It must be "Support Breastfeeding Week" or something... I've been seeing a lot of posts on breastfeeding in my facebook news feed the past few days. While I nursed both of my children for several months and am a big supporter of breastfeeding, many of these posts made me feel sad and sometimes disgusted. Nowhere in these posts were the health benefits of breastfeeding...the lower cancer rates in mothers who breastfeed or the increased immunities it develops in babies. Nowhere was there a tale of how it can help bond a mother and child or how it's God's perfect design for nourishing an infant. All these posts were only about exposing your breasts in public. I'm serious. Picture after picture were women nursing without any attempt at covering with captions of how strong and powerful they are for it. REALLY??
Why is it that some women think that removing clothing equals power? I never understand it when I see topless female demonstrators. They are trying to gain attention, but at what cost? I fear this bare breast-feeding movement falls in line with this ideology. Show your boob when you're feeding your baby and you're cool, you're tough, you rock! If you don't, you're full of shame and fear. Well, I reject that.
I reject that because taking 5 seconds to throw a blanket over my shoulder when I nursed in public was me respecting myself. It was me respecting my husband and what should be for his eyes only. It was me respecting my children. How can I teach my daughter the importance of modesty if I am willing to throw it away under the guise of nursing (uncovered in public that is). The truth is I was empowered every time I was strong enough to ignore my laziness and take the extra effort to feed my child in a way that pleased God.
Yes I truly do believe it's pleasing to God to cover yourself when nursing in public. Here's why. God tells us to esteem others more highly than ourselves. And the truth is an exposed body part that's normally covered is going to draw attention. People can't help but look because it's kind of surprising. We do a double take unintentionally... that's our mind's way of figuring something out. And typically the mother starts to get annoyed that people look at her and it creates a tense uncomfortable environment. We are also called to not be a stumbling block to anyone. I know many women call a breastfeeding boob "a nonsexual breast". The reality is it's ignorant to think no man will ever stumble because there's a baby attached. Remember the breastfeeding scene from "Me, Myself, and Irene"? That scene wasn't added because no man could relate. And for young pre-teen/teenage boys, it can be confusing and difficult to process. Yes a man should control his thoughts, but since I can't be sure he will, I can control what I offer him to put into his mind. And in my nursing days, all they were getting was a blanket!
When my husband and I were newly married we went to a farmer's market. We were walking in and walking out was a woman with her right breast completely pulled out of her tank top with a 2 year old BARELY latched. My husband's face turned red, he looked at me like "what in the world?" and I got very annoyed. THAT'S being "strong"? To make a man feel uncomfortable and to taint a soon to be mother's impression of breast-feeding? It's honestly people like that that create a hostile environment toward nursing in public. No mother should be told she can't nurse or she had to leave to do so, but being asked to cover up is not offensive. It's called common courtesy...something sorely lacking in today's culture.
Now to the mothers who scream "YOU EAT WITH A BLANKET OVER YOUR HEAD!!!", here's a reality check. Your infant has been in a fetal position for months and was cramped beyond belief before coming out into this big world. They were happy, warm and felt safe. That is why we swaddle and bundle and put hats and mittens and socks on...to recreate that same feeling. Now all of a sudden a blanket lightly put over the baby, which will make it a little darker, quieter, and warmer (think womb-like), is traumatizing. I really don't get it.
My final thought is this...don't fall for the lie... the lie that showing skin equals empowerment. It's a lie that has gained too much ground. It may take a LITTLE more effort to throw a cover up on, but taking that extra 30 seconds does a lot. It puts other people's feelings of being comfortable above your feeling of not wanting to bother with a blanket. It makes sure that you won't cause anyone to stumble, because as much as a man/teenager should control his thoughts, every person has their own struggles, including you (and me). It shows your children that you live out your teachings on modesty and it shows your husband you respect him. I truly believe it creates a nice environment for your baby and it's cleaner! Nothing can fall on your babies face and there will be no accidental sprayings on people within a 5 foot radius. If your baby ever unlatched during a letdown, you know what I mean!!!!
So come on ladies, breastfeeding isn't about everyone looking at us so we can feel cool. It's about honoring God, respecting ourselves, caring about others and feeding our babies!!!! Keep it classy & covered!
Friday, August 9, 2013
Monday, May 13, 2013
The Battle of Self
Can I be honest...I'm SO glad Mother's Day is over. I woke up with "momzilla" expectations and a self centered attitude that is not normally in my character. Sure I have my mommy moments of being overwhelmed and feeling sorry for myself, but I'm not the type to begrudge motherhood by any means. Yet yesterday I struggled with the "what about me" mentality.
At church that morning, my pastor (who always tells it like it is and I so appreciate that!) said "Get over yourself! It's not about YOU, it's about HIM!". I'm pretty sure a big arrow lit up over my head and pointed down at me lol, because that was EXACTLY what I needed to hear. My spirit lifted and I felt like I was back to a well aligned reality. Yet shortly after church, the Devil was at it again. Dropping those thoughts into my head of "Why am I cooking dinner on Mother's Day? Why am I doing dishes? I-I-I...Me-Me-Me". Normally I do these things without a second thought. No I don't always enjoy them but I do them because I love my family. Why should that be any different on a day I should be rejoicing at the fact that God made me a mother at all.
But that's the way the enemy works...he knows if he can just get our eyes off of Jesus and onto ourselves, we've handed him our peace and joy on a silver platter. And just because I got the words I needed to hear at church, it does not mean he will run and hide. God gave me that phrase to combat the devil that day because He knew what was in store for me. I'm sorry to say I could have done much better with it. I did (gladly) do something special for my wonderful mom and told my kids several times how thankful I am that I get to be their mommy, but internally I was still struggling. I can't believe that I am surrounded by all of these incredible blessings and yet there I was having a pity party over a sink full of dishes...seriously?!
But joy comes in the morning (we sang a song about that in church too...coincidence? I think not). That's the beauty of this life of serving the Lord. Not only do we get the guidance and help we need...even when we fail, the Lord is there with forgiveness and strength for a new day. I'm disappointed that I allowed that battle to go on for so long yesterday. I regret not using the tools God gave me in church that morning to more efficiently stop the negative thoughts and get my eyes back on Him. But I have learned from it and am determined to remember this lesson so when the Devil tries this on me again, I will squash him immediately with the truth of God's word. This best sums it up:
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
look full in His wonderful face...
and the things of Earth will grow strangely dim
in the light of His glory and grace."
At church that morning, my pastor (who always tells it like it is and I so appreciate that!) said "Get over yourself! It's not about YOU, it's about HIM!". I'm pretty sure a big arrow lit up over my head and pointed down at me lol, because that was EXACTLY what I needed to hear. My spirit lifted and I felt like I was back to a well aligned reality. Yet shortly after church, the Devil was at it again. Dropping those thoughts into my head of "Why am I cooking dinner on Mother's Day? Why am I doing dishes? I-I-I...Me-Me-Me". Normally I do these things without a second thought. No I don't always enjoy them but I do them because I love my family. Why should that be any different on a day I should be rejoicing at the fact that God made me a mother at all.
But that's the way the enemy works...he knows if he can just get our eyes off of Jesus and onto ourselves, we've handed him our peace and joy on a silver platter. And just because I got the words I needed to hear at church, it does not mean he will run and hide. God gave me that phrase to combat the devil that day because He knew what was in store for me. I'm sorry to say I could have done much better with it. I did (gladly) do something special for my wonderful mom and told my kids several times how thankful I am that I get to be their mommy, but internally I was still struggling. I can't believe that I am surrounded by all of these incredible blessings and yet there I was having a pity party over a sink full of dishes...seriously?!
But joy comes in the morning (we sang a song about that in church too...coincidence? I think not). That's the beauty of this life of serving the Lord. Not only do we get the guidance and help we need...even when we fail, the Lord is there with forgiveness and strength for a new day. I'm disappointed that I allowed that battle to go on for so long yesterday. I regret not using the tools God gave me in church that morning to more efficiently stop the negative thoughts and get my eyes back on Him. But I have learned from it and am determined to remember this lesson so when the Devil tries this on me again, I will squash him immediately with the truth of God's word. This best sums it up:
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
look full in His wonderful face...
and the things of Earth will grow strangely dim
in the light of His glory and grace."
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
My Midnight Miracle
My 3 year old son sometimes wakes up with what his doctor and I consider "growing pains." They are usually charlie-horses in his legs or pain in his joints. It's not fun when he wakes up like that...he is in a lot of pain, he's disoriented and extremely upset. It's taken me over an hour on some occassions to get him to calm down. I usually can get him to take some Advil and once that kicks in (about 20 minutes), he will start to relax and eventually fall asleep. Thank God it doesn't happen very often, but it happened last night.
At about 2:30, I heard him cry and I went into his room. He was balled up, holding his knee, crying, and rocking back and forth. I got a pit in my stomach, said my motherly "duty" prayer of "Jesus touch him", but instantly my mind raced to what "I" could do. I asked him if he would take medicine if I got it for him, I asked if he would straighten his legs so I could rub them, I asked if he would drink some warm milk to calm down, and I asked if I could hold him. All my requests were met with a hysterical "NOOOOOO!" I realized my hands were tied, so I went back to the thing I should've done in the first place...I prayed like I meant it! My prayer went something like this:
"Jesus, you didn't get whipped and beaten for my son to lay here in pain. You went through all that so we could be healed...and we ARE healed. I refuse to let a drop of blood that you shed go to waste. You gave me a healthy son and the devil is trying to rob him of it. Take away his pain and let him calm down in Jesus' name."
He had kicked off his blankets from rolling around so as soon as I prayed I pulled them up to cover him. The blanket didn't even touch his shoulder yet when he stopped crying, closed his eyes, and started to drift back to sleep. He was completely pain free, calm, and peaceful in an INSTANT...and it happened to be when I prayed. Coincidence? Not a chance. I know how long it takes him to calm down, how the pain usually needs medicine to go away, yet there he was falling asleep right before my eyes without so much as a whine, wimper, or shaky breath.
I welled up with tears of gratitude, but I wasn't surprised. I have to admit shamefully, sometimes I pray for something and I have all the faith in the world...but when God answers my prayers I'm shocked. Then He kindly reminds me "If you truly had faith, you'd be shocked if prayers WEREN'T answered." But last night there was no shock, just gratitude and confirmation...like God was saying "That's the way you need to pray, and you need to be relying on me like that all the time." Well, point taken.
We serve a supernatural God, why we try to keep him in natural bounds is beyond me. I was just guilty of it yesterday. My nephew fell off playground equipment and got a nasty gash that needed stitches. I told my brother I would pray...and I did. But I prayed for him not to be afraid or in pain, to guide the doctors hands, and for his lip to heal without scarring. Ok, not bad prayers, but why didn't I pray for his lip to be healed enroute to the hospital. God was more than capable of healing that cut, but I prayed in a way that was comfortable. I feel bad that I did that now, although God did answer my prayer according to what I asked for-my nephew was brave and feeling better and his lip looks much better already. But what if I prayed with great faith asking above what we expect in the natural? Maybe he would have been touched instantly like my son was.
My pastor has witnessed his own arm, covered in weeping poison oak, be completely healed before his eyes; he also witnessed a terribly broken leg be healed before his eyes and the man went back to work. My husband witnessed a deformed arm be made whole before his eyes. My parents witnessed a massive egg on my head from an injury as a toddler dissappear as quickly as it came. They took me to church that night without as much as a scratch on my head. All these things happened when people prayed "in Jesus' name", and these are just a handful of stories I know of. Plus these accounts are from people that I know well, love, and respect. They aren't into "fake" miracles or lies. Neither am I. It's not always comfortable talking about healing and miracles or even God and the devil. People start to look at you funny...even some Christians. But I can't ignore what happened and if I can give anyone hope, or insight as to what the character of the one true God is, I will take that risk. What these people witnessed, and what I witnessed last night, go way beyond luck or coincidence. When God is this good, how could I NOT love and serve Him!
At about 2:30, I heard him cry and I went into his room. He was balled up, holding his knee, crying, and rocking back and forth. I got a pit in my stomach, said my motherly "duty" prayer of "Jesus touch him", but instantly my mind raced to what "I" could do. I asked him if he would take medicine if I got it for him, I asked if he would straighten his legs so I could rub them, I asked if he would drink some warm milk to calm down, and I asked if I could hold him. All my requests were met with a hysterical "NOOOOOO!" I realized my hands were tied, so I went back to the thing I should've done in the first place...I prayed like I meant it! My prayer went something like this:
"Jesus, you didn't get whipped and beaten for my son to lay here in pain. You went through all that so we could be healed...and we ARE healed. I refuse to let a drop of blood that you shed go to waste. You gave me a healthy son and the devil is trying to rob him of it. Take away his pain and let him calm down in Jesus' name."
He had kicked off his blankets from rolling around so as soon as I prayed I pulled them up to cover him. The blanket didn't even touch his shoulder yet when he stopped crying, closed his eyes, and started to drift back to sleep. He was completely pain free, calm, and peaceful in an INSTANT...and it happened to be when I prayed. Coincidence? Not a chance. I know how long it takes him to calm down, how the pain usually needs medicine to go away, yet there he was falling asleep right before my eyes without so much as a whine, wimper, or shaky breath.
I welled up with tears of gratitude, but I wasn't surprised. I have to admit shamefully, sometimes I pray for something and I have all the faith in the world...but when God answers my prayers I'm shocked. Then He kindly reminds me "If you truly had faith, you'd be shocked if prayers WEREN'T answered." But last night there was no shock, just gratitude and confirmation...like God was saying "That's the way you need to pray, and you need to be relying on me like that all the time." Well, point taken.
We serve a supernatural God, why we try to keep him in natural bounds is beyond me. I was just guilty of it yesterday. My nephew fell off playground equipment and got a nasty gash that needed stitches. I told my brother I would pray...and I did. But I prayed for him not to be afraid or in pain, to guide the doctors hands, and for his lip to heal without scarring. Ok, not bad prayers, but why didn't I pray for his lip to be healed enroute to the hospital. God was more than capable of healing that cut, but I prayed in a way that was comfortable. I feel bad that I did that now, although God did answer my prayer according to what I asked for-my nephew was brave and feeling better and his lip looks much better already. But what if I prayed with great faith asking above what we expect in the natural? Maybe he would have been touched instantly like my son was.
My pastor has witnessed his own arm, covered in weeping poison oak, be completely healed before his eyes; he also witnessed a terribly broken leg be healed before his eyes and the man went back to work. My husband witnessed a deformed arm be made whole before his eyes. My parents witnessed a massive egg on my head from an injury as a toddler dissappear as quickly as it came. They took me to church that night without as much as a scratch on my head. All these things happened when people prayed "in Jesus' name", and these are just a handful of stories I know of. Plus these accounts are from people that I know well, love, and respect. They aren't into "fake" miracles or lies. Neither am I. It's not always comfortable talking about healing and miracles or even God and the devil. People start to look at you funny...even some Christians. But I can't ignore what happened and if I can give anyone hope, or insight as to what the character of the one true God is, I will take that risk. What these people witnessed, and what I witnessed last night, go way beyond luck or coincidence. When God is this good, how could I NOT love and serve Him!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
God Is Mean?
I often hear people say that God is mean. They feel if He was the loving God He claims to be, then the world would be a better place and nothing bad would happen to anyone, believer or not. Part of me can understand certain aspects of these feelings, but only at a surface level. When you actually begin to get deeper into God and the way He works, it brings much clarity.
The first thing I want to say is that I don't claim to understand everything about God. He tells us in the Bible the Spirit will reveal the things it should, but some things will remain a mystery. So I need to accept that. Besides, if we understood why everything happens and had definite answers to every question, there would be no room for faith or free will. We don't exactly have the choice to deny that 1+1=2 because it is plain and proven and in your face. If God didn't allow people to come up with their own views on things, we wouldn't be able to choose to deny Him or choose to believe through faith. And God loves us SO much, and is so JUST, that He wants US to be the ones to choose our path, even though He desires us to follow the path that leads to Him.
Now on to the "mean/unfair" God. How can God let little kids suffer and people starve and allow all the awful things that happen in this world. The best answer I can give is that although Jesus conquered the world, (and death and hell), the devil is still the prince of this world and has free reign over non-believers. The devil can't touch us believers without God's permission, and if He allows it we understand it's for our own good. We also understand that "greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world". We can overcome everything with the help of the Lord and have the confidence that when we stay strong in Him, He works all things out for our good. We will come out stronger and more blessed on the other side. (The book of Job is a great example of this.)
In the beginning, the earth wasn't intended to be the way it is now. God created a literal paradise, and with the fall of man, sin entered in destroying everything, including God's direct communion with man, which created the need for a Savior. Sin breeds death and destruction. So much of the bad in this world is a direct result of sin...sin that doesn't just affect one person. That's what makes it so awful. It's like a cancer that spreads and destroys many lives. Why does God "allow" children to be molested? He tells us all sexual immorality is wrong, but we have FREE WILL. It's that molester's decision to obey God and not destroy a life, or to do it anyway. When he disobeys and it hurts another human being, how is that God's fault? That's EXACTLY WHY God says not to sin in the first place! The good thing is that God can turn that awful situation around for good at anytime if anyone involved turn to Him. I'm reminded of one of my favorite preachers, Joyce Meyer, who was molested by her father her whole life. She was in misery during her entire childhood, but turned to God and He fully restored her life. She can actually say now that she's glad it happened because it allows her to relate to hurting people on a deepeer level and God had given her peace and freedom over her past so it no longer haunts her. This is showing how even when people disobey God, and hurt others in the process, He can still turn any situation around for good for those who love Him.
Now about all that "judgement." If God loves us, why would He judge us? Although God loves all people and desire that all come to know Him, He hates sin. I don't want people to think I'm a member of the Westborough Baptist Church by that statement, so let me clarify. God loves PEOPLE, he hates sinful ACTIONS. God himself is justice epitomized, so how can He NOT right a wrong??? How can a person murder someone, and not be expected to be punished in some way? Look at the uproar that happens when vile criminals get a slap on the wrist or are let out of prison early. How much more does God want innocent people vindicated. It's only fair...and God is fair, and just, and full of love.
You're probably thinking, "OK, He loves that innocent person but hates the guilty person." Not so. God still loves that guilty man (by the way, we are all guilty of sin). That is why at ANY time, ANYONE can repent and be forgiven of their sins. He sent Jesus as the way to make that happen. Without Jesus, there would be no way to know God in such a personal way or to be forgiven because of the divide that sin caused between God and man. Jesus bridges that gap. There's a story in the Bible of a man hiring workers for his field and he said he'd pay them each a certain amount. Well a man came at the end of the day and worked the last hour, and he was paid the same amount. The other workers were mad because they had worked more hours and didn't get paid any more, but the man said the wage was set in the beginning for all workers...even the ones who came at the end. This paints a picture of justice. Regardless of if salvation began in childhood or began with a last breath, when we say "Jesus, forgive me, I believe in You" and truly believe, we can all have the same reward of eternal life. God is no respecter of persons because He truly knows our hearts and that's what really matters to Him. If you sincerely ask for forgiveness and turn away from sin and walk with the Lord, there is no condemnation. EVERYONE has a chance! And whoever believes has the opportunity to help others now instead of hurting them (which was God's plan from the beginning).
God is so complex. He's always been and always will be. He knows and sees everything, including the intentions of our hearts and the future. It's incredible that we get so easily frustrated with God when He doesn't work the way we think He should. We are intelligent beings, but the Bible says that all the knowledge of man is foolishness to God. The smartest, most competent person in the world is a fool in God's eyes if he relies on his own intellect. God gave us the Holy Spirit to reveal answers to life in the Bible, and He gave us the choice of having faith for things God doesn't want to reveal. God is a God of love, mercy, kindness, and justice. God loves each and every one of us enough to let us choose for ourselves which path we will take. He tells us that all paths lead to Him, but one leads to Him as a judge, and another leads to Him as our Savior. The road to heaven is narrow, but it's available to anyone who wants it. Even if you've been on the wrong path, you can get on the right one RIGHT NOW!! Noone's promised tomorrow...think about it today.
The first thing I want to say is that I don't claim to understand everything about God. He tells us in the Bible the Spirit will reveal the things it should, but some things will remain a mystery. So I need to accept that. Besides, if we understood why everything happens and had definite answers to every question, there would be no room for faith or free will. We don't exactly have the choice to deny that 1+1=2 because it is plain and proven and in your face. If God didn't allow people to come up with their own views on things, we wouldn't be able to choose to deny Him or choose to believe through faith. And God loves us SO much, and is so JUST, that He wants US to be the ones to choose our path, even though He desires us to follow the path that leads to Him.
Now on to the "mean/unfair" God. How can God let little kids suffer and people starve and allow all the awful things that happen in this world. The best answer I can give is that although Jesus conquered the world, (and death and hell), the devil is still the prince of this world and has free reign over non-believers. The devil can't touch us believers without God's permission, and if He allows it we understand it's for our own good. We also understand that "greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world". We can overcome everything with the help of the Lord and have the confidence that when we stay strong in Him, He works all things out for our good. We will come out stronger and more blessed on the other side. (The book of Job is a great example of this.)
In the beginning, the earth wasn't intended to be the way it is now. God created a literal paradise, and with the fall of man, sin entered in destroying everything, including God's direct communion with man, which created the need for a Savior. Sin breeds death and destruction. So much of the bad in this world is a direct result of sin...sin that doesn't just affect one person. That's what makes it so awful. It's like a cancer that spreads and destroys many lives. Why does God "allow" children to be molested? He tells us all sexual immorality is wrong, but we have FREE WILL. It's that molester's decision to obey God and not destroy a life, or to do it anyway. When he disobeys and it hurts another human being, how is that God's fault? That's EXACTLY WHY God says not to sin in the first place! The good thing is that God can turn that awful situation around for good at anytime if anyone involved turn to Him. I'm reminded of one of my favorite preachers, Joyce Meyer, who was molested by her father her whole life. She was in misery during her entire childhood, but turned to God and He fully restored her life. She can actually say now that she's glad it happened because it allows her to relate to hurting people on a deepeer level and God had given her peace and freedom over her past so it no longer haunts her. This is showing how even when people disobey God, and hurt others in the process, He can still turn any situation around for good for those who love Him.
Now about all that "judgement." If God loves us, why would He judge us? Although God loves all people and desire that all come to know Him, He hates sin. I don't want people to think I'm a member of the Westborough Baptist Church by that statement, so let me clarify. God loves PEOPLE, he hates sinful ACTIONS. God himself is justice epitomized, so how can He NOT right a wrong??? How can a person murder someone, and not be expected to be punished in some way? Look at the uproar that happens when vile criminals get a slap on the wrist or are let out of prison early. How much more does God want innocent people vindicated. It's only fair...and God is fair, and just, and full of love.
You're probably thinking, "OK, He loves that innocent person but hates the guilty person." Not so. God still loves that guilty man (by the way, we are all guilty of sin). That is why at ANY time, ANYONE can repent and be forgiven of their sins. He sent Jesus as the way to make that happen. Without Jesus, there would be no way to know God in such a personal way or to be forgiven because of the divide that sin caused between God and man. Jesus bridges that gap. There's a story in the Bible of a man hiring workers for his field and he said he'd pay them each a certain amount. Well a man came at the end of the day and worked the last hour, and he was paid the same amount. The other workers were mad because they had worked more hours and didn't get paid any more, but the man said the wage was set in the beginning for all workers...even the ones who came at the end. This paints a picture of justice. Regardless of if salvation began in childhood or began with a last breath, when we say "Jesus, forgive me, I believe in You" and truly believe, we can all have the same reward of eternal life. God is no respecter of persons because He truly knows our hearts and that's what really matters to Him. If you sincerely ask for forgiveness and turn away from sin and walk with the Lord, there is no condemnation. EVERYONE has a chance! And whoever believes has the opportunity to help others now instead of hurting them (which was God's plan from the beginning).
God is so complex. He's always been and always will be. He knows and sees everything, including the intentions of our hearts and the future. It's incredible that we get so easily frustrated with God when He doesn't work the way we think He should. We are intelligent beings, but the Bible says that all the knowledge of man is foolishness to God. The smartest, most competent person in the world is a fool in God's eyes if he relies on his own intellect. God gave us the Holy Spirit to reveal answers to life in the Bible, and He gave us the choice of having faith for things God doesn't want to reveal. God is a God of love, mercy, kindness, and justice. God loves each and every one of us enough to let us choose for ourselves which path we will take. He tells us that all paths lead to Him, but one leads to Him as a judge, and another leads to Him as our Savior. The road to heaven is narrow, but it's available to anyone who wants it. Even if you've been on the wrong path, you can get on the right one RIGHT NOW!! Noone's promised tomorrow...think about it today.
Monday, March 7, 2011
The Lie That Binds
Although I've been saved my whole life, I've recently had a major "a-ha" moment. For so much of my life I was a slave to my moods and emotions. However I felt when I woke up that day dictated how my entire day was going to go. I tried to follow my heart and go by my "gut feelings." This is widely accepted in this world. We snap at our family and say we're just cranky. We are moody at work at tell people we woke up on the wrong side of the bed. We begin and end relationships because of the way we "feel." All my life I never realized that this way of thinking was wrong. Then I started diligently seeking answers on how to have a better Christian life. What I found set me free.
Emotions were created by God and we will feel them because we are human. God doesn't say having emotions or feelings are wrong. They can be wonderful a lot of times. But there are a lot of feelings that aren't so nice. Anger, jealousy, depression, worthlessness, etc., can become overbearing forces that can literally ruin our day, our week, even our lives if we let them. In reading my Bible the past few months I realized that although we feel these things...we don't have to live IN them. The Bible says "In your anger do not sin." So that tells me we can feel negative emotions, but what we do with them is our choice. Yup...our CHOICE!! We can get angry and flip out or we can get angry and give it to God. If I couldn't pray for strength, I don't know what I would do. And if I couldn't read the Bible, I don't know where I'd be. The Bible tells me what is reality regardless of what my circumstances are telling me. It tells me that God works everything out for my good. It tells me that Christians go through bad time, but we don't go through them alone. And what the devil meant for bad, God meant for good. So all of that affirmation makes me realize that no matter what comes my way, I don't have to be a slave to the natural emotions that stem from circumstances, and the knowledge of God's promise of everything working out makes it much easier to do.
Now for those good feelings. We shouldn't be a slave to them either. For example, people make bad choices such as starting or ending friendships, relationships, and marriages based on feelings. It's nice to feel those warm, mushy feelings in the beginning, but we need to remember that God gives us practical wisdom in the Bible that we can use as a guide to see if our feelings can be trusted. Example...you're in a marriage but the guy at work makes you laugh and gives you butterflies. The rules of this world would say, "Go with your heart. Noone should be in a dead marriage. Everyone deserves to be happy." If we use the Bible to get clarity on these feelings, we will read that God gave us marriage for happiness and unity, and it was our choice to enter into it. It says that what God has joined together, let no man seperate. It also says that nothing is impossible for God, and that includes restoring your marriage. These guidelines help keep your feeling in check, give you the answer as to what the right thing to do is, while at the same time giving you hope that if you put your faith in Him and do your part, your marriage can be absolutely amazing again.
I start my day with reading the Bible and prayer. It is like putting on a new me. I could've woken up cranky, tired, miserable, whatever...but I don't have to stay that way. I'm not perfect. I still snap at the kids and fight with my husband. But it's getting less and less and when it does happen, I can regroup more quickly, apologize, and say I'm not doing that again instead of "this is how I feel, now everyone has to just deal with it." Living to make others happy actually makes yourself much more happy as well. God really knows what He's talking about!
Emotions were created by God and we will feel them because we are human. God doesn't say having emotions or feelings are wrong. They can be wonderful a lot of times. But there are a lot of feelings that aren't so nice. Anger, jealousy, depression, worthlessness, etc., can become overbearing forces that can literally ruin our day, our week, even our lives if we let them. In reading my Bible the past few months I realized that although we feel these things...we don't have to live IN them. The Bible says "In your anger do not sin." So that tells me we can feel negative emotions, but what we do with them is our choice. Yup...our CHOICE!! We can get angry and flip out or we can get angry and give it to God. If I couldn't pray for strength, I don't know what I would do. And if I couldn't read the Bible, I don't know where I'd be. The Bible tells me what is reality regardless of what my circumstances are telling me. It tells me that God works everything out for my good. It tells me that Christians go through bad time, but we don't go through them alone. And what the devil meant for bad, God meant for good. So all of that affirmation makes me realize that no matter what comes my way, I don't have to be a slave to the natural emotions that stem from circumstances, and the knowledge of God's promise of everything working out makes it much easier to do.
Now for those good feelings. We shouldn't be a slave to them either. For example, people make bad choices such as starting or ending friendships, relationships, and marriages based on feelings. It's nice to feel those warm, mushy feelings in the beginning, but we need to remember that God gives us practical wisdom in the Bible that we can use as a guide to see if our feelings can be trusted. Example...you're in a marriage but the guy at work makes you laugh and gives you butterflies. The rules of this world would say, "Go with your heart. Noone should be in a dead marriage. Everyone deserves to be happy." If we use the Bible to get clarity on these feelings, we will read that God gave us marriage for happiness and unity, and it was our choice to enter into it. It says that what God has joined together, let no man seperate. It also says that nothing is impossible for God, and that includes restoring your marriage. These guidelines help keep your feeling in check, give you the answer as to what the right thing to do is, while at the same time giving you hope that if you put your faith in Him and do your part, your marriage can be absolutely amazing again.
I start my day with reading the Bible and prayer. It is like putting on a new me. I could've woken up cranky, tired, miserable, whatever...but I don't have to stay that way. I'm not perfect. I still snap at the kids and fight with my husband. But it's getting less and less and when it does happen, I can regroup more quickly, apologize, and say I'm not doing that again instead of "this is how I feel, now everyone has to just deal with it." Living to make others happy actually makes yourself much more happy as well. God really knows what He's talking about!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Truth IS NOT Relative
"Everyone needs to find the version of truth that works for them." How many times have we heard this or something like it? How about "Everything is valid...it's all perspective." Here's the facts..OPINIONS are relative. They depend on situations and points of view before they are concocted. TRUTH is TRUTH, regardless of if it's accepted or denied. It doesn't change because of the spin people try to put on it. Everyone has free will and the right to believe what they want, but it doesn't change Truth. The best example I can give is a person with a color defiency looking at color. Say he sees red as brown. To him, that is truth. Red looks brown, but in the reality of the world, red is red and brown is brown. His believing red is brown doesn't change the truth.
The truth is that we are all human beings. We all have the same make up which means we all either have a spirit of we don't. Believing you don't have a spirit won't make it disappear when you die if in fact we humans have one. Let's say we all have a spirit (which most people can't deny)...now it gets more complicated. What happens when we die? Do we just hang out here without our bodies? Do we go into another body...maybe a cat if you were bad, or a king if you were good? Do we go to heaven or hell? BELIEVING in reincarnation WILL NOT make it happen UNLESS that is TRULY what happens in the end. That is the same for Christianity. Believing in the One True God will not make Him appear when I die...He's either already there waiting for me...or I'm in for a big surprise. That being said, the more I grow closer to Him, the more joy, peace, love and plain enjoyment I get out of life. So if I'm wrong, believing in Him has given me an amazing life here and peace about dying. If I'm right, I'm in the same boat.
But there is no telling me there is no God. How is it that somehow "magically", when I read the Bible, live my life accordingly, and pray, I get so much in return, plus the strength to stay strong in God. Knowing myself as well as I do, there is NO WAY I could do the things I've done on my own. My prayers have been answered too many times to be mere coincidence and no amount of self help books could give me this kind of joy and there's no type of meditation that can give me the peace that comes over me when I'm in prayer. It literally feels like a blanket on my soul...something I've NEVER felt unless I've been talking to God. I heard on the news people who pray have lower blood pressure and are generally more healthy. But then they said if you don't believe in God, try talking to an imaginary friend and you should get the same results. That is hilarious. Since when did imaginary "Bob" heal someone? When did he keep someone safe from an accident or provide for someone? My pastor tells a story of when his children were young, they had no food in the house and no money to get any. His wife set the table and told everyone to sit around it because she knew God would provide. They sat down, not quite sure what to think, but said a prayer thanking God for the food He was going to provide and as soon as they said "Amen", there was a knock at the door. They opened the door to a van backed up filled with grocery bags of food. That, my friend, is the work of my God, my Provider, my Friend, my Shelter, my Strength, my Peace...not an imaginary friend.
There are those who believe in "God", although they don't believe in the Bible. Huh? How else are you supposed to get to know God?? By guessing? By your "feelings"? By a book someone wrote based on their opinion? If you believe in a god you've contrived in your head...that's all he is...a figment of your imagination. God gave us the Bible so we can know the TRUTH. And God says plainly He is the One True God, He is not apart from Jesus and the Holy Spirit and the only way to Heaven is through accepting Jesus as our Savior. Everything in the Bible checks out. When we do our part, God does His. Everytime!! It's impossible to fail when you live this life. There are people who have made grave mistakes in their Christian walk and have made a bad name for many of us...but was it because they followed what the Bible says? No. It's because the DISOBEYED. These people went against God's commands and Jesus's example. This is why we aren't to follow man. They will fail us everytime...but God doesn't fail. Just give Him a try. Give Him all of your baggage and see what he gives you in return. I guarantee you won't ever want to trade it back! God says we need to listen to what the Bible says and marry it with faith. BELIEVE it's true, and He'll show you without a doubt that you've finally found the Truth.
The truth is that we are all human beings. We all have the same make up which means we all either have a spirit of we don't. Believing you don't have a spirit won't make it disappear when you die if in fact we humans have one. Let's say we all have a spirit (which most people can't deny)...now it gets more complicated. What happens when we die? Do we just hang out here without our bodies? Do we go into another body...maybe a cat if you were bad, or a king if you were good? Do we go to heaven or hell? BELIEVING in reincarnation WILL NOT make it happen UNLESS that is TRULY what happens in the end. That is the same for Christianity. Believing in the One True God will not make Him appear when I die...He's either already there waiting for me...or I'm in for a big surprise. That being said, the more I grow closer to Him, the more joy, peace, love and plain enjoyment I get out of life. So if I'm wrong, believing in Him has given me an amazing life here and peace about dying. If I'm right, I'm in the same boat.
But there is no telling me there is no God. How is it that somehow "magically", when I read the Bible, live my life accordingly, and pray, I get so much in return, plus the strength to stay strong in God. Knowing myself as well as I do, there is NO WAY I could do the things I've done on my own. My prayers have been answered too many times to be mere coincidence and no amount of self help books could give me this kind of joy and there's no type of meditation that can give me the peace that comes over me when I'm in prayer. It literally feels like a blanket on my soul...something I've NEVER felt unless I've been talking to God. I heard on the news people who pray have lower blood pressure and are generally more healthy. But then they said if you don't believe in God, try talking to an imaginary friend and you should get the same results. That is hilarious. Since when did imaginary "Bob" heal someone? When did he keep someone safe from an accident or provide for someone? My pastor tells a story of when his children were young, they had no food in the house and no money to get any. His wife set the table and told everyone to sit around it because she knew God would provide. They sat down, not quite sure what to think, but said a prayer thanking God for the food He was going to provide and as soon as they said "Amen", there was a knock at the door. They opened the door to a van backed up filled with grocery bags of food. That, my friend, is the work of my God, my Provider, my Friend, my Shelter, my Strength, my Peace...not an imaginary friend.
There are those who believe in "God", although they don't believe in the Bible. Huh? How else are you supposed to get to know God?? By guessing? By your "feelings"? By a book someone wrote based on their opinion? If you believe in a god you've contrived in your head...that's all he is...a figment of your imagination. God gave us the Bible so we can know the TRUTH. And God says plainly He is the One True God, He is not apart from Jesus and the Holy Spirit and the only way to Heaven is through accepting Jesus as our Savior. Everything in the Bible checks out. When we do our part, God does His. Everytime!! It's impossible to fail when you live this life. There are people who have made grave mistakes in their Christian walk and have made a bad name for many of us...but was it because they followed what the Bible says? No. It's because the DISOBEYED. These people went against God's commands and Jesus's example. This is why we aren't to follow man. They will fail us everytime...but God doesn't fail. Just give Him a try. Give Him all of your baggage and see what he gives you in return. I guarantee you won't ever want to trade it back! God says we need to listen to what the Bible says and marry it with faith. BELIEVE it's true, and He'll show you without a doubt that you've finally found the Truth.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Why I (Still) Believe
Did you know that approximately 75% of youth that went to church at one time drop out? Why is this happening? Why wasn't I one of them? Why wasn't my husband one of them? Why do we both have family members who are? This is a scary question for me to face because now that I'm a mother, I desperately DO NOT want my children to be added to this statistic. I wonder what makes believing in Jesus so hard for some yet seem so easy for others. What about the ones who do believe it as truth, yet feel their lives would be better without God and His "rules"?
Growing up we went to church whenever the doors were open. My two older brothers and I were part of Children's Church, Sunday School, Youth Group, and Royal Rangers/Missionettes. My parents were "strict"...borderline "abusive" by today's standards (haha). We went to church whether we felt like it or not...we weren't allowed to watch movies with cursing, nudity, or too much violence...we had to sneak listening to secular music. We were kept in line by spanking and grounding...we weren't allowed to curse and our friends from school had to be met by my mom before we could go to their house. Man I must have hated my life, huh? Far from it. Of course there were times I was frustrated by these rules, but I accepted them, and now that I'm an adult, I thank God for them.
Since we had rules, my parents also had standards to live by. They were far from the "do as I say, not as I do" type. My parents didn't drink, smoke, or do drugs. They worked on their marriage and are still married after 35 years. My dad was hard-working at his job, my mom was hard-working at home. We always knew we were loved and we watched my parents lean on God in both good times and bad. And of course there were hard times...being a Christian doesn't mean you get a magical life of no troubles. What you do get is the strength to get through them and the confidence in God's promise of turning it around for good. When I look back, all of these "rules" created an amazing childhood for me. Maybe there's a reason God gives us guidelines on how to live a better life??? It taught me a lot, provided me with great memories, but the main thing I got out of it was that God is real, Jesus is real and if I live my life for Him, I can get through anything.
I think people have a hard time believing because God can't really be "proven" in the way that people want and the "standards" of a Godly life seem daunting at first glance. I also don't think people realize all they GET when they live according to God's way. I want to briefly talk about these issues now, and I'm sure I'll get more in depth at a later time.
God can't be proven in most minds because we can't see Him. Unless we have tangible proof of anything, we won't believe it. That's the way we work...we're born skeptics. I find this strange though: evolution hasn't been proven 100% either, yet people find that easier to believe. There is so much evidence supporting the Bible as being valid, yet for some reason, that's often dismissed. I won't get into all the proofs right now, but research "Evidence that Demands a Verdict" by Josh McDowell. He was an atheist trying to make a mockery of the Bible and ended up with so much evidence showing it's validity, he became a Christian. Also research the Shroud of Turin. These are two tools to show there is a lot of scientific evidence supporting the Bible and what it says to be true.
Now for the rules...those awful rules that keep people from having any fun are what skeptics LOVE to use as a reason to forget about God. Well, at first glance, it can seem intimidating. Why does God have so much to say about the way we live our life anyway? Unless we know the character of God, we will never truly understand. Why do we tell our kids to not eat a bunch of ice cream for breakfast? Because IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THEM. They don't always like it, but hopefully they know that we love them, and take us at our word. We need to know WHO God is...WHY He tells us things...and WHAT will happen when we obey and when we don't. The ten commandments and all other "rules" are guidelines that God has put in place to make our lives easier and better. "The wages of sin are death"...you don't need God to strike you with lightening-living a sinful life brings disaster in itself. That's why it's called sin. I will get into the specifics of this another time, but for now I'll just give one example. God tells us not to get drunk. What stems from drinking too much? Drunk driving, rape, fights, consentual sex that's regretted, unwanted pregnancy, embarrassing actions and saying things you shouldn't have as well as taking a physical toll on the body in the form of hangovers, alcohol poisoning, ulcers, cancer, internal bleeding, and cirrhosis of the liver to name a few. Do you see what God's trying to protect us from? It's like a parent wanting to keep their child safe. Sin is only fun for a season, but the repercussions last much longer.
So if we shouldn't do these things...even if we understand that it's for our own good, what CAN we do? What do we get out of the deal?? Well the big prize is eternal life in heaven with the Lord. But that doesn't always help when we are struggling here on earth now. What you get here is a life of freedom! A life of freedom because you don't have to deal with the results of bad choices. You get a life of never being alone, always having someone to talk to, POWER to overcome temptation, KNOWLEDGE of why we are here and DESIRE to do something bigger than yourself. And don't forget about peace that passes all understanding, unspeakable joy, and unfailing love. This is one of the main differences (I feel) of people who follow the Lord, and people who don't-personal experience. This is so hard to put into words, but when you take a step of faith, God will run to you, and it's evident in ways that are hard to explain. This amazing life is so much FUN!!
Well this blog turned out to be much longer than I expected, yet I haven't even scratched the surface of what an incredible journey living for the Lord is. I hope you'll check back from time to time and read personal stories, proofs, and ways to be happier while we're here and without any worry of what's over there.
Growing up we went to church whenever the doors were open. My two older brothers and I were part of Children's Church, Sunday School, Youth Group, and Royal Rangers/Missionettes. My parents were "strict"...borderline "abusive" by today's standards (haha). We went to church whether we felt like it or not...we weren't allowed to watch movies with cursing, nudity, or too much violence...we had to sneak listening to secular music. We were kept in line by spanking and grounding...we weren't allowed to curse and our friends from school had to be met by my mom before we could go to their house. Man I must have hated my life, huh? Far from it. Of course there were times I was frustrated by these rules, but I accepted them, and now that I'm an adult, I thank God for them.
Since we had rules, my parents also had standards to live by. They were far from the "do as I say, not as I do" type. My parents didn't drink, smoke, or do drugs. They worked on their marriage and are still married after 35 years. My dad was hard-working at his job, my mom was hard-working at home. We always knew we were loved and we watched my parents lean on God in both good times and bad. And of course there were hard times...being a Christian doesn't mean you get a magical life of no troubles. What you do get is the strength to get through them and the confidence in God's promise of turning it around for good. When I look back, all of these "rules" created an amazing childhood for me. Maybe there's a reason God gives us guidelines on how to live a better life??? It taught me a lot, provided me with great memories, but the main thing I got out of it was that God is real, Jesus is real and if I live my life for Him, I can get through anything.
I think people have a hard time believing because God can't really be "proven" in the way that people want and the "standards" of a Godly life seem daunting at first glance. I also don't think people realize all they GET when they live according to God's way. I want to briefly talk about these issues now, and I'm sure I'll get more in depth at a later time.
God can't be proven in most minds because we can't see Him. Unless we have tangible proof of anything, we won't believe it. That's the way we work...we're born skeptics. I find this strange though: evolution hasn't been proven 100% either, yet people find that easier to believe. There is so much evidence supporting the Bible as being valid, yet for some reason, that's often dismissed. I won't get into all the proofs right now, but research "Evidence that Demands a Verdict" by Josh McDowell. He was an atheist trying to make a mockery of the Bible and ended up with so much evidence showing it's validity, he became a Christian. Also research the Shroud of Turin. These are two tools to show there is a lot of scientific evidence supporting the Bible and what it says to be true.
Now for the rules...those awful rules that keep people from having any fun are what skeptics LOVE to use as a reason to forget about God. Well, at first glance, it can seem intimidating. Why does God have so much to say about the way we live our life anyway? Unless we know the character of God, we will never truly understand. Why do we tell our kids to not eat a bunch of ice cream for breakfast? Because IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THEM. They don't always like it, but hopefully they know that we love them, and take us at our word. We need to know WHO God is...WHY He tells us things...and WHAT will happen when we obey and when we don't. The ten commandments and all other "rules" are guidelines that God has put in place to make our lives easier and better. "The wages of sin are death"...you don't need God to strike you with lightening-living a sinful life brings disaster in itself. That's why it's called sin. I will get into the specifics of this another time, but for now I'll just give one example. God tells us not to get drunk. What stems from drinking too much? Drunk driving, rape, fights, consentual sex that's regretted, unwanted pregnancy, embarrassing actions and saying things you shouldn't have as well as taking a physical toll on the body in the form of hangovers, alcohol poisoning, ulcers, cancer, internal bleeding, and cirrhosis of the liver to name a few. Do you see what God's trying to protect us from? It's like a parent wanting to keep their child safe. Sin is only fun for a season, but the repercussions last much longer.
So if we shouldn't do these things...even if we understand that it's for our own good, what CAN we do? What do we get out of the deal?? Well the big prize is eternal life in heaven with the Lord. But that doesn't always help when we are struggling here on earth now. What you get here is a life of freedom! A life of freedom because you don't have to deal with the results of bad choices. You get a life of never being alone, always having someone to talk to, POWER to overcome temptation, KNOWLEDGE of why we are here and DESIRE to do something bigger than yourself. And don't forget about peace that passes all understanding, unspeakable joy, and unfailing love. This is one of the main differences (I feel) of people who follow the Lord, and people who don't-personal experience. This is so hard to put into words, but when you take a step of faith, God will run to you, and it's evident in ways that are hard to explain. This amazing life is so much FUN!!
Well this blog turned out to be much longer than I expected, yet I haven't even scratched the surface of what an incredible journey living for the Lord is. I hope you'll check back from time to time and read personal stories, proofs, and ways to be happier while we're here and without any worry of what's over there.
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