rest

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, of everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. ~ Phillipians 4:6-7 (Message)

How hard this act is--

of the mind,

the will,

the emotions,

and yet, how rewarding

to know,

to rest,

to abide

in Christ's redemptive work.

This life isn't always going to be peachy.

Sometimes you do get thrown a cowpie.

It's what you do with that counts.

Living in Community Brings Peace

Many people think that others are just not worth the effort: conflict and disagreements arise making community difficult. Yet, living as isolated hermits doesn't bring about the joy and peace God intended. Furthermore, it doesn't accurately demonstrate the nature of God when we chose to withdraw. Growing up as a preacher's kid, I was amazed at the different families who claimed to follow Christ but didn't have anything to do with a local body of believers. They argued that their personal relationship with God and their family was sufficient. But they were missing out on a deeper dimension. John Piper, in his book This Momentary Marriage, "How members of that family, the church, relate to each other as married and single will witness to the world that our lives are oriented on the supremacy of Christ and that our relationships are defined not just by nature, but by Christ. [...] God's family is more central and more lasting than the human family that comes into being by procreation, the implications for relationships are very important." (117)

"The physical presence of other Christians is a source of incomparable joy and strength to the believer... " Dietrich Bonhoeffer (emphasis mine)

I honestly don't know how I would function or survive without the body of believers in my small group and church. My husband graciously loves and helps me, yes, of course, and my mom is an endless source of support, but we need to look outside our family to other believers, seeking their understanding, prayer, and wisdom. And honestly, we just need to know that we aren't alone. We need someone to laugh with us, cry with us, and say, "Yeah, been there. It will get better."

"The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace..." I Peter 4:7-10

$ Money $

For whatever reason, the trend the last few months has been spending. Christmas aside (we don't spend a lot on the holiday anyway), bills have been presenting themselves in an unwelcoming manner. Even though we have health insurance--a relative joke these days--our medical expenses for the birth of our son drains the savings account. On top of that, the Nissan required some engine repair totalling $1000, and Aaron just called me with the news that he has 13 cavities and a possible root canal that need attention (the up side is that he's going to be laying off the soda for awhile). Our utilities have gone up the last two months and I'm really holding out hope for a backyard fence come spring.
As I contemplate all of these money-sucking events, anxiety creeps in and I start to worry.
"What if..." Of course, I can't control the health expenses on having a child, nor when a car's timing chain decides to go kaput. I do my best to moderate our expenditures in a wise manner (a God-honoring endeavor as stewards of his money), but ultimately all that we have, or don't have, is up to Him. Aaron's job is a gift. My job is a gift. Our savings is a gift. Our possessions too.

If I look to money to rescue me, hold me secure, or satisfy me, I going to be greatly disappointed in life... constantly grasping at something that I can't control. And as the Bible says, I'll also come to ruin.

Ecclesiastes 5:10 says that "he who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity."

In Mark, when Jesus sends out his disciples, he commands them to avoid taking extra money with them. I wondered why that was. Isn't it a good thing to save money and have some security? My theory is that Christ wanted them to remember that their provision came from him. They were to humbly submit to Christ's leadership, spreading the gospel, and living in community and dependence on God. Their mindset was to be more eternal than temporal.

"Hold everything earthly with a loose hand, but grasp eternal things with a deathlike grip."
~C. H. Spurgeon

Winter Reminds Us...

...of our frailty [we need fires, electricity, shelter, and clothing]
...of our dependence [we aren't as self-sufficient as we think]
...that we were created for community [those that crave the life of a hermit have a distorted view of relationships and how God intended our lives to look]
...basic thankfulness [ice on roads reminds me of that--what could have been a fatal collision ended as merely an eventful incident for my husband]
...God is in control of the seasons and his faithfulness always ensures spring [we can wait in eager anticipation of what is to come]