Choose For Yourselves This Day

"...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Joshua 24:15 NKJV

I wrote in a recent post how this section of Joshua had been referred to frequently at our church while we studied scripture concerning the rift in the Episcopal church.

A few happenings served to underscore the truth in this verse. First, some women in our church just returned from a Women of Faith conference held this past weekend, and one of the ladies was singing the praises of Beth Moore. I've heard of Beth Moore, but I know nothing about her. Someone else wisely said, "I hear people rave about Beth Moore. If what she teaches makes people talk about her so much, isn't something wrong? Shouldn't they be raving about Jesus?"

Recently, I mentioned to another home schooler something R.C. Sproul, Jr., said at the Colorado home school conference a year ago. She then sent me several internet links which criticize both Sproul and Doug Phillips of Vision Forum fame. (The purpose of my blog isn't to debate the truth or myth of either claim here.)

Lastly, in a recent conversation, someone asked me if we were 'following our priest' to the new church. I replied that we were leaving the apostate Episcopal church (which is now in the hands of the Bishop, who pushes unity over Biblical truth) and going to the new Anglican church (which our priest is founding).

In every one of these examples, I notice that problems arise when we put our trust in earthly men. I think we desperately want to find the magic bullet, the perfect book, the perfect seminar, the perfect church that will help us to become the perfect Christian. Such a thing, as invented by man, doesn't exist.

There is no magic bullet, but there was a cross and a grave that didn't mean the end of a Life. There is no perfect book, except the Book, the Holy Bible. There is no perfect seminar, except perhaps the Sermon on the Mount. And, there is no perfect church, until we all join our voices in heaven to praise our heavenly Father. Let's not put our trust in anything here on earth.

"...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Tuesday Night Musings

I attended a city council meeting tonight and was involved in the conversations of others attending the meeting. I heard things such as: where people had been or were going for weekend getaways in the mountains, people who have met Bill Clinton and rave about his charisma, going out for $300 dinners (for two) but getting it reimbursed by Mystery Shopper, so-and-so got teacher of the month on a local TV station, praising someone for doing "it all," etc. It all made me realize that I am so thankful for my life when it gets right down to it. My life is pretty much my family and church, but I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. I don't want to be on a million committees that take me away from my family, I don't need public praise of my teaching abilities, I don't need to name drop who I've met or been in the same room with at the White House.

Some of it's my age. But most of it is my faith. I am a child of the Living God. Who I am in Him is what counts. What He thinks is what counts.

And here's another sad thing I observed at the city council meeting. A developer was proposing a Montessori school in a new neighborhood. It would be a "school" for children ages 6 weeks (!) to 6 years. Not only was I appalled thinking of someone dropping their 6 week old baby off at a Montessori school (open 6 am to 6 pm), but there was parking for only 27 or 29 vehicles (I forget exactly). The school plans a staff of 22. That doesn't leave a whole lot of space for parents to visit, now does it? 'Just give us your kids. We know what's best for them! We don't want you nosing around in our building and messing things up!'

In our little home school every day, we find a Bible verse we like, we write it down in a notebook, share it, and say what we think it means. Here's what my children wrote today.

Our son wrote:
A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.
Ecclesiastes 7:1

Our daughter wrote:
Better is a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.
Proverbs 17:1

And you know, they knew what those verses meant! That's so much richer than seeing myself on TV, being praised for teaching someone else's kids. That's so much more satisfying that being able to say that President Clinton introduced me to Nelson Mandella.

Praise God!! Thank you for showing me how great my life is!

(picture of our two precious ones studying their Catechism last week)

Empty Shells and Little Old Ladies

This day seems to be a unique one in our family. First, my husband and I both became Christians on September 16, 1984. Exactly ten years later we received the adoption papers and picture for the little boy who would become our son. Then a few years after that, both of our children became American citizens on September 16.

This year, it was to be the day that we would become Pilgrims, of sorts. For the past year and a half we have been attending an Episcopal church that we suspected would not remain so forever. It had become a magnet for people who were disgusted with the Episcopal church hierarchy and it didn't take long for us to see that things would get interesting if we stuck around.

This morning was our last Sunday in the current building. Our pastor, most of the staff, and many of the parishioners will be starting a new church in a different denomination. Our rector was going to stay until the end of this month, but the Bishop had other plans and asked him to leave after today. So, our little band of pilgrims is going to meet for two weeks of lay-led worship and prayer until our rector can perform communion again on October 7.

As my daughter and I walked out of the church for the last time today, she said, "Let's say good-bye to the church." As we stood in the "cry room" at the back of the sanctuary, for some reason I was reminded of an empty insect shell. It was as if God was telling me that the life was gone from the room, the shell served its purpose, and now there is new life beginning elsewhere.

Although this thought helped me not to cry as we left, the empty shell analogy isn't entirely accurate. I think there are some people staying at the church who are truly children of God. They are fed up with what's going on in the Episcopal church, but they just can't bring themselves to leave. They raised families in that church. They buried their husbands while at that church. They've weathered many storms in their lives, and they want to stay put in a familiar place for the few remaining years they have left on this earth.

All I can say is, God bless those "little old ladies." May they be a remnant of truth that help guide more souls to Christ in that shell which won't be so empty come next Sunday.

As For Me and My House

But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Joshua 24:15b NKJV

This verse has been rolling around in my mind a lot recently. Our rector, vestry, and most of the staff have all resigned in order to leave the Episcopal Church. I suspect about half of the congregation is going to leave as well. Next Sunday is our rector's last day of preaching, as the Bishop has asked him to leave earlier than his resignation date. We never would have stayed at the church for this past year and a half if we had not thought that it would soon come to this. Yet, it is a little scary as we embark upon this new journey.

I am going to miss our church building. I'll miss the stained glass windows, the choir loft, the pipe organ, and the library that I was helping to organize. But, I am constantly reminded that the church is not a building, but people. Just as the house in the Joshua passage above is not the physical structure, but the people in the family.

If you keep reading the Joshua passage, Joshua wants the people to know that service to the Lord is not something to take lightly. When the Israelites finally respond, "The Lord our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!" Joshua makes a covenant with them.

Dear Lord, may I take seriously what it means to serve You and obey Your voice.

9-11 Musings

I well remember my husband waking me up on September 11, 2001, to tell me that two airplanes had hit the Twin Towers.

I well remember calling my mother, half a country away, just to tell her I loved her. Just in case the end had come.

I well remember trying to keep the graphic pictures away from our children, then, ages 8 and 5.

I well remember looking up into the sky later that day. A sky where no planes flew overhead.

I well remember a good friend from high school, now living in New York City, telling me that one of her friends was a stewardess on one of the planes that was flown into the Twin Towers. Her friend loved to knit, and was most likely carrying some knitting on board for one of her grandchildren. Knitting that was destroyed by hateful men. A grandmother that was destroyed by a hateful ideology.

I well remember another friend who had just moved to NYC to play a Broadway show, sending me pictures she took of the Twin Towers just a few days before the attack.

I well remember sending an e-mail to a friend in eastern Europe, telling her that we were OK, but changed forever.



Today I thought of those lives lost. I went to a memorial site, built in our town, commemorating all those who died on September 11, 2001. Each name is etched in bronze. Forever saved in memory.

We flew our American flags today. One on the front of the house. And then James's flag, in the back yard, commemorating a life lost in Afghanistan. A life lost to protect me and you.

God bless all those touched by the losses created on this day.

Thank you to those who have given their lives for us.

Vincero!

Opera fans can debate all they want about who was the better tenor of this age. Either way, the world has lost a beautiful voice. I can't listen to Pavarotti sing Puccini's Nessun dorma from Turandot without getting a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat. Puccini always does that to me.

To listen to the clip in the post directly below, you have to silence the music that's already playing on my blog (scroll down on the right and click on the left button of the Sonific box).


Dilegua, o notte! Tramontate, stelle!
Tramontate, stelle! All'alba vincero!
Vincero! Vincero!

Depart, oh night! Set, you stars!
Set, you stars! At dawn I shall win!
I shall win! I shall win!

from Nessun dorma

Pavarotti

Horizons

If you are always taking blessings to yourself and never learn to pour out anything unto the Lord, other people do not get their horizon enlarged through you.
My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers (Sept. 3 entry)

Our son did a little bit of horizon enlarging for two boys from church. We've taken these boys fishing three times now. Our son has lent them all the gear, taught them how to cast, and helped them with everything that's needed to catch a fish. On this past Sunday, the two boys caught their first fish ever, and boy were they excited!

They kept our son VERY busy with baiting their hooks and taking the fish off the hooks. They weren't quite ready to tackle that (no pun intended) entirely on their own yet. I was so proud of our son, who patiently showed his servant heart to these boys.

After the two boys caught six fish between the two of them, our son took the opportunity to do some serious fishing of his own. As you can see, God was gracious to reward him with a great catch (pictured above, with my son still wearing his bike helmet)!

Two Souls in Glory

I just saw these entries on two blogs I read and wanted to share them.

The two blogs are kept by farmers. One is a newly single mother of six, running a dairy farm in Kansas. The other is a farmer in Minnesota who keeps a blog along with three other farmers. Both blogs have valuable insight into various aspects of the Christian life: hard work, being faithful, and persevering, to name a few.

Another thing they provide is a down-to-earth honest account of their lives. That seems to be the hallmark of all the agrarian blogs I read, and of the few ranch families I know here in Colorado. I find such honesty so refreshing, especially in a time where most of what we see or hear from various media sources has been "enhanced" visually and/or auditorally. The "pretty" girl on the cover of the latest magazine doesn't really look like that. The latest pop star doesn't really sound like that, either. But, it's pretty hard for a farmer to fake it during coffee time at church, when everyone passes his drought ravaged withering corn fields on the way to town. I appreciate honesty over facade any day.

So here are the blog posts. They're a bit long, but worth reading if you can sit a spell. By the way, I keep both blogs listed in the sidebar to the right so you can check them out anytime. They're well worth reading on a regular basis.

Northern Farmer wrote about his fellow farming neighbor, Jim, who just passed away. Tom's description of the ways Jim lived out of his faith is a true inspiration.

Another bittersweet post was by Kansas Milkmaid about a family who just laid their newborn to rest.