paravanes:meditations

"I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." --Psalm 34:1 I do not always bless (speak well of, with happiness and contentment) my feelings, my circumstances, or my condition. I do not always bless my surroundings. These things are changeable and fluid. Sometimes they are up and all is well; sometimes things trend downward. I do not know what will happen on any given day. I expect and work for good things. Often, things turn out as I anticipate. Sometimes, I am pleasantly surprised beyond my expectations! I can not always trust my reactions to people and circumstances. I can trust this: the events in my life are monitored and controlled by God. God is working in and through the events of my life, but is not limited by them. In fact, God creates and shapes the events of my life as I am obedient to His guidance and leadership . I am responsible for some things, but I am not responsible for every thing in my life. God's plans for me incl...

"If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men."-- St. Paul, I Corinthians 15:19 Earlier this year, Rev. Ike died. If you are not familiar with him, here is his obituary from the New York Times . The key to Rev. Frederick J. Eikerenkoetter II's public theology might be summed up this way: "I want all my blessings now: I don't want pie in the sky by and by." Who wants pie in the sky? Who doesn't want blessings now? What Rev. Ike failed to say was: it's not an either/or proposition. Perhaps this is why so much of what is Christian doesn't make sense to someone viewing the journey from the outside. Looking at it from the outside : "Forgive your enemies". Objection: why would I do that and let someone get away with harming me? "Support your church and worthy causes." Objection: why would I give away a portion of my income? One day, I might need that money and who would come to my aid at that t...

"For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." --Colossians 1:13 Would I make payments on a debt "paid in full"? I've done it, but it is time to stop because that is just one of the most foolish things anyone can do. I have to remind myself of that when I am tempted to say or do something that once established my membership in the dominion of darkness. No, I cannot "put down my religion" and say or do something that makes me feel good for a moment, but sends in a payment to the powers of evil. If someone rescues me from a sinking ship, I will never get back on board because a yummy meal or lots of money may be found on board that ship. A chance to give someone "a piece of my mind" won't justify getting on board a sinking ship. Harboring hatred, ill will, and resentment aren't worth passage on board a doomed vessel. If you h...

In A Song Flung Up To Heaven , Maya Angelou, one of my favorite authors, challenges someone who says "I am a Christian." Her response is "Already?" She suggests being a Christian is an ongoing process, that perhaps one is arrogant or short-sighted when saying "I am a Christian." Is she right? No, she isn't. It is my connection to Christ that makes me a Christian. That connection is based on God's love, care, and protection of me as I yield to His will and methods. That's what makes me a Christian.My status as a Christian is based on God's love and grace, not my personal goodness. My standard of behavior should match and shadow that connection, but it doesn't always match up. That lack, however, doesn't mean that I am not a Christian. Yes, I can say I am "already" a Christian because my hope and desire is to live out God's purpose for me. I can say I am "already" a Christian because I no longer believe I have...

Can it ever be a wise choice to turn the other cheek? What does it really mean to "turn the other cheek?" In Matthew chapter five, verses 38 through 40, Jesus says this: "You have heard that it was said, "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well." This is one of the most disturbing, frustrating passages in Scripture, because we instinctively know when someone mistreats us and we have a natural inclination to want to do something about it . We want to stop the wrong and heal the pain of the injury. Here, Jesus seems to suggest another path. I don't know if He is giving a formula for every conflict. After all, this is the man who threw the moneychangers out of the temple (John 2:13-16) and called some religious leaders of His day a "brood of vipers." (...

--image from health-res.com Something happened today that reminded me of a conversation I had a few years ago with someone who became a friend. Caryn (not her real name, and no, not me) was struggling with maintaining her relationship with her adult daughter. After surviving a painful divorce, struggling to maintain herself and her daughter financially and emotionally, and returning to school to study in a field she'd always loved and wanted to pursue, things were beginning to fall apart for what seemed like the last time. Her comments ended with something like this: "I am the one who has done the right thing, struggled to keep a good home for ------, raised her and helped her through school and college, and now she has no respect or appreciation for me as a person, or as a mother. Both women and men can be victims of parental alienation. I posted about parental alienation here earlier this year. Learn more by visiting paawareness.org . What I finally said to her was this (and...