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"When you gain friends, gain them through testing,
and do not trust them hastily.
For there are friends who are such when it suits them,
but they will not stand by you in time of trouble."
We have a saying for that type of friend: "fair weather." And many of our friends fall into this category. When the going gets tough, well...they disappear like a cat at a dog's bark.
So, the question for you today is, not who can you count on, but who can count on you? You see, I have a friend. Most of my friends have a pretty poor opinion of this friend, and I understand why. But when a friend is a friend, well...sometimes you just have to overlook some things if you're going to be loyal and true.
Are you familiar with the Vocals By Locals CD? It's called "Crew Girls, and it's one of my favorites. I've worn out more than one CD because I'll play it over and over. In the car, at home, going to sleep at night. At the risk of infringing on copyright, I want to share a bit of one of the songs here, because it fits. (check out their website and listen... )
I can’t tell you how your life’ll work
It’s a complicated earth, but I really care
Can’t offer you the secret of success
Any road to happiness
Or a way to make things fair
But I can tell you that you’re really somethin’
When you go wonderin’ if it’s all for nothin’
CHORUS:
if you just fell down ‘n you can’t get up
if you been runnin’ ragged ‘n you’re plain outa luck
if your sweet spirit won’t let you even laugh
just know I’m here for you, just know I got your back.
That's what a friend should be - someone you can count on when everybody else has counted you out. Sometimes being a true friend is seen as foolish, stupid even. But if you really care about somebody, and if you really believe in them and only want their happiness, then you stand by them, no matter what. You want what's best for them, even if your friendship doesn't make any sense to anybody else.
So...who is your friend? And who are you a friend to?
Blessings, Phoenix
Monday, October 18, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
October 17, 2010 - Sirach 5:4-7 Sin and forgiveness
Today's reading is from the Apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus, or the Wisdom of Jesus Son of Sirach:
"Do not say, 'I have sinned, yet what has happened to me?'
for the Lord is slow to anger.
Do not be so confident of forgiveness that you add sin to sin.
Do not say, 'His mercy is great, He will forgive the multitude of my sins.'
for both mercy and wrath are with Him, and His anger will rest on sinners.
Do not delay to turn back to the Lord,
and do not postpone it from day to day;
for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come upon you,
and at the time of punishment you will perish."
It is so easy to fall back into sin. A door opens, and in we walk. Again. And again. And again. Sometimes I think the line between what is sin and what isn't becomes blurred. Perhaps we are blinded by our own needs, wants, desires and wishes. We may try to make something what we want it to be instead of what it is.
I think it's not the sinning that is warned against here, though there is that. It is the confidence that no matter what we do, or how often we do it...well, God will forgive me. It's okay. I'll just say I'm sorry and God will forgive me. Again. And again. And again.
God is not a vending machine, passing out forgiveness for a token. True repentance comes from the heart, and that is what God honors. But we are human, after all, and I believe God takes that into consideration when we are so quick to deceive ourselves once again that perhaps our sin wasn't really sin at all. It's just too darn easy to do that.
But God never fails to provide an "out." He knows how we are. He knows we are weak, and foolish, and sometimes downright stupid. He knows we deceive ourselves into actions that open the road to hell. He knows how we are. But He always gives us an "out." He always makes a way for us to escape. He always opens wide His arms to those who are truly repentant, even if we have sinned in the same manner more than once. What He is NOT is "easy." His forgiveness is not bought with glib words, but with a truly repentant heart. His forgiveness is not handed over with an "I'm sorry" that is not truly meant.
Much as we hate to think it, "mercy AND WRATH are with Him." God's punishment is very real. I've been thinking a bit about God's punishment. When I was a child, and I misbehaved, I was far more sorry for having disappointed my father than I was in fear of my mother's belt. Mom could beat me with the belt, and I hated it, but if I knew I had disappointed Daddy, that cut me to the quick, and I was far more repentant. I think maybe that's the way it is with God too.
So, yes, God's mercy is great. And yes, perhaps we count on that mercy just a little too much. It would be easier, perhaps, if one could be sure that one was sinning, because sometimes the line seems a little blurred. How can something that the world, and the Bible, and society knows to be wrong seem so very, very right? Is that how the devil traps us? By making evil seems good, and good evil?
It is a fine line we walk sometimes. A very fine line. And staying on the "right" side of the line is not easy. But even though we can always count on God's mercy if we are truly repentant, it is wise to remember that God has a wrathful side as well.
Blessings, Phoenix
"Do not say, 'I have sinned, yet what has happened to me?'
for the Lord is slow to anger.
Do not be so confident of forgiveness that you add sin to sin.
Do not say, 'His mercy is great, He will forgive the multitude of my sins.'
for both mercy and wrath are with Him, and His anger will rest on sinners.
Do not delay to turn back to the Lord,
and do not postpone it from day to day;
for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come upon you,
and at the time of punishment you will perish."
It is so easy to fall back into sin. A door opens, and in we walk. Again. And again. And again. Sometimes I think the line between what is sin and what isn't becomes blurred. Perhaps we are blinded by our own needs, wants, desires and wishes. We may try to make something what we want it to be instead of what it is.
I think it's not the sinning that is warned against here, though there is that. It is the confidence that no matter what we do, or how often we do it...well, God will forgive me. It's okay. I'll just say I'm sorry and God will forgive me. Again. And again. And again.
God is not a vending machine, passing out forgiveness for a token. True repentance comes from the heart, and that is what God honors. But we are human, after all, and I believe God takes that into consideration when we are so quick to deceive ourselves once again that perhaps our sin wasn't really sin at all. It's just too darn easy to do that.
But God never fails to provide an "out." He knows how we are. He knows we are weak, and foolish, and sometimes downright stupid. He knows we deceive ourselves into actions that open the road to hell. He knows how we are. But He always gives us an "out." He always makes a way for us to escape. He always opens wide His arms to those who are truly repentant, even if we have sinned in the same manner more than once. What He is NOT is "easy." His forgiveness is not bought with glib words, but with a truly repentant heart. His forgiveness is not handed over with an "I'm sorry" that is not truly meant.
Much as we hate to think it, "mercy AND WRATH are with Him." God's punishment is very real. I've been thinking a bit about God's punishment. When I was a child, and I misbehaved, I was far more sorry for having disappointed my father than I was in fear of my mother's belt. Mom could beat me with the belt, and I hated it, but if I knew I had disappointed Daddy, that cut me to the quick, and I was far more repentant. I think maybe that's the way it is with God too.
So, yes, God's mercy is great. And yes, perhaps we count on that mercy just a little too much. It would be easier, perhaps, if one could be sure that one was sinning, because sometimes the line seems a little blurred. How can something that the world, and the Bible, and society knows to be wrong seem so very, very right? Is that how the devil traps us? By making evil seems good, and good evil?
It is a fine line we walk sometimes. A very fine line. And staying on the "right" side of the line is not easy. But even though we can always count on God's mercy if we are truly repentant, it is wise to remember that God has a wrathful side as well.
Blessings, Phoenix
Friday, October 8, 2010
October 8, 2010 - 2 Esdras 2:20-24
From the Apocryphal book of 2 Esdras. God is speaking to the church He calls "mother."
"Guard the rights of the widow, secure justice for the ward, give to the needy, defend the orphan, clothe the naked, care for the injured and the weak, do not ridicule the lame, protect the maimed, and let the blind have a vision of My splendor. Protect the old and the young within your walls. When you find any who are dad, commit them to the grave and mark it, and I will give you the first place in My resurrection. Pause and be quiet, My people, because your rest will come."
I do love the Apocrypha. The Protestant politics that pulled these books out of the Bible made the Word of God so much less. This passage is tucked within other exhortations about doing good works and how the church is to treat its people. God calls the church "Mother" and "Father," as an example of how we are to act towards each other. But I believe He is also calling upon physical mothers and fathers to treat their children with respect, and to love and nurture them.
As I read this I am again reminded that Jesus Himself was very familiar with the books that we call the Apocrypha. He studied them, knew them, drew his own teachings from them. Does this passage not sound suspiciously like Psalm 146:9? (Look it up!)
Throughout the Bible are numerous references to widows and orphans as being especially in need of protection and care. In Biblical days, both were completely without power and at the mercy of the communities in which they lived. While widows have a slightly better time in this modern day, children are still and always will be in need of protection and care from those around them.
I like the final passage here, because once again God reminds us to "Be still and know that I am God." He's saying, Don't sweat the small stuff. I got it covered. Don't get your knickers in a twist or your panties in a bunch. I'm God, not you...remember?
Blessings, Phoenix
"Guard the rights of the widow, secure justice for the ward, give to the needy, defend the orphan, clothe the naked, care for the injured and the weak, do not ridicule the lame, protect the maimed, and let the blind have a vision of My splendor. Protect the old and the young within your walls. When you find any who are dad, commit them to the grave and mark it, and I will give you the first place in My resurrection. Pause and be quiet, My people, because your rest will come."
I do love the Apocrypha. The Protestant politics that pulled these books out of the Bible made the Word of God so much less. This passage is tucked within other exhortations about doing good works and how the church is to treat its people. God calls the church "Mother" and "Father," as an example of how we are to act towards each other. But I believe He is also calling upon physical mothers and fathers to treat their children with respect, and to love and nurture them.
As I read this I am again reminded that Jesus Himself was very familiar with the books that we call the Apocrypha. He studied them, knew them, drew his own teachings from them. Does this passage not sound suspiciously like Psalm 146:9? (Look it up!)
Throughout the Bible are numerous references to widows and orphans as being especially in need of protection and care. In Biblical days, both were completely without power and at the mercy of the communities in which they lived. While widows have a slightly better time in this modern day, children are still and always will be in need of protection and care from those around them.
I like the final passage here, because once again God reminds us to "Be still and know that I am God." He's saying, Don't sweat the small stuff. I got it covered. Don't get your knickers in a twist or your panties in a bunch. I'm God, not you...remember?
Blessings, Phoenix
Thursday, October 7, 2010
October 7, 2010 - Colossians 3:15 - Be thankful
"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful."
It was not easy deciding on a verse this morning. Especially in this letter of St. Paul to the Colossians. There is a LOT in here! But in the end, I had to choose this one. Why? Because of the last sentence.
"And be thankful."
As you know, it's been a rough summer. I fell down the rabbit hole and had a heck of a time climbing back out. Which is where God comes in. And where being thankful comes in.
When I look at my life, I have much to be thankful for. God continues to care for me. He is opening the appropriate doors for me. He is screwing my head back on straight so that I can make decisions with it, instead of running about in all directions, wringing my hands, and crying "what do I do?" That alone is enough to be thankful for.
I am thankful, of course, for the usual things, the tangible things: a place to live, my health, my family and friends, my dogs, financial income (small though it may be), my church. And God shines there, of course. But I think where God really shines is in the intangible, those things we cannot see, but only feel and know in our hearts.
God shines in a blessed night's sleep after finally making a decision. He shines in the feeling of peace one gets in church, singing His praises. He shines when we remember and truly know Jesus Christ as our Lord, and not just Someone we read about on Sunday. God shines when we recognize that He is with us every second of every day, and that He watches over us all the time, even when we are being idiots.
It is early morning, and outside my window I hear a bird singing; another blessing. Jasper is lying in his bed beside the computer, perfectly content in his role as "dog." This may be off topic a bit, but I wonder why we cannot be as content in our own roles as simply "God's children?" We climb the corporate ladder, we run about grasping this, that and the other thing. We do, do, do. When do we stop? When do we stop and just pause in our hurried flight through this thing we call life and just take a moment to be thankful for the love of God?
So, this morning, Lord, thank You. Thank You that You love me. Thank you "for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for Your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ." Thank You, Lord. Thank You for family, for friends, for opening the doors I'm supposed to walk through. Thank You for love.
Blessings, Phoenix
It was not easy deciding on a verse this morning. Especially in this letter of St. Paul to the Colossians. There is a LOT in here! But in the end, I had to choose this one. Why? Because of the last sentence.
"And be thankful."
As you know, it's been a rough summer. I fell down the rabbit hole and had a heck of a time climbing back out. Which is where God comes in. And where being thankful comes in.
When I look at my life, I have much to be thankful for. God continues to care for me. He is opening the appropriate doors for me. He is screwing my head back on straight so that I can make decisions with it, instead of running about in all directions, wringing my hands, and crying "what do I do?" That alone is enough to be thankful for.
I am thankful, of course, for the usual things, the tangible things: a place to live, my health, my family and friends, my dogs, financial income (small though it may be), my church. And God shines there, of course. But I think where God really shines is in the intangible, those things we cannot see, but only feel and know in our hearts.
God shines in a blessed night's sleep after finally making a decision. He shines in the feeling of peace one gets in church, singing His praises. He shines when we remember and truly know Jesus Christ as our Lord, and not just Someone we read about on Sunday. God shines when we recognize that He is with us every second of every day, and that He watches over us all the time, even when we are being idiots.
It is early morning, and outside my window I hear a bird singing; another blessing. Jasper is lying in his bed beside the computer, perfectly content in his role as "dog." This may be off topic a bit, but I wonder why we cannot be as content in our own roles as simply "God's children?" We climb the corporate ladder, we run about grasping this, that and the other thing. We do, do, do. When do we stop? When do we stop and just pause in our hurried flight through this thing we call life and just take a moment to be thankful for the love of God?
So, this morning, Lord, thank You. Thank You that You love me. Thank you "for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for Your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ." Thank You, Lord. Thank You for family, for friends, for opening the doors I'm supposed to walk through. Thank You for love.
Blessings, Phoenix
Sunday, October 3, 2010
October 3, 2010 - Psalm 68:5,6 - Home
"Father of orphans and protector of widows,
is God in his holy habitation.
God give the desolate a home to live in..."
Well, so far I qualify. Both my parents have passed on; my husband as well. While I'm not so sure about the "desolate" part, I have been thinking about "home" a lot.
Home. There is something about the word that conjures up nostalgic feelings, even if you never had what you are nostalgic for. A white house with green shutters, wraparound porch, white picket fence, dinner on the table at 6:00 and a cozy fire in the fireplace.
I didn't have that. Did you?
While I will not dwell on the "home" of my childhood, which was not just one, but several houses, apartments, or other places to sleep, it seems appropriate at this time of my life to ponder just what, or where, home might actually be. Especially now that I'm about to lose mine. Where will "home" be for me?
I've moved around a lot. I guess I was born with my father's itchy foot. The longest I ever stayed anywhere, in the same house, was up in Northern California where I lived for 18 years. A lifetime. When I was a kid I don't remember ever having Christmas in the same house twice. So, for me, 18 years was a very long time indeed.
I learned in Maine that people are more important than place. Don't get me wrong - I LOVED Maine. I got the summer and the fall of 2001, and I might have stayed after 9/11 if I had somebody to stay with, or for. But I didn't, and so I came "home."
People are still more important than place. Now that I'm getting ready to retire, I can go anywhere I want. I have a lot of options. Maybe too many. What I WANT is not feasible, simply because of finances. So, what I will "settle" for will depend on many things. I may not end up with my "people." I may end up somewhere entirely different.
But...enough about my situation. Back to defining "home," if such a thing can be done. Some years ago, when I was doing prison visitation work, I went to Philadelphia every year for a workshop. The workshop was usually held in October, when it was often quite chilly. Many "homeless" people made a home for themselves in the alcoves of stores, or created a "home" out of cardboard boxes. I remember one woman who had her alcove fitted out with shelves on which to store her few possessions. So, home, I guess, is wherever you create it.
They say home is where the heart is. I suppose that's true enough. The problem is, what if your heart is scattered about the country, in a zillion different places? It's difficult to be content when you are being pulled in so many different directions. Santa Barbara, Connecticut, Redding, Arkansas...where is home for me?
I know many people who have been in the same home for years. Chip's parents lived in the same house for over 50 years and were perfectly content there. Others, like me, are restless souls, never quite content anywhere. Always looking...the grass is always greener somewhere else.
I wonder if this restlessness is more than a temporal thing. I wonder if the restless search for "home" in this world is simply a soul-deep, spiritual longing for the next Home. Now, I do not claim to know what God's Home is like. I don't think anybody on earth knows that. I don't think God's Home is paved with gold and has pearly gates and people are hanging out on the clouds playing their harps. But I do think that God's Home truly is where the heart is. I think we carry a bit of God's Home inside us, a remembrance of Where we came from, and Where, God willing, we shall return.
No matter where my finances take me, no matter where I end up, or how many places I end up before God calls me Home, I know that one day, I will be content in the only place where my real Home is - with Jesus.
Blessings, Phoenix
is God in his holy habitation.
God give the desolate a home to live in..."
Well, so far I qualify. Both my parents have passed on; my husband as well. While I'm not so sure about the "desolate" part, I have been thinking about "home" a lot.
Home. There is something about the word that conjures up nostalgic feelings, even if you never had what you are nostalgic for. A white house with green shutters, wraparound porch, white picket fence, dinner on the table at 6:00 and a cozy fire in the fireplace.
I didn't have that. Did you?
While I will not dwell on the "home" of my childhood, which was not just one, but several houses, apartments, or other places to sleep, it seems appropriate at this time of my life to ponder just what, or where, home might actually be. Especially now that I'm about to lose mine. Where will "home" be for me?
I've moved around a lot. I guess I was born with my father's itchy foot. The longest I ever stayed anywhere, in the same house, was up in Northern California where I lived for 18 years. A lifetime. When I was a kid I don't remember ever having Christmas in the same house twice. So, for me, 18 years was a very long time indeed.
I learned in Maine that people are more important than place. Don't get me wrong - I LOVED Maine. I got the summer and the fall of 2001, and I might have stayed after 9/11 if I had somebody to stay with, or for. But I didn't, and so I came "home."
People are still more important than place. Now that I'm getting ready to retire, I can go anywhere I want. I have a lot of options. Maybe too many. What I WANT is not feasible, simply because of finances. So, what I will "settle" for will depend on many things. I may not end up with my "people." I may end up somewhere entirely different.
But...enough about my situation. Back to defining "home," if such a thing can be done. Some years ago, when I was doing prison visitation work, I went to Philadelphia every year for a workshop. The workshop was usually held in October, when it was often quite chilly. Many "homeless" people made a home for themselves in the alcoves of stores, or created a "home" out of cardboard boxes. I remember one woman who had her alcove fitted out with shelves on which to store her few possessions. So, home, I guess, is wherever you create it.
They say home is where the heart is. I suppose that's true enough. The problem is, what if your heart is scattered about the country, in a zillion different places? It's difficult to be content when you are being pulled in so many different directions. Santa Barbara, Connecticut, Redding, Arkansas...where is home for me?
I know many people who have been in the same home for years. Chip's parents lived in the same house for over 50 years and were perfectly content there. Others, like me, are restless souls, never quite content anywhere. Always looking...the grass is always greener somewhere else.
I wonder if this restlessness is more than a temporal thing. I wonder if the restless search for "home" in this world is simply a soul-deep, spiritual longing for the next Home. Now, I do not claim to know what God's Home is like. I don't think anybody on earth knows that. I don't think God's Home is paved with gold and has pearly gates and people are hanging out on the clouds playing their harps. But I do think that God's Home truly is where the heart is. I think we carry a bit of God's Home inside us, a remembrance of Where we came from, and Where, God willing, we shall return.
No matter where my finances take me, no matter where I end up, or how many places I end up before God calls me Home, I know that one day, I will be content in the only place where my real Home is - with Jesus.
Blessings, Phoenix
Friday, October 1, 2010
October 1, 2010 - Sirach 2:12-14,18 - Timidity
"Woe to timid hearts and to slack hands,
and to the sinner who walks a double path!
Woe to the fainthearted who have no trust!
Therefore they will have no shelter.
Woe to you who have lost your nerve!
What will you do when the Lord's reckoning comes?
Let us fall into the hands of the Lord,
but not into the hands of mortals;
for equal to His majesty is His mercy,
and equal to His name are His works."
Are you a timid person? Oh, I'm not talking about being timid in business or timid in your personal life. I'm talking about being timid about your faith in Jesus Christ? Do you not speak because you're afraid you'll offend someone? Do you not share your faith because it never seems "appropriate" to do so? The Bible tells us to be ready, in season and out of it. Are you ready?
I believe every day God places before us many, many opportunities to share our faith. Now, I'm not talking about being obnoxious about it. Obnoxious Christians who tried to shove Jesus down my throat turned me away for years. I just wanted to run in the other direction when I saw them coming. I think there's a fine line between sharing our faith and being so pushy as to push people away from Christ.
So, where is that line drawn? Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. I believe that we are most effective as Christians when we share OUR "experience, strength, and hope" with others. It is when we focus on what we think the other person should do that we lose our effectiveness.
When I speak of Christ, I can only speak of my relationship with Christ. I cannot speak to yours. I may know what you tell me, but I can't peer into your heart and see what is in there. Only you and God know that. But I can tell you what Christ means to me. I can tell you how I came to know Christ as my Savior and my Lord. I can tell you how Jesus came into my heart, and how He is with me all the time, even when I'm being an idiot and a jerk. I can tell you that I know without every ounce of my being that God loves me, and that He loves you too.
So, when God puts you in a position today to speak, speak of your experience, strength, and hope. Do not be time and fainthearted! Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross! Else, what will you do when the Lord's reckoning comes?
Blessings, Phoenix
and to the sinner who walks a double path!
Woe to the fainthearted who have no trust!
Therefore they will have no shelter.
Woe to you who have lost your nerve!
What will you do when the Lord's reckoning comes?
Let us fall into the hands of the Lord,
but not into the hands of mortals;
for equal to His majesty is His mercy,
and equal to His name are His works."
Are you a timid person? Oh, I'm not talking about being timid in business or timid in your personal life. I'm talking about being timid about your faith in Jesus Christ? Do you not speak because you're afraid you'll offend someone? Do you not share your faith because it never seems "appropriate" to do so? The Bible tells us to be ready, in season and out of it. Are you ready?
I believe every day God places before us many, many opportunities to share our faith. Now, I'm not talking about being obnoxious about it. Obnoxious Christians who tried to shove Jesus down my throat turned me away for years. I just wanted to run in the other direction when I saw them coming. I think there's a fine line between sharing our faith and being so pushy as to push people away from Christ.
So, where is that line drawn? Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. I believe that we are most effective as Christians when we share OUR "experience, strength, and hope" with others. It is when we focus on what we think the other person should do that we lose our effectiveness.
When I speak of Christ, I can only speak of my relationship with Christ. I cannot speak to yours. I may know what you tell me, but I can't peer into your heart and see what is in there. Only you and God know that. But I can tell you what Christ means to me. I can tell you how I came to know Christ as my Savior and my Lord. I can tell you how Jesus came into my heart, and how He is with me all the time, even when I'm being an idiot and a jerk. I can tell you that I know without every ounce of my being that God loves me, and that He loves you too.
So, when God puts you in a position today to speak, speak of your experience, strength, and hope. Do not be time and fainthearted! Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross! Else, what will you do when the Lord's reckoning comes?
Blessings, Phoenix
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