A Fresh Start Awaits!

As May quickly comes to a close, I look forward to my favorite time of year -- Summer! It's not because of the weather, although I do enjoy trips to the lake or pool to cool off. In fact, I probably enjoy the Fall most because of the crisp temperatures and beautiful colors. But I look forward to Summer the most for the same reason most kids do -- Summer break! Now, many parents do not look forward to break, because suddenly their kids are home all day and parents must find ways to occupy their time. But as a homeschool Mom, I enjoy the break almost as much as the kids do! Then, in the Fall I feel re-energized to face another school year with a positive attitude. A fresh start!

I love the way God gives us fresh starts! My brother once commented that he was so thankful that God made day and night. He said, if there was never night, just an ongoing day in which we never slept, then if you had a bad day it would just keep going on, and on, and on, and on. . . . I had never really thought about it that way. But once again, God is pretty smart. Each morning that we wake up is a fresh start! Morning means a fresh start, Spring heralds a fresh start for the Earth each year, and of course ultimately the cross offers a fresh start through forgiveness!

Now hold on, because I'm going to offer one of my famous analogies here, so bear with me. No analogy is perfect and breaks down when taken too far but. . . that being said, I was thinking about how faith and sanctification are sort of like the rotation and revolution of the Earth which brings about daylight and the seasons. Faith, like the rotation of the Earth, gives us light. When the part of the Earth we occupy is turned away from the sun, it experiences darkness, night. But the Light has come into the world and, "...shines in the darkness" (John 1:5). Christ's descent into the world allows us to suddenly be able to see God for who He is! When we see Him through faith, the darkness we've been stumbling around in is lifted, and we have spiritual daylight! We are able to turn away from our sins and towards the Son! How sad are those who "...loved the darkness rather than the light..." (John 3:19).

But it's not enough that we see Him, we must be close to Him. We have light, but we also need growth! As the Earth is warmed the closer it is to the Sun as it revolves around it, so we are warmed in our spirit the closer we are to the Son! We grow and blossom through the process of sanctification. When we find ourselves wandering away from Christ, our souls grow cold and growth is slowed or inhibited. God wants us to see Him through faith (light), AND to have a relationship with him (closeness). He wants us to see who He is, but then He wants us to stay close and to be transformed into His image!

Just as night turns to morning and the Earth doesn't stay in perpetual Winter, we are offered both light and closeness through the forgiveness found in the cross of Christ! A fresh start, a Soul Spring, awaits all who turn not only to see, but to abide. And just as the Earth does not turn itself, our faith and sanctification are the work of God. He is the gravitational pull on our souls, just as the Sun pulls on the Earth and keeps it in orbit. Resistance would be foolish indeed. For if the Earth could resist the sun's pull, it would be catapulted into the outer reaches of space and destroyed. I'm so thankful that I am safe within the sovereignty and will of my heavenly Father!

So when you find yourself discouraged, caught in a cycle of sin, or wondering why your life isn't producing spiritual fruit, remember that God's forgiveness through Christ offers you a fresh start, but you must turn toward the Son and remain close when you feel His loving hand gently pulling on you!

To Weep with Those Who Weep

I was reading Kathryn Campbell's website today (http://www.kathrynskeepsakes.com/) and learned that Stephen Curtis Chapman's youngest adopted daughter, Maria Sue, was tragically killed in an accident outside their home yesterday. She was hit accidentally by the family car, being driven by Maria's teenage brother. Below is the text from the news release...

NASHVILLE, TN...5/21/08... At approximately 5pm on the afternoon of Wednesday May 21st, Maria Sue Chapman, 5 years old and the youngest daughter to Steven and Mary Beth Chapman was struck in the driveway of the Chapman home in Franklin, TN, {with the family SUV driven by her teenage brother]. Maria was rushed to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in Nashville, transported by LifeFlight, but died of her injuries there. Maria is one of the close knit family’s six children and one of their three adopted daughters.

More than five years ago, Chapman and his wife MaryBeth founded The Shaohannah’s Hope Ministry after bringing their first adopted daughter, Shaohannah, home from China. The ministry’s goal is to help families reduce the financial barrier of adoption, and has provided grants to over 1700 families wishing to adopt orphans from around the world. Chapman is a five-time GRAMMY ® winner and 54-time Dove Award winning artist who has sold over 10 million albums and garnered 44 No. 1 singles.

You can leave messages of condolence on the Shaohannah's Hope website (http://www.shaohannahshope.org/) Attached is the video they have posted in Maria's memory. It moved me to tears, and reminded me that for every orphan like Maria that we weep for because we knew her, there are thousands more who go unnoticed, and who suffer and die each day without ever having the chance to be part of a loving forever family like the Chapman's for even a small time. My prayer is that God will use this tragedy causing His Spirit to move many to give precious children like Maria Sue a loving home.

Getting the Point

The kids and I went last Monday with a group to the Virginia Safari Park near Natural Bridge. This is a drive-through zoo, where the animals roam freely over hundreds of acres of beautiful countryside. We boarded a large tractor-drawn wagon and headed into the park! Each passenger received a small white bucket full of grain pellets in which to feed the animals who would approach at various stops along the way. Our guide mentioned the various animals we would be encountering -- bison, antelope, camels, llamas, water buffalo, ostrich, zebras, etc. She told us that we could hold our buckets out to let the animals feed from them, BUT she said, she recommended that if the animal has horns or antlers, place a handful of pellets on the floor near the edge instead, and let them lick it up. Why, you ask? Because the animals are sometimes so excited to get the pellets, that you could accidentally get poked with horns or antlers trying to feed them.

Sure enough, as we made our first stop we were approached by a myriad of creatures -- llamas, water buffalo and Watusi cattle! I've seen the Watusi cows on TV before (large horned cows found in parts of Africa), but these horns are MASSIVE! So big that they almost look like dunce caps placed on both sides of the cow's head! Gentle animals, but I definitely did not want to encounter those horns, so we did as our guide instructed and let these animals partake from under our seats! It was really fun (albeit a little slobbery!).

OK, now the lesson I learned. I have found in life and in ministry that people are much like those Watusi Cattle. We all want to be fed -- we are needy people after all! We all need ministring to, we all need counsel, and we need to work together for the building of His kingdom! But sometimes when you are trying to help someone or just work along side someone, you encounter their horns. Unintentional perhaps, because we all have them, but it's not uncommon to get poked, even gored from time to time! Learning how to "feed" and work with our brothers and sisters can be tricky. We need to rely on our guide, Christ, to direct us on how best go about it -- take it out of our hands, so to speak. After all, we are all beggers just telling other beggers where to find bread! When I try to feed others out of my own bucket of supposed wisdom or strength, I can get hurt, because counsel or ideas not well received, or our deeds not recognized as we think they should be, have a way of jabbing at our pride, our self-esteem, and our feelings. Differences in personalities can cause horns to become locked together, and sadly, we can even decide to use them as weapons! But when we follow our Guide's instructions, our horns needn't be so threatening! God tells us everything we need to know about how to live and work together in peace, how to mentor one another in love, how to resolve conflicts, etc. And I can receive those things from others because my own image is not at risk. My identity, as David preached, is rooted in Christ, not in myself and my own works or "wisdom". It's not about me, you see! Ooh, that was hard to type! But it's really not! It's about Christ, and His Kingdom! So, following my guide's instructions, I can give constructive criticism, advise, correction, etc. without crushing someone's spirit, and I can receive it without being crushed! And real forgiveness flows out of this godly dynamic! We are all going to encounter each other's "horns," from time to time, so I want make sure I am following God's Word on how to keep from accidentally poking someone! I'm also hoping that as God sanctifies me, my horns will actually become smaller and smaller!

Fishing

As you probably know by now, I love to fish. It's one of my favorite hobbies. My family did a lot of fishing growing up, and we practically lived at Smith Mountain Lake during the summers! Bass, perch, crappie, and yes, even carp were fair game (although we never ate the carp -- not that there's anything wrong with that!). The opportunities to go fishing nowadays are few and far between. Dear friends of ours invite us occasionally to their family's cabin on Craig's Creek and I enjoy not only great fellowship, wading and playing with the kids in the creek, but a chance to wet a line and try for a few trout or bass! This past weekend, Wellspring had its annual Women's retreat at Camp Bethel. Camp Bethel boasts a number of spring-fed ponds always stocked with trout! Big trout! I caught one two years ago during our free time, that was literally the biggest fish I had ever caught! For a trout, it was a monster nearing two feet in length. Unfortunately, I was alone and could not hold both the fish and my camera to get a shot of it with me. This year, however, I came prepared! I had a camera AND a witness (not to mention a cooler!). Free time rolled around, and I headed for the pond. My friend Sara joined me after a while and was witness to my first catch -- a nice sized trout! I held him and asked Sara to get a picture of me and my prize. She obliged, but could not figure out how to turn the camera on. My hands, of course, were busy holding a very wiggly, strong fish, so I attempted to instruct her with words while pointing to various things on the camera with the fish's head! This of course got us giggling, and it's a wonder we didn't drop the camera and the fish in the water! After our amusing photo op, I threw the fish back in the water (dumb!) because I didn't have my cooler with me, and I thought it unlikely that I would catch another. But lo and behold, I caught another even bigger than the first, this time with my friend Suzanne with me who held onto the fish while I ran for the cooler (thanks, Suzanne!). This whopper was followed by two others, smaller but still very respectable! They all got put on ice and taken home. Dinner! David was a good sport when I got home Saturday, and promptly cleaned the fish for me. Let me tell you, the outsides of these beautiful trout are a lot prettier than the insides! But in order to enjoy our delicious catch, the insides needed to be cleaned out! Thanks, sweetie!

So why tell you all of this, except to brag about my superior fishing abilities and creative camera techniques? Well, I was thinking (dangerous). Our retreat this weekend was entitled, "What's going on upstairs? Building a godly thought life." The Bible says that "As a man thinks, so is he." Our outward appearance and works can be really good looking, even God-honoring. But the Bible reminds us that our true self is on the inside, and typically the toughest spiritual battles we face are the ones raging between our ears! It's easy to look really good on the outside, but what's going on upstairs? Are my thoughts being brought captive to Christ? Am I sinning in my thoughts towards others? Am I harboring unforgiveness, resentment, or guilt? Do I need to change the way I think about myself, about others, about my circumstances, about God? How can I clean out my mind, like David cleaned out those fish? Our speaker, Joyce Ames, said that we begin by "thinking about what we're thinking about." I need to go fishing, so to speak, in my own head. And when I "catch" something that's not biblical, I need to correct it -- with prayer, with confession, with right thinking that is in accordance with His Word! A good litmus test is Philippians 4:8. . .

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."

When what's going on in our minds is biblical (never perfect, mind you, but striving for godliness), then we truly please the Lord. For outward "good" deeds done with wrong motives, or accompanied by ungodly thoughts, are really a lie. God looks at the heart. God doesn't just settle for the "catch." He wants our "insides" cleaned out! My outward self will pass away, and my insides, my soul, will stand before God in eternity. That's the real me. How I long for my mind to be cleaner than my best day of outward "goodness." So, I'm grabbin' my rod (of correction -- God's Word) and goin' fishin'! Join me?