THE BEST GIFT OF ALL

 I like to share this poem once a year, because I find it a good reminder of what we have been given.

I am also including an illustration of a present. I've often seen the imagery of Christ in the stereotypical depiction of a gift. You may see crossing red ribbon, topped with a spiky bow. I remember a Savior wearing a crown of thorns and hanging on a cross, shedding His blood for my sake. And green wrapping paper reminds me of the life and growth which God gives to us. What a wonderful God!

THE BEST GIFT OF ALL

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through my mind

My thoughts were a’ wandering, some vague, some defined.

The thoughts which I had were of God above

And how He gives us good things out of love.

The moon, sun, mountains, rain, and the snow

Have filled my life with a heavenly glow.

God gave me a family, a home to belong,

To love, to know, and to help me grow strong.

Blessed though I was, He blessed me some more.

My sinful soul He began to restore.

He saved me from death, from shame, and from self.

The greatest gift He gave was Himself.

A Baby King born so long ago,

Was the greatest Gift which God could bestow.

God. With. Us. Emmanuel.

God in flesh, with man to dwell.

The only way to save me from sin

Was for God on high to enter in.

A sacrifice was needed to save.

Christ faced the Cross and entered the grave.

My death is dead, because He died,

And because He arose, I am now alive!

I have a new family of Flesh and Blood

Which He purchased with nails, redemption, and love.

I have sisters and brothers, united thus

When Christ’s broken Body was given for us.

His Blood, poured out for you and me,

Has placed us on His family Tree.

We’re related by Blood and by Flesh, it is true,

Because Jesus died for me and for you.

I have a new family to love and to serve

This blessing I never could earn or deserve.

Unmerited favor cannot be obtained.

It is a gift of God, divinely ordained.

God’s grace is never based on myself.

If I was worthy, I wouldn’t need help.

I am blessed beyond measure, blessed to be free,

Blessed that my God has sought out me.

I’m secure in salvation, a gift so immense.

In saving my soul, God had spared no expense.

What price did He place on my life and my soul?

He gave up Himself to pay sin’s deadly toll.

Though He had already given His Son,

Still, God’s giving days were not yet done.

After defeating Death and the Grave,

Christ next explained how a Helper would save.

God’s saving Grace has redeemed my soul,

But Christ-likeness is now my goal.

I can’t succeed and be my best

If I depend on just my flesh.

I need a Helper to save me from me

To help me to be the best I can be.

God once more gave Himself to save.

He rescues me from being a slave.

I do not have to serve my flesh.

I do not have to remain a mess.

The Holy Spirit is changing me.

His Holy Love won’t let me be.

My Teacher, my Comforter, my Guide, and my Friend

Has reformed my heart, and continues to mend.

I’m being remade by my favorite present:

My God, the perfect omni-present.

It’s Christmas Eve, the perfect time

To bring these blessed thoughts to mind.

It’s a time of giving, so I will recall

How God has given me His all.

The greatest gift I have ever been given

Comes from the One Whom my sins has forgiven.

He saved me once by giving Himself,

And He saves me still with constant Help.

So many gifts and what joy each one brings!

My loving Father gives very good things.

I imagine the anticipation of Christ’s birth

Knowing God, in flesh, had come to earth.

I imagine the anticipation of Pentecost

Knowing God, in Spirit, would guide the lost.

I feel the anticipation of Christmas Day,

Knowing there will be gifts, and laughter, and play.

I lay and I thought, counting more than sheep.

I counted my blessings as I drifted to sleep.

It was Christmas Eve, late in December.

I had taken some time to reflect and remember.

I thought of my blessings and all of the presents,

But the best gift of all which God gives is His presence.

$3.44

“Peace is a fruit of the Spirit not a by-product of accumulated wealth.” Andy Stanley

The past 6 months or so have truly been a journey of trust for me. I moved across the country in January and once again found myself having to start over in a new place.

A new city.

New church.

New people.

New job.

This new city has proven difficult to my navigationally challenged self. It will be a while before I feel truly comfortable sailing the seas in a big city. But, that’s why we have Google Maps, right?

The new church was an easy choice. I visited only one, since it came so highly recommended by my sister.  I joined soon after my move.

Having new people has proven mildly challenging. It’s hard not to feel like you don’t know anyone when your church has 700 people. However, I remind myself that relationships take time to develop, and that I can’t expect to really know all 700. In the meantime, I have been blessed to be able to get to know my family better.

A new job has been difficult to wait for. I filled out hundreds of applications over several months. I did a small bit of subbing (which ended when I decided the money was not worth the abuses I found there). Otherwise, I had no luck on the job front.

The money I had was dwindling.

Honestly, the process of applying was stressful. The depleted resources felt like walls closing in on me. (insert Star Wars garbage compactor here) Yet, through it all, I maintained my firm faith that God’s timing is perfect. Although I didn’t particularly enjoy it, I understood that my waiting was there to teach me something.

As it turns out, my arrival in this new place and my availability was well timed to help out my family in a time of need. And later my position was such that they were able to help me out as well with living costs. I have been so blessed by God’s divine orchestration in our circumstances.

Like the widow the prophet Elijah stayed with, I was in famine. I had no income, and I was scraping the bottom of my jug. More than once I contemplated homelessness. I know God will supply all my needs, and I am far better off than most, but I still found myself scraping out the last oil and grain for a final meal.

You know what? My finances ran out. I faced bills, which my bank account couldn’t support. All I had left was $3.44.

Yet, I didn’t end up living under a bridge after all. You see, I thought that my bank account was my jug of oil. It seems kinda silly to me now that I was relying on that too much, when I should’ve been relying on God to care for me. I wanted Him to help me get more money so that I could support myself. Instead, God sent a clear message that HE will support me. My parents and my sister pitched in to get me to the end of this long race. My jug of resources wasn’t just my bank account. It didn’t just include what I had access to. My jug includes all that God has access to: all of HIS resources.

God came in famine, and He got me through it. I go in day by day and scrape out enough, and I know that my cup truly runs over.

I still owe 7 or more different people and organizations for my education, medical bills, housing, car, insurance, etc., but I have a job now. The rain is coming, and the famine will soon pass.

I have only $3.44 in my bank account,

But Friday is payday.

I AM an aunt

No, I’m not “going to be” an aunt. My sister’s due date for my nephew is today, yet, I’ve actually been an aunt for a while now. I never got to know my first nephew, who left us before we had the chance to meet him. And, the only interaction I’ve had with my soon-to-be-born nephew is to feel him moving underneath his mother’s skin.

Yet, I am an aunt. From the moment of conception, he has been my nephew. He has been a person. He has been loved. He will continue to be so after his birth.

Our culture sometimes likes to use phrases like “embryo” or “fetus” to imply that a baby before birth isn’t a person. However, these are just stages of development. Infancy, toddler, childhood, pre-adolescence, adolescence, and adulthood are all stages of growth and development as well.

Sometimes, I think we buy into our culture’s disregard for unborn life when we make announcements like, “We’re going to be parents!” or, “I’m going to be an aunt!” Hasn’t it already begun?

Or, why do we calculate our ages from our BIRTH-date as though we weren’t truly alive before then? I understand that it’s difficult to calculate a date of conception, but we can’t ignore the time spent, alive, in the womb.

Indeed, God doesn’t discount it. We could go to Psalm 139:13, where the psalmist describes how God knit him together in the womb. Or, we could go to Jeremiah 1:5 where God speaks of knowing us even before He knit us together in the womb.

Unborn children are so much more than almost human. They are God’s Creation, in His Image. My soon-to-arrive nephew has been made in the Image of God. He is fearfully and wonderfully made.

Whether my nephew is born today, or tomorrow, or next week, I am still and will still be an aunt. It won’t change. It’s not something we can change with terminology or a different mindset.

It is simply True.

I am an aunt, and I am loving every minute of it.

GOD (and the Gay Christian)

Matthew Vines authored the book “God and the Gay Christian” to try to explain how Scripture actually supports gay behaviors ("The Bible never directly addresses, and it certainly does not condemn, loving, committed same-sex relationships”). Vines is featured on Time.com with his article, “10 Reasons God Loves Gay Christians.” That will give you an overview of his position.
http://time.com/2842044/gay-christians/
There’s also this (short) video, which gives an overview.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmp6lLct-fQ
One of the tag-lines for the “God and the Gay Christian” movement is, ” What the Bible actually says — and doesn't say — about same-sex relationships is very good news.” I guess I’d prefer to stick with the Gospel being the Good News.
Christopher Yuan, who has also struggled with this issue and who has done his research into this exact topic has written this review of the book for Christian Post. 
http://www.christianpost.com/news/evangelicals-review-matthew-vines-god-and-the-gay-christian-book-118386/
I’ve put a couple quotes from the review here.

For Vines, ‘sexuality is a core part of who we are.’ This perspective makes his experiences (feelings, attractions, desires, orientation) essential to his identity. Our society may place a great emphasis upon a sexual identity, but Scripture does not. As a matter of fact, our identity should not be placed in anything (such as our sexuality, gender, or race) other than Jesus Christ. 

Christopher Yuan ends by saying, 

Jesus did not come to call the righteous, but was accused of being a friend of sinners. Too often, we are more like the older, self-righteous brother of the prodigal son, and our hearts are hardened toward the lost. This is truth at the expense of grace. But the approach that Vines suggests—grace at the expense of truth—also misses the mark. It overlooks the theology of suffering and gives us Christ without the Cross. Jesus, who personifies love, came full of grace and full of truth (John 1:14). Might this be how we live as well.

We do need to deal with this topic in a loving manner. Many gays have been hurt by Christianity’s aggressive tactics or uneducated blunders (this is part of Vine’s point). He says the book is, “for Christians who feel like they can’t support LGBT people and stay true to the Bible.” I think, if we stay true to the Bible, then we WILL be supporting these people. However, supporting someone does not equal supporting their beliefs. We need to express both Truth and Grace to those who have gone astray.
There has been much response to Matthew Vine’s book. Many would like to believe it, because it is comforting and/or culturally relevant. Many Biblical scholars have responded to Vine’s arguments. Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr., the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary wrote (with 4 other seminary faculty members) a longer response, which you can find here:
http://126df895942e26f6b8a0-6b5d65e17b10129dda21364daca4e1f0.r8.cf1.rackcdn.com/GGC-Book.pdf
Andrew Walker the director of Policy Studies for the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission also wrote on the topic. He said, 

If I was to condense the substance of Vines' book, here's what is happening: Vines has compiled liberal biblical scholarship and popularized it for a non-technical audience," Walker sums. "Let me be clear: Vines is not advancing new arguments. In fact, his work draws largely from existing gay-affirming scholarship. Vines is making liberal scholarship accessible for common audiences and then compounding its effect by bringing in the emotionally laden context of our times.

Here is Walker’s full response:
http://www.canonandculture.com/reformation-or-revolution-a-review-of-god-and-the-gay-christian/#conclusion
Walker ends his address with 5 things he would like to express to Vines: 

It is likely that Matthew Vines will read this review. As I wrote it, I thought to myself, what would I tell Matthew if we were to sit down over coffee and discuss his book?
First, I would tell him that I love him, and that he’s deserving of dignity and respect as an image bearer of God. I would apologize to him for what I can only assume are the countless insensitivities and insults he’s experienced as a same-sex attracted person. I would also apologize to Matthew for the pat, unhelpful answers and rejection he’s received from Christians who don’t know how to speak about homosexuality.
Secondly, I would give him a copy of Wesley Hill’s book. I would point him toward the testimony and work of my friend Sam Allberry’s book and heroic ministry, ‘Living Out.’ I would tell him of Rosaria Butterfield, whose testimony is a witness to the power of the gospel. I would be honest and tell him that these ministries provide more hopeful, and holistic narratives.
Third, because I love and respect him, I would be compelled to tell him that he’s deceived. He’s believed the lie that homosexuality will prosper his life.
Fourth, I would implore Matthew to repent of a book designed to cast a shadow of suspicion and doubt about the Scripture’s teaching on sexuality.
Fifth, I would exhort him to a path of discipleship with incalculable unknowns—unknown difficulties I will not experience and can only sympathize with. But I will commend him to set his desires before the cross, knowing that Jesus is better than any desire we think needs satisfied; that Jesus is better than marriage, than children, than sexual fulfillment itself. I would tell him about costly obedience. I would tell him about radical self-abandonment, something I imperfectly attempt each day. I would tell him the story of the Rich Young Ruler, reprised for today, and reframed around the issue of sexuality. I would tell him that the gospel subverts the very points at which we say, ‘Yes, Lord, but…’

3 Choices

We all ask ourselves 3 questions:
Who am I? (Identity)
Where do I belong? (Security)
What am I supposed to do? (Significance)

Each of us struggles more with one of these questions than the others. When I say that I struggle with belonging, it seems odd to me that anyone would struggle with anything else. Belonging is the obvious answer. However, in this case, I am a product of my past.

In the Harry Potter books, there are the Deathly Hallows, which are three magical objects. The Elder Wand, which is more powerful than any other wand. The Resurrection Stone, which can summon spirits back from the dead. The Cloak of Invisibility, which can conceal you from Death. As Harry and his friends discuss the Hallows, they agree that it's obvious which you would choose. They all voice their choice, and they each have chosen a different Hallow.
Harry has lost all of his family and thus chooses the Resurrection Stone.
Ron has grown up with impressive older siblings and thus wishes for the power and recognition associated with an unbeatable wand.
Hermione is the brainiac and thus chooses the smart answer of a cloak that can hide you from Death.
To each of them, the answer seems so obvious. Yet, their experiences define their desires.

I have grown up overseas. I have moved often, and I have had to adapt to cultures. I have created my own culture, which often means that I find it difficult to fit in. This is often a source of difficulty for me. I struggle with belonging.
Yet, it's not all bad. When I don't feel like I belong, it's just a reminder to me that this world is not my home. I am a stranger here. (1 Peter 2:11) And someday, I will get to go Home!

Maternal Mentorship

I confess, I never really know what to do with the (women’s) mentorship passages in the Bible.

For example, Titus 2:3-5. “ the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—  that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.”

Now obviously, I am older than some. I work with the teens in the youth group, and I can do my best to model and teach godly behavior.

However, I see a difficulty here. None of these teens have husbands or children. I also have neither husband nor children. I guess I just ignore those portions? Do I admonish them to love their parents and siblings, instead? Maybe I just focus on the being discreet, being chaste, being good homemakers—oh wait, scratch that one too. Um, maybe teach and encourage them to do their chores?—, being good, and being obedient to their own [parents?]. It’s difficult to model relationships I’m not a part of to students who aren’t at that level either. So, I’ll just model a few steps ahead of them. Just as married women can mentor younger married women, perhaps I as a single woman can mentor younger single women. I can model reverent behavior, and teach them to be loving in the relationships which they are involved in now.

I also see a difficulty on the other side. I know how I can mentor, but the BEING mentored part has more ponderous problems.

Everyone is busy. It’s hard to find the time to really speak into someone’s life. Part of that is “lack of time,” and part of that is just that we like to talk, but we don’t often say much. It’s uncomfortable to get close, because then we’ll see each other, warts and all. I can talk with the teens about school and family, but it’s more difficult to ask them about their dreams or their struggles. I’m not trying to devalue small talk. Talking about school or work is important, because for most people it is a big part of their life. Discussing family or music or movies is a way to get to know each other. Once I get to know someone, I have to make sure that I take the time to find out what is important to them so that I can offer encouragement. Relationships take time, and I know that I struggle with making people a priority.

Also again, I’m single. Should I be mentored by an older, single woman? An older, married woman can’t teach me to love a husband that I don’t have. Do they prepare me for the possibility that I will one day be married? (What if I never do get married? I recognize that the preparation would be beneficial anyways, as it would teach me the basic principles of love and selflessness, which reach far beyond the bounds of husband and wife relationships.) And, I have no children (the having of a husband is a prerequisite for me for that). I guess I am involved a lot with children, so perhaps they can show and teach me to love these kids.

There are more problems. Since I am single, it’s hard to meet with people. I’m friends with many families. I love the kids, the parents, and I enjoy spending time with them. However, if I want to spend time with these mothers (these older women), I can tend to be either a babysitter (spending time with the kids and not the parent) or a distraction (spending time with the parent while the kids are left to their own devices). I could also be spending time with the whole family, but I’m still not getting opportunity to go deeper with the older woman. I do realize that teaching can be done through social time, and I can learn from these mothers through interacting with the kids, the mother, and the family together. The woman’s example as she interacts with her family can be a guide to me.

I’ve mentioned that people are busy a lot. Families are no exception. If I don’t get invited over, I can’t afford to invite them out to eat. Being single, I can’t invite them over to my house. I don’t have one. Or, should I just invite myself over to people’s houses? This doesn’t seem as strange to me, but it does seem a little forward or even rude. I’d feel like I was imposing.

Another big problem is the area of obtaining a mentor. According to this passage, these older women who are desirous that God’s Word should not be blasphemed, should teach and admonish the younger women. How do I obtain a mentor? Or, sometimes I’m even bold enough to ask, should I even be looking for a mentor?

I’m not saying that I think teaching and mentorship to be a bad thing. On the contrary, it is essential.

These older women who are passionate about serving God and others, and want to follow God’s Word and teach younger women will be seeking out younger women. They will find me, and they have. We talk about life and work and family.

Now I come to another problem. The passage tells the older women to teach specific things; things specific to married people. So, if a godly, passionate, older woman seeks to follow this passage of Scripture, then surely they will be looking for a younger, married woman to mentor and teach. It seems like they wouldn’t be looking for . . . me. Our culture has a good many young, single women who may have a difficult time knowing where they fit in.

There are a couple different ways of looking at the idea of a mentor. On the one hand, a mentor can be someone influential. A counselor or advisor. A supporter. Or, a mentor can be more like a coach, a life coach, whom you meet with for the specific purpose of going deeper and discussing life and struggles.

Let’s suppose that I decide that I need a mentor. The life coach kind. Let’s also suppose that nobody has volunteered. And, let’s suppose that I decide that it’s up to me to find one. Now what?

Do I try out every older lady in the church until I find one that works? Is it like dating? Do I make observations and try to narrow down the list until I find “the one” and then approach her to see if she’s willing?

As a woman, I have to search for a mentor. Where do I look? The teachers? Okay, so we’ve got the elementary teachers and the nursery teachers. Yes, obviously they are a good choice for their example of servitude, and I can learn from their examples as they teach and interact with the children in their classes. There are also the leaders of women’s small groups, who demonstrate their service, and perhaps the deacons’ wives would be good options to explore.

God has given me a church family full of women. Family. I have grandmothers who check up with me. I have sisters, both older and younger. I have aunts, and I have mothers who mother me with encouragement and affection. (None greater than my own mother, who has been my confidant and counselor as well as my greatest cheerleader and challenger. My own coach. My best example of maternal mentorship. ) In this Family, we stand together as sisters in Christ, holding hands and helping each other along through this life.

There are options out there for a mentor, but they must be sought out, asked for, and worked for in order to maintain. I suppose that’s life.

It is just difficult to know what my responsibility is as the younger woman, especially as a single one.

Any older women out there who can teach me the answer to that?

Freedom Found in the Gospel

Pastor's sermon today reminded me of another sermon he gave over a year ago, in March of last year. The sermon title was "Pass it On." This particular message has stuck with me, and being reminded of it, I had to go back and learn from it again.

Today's message "Patterns of Good Works," was a challenge to the menfolk. These men are to be on fire for God, living in the freedom which the Gospel gives to us. We're not obligated to pay for our salvation, but we are motivated to good works by grace.
We've been set free from needing things. Alcohol. Drugs. Even coffee (me genoito, may it never be!) They don't control us.
As Christians, we should be known for what we are free from.
We're free from the opinions of others, instead, able to let God's opinion shape us.
We're free from laziness, doubt, self-centeredness, and fear. We're even free from the immediate, as God helps us to look beyond our current circumstances. To quote Rafiki in "Lion King 1 1/2," we've got to, "Look beyond what you see."
It is the Gospel which sets us free.

The reason this reminded me of the "Pass it on" sermon is the pattern of excellence which is evidence of a life surrendered to God; the theme of freedom. I wrote a poem about the Three Chairs concept from that sermon, and here is a portion of that poem.

"Was I prepared to choose
A choice where I’d be free
To do my will? Or, did I want
To free myself of me?

Resolved, I made my choice,
And sat in Chair One.
I chose to sit upon God’s grace,
And rest in victory won.
True freedom came at last
When I was born above,
And gave up all my chains of Want
To be bound in chains of Love!

True freedom, then, at last!!
No burden left to bear.
God took possession of my heart,
And I will leave it there!"

Pastor's sermon this week continued to explain the need of examples for the young men.
Another portion of the poem:

"My life is a message,
Which others, surely, will read.
Does my life show them the Truth and the Way
So they, too, can be freed?"

Our lives are meant to demonstrate these good works, not to show how good we are, but to show how good our God is, that we are now free to serve Him. We're not free to do whatever we want. That would inevitably lead us once more into captivity. All the strivings of this world are never satisfied. We are freed from ourselves. We are free to be bound with Christ to God in love, through the freeing power of the Gospel.
The good works that follow are a manifestation of freedom born in our hearts, a demonstration of our newfound identity as children of God.
John 8:36 "Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."
2 Corinthians 3:17 "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

http://kaikaisheart.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-three-chairs.html
http://templebaptistfircrest.sermoncampus.info/main/main/9841729