A Balanced Life

The event recorded in Luke 10:38–42 makes it clear that Mary and Martha were quite different in their personalities. Martha was the worker, the active one, while Mary was the contemplative one who sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to His word. Jesus did not condemn Martha’s service, but He did rebuke her for being “torn apart” by so many things. She needed to have priorities and center her activities on the things that God would approve. As an old Wesley hymn puts it, we need to have a balanced life:
Faithful to my Lord’s commands,
I still would choose the better part:
Serve with careful Martha’s hands
And loving Mary’s heart.
We would expect Martha to rush out to meet Jesus while Mary sat in the house, weeping with her friends. Since Mary later echoed Martha’s words of greeting (John 11:32), it is likely that the sisters often said these words to each other as they waited for Jesus to arrive. While there may have been a tinge of disappointment in the statement, there was also evidence of faith, for nobody ever died in the presence of Jesus Christ. “If” is such a big word! How futile it is to imagine what might have been, if—!
Martha was quick to affirm her faith in Jesus Christ (John 11:22), and Jesus responded to that faith by promising her that her brother would rise again. He was thinking of the immediate situation, but she interpreted His words to mean the future resurrection in the last day (Dan. 12:2–3; John 5:28–29). Here is another instance in John’s Gospel of people lacking spiritual perception and being unable to understand the words of Jesus.
Our Lord’s reply is the fifth of the I AM statements. It is important to note that Jesus did not deny what Martha said about the future resurrection. The resurrection of the human body is a cardinal doctrine in the orthodox Jewish faith. But in His great I AM statement, our Lord completely transformed the doctrine of the resurrection and, in so doing, brought great comfort to Martha’s heart
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1989). The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. (Jn 11:17). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.

Keep Still!

I'm nearing the end of reading "Having a Mary Spirit" by Joanna Weaver. I read this the other night in the chapter on "Speaking Love" and thought it worth sharing.

"Keep still! When trouble is brewing, keep still! When slander is getting on its legs, keep still! When your feelings are hurt, keep still till you recover from your excitement at any rate! Things look different through an unagitated eye.

In a commotion once I wrote a letter and sent it, and wished I had not. In my later years I had another commotion and wrote another long letter; my life had rubbed a little sense into me, and I kept that letter in my pocket until I could look it over without agitation, and without tears, and I was glad I did - less and less it seemed necessary to send it. I was not sure it would do any harm, but in my doubtfulness I learned reticence, and eventually it was destroyed.

Time works wonders! Wait till you can speak calmly and then perhaps you will not need to speak. Silence is the most powerful thing conceivable, sometimes. It is strength in its grandeur; it is like a regiment ordered to stand still in the mad fury of battle. To plunge in were twice as easy. Nothing is lost by learning to keep still"

~ From "Streams in the Desert & Springs in the Valley"

Silence really can be golden, and the simple fact that I have an opinion doesn't mean I have to share it. I think this is a novel idea for the quiet-impaired like myself °Ü°

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. ~ Psalm 141:3

April Showers.....

Happy Spring!

We've been having our April showers and the first flowers to bloom in our yard are always the daffodils. After the showers on Friday, the sun came out and we headed outside in search of a rainbow. Sure enough, we found one! We love the promises of April showers bringing May flowers and rainbows. Enjoy!

Seven wonders of the world

This is awesome! Turn on your speakers.

Blessed are the Balanced

I love this! This is what I'm talking about! The following excerpt comes from Warren Wiersbe's book Be Compassionate. This excerpt also pretty much sums up Joanna Weaver's book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. I hope it speaks to your heart as it has mine.

"Worship is at the heart of all that we are and all that we do in the Christian life. It is important that we be busy ambassadors, taking the message of the Gospel to lost souls. It is also essential to be merciful Samaritans, seeking to help exploited and hurting people who need God's mercy. But before we can represent Christ as we should, or imitate Him in our caring ministry, we must spend time with Him and learn from Him. We must "take time to be holy."
Mary of Bethany is seen three times in the Gospel record, and on each occasion, she is in the same place: at the feet of Jesus. She sat at His feet and listened to His Word (luke 10:39), fell at His feet and shared her woe (John 11:32), and came to His feet and poured out her worship (John 12:3).
Mary and Martha are often contrasted as though each believer must make a choice: be a worker like Martha or a worshiper like Mary. Certainly our personalities and gifts are differnet, but that does not mean that the Christian life is an either/or situation. Charles Wesley said it perfectly in his hymns:

Faithful to my Lord's command,
I still would choose the better part;
Serve with careful Martha's hands,
And loving Mary's heart.

It seems that the Lord wants each of us to imitate Mary in our worship and Martha in our work. Blessed are the balanced! We are ambassaadors, neighbors, and worshippers, these three; and the greatest of these is worshipers. Blessed are the balanced."

Thinking of you

I'm thinking alot about my dad with it being 3 years today that we lost him. I miss him so. But the little rainbows have returned to my bedroom, through the prism hanging in the east window sending them dancing around the room as the sun rises, and I say "Good morning, Dad!" These little rays of hope bring him back to me! The minsiter at my dad's funeral said that we would see Dad in the sunset or rainbows and it's been so amazing to me how much joy it brings into my life. I hope this will bring you hope and joy as you find your lost loved ones in the rainbows.

Tools for Transformation

God has used many practices and experiences to shape my life. I've found these six regular disciplines have helped me grow and become more like Christ. I recommend them all to you.

1. Developing a Quiet Time. As I sit quietly to read my Bible and other devotional materials, write in my journal and pray, He leads me in the way I should go.
2. Memorizing Scrpiture. Hiding God's word in my heart changes my thinking and prepares me for the future.
3. Listening to Others. I am so thankful for Christian wisdom I receive through, books, sermons, Christian radio stations, and godly friends. They all help point me in the right direction.
4. Journaling. This helps remind me of God's faithfulness and keeps me accountable.
5. Gathering with fellow believers. When two or more are gathered together, God is there with us.
6. The altar. Laying it all on the altar, whether at home or church, helps me stay strong in my commitment to obey what God is speaking to my heart.

I leave you with 1 Samuel 10:6 "The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power....and you will be changed into a different person. "

Prayer is a privilege that brings peace

This past Wednesday morning, I received a call from my daughter, Jenn, letting me know she had a prayer request. A friend of hers had been in a car accident. Over the next two days, and still, I pray for Chris as he comes to mind. I've also had time to reflect on the request to pray. My daughter called me because she knew I would pray. During the night Thursday, I woke and again prayed. It was then that I thought about what a privilege it is to pray for others. Not only is it a privilege but it brings such peace in knowing that I was giving my request to the only ONE who could do anything for Chris. David knew of the peace that is brought through the assurance of answered prayer when he wrote Psalm 3:5 "I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me." Peace. Would you join me in the privilege of praying for Chris? We don't know Chris' needs right now but our God does.

"Still"

Two weeks ago, one of the closing songs touched my heart and I want to share it with you.
Still
Words and music by Reuben Morgan
Verse 1
Hide me now under your wings.
Cover me within your mighty hand.
Verse 2
Find rest my soul in Christ alone.
Know His power in quietness and trust.
Chorus
When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with You above the storm.
Father You are King over the flood
I will be still and know You are God.

I will be still and know that You are God.

Being Still in South Mountain

About a month ago, Harlan & I spent a week in Phoenix, AZ with our son, Jared. There were a lot of fun times during our week there but one of my favorites was our time spent hiking in South Mountain. Two mornings that we, we dropped Jared off at work and headed to the mountain for geocaching/hiking. I loved everything about it...the exercise, the scenery, the weather and the person I was with.

Although Harlan and I were together, he was usually several feet ahead of me. This newly diagnosed heart condition leaves me a little more breathless. During my time alone, it gave me a chance to talk with God ("Lord, please help me make it up this mountain!" °Ü° )

It was a great time to reflect on everything He has so graciously given to me.....to us all! We just need to take the time to read of His promises, His love for us and enjoy our surroundings. So, for a minute or two, look at the views of and from South Mountain and listen to God's voice speaking to you. It's also a great opportunity to thank Him for all the blessings we've been given. Amen? Amen!

Signs of getting older

Now, don't laugh. This is just a part of getting older....as we all do. I just returned from my yearly physical. I've been talking about having a Mary heart. That is my goal but today's results show that even if I appear to "be still" on the outside, my insides are another story. As I filled out the physical questionnaire I thought to myself, "I'm a pretty healthy person. " Then the doctor came in. My blood pressure is up (of course it is! My legs are in stirrups! ) and it's time to do something about the bladder leakage. Well, when he listened to my heart, he said it has a swishing sound so it's time to have a ego cariogram. So I leave there with paperwork to have two procedures and feeling old. One good thing is that my cholesterol looks good! So apparently my insides aren't as calm as my outside appears. I'll have to work on that!

"Be still & know that I am God"

I had been asked to speak at a women's retreat in the spring of 2001 and I just knew what God wanted me to speak about. However, in the days to come, God made it clear that I didn't know. During the course of a couple of weeks God kept bringing the verse, "Be still & know that I am God" to me. First in the Sunday morning worship service, in an e-mail forward, again within the chapter of the book "Heartstrings" by Sandra Aldrich, and finally on the Sunday School lesson sheet from Max Lucado's book "The Great House of God."
By the end of the Sunday School lesson I was covered in "God bumps." I knew it couldn't be a coicidence. This was a Godsiquence! I couldn't wait for the class to end so I could share with my teacher what had been happening and see what she thought God was trying to tell me. She suggested that I be in prayer about it. Of course, you know what that meant.......I had to "be still and get to know God" so I would be able to understand what he was trying to tell me.
Being still in this day and age isn't an easy command to obey. But I believe it is because of the day and age we are living in that WE NEED to spend time alone with God. If we don't take the time on our own He may put circumstances in our lives to cause us to be still.

Having A Mary Heart In A Martha World

Have you ever felt like God was trying to tell you something but you didn't know what it meant? I believe it was in 2001 that God first started speaking to me about having a Mary heart. I will be sharing with you how God spoke to me. I pray that through my story you will find "Mary time" in this "Martha world." It all begins with my life verse, Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God."