book review: "different eyes: the art of living beautifully" by steve chalke

“Different Eyes” is about the need to understand who God is in order for us to live our lives for Him. One of the points he brings up is that when God appeared to Moses in the desert, He referred to Himself as “I Am” or “Yahweh.” This is important because different cultures had their own gods they worshipped so God needed to make it clear that He was not like those gods. It’s through Israel’s journey with Yahweh that they begin to discover who He is. “The point is this: while the names and metaphors Israel will come to use for their God may not be unique, the character of their God was matchless…with Yahweh, holiness is not about an otherness that is removed and isolated from this world, but exactly the opposite; he is involved with his people and on their side. It is this that sets Yahweh apart from other gods.” The other main point revolves around Jesus and how He dealt with people. “He provocatively pushes His audience beyond their rules to the underlying principles behind them; He is asking that they let go of legalism and live radically…as Jesus was quick to explain to his audience, rather than planning to do away with or replace the Law, his goal was simple: to give it its full meaning – and this he would do, not just by unpacking and explaining it but by reframing it.” Chalke equates it to the difference between playing a piece of music exactly as written versus improvising. The point being that not every situation has the lines of right and wrong clearly defined – we have to be willing to be open-minded instead of attempting to automatically cast judgment. It’s when we have that close relationship with God that we’re able to distinguish right from wrong and understand His will.

gone

They hide behind their fake smiles
Every hair in place. sporting a suit and tie.
Their words seem sincere but are empty.
As though any raw emotion is to be avoided.

I feel like a casual observer,
My eyes dry as I hear the sniffles around me.
The reality has not set in;
He’s really gone and not coming back.

I want to take the pain away.
I want to make it all better.
I see the way his wife struggles to be strong.
Left behind to carry on.

While some are superficial, others are genuine.
The love is evident in their embrace.
When they utter “let me know if you need anything,”
I know they mean it.

I’m struggling to understand all of this.
I feel as though I’m in a fog,
Nothing quite seems real.
It’s as though I’m going through the motions.

Why are we afraid of being real?
Why must we constantly paste on a smile?

split-second

Life has a way of keeping us on our toes. Driving to work today, I was noting how beautiful the day is with the sun shining and the evidence of spring all around me. I hadn't been at my desk for more than thirty minutes when a phone call completely altered my day. I found out my uncle had passed away from a heart attack only hours earlier. Though I wasn't close to him, I was in shock at the seeming suddenness of his death. I wanted to pray for his wife and daughter but I found myself not even knowing where to begin. I couldn't make myself get out anything more than "God..." and that was my prayer over and over. Moments like this are major reality checks. While some may shake their fist at the sky and question why God would allow this to happen or if He's even there, God was the first person I went to. My automatic response when I first found out was "God..." It's in these moments that you see how strong your faith is - where your trust is. I know God's there and He cares and now my uncle is with Him too.

noise

While I enjoy blogging, I've been thinking about how many blogs are out there. Is my voice heard at all over any of the others? It's like when you go to the mall and decide to grab a bite to eat in the food court. The noise is so loud that even attempting conversation with the person seated across from you is impossible. Everyone is talking and no one is being heard. I wonder if the same is true with blogs. Are we too busy trying to get our point across that we fail to listen to others? But for me, blogging is a good way to work on my writing in a non-threatening environment since everyone else is shouting and I'm coming across as nothing more than a whisper. My hope is that by sharing what I've been through and my thoughts, I can assure someone else out there that yes, I've been there too and it'll be ok. Sometimes even a whisper can be heard.

it's been a while

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted!! I have a current favorite song that I want to share. The song is "Beautiful, Beautiful" by Francesca Battistelli. Enjoy.

book review: "beautiful things happen when a woman trusts God" by sheila walsh

Sheila begins her story with a story. She tells of when she was younger and how she and her sister would sometimes go to the park. Sheila would sit on the swing with her sister pushing her. One day a bully came to the park and began pushing Sheila. Though he didn’t push her any higher than her sister did, she was still scared. “Who was pushing the swing made all the difference in the world. The heart behind the hands pushing the swing changed everything…so this is a book about trust: how hard it is to trust, how we learn to trust, how we live with trust and how our lives are transformed by trust.”

A recurring thought Sheila shares in her book is that God is able to use what we may be ashamed of or think nothing good could come of. She spent some time in a psychiatric hospital and has been amazed at what God has done with that experience. “Suddenly I began to see that my brokenness was a far greater bridge to others than my pretended wholeness had ever been.” She talks about how when seeking God for direction, she still had no idea what to do. “Have you ever been there, prayed that God would let you in on what He’s doing so life doesn’t feel so out of control but He is silent?” We’re led on a journey with several people in the Bible; people who help illustrate what Sheila has finally discovered: “I’ve since learned that Jesus wants me to trust Him so completely that I no longer question anything He puts into my hands or the path He chooses for my life.” Anna, Mary and Martha, Paul, Tabitha, Gideon, Joseph, Samson, Abraham and Nicodemus – all men and women who struggled with trusting God.

Trust is something I think we all have to wrestle with. I just so happened to read this book at a time in my life where I’m having to constantly work on continuing to trust God when it seems He is indeed silent. Sheila’s book is a good reminder that He does listen and does care – I just need to be reminded sometimes. I feel like there’s one sentence that sums up her message: “After there's nothing else you can do - when you finally accept that stewing and supposing and worrying don't lead to answers; when your heart faints and you're afraid of that dark night and you can't figure it all out on your own and everything seems to be going up in smoke - trust kicks in and knocks you to your knees."

giveaway

I just had one of those moments where you realize something and you're momentarily stunned. I just wrapped up a giveaway on my blog for a copy of "What's in the Bible?" dvd. I don't know if I expected a huge number of entries but with each day, I kept thinking "why are people not entering?" I've said it's FREE and all you have to do is tell me who'd you want to win the dvd for, yet people weren't taking the bait. Here I had this really cool gift to give away but no one was willing. Here's where I realized something. The same is true with the gospel. We, as Christians, have something that the world needs yet few seem to make the decision to accept Him. We can tell others how great having a relationship with God is, how we have this inner peace that lets us know it's all going to be ok, and give vivid details of moments we've encountered God yet people can still refuse. And if I'm this frustrated, I wonder how this must make God feel?