Mentors

I am not sure where to begin.  I took a long break that was desperately needed for reflection and time in God's Word.  I needed to be quiet and listen instead of speaking and God certainly used that time in many ways.  He has reminded me once again that He, alone is sovereign.  He is reminding me through the book of Daniel and other means that the greatest idol to overcome in our lives is ourselves.  The knowledge burns, hurts, but yet it is encouraging to know that He will continue to grow us, sanctify us, and make us more like Him.  He does this (obviously) through His Word, but not only that, He uses the Body of Christ. 

A while back I read a blog post lamenting the loss of mentors.  Back then I dismissed it, but now I am beginning more and more to see that we need EACH OTHER to help us overcome the idol of self.  In reality, the refusal to listen to sound advice from our elders, or even our brothers and sisters in Christ is elevating the idol of self.  Granted, there will be times when we might disagree, but are we willing to really consider what others have to say?  Or do we simply "tolerate" it and give it no thought at all.  Can we throw "self" under the bus and simply say teach me God?  

I am encouraged by several great examples I have seen in the public forum of the Internet where something that was not entirely accurate was put out with the best of intentions, and  brothers and sisters came along and spoke the truth in love about the situation.  What encouraged me was not only their willingness to endure wrath from readers, but the willingness to bend, the willingness to admit error for the sake of God's glory. 

I do admit that my greatest flaws have extended into this area.  I value great conversation (some would call it debate, some would call it argument.)  But I have seen in the past, the times when I was unwilling to bend.  Times when I have been set in my ways and unwilling to say to God: show me what You have to say about this.  I anticipate that at some time (probably in the near future) I will fall into this trap again, especially since I am writing about it now. 

What post-moderns seem to value most today is self-esteem.  It is taught religiously in schools.  We are taught to stand up for what we believe in, and while in and of itself that is not bad, we are not taught to seriously consider our own limited knowledge and capabilities.  Secular humanism tells us that whatever we want to believe/say/do is right and it would be intolerant or unloving to question that.  The Bible teaches something vastly different.  It teaches us that we need each other to keep us on the straight and narrow.  It teaches us to look deeper into our motives and question and allow the Holy Spirit to probe our intentions and our hearts.  It tells me that as I am writing this, I might have some ulterior motive other than to simply speak truth and bring glory to God.  God wants to shine His light in the darkest corners of our hearts and we DESPERATELY try to keep Him from reaching those places. 
 
I see great value in mentors.  I also see that part of the reason that we shun them is the culture we live in, and part simply the depths of our own sinfulness.  We lament over the state of the Church all while building light-proof corners of our own hearts.  I do it.  I have done it.  I will undoubtedly do it again in the future. Honestly, I still struggle with all of this and hence my unwillingness to blog regularly.  Let's face it, I don't have all of the answers.  But more than that, I do not want to put something out there that contradicts God's Word, especially in a public forum.  Even if it is unintentional.  It's not that I believe that God won't forgive me, but the Bible takes the role of a teacher very seriously and holds it to higher standards than the rest of us.  I don't find myself all that qualified to meet that standard.  And once again, I will admit that I do not know if I will continue to blog or not.  It doesn't really matter one way or the other.  It is not a self-denigrating thing, it is simply a stop for rest in the journey.  But I just wanted to share this today because of where my study in Daniel is taking me.  I am thrilled to be on the journey with all of you.  

Creation Singing God's Praises

When you watch this it will move you.  If you are His, you can't help but lift your hands in the air and praise Him right along with the rest of His creation.  Can you even imagine the day we will all stand before Him singing together?  It brings a tear of joy to my eyes.  So did this video.  It's almost 15 minutes long but the most amazing and moving thing I have EVER seen or heard. 

Real Beauty

While we were driving to our home school co-op today, this song came on the radio.  I was thinking back to when I saw the video to it and couldn't hold back the tears.  I've been there.  I understand the pressure.  I want my girls so desperately to understand that God made them beautiful the way they are. The cry of my heart is for them to know that they are perfect the way they are, and loved because of who He is.   The world puts unreal standards of beauty on it's young women.  Even as an old woman, I am occasionally swept into the notion of wanting to look skinnier, prettier, younger, etc.  But REAL beauty shines from the heart.  I hope you enjoy this song and share it with your daughters.

My Theme

Yesterday I had a nice relaxing lunch out with my friends.  It was so great to be able to sit, eat, and talk with two ladies who love the Lord.  One of my friends asked me "what is your theme right now?"  She explained that she thought that we all have themes in our lives:  areas where God is working on molding our hearts, little areas where He is making us think or dealing with us.  I agree.  I can look back and see little chunks of time where God has chipped away at my heart...a little here, a LOT there...

So I had time to think about it, but still wasn't sure how to fully put it into words when it was my time to share.  I guess if I had to sum it up in a nutshell it would be: being quiet.  When you have finished picking yourself up off of the floor from laughing I will explain what I mean.  Ready?  Not yet.  Take your time and get your belly laughs out.  Now?  Okay.

So here it is.  I love to discuss things.  I love to talk with my trusted friends and ask:  "what do you think about this?"  I love other people's input because it makes me think.  And I love people who aren't afraid to challenge my thinking and show me where I am wrong.  In the past few years, I have taken a lot of time learning about what different people believe and I have come to realize that you can't "pin" me into one category or denomination.  I am nondenominational in that many hold great truths.  Or maybe multidenominational might be a better word for it.   Much of my learning came from discussion with friends.

But now I have come to a point in my life where I am sorting it all out.  Information overload can be a good and a bad thing.  I have come to realize that I can't sort this out in conversation right now--I have to go to the source.  So I have been spending some time figuring it all out by the pages of God's Word.  I have done a little writing, but I do not feel compelled to share it right now.

I consider putting myself out there online as a means of transparency.  I am an open book.  Feel free to explore the pages of my mind.  But I have seen others struggles in their writings and blogs.  What I notice is that sometimes people gain a following.  People who wouldn't DARE disagree with you.  At that point, when you have a following, you become a teacher and God holds you to a higher standard.  If that is the case you had better either be right or at least open to the possibility that you might be wrong.  And while I am always open to the possibility that I might be wrong, I would rather be leading people in the right direction.  One day I will stand before God and account for my words.  That doesn't mean that He will condemn me, for there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.  But there will be some level of accountability.


So lately, I have just been listening.  Listening to what God has to say to me through His Word.  My "theme" has been meditating on what Paul means when he repeatedly reminds us to "walk worthy of the Lord."  Tough thought to some, because we stumble over what that means since Jesus already made us worthy.  That is where I will be.  I probably won't be posting much.  But I will be reading.  And I would love to hear from you.  So what is your theme right now?

You Need to Watch This.

I am coming to the end of A Lifetime of Learning.  If I keep this blog, I will soon take it in a whole new direction.  But I have one thing that is on my heart to share before I stop posting.

I believe that Christians need to be bold, courageous, and speak up for truth and justice no matter the consequences.  And the truth is this:  when you do, some people won't like you. But truth is truth no matter how abrasive it is to someone else.  The Gospel of Christ is offensive because it reveals the real us.  And the truth is that what is inside is frequently ugly.

Now that I have said my peace, I want you to watch something.  It is important for everyone to understand our history, otherwise we are doomed to repeat our mistakes.  America is a case study for this.  I won't explain, I just want you to watch.  Then leave your comments and thoughts. 

Most importantly, share.  This movie is changing the hearts and minds of many.  We CAN  make a difference...one heart at a time.

Time for a Break

I am not a daily blogger.  I am not even a weekly blogger.  I am simply a "when I feel inspired" blogger.  Right now, I feel inspired to take a break.  To simply take some time to be quiet, and turn inward and towards the Lord.  I don't know if the break will be temporary or permanent.  I am leaving my site up because I love to occasionally log on an browse through my reading list.  Maybe I will see you soon.