Still Laughing

I hope you find this as funny as I do... I am still laughing a day later.

Ok, yesterday Lukas called from work and I thought he said "Dave (his boss) has a telescope that he's getting rid of and he's willing to sell it to us for $700 - I know we've talked about getting one, and that's a good price with all the trimmings." Has Lukas gone mad? A $700 telescope???? So I replied "Lukas, we don't have money to buy a telescope. " He actually sounded surprised that I wasn't going for it - and I couldn't remember ever talking about getting a telescope - we live in the city!!! Then I launched into this story about telescopes that I'd heard on NPR that "You can spend a ton of money to get a big telescope but if you're just starting out you can get a $50 one and a map of the stars and it may be a bit more challenging to find things, but it's all the same."
To this Lukas replied, sort of bewilderedly "Wow, Rebecca, nice story...." Something wasn't getting across here...He seriously wanted this telescope?
Then he said something along the line of saving money on heat...Hmmm... Perhaps he was not talking about a telescope after all.
Then he said the word again...."PELLET STOVE" which over a cell phone can sound an awful lot like telescope...trust me. So while I was telling this story about telescopes he was trying to figure out some spiritual analogy that I was trying to pass on to him about being content with what you have or something, when in reality I was just talking about telescopes.

So, we will not be getting a telescope...but Lord willing we will be getting a pellet stove. And after all, the telescope story went on to say that before you buy anything just go look at the stars from a meadow somewhere with a pair of bionoculars and see if you're really into it in the first place. And I really can't come up with a spiritual analogy out of that.

Weeping for the children...

Wow. I was so not going to blog about anything tonight, but my heart is instantly heavy.
I just finished reading the blog of a 15 year old girl, a pastor's daughter, and I am weeping for the children because they are no longer children. And my heart is heavy because when I was 15, my heart was in the same place hers is - focused on finding love in a relationship with some guy, not with Jesus Christ. But that quest is so empty - and leaves you only with regrets later in life (even if you don't have sex).
Ok, this leads me to another thought. Senior High week at Bethany Camp 1998 - Pastor Mike Hammons (if anyone knows where he is from or how I can contact him, let me know...) I thought the guy was totally gone. He passed out a survey and one question was something like this: (speaking to Sr. highers about sexual purity)
"How far is too far...should hands touch? Should lips touch? Should bodies touch?..."
He said NOTHING should touch, except that which does not cause you to lust. So some of us shouldn't even have had our eyes open. But seriously he hit purity to the core. So many young people (including myself as a teenager) ask "how far is too far" and youth leaders are so afraid to give a standard. The answer should be "he that looketh upon a woman and lusteth has commited adultery already." If you're lusting after a member of the opposite sex that you're not married to, you've already gone too far. I wish I could take these young girls ("CHRISTIAN" girls...pastors' daughters...) ...and love them, and teach them truth. And I know it is TRUTH that matters.
You see I know of young women who love the Lord and find all their worth in HIM. For an example check out Ednella's Blog . This girl is 15 as well - and she loves the Lord. I can think of three blonde girls from Erie, my cousin's daughter and a teenager in our church. Yes, there are girls out there who are not trying to find their worth in guys. But there are so many in the "church" who are doing just that! Again, my heart is heavy and I weep for them all. I pray the Lord will show me how I can help change these young girls lives with the truth.

eros

"EROS" is a Greek word for love - physical, self-gratifying love.
"AGAPE" is a Greek word for love - self-sacrificing, self-denying love

A couple weeks ago Pastor Bob said something that just jumped out at me. The word "Eros" is never used in the Bible. I remember doing studies on love and getting so confused about all the words for love and what is really love yadda yadda....But the only word used for love in the Bible is "Agape".

Our culture is awash in "eros" love (though I hate to even think of it as love). A physical, sensual gratifying "love" focused on self. It's seeped into mainstream Christianity I think mainly through our music. Tune into the Christian radio station and you can't always tell if the person is singing to a girl/boyfriend or to God. And I don't think it's always intentional. When we hear "love" mentioned we automatically think in romantic terms - that's our culture. So people are trying for this big emotional "experience" with God - trying to "feel" His love like they feel love for someone romantically.

But we are not called to love God romantically. We are called to love Him "agape" or self-sacrificially. My love for God is not like my love for Lukas. (Though I love Lukas with "agape" love). It is more of a parent-child love. Trusting the One who never fails, Knowing He has the best plan even when I cannot see it, knowing His discipline and correction is for spiritual growth. Loving and trusting Him like a child - like little Eliora loves and trusts me because I am all she knows.

I guess for a long time I was just confused because I sing these songs and they bring romantic thoughts to mind, but I just don't feel that way when I think about my Savior. I think of the woman who poured out perfume on Jesus' feet - out of utter thankfulness for His forgiveness of her sin. She was totally dependent on Him, not romantically attracted to Him. Or Mary sitting at His feet listening - the Teacher-student relationship. Again, not romantic, but love stemming out of reverential awe for the One Savior who offers forgivenss!

And now I understand that a small bit more. Oh to be like Mary and be able to sit at Jesus' feet and hear the Truth from His very lips! How powerful that is!

Submission

"God alone has soverign rights...Democratic theory is no less unscriptural than divine right monarchy. By whatever means men come to positions of rulership - by dynastic descent, aristocratic family connection, plutocratic material resources, or by democratic election, "There is no power but of God" (Rom. 13:1). Furthermore, civil government is an instrument, not an end. The state owns neither its citizens nor their properties, minds, bodies or children. All of these belong to their Creator-God who has never given to the state right of eminent domain. "
(Robert Culver in "A Biblical View of Civil Government" [Chicago:Moody, 1974], 47)
**Quote taken from John MacArthur's commentary on I & II Peter, p.147**
When I Peter was written Nero was emperor of Rome. Yet Peter didn't say "Rebel! Demand your rights! Freedom of religion is a God-given right! Fight with the sword!" No, he said the exact opposite, he said "SUBMIT" why? because of what Romans 13:! says - "There is no power but of God." God was in control during the Clinton administration...He was in control in WW2. He is in control now in China, Russia, North Korea and Iraq.
It has been documented throughout the ages that at times of deepest persecution the church flourishes. I like what John MacArthur said (paraphrasing)
"If the government demands that I not preach, I will still preach because God has told me to. But if they come to take me away, I will not protest. I will not lay down in the middle of the street and refuse to go. I will let them handcuff me and take me to prison, because I am called to submit to those in authority over me." (said in a radio message about 1 month ago)
The apostles said "We ought to obey God rather than men." Yes, that is correct, but part of obeying God is obeying man's laws as well until it becomes impossible to obey both. God doesn't call for civil disobedience, boycotts and hastling your government leaders constantly. He doesn't want us to mock them - He wants us to pray for them, not constantly speak against them. They are not the enemy, they are the harvest field. They make decisions contrary to the scripture because they are unsaved - pray for their salvation.
I recently heard on the Christian station a evangelical leader saying he was endorsing some government figure "with great fear and trepidation." He was afraid of the judgement of God if he made the wrong decision - like he's in control of the country! GOD IS IN CONTROL!!! TRUST HIM! If you believe in someone, vote for them with all the knowledge you can - but don't fret and furry over whether or not your decision is going to have such great consequence - God is in CONTROL!!!!
If a dictator one day takes over America and great persecution comes, we will need to submit as much as possible to those in authority over us. But we need not fear - man can kill the body, but God is "Eminent domain" over our hearts and minds.
So if a law is passed you don't agree with - remember - GOD IS IN CONTROL!

Eliora the Superhero

It's cold and drizzly outisde so this week we're trying to entertain ourselves within the four walls. Eliora finds this very difficult at times, but yesterday she became a Superhero. A Pink and White Superhero to be exact.
While cleaning all the summer clothes out of her dresser (she pulls them out of the drawer and I try to capture and fold them...) she discovered her swimsuit cover-up which is a pink and white terrycloth robe with a hood that zips up the front. She never got to wear it because by the time Grandma D gave it to her, the swimming days of summer were nearly past. But yesterday it became the find of a lifetime. She picked it up and went "Oooooo...." so I put the hood over her head. She was ready to save the world. All around her room...all around the upstairs...up and down the stairs...to the kitchen....she pranced about and entertained herself for quite some time. And she didn't take it off until just before bedtime.
So the swimsuit coverup won't go with all the summer clothes into the attic. No, it stays in the toybox for more superhero fun.
Who you gonna call...Eliora!

Contemplating...

I just read my friend, Kelly's blog and it inspired me to think even further on what she spoke about. She wrote about putting up walls in relationships because you always have to say goodbye and that is painful. You know what, I think we put up walls even with people we see all the time. One momentary thought...
I've been attending Grace Bible Church for 2 years now, and I am just beginnig to really get deeper into the lives of the ladies in the Church. It's like on Sundays we don't really want to talk about how the sermon affected us (maybe we just haven't processed it all yet) so we chat about clothes, or recipes or work or school or whatever. But those things are not the heart of a person. The heart is what's been affected by the message, how we are all doing on a Spiritual level - what our strengths and weaknesses are. Can we get past the exterrior and on to the interrior? I am sure most of the women in our church feel the same way. We all love the Lord and at other times share our hearts openly with each other. But it seems on Sunday morning it's mostly small talk. And I think it's a wall - not one we put up on purpose, but even in a loving congregation we want people to like us, want to affirm each other and take a long time to get around to the meaty stuff. That's why gossip is so easy a trap to fall into because it's easier to talk about someone else than it is to talk about yourself.
So I'm making my own challenge - because I'm the worst culprit of all when it comes to staying on a surface level only. I need (and want) to make myself available to people, to reach a deeper level each time we talk. So maybe I need to be the one to mention what I'm going to do with what I have just heard. Wow, that will be harder than I think...

"duts"

Eliora is definitely an outside kinda girl. Every day at 9am she goes to the gate between the entry way and the living room, grunts and sticks her feet through the holes. That means "Mommy, I want to go see the duts, the duts, mommy!!" (duts=ducks)
The past two days have been absolutely beautiful, and we've spent an hour climbing all over the playground both days.

I've decied there are two types of parents who take their kids to the playground:

A) The "Ok, you've got 10 minutes - go PLAY!" This type of parent does NOT want to be at the playground at all. They're also very embarassed by their children. I always try to chat with other parents or the kids if they're chatty. Some parents are just crazy about not wanting their kids to talk to anyone. And I think it's more because they're embarassed about what they might say. Kids are kids - they're proud of small things like climbing the monkey bars or going down the "big twisty."

B) The "Spend all the time you want, kiddo, we're here to have FUN!" This type of parent plays with their kids, going down the slides, telling them they're awesome at everything, and chatting with other parents that come with their kids.

I love playing with Eliora on the playground. She giggles and gets all excited about everything from climbing stairs, going down the slides to picking up sticks. This week there have been 2 type "A's" and 2 tybe "B's" at the playground. Eliora was thoroughly entertained by the two children of "Bs" - One little girl was so imaginative she kept wanting Eliora to be a "baby dragon" not realising Eliora has no clue what she was talking about. But it's fun - it's a nice chance to be outside and let kiddos just play.
So it's off to bed to gear up for another day of playground silliness. Maybe tomorrow we'll be tarradacktyls or maybe princesses...or whatever!

I'm doing a little plug for someone selling their house.

If you know anyone looking to move into the country, or someone who wants a mountain get-away - send them to this website:
http://www.ccbrmls.com/public/search/advanced/summary.asp?Listing_ID=1012147

My pastor is selling his house, Lukas and his dad did a lot of work on it, so you know it's a well-built home.