Let's move

I want to be sure you know I will be stopping posts on this blog site soon, but have started posting on my new Word Press blog at brokennesstobeauty.wordpress.com . Click that link and move to that address! Become a Follower there and get my posts, which will be blogging my book: Brokenness to Beauty: Transforming Your Brokenness into a  Beautiful Life.

Leave me a comment on the new site. I'll definitely respond!

Moving Day

So this is the big day! For me anyway. I am nervous. Am I ready for this? Am I prepared for the commitment of blogging a book? There is so much more to it than I ever dreamed. But I do believe God wants me to do this, so I cannot just ignore it. I must press on, one shaky footstep following another.

And not only am I about to blog my book, named “Brokenness to Beauty,” but I’m doing it on a new blog site, my new “address.” I’ve spent untold hours setting up this new blog, also  named “Brokenness to Beauty,” and though it is still not finessed the way I’d like (and I’m still looking for someone to help me do that), I’m going to take the plunge and start directing people to it.

So, to start reading my blogged book, and any future posts I write, here is my new address: brokennesstobeauty.wordpress.com  . Once there, please become a Follower or contact me on one of the contact or comment forms. If you are on my email list to notify you of new postings and want to remain on that list, or be removed from it, let me know that too!       

If you have trouble getting to the other blog, please leave a comment for me on this blog site and I’ll try to help out!

See you over there at my new blog, Brokenness to Beauty, http://brokennesstobeauty.wordpress.com/ . (For some reason the links won't work so please cut and paste the URL into your browser ... I hope I said that right!)

Ready to Make the Move -- I think

     Moving is never easy. But sometimes it is necessary. Or, at least, it seems the wiser choice over staying put, though it would be easier not to have to move.

     Moving from one house to another is time consuming. It takes time to pack on the front end, and time to unpack and resettle stuff on the destination end. I spent a good bit of time just today unpacking more boxes, ones that have been sitting idle for almost two years. I told myself if the stuff in these boxes hadn’t been needed for two years, it has to go. Oh, I am going to have a yard sale next month. But the stuff I unpacked today, well, how can I get rid of things my son made in high school, or stones collected from the Cheat River in West Virginia the time Randy and I took the scenic train ride through the mountains, or stones and shells collected from the beach on the Atlantic Ocean the wonderful, restful week we stayed at a friend’s home on the Intracoastal waterway in North Carolina, or a memento of friendship from, well, a friend? Tell me. How?

     Randy has no such problem. He’s not a sentimental as I am.

     So I swear (in nice words) that the next time we move I will have the kids and grandkids over to pick out things they want and the rest goes into another yard sale! I promise!

     I’m slowly getting settled into our new house, making it home. But there is another move I am about to make and I’ve been waiting to get things settled here with the house move before I launch fully into this other move, which I am now ready to make (I think). It will be a change of address but not a street address. This move I am about to make is from my old blog site to my new blog site. New and hopefully improved blog site.

     I am hoping the blog move will go as smoothly as our house move went. Without the breakage though. Sadly, we did lose some things in this last move. I don’t want to lose anything in my blog move, especially you, my readers! It should be easy to transfer over to the new blog site and become a follower there.

     At my new blog “home” I will begin blogging my book. I will talk more about that on my new blog.

     For now, have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend. 

Expectations

Expectations. You can really get into a pickle with expectations. Emotions can run you ragged with expectations. That was my experience a couple of weeks ago. Setting and trusting in expectations can frustrate!

Our recent experience of buying a house was a huge learning experience … in not setting expectations. Even though you may be told one thing (to expect a certain thing to happen within a certain time frame) by those “in the know,” we learned that those things don’t go as we were told they would. I likened it to setting a due date for baby to be born. Well, by golly, that baby is going to come when he is ready, regardless of one’s due date!

I’m not a “laid back” kind of person. However, I think I’ve come to understand (hopefully it will stick) that it is best not to get one’s hopes up, ie: set expectations, when it comes to dealing with things in life. Relax; take things in stride. “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts …!” Literally or figuratively, that “baby” is going to come when he is ready!

Our “baby”, that is, the closing on our new house, came “in the fullness of time”, so to speak! We are in the house now and slowly getting settled. Soon—sooner than we realize—this strange place will become “home” to us. We are already enjoying it

Tonight Randy and I will have a special dedication of this house. We will take a bottle of wine and make a drink offering to the Lord, pouring the wine out, dedicating this place to God. Thanking Him for His great kindnesses to us and praying for His protection and blessing on us and our children and grandchildren. Dedicating ourselves to the Lord, to loving and serving Him. To using what He gives us to do His work, furthering His Kingdom. Not ours. His. For what we have in material possessions is not for us, though we benefit from and enjoy it; it is given to us to be stewards of God’s possessions, to do with as He determines. May we never forget that truth.

Expectations. Only one thing can we stake our lives on; only one thing can we base expectations on and not be disappointed: the Word of God.  The words of man may fail, but the Word of God will never fail.

Almost Heaven

Green. Trees. Lots of trees. Refreshment to the eyes, and soul and spirit. At least for me it is. For almost twenty years I lived in green refreshment. Well, I grew up in it and then moved away from it for many years, back to it when we lived in Georgia and especially our many years in West Virginia.

Randy and I arrived back in the “Wild, Wonderful” state this week (in case you are unclear about what state that is, it’s not a state of mind, it’s West Virginia!). In the morning when I carried my mug of coffee onto the big, wide, wrap-around porch of the Manse and took in the stunning view, my eyes misted and I choked up.

“How many times, Lord, have I met with you on our front porch, coffee and Bible in hand, marveling at your greatness and creative handiwork?” What a blessing to have lived here in “Almost Heaven, West Virginia,” for nearly twenty years.

West Virginia is Almost Heaven in two ways, to my thinking. First, the sheer beauty of it, as I’ve just described, feeds the soul and refreshes the spirit. But the second is the great, crying human need. West Virginia may be “Almost,” but it is not, Heaven, therefore the strong call of God to speak forth and demonstrate by our works of mercy and kindness, the truth of God in the Good News of Jesus Christ.

It was the second Almost Heaven reality that sent Randy and me to establish Mustard Seeds and Mountains in the mountains of West Virginia over twenty years ago. And guess what, it is still Almost, but not yet, Heaven, here in West Virginia. The great human need to know Jesus Christ is ongoing. Therefore, the reaching-out,-proclaiming-the-Good-News-of-Jesus-Christ-by-word-and-deed ministry of Mustard Seeds and Mountains is ongoing as well.

Randy and I are here in West Virginia again for a short time, meeting with our WV staff and touching base with other friends in the area. We moved away over a year and a half ago, to both step-through and open new doors of ministry in central California.  

God has wonderfully answered many prayers in the last two years, one of which is bringing our new WV Director, Nate Bertram, and his family, to Mustard Seeds to take over the day to day operations here in West Virginia. Even though the Bertram’s have stepped into existing ministries at Mustard Seeds, they, too, are opening new doors of ministry in the community. It is exciting to see God continuing to reach out to the people of McDowell County through His servants in Mustard Seeds and Mountains.

On this trip to Mustard Seeds “East” Randy and I will also visit with friends and ministry partners in the greater Atlanta area. This will be a time of sharing what God has been doing in our lives over the past two years, how He has answered prayer for the ministry and opened new avenues of service through Mustard Seeds “West.”

Randy and I continue to marvel at the goodness of God and daily recommit our lives to loving and serving Him through Mustard Seeds East, Mustard Seeds West and the other avenues He has opened to us. We thank Him for the opportunity to be “back east” again to see and visit with many friends and family.

If you are interested in following the ministries of Mustard Seeds and Mountains, East and West, email me at Jacque@mustardseeds.org and you will be added to the mailing list to receive the Seeds of Hope newsletter.

There is no greater adventure than the adventure of Faith and Obedience to King Jesus.

Encouragement 202

From Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ.

To those who received a faith equal to ours through the justice of our God and savior Jesus Christ.

May you have more and more grace and peace through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

By his divine power the Lord has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of the one who called us by his own honor and glory. Through his honor and glory he has given us his precious and wonderful promises, that you may share the divine nature and escape from the world’s immorality that sinful craving produces.

This is why you must make every effort to add moral excellence to your faith; and to moral excellence, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, endurance; and to endurance, godliness; and to godliness, affection for others; and to affection for others, love. If all these are yours and they are growing in you, they’ll keep you from becoming inactive and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Whoever lacks these things is shortsighted and blind, forgetting that they were cleansed from their past sins.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, be eager to confirm your call and election. Do this and you will never ever be lost. In this way you will receive a rich welcome into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

So I’ll keep reminding you about these things, although you already know them and stand secure in the truth you have. I think it’s right that I keep stirring up your memory, as long as I’m alive. After all, our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I am about to depart from this life. I’m eager for you always to remember these things after my death. (II Peter 1: 1-15, Common English Bible)

Peter is doing here what I remember I longed for and looked for as a hungry young believer (and still do): Don’t coddle and baby me; I wanted the truth of God that would make me alive, propel me in the direction of the pursuit of God. I wanted to be challenged. I was tired of sleepwalking in church services, going through the motions without missing a beat.

The Word of God is full of challenge. The more familiar we become with God’s words, the more He can teach us the things we need to know and do. It hasn’t stopped after 40+ years for me! By God’s grace we will never stop pursuing the Lord, learning and growing, like Peter talks about.

Part of encouraging one another is this idea of spurring one another on to greater commitment to God and His words, challenging one another, like Peter did when he was still alive, to determinedly continue doing those things which cause us to grow up in Jesus. Because Peter saw to it that his words were written down, you and I can be challenged and encouraged to do what he says. And we can in turn challenge others to join with us in hot pursuit of God and the only life worth living.

May we live up to who we are, “… a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession,” not for the purpose of elevating our individual self-esteem to feel good about ourselves, but to fulfill our calling as a group of people with the same faith in Jesus Christ, “that (we) may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (I Peter 2: 9)

’Til the whole world knows.

Carrying On

The forward movement continues, but at a snail’s pace. Because I have a life with many different things going on all at once, just like your life I’m sure, I must prioritize activities. There are some things which simply must be done (laundry, doctor’s appointments, etc.) and the other things, like writing, fitted in around them. Writing is a discipline for those who have always had the inner urge to write; much more so for people like me who are new to the craft and never was one to naturally journal. At least that’s what I tell myself.

Over the past weeks, necessities like business and medical travel for doctor’s appointments, the ones which call for me to drive 3 hours to keep the appointment (I have three specialists in southern Cal for very good reasons), have kept me away from home. But I was still posting, for the most part. But though I am a person of words, ie: words are important to me, and as a writer, the right words are important to me, I am not a person of a lot of words in conversation. Though I have had my times of wordy conversation since gaining strength for talking (and I always feel a bit guilty for talking so much), I am not like some who can talk non-stop for long stretches of time. I run out of words.

Since I don’t like to fill the air with word noise—words that have no use to the hearers—sometimes I just don’t post on my blog. I figure if your life is like mine, it is full enough; you don’t need to add blather to it when there are more important things to do with your time. So I do try to say things that have significance to me, hoping it will also be significant to you.

So, having said that, I hope you will continue to tune in whenever I post. I am working toward getting my book “blogged”, though I am cheating a bit since I have already written much of it. I will not be writing it (as in creating it) as I post, rather I will post small chunks each week of what I have already written.  (I got this fantastic idea of blogging my book from author Nina Amir who wrote, what else, “How to Blog a Book”. She was one of the presenters at our book club’s annual spring workshop.) I won’t post all the parts of my book, but enough to hopefully whet readers' appetites for more.

When I’ve blogged as much of it as I think appropriate, I will be publishing it in book form. I’ve been looking into various publishing options and talking with publishing representatives. I am hoping by this fall to make my final decision and get published! Prayers for guidance and all that good stuff are certainly welcome.

Now go have a good weekend.

Back to Sunday School

Back to Sunday school. I’m talking the real deal, one room school house type Sunday school with all age groups. Been there lately? We were this past Sunday, filling in for my friend, Naomi, the regular teacher. Both her helpers were unable to be there that day either, so Randy stepped in and took it on. I was his side-kick helper, but actually I didn’t do much at all.

Adamaris, (a beautiful name pronounced Ah-dah-mah-REES’; Ada (Ahdah) for short), sat in as she usually does to help with the kids. She is the fourteen year old daughter of a couple in the church who, like Randy and I (and Mustard Seeds West), are helping plant Plaza Iglesia Cristiana, a bi-lingual church, in Southeast Bakersfield, one of our city’s neediest neighborhoods. We thought it would be good for the kids if we had Ada with us, since they know her and she knows the routine. But the kids were fine with us, probably because they see us every Sunday in church. They know we are a part of the church family.

In the telling of the Bible story of the day— the one in which Paul and Silas, beaten and imprisoned in Philippi, were singing at midnight—Randy started singing a song he said Paul and Silas might have been singing:

“What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh, precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow. No other (thing) I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

I got the biggest blessing when the boy next to me, Leon is his name, started singing it with him. And he knew all the words. Others chimed in softly as well. But Leon sang it in a regular singing voice, with a big smile, eyes riveted to Randy. He knew that song.

Why was this such a blessing to me? This young man, maybe ten years old, is being raised by his grandmother, along with his four other siblings, one of whom is his infant sister. Grandma has serious health problems and no extra money for raising these children. Their mother just keeps dropping them off to Grandma. And she keeps taking them in and loving them.

And they are there every Sunday, scrubbed and every bit the squirmy handfuls you might imagine.

But they are in Sunday school every Sunday. And they can sing with a smile, “What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus ….”

Oh, pray for Plaza Iglesia Cristiana, as we reach into SE Bakersfield with the good news that, yes, Jesus can wash away all our sins by his precious blood.

Raising Arizona

        

            This past weekend we were in Arizona for meetings Randy held with leaders and other citizens of the city of Williams, “Gateway to the Grand Canyon”. We flew from Bakersfield directly to Phoenix, which is in desert country close to central Arizona. Renting a car, we drove the two and a half hours to Williams, 30 miles west of Flagstaff, in northern Arizona. The land climbs upward from Phoenix to Flagstaff, which sits at 7000 feet above sea level, making for several distinct changes in the terrain. It is beautiful in its own unique way.

            Saguaro cacti grow abundantly around Phoenix. They are fascinating. They prickle the landscape for miles, standing like sentinels up and down the mountainsides. Because of their shapes, to me they are more like human figures than any other tree-like plant. Seeing them gives me a feeling I cannot put my finger on. I guess the picture of “sentinel” best expresses it.

            We noticed, though, that the saguaro gave way to scrubby, bushier plants as we climbed higher into the mountains. It was on the way back to Phoenix that we noted that the saguaro didn’t seem to grow above 3000 feet in the mountains, at least not in that area*.

            Higher up, bushy juniper forests literally choked the landscape for miles, which in turn gave way to tall pine trees at even higher elevations. Amazing variety of flora. Amazing mountain views.

            The trip was worth the travel, even getting up on Sunday at 4 am to be back at the Phoenix airport on time for our flight home. However, it wasn’t about the scenery; that was only a side benefit for our enjoyment. The real purpose of the trip was accomplished in the minds and hearts of the people of Williams, AZ, as Randy facilitated a Leadership Summit on Friday and on Saturday spoke to another group about Mission as Life, raising the challenge to make the kingdom of God their families' passion and live it out daily in creative ways.

            Calling people to higher ground. That’s what makes the travel worthwhile. 

*The U.S. Dept of the Interior National Park Service: http://www.nps.gov/sagu/planyourvisit/upload/the%20saguaro%20cactus.pdf

Encouragement Day

Encouragement. We all want to be encouraged. Especially when we run into the snags, rough terrain, and potholes of life. When the forward movement of our lives gets bogged down, slowed up or derailed.

One of our greatest sources of encouragement, one so close to us we may miss it, is those people we’ve personally known who lived a life faithful to God and his word through all their own snags, rough terrain and potholes of life. They were people just like you and me. Not perfect in the sense of sinless perfection. No. Just like us. Fallen, but picked up by Jesus, dusted off and given a gentle push in the right direction by the grace of God.

Saved, by grace.

They walked by faith. Sometimes tripping over the snags. Sometimes stumbling over the rough terrain. Even falling into the occasional pothole. But getting back up and starting out again. Getting back on track.

Saved. By grace. The gentle nudge of Jesus in the right direction.

They kept on walking by faith.

No excuses. We have none, you and I. We have this growing crowd (also called a cloud) of witnesses who have gone on before us, walking the trail of faith. We’ve read about it. We’ve seen it with our own eyes. People just like you and me.

How did they do it? They looked straight ahead. At Jesus. Our faith trail-blazer.

Then they threw off, with horror and loathing, as though they were snakes and they no herpetologists*, everything that hindered their steps! Every sin that snags and trips and derails … be gone!

Not once but every day. Riveting their eyes on the One they followed: Jesus.

The way of faith. The way of Encouragement. If they did it, so can I.

So can you.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. I love you.


(Hebrews 11; 12: 1,2)

*A herpetologist is one who studies snakes and amphibians

The Decision at our Door

We admire and hold high as examples to follow, Daniel and the three Hebrew men when they asserted they would not bow and worship or serve any god but the one true God, the God of the Hebrews, YHWH (Daniel 3: 16-18; 6: 1-28 ESV). They did so at the peril of their lives.

They would have stood with Paul when he declared, “I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).

These are of the ilk that make up that great cloud of witnesses who cheer us on even today, those who walked by faith, though for some it led to being “tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth” (Hebrews 11:35-38).

Brothers and sisters all over our world today are facing similar challenges—and decisions. Shall they acquiesce or stand firm, even though it may mean suffering or dying, for themselves and their families?

Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, though their lives were spared by God’s intervention, stand in company with those who “have conquered him (the devil, v.12) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (Revelation 12:11). These died for their faith. The list of the martyrs is lengthening daily.

We North American Christians are faced with similar, yet many subtle challenges to our faithfulness to God. Will we be faithful to the Word of God, to our profession of faith in the God of the Bible and his commands? Will we stand with our present-day Daniels and Pauls and the faithful followers of Christ who lay it all on the line to obey the truth of God’s everlasting Word?

“It would be a violation of my most deeply held convictions to disobey what I consider to be the principles in Scripture. The Creator will not hold us guiltless if we turn a deaf ear to the cries of His innocent babies. So come and get me if you must, Mr. President. I will not bow before your wicked regulation” (James Dobson. Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2014/05/dobson-obama-is-abortion-president/#q33wlUMoSQW0ymRo.99).

 “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18 NIV).

The voices of the prophets still ring out today. Are we listening? Will we stand with them?

Keeping Calm

I am so glad Jesus is along with me on this journey to write and publish a book (remember His “yoke” that He promised was easy? See April 24 posting). Just a little while ago I was ready to … never mind, I got control of myself. Peeked sideways at Jesus, if you will.  He is still calm. He’s the original author of “Keep calm and Carry on.” I really like that statement because that is exactly what I have to tell myself sometimes … a lot of times.

My current frustrations have to do with setting up my website. I’m committed to it now, no turning back. You may ask what a website has to do with writing a book. Yeah, I asked that once too. Back in my days of innocence. About writing and publishing. Nowadays an author must be marketer and promoter as well as writer. So I have many hats to wear and some don’t fit so well, especially the one labeled “Techie”. But like breaking in a new pair of shoes, I’m truckin’ on. One step at a time. (Sorry about switching metaphors in mid-stream ….)

I will begin posting a new blog from my new website when it is “presentable”, ie: functional as well as pleasant to look at. I need to get the word out about the book I am writing and build up my readership. It’s called “Platform”, y’all.

Even though I get frustrated and blow a little steam, mostly Randy’s way since he shows up around here more than anyone else (and has been very helpful but he does have a fulltime job and it isn’t website building), I am fairly calm and have this sense of plodding toward my goal.

One step at a time.

Baby steps but steps nonetheless.

Writer’s Conferencing (and other adventures)

I spent most of this past weekend at the Orange County Christian Writer’s Conference in Santa Ana, CA. I say "most" because the ensuing 30+ hours were spent in an airport and on an airplane (no, no hotels involved). We are finally and safely home now, adventure over, with no more excitement than huffing it to our last gate, on the far side of the world, at geriatric hyper-speed. 

Back to the more enjoyable portion of my weekend. This is the second writer’s conference I have attended. I was at this same one two years ago and learned an avalanche’s worth of writer’s stuff. I learned a lot more again this time around. A distinctive of the Orange County Christian Writer’s Conference is that it is put on by Christians who love Jesus and have His goals in sight for all of us aspiring (and those accomplished) writers who attend. I like that about this conference.

Since my first writer’s conference I’ve continued to gain knowledge about the craft of writing. I’ve also done more writing, especially after finding a local branch of the California Writer’s Club[1] and a writer’s critique group to join. This “Sisterhood of Word Weavers”, as we’ve dubbed ourselves, has helped spur me on to the goal of writing and getting published. Which is sort of the whole point of writing—to be published so others can read what you have to say.

Since I believe God wants me to write for the sake of encouraging others, I need to keep plodding, taking those baby steps, moving toward the goal of publishing and marketing my book, getting it out there so people can become aware of it and read it. So they can be helped and encouraged by it.

This is the reason I write.

If anything I’ve (ever) written has spoken to you, encouraged you, given you new perspective or insight, would you please tell me about what it was I wrote that did that for you?  Words going into the air need to be like arrows shot toward a target, intended for the bull’s eye, not balloons let loose to float aimlessly through the atmosphere.

I’d love to hear from you. I promise to talk back! Please comment to jacquelinegwallace@gmail.com.

---

[1] Writers of Kern (WOK) is a branch of the California Writers Club (CWC). One of the nation’s oldest professional clubs for writers, CWC was founded by Jack London and fellow writers in 1909 for the purpose of helping aspiring authors socialize with published authors. (This comment was taken from the WOK website.)

To Plane or Deplane, that is the question. The Answer: Yes.

Getting places by airplane is an amazing way to travel. When I think about all that tonnage levitating and climbing into the atmosphere (the “up” of our earth), I feel awe-filled. Think of it. Where would we be without Bernoulli?

Other times, thanks to different individuals, I feel awful. Like today. I get to, for the first time in my flying career, stay overnight in an airport—and a plane (Randy’s “been there, done that”). Yippie. Not.

My son talked about having to stay overnight in Charlotte, NC, airport (and others) and I felt so bad for him. Now we are just trying to get to Charlotte airport! We will, at 6 AM tomorrow.

I have to say, the invention and proliferation of cell phones has made these kinds of airline incidents more bearable. The man in the seat next to me got another flight right away while he had his ear glued to his cell phone for a half hour immediately upon learning we were on the plane to nowhere. Randy’s cell was in the same geographical location on his head within seconds too. A very helpful lady on the other end got us our next flights as we collected our carry-ons (thankfully we had no checked baggage) and tripped down the narrow aisle to freedom, completely avoiding the line to eternity at the customer service desk.

Cancelling other reservations was all accomplished within minutes thanks to that little appendage (well, for some people it is that, it seems). Cudos to Mr. Bell and his descendants.

Now we get to find a quiet corner of the terminal (insert hysterical laughter) and try to get some rest. I didn’t say sleep, you notice. Rest would be good.

Make the most of whatever comes your way.

Updates to follow.

Yoke Grace

The difference between little “b” burdens and a capital “B” Burden is that the former are worries and cares we pick up either deliberately or inadvertently, and the latter is given by the Lord. That kind He doesn’t intend for us to get rid of. It is a Burden God intends us to bear. But the question again is: How?

We all know that to share a burden is to lighten its load.  That is exactly the “How” of bearing the Burden of the Lord. When God gives a vision, a call, a Burden to something specific, He doesn’t intend for us to get rid of it, but neither does He intend for us to bear it alone.

“Two are better than one ….” We all know co-workers are of inestimable value. But that is not what I have in mind when I speak of not bearing God’s Burden alone.

You are probably running ahead of me here because you know where I am going.

Remember I said we need to keep our eyes on the goal ahead of us? The goal which belongs to the Burden God has laid on us? And I said that to do that we must keep our eyes on Jesus. We must keep our eyes on Him because it is He who shares the load of the Burden, the call, the vision.

Our relationship with Jesus Christ is the first Call of God on our lives. We must maintain that relationship at all costs … or we will never reach that goal, plain and simple. We will fail miserably.

When we maintain that relationship with Jesus as His disciple we are doing just what He said we should do, “Come to Me … take My yoke upon you and learn from Me … for my yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11: 28-30). He shares the burden He puts on us. He leads the way, we follow. He makes the burden lighter by His presence.

So I submit to His lead, in the grip of the yoke.

Making progress by “yoke grace.”

So, where am I headed?

Easter Interlude

       

We had not expected to be with family this Easter Sunday. We were going to be helping out, as we do each Sunday, with Plaza Iglesia, the bi-lingual church plant in SE Bakersfield, reaching the needy, ethnically diverse neighborhood and homeless in that pocket of the city.

Then we found out our grandson, Emmanuel, would be baptized on Easter Sunday and that changed all our plans! We drove to southern California where our two sons and families live. We had the joy of witnessing our 8 year old grandson declare before the gathered witnesses that he affirmed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for our sins, was buried and raised the third day. Buried in the waters of baptism, Emmanuel was figuratively raised to walk in newness of life.

Raised to walk in newness of life. That is the big take away from the Resurrection for us who believe. Among all the things the Resurrection accomplished ultimately it gave us the power and ability to “walk in newness of life.” Eternal life, the life of God given by His indwelling Spirit.

He is Risen!

He is risen indeed!

Now we get to prove it every day.

The Burrs of burdens and what to do with them

Undoubtedly you’ve heard, and most likely quoted, the verse, “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (I Peter 5: 7).  Ah, here is what to do with those burdens, cares, anxieties that we pick up along the way, like pebbles on the beach. Or maybe like the burrs that stick to us as we walk along a narrow, weedy path.

One day I really “got” Philippians 4: 6-7, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” It was very timely as well—just as I started cancer treatment. I had a lot of anxieties. Downright fears. And I found that what Paul said, about giving God your worries and He would give peace in their place, is true.

Peace. And I could move ahead and do what needed to be done. Picking the burdensome burrs off myself whenever they got stuck to me, throwing them toward the Lord. He is a good catcher.

I noticed something though, as I looked at what Peter said about casting our cares on God. It was all draped in the command to be submissive to one another, humble toward others, especially our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Not to be prideful because that pits us against God … or rather, God pits Himself against the proud.

But He gives grace to the humble.

We all want grace. We all love that God is gracious to us. We are amazed at His grace. We even sing about it.

But He gives grace to those who humble themselves. Humility not just towards God, which seems absolutely reasonable, but humility toward others. Which sometimes doesn’t feel reasonable. More like threatening.

“Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (I Peter 5: 5-7).

Wrapped within humility toward one another and humility toward God lies the secret of dealing with the pesky burdens, the cares we tend to pick up when we take our eyes off the goal set before us. The burrs that stick to us as we walk along. We need not fear the fear of humbling ourselves to others or God. God is the only One in control. We can rest peacefully in that knowledge.

And the goal we need to keep our eyes on? It is always seen through the Person of Jesus Christ. As though He were see-through. Keeping our eyes on Him will keep our eyes on the goal of the Burden—capital “B”-Burden—that He has laid on us.

But how then to deal with that capital “B” Burden?

Burdens … and burdens

There are burdens placed on us by God and there are burdens we pick up ourselves. I have some of both, how about you?

One burden I know God has put on me is to get this book written, the “book” that so many have prodded me to write based on my personal journey through breast cancer treatment that I’ve shared through my blog.  I had begun over two years ago with an outline and wrote much of it.

Then it lay fallow for a year and a half.

Like collecting stones or shells on the beach, I started picking up other burdens I shouldn’t have that slowed me down, halting forward movement. Of course, you wouldn’t know what I’m talking about. Or would you?  

When I am walking on the beach (done all too seldom in my estimation) I cannot help myself, my eyes are fixed downward searching for interesting shells or pebbles. I usually collect a mitt full, chiding myself for not thinking to bring a bag to hold my treasures. It happens every time.

I think a similar thing is going on when I pick up the burdens I shouldn’t be collecting. My eyes are looking down rather than up at my goal. By keeping my eyes on the goal ahead, I will not see the tempting burdens at my feet. I will not get waylaid by a diverted focus on collecting them. I will maintain my forward motion toward my goal.

But what a discipline (and few like that word) it is to keep the gaze forward not downward! How to do it?

The Last Shoe

Last month marked the end of my cancer treatment. The real end. Though I had my last infusion of Herceptin, a biological treatment (not technically chemo) around March of 2009, I was still taking a pill for a total of about 5 years as continued protection against recurrence of breast cancer.

The final shoe has dropped.

Almost 4 years ago I wrote a similar statement in a blog posting: “I feel like the other ‘shoe dropped’, so to speak. When my oncologist told me about a month ago that he was stopping further Herceptin treatments due to my weakened heart condition and ordered my port-a-cath removed, there was an ominous sense of finality to his words. No more doing anything intravenously for (or rather against) cancer. No more infusions as protection against cancer recurrence, no more chemotherapy of any kind. I am done. It was a little scary. Like taking away a security blanket I didn’t realize I had.” (June 10, 2009)

Now I am absolutely, totally finished with any fight against breast cancer recurrence in my body. God has brought me this far. By grace. All by His grace and mercy.

Just like I don’t think about the MG (muscle weakness) I live with, I don’t think  much about cancer in relation to myself. When I do, I ask God to continue to protect me from its return. Always that for one who has had cancer.

Next month I see my oncologist again after six months from my last check-up. So far all has appeared well. No signs of cancer. After this next visit to the oncologist I will see him, not in six months, but twelve.

Barefoot.

Walking by faith. Living my life. Not dwelling on cancer or MG. Focusing on living, and loving the ones around me. Loving life. Loving the Lord who has given me life. Giving back my life to Him. Daily. Because that is all any of us ever has: Today.

I told Randy I felt like I was treading water. Well, the actual words I used were “dog paddling”. The picture in my mind was of me doing the dog paddle just to keep my head above water.

The conversation was about three of our grandkids’ swimming lessons which Randy had the fun of sitting in on yesterday. All three love to swim. Emmanuel, our 8 year old grandson who doesn’t have an ounce of fat on his body, has a hard time staying afloat but he loves to swim. I mentioned I was the same way as a kid.

That’s when the picture in my mind was of me dog paddling, treading water really, because dogs can actually get somewhere, I usually didn’t. Tiring just to think of it. I was not a good floater on my backside either because, believe it or not, I didn’t have an ounce of fat on me then, just like my grandson! My legs simply sank, and then the rest of me followed. I did a lot of swimming underwater.

But as I said that to Randy about dog paddling, my mind did an immediate switch to my current state of treading water, so to speak, when it comes to my book writing. Or more precisely, my book marketing. One must be a marketer and not just a writer these days! The more I wade into this pool of information, the deeper the metaphorical water gets! Anyone have a snorkel I can borrow?

My goal, so innocently set just in the last few months, is to get published … or seriously start the process, this year. The more I inform myself, the deeper the water seems to get.

I’m staying calm. So far. I’m going to try to turn on my back and float awhile now.

Talk to you later. I have to concentrate. 

The Right Words

“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” Mark Twain

As a writer this pithy statement resonates with me! It carries the ring of authority because of the name at the end—Mark Twain, one of America’s favorite authors. Of course, even as I write “America’s” I feel the elbow of guilt nudge my conscience because that is really not the correct word. Did you know that? Until we lived in Canada I never gave it a second thought. You may know where I am going with this. Or maybe not.

The United States of America (which would be the correct word group for the above designation for the beloved homeland of Mark Twain) is only a part of the Americas. It may not be a big deal to you or me since we live in the US of A, but to our American neighbors in the rest of North America and South America … it means something! They are American too, by gum. We wouldn’t expect a Peruvian to say, if asked his homeland, he is from America. Yet that is what we, from the United States of America, do all the time and never think twice about it.

I am reminded of a humorous book or books (it was a long time ago, folks) which came out when we lived in Canada, entitled, “’Murican, huh?” and “Canajun, eh?”(or similar phonetic spellings).  ‘Murican is for what we from the States call ourselves: “American”, with “huh” our typical exclamation following, unless you’re from Minnesota where they routinely speak a dialect of Canajun. And you guessed it, Canajun is localese for Canadian. And yes, we did speak Canajun while living in Canaja, uh, Canada. And I’ll tell you, I still think “eh?” sounds almost more intelligent than “huh?”!

We all should poke fun at ourselves now and then for the way we speak when we aren’t listening to ourselves, which I’ll bet is most of the time. I know I am guil-l-l-l-ty of that (not paying attention to what I say, that is)!

I realize someone may think I’m talking about being PC: Politically Correct. No, I’m talking about courtesy and what William Wilberforce termed “Manners”, civility. Paul called it speech with grace, seasoned with salt; speaking the truth in love. Much more foundational and real.

Getting back on the main trail after that side trip to point out one blooming indigenous example of the importance of using the right word, or at least recognizing the bad pattern of using the wrong word when we become aware that it is the wrong word—it is good to learn to use the right words when we speak and write. Even more so when we are dealing with matters of explanation, instruction and description. My ‘Murican and Canajun examples are laughable and a little off point, but are funny. I want to be sure, when I write, to say things in a way which correctly express what is in my mind and heart. Sometimes that is tricky, mostly because I don’t know enough words. Or maybe there are not words invented which say what I want to say! It is more likely, though, that I just haven’t read the dictionary enough ….

Weaving words is what my sister writers and I are learning to do, helping each other along this steep path. It is a challenge but we are taking it on!

More later.

I’ve been writing. Though you couldn’t prove it by my blog postings of the past month. The blogs that aren’t. I had the brainstorm that I’d write each week following our Bible study in the book of Hebrews on Thursday nights. Though I’ve been studying the book along with our group for the past several weeks, a few verses at a time, chunks of thought we chewed over in our discussions—which have been good—I never sat down afterwards and wrote about them. Now weeks later I will not recap to fill white space on the page. You’ll have to do your own study. But that is not a bad idea.

I’ve read the book of Hebrews many times over the years but when I began digging into the sections of verses, paying closer attention to details, I’ve had some enlightening moments. Or would that be enlightened moments? Moments of enlightenment. When you start using words, you start to pay closer attention to their meanings, not just what you think they mean. The dictionary becomes your friend.

So it is with studying the Bible. Reading and rereading a book of the Bible allows one to get the feel of the book, where it comes from and where it is going. Then, digging into the words using scholarly tools left for us by those who did the greater part of study into the original languages, brings enlightenment. Truths there all the time, not appreciated except by closer scrutiny, come to light, and make themselves known to our conscious minds. This is the value of Bible study. That is, if we act on it.

I’ve had a few of those moments in our study of Hebrews. Personal insights which I had not seen before. And, of course, powerful verses that stand out continue to resonate with me, even though I know I haven’t plumbed their depths, verses such as:

For this reason we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? (Hebrews 2: 1-3a, NASB)

“For this reason” is like “therefore”, you have to look back and find out what in the world it is there for. In this case, it is because we need to listen to Jesus with rapt attention since God has spoken through him in these last days and it wasn’t for the sake of the angels he spoke. No indeed. What Jesus said and did was for us, not them. Angels, of whom Jesus is their creator and not one of them, are “ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation”, according to the verse just before Hebrews chapter 2 opens with the quoted verses above.

We must listen attentively to what was spoken, this good news of God through Jesus Christ, for in Jesus God has spoken finally and forcibly. He has spoken once for all in a lived out drama of flesh and blood. Of death. Of power through suffering and humiliation … and resurrection. Of Exaltation and the promise of all knees bowing in acknowledgment of His living “speech”, one day yet to come.

Not yet. One day. We live in this between day, in the echo of Jesus’s life speech. His voice, his gospel, resounds and will not be stilled. Listen!

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation         [appeasement, atonement] for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2: 14-18, ESV)

In this Today of Jesus’s echoing Voice, resonating within the hearts of those who come to him in faith, we have not only salvation—the forgiveness of sins and freedom from slavery to the devil and to fear of death—we have One who understands us and can speak on our behalf before the Holy and Righteous God! Jesus Christ, our great high priest. We can trust in him. We can come to him.

Listen to what he says.

(How’s that for non-recap?)