Christmas Anonymous

Christmas Anonymous 12 Step Recovery Program *

1. We admitted we were powerless over Christmas—that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. To that end we reread the Nativity story in Matthew, Luke, and John.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God. (Romans 6:17, 18; Ephesians 2:13)
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves; then did the same for the pile of newly accumulated gifts, culling and assimilating as required.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. We then worked out on the treadmill and had a low fat, low sugar, low sodium, high fiber, but delicious none the less meal.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. Replacing the offending gift given to Aunt Hattie and setting up a fundraiser through our favorite charity tops the list.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to Christmasoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

*I mean absolutely no disrespect to anyone who has taken part in any of the 12 step recovery programs, or to the organizations that provide such needed assistance.
Our modern day practices at Christmas, sacred and secular alike, seem to have drifted so far from the original intent as to appear in many ways strikingly similar to those of one suffering from an addiction. Weight loss or weight gain, changes in mood, behavior or sleep patterns, financial difficulties caused by the addiction, inability to fulfill ones obligations...those symptoms could just as easily be applied to someone suffering from a misuse of the holidays.
My revisions of these 12 steps is merely my attempt at tilting at windmills.

Heaven on Earth

Yesterday morning our pastor began his message with an illustration about what Heaven on Earth is like for him. If you want, you can listen to the message. While there were several things that I really needed to hear, it got me thinking. What would Heaven on Earth be for me? That is a much more difficult question than I had imagined.
It has been suggested that, for me, it would be no more doctor's visits, lots of hiking and plenty of Jelly Bellies. To that list I would also add dark chocolate and snuggling in front of the fire with my family while we read a good book together. However, when I examined that list more closely, I came to a painful realization. All of those things are an escape.
In fact almost all of things that I enjoy doing are a means of escape in some way. Sure, they serve other purposes as well; but carving, working on embroidery, or reading all require a level of concentration that shuts out reality for a time. Even chocolate creates a temporary retreat where for a brief moment you are entirely focused on savoring the silky sweetness. All else slips away, however fleetingly.
Not that my reality is all that bad, mind you; especially compared to some. So I'm not sure what it is that I'm escaping from. Laundry. Boredom. Nagging questions and bills. Watching my DH suffer. Bad weather. Sickness and death touching friends and family. Brokeness.

The point is that I do not want my thoughts of Heaven to be only that of escaping from the unpleasant things this world throws at me. There is a preciousness in learning to value the suffering in this life in order to collapse on His grace and treasure the rest that is promised. Do I only long for Heaven because it will "get me out of here"? Some days the answer is Yes. But what about the rest of the time? More than thinking about what I'm running away from, I want to be focused on what I am running toward; which is an eternity of communion with my Savior not hindered by my sin.
That leaves my original question still unanswered, but it can't be helped. My idea of Heaven is not just experiencing a moment that is the way it would be in a perfect world, but rather a restoration of the perfect fellowship between man and his Creator. And that can't be reproduced here on earth; not with all the Ghirardelli's in the world.

Christmas Contemplation

Perhaps you've seen the discussions and polls on the social bulletin board sites about whether our president should continue to call it the national "Christmas" tree or change the name to "Holiday" tree instead. While I haven't participated in those polls, I have done a great deal of thinking about this subject. Here are some of my conclusions*:

• I don't give a hoot what the president does. His life and actions as well as the actions of a large percentage of our nation do not revolve around bringing honor and glory to God. What he chooses to call the tree won't change that.
• The argument that calling it a holiday tree is just taking one more thing away from the Christians is only valid if the government is the source of the Christians' faith. If recognition or approval from the government is necessary to authenticate one's beliefs, then I would encourage a reexamination of those beliefs. Following God has never been the popular thing to do and Christians are never promised support from the leadership of our world. In fact, the opposite is true. (Ps. 20:7, 8; Gal. 1:10; Acts 4:26; I Pt. 3:14-16)
• Christians belong to a kingdom other than those represented on our globe. We are strangers and pilgrims here. Temporary exiles. If we get too comfortable with secular contemporary customs and society and we risk being like Lot's wife.
• I call into question the possibility of the Gospel being spread merely through the name of an object. The heavens declare the glory of God, but I don't think that includes an electrified evergreen on the White House lawn.
• Religious freedom...oh, I am not even going to open that can of worms.
  

*These comments are not aimed at any specific person or persons, et cetera. And by all means, feel free to disagree with me.

Missing Person

This last Sunday, DH and J stayed home sick from Church. Not a big deal, but it gave M and I a chance to have a really good conversation in the car on the way home. Pastor David's message had been about the different people in Matthew's narrative of the Birth of Christ. The one that stood out to my 7 yo was King Herod. He is such a key figure in the story, but he is often overlooked. And yet, his presence does need to be keenly felt. King Herod brought about a terrible tragedy for the nation of Israel of that day (Matt 2:18). He represents everything that Christ came to defeat with his birth, perfect life and sacrificial death. And he brought about the fulfillment of prophecy.
However, it's uncomfortable to talk about the role he played and so we tend to skip over him. After all, he butchered babies in a jealous rage. Who wants that in a play set? Come to think of it, have you ever seen him portrayed in any Nativity scene?

Oh, wait. There he is...over there on the right side. Take a closer look...

In the car M decided that we needed a figure of King Herod for their Nativity set. So with a little Model Magic, Marvy markers, paint, embossing powder and a sword that I just happened to have lying around (!!?!), we are now the proud owners of what may be the very first King Herod action figure in history. At least, I'd like to think so.

But, of course, he dies in the story, and so we had to make him reversible. On the front side he wears an evil scowl and on the back...well...he's dead.

See, that's the great thing about having a conniving, wicked liar as part of your Nativity set. He gets defeated. Our Savior, through His Father's almighty power, escapes Herod's murderous hand and grows up to fulfill God's perfect plan for our salvation.
It's not a carefully edited touchy, feely Baby story on the Discovery channel. It's a true story about a universal power struggle and the ultimate victory over Sin and Death by Christ on our behalf. How can you adequately tell that story if the antagonist isn't even represented?

Giving Up

The Vally of Vision

LORD, High and Holy, Meek and Lowly,

Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.

LORD, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine;
Let me find thy light in my darkness,
thy life in my death,
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty
thy glory in my valley.

(this is the title prayer in Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions)

With a mere 50 acres of corn left in the field, the combine harvester blew out it's engine on Monday. This is a catastrophic failure that will cost my FiL a ridiculous amount of money to fix.
In the context of a much larger, not-looking-so-grand-anymore scheme of things, however, it is merely one event among many that is out of our control.
You've probably noticed that there doesn't seem to be much left that is under our control. Truth is, there never has been. It has just become much more obvious lately. Everywhere you look there is pain and disease and broken relationships. No one seems immune.
In an ever increasing way I am becoming more aware of my own emptiness. I am powerless to alleviate the pain of others in spite of how deeply I care for them. I can't fix machinery that is beyond repair no matter how desperately it is needed. I cannot heal hearts and souls regardless of how much I long to do so.
There is nothing left to do but give up.

Not quit. Give up.
Give up trying to be the hero when that was never what God intended for me in the first place. Give up striving and straining and stretching and reaching.
Give up thinking that I have something to offer in and of myself.
I need to just put it all down and come to my Savior with my empty hands extended and ask him to fill me.
Fill me with forgiveness for denying the grace that was always mine if I would just admit I needed it.
Fill me with trust that His plan is perfect even if I can't imagine how it will all work out in the end.
Fill me with a rest that is not dependent on sleep. A rest that can look past the howling winter wind and feel the warmth of the sun. A rest that can take a nap in a storm tossed boat.
A rest that believes Romans chapter 8.

Thankful...

• ...that this is not all there is. Isaiah 65:17-25
• ...for trials that keep me dependent upon the LORD. 2 Corinthians 12:8-10
• ...for a Savior who searches and knows me for what I really am...and loves me anyway. Psalm 139:23; Romans 5:8
• ...that He is slow to anger. Psalm 103:8
• ...that He is beyond my highest thought. Job 37:5
• ...that He gave up everything, so that I could have eternity with Him. Philippians 2:6-8; John 3:16
• ...that He does not need anything from me, and even my service (pathetic as it may be) is a grace from Him. Acts 17:24, 25; John1:16
  

Communion Confession

Like I have nearly a dozen times before, I sit here struggling with the dilemma of whether to write this post or not. It relates to a thought that even I find offensive, and I'm the one thinking it. Which means that others will certainly view it that way as well. I'm going to write it anyway.
From the time I was nine years old I have been participating in the Lord's Supper with other followers of Christ. For better, or worse, I have always attended a Baptist church. I tell you this not because I think that Baptists are more "right" or better than other Protestant religions, but because it colors my understanding of Communion in a certain way.
While some churches celebrate the Lord's Supper on the first Sunday of each month (or some other variation), the congregation that I am part of now makes it part of the worship service each week; a practice which, incidentally, I enjoy.
Except that this continual practice keeps this uncomfortable thought in my mind almost constantly. However, it was only recently that I came to realize that, unpleasant as it may be, it is true.

Each time we take the bread, or the cup and read the words "This is my body" or "This is my blood" and are commanded to eat or drink, I cannot help but think that it smacks of cannibalism.
Did I say that out loud? I warned you that it was offensive. But please don't stop reading now. If you do, you'll leave with the same terrible thought on your mind that I had for years.

When any human being consumes another human being, there is nothing else to call it but cannibalism. But there is more than one reason for such a practice. The one that jumps to the forefront is the cultural participation of a spiritistic or animistic society. Cannibalism as part of a pagan religion is horrifying. Mental or social deviancy would be another, equally repulsive reason.
The third reason for such an act is absolute desperation. Impending death can make even the mildest person do unbelievable things. The rugby team on flight 571 back in the early 70's comes to mind. Faced with such a dire circumstance, we look on them not in disgust but with pity.

And is that not the exact situation we find ourselves in? We are all dying in trespasses and sin (Eph. 2:1) with no hope of saving ourselves. Actually, according to the verse, we are already dead; not just dying. A dead man can do nothing for himself. The blood of Christ, shed in our place, is our only hope of rescue. Faced with impending eternal death, we come in absolute desperation and accept what he freely offers. There is no way around it.
The Communion table itself is not what saves. It is merely the reminder of what has already taken place. We come each week and remember how utterly without hope we were and fling ourselves anew on the grace of the Cross. We relish the memory of Christ's sacrifice because it means life for us.
Being humbled in such a way is offensive to our human pride. It is insulting to think that we could not have come up with a better way to secure our salvation. Romans 9:33 describes Christ as " a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense" but goes on to say "and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." Partaking of the new covenant in his blood will not be what condemns us. It is what saves us. Even if that is a tough bit to swallow.

Head Slap

There is a new movie set to be released on Friday. Maybe you've heard of it. 2012.
I have just one thing to say about this film. It's Fiction, Folks. Some of you are getting way to worked up about this.

Seriously, we're supposed to believe that the Mayans foretold of some global disaster in our time, but couldn't predict the obliteration of their own culture?

And for those of you who are trying to cram this Mayan prophecy into the book of Revelations, shame on you. When has the Sovereign Creator ever been bound by something that ancient pagans scratched into a rock?

So by all means, go and enjoy the movie. Get chills at the special effects. Eat your popcorn and come home and sleep soundly. But don't make me come slap you.

Thirteen Years

Over the last thirteen years of marriage, we have experienced a little of everything represented in our wedding vows: better, worse, richer, poorer, sickness (lots of sickness) and health. Of course everyone enjoys the pleasurable seasons of life, but I can honestly say that it is because of the hard times that I feel secure in my relationship with my husband. If he can love me when the money isn't there, or we are separated for months by an agonizing hospital vigil, or when both of us are snarky because of never ending pain, then I'm pretty sure that he will love me when life is comfortable.
That is only possible because of the Grace of our loving Savior. I married a sinner. And let me tell you, Chad married a willful, stubborn, prideful (ad infinitum) creature. We have been redeemed by grace. We live together by grace. And we look forward to the hope of perfect fellowship through our LORD...by grace.

Listen to Our Song.

Through the Bible

Many people strive to read through the Bible every year and there are many different tools available to help with doing just that. I'd like to share a few of my own favorite resources here.

An eon ago (okay, 1991), when I spent the summer on a short term mission trip in Venezuela I came across this chart for reading the Bible through. I fell in love with it and have used it ever since. It was designed by Dr. Bill Smallman of Baptist Mid-Missions and he has graciously given me permission to distribute it. I have a PDF version available, which I would be happy to email to you if you want it. I love this chart because you can read the chapters in any order that you wish and can complete your reading in your own timing. I particularly like to finish in about 34 weeks (5 chapters per day), leaving the rest of the year for a more concentrated study.

I also love the ESV on CDs. The Bible, especially the Old Testament, was intended to be heard. Listening to scripture adds a whole new dimension to our understanding of God's Word. For my girls, looking at the entire Bible and trying to imagine reading the whole thing is a daunting task. But it is easy to put a disk in while we are in the car and listen to several chapters together. They don't have to struggle with pronunciations and their comprehension is much better.

More recently, I have found some books that are opening up my understanding of the "big picture" of scripture.

God's Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible, Vaughn Roberts

According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible, Graeme Goldsworthy

The Goldsworthy Trilogy: Gospel and Kingdom, Gospel and Wisdom, and The Gospel in Revelation, Graeme Goldsworthy

About every three years in my Sunday School class we like to take a week off from the curriculum and do a "walk through the Bible" lesson. It is great fun to tell the kids that "Next week I'm going to teach you the whole Bible!" I don't remember the details, but I got this lesson in one of my college classes from a favorite professor. Disclaimer: I cannot draw my way out of a paper bag. Please don't make fun of my stick figures.

Starting at the bottom of the page (I like to use an overhead during class), work your way up through the illustrations and explanations, elaborating as time allows.

Creation
Day 1-light/dark; Day 2-firmament; Day 3-land, seas, grass, trees; Day 4-sun, moon, stars; Day 5-fish, birds; Day 6-Animals, Man; Day 7-Rest~this section also includes Noah and the Tower of Babel.

Clan
Abraham ((Lot/Sodom), Isaac, Jacob (Israel), Joseph

Confinement
Slavery in Egypt for generations; Moses and the Plagues (river to blood, frogs, lice, flies, cattle die, boils, hail, locust, darkness, death of firstborn); Escape

Commandments
The Law is given to Israel. 1. No other Gods; 2. No idols; 3. No swearing; 4. Remember Sabbath; 5. Honor parents; 6. No murder; 7. No adultery; 8. No stealing; 9. No false witness; 10. No coveting.

Conquest
The judges leading Israel in battle against enemies and deciding matters of the Law. Jericho/Joshua, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Samson, Samuel.

Confusion
Israel wants a King over them (Saul). Then divided into two kingdoms of Judah and Israel. David, Solomon.

Captivity
God allows enemies to rule them because of their sin. Fall of Jerusalem, Daniel, ends with fall of Babylon (Belshazar, writing on wall, Medes & Persians).

Construction
Rebuilding the nation~between testaments, remnant of 50,000 return to rebuild Temple, Esther.

Cross
Jesus Christ comes as the long awaited Messiah and is crucified to pay the price of our sins. The problem of Israel's failure to fulfill the Law is solved by Christ fulfilling it for them (Gentiles too). Our Redemption is "vouchsafed".

Church
The time of the first Christians (followers of Christ), missionaries, martyrs, and the beginning of the Church.

Completion
A new heaven and new earth after the rapture and tribulation period, millenium and then eternity in the presence of God.

Obviously, this is just the bare bones of the lesson. The use of Scripture verses to flesh out the points is expected. After all, this is a walk through the Bible, not the teacher's memory. I have not included any verses here, however, to allow you to study on your own and to adapt the lesson for your needs and those of your target audience.

And so it begins

Our youngest turned Seven last Saturday. She is really growing up fast it seems.
On Tuesday of this week I picked her up from VBS at the church down the street and as we crossed the parking lot, she pointed out a good looking young man with spiky blonde hair. With gushing admiration, she told me, "Mom! He's in the Band!"
Then it hit me...
She's a groupie.

The Art of Illustration

Human communication is a fascinating thing. People employ methods using flags, lights, dots and dashes, music, alphabets, and a multitude of different types of sound. Some people are much better at it than others. Language is such a flexible, intangible medium. A person's skill at transferring an idea to another becomes readily apparent in many different ways, but two specifically come to mind; those of Instruction and Illustration. If you'd like to try a fun exercise testing your ability to Instruct, do the following:

1. Get together a small group of middle school children.
2. Give each of them a large blank sheet of paper and a pencil.
3. With your back to them so that you cannot see what they are drawing, give them step by step instructions for drawing a tulip. You may have one drawn up first to use as reference, but do not allow them to see your picture.
   
4. You may not use any identifying words like: flower, tulip, leaves, stems, petals, etc. You may use line and basic shape terms like: diagonal, curved, oval, short, etc.
5. When you are finished, compare their drawings with your own. How close did you get?

The pictures the children drew are a fun gauge of your communication skills and the results are quite obvious. It is much more difficult to determine the effectiveness of Verbal Illustration. Any time you draw comparisons you are making a verbal illustration. Public speakers, teachers, pastors, and parents use illustration often to clarify a point or give added insight. We're going to focus on pastors and Bible teachers, but not because I'm picking on them. Anyone who is trying to communicate the concepts of Scripture uses illustration to bring understanding to absolute Truth, which makes their skills all the more important.

When a Bible teacher uses an example from sports, home life or the working world to bring clarity to a text, you are going to understand that illustration because it comes from your life or something that is real to you. That is the nature of the illustration. Whether you will be able to accurately transfer the meaning of the illustration to the truths of God's Word is an entirely different matter.
For example, Holy Scripture itself speaks of God as a Father and Christ as a Son. All humans beings should understand the concept of Father and Son, so that illustration is natural and makes sense. However, each of our own personal experiences is going to color that understanding. Is your father angry, or absent, or abusive? How will that effect your view of God? You will know that a pastor or teacher effectively communicates the idea when you come away with the knowledge that we should not compare God with earthly fathers, but rather hold the Heavenly Father up as the standard to which all earthly fathers should be compared.

Because it relies on human understanding and human terms, all illustration is going to break down at some point. In the above example, the breakdown is obvious: not everyone's father is a blue ribbon Dad. In other illustrations the flaw may not be so apparent. Imagine the tragedy if the truths about Redemption, or Faith, or Grace were unknowingly communicated incorrectly.

Those of us in teaching positions need to be vigilant in our use of illustration. Are we illuminating truth, or obscuring it? Scripture often clarifies itself without the need for outside examples. It is far safer to rely on other passages to bring light to the subject than to risk introducing elements that will only confuse. On the occasions when it is necessary to expand the available information, we should be careful in our choices and make sure that our examples are understood as we intend them. That means not assuming that your audience knows what your are thinking.

Trying to communicate truth and realizing my own shortcomings (an immediate effect, I might add) gives me a great appreciation for those who do so effectively on a regular basis. Illustration is an Art. And just like drawing or painting with watercolors, it is much harder than it looks.

The Art of Silence

Somewhere out there someone knows how many personal electronic devices there are in existence. I don't really care about the particulars. For a long time, I resisted being assimilated, but now, like many others, I own an iPod. And I love it. It has given me the capacity to listen to music, Scripture, and sermons countless hours on end on the mower and treadmill, and for that grace, I am thankful.

I don't want this to become a rant against technology, but I do have one caution regarding such tools.
Without quiet, Thought becomes difficult. In the chaos of sound, the voice of the Holy Spirit can be drowned out. Creativity is distracted and meditation is impossible when it is noisy. And noisy doesn't just mean loud. Personal, human relationships are stunted when technology moves from being a tool that is skillfully wielded to a drug or a crutch that cannot be lived without. Silence is a necessity. In order to hear the "still, small voice" the whirlwind must cease.
I have not done any studies to back this up (although I'm sure someone has), but I'm guessing that our brains and bodies need quiet in order to be healthy and function in an optimum way.
Our society promotes the idea of a "green hour", or a time when you and your household stops the consumption of energy in order to help the environment. (resisting the urge to jump on that soapbox...) Imagine what might happen if you instituted a "quiet hour". How would that effect the environment in your home?
Make it a point to weave some silence into your life and the lives of your children. Unplug. Walk in the woods. Swing on the porch. Use the opportunity to preach grace and repentance to your soul. Tune in to the subtle noises in your surroundings. Have you ever been amazed by something a child hears long before it comes to your attention? You would be astounded at the cacophony of sound present in silence.
By all means, use the available tools when they can be an asset. Just be cautious that they are not interfering with relationships or hindering your thought life. Set up some guidelines and stick to them. And make sure to turn it off every now and then. I dare you.

Power Struggles without the Struggle

Life seems to be full of paradoxes for me lately, and my latest "discovery" about discipline is no exception.

If you have children, then you have engaged in a power struggle. Whether it is an infant who doesn't want his diaper changed or a teenager that wants to wear something you don't approve of, being in control seems to be a mandate for all human beings.

A couple of months ago, I wanted the girls to do something new as part of their schoolwork. They made it immediately clear that what I asked wasn't something they were willing to do. But I was tired and didn't feel like arguing and I dreaded the escalation of wills that seemed inevitable and the consequences that I would be forced to implement. So I just walked away. I told them what I expected of them, that I didn't care how it happened but that it was going to happen. And then I simply left the room. And after about 5 minutes of palpable silence in the other room, I heard them acquiesce and do what I had asked, as I had asked them. No defiance. No raised voices. No "because I said so" or "Do it or else".

I have tried this tactic multiple times since then, and rather than being a one time success it has worked the same way every time. I clearly state my expectations and then leave. Sometimes there is some quiet internal struggle, but my request is always fulfilled eventually. I'm not sure why it works. Perhaps not having someone to argue with diffuses the situation before it can even start. Perhaps walking away allows them to respond in a way that they feel is more on their own terms; allowing them a measure of control. Perhaps staying in the room gives the impression that the request is optional, or a point to be negotiated and leaving removes compromise from the table. Maybe it is simply a matter of putting the responsibility squarely on their shoulders.

Whatever the reason, I am extremely grateful for the grace that God has given my girls to make choices that glorify Him more often than not. I pray that He will give Chad and I the wisdom to raise them in a way that will encourage a zeal for His Truth.

An Unconventional Tithe

Cassette tapes are quickly going the way of the Dodo and the 8 track, but there is a beloved favorite in the van that will be mourned after it plays for the last time. One of the songs talks of

"All the Sundays the offering plate's gone by,
And as I gave my hard earned dollars,
I felt free to keep my life."

Another favorite tape holds a sermon that I heard during the first week of my college career in which Dr Fred Mortz preached from Isaiah 44:14-17.

He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it.
Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it.
Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, "Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!"
And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god!"

The short version is that this man takes a tree and uses it to build a fire for heat and for food and then with the garbage left over, he makes an idol to worship. The question asked of us by Dr. Mortz was "Are you giving God the garbage?"

These two tapes have been used in my life by God as tools for conviction on numerous occasions. Couple that with the realization of the magnificent amount of time that I have wasted on the computer lately and you have the makings for some radical life changes. Starting today, I am going to attempt to tithe my time. A traditional 10% tithe of a 24 hour day is just under 2 1/2 hours. That seems a bit intimidating to start out with, so I'm going to take my SiL's suggestion and try tithing my waking hours in the beginning, or 1 hours, 36 minutes...give or take a few.

DH and I have set a time for evaluation after a one month trial period. How I continue will be determined by how my family feels about it and how my house looks. I'm trying not to get too excited, but I started this practice today and still had time for school, finishing the taxes, washing windows and (don't tell) folding all the laundry. More importantly, I wonder what my life will look like?

More on this in days to come, I suspect!

A Challenge for Pastors

I Timothy 4:13
"Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching."

There is nothing that makes my spirit sink more than hearing from the pulpit, "...but we're not going to take the time for that now." This usually happens after the speaker has just referenced a longer passage of Scripture.
Forgoing the reading of these passages implies several interconnected things.

• It implies time constraints on the Holy Spirit. Sure, the Holy Spirit is allowed to work in the pastor's heart or the hearts of the people in the congregation, but he only has until straight up noon or until time for kick off.
  
• It implies that everyone in the church has ADHD and can't possibly tolerate listening to longer portions of God's Word. (There are any number of times in the Old Testament that we are told that the nation of Israel listened to the reading of Scriptures for hours at a time, all while standing.)
  
• It also implies that the speaker cuts the reading short in order to use the time for his own words. Which, in turn, implies that his words are more important than God's.

So what exactly is the challenge for pastors? Don't short sheet the Bible reading! Take the time!!

The parallel challenge for the laity? Don't short sheet your pastor's Bible reading! God's purpose for us is to be conformed to the image of his son and not conformed to this world (Romans 8:29, Romans 12:2). This world is concerned with time and fleshly pursuits (like football and whether the roast is burning). The pastor's job is to shepherd the flock in spiritual concerns. He should not feel pressured to cut out portions of scripture just to get us out "on time". Leave your watches at home. And take down the one in the sanctuary!!

There are also applications of this in our private lives as well. Do you spend more time reading what man has written about the Bible or reading Scripture itself?

**note** This has nothing whatsoever to do with anything that has happened in my church and is not directed at anyone in particular.