holy days

This week we head into holy week.
This is one of the most special weeks in the Christian calendar as we prepare for the greatest gift of all time.
John 3:16 comes to life.  For God so loved the world that he gave his holy son.  Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

This is the week Jesus turns his face toward Jerusalem and knows what is coming.
This is the week he will stand before Pontius Pilot
This is the week he will ride triumphantly into the city to shouts of "Hosanna" (means "Save Us")
This is the week he prays that God take this cup from him
This is the week his friends betray him
This is the week he suffers
This is the week that prepared him to understand all of our suffering.
This is why he understands my pain.
This is why he understands my sorrow.
He has been where I stood this past year.  He felt what I feel...the suffering, betrayal, hurt..he has felt it.  He gets it.  He gets me all because of this holy week.

I always take time during this week to spend time with Christ and to walk the walk with him.
I find a stations of the cross and walk the walk of Holy Week.  It is a busy week of services but it is also a week to feel and react.
Think about all that was given this week for you....because of love.
Because God so love the world.
Because God so loved Kim.
Because God so loved you.

harlots, adulterers

So, I promised to tell you about my disciple class again this week.  This week was the story of Hosea and his unfaithful, adulterous wife Gomer.  My first visit to my counselor following my discovery of Mark's affair, he told me to read this story.  Probably because it ends with redemption, forgiveness and pure love. I didn't see it or get it then...I thought what an idiot Hosea is...now I get it!!

I've never heard the word harlot or adultery used so much in one book of the bible, with a little whoring thrown in now and then...Sounds like one of my outbursts!  Here is what our workbook said:

Notice how God relates the punishment to the crime..."You played the whore" therefore everything is polluted, adulterated (Hosea 9:1)
The security of home has been violated..(Hosea 9:14)
You wanted to wander like a wild ass (8:9) So be it! You will "become a wanderer among nations" (9:17)
Cause and effect is how God explains it...You plow wickedness; you reap injustice (10:13)  You break the bonds of marriage... you end up in slavery.

Sounds like one of my rampages I get on....was he talking about Gomer or the people he loved, Isreal?
It was both...That's what I love about bible study...we think it is this oh so boring book of the bible...when it is so much more...my youth would love this story because of all of the sexing and whoring...they would love to just be able to say those words!! And to think it is right there in the bible...and they think it is just Jonah and the whale.

And after all of this ranting and raving about the Isrealites...God still can't punish his people because he loves them too much...He talks a good one but talks himself out of it if they repent of their ways...just like Hosea will do if Gomer repents...and like Kim would have done if Mark would have repented.  It talked about how the prophet, Hosea could prophesy on this topic because he knew how God felt when he was betrayed he understood God's pain ...because he too had been so betrayed and heart broken...I understand too, God...I've been there with you...and I pray I never forget the pain, sorrow and that oh so sick feeling,
God responds to all the betrayal by saying....It is I (God) who answers and looks after you. (Hosea 14:8)
You know what this means?  He also knows exactly I feel and felt...wow!

Sort of goes with that song last night...God's grace...you can never get too far from it...you can never do anything so bad that God gives up on you...God's love is unconditional and forever.

I need to learn a few lessons.

Thank goodness it is.

The Shack

Prior to everything (do you see my life revolves around prior to the affair and following the affair?) I read the book "The Shack" and loved it.  It took on a whole new meaning following the affair.

One day my friend Leslie at work said "guess who is coming to Charleston...Paul Young...he wrote 'The Shack'...we have to plan on going to see him."  So, my daughter-in-law Jennifer, Leslie and I went to see him speak.  What a night...the witness was unreal...his story of how a couple of friends published this book and distributed it out of their garage to it becoming a world-wide phenomenon...is amazing...

also amazing was his story of cheating on his wife of many years...how his ego outgrew himself and how he struggled with all of it...and his relationship with God...and now 9 years later she is just starting to trust him again...she is just starting to love him again...what a fool he had been and how he let his pride and ego get in the way of all that he loved...his kids, his wife and his life...what a revelation...

we all sat shocked and stunned and cried...we stayed after and got our books signed and left saying "wow' we have just witnessed a God moment...God was in that place as he talked...you expected the witness from him about the book...but not the personal witness of his life struggles...the same struggles I was dealing with but from the other side...of the prideful and egotistical cheater...

it was special these special friends were with me and experienced it with me.

It was a revelation to me...I came home and sat down and packaged the book with a note that said Read this book and started to send it to Mark...but that little God voice inside my head said...stop...don't...the time is not right for this...he won't get it...listen to me...so I did... it still sits packaged ready to go when I get the word from God...

If you haven't read The Shack go out and buy it today and meet the father, son and holy ghost.  All three in ways you won't believe in a story of forgiveness...

Blessings today...

lent is around the corner

Ash Wednesday is this week...the start of the lenten season in the church year...I am giving up something this year...no more bad mouthing Mark McHenry within these pages...you all hold me to it...and make sure I give it up for Lent!

Today Greg preached on the transfiguration...and his message was once again for me...he talked about having patience...wait in faith and God's purpose for our life will become clear...after time passes then we understand why it happened how it did...Hard times require patience to see and understand why...

My reading for the day from daily reflections in Alive Now...As Jesus starts into this season we will see him in the desert, betrayed and bearing sorrow...

My patience is just about shot...so I needed that reminder.
Lora reminds me constantly to be still and listen...and I don't have the patience...I want to know NOW...what do you want me to do Lord? Where am I to go Lord...

God of fire and cloud, keep me close when I travel through wildernesses of sadness and sorrow.
Amen.

prophets of old

As I read for this disciple class you are going to hear a lot of comments...When I read scripture, especially old testament there are always things I do not get or understand...Tonight it is the prophets of old...I like these guys...they don't tip toe or worry about feelings...they have a message to get out...even though it may mean they will be killed (and not in a nice way) for what they say.

Nathan walked right up to David...told the story of a man with a lamb he loved like a child and the rich man that took the lamb and slaughtered it...David gets upset and swears to kill the rich man and Nathan looks him in the eye and says "You're that man"...He calls him an adulterer, murderer, thief and liar.  David was king at the time and had Uriah (his faithful warrior) killed and took Bathsheba to his bed...David betrayed his covenant with God, he kills, betrays and acts in his own self-interest...sounds like a story I know...I like Nathan's straight forwardness.  I like his kick-butt honesty. 

Recently, I had the chance to tell someone what I thought God would do.  I am helping with the Confirmation class at church.  The kids are wearing WWJD bracelets and I thought I will wear one too.  The youth were told this was their chance to share Jesus with others if someone asks.  Guess who got asked!! Me at work...in a meeting earlier this week, someone said to me...what is on your bracelet...I explained about the kids and wearing the bracelet...then they asked well what does WWJD mean? An I replied...What Would Jesus Do...so today the same person came to me and said...I don't know what Jesus would do but what do you think I should do in this instance...This same person has told me in the past how she has worked with Christian people who always turned her off.  Sometimes it is the quiet, steady and living what you say that bring  people around to Christ.  Can they look at you and see Christ in the way you deal with things??

I remember the first time I had a college kids say to me...I remember what you said about such and such....and I remember saying to them."Why would you listen to me???" "Why would you think I know anything?".  I feel the same way about telling someone about Christ.  What do I know. Why would you listen to me??

We influence others so we are sort of like a prophet of old...all of the words don't do it but sometimes the way we act and how we react is what invites others to take a second look at God. 

Help me Lord to always be what you want me to be...help me to walk the walk while talking the talk.  Help me be brave like a prophet of old.