A Powerpoint presentation for you to enjoy.

The Beauty of Flowers

I pray you find today full of God’s love, and that your thoughts are turned Heavenward to the wonder and beauty of His infinite glory.

I made this video a while ago after going through a difficult transition in my life. While I know this isn’t American Idol kind of talent, it is the talent God gave me to share. This particular song reminds me that we can lose sight of what’s really important in life, and coming back to our deepest longing — our deepest connection to the eternal God Jesus — will help us find our way through difficult circumstances.

Don’t lose your vision. Don’t allow others to tell you how or where to walk with God. Don’t hide the gift that He’s given you, but share it with others. If your gift is a quiet one of help, we need you. If it’s a gift or talent (or personality trait) that is openly expressive and even ruffles some feathers — share it, so that others are encouraged and even challenged.

But don’t hide it or think that you’re defying God by using it.

Why do I say that?

Because there are some who would tell you, especially if you’re a woman, that your gift is one that accompanies only silence. They twist the word of God, or use some other religious teaching to tell you that you must remain silent in order to please God. If you’re a man, they’ll appeal to your masculinity and define that for you, imposing rules for you to follow. It doesn’t bring life. It’s poison, my friend, and meant to diminish the hope that is in you, if you believe Jesus is your Savior.

If this post finds you without that confirmation that Jesus came to set you free, I encourage you to seek Him and ask Him for
that assurance. He’s always available and is ready to empower you with His wonderful gift. Just ask and you’ll receive.

You can read a review of the movie here. (unless you don’t want to spoil the plot)

I enjoy this film for showing Danielle’s character as having strength and compassion for the people around her.

Do you have an incredible and inspirational story you can share to help others?

While you’re comtemplating your strengths and gifts, enjoy this classic piece of art by Edmond Blair Leighton (1853-1922), The Accolade

More of my art can be viewed at LightSings.

Yes, I cried when I got overwhelmed from my first math assignment and writing assignment. I seriously thought about quitting. In a moment of desperation, I called the academic advising office of the school and asked when the last day to quit school was before I was financially responsible for the bill. Okay, these are true confessions here, so please don’t hate me. This was a major life adjustment for me to go to college, and really, all I’ve known for most of my adult years was keeping children on task with their work, and I wasn’t even good at that. After all the drama of the first real day of college subsided, my daughter and son — seasoned college students themselves — guided me through the regimen of my homework assignments. I’m forever grateful to them.

Despite my tenuous beginnings, it was such joy to actually grasp some math concepts that had eluded me all these years out of high school. My teenage years were riddled with struggles and physical difficulties with my diabetes. Academics were secondary to my own survival needs. Being in a college classroom as an adult has been liberating for me. I’m learning because I want to learn, not because I have to.

This idea of liberation reminds me of the writing assignment I have to complete. I read Frederick Douglass’ “Learning to Read and Write” from his autobiography Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave and it opened my eyes to the joys of liberation of thought. His account of his life as a slave is truly inspiring and reveals a society that we can’t imagine in our 21st century mindset. However, in some societal circles in 2010, I’m finding slavery still exists for some who weren’t born into the right gender.

As I was thinking about Frederick Douglass’ journey of liberation, my thoughts turned to my blog stats. Not a week goes by that someone has landed on my blog from a search phrased something like the following:

~ husband as prophet & priest
~ husband prophet priest king
~ bob lepine and what women should know ab
~ wives prophets husbands kings
~ father husband prophet
~ husband as prophet priest and king
~ prophet priest king [I wonder what they were looking for]

And if those weren’t indicative enough, here are some very troubling entries here:

~ subordination of the son piper
~ eternal subordination of the son

It seems to me, that even though our Western society has made great strides in recognizing the inalienable, God-given right of each individual to realize their value in society and be counted as an equal person and citizen, the Church of Jesus and certain ones within the Christianized societies still are wrestling with the inalienable right to full and spiritual personhood for women. The entries on the subordination of the Son (Jesus) are amazing, since the Bible states, “the Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” (Hebrews 1:3)

We need to know, my fellow believers in Jesus, that He is God, and is not subordinated to the Father. This argument was dealt with in the early church at the First Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. Arius’ heresy was taking root and the people during that time would sing songs with the words, “There was a time when the Son was not”! The false teaching needed to be addressed and corrected, and that’s what was accomplished at the First Council of Nicaea.

In some circles, such as the homeschool movement among evangelical Christians, the idea of a spiritual priesthood of men because of their gender is gaining strength. “Families must be saved!” they use in their battle cries and “Men need to take their position back as the ‘head’ of their home and family!” are frequently heard in many homeschool conferences. The presupposition in these Christian sects or cultures is that women were never meant to have leadership in A.) the home, B.) with their children C.) the church congregations and D.) and secular society or government. For a woman to take a leadership position is for her to be falling into to temptation of “usurping” male dominance and neglecting her “role” as a woman.

These assertions about women and their identity as people made in the image of God, or Imago Dei, are based on presuppositions of what the Bible informs us. Often a careful reading and studying of the biblical texts will reveal a God who seeks to free His people, and this reading and studying does especially well with a thorough saturation of prayer over it.

I’m grateful for those that have gone before, like Frederick Douglass, who have opened our society’s collective eyes to the true personhood of each and every person God has created in His image. I’m praying for my brothers and sisters in Christ to come to the realization of our shared eternal inheritance in Jesus, and the great freedoms He’s given us to share with others.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ~ Galatians 3:28

Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Reprove the ruthless,
Defend the orphan,
Plead for the widow.

“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the LORD,
“Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool.

Does the religion of Islam, taken to its logical end, do this even for its own adherents? (Google search to find how many have died on account of “fanatical” Islam during the holy time of Ramadan). On a similar note: Have you ever done a web search with the terms “muslims burn christians”? It’ll open your eyes to just some of the extremes sharia law imposes.

This video gives an overview of things you may not know about Islam.

[Update September 2011: Look for their sales on this set online or in their flyer] Fred Meyer has a sale on this set RIGHT NOW for $39.99, which is half off their price, and when coupled with the 10% off coupon in the flyer, that’s $36 for the entire set. You’d pay that much for just the 5 quart pot alone or anything similar. These are heavy, thick-bottomed pans. So, if you’re looking to replace some of your old cookware with stainless (timeless looks, easy cleanup) now is the time with this deal at Fred Meyer. And, I don’t benefit from this advertisement in any way.

“Now THAT is a smile!”

How to Make Zucchini Pasta with Marinara Sauce – Raw Food Recipe
Raw food author and chef Jennifer Cornbleet shows you to make delicious gluten-free raw pasta out of zucchini, which is topped with raw marinara sauce. From her DVD, Raw Food Made Easy. Distributed by Tubemogul.
Read More

Elizabeth said

Okay, so I read something pretty interesting and insightful last week.

You know how Jesus Christ always refers to God as “the Father” or “His Father” and so on? Well, how does that work with Jesus claiming to be God? Because I don’t know about you, but from how he relates Himself to God looks an awful lot like He is separate and different from God – almost like His ambassador or servant for His Plan.

But sometimes Jesus says straight out: “I and the Father are one”. So… how do we know that He’s not just referring to being in the same mindset or goals or something? I mean, those are pretty logical and legitamite questions if I don’t say so myself.

Well, I’m reading snippets of a book called “The Case for Christ: A Journalist Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus” (by Lee Strobel).

In one part of the book, the author poses a question to an interviewee about the proclaimed deity of Jesus Christ and how He supposedly denies it of Himself a few times in the Bible.
~~~~~~~~~~

If Jesus was God, what kind of God was he? Was he equal to the Father, or some sort of junior God, possessing the attributes of deity and yet somehow failing to match the total sketch that the Old Testament provides of the divine?

That question comes out of another passage that I pointed out to Carson. “Jesus said in John 14:28, ‘The Father is greater than I.’ Some people look at this and conclude that Jesus must have been a lesser God. Are they right?” I asked.

Carson sighed. “My Father was a preacher,” he replied, “and a dictum in out home when I was growing up was, ‘A text without a context becomes a pretext for a proof-text.’ It’s very important to see this passage in its context.

“The disciples are moaning because Jesus has said he’s going away. Jesus says, “If you loved me, you’d be glad for my sake when I say I’m going away, because the Gather is greater than I.’ That is to say, Jesus is returning to the glory that is properly his, so if they really know who he is and really love him properly, they’ll be glad that he’s going back to the realm where he really is greater. Jesus says in John 17:5, ‘Glorify me with the glory that I had with the Father before the world began’ – that is, ‘the Father is greater than I.’

“When you use a category like ‘greater,’ it doesn’t have to mean ontologically greater. If I say, for example, that the president of the United States is greater than I, I’m not saying he’s an ontologically superior being. He’s greater in military capability, political prowess, and public acclaim, but he’s not more of a man that I am. He’s a human being and I’m a human being.

“So when Jesus says, ‘The Father is greater than I,’ one must look at the context and ask if Jesus is saying, ‘The Father is greater than I because he’s God and I’m not.’ Frankly, that would be a pretty ridiculous thing to say. Suppose I got up on some podium to preach and said, ‘I solemnly declare to you that God is greater than I am.’ That would be a rather useless observation.

“The comparison is only meaningful if they’re already on the same plane and there’s some delimitation going on. Jesus is in the limitations of the Incarnation – he’s going to the cross; he’s going to die – but he’s about to return to the Father and to the glory he had with the Father before the world began.

“He’s saying, ‘You guys are moaning for my sake; you ought to be glad because I’m going home.’ It’s in that sence that ‘the Father is greater than I.’”

“So,” I said, “this isn’t an implicit denial of his deity.”

“No,” he concluded, “it’s really not. The context makes that clear.”
~~~~~~~~~~

The book also addresses many other logical questions, such as:

* How could a compansionate, merciful, and loving God send people to Hell? (which, in all totality is the absence of God).
* Why would Jesus claim to be God if He was a human being?
* Since Jesus claims to be God, does He match up to the attributes of God?
* What was Jesus’ mission and purpose here on this earth?

It’s a really good book. It addresses very important questions in a completely logical and contextual light. I highly suggest it if you’re digging into who Christ really was/is (as I am).

My response
Elizabeth, this brings up several important questions about the Trinity, and people’s belief that there is some kind of eternal subordination between the Father and the Son and Spirit (God). Many teachers, though misinformed, teach this to… be the case. In Philippians 2, many read that passage and say, “Well, Jesus was claiming to be subordinate to the Father, so He presents an eternal subordination in the Trinity…”

This is a teaching (doctrine) that is reflected in Arius’ (AD 250-336) teaching that was declared heretical twice. It’s reflected in the jehovah’s witness’ teaching, in that it makes Jesus a “lesser God”.

To clarify the Philippians 2 passage ( read online here ), this “humility” of Jesus is appropriate for when He was in His human flesh on this earth, over 2000 years ago. He was “obedient unto death, even death on a cross”. He had to be subordinate and obedient to the will of the Father. He claimed in John and the other gospels that “He and the Father were one”. He was perfect in obedience to fulfill every “jot and tittle”, an ancient phrase meaning not one tiny written mark in the breathed-out word of God, including the Law of the Old Testament (showing us how utterly sinful and incapable we were in fulfilling it) would pass away, until it would be fulfilled. Jesus fulfilled the Law of God demanding complete holiness. God knew we couldn’t and so, sent His Son in the flesh to do the holy task for us. Because we all deserve separation from God for our sinful thoughts. But God is compassionate and loving and wants us to know Him. “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him may be saved” (John 3:17).

Understanding the fullness of God in Christ Jesus, and not diminishing Him because He came as a man to serve us, should not allow our thinking to be that He is somehow lesser in the trinity.

This is key, because in many of the teachings in the world that subordinate other humans (African-American slavery, Antebellum South, men in authority over women, the teachings of JW’s, Mormonism, even Islam — that teaches Jesus was only a prophet), claim that Jesus was only a “lesser” god; a glorified human; a man who fulfilled his godhood potential.

Jesus claimed otherwise! He claimed to BE God. So, he either should have been put to death according to the laws of the land (for usurping the King’s authority) or ignored for being a crackpot.

History shows us that Jesus indeed came back from the grave and taught amongst the people, too many to count. Then, He went back to Heaven (according to the Gospel account; think of it as written testimony in a court of Law). Apparently, people were so changed by meeting Jesus and the people He changed that they were willing to die for their faith. Who would follow a delusional liar crackpot? Jesus proved His life among them and committed no sin, for His mission was to be the sacrifice for humanity’s sins that we could never repay God. His life was one of healing people and raising people from the grave and teaching about a new way to heaven through Him by faith. His law is love and faith in Him.

The question posed today for each of us is this:

Do we believe Jesus is God and paid the penalty for our sins? Do we know we’ll go to Heaven to be in His presence when we die?

This week is about catching up with some recipe ideas and other busy work. Kimi at The Nourishing Gourmet posted an intriguing recipe for Lacto-Fermented Dilly Carrot Sticks so easy that even I could do this without getting a nervous twitch. And, here’s my effort, in full color!

These carrots will be ready in 4-7 days. Oh, I’m like a school child awaiting my science experiment to get an A+! Can you tell I get excited about learning new things? The next project will be lacto-fermented salsa.

I went to work with Russell on the spur of the moment this morning, because he said it would be a short day for him. When we arrived at one of his stores, the manager surprised Russell with a birthday cake one of the employees had stayed up all night baking after her late shift! He was also surprised when the entire crew and even long-time regular customers (many who are military veterans he chats with there) sang him “Happy Birthday” in the lobby.

We urged the manager to share the cake with the crew, but she insisted we take it home with us. We graciously accepted and had no troubles with it all the way home, as I carefully protected it on my lap. The vanilla aroma encircling our heads as we drove home stirred my taste buds. This was working out fine.

Until we stopped in our driveway.

Yeah, somehow I had “imprinted” a bit of my frontage into the beautiful work of culinary art. Russell, Elizabeth, Cliff and I laughed and I almost had tears from how funny the thought of the imprint was.

The Cake

my happy birthday boy at work

His work involves a lot of phone conversations....

....it also involves him climbing onto the roof.

Thanks for spreading smiles

cakeage!

After he ate a hearty breakfast his sister and I made for him, he set up his drums and played for awhile.

It’s a good thing.

I’m so glad he’s here. I’ve missed him so much.

The radiant joy of the Holy Spirit shining in the face of a believer will pierce the religious fog in a friend’s mind better than any number of sermons from the pulpit. Without that joy, the Gospel of Jesus Christ will never break down the resistance of our skeptical generation. All the ardor, the fervor, the devotion and the prayers of the faithful may well fail to penetrate today’s unbeliever unless the Gospel message carries the same note of joy it had when it was first proclaimed. Fear won’t do it. Wrath won’t do it. Arguing won’t do it. Pleading won’t do it. JOY will do it. Because Satan is on a rampage and the Christian faith is under deadly assault, many earnest evangelicals are telling us that we must fight back. We must “defend the Bible.” But Charles Spurgeon retorts, “Defend the Bible? I would as soon defend a lion.” Righteous anger is not the strongest weapon in God’s armory. JOY is.

The whole article is a wonderful glimpse into the fruit of the Holy Spirit known as joy. It should be a distinct characteristic in the life of a person saved by God’s love.

Have you been surprised by the joy that comes from knowing Jesus, God who revealed Himself to us?

This song, Held, by Natalie Grant, has been on my heart for the last few days. My thoughts turn to the days when I held my baby daughter, Jennifer, in my arms in her last days before she went to be with Jesus in Heaven. The tears still fall, especially with the prompting of songs like this.

I remember those who are suffering in grief now, especially the Harris family — Gregg, Joel and Kimi, everyone, for their loss of Sono and Faith. My husband and I pray for Gregg and all the Harris’ every day.