'd never forget. I haven't called her mother yet. For once, I managed to keep myself from my usual knee-jerk reaction. But it has given me food for thought.

There is something that runs deep in the heart of a parent, a protectiveness so strong that we want to strike back at someone who hurts our child, even if that someone is a nine-year-old shooting off her mouth, because she was either jealous, or trying to sound cool. She needs grace, just like the rest of us. It occurred to me that God has that same "protective parent" heart within Him.

If we feel this overwhelming sense of retaliation when it comes to someone hurting our children, how much greater must He feel it when someone hurts us? We can know with absolute certainty that when we feel emotional or physical pain, He feels it, too. Note the scripture above. When someone touches us, He is touched. It is absolutely simultaneous.

But there's more to it. Note where God is touched when someone touches us. The "apple of His eye" is translated literally as "the pupil." We are at the center of His focus. But what happens when someone touches God's pupil? He gets poked in the eye.

It's a good thing He's a God of grace, because if someone hurt my child and then poked me in the eye, I'd be hard-pressed to do anything but strike out. But the thing is, I've poked Him in the eye several times myself, by talking unkindly to--or about--someone He loves.

That's why His grace is so...amazing. He loves each of us, and takes it in the eye for us--all in the name of love.

Gwenn

Labels: baptism, Becki Hansen, God, sockrma18