My Cardboard Testimony

Our church recently made a video of some of our attenders sharing their "Cardboard Testimonies". What is that you ask? Basically, everyone is given a large piece of cardboard. They then describe in a short sentence or phrase a condition or situation in their life from which God rescued them or changed them. On the back side of the cardboard, the person writes how their life has been changed by God's grace. The video above is an example of another church doing the very same thing. Watch it. It's really amazing.

I had planned what I would write for my cardboard testimony, but I never got around to filming it for our video. (So, Scott, if you're reading this, I did get your email and planned to be there the 2nd day of filming, but Mommy was too pooped with Daddy being out of town for the third night in a row. Let's just say, the kids won that day!) So here's what I would have written:

Front: PEOPLE-PLEASER
Back: GOD-PLEASER

If there's one thing God has been teaching me, it's to focus on pleasing Him with the unique life He has given me. I used to think that a "good Christian girl" had to talk, walk and act a certain way (and had to go to a certain type of church!) because after all, wasn't everyone watching me and learning from me what a Christian is supposed to look like? How many of us who've grown up in church have heard the guilt-inducing question, "If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would you be convicted?" It was ideas like these that got me thinking in the wrong direction for many years in my life. I was actually more concerned about how my life appeared to others than how it really was in my heart, the part that only God sees. I was more concerned with fitting an imaginary mold than being the unique woman God intended for me to be.

I lived much of my life trying to look like the perfect, got-it-all-together, "good Christian girl", wanting to please all the people around me. One of the problems with the generic "good Christian girl" approach to life is that I became very legalistic in the way I viewed myself and my own behavior. It was all about doing the right things - not about being the right person. Naturally, I also projected my legalistic view of myself onto others, judging them unfairly. I found myself making choices out of sense of guilt, instead of a conviction of God's leading in my life. I also became afraid of stepping outside the imaginary mold, and therefore, I am sure I missed opportunities where God was calling me to fill a role He intended for me. I am confident that I am not alone in having lived much of my life with this flawed sense of self.

Through all of this I am learning that God created me as a unique individual with a specific purpose to be a part if His grace-filled plan for redeeming this imperfect world and all us within it. He did not create me and then assign me to simply fill a generic role. The legalistic, people-pleasing "good Christian girl" life is never what God intended for me. So, if I were put on trial for being a Christian, would I be convicted? I certainly hope so, but not because I follow a prescribed set of rules that anyone could keep, but because I hope to be seen as a woman after God's own heart. Out of a pure heart flow pure actions (it's never the other way around, as so many of us live it), and I need to be concerned with the condition of my heart - the part of me that only God truly sees.

How about you? You are a unique creation of God, too. God didn't design you to fill a generic mold. Are you living to please Him and fulfill His unique purpose for your life?

Everyday Ministry, Part 2

My friend, Chris, wrote the following comment in response to my previous post, "Everyday Ministry". His story really sums up my convictions of letting our everyday lives be a blessing to others simply by picking up our cross daily and following Jesus.

That's great J. So often I find myself wasting time trying to figure out "how" to be a blessing to those around me. Sometimes I succeed...other times I fail. But it's just being a Christian that can be the greatest blessing to others. Just showing Jesus out of the abundance of your heart is all it takes.

When we were in Florida I had started a prayer group that met on Mondays at 5am in my home. A shy older man was attending the prayer group. I tried to encourage him, also, in his singing and he had recently joined the worship team as a singer and was stepping out more and more in the church, i.e. getting involved in prayer groups and other things. He was a friend, but I wouldn't say we were terribly close. I did nothing other that what I felt God leading me to do.

We had a going away party shortly before we moved and this man was at the party. At the party he brought me off to the side and shared his thoughts with me. He said, "I want to thank you for being an example and encouragement to me and my family." He could tell I wasn't sure what he meant. He began to unfold a list of comments and encouragements I had made to him in the past several months that prompted him to get up off his seat and get involved. He said he had not been happier in a long time. I just wept.

I had asked him to start leading certain prayer sessions at my house, just praying out loud what God laid on his heart. At first he said he was nervous, but did it anyway. Two months ago I got a call from him; he was just calling to see how we were doing. He again thanked me for encouraging him to step out in prayer; even before we left I was speaking with him a lot about prayer, how to pray, what to pray and how to hear God's voice when praying. He told me during this phone call that he had since taken over the entire prayer team at our church and had even begun teaching and leading congregational prayer times on Wednesday nights!

As I'm sure you can understand, it's much more gratifying to see the house being built one brick at a time than to just come in and buy a house already built. It creates a greater sense of accomplishment and appreciation that just couldn't be there otherwise. It's even more special when God turns you around and shows you a house you didn't even realize you were building. Although seemingly mundane and sometimes unsatisfying to the "instant gratification", that's the paradox of "Everyday Ministry".

So keep pressing on to finish the race, and thanks for being a blessing to me.

Everyday Ministry

Last night as I prayed with my 2-year-old daughter before bedtime, I was reflecting on the events of the week and how an unexpected (and undesired) change in our family's schedule had afforded us the opportunity to be a blessing to some special people in our lives. It's so humbling to see how God intervened in our plans, so that we could be a source of joy to others. As I prayed, the words, "Lord, let our lives be a blessing to others," flowed from my lips so naturally that I was keenly reminded of how unnatural that sentiment really is to me. It felt like a moment where God simply gave me the words to speak, and in doing so, He said to me, "This is what it's all about. Just follow where I lead, and I will make your everyday lives a ministry to others."

Wow.

It's amazing to me how quickly God answered my prayer. A dear friend shared with me how something she read on this blog today lifted her spirits at a time when she felt very discouraged. Once again, it is so humbling to know that God could use a few words I wrote earlier this week to minister to her spirit at the exact time she needed it.

Wow.

"Lord, let my life and the life of my family be a blessing to others. May your light shine through our lives, so that it may be You that they see - not us."

"God Is Not Schizophrenic"

"God is not schizophrenic." That's a shocking, yet poignant, quote from a frequently forwarded email written by the Jamaican-born christian pianist, Huntley Brown, to a group of friends as he comments on the obvious discord in the christian community regarding our upcoming presidential election.

Read the complete essay below, as copied from snopes.com, which verified the email's authenticity, to learn the context of the quote. Brown never intended for his email to gain national publicity, as he wrote it only in response to questions from his friends about his thoughts on Barack Obama. Also on snopes.com, Brown has written another short letter to the public regarding his now-famous private email.

Why I Can’t Vote For Obama

By Huntley Brown

Dear Friends,

A few months ago I was asked for my perspective on Obama, I sent out an email with a few points. With the election just around the corner I decided to complete my perspective. Those of you on my e-list have seen some of this before but it’s worth repeating…

First I must say whoever wins the election will have my prayer support. Obama needs to be commended for his accomplishments but I need to explain why I will not be voting for him.

Many of my friends process their identity through their blackness. I process my identity through Christ. Being a Christian (a Christ follower) means He leads I follow. I can’t dictate the terms. He does because He is the leader.

I can’t vote black because I am black; I have to vote Christian because that’s who I am. Christian first, black second. Neither should anyone from the other ethnic groups vote because of ethnicity. 200 years from now I won’t be asked if I was black or white. I will be asked if I knew Jesus and accepted Him as Lord and Savior.

In an election there are many issues to consider but when a society gets abortion, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem-cell research, human cloning to name a few, wrong economic concerns will soon not matter.

We need to follow Martin Luther King’s words, don’t judge someone by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I don’t know Obama so all I can go off is his voting record. His voting record earned him the title of the most liberal senator in the US Senate in 2007. NATIONAL JOURNAL: Obama: Most Liberal Senator in 2007 (01/31/2008)

To beat Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton as the most liberal senator, takes some doing. Obama accomplished this feat in 2 short years. I wonder what would happen to America if he had four years to work with.

There is a reason Planned Parenthood gives him a 100% rating. There is a reason the homosexual community supports him. There is a reason Ahmadinejad, Chavez, Castro, Hamas etc. love him. There is a reason he said he would nominate liberal judges to the Supreme Court. There is a reason he voted against the infanticide bill. There is a reason he voted No on the constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. There is a reason he voted No on banning partial birth abortion. There is a reason he voted No on confirming Justices Roberts and Alito. These two judges are conservatives and they have since overturned partial birth abortion. The same practice Obama wanted to continue.

Let’s take a look at the practice he wanted to continue:

The 5 Step Partial Birth Abortion procedures:

A. Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist grabs the baby’s leg with forceps. (Remember this is a live baby)
B. The baby’s leg is pulled out into the birth canal.
C. The abortionist delivers the baby’s entire body, except for the head.
D. The abortionist jams scissors into the baby’s skull. The scissors are then opened to enlarge the hole.
E. The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted. The child’s brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed.

God help him. There is a reason Obama opposed the parental notification law.

Think about this: You can’t give a kid an aspirin without parental notification but that same kid can have an abortion without parental notification. This is insane.

There is a reason he went to Jeremiah Wright’s church for 20 years.

Obama tells us he has good judgment but he sat under Jeremiah Wright teaching for 20 years. Now he is condemning Wright’s sermons. I wonder why now?

Obama said Jeremiah Wright led him to the Lord and discipled him. A disciple is one in training. Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19 - 20 “Go and make disciples of all nations.” This means reproduce yourself. Teach people to think like you, walk like you; talk like you believe what you believe etc. The question I have is what did Jeremiah Wright teach him?

Would you support a White President who went to a church which has tenets that said they have a …

1. Commitment to the White Community
2. Commitment to the White Family
3. Adherence to the White Work Ethic
4. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the White Community.
5. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting White Institutions
6. Pledge allegiance to all White leadership who espouse and embrace the White Value System
7. Personal commitment to embracement of the White Value System.

Would you support a President who went to a church like that?

Just change the word from white to black and you have the tenets of Obama’s former church. If President Bush was a member of a church like this, he would be called a racist. Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton would have been marching outside.

This kind of church is a racist church. Obama did not wake up after 20 years and just discovered he went to a racist church. The church can’t be about race. Jesus did not come for any particular race. He came for the whole world.

A church can’t have a value system based on race. The churches value system has to be based on biblical mandate. It does not matter if it’s a white church or a black church it’s still wrong. Anyone from either race that attends a church like this would never get my vote.

Obama’s former Pastor Jeremiah Wright is a disciple of liberal theologian James Cone, author of the 1970 book A Black Theology of Liberation. Cone once wrote: “Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him.

Cone is the man Obama’s mentor looks up to. Does Obama believe this?

So what does all this mean for the nation?

In the past when the Lord brought someone with the beliefs of Obama to lead a nation it meant one thing - judgment.

Read 1 Samuel 8 when Israel asked for a king. First God says in 1 Samuel 1:9 “Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.”

Then God says

1 Samuel 1:18 “ When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.” 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”

Here is what we know for sure.

God is not schizophrenic

He would not tell one person to vote for Obama and one to vote for McCain. As the scripture says, a city divided against itself cannot stand, so obviously many people are not hearing from God.

Maybe I am the one not hearing but I know God does not change and Obama contradicts many things I read in scripture so I doubt it.

For all my friends who are voting for Obama can you really look God in the face and say; Father based on your word, I am voting for Obama even though I know he will continue the genocidal practice of partial birth abortion. He might have to nominate three or four Supreme Court justices, and I am sure he will be nominating liberal judges who will be making laws that are against you. I also know he will continue to push for homosexual rights, even though you destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for this. I know I can look the other way because of the economy.

I could not see Jesus agreeing with many of Obama’s positions. Finally I have two questions for all my liberal friends.

Since we know someone’s value system has to be placed on the nation,

1. Whose value system should be placed on the nation?

2. Who should determine that this is the right value system for the nation?

Blessings,

Huntley Brown

Presidential Deal Breakers

Two years ago, my husband and I decided it was time to trade-in our hip and trendy SUV for the ultimate status symbol - a minivan. (Can you detect the sarcasm?) Well, for practical purposes, we decided to go the minivan route, and I have to admit it's my favorite car I've ever had - definitely a good choice on our part. It may not be hip or trendy, but its practical comfort outweighs any benefits we ever got from our SUV.

Before buying, we took our time comparing makes and models until we decided exactly what we wanted. After searching online inventories of dealers throughout the state, we finally found one that had the exact model we were looking for in stock. I certainly was elated to have finally located a vehicle with all the bells and whistles we wanted, but there was one more thing I needed to know - what color was it? See, Toyota has this awful color called Silver Pine Mica. It's a nauseating green/gold/silver blend - if that makes any sense. Actually, it doesn't, which is why it's so hideous. According to the salesman, it really is a controversial color. People either love it and ask for it by name, or they despise it like me.

So, you can see where I'm going with this, right? Even though after a long search I had located a van with all the options I wanted, if it had been covered with Silver Pine Mica paint, it would have been an absolute deal breaker. That color was so appalling to me, I just couldn't overlook it even with all the other desirable features.

So, how does this relate to presidential politics? Well, I've been paying attention to this election very closely and to the opinions of Christians who are on both sides of the spectrum politically. There are many Christians who will be casting their vote for Barack Obama next month because they agree with his stance on the war, education, health care and his economic policy of "helping the little guy", as well as his promise to increase aid to poverty-stricken countries - just to name a few examples. I can certainly understand how these ideas may resonate with Christians as they seek to undo the many injustices they see in the world. The only problem is that in order to support Barack Obama, a Christian has to ignore the Silver Pine Mica paint job: his overwhelming support of abortion and the vote he cast against the ban on partial-birth abortion, which is nothing less than infanticide. (If you don't know what partial-birth abortion is, do a google search. It will shock and outrage you.)

James tells us to look after widows and orphans - specifically because these people were helpless and utterly dependent on the compassion of others. In the male-dominated society of that era, a husbandless woman and a fatherless child had no voice and no way of conducting business or earning a living. I think it is reasonable to say that the heart of James' message is to look after those who cannot help themselves. Who is more helpless and innocent than an unborn child? No one.

Christians who support Obama might be thinking people like me are so singularly-focused and narrow-minded and wonder how I can be so "obsessed" with one issue. After all, aren't there other issues that matter? Sure there are, but the amount of money we spend on our education system doesn't matter to a child who's never allowed to live. Aborted babies will never have the chance to benefit from Obama's economic policies or grow up to be doers of justice in their communities. Oh, and here's the kicker, a government health care plan is meaningless to a child who's life is taken from her before she can ever see the pediatrician.

No presidential candidate is perfect, but when a candidate supports abortion - including partial-birth abortion - then that's a deal breaker for me. I know the Christians who support Obama do so with good intentions, wanting to express God's love and grace and to undo the perception that Christians are judgemental and intolerant, so they vote as social liberals. Let's follow that premise to it's logical conclusion. Suppose we, as a nation, consistently elected socially liberal candidates. In twenty years, what would our country look like? We would probably have even easier abortions, gay marriage legal nationwide, a decline in traditional two parent families, more government dependence, and the church would be even less relevant than it is today. Who needs the charity and compassion of churches in our communities when the government takes care of everyone? Sure, maybe Christians will no longer be viewed as judgemental and intolerant because they won't even be noticed.

This experiment has already been tried. Go to Europe and see for yourself.

Welcome To The Blogosphere

My friend, Chris, just started his own blog. My husband and I have known Chris for over 10 years, and it's been really cool to see how God has worked in all three of our lives in that time. Chris is a thoughtful and funny guy, and you'll get a sense for that right away when you read his blog. Check it out here.

Welcome to the blogosphere, Chris!

Examining the Pros and Cons of Being a Homeschooling Mom (at least as I see them)

Well, I haven't blogged in a while because my life has been consumed by a new schedule. I have officially become a member of a small - but growing - club. I am now a homeschooling mom. It's a title that comes with a mixture of joys and challenges, and I thought I would list the pros and cons of being a homeschooling mom (or dad), as I see them at this point in my journey. I have a feeling, if I come back to this list in a few months, I'll want to make some changes.

Well, here are the CONS, as I see them:

• You need to be organized and scheduled- more so than I am naturally.
• You need to be flexible. Being too organized and rigid will suck the joy out of the experience for you and your child. Inflexibility essentially squanders the freedom you have to enjoy as a homeschooling parent.
• You have to give up a good portion of your time. You need to be available to your child during "school time", and you need to spend time preparing for your lessons, as well.
• You need to find a way to occupy younger siblings who are not yet in school.
  
• Homeschooling is not free. No matter how you do it (and there are many ways), you do have to put out some money. We've put out about $500 for this year, and we pay approximately $50 per month for our son to attend a local homeschooling academy.
• You have to make a conscious effort to give your homeschooled children time to play with and be with their friends, since they won't be seeing them everyday on the school playground.
• People will think you're a weird, reclusive, religious zealot, and that you want to shelter your child from reality. (And maybe some people who homeschool ARE like that, but not me.)
• You may get disagreement from family and friends regarding your decision to homeschool.
• Many people (perhaps even your spouse) will have no idea what your day-to-day experience is like and be able to share in your passions and your frustrations as a homeschooling parent.
• When you have a rough day, homeschooling can be emotionally exhausting.
• Homeschooling takes up space in your home. You need a space to work and a space to store all your materials. This can either be a space solely dedicated to schooling, such as a "schoolroom", or a multi-purpose space. Many people use their dining room for schooling during the week and transform it back to a dining room on the weekends.
• As a homeschooling parent, your availability to get together with friends (or make appointments) during the day will be very different from that of parents whose kids are in school.

Here are the PROS, as I see them:

• You have the freedom to be flexible and a linger over a topic of particular interest to your child, if desired.
• You can take vacation and field trips whenever you want.
• You can keep up with your schooling a little bit over the summer if you want, so your child doesn't need an entire month of review that all school children have every September.
• Studies show homeschooled kids score better on standardized tests than public school kids. Their scores are equal to or better than private school students.
• Contrary to popular belief, multiple studies have shown that homeschooled kids tend to have a better self-image than their public school peers and are more comfortable interacting with people of all ages. They tend to model their behavior after adults rather than after their peers.
• Your child has to spend less time on his/her academics and can spend more time playing and being a kid. We do our school in about 2 1/2 hours a day.
• You can start your day at a time that suits both you and your kids. With homeschooling, it's possible to sleep in and still have a productive school day!
• Your children (if they are all at home with you) get to spend more time together and hopefully build strong, lasting relationships with their siblings.
• You get to be the one to first introduce your child to controversial or sensitive topics, such as evolution, homosexuality, and spirituality, and explain those topics from your own worldview.
• You get to spend more time with your kids than a parent whose kids are in traditional school.
• You can accommodate your child's unique needs and temperament. If your child is fidgety, you can let him/her stand and do their work. You can take breaks when your child needs it. If your child has trouble staying focused, you are there to help him/her to stay engaged - something that is difficult for a teacher in a large classroom.
• You can move at your child's pace.
• You get to experience the joy of seeing your child learn and the confidence that comes with it.
• Your child has more time for sports and extracurricular activities than children who are in school all day and then have homework in the afternoons.
• You get to learn new things, too!
• It will warm your heart to hear your child say, "Are we having school tomorrow? I love school!"
• Besides helping your child to acquire knowledge, you can really challenge your child to think and analyze (something which I feel, as a former public school teacher, is severely lacking in our schools).
• As a homeschooling parent, you have more opportunities to work on character development with your child because you are with him/her more.
• As homeschooling has become more popular, there are a wide-variety of resources available for homeschooling families such as co-ops, academies, support groups, businesses and museums that offer special activities/classes for homeschoolers, and a wide variety of homeschooling methods and curricula. The sky's the limit!
• If you find the curriculum and resources that suit you and your children, homeschooling can be fun and rewarding for all!