Hurricane Katrina

My thoughts and prayers go out to all the people on the gulf coast who have been affected by Hurricane Katrina.

I received an email today from a co-worker in Ohio seeking assistance for her sister, Lisa who lives In New Orleans and lost everything in the Hurricane. Lisa is a widow and has two children. I can't even begin to imagine what she must be going through tonight.

As I sit here, warm and comfortable at the kitchen table, I am full of gratitude for the things I often take for granted: a roof over my head, a warm bed, and refrigerator full of food to eat.

The TV is on and I am staring in disbelief at the widespread destruction. One reporter just commented, "New Orleans as we know it is gone." Another reporter tells stories of entire families found dead in their homes. It is all so terribly sad.

Nightclubs and Bars

I have been talking to my friend, Doug, about something the last few days that I decided I would share with you and ask for your feedback. As a Christian, is it ok to go to bars and nightclubs? Why or why not? Also, is there a difference between the two? If so, what? Also, at what point does trying to live a Christian life turn into legalism?

I am purposely trying to keep my opinion to myself because I really want to know what others think. Lets just say that my friend and I seem to disagree. I do have an opinion, though I am not sure how strong it is. I am open to changing my view if someone can present me with convincing evidence. I think my friend is also open to well-reasoned evidence.

Thanks.

Overwhelmed

I am looking for advice. I just started back to school this week. I am carrying a full load and I also work at an insurance agency 30 hours a week. On the weekends, my mom ususally comes down to stay and often brings the baby that I mentioned in the prayer request post. Of course, I have church on Sunday and I also have a Thursday evening bible study that I will be participating in this fall. Needless to say, I am a little overwhelmed. My house is a mess. I am tired all the time and I am stressed out! I need to come up with a plan to get myself organized and my time managed efficiently. At this point when I am looking at all I have to do, I just can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions that anyone might have.

What has helped you become/stay organized?

Believing God?

We heard a rumor today at work that they might be closing our office. Of course, this has everyone in a panic. However, I don't think that God wants his children to live in fear. Many times in the last year I have been forced to acknowledge that God is my source, not man. People can let you down, circumstances can change, but God alone remains faithful. For this reason, we should have peace.

In one of her books, Beth Moore asks, "Do we merely believe in God, or do we believe God?" At first this seems like a simple question. But, is it really? How often do we worry and fret over things that happen to us and fail to recognize that God has promised never to leave us or forsake us. In fact, he cares for us so much that the bible says that even the hairs on our heads are numbered. Yet, our faith in his ability and willingness to take care of us, always seems to be lacking.

Of the many promises God gives believers in the bible, one of the most significant ones is peace. The bible has a lot to say about peace. A few good verses of scripture that come to mind are:

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." (Isaiah 26:3)

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27)

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

As believers, we have assurance that:

A. God is in control. The bible says that "The Lord has established his throne in the heavens and his sovereignty rules over all." (Psalms 103:19)

AND...

B. God is continually involved in our lives every single day. In fact, Romans 8:28 says: "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."


SO...

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phillipians 4:6-7)


The bottom line is this: If my office closes tomorrow, I know that God will make a way for me. He will open another window of opportunity. How do I know this? I know it because I've seen it happen. I believe with all my heart that "in ALL things" God truly does have a plan. And he is willing and able to bring something positive out of even the worst situations.

Prayer Request

I would like to make a special prayer request. If you read this post, please pray for a special little boy in my life. His home situation is not the best. His mother has some emotional problems and may have a drug problem as well. I fear for the safety and well-being of this baby while he is in her care. My prayer is that God will watch over him and keep him safe and that if his mother is unable to get herself some help, that he would be removed from the home and placed with someone who will love him and care for him. My mom confronted her today about her behavior and she got very upset and told my mom that she would never let her see the baby again. My mom has kept him nearly every single weekend since he was 9 days old. He is now 8 months. My mother is just devastated, and worried. She really needs our prayers as well. It has been a rough year for her. Her boyfriend died in July of 2004 of a sudden heart attack, my father ( her ex-husband) was diagnosed less than a month later with cancer and he died in June of this year. Now this with the baby....

Thanks.

A Love Song to the Lord

I found this song in my real player library tonight. I have no idea where it came from. I have never heard it before. As, I listened to the lyrics, I was filled with such gratitude and reminded of all that the Lord has done for me. I couldn't have written a better "love song" to Him. This one says it all:

when i think about the Lord
by james huey

when i think about the Lord
how He saved me, how He raised me
how He filled me with the Holy Ghost
how He healed me to the uttermost
when i think about the Lord
how He picked me up
turned me around
how He placed my feet
on solid ground

it makes me want to shout
hallelujah! thank you, Jesus!
Lord, you're worthy
of all the glory, and all the honor
and all the praise!
Hallelujah! thank you, Jesus!
Lord, you're worthy
of all the glory, and all the honor
and all the praise!

Limited Atonement?

Hebrews 10:26-30 (NIV)

26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"[a] and again, "The Lord will judge his people."

I believe that the vs. 29 above appears to conflict with the doctrine of limited atonement. I am curious as to how Calvinists view that particular verse in light of their beliefs. To be fair, I think John 10 is equally problematic for Arminianism. Now, obviously there must be a way to reconcile seemingly contradictory truths. That is where I am right now.

Breaking Free

Our church is beginning an 11 week Beth Moore women's bible study in September, called Living Beyond Yourself: Exploring the Fruits of the Spirit. Since I was not familiar with Moore's writing, I decided to check her out at Borders. I skimmed a few of her selections and decided to purchase a book called Breaking Free: Making Liberty in Christ a Reality in Life. I have only read a few chapters, but so far I like what I have read. I think this is a great book for anyone who wants to know God better and have a stronger relationship with him. In the book, Moore discusses five hinderances that can impede our Christian walk and keep us from experiencing all that God intends for his children. According to Moore, these hinderances include:

1. Unbelief - She makes an excellent point when she questions, Do we merely believe in God? (For our salvation) Or, do we really believe God, including all the promises in His word?

2. Idolotry - I think this is a huge issue. What things in our lives have we, either intentionally, or unintentionally, given a higher priority than serving God? Our kids? Our jobs? Our mates? Our friends? A bad habit? This is a very worthwhile question to ask ourselves. I think the truth might surprise us if we get real with ourselves.

3. Prayerlessness

4. Legalism

5. Pride

Interview Meme

Here's how it works. I will ask the the first 5 people to reply to this post 5 questions. You will respond to them on your own blog and then repeat the process with 5 other people. Sounds fun! Lets get started.

Here are the questions Shrode asked me over at Thinklings

1. Tell me about your siblings. How many do you have? What was it like growing up with them? Do you still get along? Do you consider them close friends? How often do you talk to each other?

I have one sister, Deidra. She is 24 years old. We are 5 years apart (I am 29) so we didn't really hang out together growing up. But, we moved in together after she graduated high school and moved here for college. We have been very close ever since. She lives in Florida now and is school to be a Chiropractor. I talk to her pretty much every day or at least every other day. I just got back from visiting her on Monday.

2. When did you first become a Christian? How did that happen? What's your story?

Well, I was raised in a Baptist church. I went just about every Sunday with my Grandma. My parents attended a non-denominational church when I was a teenager and I went there until I graduated high school. My best friend's dad was the pastor. I guess you could say I was a pew warmer, but definitely not a dedicated believer.

Anyway, I quit going altogether after I moved to Atlanta in 1994 to go to college. From that point on I became very uninterested in anything remotely Christian or religious. I decided that I wasn't sure I even believed in "all that stuff." I thank my Liberal Arts education for that. (Just kidding...sorta)

A few years ago I went through a phase where I visited many different churches, trying to find one I liked. But, I was involved with a guy who was an unbeliever and he really gave me a hard time and I wasn't really that committed so I stopped going.

Last year, I met a guy...and if I told you what I was doing or where I was when we met, you would KNOW that I definitely wasn't seeking. But, as it would appear, the Holy Spirit was seeking me. This guy told me he was a Christian and we began talking about the Lord. I was highly skeptical. I told him that I had been to a lot of churches in my area and none of the appealed to me. He recommended a Presbyterian church and I agreed to go once just to get him off my back. Well, shortly thereafter, I found out that my dad had cancer. This was merely a month after my mom's boyfriend dropped dead from a sudden heart attack. This coupled with a lot of other personal issues, brought me to the brink of a nervous breakdown.

I should back up a bit and say that first of all, I was very skeptical of religion because no one that I knew really seemed to be better off for having it. My parents were unhappy, divorced, etc... My dad, who used to be a Sunday School teacher, was an alcoholic. My mom attended a Charismatic non-denominational church that preaches the prosperity gospel, yet she still seemed decidely unhappy. So, I thought...who needs all that? Prayer doesn't even work. I remember praying as a kid for things to happen (my grandfather and my grandmas sister to be healed from cancer) and yet they died.

That is when weird things started happening. First of all my friend recommended a book for me to read called: "When God Writes Your Life Story." I read that book (still skeptical) and I felt like my whole view of religion had been radically transformed. You mean, its not supposed to be all about me? Wow. Ok. That is definitely not what they are preaching down the street at First Name-It-And-Claim-It Community Church.

Then, I was in the library waiting for some friends to get off work so we could go to dinner and I was browsing. A book jumped out at me on the shelf. It was called, "Its Not All About Me" or something like that, by Max Lucado. I was like, "Interesting." Then I finally went to that Presbyterian church my friend was bugging me about. The message was about how we try to plan our own lifes and do it our way intead of letting God lead us. The minister said, "Its not all about us, it about God." I was like, "Hmm. Ok this is getting weird." Then I picked up a copy of PDL and the very first line of Ch. 1 was "Its not about you." Ok, I am totally spooked now. Finally, I visited one of those semi-prosperity gospel type churches on a night that the pastor was out of town. The associate pastor was preaching and all of the sudden he says, "I don't really know why I am saying this. And, I might tick some people off, but you know, its not all about you and me. We can't expect just to pray gimme, gimme when we aren't even doing our part to serve God and devote ourselves to his will. We need to seek him first and then..."

At that point, I was like, "Ok, I get it God."

I basically had shunned religion because I had a very badly misconceived idea about what it was all about. When I realized it was not all about me, but rather it was about giving glory and honor to God and letting him lead the way, my life was radically changed. I consider it one of those lightbulb moments.

I accepted Jesus in the fall of 2004 and I was baptized in March of this year.


3. Being a fairly new believer, how did you come to know so much about Calvinism? How come you are not a Calvinist? Actually, rereading some of your posts, it seems you may be a Calvinist after all. So are you or aren't you? And why or why not?

When my friend recommended a Presbyterian church I said, "Wait. Aren't they Calvinists?" He said something like, "I don't know, I think." I am just not the kind of person who can do anything without "full disclosure" so I decided to find out more. When I first started going to the Presbyterian church I talked to the associate pastor about Calvinism because I was concerned. I thought Calvinism was evil. But, of course, that is coming from someone who had never read the bible before, unless you count during Sunday school as a kid. So, you know...

Once I really started learning more about Calvinism, I became somewhat obsessed with figuring out if it was true. I read as much as I could about it and started talking to people online.

I am still on the fence, but I have to admit that Calvinism has some pretty persuasive arguments in its favor. There is just something about it that I am not quite comfortable with yet, though. But, I have to say that the more I study the word, the harder I am finding it to completely dismiss Calvinism. Esp. in light of John Ch. 10 and Romans 9.


4. What's in your CD player right now?

Sugarland, Norah Jones and a Contemporary Christian praise CD

5. If you could own any TV show on DVD from the 80's or earlier, what would it be?

Punky Brewster

Florida

I went to Florida to visit my sister for a little mini-vacation this past weekend. I had a great time. I had never been to my sisters new place so I really enjoyed that. We did some power shopping one afternoon and I feel the need to share with you my current list of must have items:

1. Hanae Mori Butterfly perfume. I can't begin to tell you how delicious this smells - And, the bottle is also pretty. Notes include: Strawberries, Bilberries, Black Currant, Bulgarian Rose, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang, Sandalwood, Almond, Praline.

According to Sephora:

The fragrance is a rare blend of berries and flowers, with a distinctive tone of strawberries and almond, giving an impression of vanilla. The bottle's top is distinctly made from glass, a first for any fragrance. The top represents the beauty and delicate shape of a butterfly with folded wings.

2. Phyto Phytodefrisant Hair Relaxing Balm- A must have for anyone who must content with humidity.

3. Bath and Body Works' new fall scent, Brown Sugar and Fig. It smells heavenly.

And, my latest and greatest restaurant find:

Seasons 52 in Altamonte Springs, Fl. Everything on the menu is under 500 calories and tastes fantastic. I went there with my sister and I'll admit I was a skeptic. I was expecting to find something along the lines of the Weight Watchers menu at Applebees and it was nothing like that at all. The food was excellent - very flavorful. I got crab stuffed shrimp with asparagus and squash. My sister got pork tenderloins with pollenta. The desserts are fantastic as well. They each come served in a tall shot glass and are just enough to top off the delicious dinner. With many items coming in under 300 calories each, this restaurant definitely deserves a visit.

PS. I am saving the horrible part of my vacation story until tomorrow...

Peter Jennings Dies

Former "ABC Nightly News" anchor and highly revered journalist, Peter Jennings, passed away on Sunday at his home in New York City after a battle with lung cancer.

I was deeply saddened to hear of Jennings' death. My father passed away in June from the same type of cancer. I know that he empathized deeply for Mr. Jennings when he heard that he was ill, even writing to him to let him know that he would keep him in his prayers.

When I heard last night that Peter Jennings had passed away, memories of my dad's own illness and death came rushing back. Cancer is such an awful, dehumanizing disease. Watching someone suffer when there is nothing you can really do to help them is the hardest thing I have ever had to do.

If there is one positive thing that came from my own father's illness it is the realization that our bodies are truly temples of the holy spirit and we should make every effort to take care of them. My dad did not not do that. He drank excessively and smoked since he was a teenager. His struggle with alcoholism would last his entire life. When my dad accepted Jesus he quit drinking. This lasted for about 10 years, I think. Then, one night at dinner, he gave in to the lie. He thought he could master what had mastered him. "Just one drink," he said. That one drink led to another drink and only stopped when he saw his own mortality face to face. Its amazing how finding out that you are dying can really put things into perspective.

We all have our own crosses to bear. I personally do not struggle with alcoholism or smoking. But, I have my own issues. With the grace of God, I pray that I can overcome them.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Jennings family tonight. May God's grace and peace be with them.

"Professing to be wise, they became fools..."

I came across another great post today regarding the Christian blogosphere. The blogger, Tom Reindl, writes here:

"I am wondering about what I have been writing lately. For that matter, I am wondering about what most Christian bloggers have been writing about. Further that, I am wondering what most Christian authors, including the well known ones, have been writing about.

A thought occurred to me yesterday...how we can seem to know so much about God, and our faith, and yet how we seem to have little or none of the power that comes with the Kingdom. And so I brought that thought up when I was in silence with Abba..."

He goes on to say:

"I am far more interested in knowledge than I am in practical living. By “practical living”, I mean, as far as a believer goes, I am an infant. Yet I want to discuss the deeper “truths” of our faith as if I have been, or am a mature follower of Christ, which I am not. I go so far with this as to disdain real love so that I can talk about love instead..."

This seems like a very timely post. Perhaps God is trying to speak to the Christian blogosphere. It seems that there are posts like this cropping up all over the place in the last few days. I know when I feel like God is trying to speak to me, it is always confirmed in several different places. If I go to church on Sunday and this is the topic of the sermon, I will probably pass out. :)

The Power of the Tongue- Or As Dan Edelen asks, "Has The Christian Blogosphere Lost its Collective Mind?"

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21 NASB

Yesterday I posted about the problem of division in the church. As I mentioned, what led me to write about the subject was the fact that I came across a rather disturbing website which singled out various men of God as hell-bound heretics. As I considered the premise of Mr. Fish's argument, that all doctrine is essential for salvation, and any deviation from what he consider's to be truth, is a damnable offense, it brought to mind the broader issues of division within the church. It isn't hard to find a good Calvinist vs. Arminian debate on the net these days. For the most part, people tend to remain respectful. But, there are those who insist on name calling and judging the salvation of those who disagree with them. I had one person say that my comments were "nasty" and ask me if I was even a woman, just because I said that I didn't think that calling other Christians heretics was a very nice thing to do.

In my experience, there is a tendancy in these kind of discussions towards wanting to be right, instead of wanting to lead others to truth. We really do need to prayerfully consider our motivation when we debate doctrine with fellow believers. Do we really practice love towards those who we disagree with? Do we want to illuminiate the truth to them, or do we just want to argue? Wanting to be right, just for the pleasure of proving others wrong is a sin. It's called pride.

Dan Edelen posted a wonderful piece on this subject on his blog. You can find the link here. You might also want to check out a post by Bill over at the Thinklings website.

It is my sincere hope that the Christian blogosphere will embrace the suggestions Dan makes and that we will prayerfully consider our motivations before we open our mouths in the future.

I am not suggesting that it is wrong to point out false teaching in the Church. Clearly we have a biblical obligation to do so. However, I believe it is the manner in which we do so that is important. Just because we might not know/can't see the person we are presently engaging in a heated debate with, it is not an excuse for manners to go out the window. Furthermore, I submit that so-called heresy hunters who spew forth hate on the pages of their websites, are in no better shape than the worst heretics they call out.

May God have mercy upon us and forgive us for our the evil we do with our tongues.