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Proof Or Love?

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     As is usually the case with my quiet times, there are often words that jump out at me from the verses I read. Today it was ‘prove.’       “Then the Jews demanded of him, ‘What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?’” John 2:18      Jesus had just finished whipping the tar out of the merchants for selling animals for sacrifice within His Father’s Temple. There is a lot more behind all of that - the area they were set up in was where the gentiles’ were allowed to pray so to the Jews it was not really important, it wasn’t in the temple building… just within the outer walls, and it was necessary for them to provide a way for sojourners to purchase their sacrifices - but the authority of Jesus was being questioned instead of the Jewish misuse of His temple.      Why do humans always need proof?      My first thought is so that our pride is not pummeled by our mistaken belief in a truth that turns out to be false. So that we remain free of “blemish.&quo
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Judgement to Joy

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  Most of us cringe at the thought of the word judgement. It is a word that has taken on a harsh meaning that maybe shouldn't have. Here's what I mean: To judge is to determine... not to condemn or justify. It is the simple process of defining the action taken. I think the encompassing of condemnation into this word is partly because we already know we are imperfect therefore punishment if deserved and the only possible outcome from judgement.  God, however, turns this idea on its head, as He usually does. He asked His Son to take that deserved consequence on Himself. Jesus, who would have been judged blameless and awarded all the prizes for his works of good, volunteered to take the punishments that we would most definitely receive upon judgement of our actions. He endured for us what we so justly deserved. Why? So that when we stand before God to be judged, the actions have either been wiped away leaving nothing to judge negatively or they are there but the punishment has alr
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... In Love

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I went to a private Christian school for my elementary years and one of the requirements throughout the years was the memorization of scripture. It was something I actually liked doing, although I can't say I remember more than 4 or 5 long passages and a handful of verses, but one such passage that "stuck" was 1 Corinthians 13. I'm currently going through that chapter, taking it one verse at a time. I don't know if I have ever done it so slowly before. It affords an almost out of context focus on their meanings.  Today was verse three:  "If I give away all I possess to the poor, and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."  First, it seemed interesting that we could gain anything by surrendering. Why would that be a motivator? Sadly, I'm guessing that humans don't do much of anything without some promise of gain. Paul, the writer, knew that.  I tabled that thought and went on to the meaning of the word surrender. To su
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Sacred - Just As I Am

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Some of my favorite places to walk are cathedrals or temples when they are not in use. There is a feeling I cannot find anywhere else but there and in nature. The space holds a stillness and quiet that’s unmatched. It can feel vast with its arches, windows, pillars, and light. It can fold me tightly in its comparable smallness to God. There are few man-made things that give me that feeling. One such church is the Chartres Cathedral in France. I was able to visit during Easter weekend one year and it really was spectacular. There were so many things that gave it a feeling of comfort for me. So many features that brought my attention back to my Creator and just set my heart at ease. I felt peace…. Just peace. Many of us have heard that our bodies are a temple. This scripture is often quoted, spoken on, and for me can be a constant reminder of how poorly I care for my physical and mental being, but it shouldn’t be. Or at least that’s what God wanted me to hear to day.  " Don’t you kn
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Choose Your Focus

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My daughter sounded concerned about a friend who was posting what seemed to her to be a bit weird. I told her to send me one of the posts and then we could talk about it. Great mom-move, right? I was expecting to read some super cult jargon and procedures for scary rituals. What I got, however, was a spiritual check. The post was simply "super churchy" as I described it. Her friend was sharing a unique way of believing in God and following His way. Even saying that (His "way") makes me cringe a bit because it sounds churchy. But why does that bother me? I grew up with the Psalms-like romantic view of God and His working in my life and I still feel that way now but I shut it down. I have always wanted my kids to know God in that deep, "God is everything to me" way but I worry that I have not done well. Hearing my daughter's take on this post felt like confirmation of my failure.  This interaction was still fresh in my mind when I started my quiet time t
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The Sacrifice of Time

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I read that quote the other day and it was hard to accept. Well, at least for me. I'm not inclined to being social. It's not that I don't want to show others that I value them and want to be with them. I LOVE people and I DO want to show them but it often takes a lot of work and effort for me to get started. It's one of those things I fight with myself over and have to push myself to exercise because I DO want to let others know that they are important to me and loved by me. A while ago, I made the decision to "schedule" quiet time for myself in the mornings. I had tried to do my bible study at given times throughout the day but it just got crammed or interrupted or completely missed in the hustle and bustle of the day. How was I going to find a quiet minute in a house full of kids and work and cleaning and..?!?! You get the picture. But I wanted to make time because I knew it would benefit me and I could get to know God better. So I MADE time. I decided that
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Adding Trouble

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Have you ever played Monopoly with your family? The object is to win by amassing so much wealth that you ruin the other players but a more subtle "win" is one of bringing the family together to build relationship and have fun together. It just depends on what you put value on.  "The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and He adds no trouble to it." Prov. 10:22 First, let me talk about the twinge you most likely had while reading this verse. Wealth and religion have always been interesting mates and to be honest, I could care less because I'm not a "religion," I'm a christian. But the two are irrevocably tied together.  Religions (the organizations of like minded people) have done things like say, "if you are wealthy and blessed it is because you have followed all of God's rules and done nothing evil." Or even better, "if you are poor and suffering it is because you have been a bad person or done something wrong."  It's a
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