Zombies are a big thing in pop culture right now. My kids know all about zombies.
This morning, I used it as an opportunity to explain to my son that when Jesus rose from the dead, he didn't come back like a zombie.
"The Romans hammered sharp, spiky nails through Jesus' wrists to nail him on a big cross (or maybe a tree, we're not sure). And they hung him up like that, and it killed him."
"Then he rose from the dead!" my son says.
Yep! He didn't come back as a brain-dead creature, though, he came back to life for real, as God's son!
That's part of why we worship him.
I know some of you that follow me on my blog or facebook get annoyed about how much I talk about "Christianity" and how I "indoctrinate" my kids.
I do not believe that I should keep my faith a secret to myself.
Not after all the healing and wonderful things Jesus has done to transform my life! If I say I believe that Jesus is the answer to all of life's questions and the way be saved from separation from God with eternal life...
...then how sick and twisted would it be to keep that to myself?
(Not to mention completely contradictory to what Jesus told us to do)
Thanks for reading; that's all I needed to say for now.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Friday, April 11, 2014
Why I quit the church, and then came back
I had been turned off by the church. Let me rephrase that: I had been very turned off by the church. I would go so far as to say I hated anything to do with my church. It had been that way for so long, I couldn't even remember when it started. I guess it must have been when I was quite young. The church my family attended when I was growing up wasn't exactly kid-friendly. And no one could give me a satisfactory about why I had to be there every week for that painfully boring hour. At least not in a way a kid could understand.
And so I decided I was an Atheist.
Despite pressure from family members, I was a self-proclaimed atheist starting from about 5th grade on.
People who know me today know that I am very actively involved in my church, and I make my kids go every week (and they love it!). I also really advocate for people to be involved in a faith community.
So, what changed?
Let's go back to my junior year of high school. I was quite taken with a particular boy. Yes, I had a crush (years from now my kids will read this and think, "Ew"!). Anyway, this guy was a Christian who took his faith seriously, so he invited me to attend the Wednesday night youth group at his church with him. I think I probably made up excuses and expressed disinterest at his first invitations, but eventually gave in just so I could spend time with him.
I still remember those first few visits to that church--how completely different and refreshing they were. The kids who attended that Wednesday night youth group were not at all like the teenagers at my family's church. I walked in feeling alone and out of place, but they immediately gave me a warm welcome with open arms. A few girls in particular made me feel like we were best buds right off the bat. The students were even excited about being actively involved in leading this group. A few of them led us in singing pop worship songs--a great departure from any kind of church music I'd ever heard. And this boy I liked volunteered his time every single week to run the sound booth. The youth pastor was...dare I say...cool? He wasn't some stuffy, out-of-touch, old guy. He had (gasp!) tattoos and piercings. Most importantly, he was really gifted at connecting with us as teens. These people weren't just there to fulfill some obligatory duty...they were real.
So, I went...and kept going. I started to develop friendships there.
Meanwhile, in my heart and mind I was suffering with a number of things that seemed like the end of the world to my teenage mind. At this particular point in time, I was somewhat depressed. I had always been shy and anxious in social situations, which caused me to be absolutely terrified of my impending doom (by 'doom' I mean moving out of my parents' house to be on my own in every kind of social situation imaginable!). I also remember knowing that if I died, I would go to Hell. Every night, I would lie awake contemplating a way to end my life.
I don't know if I ever would have had the guts to go through with it, but the point is that it brought me to a place of helplessness and humility before God. I was supposed to be Atheist, but I just knew I was going to Hell if I went through with it. Being terrified and uncertain about everything in regards to my future also felt like a personal Hell. So, it was a "damned if I do, damned if I don't" sort of situation.
Attending those Wednesday nights and listening to the youth pastor preach about a relationship with Jesus, I heard the Gospel with listening ears for the first time...God broke me.
I mean that in a good way.
I arrived at a point of desperation where one night when that young boy was dropping me off at my house, I told him "I think I've decided I want to be a Christian".
That night, I made a deal with God. (Yes, I know you're not supposed to make 'deals' with God! Yes, people, I know I said I didn't believe in God, but this was how it happened, okay?)
I told God that if He would show me He is real, I would believe in Him.
I'm here to today, and I am telling you: He is Real. Believe in Him.
I thought that the night I accepted Jesus into my heart was the start of my faith journey. I thought that was when God found me. Looking back on it now, I see that God was working on me through my whole life. He was always there, I just hadn't been willing to accept it yet--I was the one who walked away from Him.
I could list for you many times that God's answered my prayers and proven his faithfulness, but the transformation I've gone through is testimony enough. I immediately began to sense the Holy Spirit come into my life and change me--healing me from my social anxiety. Giving me hope about the future that I thought was so dark.
I know how corny this sounds, but with Jesus in my life, I am filled with a hope and joy I never knew before. I can see what was so different about the kids in that youth group (most of whom remain my dearest friends to this day). The difference was they had said,"Yes" to Jesus, and Holy Spirit had come into their lives and changed them. When Jesus lives in you, you become a new creation. You get a fresh start. You don't instantly become perfect, that's for sure. But, you get to join the community of people that are getting closer their Creator and are learning to love each other.
Now, I don't want the message here to be that you need to accept Jesus out of fear--because you're afraid of going to Hell (though, I do believe that Jesus is the only way to escape Hell). True faith is not borne out of fear. Fear of condemnation is part of what led me to faith, in my case, but faith became real when I became certain that Jesus loves me and I want to love him.
One final note about church: I know a lot of people say they stay away from church because it is "full of hypocrites." My pastor recently spoke on this sentiment and reminded us that the golf course, the grocery store, and every other place is full of hypocrites, but we don't avoid those places. I'd rather spend a few years in church with them and have eternal life, than to spend all eternity with them & separated from God.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's what you need to know if you're wondering if your faith is real:
"For all have sinned and fall short of God's glorious standard." (Romans 3.23)
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6.23)
Yet, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him. But those who do not trust in him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God." (John 3.16-18)
"God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God." (Ephesians 2.8-9)
And Jesus' final command he gave to his followers, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved." (Mark 16.15)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I look forward to your comments
And so I decided I was an Atheist.
Despite pressure from family members, I was a self-proclaimed atheist starting from about 5th grade on.
People who know me today know that I am very actively involved in my church, and I make my kids go every week (and they love it!). I also really advocate for people to be involved in a faith community.
So, what changed?
Let's go back to my junior year of high school. I was quite taken with a particular boy. Yes, I had a crush (years from now my kids will read this and think, "Ew"!). Anyway, this guy was a Christian who took his faith seriously, so he invited me to attend the Wednesday night youth group at his church with him. I think I probably made up excuses and expressed disinterest at his first invitations, but eventually gave in just so I could spend time with him.
I still remember those first few visits to that church--how completely different and refreshing they were. The kids who attended that Wednesday night youth group were not at all like the teenagers at my family's church. I walked in feeling alone and out of place, but they immediately gave me a warm welcome with open arms. A few girls in particular made me feel like we were best buds right off the bat. The students were even excited about being actively involved in leading this group. A few of them led us in singing pop worship songs--a great departure from any kind of church music I'd ever heard. And this boy I liked volunteered his time every single week to run the sound booth. The youth pastor was...dare I say...cool? He wasn't some stuffy, out-of-touch, old guy. He had (gasp!) tattoos and piercings. Most importantly, he was really gifted at connecting with us as teens. These people weren't just there to fulfill some obligatory duty...they were real.
So, I went...and kept going. I started to develop friendships there.
Meanwhile, in my heart and mind I was suffering with a number of things that seemed like the end of the world to my teenage mind. At this particular point in time, I was somewhat depressed. I had always been shy and anxious in social situations, which caused me to be absolutely terrified of my impending doom (by 'doom' I mean moving out of my parents' house to be on my own in every kind of social situation imaginable!). I also remember knowing that if I died, I would go to Hell. Every night, I would lie awake contemplating a way to end my life.
I don't know if I ever would have had the guts to go through with it, but the point is that it brought me to a place of helplessness and humility before God. I was supposed to be Atheist, but I just knew I was going to Hell if I went through with it. Being terrified and uncertain about everything in regards to my future also felt like a personal Hell. So, it was a "damned if I do, damned if I don't" sort of situation.
Attending those Wednesday nights and listening to the youth pastor preach about a relationship with Jesus, I heard the Gospel with listening ears for the first time...God broke me.
I mean that in a good way.
I arrived at a point of desperation where one night when that young boy was dropping me off at my house, I told him "I think I've decided I want to be a Christian".
That night, I made a deal with God. (Yes, I know you're not supposed to make 'deals' with God! Yes, people, I know I said I didn't believe in God, but this was how it happened, okay?)
I told God that if He would show me He is real, I would believe in Him.
I'm here to today, and I am telling you: He is Real. Believe in Him.
I thought that the night I accepted Jesus into my heart was the start of my faith journey. I thought that was when God found me. Looking back on it now, I see that God was working on me through my whole life. He was always there, I just hadn't been willing to accept it yet--I was the one who walked away from Him.
I could list for you many times that God's answered my prayers and proven his faithfulness, but the transformation I've gone through is testimony enough. I immediately began to sense the Holy Spirit come into my life and change me--healing me from my social anxiety. Giving me hope about the future that I thought was so dark.
I know how corny this sounds, but with Jesus in my life, I am filled with a hope and joy I never knew before. I can see what was so different about the kids in that youth group (most of whom remain my dearest friends to this day). The difference was they had said,"Yes" to Jesus, and Holy Spirit had come into their lives and changed them. When Jesus lives in you, you become a new creation. You get a fresh start. You don't instantly become perfect, that's for sure. But, you get to join the community of people that are getting closer their Creator and are learning to love each other.
Now, I don't want the message here to be that you need to accept Jesus out of fear--because you're afraid of going to Hell (though, I do believe that Jesus is the only way to escape Hell). True faith is not borne out of fear. Fear of condemnation is part of what led me to faith, in my case, but faith became real when I became certain that Jesus loves me and I want to love him.
One final note about church: I know a lot of people say they stay away from church because it is "full of hypocrites." My pastor recently spoke on this sentiment and reminded us that the golf course, the grocery store, and every other place is full of hypocrites, but we don't avoid those places. I'd rather spend a few years in church with them and have eternal life, than to spend all eternity with them & separated from God.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's what you need to know if you're wondering if your faith is real:
"For all have sinned and fall short of God's glorious standard." (Romans 3.23)
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6.23)
Yet, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him. But those who do not trust in him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God." (John 3.16-18)
"God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God." (Ephesians 2.8-9)
And Jesus' final command he gave to his followers, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved." (Mark 16.15)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I look forward to your comments
Monday, March 24, 2014
Custom chair slip cover in a day
Custom chair slipcover in a day; yes please and thank you...
Sometimes it's a great debate about whether to buy something new or to go through the effort to make it myself. This was one of those times when I decided to put the time into something homemade.
I bought this chair about 5 years ago at a yard sale, and it has been so well-loved the vinyl began to tear away. I debated for a long time about whether to toss & replace the chair, reupholster it, or simply cover it up. Duct tape can only hold for so long.
A new chair like this would run me $90 - $300; I figured let's see what $60 and an afternoon with the sewing machine can do.
Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.
Sorry, no tutorial about how I made this one. This is my third attempt at a custom slip cover, so I'm not confident enough to offer advice. Let it suffice to say that a pattern was cut from tissue paper, followed by lots of pinning and unpinning to get it right.
This will make a cozy spot in our office for study or prayer time.
And it turns out that I had a lot of fabric left over, so we'll be able to make something else to match!
Sometimes it's a great debate about whether to buy something new or to go through the effort to make it myself. This was one of those times when I decided to put the time into something homemade.
I bought this chair about 5 years ago at a yard sale, and it has been so well-loved the vinyl began to tear away. I debated for a long time about whether to toss & replace the chair, reupholster it, or simply cover it up. Duct tape can only hold for so long.
A new chair like this would run me $90 - $300; I figured let's see what $60 and an afternoon with the sewing machine can do.
Sorry, no tutorial about how I made this one. This is my third attempt at a custom slip cover, so I'm not confident enough to offer advice. Let it suffice to say that a pattern was cut from tissue paper, followed by lots of pinning and unpinning to get it right.
This will make a cozy spot in our office for study or prayer time.
And it turns out that I had a lot of fabric left over, so we'll be able to make something else to match!
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
On Babywearing and Corrie ten Boom
As a babywearing mom, I really appreciated coming across this little gem during my devotional time this morning. I've been reading Corrie ten Boom's book Tramp for the Lord which she wrote about her life & travels and her relationship with the Lord. In a chapter entitled, "A Place to Be, " she is telling the reader about how the Lord has a place just for us.
"Many years later I was in a primitive house in Africa...Walking into the kitchen, I saw an African woman with the white missionary child strapped tightly to her back....'Hey, how nice she has your baby on her back,' I said to the missionary mother....The white mother smiled and said, 'The baby was so fearful this morning. All she would do was cry. When the African cook came to the house she took one look at the baby, and said, "'Ah, misseee, give me the baby. I will keep her quiet." So she strapped her on her back and the baby has slept all morning while the cook has been busy around the kitchen.'"
...."In all these years that I have been a 'tramp for the Lord,' I have often been afraid. But, in those moments I have always reached up and touched the hem of Jesus' garment. He has never failed to wrap me close to Him. Yet, I still long for that time when I shall have a mansion in Heaven."
Babywearing parents might giggle a little about the apron. Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch woman born in 1892 at a time when babywearing was at low point--it just wasn't done much in Western culture. I'm certain that she must have seen many mothers wearing their babies throughout her travels all over the world. And I'm certainly glad that babywearing is "in vogue" again in the U.S.
What a wonderful picture of our Father God.
Parents who wear their babies regularly know how soothing it is for the child. Wearing a newborn on your chest has been shown to regulate a baby's heartbeat and temperature. Babies who are worn by their parents...they simply cry less! And I believe with all my heart that Jesus has a place just like that for us. We can place ourselves tightly against the very heart of God--a place we can go to whenever we call upon him in prayer--and he will calm us.
P.S. I highly recommend Tramp for the Lord by Corrie ten Boom.
"I was born prematurely and my skin was blue. Uncle Hendrik, Tante Jan's husband, looked at me and exclaimed, 'I hope the Lord will quickly take this little creature to His home in Heaven.'...But my parents surrounded me with love and care. However, since there were no incubators in those early days, I cried much from the cold. Tante Anna, knowing I missed the warmth of the special place under my mother's heart from which I had come, rolled me in her apron and tied me against her stomach. There I was warm and quiet."
"Many years later I was in a primitive house in Africa...Walking into the kitchen, I saw an African woman with the white missionary child strapped tightly to her back....'Hey, how nice she has your baby on her back,' I said to the missionary mother....The white mother smiled and said, 'The baby was so fearful this morning. All she would do was cry. When the African cook came to the house she took one look at the baby, and said, "'Ah, misseee, give me the baby. I will keep her quiet." So she strapped her on her back and the baby has slept all morning while the cook has been busy around the kitchen.'"...."In all these years that I have been a 'tramp for the Lord,' I have often been afraid. But, in those moments I have always reached up and touched the hem of Jesus' garment. He has never failed to wrap me close to Him. Yet, I still long for that time when I shall have a mansion in Heaven."
Babywearing parents might giggle a little about the apron. Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch woman born in 1892 at a time when babywearing was at low point--it just wasn't done much in Western culture. I'm certain that she must have seen many mothers wearing their babies throughout her travels all over the world. And I'm certainly glad that babywearing is "in vogue" again in the U.S.
What a wonderful picture of our Father God.
Parents who wear their babies regularly know how soothing it is for the child. Wearing a newborn on your chest has been shown to regulate a baby's heartbeat and temperature. Babies who are worn by their parents...they simply cry less! And I believe with all my heart that Jesus has a place just like that for us. We can place ourselves tightly against the very heart of God--a place we can go to whenever we call upon him in prayer--and he will calm us.
P.S. I highly recommend Tramp for the Lord by Corrie ten Boom.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Help with Organizing: Instructions, Product Warranties, and Receipts
If you're like me, you've struggled with what to do about all those instructions, warranties, and receipts that came with the important items in your home.
Have you ever thrown them out, only to have problems with the product down the road?
Find yourself wishing you had not tossed that warranty into the recycle bin?
Fumbling with your digital camera and can't get the settings right without the owner's manual?
Have you actually held on to all those papers, but they're cluttering up your home & you never know where to find them?!
Here's the inexpensive solution we've been using at our house for about 3 years, and it has worked rather well for us.
Supplies:
File bin or filing cabinet
Manila file folders
Hanging files
Plastic food storage bags (quart or gallon)
Felt tip pen
We put all the important papers related to products we own, as well as backup software discs and receipts for the really important stuff in a file bin. These files can be organized & labeled by the room you keep the item in, what type of product it is, or you can even have a separate folder labeled for each item and alphabetize them.
You can label some folders this way and start using this system at your house for the cost of a quick trip to the dollar store!
Choose to specify your folders however you like specific to your situation. For example, if you have a large collection of firearms, you might sort them by pistols, shotguns, and rifles. (By the way, it is important to have written down somewhere the serial numbers in case of theft).
Staple receipts and product warranties that go with the same item together. Plastic storage bags are good if you have a tiny part, disc, or tiny slip of paper that you need to hang on to. These can also be labeled with a felt tip pen.
It's a good idea to photocopy receipts onto a standard sheet of paper, but since manufacturers may require an original receipt in order to service or replace your product you should staple them together and keep both.
Consider carefully what should and should not go in your bin, so you do not hold on to mere clutter. Do you really need to save the instructions for that basic $9 drip coffee maker that does not even boast an auto function or clock? You may not need to save a warranty for an item that was very inexpensive to begin with, if you're sure you would not try to contact the manufacturer if it were to break. Remember, the point is try to clear your home of clutter.
Examples of some other things that should not go in this bin might include instructions for using your jumper cables (unless you're a mechanic, keep them in the car!), or instructions for setting up your tent (keep it with the tent!).
This system should work well for most households, but only if you maintain it.
..........
A place for everything, and everything in it's place. Now doesn't that feel better? Good luck, y'all!
Have you ever thrown them out, only to have problems with the product down the road?
Find yourself wishing you had not tossed that warranty into the recycle bin?
Fumbling with your digital camera and can't get the settings right without the owner's manual?
Have you actually held on to all those papers, but they're cluttering up your home & you never know where to find them?!
Here's the inexpensive solution we've been using at our house for about 3 years, and it has worked rather well for us.
Supplies:
File bin or filing cabinet
Manila file folders
Hanging files
Plastic food storage bags (quart or gallon)
Felt tip pen
We put all the important papers related to products we own, as well as backup software discs and receipts for the really important stuff in a file bin. These files can be organized & labeled by the room you keep the item in, what type of product it is, or you can even have a separate folder labeled for each item and alphabetize them.
Here's how we've organized our bin:
Camping and Recreation Gear
Baby Gear
Pet Gear
Jewelry
Toys
Games
Tools
Furniture
Kitchen Tools/Cookware
Kitchen Appliances
Other Small Appliances
Camera
Computer and Software
Printers
Computer Accessories
Phone
Other Small Electronics
Miscellaneous
You can label some folders this way and start using this system at your house for the cost of a quick trip to the dollar store!
Choose to specify your folders however you like specific to your situation. For example, if you have a large collection of firearms, you might sort them by pistols, shotguns, and rifles. (By the way, it is important to have written down somewhere the serial numbers in case of theft).
Staple receipts and product warranties that go with the same item together. Plastic storage bags are good if you have a tiny part, disc, or tiny slip of paper that you need to hang on to. These can also be labeled with a felt tip pen.
It's a good idea to photocopy receipts onto a standard sheet of paper, but since manufacturers may require an original receipt in order to service or replace your product you should staple them together and keep both.
Consider carefully what should and should not go in your bin, so you do not hold on to mere clutter. Do you really need to save the instructions for that basic $9 drip coffee maker that does not even boast an auto function or clock? You may not need to save a warranty for an item that was very inexpensive to begin with, if you're sure you would not try to contact the manufacturer if it were to break. Remember, the point is try to clear your home of clutter.
Examples of some other things that should not go in this bin might include instructions for using your jumper cables (unless you're a mechanic, keep them in the car!), or instructions for setting up your tent (keep it with the tent!).
This system should work well for most households, but only if you maintain it.
- Put the instructions in the file as soon as you've finished using them.
- Clean out the file bin at least once year, tossing anything that goes with...say...and appliance you no longer own. I try to clean out all my files between the New Year and tax season.
..........
A place for everything, and everything in it's place. Now doesn't that feel better? Good luck, y'all!
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