Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

August 12, 2011

Plans Interrupted
Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV

Have you ever had your plans interrupted?

This can either make you cranky or make you grateful. In my case, it's usually both. Cranky at first. And then eventually grateful after days, weeks, months or even years later when I finally see that God's plans were so much better than mine.

Just last weekend, my plans were interrupted. I had been planning a day-cation for a while and was going to take my mom to visit my hometown's "friendly" rival city that's just a short drive away. We'd never before explored its downtown area and had heard great things about it. And so we thought it would be a fun place to visit on a Saturday.

But the plans had to be scrapped as a result of a minor family emergency. In this case, I was grateful that I could alter my course and help out. And I know it was the right thing to do to set aside these prior plans.

Other times in my life, I haven't been so quick to be grateful when God has interrupted my plans. At the time, my plans seemed right and logical. But they were plans that, had they gone through, would have just been awful. In hindsight, I see how the Lord has saved me from myself time and time again and how he truly knows what is best for my life.

Before he was one of the greatest apostles in the Bible, Paul also had his plans interrupted. Now his plans would arguably have had more disastrous consequences than some of mine, but he believed he was doing the right thing and was set on seeing them through. That is, until God interrupted.

In Acts 9, Paul was still known as Saul. He was an enemy of believers (known as "the Way") and was focused on persecuting anyone who called himself a Christian. He had heard that many had fled to Damascus, so he secured letters of arrest from the high priest and headed off in pursuit of them.

But on the road, God intervened and interrupted Saul's plans. The conversion was radical and news-making. Saul was blind for three days, and then his sight was restored through Anaias, who God told that Saul was his "chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel (Acts 9:15)."

When the scales fell from Saul's eyes, he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Later, he became known as the apostle Paul and was perhaps the greatest of all Christian missionaries. He also wrote 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament!

Can you imagine what type of effect his conversion must have had on the believers he had been seeking to persecute? Or how about the Gentiles to whom he ministered for years afterward? And then who knows how many countless readers of God's Word have been blessed by Paul's testimony and his inspired writings?

These are God's amazing plans at work, my friend. And thankfully, he interrupts ours.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

How did you respond the last time God interrupted your plans? Have you thanked him for saving you from your plans? We will never know this side of heaven all that God has done and is doing in our lives. Let's thank him for his perfect plans for us today.

Further Reading:

Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV
Proverbs 19:21, NIV

[Judy Harder]

August 15, 2011


A Hedge of Clichés
by Katherine Britton, News & Culture Editor

"And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words." - Matthew 6:7

A Bible study friend recently encouraged me to rewrite the famous passage on Proverbs 31 woman in my own words, with application to my own life. I took her up on the challenge, thinking the task wouldn't be too hard for someone who writes for a career.

Crafting a modern application took an hour—much longer than I figured. Getting away from verbatim repetition to explore specific application required much more of my time and energy than I would typically spend journaling on a passage. Stepping back from the verse-by-verse analysis, though, I thought I saw the Proverb 31 woman's characteristics a bit more clearly. Rewriting the passage didn't destroy the original language for me—on the contrary. The "words, words, words" seemed fresh and clear from my new vantage point.

Unfortunately, reading and "hiding Scripture in our hearts" quickly slips into rote recitation for me. It's like Tim Hawkin's hedge of protection comedy sketch; the words have power, but we start spouting them off without much thought. Pretty soon, I'm sitting in church and halfway through a hymn before I realize that I'm singing. My heart gets left behind too when my mind is disengaged. Pretty soon, I'm praying a "hedge of protection" for somebody, partially because the phrase sounds good without making me think too carefully about their specific needs. 

The Pharisee Jesus described in Luke 18:9-13 had mastered the art of hiding insincerity behind the right phrases. He knew the turn of phrase that would convey holy devotion, regardless of the filth in his heart. "Words, words, words" became meaningless, as Hamlet saw them in the dead books - they became a socially acceptable key to avoid the real attitudes.

Contrast this to the tax collector. He understood that social niceties wouldn't veil his sins before God, and he didn't continue with a recitation the way the Pharisee did. His simple prayer was, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner." That was it. He knew the impact of his simple phrase far better than the Pharisee did. He didn't need to "babble" to impress God or those around him; he simply spoke his heart, knowing that ability to pray is itself a mercy.

The beautiful language of Scripture is best adorned with sincerity of heart, not how many words we can string together in holy sentences. After all, consider how simple the Lord's Prayer is written - and how difficult and miraculous it is to proclaim "Your will be done."

Intersecting Faith and Life: There's not a "holy attitude" that we put on at "holy times" - we are called to be holy all the time, in our joking with friends as well as our prayers. We need to speak simply, truly, and to God's glory all the time. This week, practice this by eliminating Christian catch phrases from your prayers, instead journaling your prayers to bring a fresh application.

[Judy Harder]

August 16, 2011

Is Love Just a Choice?
Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3: 18

"Love is a choice."

"Why drag a relationship out? Just commit!"

"People today wait too long to get married. They need to find someone in their early 20's and just tie the knot!"

As a single woman and in my role as Crosswalk's Family Editor, I've heard relationship advice like the statements above more times than I can count.

This kind of advice stems from a very real concern in Christian culture: young people today are waiting until their 30's to marry more than ever. This trend pulls an entire decade of adulthood away from family life and some serious issues have arisen as a result. Pastors, cultural analysts, and everyday well-meaning people have stepped in to say, "Enough! Make a commitment!"

I have a problem with this advice, though.

10 years ago, as a 19-year-old just stepping into adulthood, I sat in the passenger seat of my father's car while we drove home from a weekend conference. After mulling over the relationship advice given at the conference, I finally blurted out, "Dad, if love is just a choice, than why not just marry someone walking by on the street? They criticize us for analyzing our dates too much or having high expectations, but by what criteria are we to choose a spouse?"

We didn't come up with any satisfactory answers that day.

Years passed, and while I appreciated the fact that typical Christian relationship advice was more solid than the mainstream "just go with your feelings" message, a piece of the puzzle remained missing for me. Is it really godly love or "God's will" when a young couple high on emotions gets engaged and married within a matter of months? Does simply "getting married" solve the problems we're hoping to solve?

During our marriage prep, my husband and I have found greater clarity on some of these questions as we work through Fr. Karol Wojtyla's book Love and Responsibility.  Fr. Wojtyla writes that biblical love isn't merely a choice but a choice based on truth. Wojtyla states:

"Only true knowledge of a person makes it possible to commit one's freedom to him or her." This is because, "True love, a love that is internally complete, is one in which we choose the person for the sake of the person - that in which a man chooses a woman or a woman chooses a man not just as a sexual 'partner' but as the person on whom to bestow the gift of his or her own life."

Translation: We must know the truth of the person to whom we're committing and also know ourselves in light of God's truth, otherwise love is "blind" and not love at all.  This is because we don't just marry a generic man or woman, but a unique, complex person created with dignity and in the image of God.

Fr. Wojtyla tackles the issues that come with rapid commitments in this context. He affirms that while emotional warmth is important to a relationship, the emotional and sensual highs often present in the early dating days can actually obscure the truth of another person thus hindering love from flowering. Later, this couple will experience disillusionment as the fantasy fades. Fr. Wojtyla writes that love for a particular person requires time to unfold and allowing for this time isn't the same as fear of commitment or avoidance of responsibility.

Wojtyla writes from a scriptural foundation. In the Bible, we see that love and truth are intertwined. We see God's love is a very personal love, beginning in the womb (Psalm 139: 13). He has knowledge even of the hairs on our heads (Matt 10: 30). God has no romantic illusions of who you are, yet He chooses you - and cherishes you. This is genuine, unconditional love that brings lasting happiness for all including the warmth of emotion we so desire.

Thankfully, true love does not depend on our flawless execution of it. We've all failed in some capacity. Fr. Wojtyla comforts his readers by reminding us of God's work in the lives of those who seek Him: "There is no need to be dismayed if love sometimes follows tortuous ways. Grace has the power to make straight the paths of human love."

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Are you single and dating? Honor that person by taking the time to get to know them for who they are. Have you already committed? Fr. Wojtyla writes that the marriage commitment creates a lifelong "school of love," giving spouses unique opportunities to develop mature love as they grow in truth and grace. Ask God for ways you can grow in your love for your spouse.

[Judy Harder]

August 18, 2011

From Middle of Life to Center of Truth
Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me.

Psalm 40:11, NIV

I turned 40 a couple months ago. Woo-hoo.

You'll pardon my "enthusiasm," I'm sure. What nobody tells you about turning 40 is that you ask yourself a lot of questions, sort of a checklist of making sure you have certain things right before proceeding to the most meaningful half of the game. It's like you're in the locker room at halftime of life - bandaging injuries, reflecting on the strategies of the first half - both failed and successful - and considering your options as you re-emerge to the field.



One upside of this odd time (one of my most awkward since adolescence; think of me as a teenager plus a modicum of wisdom, confidence, and gainful employment. I even found a couple of zits this week for goodness sakes) is empathy. I wouldn't call what I'm going through a "mid-life crisis"... but I now understand why some people have them. I wouldn't say that agnosticism is any kind of answer to the meaning of life... but I now understand why people gravitate to it, conscientiously or not. I wouldn't say this life is the point or that this world is our home... but I get why people begin to make the most of the time they have left as they see the clock running down.



The downside, however, is that I find myself prone to thinking I'm smarter than I am, to thinking so much depends upon me, to buying into answers that are all at once beyond biblical teaching in both complexity and sanity. My like-it's-on-hormones brain has me wondering about...



Dinosaurs, definitions of marriage, death, love, whom I've loved, whether I've loved, addictions, exercise, accountability, honesty, privacy, sexuality, inerrancy, accuracy, cosmology, biology, psychology, mighta-beens, coulda-beens, shoulda-beens, woulda-beens, fairness, facts, food, euthanasia, hip dysplasia, adoptions from Asia, character, selfishness, and yes... even shiny new sportscars.



Good gracious.



Take any one of those categories - plus many more - and I've been bogged down thinking about it. Some of my thoughts challenge my own beliefs, beliefs I've long held as established, settled. Some of my thoughts wake me up to new possibilities, or things I haven't done yet that I may still be called to. But in the end all these ideas remain merely...



My. Thoughts.



Biblically, those just aren't very trustworthy words. So what do I do now?



The same thing I've always done - come back to first principles. Study the old verses from childhood. Memorize scripture. And be really, really honest with friends and acquaintances. That authenticity, though, is a new ingredient, one that is making this halftime speech much more meaningful, bearable, and shared.



But at its root is just the same formula from which I deconstruct everything: something happened in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas over 2,000 years ago that sent plain old uneducated men to the corners of the earth convinced that everything - life, meaning, all time and all space - was on the line, and there was a Truth worth dying for. They did this because they knew a man who was also God, whom death could not hold, and who offered an amazing gift to anyone who would faithfully open it. And there's this book about those men, and the One in whom they believed, and no matter how many questions you seem to have about this book or how it was put together or who wrote it or whether its teachings are fair or right, one thing is for sure - it spoke in advance of the One who came, and in Him it becomes a whole lot clearer.



And the same God who caused all that to happen wanted the rest of the story told in certain ways. He told us some things were good for us, some bad. He told us some things were right in His eyes, some wrong. He told us He created this place we live in a period of days. No matter how confusing any of that may seem (and make no mistake - child-like faith is one of my favorite things, but growing in wisdom is a stretch to that faith, and stretching is almost always a good thing to do with aging muscles), it holds that there was a Truth. And the God that foretold, sent, and raised this Truth is the one telling the story in a way that might make you scratch your head, puzzle out how things piece together, but before you know it, you have been thinking, praying to, and meditating upon Him and how He did it, how it all might paradoxically mesh.



Simplicity out of complexity. Youthfulness out of age. Truth out of confusion. Beauty out of chaos.



So far, I have to tell you, the 40s just rock.



Intersecting Faith and Life: No matter how old you are, make a list of what's behind you and what you think or hope lies ahead. Admit the concepts with which you struggle, and the bedrock that does not move, and find the place they meet for you. And move forward from there.



Further Reading:

John 18:37-38
What is Truth?

[Judy Harder]

August 19, 2011

No Worries
By Ryan Duncan, TheFish.com Editor



Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

A few nights ago, I was driving back home when I reached a stoplight just in front of my apartment. It was late, I was the only car on the road and to be honest, I wasn't paying much attention. I automatically made a left turn into the nearby parking lot and suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a flash. I felt my stomach twist into a knot. Had I just turned on a red light? Had that flash been a traffic camera? Was I going to get fined?

In retrospect, it wasn't that big of a deal, but I was still worrying about it the next day when I went off to work. Would I be receiving a ticket in the mail? How much would I have to pay? With a poor driving history and not much money in my bank account, all I could think about was the humiliation of having to pay a fine and watching my insurance rates go up.

It's amazing how we let fear and insecurity rule our lives. If something as small as a possible traffic ticket can ruin our whole day, how will we be able cope when real tragedy strikes? Surprisingly, many Christians can't let go of their worries, or worse, don't seem to know how. Philippians 4:6 reads "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Despite this, I think we sometimes hesitate to bring our problems before God. It may be because A.) We don't want to sound like we're whining to God, or B.) We know that praying to Christ does not guarantee things will turn out the way we want them to.

But there is more to praying about problems than simply asking God for a solution. God wants us to rely on him fully, even in the worst circumstances. When we give our cares to Him, we are reminded that He loves us, and that He is in control. I'm pretty sure that soon I'll have to pay for running a red light, but by bringing my worry before God I was able to accept it and move on. Don't let life's worries get you down. As my Dad used to say, "The most common phrase in the Bible is 'Fear not.'"

Intersecting Faith and Life

Is their anything you're worried about? Take some time to simply pray about it to God.

Further Reading

Matthew 6:25-34               

[Judy Harder]

August 22, 2011

I Want Answers Now!
Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

In his heart, a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9, NIV

Living in the Information Age, we're so used to getting what we want as soon as we want it.

We're becoming more and more accustomed to not having to wait for anything, as instant gratification is the norm in many areas of our lives.

A gourmet, meat-and-three meal ready in less than three minutes from the microwave. Check. 
Instant text messages sent directly to our handheld communication devices. Check.
Mobile phone reception and extensive coverage wherever we may travel. Check. 
Wireless Internet access so we can log on whenever and wherever we want. Check.
A new group of "friends" in an online social network who we don't have to spend face-time with in order to call friends. Check.
Can you relate? God forbid that we should ever have to wait on something, because that's when the real whining and the complaining kick in. I should know.

I've been struggling with an ongoing life situation that has got me journaling and praying and reading and discussing up a storm. I don't understand what God is doing, and I want answers and a flowchart of how this will all be worked out. Right now.

I want to plan my course and make something happen—move the situation along, if I can, and get the results that I think should be had and on my time schedule.

Not long after I have a mental outburst such as this, I am immediately convicted. And I know that this is not the right way to respond. How must God interpret this type of thinking? Does he lovingly shake his head and murmur, "Oh, sweet child. Someday she'll learn." Or perhaps I disappoint him because I cannot trust in him without struggling with my desire to first know all the steps he's planning for me to get from Point A to Point Z.

While flipping through my Bible this week, I found that the words of Psalm 145: 3-7 have helped me to see this struggle in a different light:

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
His greatness no one can fathom.
One generation will commend your works to another;
They will tell of your mighty acts.
They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

After reading this passage, I was reminded that it doesn't matter that I understand what is going on in the world. It doesn't matter that I can't control what is or isn't happening. What matters is that I know and profess that God is great, and that he is good. Period.

Why even struggle with trying to understand the ways of a sovereign God? He alone is worthy of our praise and adoration. Why not just immediately respond with celebration for who he is? Why not just surrender and rest in him? For his answers for our lives are never late and always arrive at just the right time.

Intersecting Faith & Life:
Are you wrestling with God, as Jacob did at Peniel (Gen. 32)? It is God—not you—who holds your destiny in his hands. Ask him to help you take one day at a time as you trust in him and his plan and timetable for your life.

Further Reading:
Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV
Romans 8:28, NIV

[Judy Harder]

August 23, 2011

Words, Words, Words!
by Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
John 3:3

American English uses hundreds of idioms, both helpful and just plain ridiculous. It's entirely possible slink through a whole day without expressing a single original phrase, if we try hard enough. It's not rocket science, I mean. You can blow your top, or go overboard, or feel like you're an emotional rollercoaster, or wind up between a rock and a hard place, or hit the wall. Maybe it's a cloud nine day, and you're walking on air. And no, I'm not pulling your leg. There's a method to my madness.

You can probably think of a dozen more idioms that I omitted. Nowadays, we use overuse all those phrases and stick them into our conversation as a substitute for original thought. But once upon a time, all those things we call clichés resonated with meaning. Consider just a few:

That's a load of hogwash – This wholesome little phrase comes straight from the farm, where "hogwash" designates a concrete mess of garbage and refuse that's only fit for the pigs. The good-for-nothing stuff certainly isn't a compliment; in fact, it's downright nasty.

Catch-22 – We use it now for any situation with a lose-lose outcome, but the original phrase actually comes from a 1961 novel by the same name. The plot highlights the result of bureaucratic regulations that take their validity from each other but can't stand alone. The bewildering, circular logic keeps characters from any good outcomes, thanks to the nonsense to which they're subject.

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks." – Shakespeare would probably roll over in his grave if he could hear us butcher this one so royally. The phrase actually comes from the lips of Queen Gertrude, who rather hastily marries her husband's brother after her husband dies. Gertrude was actually sneering at the faithful promises – the protestations – of the queen in a play, who promised eternal love and faith to only one man. And so, her inconstant character announces itself to Hamlet and the audience. 

Your John Hancock – As president of the Continental Congress, Hancock's name appeared before all others on the first copy of the Declaration of Independence. By that action, Hancock marked himself among the primary traitors if the War for Independence failed. He risked his life, his fortune, and indeed, his sacred honor. Is that what you think of every time you sign a credit receipt?

We all use language, and it's a hop, skip, and a jump from a meaningful metaphor for a dull catchphrase. After that, real meaning gets lost in the hubbub of "words, words, words," as Hamlet would say.

I mention these cultural amusements for a simple purpose.

Do you remember how totally radically it is to be "born again"?

Christians – myself included – so easily wear down the language of grace into simple catchphrases. When Jesus told

Nicodemus that he "must be born again," he was conveying a radical idea, and Nicodemus knew that much. "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" (John 3:4) Jesus goes on to explain the obvious changes that come from being born again of the Spirit, so that a person changes completely. "Born again" meant so much more than a hidden identity. As my pastor pointed out Sunday, you might as well ask, "Is that baby new?" as ask, "Are you born again?" The answer should be obvious to all. Is it?

Intersecting Faith & Life: The slip from authentic faith to rote "Christianese" is sometimes nothing more than a wandering mind, and sometimes as much as complete forgery. As you pray and read the Bible this week, take time to meditate on what simple phrases like "mercy," "born again," "repent," genuinely mean. Find names or attributes of God that you don't usually use and meditate on them. As Jesus said to his disciples (ironically, right before he gave them the Lord's Prayer, which far too many of us utter by rote), "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words." (Matthew 6:7) The fight against complacent muttering finds success when it's joined by a genuinely appreciative heart, so let's skip the babbling and get down to praising God for the radical way He has saved us!

Further Reading:

Luke 18:9-14
Zephaniah 3:14-18
Top 10 Irritating Phrases

[Judy Harder]

August 24, 2011

The Quest for Perfection
Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5: 48

The Scripture above is one most of us would read with some perplexity. As Christians we know we're sinners in need of a Savior. Every Sunday at church we thank God for His divine intervention through Christ's death on the cross.

Yet the very One sent to die for us seems to be asking us here to be that which we know we can't: perfect. Not just really, really good. But perfect in the way God is perfect.

Now if you're a perfectionist like me, you may already have your pen out to list all your weaknesses so you can strategize the best plan to eradicate them from your life.

This isn't a bad exercise, but I've often become easily frustrated and tired when I set out to perfect myself. That's precisely the problem with this approach - it's all about me, myself, and I. An old friend of mine, in his quest to eliminate his selfish attitude, would often exclaim with much exasperation: "I keep trying to get rid of my selfishness but in the process of trying to improve myself, I end up focusing on my self all the time!"

It's hard to stifle a smile at his candor. It seems God has something better in mind for us than a glorified self-help program.

Perhaps the verse above is easier to understand when cast in a different light. Peter doesn't use the word "perfect" but instead calls believers to "holiness":

" ... but as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct: since it is written 'you shall be holy, for I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1: 15 - 16)

Holiness transcends what someone does (or doesn't do) and ties directly into who God is. As believers, we aren't necessarily called to be "perfect" by the world's standards, but instead to reflect God's nature to others. His goodness, truth, strength, and love.

The only way we can accurately reflect God to others is to strive daily to know God. To be in His presence. To meditate on His Word. Unlike the futile self-help approach, the more we focus on God, the less self-focused we become. And the more available we make ourselves to His transforming grace in our lives.

"Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to his beloved is that of overcoming self." ~ St. Francis of Assisi

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Do something this week that requires you to "forget" yourself and your struggles. Serving those in need is usually a good way to do this.

Further Reading

2 Samuel 22: 31

Matthew 19: 21

[Judy Harder]

August 25,2011

That Boy Dating Your Daughter is More Than a Nuisance
Shawn McEvoy

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts...
Psalm 95:6-8

My little girl will turn five in a week, and believe it or not... I'm looking forward to the day she starts bringing boys home.

Oh, believe me, there's no rush. I'm happy to remain Numero Uno in little Lauren's eyes as long as possible. All I'm really saying here is that I believe in her, in how she's being raised, in how she's taking after her mother. Whoever she brings home - I'm confident saying - is not going to be a person without redeeming qualities (and if you don't mind me bragging, she's already made three little boys from preschool so giddy their parents joked with us about an arranged marriage).

So what has me so primed for this experience that I don't sound like the typical dad at the door with a sneer and a shotgun? What else? The experience of having been valued and trusted myself.

Twenty-three years ago I didn't know it, but I became part of a family. The McGriffs were a very unique family. When I met their eldest daughter, Dick and Susan had just remarried each other after having divorced each other. I never knew all the details, only that this was their first example to me of it never being too late, of recognizing wrongs and repenting.

They took to me right away, but don't get the impression that they didn't lay down the law or have rules. It was the way they imposed them - agreeably, fairly, seriously - that made so much of a difference. It's not even that they didn't try to "change" me - to be perfectly honest they did try: suggesting Christian alternatives to my secular music, suggesting viewed-at-their-home Cary Grant movies to the ones I would have preferred taking their daughter to the theater to see, giving us five minutes after a date to say goodnight before the front lights would be flicked on and off signaling that, okay, that's enough now.

I dated Malia for four-and-a-half years, off and on. During that time I built memories, house-sat for their family, came to cherish younger sisters Michelle and Amy like they were my own. Oh, like most young couples our relationship wasn't perfect; we would fight and make things more difficult than they had to be, just as I continue to do. But from her folks there was always instruction, encouragement, solidity. Laughs and firm handshakes. Always trust regardless.

Thanks to Facebook, I've regained contact with these three sisters, observed how their family has grown, and chuckled at the way they continue to interact despite living all over the country (Malia in particular had the most amazing talent for taking tense situations and making them laughable, one I'm told she still has, one that is a story for another time). I sent them the following email:

Just wanna say... You three are still some of my favorite people I've ever met, especially for a trio of sisters. I love how life has worked out for all of you, and how large that family has grown, and how involved your folks are in visiting. You have fantastic men who seem to get you and treat you well.

You're all three beautiful examples of Christian motherhood and of being distinctly individual yet connected. It was transformative to grow up as a semi-adopted part of your clan, and it's a blessing to see your joy - and how you've dealt with the pains - today.

You gals rock!

And from each I received back a distinctive, meaningful, heartfelt response. And I traced it all to the commitments, re-commitments, and never-give-up attitudes their parents made so obvious without being annoying. And shoot, even if they were ever annoying, I love them the more for it now.

There are opportunities everywhere. And yes, there are dangers. And times are different, and believe me - I know guys and what is on their minds. But I was politely welcomed and discipled as more than the sum of my convertible sportscar + raging hormones, and in so many ways, that made as much difference as several lessons my own parents modeled for me.

Thanks again, McGriff family.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Are you nervous about your daughter starting to date? Why or why not? Have you taken an active role in helping her decide in advance what choices are better than others? Will you be able to understand or tolerate failings? Are you able to be firm while smiling and maintaining a sense of humor or gentility? Willing to be labeled as old-fashioned but resolute in knowing your ways are good ways? You never know who or what that boy is going to become, but you have a chance to help ensure it's something good.

Further Reading

Proverbs 22:6

1 Corinthians 2:5

Raise a Godly Daughter in an Ungodly World

[Judy Harder]

August 26, 2011

Freedom from the Bonds of Sin
Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com

"...if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." Romans 8:13

While reading this week in chapter eight of Francis Schaeffer's True Spirituality where he is speaking about freedom from the bonds of sin, I was reminded of the story of an experienced, 27 year-old rock climber named Aron Ralston. One beautiful spring morning in 2003, he jumped into his truck with just enough food and water for the day. He took off by himself and drove a hundred and fifty miles south of Salt Lake City to his favorite spot—a remote canyon area that used to be the hideout for wild-west outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

By afternoon, he was suspended seventy-five feet high off the canyon floor—climbing in a crevice that was just a few feet wide. It was a perfect day. But then without warning, a boulder suddenly broke loose from the rock wall above him, hurtled down and trapped Ralston's right arm against the wall, completely crushing his hand. At that instant, Aron's hand—one of his greatest assets—had now become his greatest liability.

Five whole days passed as he tried various ways to free himself—all to no avail. His efforts to chip away at the boulder with a pocket knife only made a small dent. Rigging up a pulley system to move the boulder proved fruitless.

Finally, a moment of decisive clarity came. The thoughts came fast and furious: he could break his forearm, cut through the muscle with his dirty pocket knife, detach his arm, and use a piece of rope as a tourniquet.

Aron explains that he was driven by "some sort of autopilot" as he went about the gruesome task of amputating his own right arm just below the elbow. After he was finished, Aron lowered himself down and began trudging slowly in the direction of his truck. Later, he stumbled across two hikers who used a mobile phone to call in a rescue helicopter. Amputating his right arm was a radical act, but it was one that saved his life and reunited him with his family.

God calls us to deal with sin in our life in a way that is surprisingly similar. The Bible doesn't offer a laid-back, live-and-let-live approach at all. It's so radical, that we don't really like hearing about it or talking about it. Recall what Jesus said in Matthew 5:30, "If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell." While Jesus was not literally talking about physical amputation, He was saying that sin's deadly effects call for extreme measures. Even though it hurts, we must rid sin from our lives. In fact, our eternal destiny hinges on how we deal with sin.

Really? Well, why else would Jesus talk about hell in the same breath that He talks about how we are to deal with sin if He didn't mean to teach that our eternal destiny hangs in the balance? Clearly, it's a matter of preferring one destiny over the other. Outward behavior indicates what the heart primarily loves. If Aron Ralston had stayed there on the canyon wall with his hand pinned down by the boulder, he would have died. But because he was willing to kill his hand, his life was saved.

The same goes with us as we deal with sin. It really comes down to what we value most. Colossians 3:5 says, "Put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." The world may tell us to laugh about sin, to lighten up about it, to tolerate it, and just let it be... that it's not idolatry; it's not an issue of worship. God says the opposite is true.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

What is robbing you of the blessings of peace with God?

What is keeping you from treasuring the Lord Jesus Christ above all other things?

Pray for grace to heed God's radical call to amputate sin from your life in His strength.

Further Reading
Romans 8:10-18

"Is Christianity just a bunch of rules for how to live?" (by John Piper, DesiringGod.org)

Between a Rock and a Hard Place (by Aron Ralston, © 2004 Simon & Schuster)