Saturday, July 28
Tuesday, July 24
SE TU MISMO
Translation: BE YOURSELF. Little things catch my eye. This was taken from a 7UP bottle. In the corner it says “La tengo clara”. This is the saying “It is clear to me” and the more literal Spanish word order is “I have it clear”, which is a play on words for the transparency of the soda.
But if you think about it there are some very deep truths here. The main statement is BE YOURSELF. Then the sub-statement is just as impacting: it is clear to me that it is vital that I be who I am created to be. And we could even pull from the focus on the transparency of the soda. Life will be less cloudy and confusing if I will let my true self be shown and maintain a prudent transparency with everyone I meet.
Did you notice what Fido Dido has on his T-shirt? It is a picture of himself! This made me smile. Some people would pop right into Pharisee mode and criticize the “prideful arrogance” displayed by this impertinent youth. I see something different, if you will allow me some liberty to explain.
Humans are created in the very likeness of God himself. When we celebrate our uniqueness we are celebrating the awesome creativity of Someone who delights in our diversity. If he didn’t delight in diversity then why so much trouble doodling billions of different designs for our fingerprints? Audacious adoration by appreciating our originality is a sweet fragrance to our God.
“Now, with God’s help, I shall become myself.” Soren Kierkegaard
Christine Caine put it this way when asked to evaluate the state of the church in this current age, “The church is suffering from Passion Deficiency Disorder.” We have lost our passion for all that Christ is because we have failed to be authentic in our expression. Authenticity, not cookie-cutter religiosity acting as a cover-up, should be the mark of every Christian.
But if you think about it there are some very deep truths here. The main statement is BE YOURSELF. Then the sub-statement is just as impacting: it is clear to me that it is vital that I be who I am created to be. And we could even pull from the focus on the transparency of the soda. Life will be less cloudy and confusing if I will let my true self be shown and maintain a prudent transparency with everyone I meet.
Did you notice what Fido Dido has on his T-shirt? It is a picture of himself! This made me smile. Some people would pop right into Pharisee mode and criticize the “prideful arrogance” displayed by this impertinent youth. I see something different, if you will allow me some liberty to explain.
Humans are created in the very likeness of God himself. When we celebrate our uniqueness we are celebrating the awesome creativity of Someone who delights in our diversity. If he didn’t delight in diversity then why so much trouble doodling billions of different designs for our fingerprints? Audacious adoration by appreciating our originality is a sweet fragrance to our God.
“Now, with God’s help, I shall become myself.” Soren Kierkegaard
Christine Caine put it this way when asked to evaluate the state of the church in this current age, “The church is suffering from Passion Deficiency Disorder.” We have lost our passion for all that Christ is because we have failed to be authentic in our expression. Authenticity, not cookie-cutter religiosity acting as a cover-up, should be the mark of every Christian.
Just for today let’s celebrate who God has made us to be. Of course I am not talking about a license to sinful baseness. I am talking about the liberty to express your authentic originality as a compliment to your Creator. “Se tu mismo.”
(Biblical references: creation Genesis 1 and 2, audacious adoration Psalm 139, originality Hebrews 11)
Sunday, July 22
Thursday, July 19
Tuesday, July 17
Noelia
Our next door neighbor is an open market where vegetables, meats, fruits, etc. are sold by venders at booths. There is always a hustle and bustle there as I look down from my second story kitchen window. I often ponder the lives of the families that work so hard from dawn to dusk selling their wares. Oh the stories I could tell of what I have seen.
Various members of the family work together managing a section of the market. Of the few dozen booths in the market the flower section is the most pleasing to the eye. The family that runs part of the flower section has many children. They are always running around playing. One such child is named Noelia. We know her because she is the age of my oldest daughter and used to come to church.
At the tender age of 8 she was given responsibilities that prevent her from attending children’s church. She has to help sell the flowers. They even arranged for her to have a little section all her own where she sells fresh squeezed orange juice. We asked her why she doesn’t come any more and she says it is because she has to work. Sure enough, she is working pretty much all the time.
Yesterday was the one day of the year designated for deep cleaning the market. All the venders put all their wares out on the sidewalk. It was so odd to see it so empty. Then they came in with pressure hoses and sprayed everything down, forcing all the dirty water to the little gavel ally between our building and the market turning it into a muddy mess. Most of the overflow went to the sewers. Thank God that we have a sewer system!
This was going on in the morning and my children found it interesting to watch. The people with the hoses seemed oblivious to the people scrubbing their booths and tables. Noelia was working with her family. The water came close to her and my daughter from up high yelled out, “Watch out Noelia!” What a contrast to see these two girls so physically close to each other, yet worlds apart.
Questions come to my mind. What does God dream for Noelia? Should I feel sorry for this little girl having to work so hard? How does she interpret the gospel in her life? Are we relevant to her?
Various members of the family work together managing a section of the market. Of the few dozen booths in the market the flower section is the most pleasing to the eye. The family that runs part of the flower section has many children. They are always running around playing. One such child is named Noelia. We know her because she is the age of my oldest daughter and used to come to church.
At the tender age of 8 she was given responsibilities that prevent her from attending children’s church. She has to help sell the flowers. They even arranged for her to have a little section all her own where she sells fresh squeezed orange juice. We asked her why she doesn’t come any more and she says it is because she has to work. Sure enough, she is working pretty much all the time.
Yesterday was the one day of the year designated for deep cleaning the market. All the venders put all their wares out on the sidewalk. It was so odd to see it so empty. Then they came in with pressure hoses and sprayed everything down, forcing all the dirty water to the little gavel ally between our building and the market turning it into a muddy mess. Most of the overflow went to the sewers. Thank God that we have a sewer system!
This was going on in the morning and my children found it interesting to watch. The people with the hoses seemed oblivious to the people scrubbing their booths and tables. Noelia was working with her family. The water came close to her and my daughter from up high yelled out, “Watch out Noelia!” What a contrast to see these two girls so physically close to each other, yet worlds apart.
Questions come to my mind. What does God dream for Noelia? Should I feel sorry for this little girl having to work so hard? How does she interpret the gospel in her life? Are we relevant to her?
Saturday, July 14
Ginger Tea
My hands are cupped around a mug of perfectly sweetened warm ginger tea. It’s comforting on this cold lonely evening. One week ago I met three wonderful people who came here to my country with one purpose in their hearts. They came to help. It was so fun to see them make friends with the little bitty orphans. The eagerness and gusto that surrounded their beings were contagious. They worked so very hard. They gave so very much. Was there ever a moment that they did not have huge smiles on their faces?
And now they are gone. It is true that they left bits of themselves here in this land. The impact will be a lasting one. But they also took with them bits of me; and it kind of hurts. Why does it hurt when they took with them such good things like memories of fun times, touching moments shared and love?
I miss my new friends. It’s not like I will never see them again. They will go on living their lives and I’ll go on living mine. We’ll write. Yeah, we’ll try to keep in touch. It’s all good… or at least it will be…
And now they are gone. It is true that they left bits of themselves here in this land. The impact will be a lasting one. But they also took with them bits of me; and it kind of hurts. Why does it hurt when they took with them such good things like memories of fun times, touching moments shared and love?
I miss my new friends. It’s not like I will never see them again. They will go on living their lives and I’ll go on living mine. We’ll write. Yeah, we’ll try to keep in touch. It’s all good… or at least it will be…
Friday, July 13
Big Shoes to Fill
As you begin to delve into the wonderful world of etymology you can find some interesting history of the words we use. Take for example the word: missionary. What does the word missionary mean?
Just for fun I thought I would do some investigation about this curious employment that we occupy. At first glace I was humbled and challenged. Some of the sources listed for me the definition followed by examples of people who held the office of missionary. Wow! There are some big names on some of those lists! Therein were found the likes of: David Livingstone, Mother Theresa, and the Apostle Paul. If you know anything about the lives of these individuals then you know at least that sacrifice, suffering and steadfast service in the face of great adversity marked their path throughout their whole life.
Those are some big shoes to fill!
So after I had staggered under the weight of my discovery for a bit there came to me another thought: must I fill those shoes? Just in those three names mentioned there is great diversity in the nature if their mission, purpose and impact. I concluded that it would be ludicrous and down right impossible to expect myself to be just like them.
Then there settled upon me the gentle realization of a truth deeper than that found in online research. There is one example of a person who occupied the missionary office who stands tall above them all. His name is Jesus. He came from a foreign land with the greatest mission of all.
I don’t have to worry about filling his shoes; because actually I already am doing it. Corporately we are the body of Christ. And it just so happens that the bible talks about feet that are beautiful as they take the good news of the gospel to the world. I needn’t fret if I am living up to my station in life. Rather, I need to trust that God has placed me where I am and he is enabling me to fulfill my call.
Just for fun I thought I would do some investigation about this curious employment that we occupy. At first glace I was humbled and challenged. Some of the sources listed for me the definition followed by examples of people who held the office of missionary. Wow! There are some big names on some of those lists! Therein were found the likes of: David Livingstone, Mother Theresa, and the Apostle Paul. If you know anything about the lives of these individuals then you know at least that sacrifice, suffering and steadfast service in the face of great adversity marked their path throughout their whole life.
Those are some big shoes to fill!
So after I had staggered under the weight of my discovery for a bit there came to me another thought: must I fill those shoes? Just in those three names mentioned there is great diversity in the nature if their mission, purpose and impact. I concluded that it would be ludicrous and down right impossible to expect myself to be just like them.
Then there settled upon me the gentle realization of a truth deeper than that found in online research. There is one example of a person who occupied the missionary office who stands tall above them all. His name is Jesus. He came from a foreign land with the greatest mission of all.
I don’t have to worry about filling his shoes; because actually I already am doing it. Corporately we are the body of Christ. And it just so happens that the bible talks about feet that are beautiful as they take the good news of the gospel to the world. I needn’t fret if I am living up to my station in life. Rather, I need to trust that God has placed me where I am and he is enabling me to fulfill my call.
Tuesday, July 10
DaRonn updated his blog...
My husband just posted some very interesting thoughts. You can click here to link through.
Sunday, July 8
Funny Fruit - Pacai
Saturday, July 7
07/07/07 @ 07:07
Here I am at 7:07 this morning with a friend from the States who decided to climb the stairs with me. There was no one around to take the picture – so the angle is funny. :-) As we started our ascent I got some shots of the city.
Where were you at on this memorable date?
Thursday, July 5
Roots and the Jungle
These past 2 weeks I have been working at decorating my boys' room. I still have a couple things to hang on the walls; but the main part is done. I painted a picture of a jungle. It matches the quilt that my aunt made for Tyler when he was born.
The fact that I am decorating my home shows that I have matured. Before, I had a nomadic attitude. I didn't believe in decorating. I didn't want to put down any kind of root because I thought it would hurt too much if I had to pull them up for some reason. But this attitude touched some dangerous areas that went much deeper than simply not decorating the house. I guarded myself from making any friendships. Thus I isolated myself. I mistakenly assumed that I would be fine if "Jesus was my only friend". God graciously helped me to grow up and value the human relationships I have. He is helping me now to learn how to be a good friend. I am so grateful to Him that He has also brought to me good friends.
So, the fact that I have painted the boys' room shows that I am not afraid of putting down roots. I am pleased with the results. Timothy helped me paint the little yellow squares on the sides. The middle section is about 150 cm (almost 4 foot) tall.
The fact that I am decorating my home shows that I have matured. Before, I had a nomadic attitude. I didn't believe in decorating. I didn't want to put down any kind of root because I thought it would hurt too much if I had to pull them up for some reason. But this attitude touched some dangerous areas that went much deeper than simply not decorating the house. I guarded myself from making any friendships. Thus I isolated myself. I mistakenly assumed that I would be fine if "Jesus was my only friend". God graciously helped me to grow up and value the human relationships I have. He is helping me now to learn how to be a good friend. I am so grateful to Him that He has also brought to me good friends.
So, the fact that I have painted the boys' room shows that I am not afraid of putting down roots. I am pleased with the results. Timothy helped me paint the little yellow squares on the sides. The middle section is about 150 cm (almost 4 foot) tall.
Tuesday, July 3
Raimy said...
With dazzles in her eyes and a budding carnation in her hands she held out the common kitchen cup turned vase and exclaimed...
She had been waiting since Saturday for the flower to open up. Ah, the hope of a child. If only we could all trust God and know that his will is perfected when we are faithful and patient.
"Patience makes perfect!"
She had been waiting since Saturday for the flower to open up. Ah, the hope of a child. If only we could all trust God and know that his will is perfected when we are faithful and patient.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
