A friend and I were talking the other day about what I have been learning in our Bible study in James. So, here you go. This is what has been on my mind lately.

Wisdom. What exactly is wisdom? Solomon asked for more. The world thinks it’s about making good decisions that help you get ahead. And we, as Christians, see it as seeking to know how to make the right decision.  The decision that keeps us out of trouble.

But it never occurred to me that true, Godly wisdom could be anything else until I was reading Chapter 3 in the book of James.

James asks “Who is wise and understanding among you?” I’m sure you, as I did, immediately thought of someone who seems to have it all together, who owns a nice home or drives a nice car. Someone who is well thought of in church or at work.  While all of these attributes are nice, I suddenly realized that this isn’t necessarily true, heavenly wisdom from above.

Verses 17-18 are what really made me think twice about what wisdom really is.

“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

Suddenly it dawned on me that wisdom isn’t just about making the “right” decision. In fact, it’s not really about making decisions at all. At least not in the everyday, living life, sense of decision-making.  But it is everything about making spiritual decisions. Decisions to love God, live in such a way that pleases him, giving our hearts wholly to him…  which does effect our daily living decisions. But the daily living decisions aren’t the goal or purpose for having or acquiring wisdom.

The real reason for seeking wisdom is to glorify God… for people to turn their hearts to Jesus… so that the “fruit of righteousness” may be sown and multiply. Wisdom is about showing God’s love and mercy to those who are seeking.  It’s about being obedient in our hearts to what God is asking us to do. It’s about giving up our own desires or dreams to live a comfortable life in order that we might point the way for others to find God’s grace and mercy in their own lives.

Do you see what I am getting at?

How different wisdom looks from this perspective! Suddenly I don’t have to be afraid to decide which job to work, or which house to buy, or which city to live in. Because I can live wisely in any job, in any house, in any city if my living is pleasing to God and pointing others toward him and his desire to forgive their sins and spend eternity with him.

God says perfect love casts out all fear. And his perfect love is full of perfect wisdom which takes away my fear of living in this imperfect world.  May He fill me with the wisdom that is first pure, then peaceable, gently & willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits!

Elizabeth, who is “well along in years” suddenly finds herself pregnant.  Verse 12 says that Zechariah’s prayers had been heard and that he and his wife will have a son and his name will be John.  Elizabeth, in verse 24, says “the Lord has taken away my disgrace.”

In contrast, Mary finds herself pregnant with the Son of God, the Messiah. While Elizabeth’s disgrace (from an outward view) has been removed by having a child, it’s likely that Mary now faces disgrace by having a child.  It’s possible that Zechariah could have been urged by friends & family to divorce Elizabeth because she was not able to give him children. Likewise, Joseph in Matthew 1 contemplates quietly divorcing Mary because of her pregnancy.  Both couples find themselves expecting a child and yet from the outside one circumstance looks favorable and the other looks disgraceful.  The Bible declares all of these men & women upright in God’s eyes yet the world sees them differently. Zechariah & Elizabeth were upright in the sight of God. Mary had found favor with God. Joseph was a righteous man.

How many times have our own lives, or the lives of those around us, appeared to look one way  and yet from God’s perspective completely different?  It’s certainly true that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover.  And we can’t always judge the conditions of our lives or each others lives by their outward appearances.  It encourages me that God has a plan for each of our lives. We may not be able to see it. It might look really different on the outside. But if we could see it from God’s perspective, it would make perfect sense! My prayer is that we walk through life more like Mary and say, “I am the Lord’s servant,” regardless of what outward appearances may look like.

I know it’s been more than a year since I’ve popped my head in over here. Lots going on, lots of growing and weeding, lots of tending in our lives.  Often I find it hard to express in words just what God is doing in our lives. But for some reason, I got the urge to write down some words this morning.

Last year in our Bible study we worked our way through the book of Revelation. It was NOT my first choice, but since it is in the Bible, you know, I ought to give it some time for study as well.  The middle of Revelation really bogged me down with all it’s symbolism, death, and destruction. It was depressing and frustrating.  Many times throughout the book, God says, “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” I kept praying that somewhere along the way I would discover the blessing.

I’m still not certain what the specific blessing might be. But I suspect that it might be as simple as this… The blessing that comes from reading Revelation is not about understanding who is the white horse, or what does that plague mean, or are we going to be raptured before, during or after the tribulation.  The blessing comes from knowing that even though one day God will judge the sins of the wicked, he desires that ALL will find forgiveness of their sins.  That he loves everyone of us. That he is a God of details. And that he is completely in control. He has not forgotten about his people, the people that he has created for his good pleasure.  But he desires us all to come to him, to trust in him, and find joy in him. If we keep that in mind throughout our life, we will discover the blessing.  Trials and tribulations will not take us by surprise when we know that God is right beside us and that he has all the details under control.  If he can orchestrate white horses and plagues and judgments all the while still desiring men to find him, then he can take care of the details of our lives.

Life often tries to suck the life out of me.  The disappointments, the struggles, the physical ailments.  But there is a God who is bigger than all of that.  I know I have said before that Hebrews 12:2 is sort of “my” verse. It’s the one that most often speaks to me when I am having a hard time.  I just need to “fix my eyes on Jesus” so that I will not grow weary and lose heart.

May you find a blessing in your day today.

Ironically, our Bible study lesson in Matthew this week was on the crucifixion of Jesus just as we are celebrating Easter and Jesus’ resurrection.  This week, we read about Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus preparing Jesus body and burying him in the tomb in Matthew, John and Luke, making notes about Joseph and Nicodemus.

Both Joseph and Nicodemus were members of the Council of the Pharisees that voted for Jesus to be condemned.  It is suggested that Joseph and Nicodemus were absent during this meeting since they both disagreed with the Council.  And it is likely that both Joseph and Nicodemus were secretly followers of Jesus, a small fact with which the Council would NOT have been pleased.

I never noticed that John 3:16 is a small sermon directed specifically to Nicodemus, given at night, in secrecy from the Council.  I’m sure the rest of the Pharisees would not have been happy to know that Nicodemus went directly to Jesus to ask about what it means to be born again.

It is fortunate for us that Nicodemus did have the courage to go ask Jesus and that their conversation was recorded in the Bible.  Jesus declares God’s great love for the world, demonstrated by giving his only son, Jesus, so that we may have eternal life.  A small sermon given to one man (I wonder if Jesus’ disciples were also present) now contains one of the most memorized Bible verses – “God so love the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

A friend of mine recently recommended Philip Yancey’s book Disappointment With God.  She also has been struggling with physical injuries, lost dreams and broken relationships. It’s been a tough year for both of us.

Philip Yancey does an excellent job of examining the Bible to understand why we all suffer from such disappointments.  He travels from Adam, who had the perfect relationship with God before eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, to Job, who suffered the ultimate in disappointment.  He asks, “Does seeing more evidence of God make it easier for us to believe?”  He looks at the Israelites traveling through the dessert, who experienced God’s presence in a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day and witnessed miracles of water coming from rocks and manna provided each morning to feed them.  Yet, they too cry out to God in disappointment. Such real evidence of God in their lives didn’t seem to increase their faith or trust in him.  They still doubted.

Philip Yancy draws the conclusion that no amount of miracles or visions of our Lord would make us believe and trust in God more, resulting in less disappointment. In fact, it is often the silence of God that draws us closer to him and  increases our faith.

God desires a true and honest relationship with us. He wants us to choose to love him.  People often ask, “If God really wanted our love and faithfulness, why didn’t he make it easier for us?”  He could have programmed our hearts to always love him. But would it have been a love given freely or a love that was “program” or “demanded”?  If we look at our own relationships we appreciate much more the ones where we are loved in spite of circumstances or situations.  God also desires our love, given freely, not because he has performed miracles or given us our every desire but because we have chosen to love him.

From the Bible, I know that God is good. So, I must look through glasses of trust rather than doubt when times are tough.  God doesn’t promise that life will be easy. But he does promise that he will never leave us or forsake us.  Even if he feels a million miles away, he sees and knows the struggles we are experiencing.  God came to earth as a man, Jesus, and experienced all of the same disappointment we are now experiencing. Hebrews 2:18 says, “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

Go and read the book Disappointment with God. The last few chapters look at Job, who suffered the loss of his health, his family, and his wealth and yet still believed in God. This book encouraged me to not give up hope when life is tough, but to trust even more in the Lord. May it encourage you as well.

Lisa has invited me to play an alphabet game. Here’s how it works. If you want to play, leave a comment on this post letting me know that you want to play and I’ll assign you a letter. You write about ten things you love that begin with your assigned letter, and post it on your blog. When people comment on your list, you assign them a letter, and the game continues on.

Ten Things I Love
(In no particular order. No. Actually, they are in the order that they popped into my head.)

1. Art. And artistic details.  I love the old masters as well as  many contemporary artists. Even if I don’t know that much about art.  Fabric prints, quilts, and other textile crafts, like knitting, can be art. Cooking and baking can be an art. And God is the master artist. Look at how creative he was in designing the world!  It’s these little details in life that make it more enjoyable for me.

2. Activity. I am not know for my ability to sit still and be quiet.  I like my hands to be busy with something at all times.  I don’t think God intended for us to be inactive either. Not that I can find a Bible verse that specifically says that.  But he did give the Garden to Adam & Eve to tend.  And, there are verses like Proverbs 31:13 that imply it.  “She seeks wool and flax, and willingly works with her hands.” And He advices older women in Titus 2 to teach the younger women to be busy at home, as well as loving their husbands & children and to be self-controlled.

3. Autumn. This is my all-time favorite time of the year! It’s not too hot, not too cold.  I can wear long sleeved sweaters, but not be freezing cold. I love the smell in the air. I love the sound of the leaves rustling under my feet.  I love all the brilliantly color leaves.  I love pumpkins & squash and the harvest being brought in. I don’t think there is  much that I don’t like about autumn.  Well, I don’t like the insanely busyness of harvest-time on a farm.  I grew up on a farm. But I like the harvesting of the garden.  That size is much more manageable.

4. Agave syrup. I’ve started using agave syrup as a replacement to honey when baking.  I haven’t noticed a huge difference in the taste. But it is healthier for you.  If you are diabetic or follow the glycemic index, it has a lower index than honey and sugar. Which means that it is a more complex carbohydrate and takes longer for your body to digest, which keeps your insulin levels more steady.  Sugar or other simple carbohydrates make your insulin levels spike and fall, causing those sugar crashes later.  Plus, it costs less than honey. At least it does at my local grocery store.

5. Alpacas. They are SO cute. And their wool is wonderfully soft to knit!

6. Adirondack chairs. They are the best to lounge in on a warm summer afternoon. One of my favorite spots (although I don’t get to visit it often) is a coffee shop on the other side of town that has Adirondack chairs in front of their shop. When the sun is shining, and I have a hot espresso, and I’m sitting in one of those Adirondacks, and someone special is with me… now THAT, that is the best!

7. Advent. I miss celebrating Advent.  We currently attend one of those evangelical churches that tends to avoid all things traditional.  We barely even celebrate major holidays.  Aside from the general anti-tradition attitude, it’s a great church. I just miss some of those seasonal celebrations, like Advent.

8. Avocados. If they are made into fresh guacamole…  canned or jarred guacamole = blech. Fresh = yum!

9. Atonement. God’s atonement of our sins through Jesus Christ.  Praise God that we have been reconciled to him and can look forward to eternity with him! It’s sad that this didn’t pop into my head first. It’s the most important “A” word in the whole list. But I was having a hard time thinking of things that begin with “A”.

10. Architecture. And architectural details. I LOVE old houses and old buildings. I don’t know what it is.  Maybe there is more little details in the old ones than the new ones.  Built in cabinets. Decorative moldings. Interesting windows. Nooks. Crannies.  Even in my own neighborhood or city, where there isn’t much that’s old, I find myself wandering around like a tourist with my head turned around looking at buildings than walking like a local with a purpose.

Thanks Lisa!  Anyone else wanna play?

This song sends tingles up my spine every time I hear it.

We’ve been studying the book of Matthew in our Bible study this year and recently looked at the chapter where Jesus walks on water and Peter asks Jesus to call him out to the water as well.  It’s been giving me a lot to think about.

How could Mary know the magnitude of what God was calling her to when the angel announced her pregnancy?  And how many times did she glance at the storms of judgment around her just as Peter saw the waves around him as he was walking on water?  Our Bible study talks about how we, in our own lives, often step out in faith and then are overcome with fear when we take our eyes off of Jesus and look at the circumstances around us.

People often talk of how they once lived in fear and now walk in faith. But seldom do we talk about how we can be overcome by fear where we once had faith.  What a daily challenge it is to continue walking in faith… as Mary must have felt while raising Jesus from a baby to a man, and Peter as he walked on water towards Jesus while the waves began to splash over his feet.

This has been a tough year. There have been a number of opportunities to let fear overcome my faith.  It has been a challenge to trust God with the circumstances, believing that he will work it all out, that he has a plan, and he knows where it all is going.

Mark 9:24 is my prayer, “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief!”

I am thankful for my hubby who has become excellent at cooking breakfast!  These are Banana Nutella Crepes.  Yum, Yum. We recently made Egg Nog French Toast for breakfast. It surprisingly good!

I am not a morning person.  Most days, my husband gets up first and makes the coffee. Then, after the coffee is made (the sound of the grinder grinding the beans has become my alarm clock) I will slowly roll out of bed.  I wake up foggy and slow and not at all talkative.  Gary has learned that few words and fresh coffee help me wake up much more pleasant than grumpy.

Just a few more days until Thanksgiving.  What are you thankful for?  Join me in giving thanks during the month of November.

This is a huge carrot that we bought at the open-air fruit & vegetable market just before it closed for the season. It will open again in early spring. But I always miss it while it is closed for the 4 or so months during winter.  We made Italian Wedding Soup for dinner tonight and it was delicious.  It’s just a reminder of how God always meets my needs in better ways that I can ever imagine.

I am so thankful for God’s provision.  In the past, he has always provided just what I’ve needed…  food when I couldn’t afford it, money when I had bills coming due, a friend’s shoulder to cry on, guidance when I’ve needed wisdom.  Those needs haven’t always been met in conventional ways, but they were always met.

It’s comforting to know that big or small, God cares for us.  Nothing is too huge or too trivial.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ” ~ Matthew 6:25-33

What are you thankful for?  Join me in giving thanks during the month of November.