Chip Ingram

One of my favorite Bible teachers is Chip Ingram. He has a great way of teaching God's Word, and I always walk away from one of his messages with a valuable nugget of truth.

Last month Chip was the featured speaker for the KFAX Speaker's Series, and so I promptly got my ticket to the event. What a delightful evening! There was a worship team from Santa Cruz that opened our time with amazing music, and then Chip gave a message from Romans 12 about authentic Christianity and surrendering our whole lives to Christ. What an excellent reminder of what the Christ-exchanged life is all about.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers,

in view of God's mercy,

to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,

holy and pleasing to God—

this is your spiritual act of worship.

Romans 12:1

I have been crucified with Christ

and I no longer live,

but Christ lives in me.

The life I live in the body,

I live by faith in the Son of God,

who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

Civics 101

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Romans 13:1-4

The kids and I took a trip down to the local Courthouse for a lesson in Civics one day last month.

While making the trek from the parking lot to the building, my 11-year-old daughter commented, “I don’t want to learn about Civics!” I responded that all citizens in this city, county, and nation need to learn about Civics. It was a non-negotiable outing for the morning.

Why were we on this mission? Because I needed to pay my fines for two—not just one, but two—traffic tickets I had received. (If anyone has read my post on gratitude, part of learning to be thankful was even for two tickets in two days!)

Upon entering the Courthouse, we were greeted by the security check, standard for this day and age. After removing every belt, watch, hair clip, pair of glasses, tote, backpack, and purse, we thought we’d be in the clear, right? Nope!

Civics Lesson #1: Itty bitty souvenir pocket knives from Mount Rushmore are considered weapons, and as such are not allowed in the building. The boys made the trek back to the car to put the offensive item away.

Civics Lesson #2: The fines for traffic violations hurt . . . a lot! Lesson learned . . . . I’m paying much closer attention to my driving, diligently obeying all “No turn” signs and completely stopping at all those red octagonal signs, among other traffic laws.

Having finished paying off the fines and getting the necessary information about the upcoming traffic school, I decided that our Civics lesson was still incomplete. The kids needed to understand a bit more about the justice system and how it works dealing with more serious offenders.

Civics Lesson #3: All court proceedings, unless otherwise indicated, are open for public viewing at any time, including home school parents and their Civics class students.

Civics Lesson #4: Excuses for why one cannot perform court-assigned community service penalties do not work with the judge! Prepare to be arrested on the spot if you try.

Civics Lesson #5: People observing court proceedings should not talk, whisper, or read books. They should be quiet and watch respectfully.

Civics Lesson #6: A lot of the courtroom business is taken up with paperwork and legalities (setting dates for hearings, postponing hearings, making sure people understand their rights, etc.).

Civics Lesson #7: The home is the learning ground for Civics.

Here’s how I later explained it to the children. Ultimately, God wants people to learn to live in a right relationship with Him and within His boundaries for their own benefit. To accomplish this goal, He has placed the parents in a position of authority to establish laws (like the legislature) for the common good of the citizenry (the family), to determine when someone is in violation of the law (like the police), and to initiate learning situations to teach the citizens to better obey the law (like the judge).

The parents have the responsibility to train the children how to live abundant lives enjoying the protective boundaries, a task that is often in contradiction to all of the family’s sinful natures. How well the parents do at their jobs and how well the children learn the lessons will greatly affect the children’s futures as well as the abundant life—or lack thereof—in the home.

We compared consequences in the legal system to those found in the home. There is community service (added chores, assuming another’s task[s] for the day), incarceration (being sent to one’s room, being grounded, having certain privileges removed), and fines (some monetary, others being goods or time submitted to the authorities).

Until a child is 18, he is accountable to the parents as the authority. However, once a child is a legal adult, he is answerable to the civic authorities. During our short visit, we witnessed adults who had either not had parents teach them very well, or they had not seemed to learn their lessons. Now, it was the Judge’s duty to administer consequences to try to help them learn. The question is. . . will they? Part of our responsibility, as citizens of both this city, county, and nation as well as of the Kingdom of God, is to appropriately respond to the correction we receive, learn from it, and, in the words of the Master, “go and sin no more” (John 8:11b).

"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,

and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

because the Lord disciplines those he loves,

and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:5b-11

The Gratitude Project

Grateful: thankful, appreciative, indebted, obliged, obligated, in someone's debt, beholden.

On January 15, a Facebook friend posted an invitation to join her in the Gratitude Project. For 30 days participants were to post three things for which they were grateful. Gratitude would certainly be something I needed to increase in my life, as all too often I only notice the negative, grumbling about situations, and forgetting all that I have to be thankful for. Realizing this to be a true weakness in my character, I accepted the challenge and posted almost daily between January 16 and February 22. What I learned in those 35 days astounded me.

Because I was accountable for posting three items each day, I started looking for things I could be grateful for. Certainly I wanted to be thankful for some of the temporal "things" in my life or for praiseworthy situations, but more importantly, I wanted to be appreciative for the more meaningful aspects of my life: the people, the blessings God has given me as His child, the precious moments too often lost in the busyness of life. My perspective quickly changed from focusing on the negative to becoming aware of all the positive, from minute blessings to dramatic events. Even when presented with challenges and unpleasant circumstances, I chose to look for the good that could come of it. As the days passed, I realized that gratitude was becoming a habit.

I also delved into the Scriptures for what God has to say about the topic. The idea of "thankfulness" permeates the Bible. It's no wonder since the Almighty came up with the idea of gratitude!

Always give thanks to God the Father for everything,

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:20

Jesus modeled thankfulness for His disciples.

Then He took the seven loaves and the fish,

and when He had given thanks,

He broke them and gave them to the disciples,

and they in turn to the people.

Matthew 15:36

So they took away [Lazarus's] stone.

Then Jesus looked up and said,

"Father, I thank you that you have heard me."

John 11:41

My thanksgiving will be a testimony to others.

Give thanks to the Lord,

call on His name;

make known among the nations what He has done.

1 Chronicles 16:8

I should start and end my days expressing gratitude to God.

They were also to stand every morning

to thank and praise the Lord.

They were to do the same in the evening.

1 Chronicles 23:30

Appreciation for God's protection and goodness can only lead to giving thanks.

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.

My heart leaps for joy

and I will give thanks to Him in song.

Psalm 28:7

My ungrateful heart leads to useless thoughts.

For although they knew God,

they neither glorified Him as God

nor gave thanks to Him,

but their thinking became futile

and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Romans 1:21

I'm to replace my worry with thanksgiving, and God will guard my heart with His peace.

Do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything, by prayer and petition,

with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God.

And the peace of God,

which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Regardless of what comes my way during the day, I am to offer thanks for it.

Give thanks in all circumstances,

for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

The Gratitude Project turned out to be a huge blessing. How can that be, offering thanks to someone ending up blessing me? It's because that's how God works! Whenever we obey Him and offer Him the praise and worship He deserves, we end up being blessed over and above anything we could ask.

Reviewing what I posted that month reminded me of events and experiences I enjoyed during those 35 days. What an awesome testimony of God's goodness! I've decided to continue looking for ways to offer daily thanks to the Lord and to record them in a special section of my Quiet Time journal. I still have a lot to learn about thankfulness and opening my eyes to see the blessings that are usually right under my nose.

I will give thanks to the Lord

because of His righteousness

and will sing praise to the name

of the Lord Most High.

Psalm 7:17

(Remember to turn off the playlist at the bottom of this page to listen to this video.)

For the family,

Liz

Road Rage

On our way home from piano lessons yesterday afternoon, we came across an instance of what appeared to be road rage in our neighborhood. The children and I witnessed the final scenes between two young women. I was able to get a picture on my cell phone camera of one of the cars before the young lady fled away. Because I had to get the boys home quickly for a school webinar, I promised I would quickly return. When I returned to the scene, the police were pleased with the printouts I had brought with me of the cell phone pictures. It turns out the witnesses had made a mistake in one of the numbers on the plate. They asked if I would come down to the station to make a written statement after taking care of the family's dinner and dealing with the school class that was going on at home.

While I was preparing dinner, I had the children type out their testimonies of what they had personally seen of the incident. The focus was to be on actual observations, not interpretations or assumptions of people's characters or intentions. This turned out to be a marvelous activity for them. Both of the boys are participating in a novel writing class this year, and John was especially interested in adding embellishments and expressive vocabulary. We had to edit out the inferences. In the end, the police had enough information from my pictures, and the other witnesses and our testimonies were not necessary.

What did we learn from this incident?

* A home school mom will turn just about anything into a learning experience.

* We need to work more in our science labs on making observations and less on inferences.

* The situation was an excellent object lesson for not controlling anger and irritation with others.

* Four people can observe the exact same situation and yet notice very different details.

An angry man stirs up dissension,

and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.

Proverbs 29:22

In your anger, do not sin.

Ephesians 4:26a

My dear brothers, take note of this:

Everyone should be quick to listen,

slow to speak and slow to become angry.

James 1:19

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;

do not fret--it leads only to evil.

Psalm 37:8

A gentle answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 15:1

Until we meet again

We have a daily Bible verse on the sidebar of our blog.

When I read today's verse, I immediately thought of Joe White.

I didn't know Joe very well.

In fact, I have probably only had

a few casual conversations

with him in all the years

that he and his family attended Fairhaven.

But I knew of Joe White.

To me, he was Randy's dad.

He was the smiling man

and the faithful husband

who was always at his wife's side.

Bonnie is a believer,

a woman who loves Jesus,

but Joe was not.

It always amazed me that he

would sit in the services week after week,

hearing the gospel,

knowing that his son and his family were off serving

as missionaries in a foreign land,

but yet never bending the knee

or confessing Christ as Lord.

But then again, it shouldn't have really surprised me.

I certainly know what that was like.

I was raised in the church and heard the gospel,

but yet there was no fruit of repentance

in my life for many years.

A few weeks ago we heard on Facebook

from Joe's daughter-in-law Cindy

that he had had a stroke.

Given his age and how he had been affected,

his health was certainly precarious.

However, we were ecstatic to hear

that Joe had become a believer!

Some time in the past few years

Joe had accepted Christ.

Our prayers had been answered.

Joe's sins were forgiven.

He was saved!

This past Monday Cindy announced

that Joe's new address was in Heaven.

Joe White had passed from this life

and was now worshipping

his Lord and Savior face-to-face.

No more sorrow, no more sickness, no more aging--

only joy in the presence of his Maker.

How amazing it must have been for Joe

to finally meet in person the One

whom he had heard about for all these years.

Joe's family has been left behind

to mourn his loss.

When a believer dies,

it is such a paradox of emotions.

We miss them. We mourn. We grieve.

And yet we also know that this is only temporary.

Along with the sorrow, there is also joy!

There is the blessed certainty

--the Bible calls it "hope"--

that we WILL see our loved one again.

So we do not say, "Good-bye" to Joe.

Instead, we say, "Until we meet again."

"Precious in the sight of the Lord

is the death of his saints."

Psalm 116:15

For the family,

Liz

Donating Blood

Over a year ago I got an unsolicited call from the American Red Cross, asking if I would consider being a blood donor. I had not tried donating blood since I was about 20. The experience had left me terribly dizzy afterwards, so I decided at the time not to try again. When this random call came in, I figured it was at least worth making another effort after all these years. I scheduled the appointment, and I've been donating blood on a fairly regular basis ever since.

According to the Red Cross, every minute of every day, someone needs blood. That blood can only come from a volunteer donor, a person who is not only eligible but makes the choice to donate. Only 38% of Americans are eligible to donate blood and of those only 8% do. That amounts to only about 3 out of every 100 people! Those are scary numbers.

In order to donate, a person must read through all of the educational material and answer a series of questions about his health and history. This is all handled in strict confidence, and all of the information is available online before even making an appointment. Once the eligibility is established, a small blood sample is drawn by a simple finger prick to evaluate the donor's iron level. If the hemoglobin count is at least 12.5, it's a go! Once the phlebotomist begins to locate an acceptable vein, the whole process only takes about 10 minutes. Afterwards a friendly volunteer welcomes the donor to the snack area where he can choose from various juice drinks and cookies, all of which helps blood sugar levels. I can usually be in and out within an hour; most often less. Not bad at all when I consider the family on the receiving end who is praying over their injured love one.

If someone is eligible to donate blood, there are several ways to ensure that the donation process will go well, such as drinking plenty of liquids (especially that day and up to 30 minutes before), eating iron-rich foods, avoiding fatty foods and aspirin, and getting a good night's sleep beforehand.

Many eligible people don't consider donating blood because they are afraid of needles. Again, the Red Cross can help you with this issue. Somehow I think the parents gazing down into the eyes of their child that has just been in an accident wouldn't even consider the needles--they'd simply want their child well.

Blood types and Rh factors are fascinating. It's a valuable piece of information to know your blood type. I discovered that while I can receive blood from anyone, only those with my blood type can receive my blood. That decreases the odds that my blood will even be used.

The whole idea of donating blood naturally leads me to remembering the ultimate Blood Donor.

I was the injured party, in desperate need! My blood has been tainted with the pervasive disease of my kind. According to the Bible, the sins I have committed separated me from God eternally, and it required the shedding of blood in order for me to ever have a right standing before God. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Hebrews 9:22b

However, the eligibility requirements for a donor were extremely strict! The donor Himself could not have the same disease that pervaded my life. In fact, there was only one eligible donor. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Hebrews 4:15

Not only did the donor have to be a sinless man, but the He actually had to be God Himself! For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form. Colossians 2:9 ...that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. 2 Corinthians 5:19

In the same way that some eligible people avoid the donation process because they think it will be uncomfortable, the ultimate Donor didn't look forward to the process. He fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me." However, instead of staying away, He chose to obey. Yet not as I will, but as you will. (Matthew 6:39)

Just as the blood donor overcomes his fears by considering the blessing to the unknown recipients, Jesus focused on those who would receive the benefits of his sacrifice: ...the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame... Hebrews 12:2a

While I may never know if my blood is used to save a life, or if it ends up being tossed because the eligible recipient list is so limited, the blood offered by the Donor is sufficient to meet the needs of any and everyone! He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2

Yes, Jesus is the ultimate Blood Donor. It is completely through His choice to go to the cross, to suffer its shame, and to die the death of a common criminal, that my disease has been cured. His donation has made me right with God! My name is in the Lamb's Book of Life! Nothing impure will ever enter [the new Jerusalem], nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. Revelation 21:27

While Jesus has completely atoned for the consequences of my disease, my ailment is of the nature that I still have to live with it until the day I die. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. Romans 7:18a As a forgiven sinner, I choose each day to follow and listen to Him. Until the day I trade in this fleshly body for my glorious one, I will walk with Him, thank Him daily for His sacrifice, and look forward to the day when my faith will become sight and when I will meet my Donor face to face. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12

Perspective and Grace

We are all faced with situations in life where we need to choose how we will respond. When another person does something that either offends us or inconveniences us, we have a choice. Will we respond with annoyance, criticism, even anger? Or will we choose to offer grace?

Last week I was returning to my car from having picked up a couple last-minute items at the grocery store. A man was pulling out of his parking space and came a bit too close to a man who was also walking in the lot. The pedestrian yelled and swore at the driver who seemed unaware of the close miss. When the near-victim realized that I was right there and had witnessed it all, he asked if I didn't agree that the other man had been a jerk.

What? Someone was actually asking my opinion about the situation? What would you say? I replied that I did not agree because people make mistakes all the time and that we need to offer them grace. All too often while driving I've not seen someone or I've waited to the last minute to change lanes which ended up inconveniencing someone else. Never were my actions meant to intentionally offend or trouble another; they were just something I did that happened to momentarily inconvenience someone else. When I am on the receiving end of another's miscalculations, I too can get irritated and upset. However, when I remember my own imperfections as a driver sharing the road with the millions of other Bay Area residents, I realize I have absolutely no room to complain. I can only offer grace, relax, thank Jesus there was no contact, and just move on.

The man standing there in the parking lot did not agree, and my attempt to explain my perspective in a brief, one-sentence reply only seemed to anger him more. Perhaps he did not understand what grace is all about. There was a time in my life when I did not understand it either. There was a time when I did not comprehend how I had offended a holy and righteous God nor how much of a right He had to condemn me. Instead of just shaking His fist at me and writing me off, He came down and died for me. He offered me grace, forgiveness, and eternal fellowship. Now, as a follower of Jesus, I am urged to offer the same grace to others. Jesus told a parable about an unmerciful servant who expected more of others than he wanted for himself. When the master discovered his hard heart, he told the wicked man, "Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?" (Matthew 18:33)

Sadly I walked away from the indignant man. I could have been irritated with him, but instead I offered a silent prayer for him to my loving Savior. I decided to choose grace.  Oh, Lord, help me to always choose grace when others irritate or offend.