in the love of Christ

"We almost always see only what's wrong with other people and not what's wrong with us." Man...did I need to hear that. There are just these moments in life where everything looks so tough. Moments where I walk away from them with burning in my eyes and wet eyelashes. Moments where I am fiery mad without understanding why or moments when I am hurt but nobody sees or could understand why I am uncomfortable.  This has been a week full of those moments. I know I am so imperfect and that I read too much into some things but there are moments where things are not so; where the reality and what I have perceived are one and the same.  But, when I got home today, I read this quote at the top. I can't help but acknowledge that some of my sensitives most likely have to do with me not examining myself to realize what I am doing wrong. I mean, there is a huge plank in my eye. I work on that plank and removing something from your eye is not easy. I think that is why Jesus u...

Last night, as we ate a long awaited dinner with a group of volunteers from our youth program at Hillvue, my husband got a phone call. It was a senior high student asking if Billy new where his friend was.  To preface this, the student ministries got together and went out on a mini-mission trip right here in Bowling Green where they went to a church associated with ours in a neighboring community and had a big party for two days including fun games and treatS but most importantly worship, the gospel message and unconditional love offered to each kid that came. It was truly an amazing experience.  It seemed, after a few more phone calls, that one of the students decided to go spend the night with one of the kids from that neighborhood. Now, there is much more to it than that but we won't get into the sticky details. The problem was, that as we sat at dinner, no one knew where this student had gone.  We all decided not to worry until we knew that there was something to worry about ...

I just went on a walk. I have been trying to go on frequent walks to get some exercise and relaxation together. It has been great, especially with this weather.  But, as I was walking today, something occurred to me. I currently live about one street away from a rough part of town. However, my location is safe and practically on Western's campus. I never forget that right next door the neighborhoods gets pretty rough. During the day, kids are playing outside and people are walking home with their groceries but, at night, things get weird and no one goes on a walk, that is for sure.  So, when I go on a walk, I walk towards downtown to the pretty scenery and beautiful homes. I walk across town, essentially, for four city blocks and then I am among historic homes and pristine streets.  What struck me today was that it only took four blocks. There are only four blocks between low and high socioeconomic status.  There are only four blocks between the people who need help/hope and the pe...

This is a hard one to write. I meant to sit down and do this one a few days ago but it is even harder to write today because I don't want to face exactly what I thought was so great and inspiring just a little bit ago.  I ask Billy to get me stuff all the time.  If I am sitting on the couch, I sometimes wait to see when he will get up and then ask him to grab something for me while he is "up anyway". I do this unknowingly most of the time but he always gets me what I ask for...then sets it down in front of me but just out of my reach.  I mean, I am laying in bed writing a paper and realize I need a book. I ask him to grab it since he is walking that way and he sets it on the edge of the bed just far enough away that I have to practically get up and get it.  This is very funny (or at least it is in hindsight) but very annoying as well. I figure, if he wants to take the trouble to bring me something, why put it just far enough away that I can't reach it without moving!?...

A couple of nights ago at work, I had a few moments where I realized that patient care is where I need to be and that God is going to use this career of mine for His Glory.  The story is the same nearly every time but uniquely different all at once. I walk into a room and there is a patient and that patient is hurting. In some way, shape or form, this person needs help. Whether it is vomiting without ceasing or curling up in pain, they need healing. And sometimes it is a stress response, like a seizure brought on by the traumas of life running around then. I do my tasks and chit chat and then I leave because, at this point, I am just a tech who assists the nurses. I do not have any profound right to be a part of that patients care.  So when I go in to clean up vomit and that patient starts to tell me about their situation, my heart leaps and I want to know. I cannot describe how much I truly want to listen to their problems (and I hope that never changes). I don't reassure them of ...

I have written before about how God is always teaching me that I can get by on just enough.  What has been running through my mind and heart recently is another point about having just enough. Today, Billy and I have just enough money to pay our bills, for school, and live comfortable in comparison to many people all over the world. As far as gadgets and toys go, we have probably a little more than just enough and that is just fine by me (still in the realm of no cable). We have cars that work and are paid off. We are joyfully in the process of finding a house.  But what about in ten years? In ten years will we have the standards for just enough? When we have children asking for stuff all the time and, hopefully, higher pay grades, will what we view as enough today be enough then?  Here is what I am thinking: I hope with all my heart and being that what we see as enough today is just enough then as well. Today, when I am writing checks and making payments, I find that I need God and am...

The other Sunday morning, I sat in bible study with some of our middle school girls.  We got to talking about other religions and how they seemed to view their gods.  We asked for examples that the girls had seen in their friends and schools.  One girl raised her hand and said "My friend is a different religion so she goes to a Lutheran school and this other girl is from a religion where she goes to Catholic church."  I thought to myself, Hmmmm. We then proceeded to discuss the existence of different denominations within Christianity and how they are also Christian though they may not be Baptist, which really seemed to clear some stuff up... I hope.  Keith Green, a worship leader from the 90's, discussed this topic in his personal journals where he expressed great distress at the thought of people disagreeing on some theology to a point that they could not all participate in the same congregation. At one point, he became very upset with a group of ministers from many diff...