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Saturday, January 23, 2021

A Book to Ponder During Lent

If you're looking for a book on Jesus Christ to read during Lent, I highly recommend The Life & Teaching of Jesus Christ by James S. Stewart. I came across Stewart's book when I was looking for such a one to read during Advent. I found his writing to be engaging, scholarly, and filled with personal passion for knowing his beloved Savior. 

Several years ago I had determined to know more about my Redeemer and so began to study Him in more depth in the Scriptures as well as through the insights and study of authors who have a supreme regard for Him. Stewart's book was a slow but delightful read in this regard. Slow because his insights drew me to ponder and consider Jesus Christ in ways I had not previously. I needed to savor the narrative.

James S. Stewart was a Scottish preacher, born in Dundee in 1896 and was viewed by some as the greatest preacher of the twentieth century. He was also Chair of New Testament Language, Literature, and Theology at New College, Edinburgh University and chaplain to King George V and later to Queen Elizabeth. He died in 1990. 

As one biographical author has commented, "In summary, Stewart fused scholarship and evangelism in a style and delivery that was bold, stirring, positive, lyrical, joyous and often exhilarating." I haven't heard Stewart preach, but I found this to be true in his writing of The Life & Teaching of Jesus Christ.

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Finding Jesus

I had heard about Nabeel Qureshi's book Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus shortly after his death in 2017. People were talking about how untimely his death seemed to be because his testimony of coming to faith in Jesus Christ was so remarkable and was a lamp out of Islam for fellow Muslims. We received the book as a gift, and so I recently pulled it off the shelf to read after the new year. It's a book from the heart and pen of this former devout Muslim who sought to verify his faith in Islam, yet found his faith in Christianity. 


The book begins as Nabeel describes his upbringing in the Islam faith as one of devoted familial love as well as love and care for others in their faith, particularly those in their local mosque. I found this section of the book quite helpful as it gave me an understanding of the Muslim mindset. 

As Nabeel continues to tell his story, we're introduced to a Christian classmate, David Wood, who became Nabeel's college friend--a friendship that lasted throughout the remainder of Nabeel's short life. God used this relationship as the vehicle to challenge Qureshi's thinking about Islam and Christianity. Because Nabeel was a truth seeker, he sought answers for the questions David was asking. In his search he found the undeniable truth about Muhammed the prophet and the undeniable truth about Jesus the Christ. To embrace Jesus, however, meant to be disowned by his family and Muslim community, a difficult choice that Qureshi wrestled with for many months. 

The book impacted me in a couple of ways. First, as I mentioned, it gave me an understanding of how a Muslim thinks about Muhammed and Allah. Another was understanding that God sometimes speaks to them through visions and dreams to draw them to Himself, which seems to be different than how He draws the Western heart and mind. 

A further aspect of the book is that his friend David was God's agent for reaching into the heart and mind of Nabeel Qureshi for the sake of his soul. We never know when God wants to work through us for the sake of another. Nabeel died from stomach cancer when he was 34, about the same age as Jesus at His death. While God allowed death to take Nabeel, his writing about his encounter with Christianity continues to lead other Muslims to Jesus Christ and saving faith. To God be the glory.

Friday, January 15, 2021

Caring for the Weak and Vulnerable


I learned today of a friend's death from complications of COVID. It is indiscriminate in its victims. It does most of its damage to the vulnerable and ravages the weak. Even those who feel invincible can find themselves in its grip. It has made us more cautious. More aware of our frailties. More aware of our mortality. Most have realized its potential and altered their ways accordingly. 

Most of us will make it through to the other side of this pandemic. Many have not. As of today, two million globally have not. For their families, we weep. For Kathi's family, I weep.

We urge you, brethren, 

admonish the unruly, 

encourage the fainthearted, 

HELP THE WEAK,

be patient with everyone.

- 1 Thessalonians 5:14 -


Sunday, January 10, 2021

Peace of Mind


 As we were reminded this morning by one of our pastors:

You keep him in perfect peace 
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.

Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.

Isaiah 26:3-4

Thursday, December 31, 2020

Almost Over

The calendar says the year is almost over.  While the challenges of 2020 will linger for some months to come, it's always good to pause at the end and reflect on the passing of its days. Some families have suffered deeply and have had their lives forever changed. 2021 will be a year of adjusting to life in the absence of someone they love. My own father passed away in March as the pandemic was in its infancy. 

COVID-19 has had no pity, yet it has served to stir compassion for our fellow travelers. We have felt one another's pain and sorrow as most of us have not experienced such level of empathy before. I hope our concern for others doesn't dwindle when COVID is fought back with the vaccine and, hopefully, forever retreats. I know that I will need to be diligent about that. Differing viewpoints on the pandemic itself has caused some strained relationships. I have felt cared for by those who have shown their love by masking and social distancing; not so much from those who had a point to prove otherwise.  Loving others compassionately is not a natural trait for any of us. But it is God's way, and He has commanded us to love others and to seek their best interests. 

Ethnic struggles have exposed hearts this year. Such struggles have been around since Babel and can be expected to continue until the Lord's return. While some of the encounters have been bad people doing bad things to good and bad people, there have been some entities that have preyed upon situations to make them into something unintended. Ethnic and cultural differences are accentuated and the divide intensified. Our only hope is to be united at the foot of the cross. With no entitlements, only grace. 

The political atmosphere has been intense this year as well. From my personal perspective, it's been a year of battling to keep our land from merciless killing of the unborn, rampant immorality, and sexual perversion that destroys all that it touches. We are on the path of implosion and self-destruction. Only God's Word will enlighten us to the spiritual warfare around us. Too few recognize it. Oh, Yahweh, please open our eyes that we may see! 

While the challenges of 2020 have been felt by all in one way or another, the blessings, however, have come to each of us personally in different ways. While many have grappled with anxiety and depression for these nine months of pandemic, many of us have felt peace in the midst of much chaos. Many of us have a heightened awareness for the care and concern of others. Most of us have more gratitude for healthcare workers and first responders and the knowledge God has allowed the medical profession to acquire. Many parents have rediscovered the joy of being with their children. Some children have learned to be good stewards of their time without the out-of-the-home scheduling that typically tethers them. Many of us have probably saved some money that we might have typically spent on impulse buying. We can look forward to 2021 to spending or investing it on something more worthwhile.

2020 will be a year we'll all remember. Our children will tell their children and grandchildren how it was for them. And so the cycle goes. As we recount 2020, let us also recount God's mercy and goodness--one generation telling the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord. 

May our eyes be open to His marvelous work in 2021! May we sense His abundant blessings.

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

If the Self is the Source


I recently listened to a podcast with Allie Beth Stuckey and saw that she's recently written a book, "You're Not Enough (And That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love." I thought it would be a helpful read since I'm teaching a series on "Conforming to His Image in A Self-Imaged World," so I ordered the book, received it today, and settled in for a comfy read this evening.

Not very far in, she asks the question--"Is your quest to love yourself more actually making yourself miserable?" She gives this answer:

"The self can't be both our problem and our solution. If the self is the source of our depression or despair or insecurity or fear, it can't also be the source of our ultimate fulfillment. That means loving ourselves more doesn't satiate us. We need something else--something bigger. Simply, we need Jesus.

"There's a reason Jesus describes himself as Living Water and Bread of Life: he satisfies. The searching for peace and for purpose stops in him alone. He created us: therefore only he can tell us who we are and why we're here."

In her book Allie discusses 5 myths of self-love:

  • You are Enough
  • You Determine Your Truth
  • You're Perfect the Way You Are
  • You're Entitled to Your Dreams
  • You Can't Love Others Until You Love Yourself

The inside cover states, "This book isn't about battling your not-enoughness. It's about embracing it." It looks like this book may be filled with some good biblical counsel! 

We do need to see ourselves as God sees us and love ourselves correctly. But not in a self-love sort of way. There is a prerequisite. As Jesus said, we must first love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength, and all our mind (Luke 10:27). And then we're able to understand who we are in Christ and love who we are in Him.

Hoping to finish Allie's book before the weekend. And hoping it's as promising a read as it appears.

Update: Finished the book and it's one that especially young women would find encouraging  and beneficial. Allie relates to her own personal struggles as a college student, new wife and mother in her search for true identity.

Another book that is filled with biblical counsel is Jim Berg's book, God is More Than Enough. I read that one years ago, and God used it mightily in my life. 

Painting--Bessie Potter at Her Dressing Table 
 Robert William Vonnoh, 1858-1933 
Public Domain, Wiki Gallery

Monday, April 27, 2020

The Pilgrim's Progress

The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan has been in continuous print since its publication in 1678 and has been translated into more than 200 languages. I've read it more than once, but to be honest, I found it difficult to follow the entrance and exits of the various characters and to grasp their significance. It perplexed me as to why it continued to be so popular around the world, except for the possibility that it had been propelled by God to be used to further the gospel.

Over the weekend, however, My Beloved and I watched a dramatization of Pilgrim's Progress on Amazon Prime, and the simple manner in which the way of salvation was portrayed was quite compelling. (Perhaps I had just needed more visual cues to help me understand.) While the publication date for the movie was 2006, the cinematography and acting were noticeably backseat to the story that was being told. Which, actually, may have been a good thing since it drew me into the storyline and not the scenery. The movie is also available on YouTube.



Amazon Prime also has a documentary on John Bunyan that we've enjoyed watching: John Bunyan, The Journey of a Pilgrim.

I recommend both--a good way to spend one of these Covid-19 evenings.






Sunday, April 26, 2020

For Those Who Do Not Know



The world becomes a strange, mad, painful place,
and life in it a disappointing and unpleasant business, 
for those who do not know about God.

Disregard the study of God,
and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life
blindfold, as it were, with no sense of direction,
and no understanding of what surrounds you.

This way you can waste your life and lose your soul.

- J.I. Packer, in Knowing God (p.15)


Image via Pixabay

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Weekend Daybook

My Weekend Daybook is intended to journal brief moments of my simple life, thinking that my dear grandchildren may one day be interested in knowing little tidbits about Nana.

(For some unknown reason to me, the font size on this post keeps changing to smallest in some parts. I've fiddled with it enough, so I give up. Maybe it'll straighten itself out after awhile.)






Outside My Window...
The grass has finally greened. I don't care for Bermuda grass. It takes too long to catch up to Spring.


Noticing the sound of... 

Violin music. I miss hearing the violin and cello being played at church by a couple of young moms. 


Looking forward to...

Being able to gather together again with our church family and speak to one another in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in our hearts to the Lord (Eph.5:19).


Thankful...

That God works all things together for our good, for those who love Him, according to His purposes (Rom. 8:28). There's a lot of bad in this Covid-19, but there's much good that will come from it. I just read yesterday in the news that many parents are getting to know their children. 


Thinking... 

That getting to know one's own children is a blessing, indeed. Maybe these same parents will realize what they and their children have been missing all along. Hopefully, they will make provision to lessen their personal distance in the days ahead.


Brought a smile...

On my walk through the neighborhood, this chalk drawing greeted me....

It's a little difficult to see in the photo, but the words say "Faith, Hope, Love". One of God's touches of grace that reminds me that He loves us and all is well.










In the Sewing Room...

I've been in the sewing room quite a bit these past weeks. Besides making face masks and other quick projects, I've been making girls' dresses in anticipation of opening an Etsy shop someday. But I will need to get better at photography before I do, that's for sure. This photo really doesn't show how cute these dresses are. I have stacks and stacks of cotton fabric that I've enjoyed gathering from quilt fabric shops in our travels and day trips. I've made wall quilts and baby quilts out of some of it, and now I'm enjoying coordinating fabrics for the dresses. I'm calling my shop "Always Anna," after our granddaughter. I made dresses for our daughters growing up, and when I began making dresses for Anna, I decided to turn more of my fabric into little girls' dresses. It's just something I enjoy doing in my discretionary time. I've looked at the Etsy policies and they look rather daunting, but maybe I'll give it a go. I don't want to get into a lot of rigamarole, though, for just a few dresses. But I have made 25 so far! Well, actually more, but I give Anna a dress here and there. She loves to wear dresses, which inspires me!















Around the house... 
This greets me each morning as I open the cabinet door for a cup for tea...

His mercies are new every morning. 











And they truly are!



Learning...

To fill this down time with some pleasantries. Waiting can certainly be a challenge, but it has helped to do some things I've often said I never have enough time to do. Freedom to come and go will be welcomed with open arms, though, after this Covid-19 situation is lessened.


Reading...
The Dynamic Heart in Daily Life by Jeremy Pierre, Associate Professor of Biblical Counseling at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

I'll do a brief book review on it after I've finished reading it, but if you'd like to read some sample pages, you can do so here. If you click on the image, it will take you to the publisher.


I'm a slow reader. I stop and ponder and mark statements that I'd like to go back and review later. Sharing a statement from the beginning of the book that I've marked:


"No one should treat people as merely rational beings in need of instruction, nor as merely emotional beings in need of healing, nor as merely decision-makers who need the right motivation. The truth is broader than each of these." (p.12)

Friday, April 24, 2020

Sometimes A Complex Case


Why do we do what we do? The heart. The mind. The will. Mix them together and out comes the reason. Follow your heart? Not unless you disengage your mind. Make the most logical choice as you disengage your emotions? And what if your heart says don't and your mind says don't, but you still do? Or your mind says do and your heart says do, but then you don't?

The heart, the mind, and the will are not three separate railroad tracks that we run on. They make up the track itself--two rails and the crossties between them. My dad was a railroader for much of his life, and he knew that if two rails and the crossties got disjointed or snow-covered in any way that a train wreck would soon ensue. My Beloved's dad was also a railroader, and he had to go out many times to help get the railroad cars back onto the rails. And sometimes the train wrecks were disastrous. And so it happens to us, that when the heart, the mind, and the will get disconnected, our lives can be a train wreck.

Our decisions and choices come from the blending and balancing of the three aspects of the soul. We all probably know people who are driven by their heart's emotions, who seem not to think much of anything through as to its consequences. Like the song a few years back crooned, how can it be wrong when it feels so right? Likewise, we probably know people who set aside their emotional inclinations and focus on the logic of a decision, sometimes studying every aspect up one side and down the other so as to make the near perfect choice, but often making a decision that they feel really bad about simply because it's the logical thing to do. And then there are those who look straight ahead at the end of the tunnel and move forward by sheer will power. They have no emotional drive behind them and don't think about the path they're on. The goal is the determining factor. Just get to it.

Throughout the Scriptures, God gives us indications that the heart, the mind, and the will all come into play. They are often used interchangeably, and not one is given more importance than the other. They work in concert with one another. We are created in God's image. God gave us emotions because He has emotions. He gave us intellect because He has intellect. He gave us a will so we would be free to make decisions. When He decides in His mind to intervene on our behalf, He does it with lovingkindness. And Jesus came to do the Father's will. He set His mind to the cross and wept in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Why do we do what we do? Motivations can be difficult to discern, for ourselves and for others. We need to be careful not to attribute motivations that may themselves be quite complex. A motivation can be a little from the heart, a whole lot of mind-boggling reasoning, and then some sheer will power. Or it can be mostly emotion, not much thinking behind it, and maybe not any will power moving it along. We're sometimes complicated cases ourselves. And this is good to keep in mind when we want to help family and friends work through their own complicated cases. It takes a lot of discernment to hear what the heart, the mind, and the will are playing in concert.

As I'm writing this, I'm thinking how I'm culpable myself of attributing motivations to people in the grocery store who are not wearing face masks during this Covid-19 situation, while I am wearing one and have made masks for others. I feel myself wanting to say to these unmasked people, "I care about you, don't you care about me?" And I answer for them--and you can pretty well guess what I'm thinking. But then again, maybe they do care, but .....  We all have our own motivations for what we do or what we don't do.

Image via Pixabay
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