My Lovely Dwelling Place

  The ironies of living with adult children are manifold. For example, asking where they are going or where they have been gets a response similar to espionage of state secrets. However, if I have left without their notice or permission – it requires multiple texts and calls and inquiries from whomever as to my whereabouts. I don’t presume this urgent desire to know my whereabouts springs from a tender concern for my welfare. I believe it comes, more likely, from annoyance that I am not where they left me.   As far as duties required when living in a home such as scrubbing a toilet or a bathtub, those are miraculously cleaned by the housekeeping fairy. When it comes to sweeping a floor or vacuuming a rug, it is much easier to leave footprints than to remove them. Simple requests are met with sighs of disgust and an obvious attitude of imposition – after all there are agendas that must be kept – theirs not mine. What about the dishes you ask, well making them dirty is muc...

  For the average Christian woman, I hazard to guess, the Saturday between Good Friday and Resurrection Morning is a day of housecleaning, cooking, preparing and wrapping up finishing touches to Easter baskets – not to mention ensuring everyone in the family has something sufficiently spiffy to wear on the most important Sunday on the church calendar. There will also most likely be some special church events to which she is contributing and preparing. All this would make for a busy, full Saturday – perhaps a bit harried and not at all conducive to meditations and ponderings. We’ve all heard the saying, “ It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming ”, which is of course referring to the awesome and miraculous reversal of Christ on the cross, suffering for our sin, to Christ risen, victorious over sin and death. We have the privilege of knowing He is King – He has won. Our salvation, indeed Christianity in total, is based on that truth. But the disciples – Peter, John and the others, ...

Since we recently celebrated Easter and remembered the resurrection of Jesus Christ – if we attended church or read the passages from scripture chronicling those events - we may have noticed Mary Magdalene. She has the distinctions of being one of Jesus’s female disciples. We first meet her in Luke 8, where we find out Jesus has delivered her from seven demons. This is also mentioned in the gospel of Mark (Luke 8:2; Mark 16:9). We don’t read about this occurrence – this casting out of demons. We don’t have any details of when it occurred, what she suffered, or how Jesus delivered her. We only have the statements from Luke and Mark that it happened. From other examples of demon possessed people in Scripture we can imagine what life would have been like for Mary – dark, oppressive, terrifying, depressing, degrading and desperate. But she was delivered. Jesus saw her – He knew her – and He delivered her. She is likely called Mary Magdalene to differentiate her from the multiple othe...

  His Grace in Sufficient   So, the other day I had a particularly frustrating day at work – not a new thing, not an everyday thing – but certainly not an isolated thing. I came home to an ongoing conflict – again not a new thing, not an everyday thing – but certainly not an isolated thing. I’ve seen it before… maybe different faces and different situations – but basically the same show, different day… And I was tired… tired of foolishness, tired of selfishness, tired of impatience and anger… tired of sin that continually raises its ugly head in my life, in my home, in the workplace, and in the world at large. And I heard myself say – “I wish I had a different life.” Now this made me pause, because I know I’m blessed. I’m thankful for the life the Lord has given me. I love my husband and my children. And I am thankful for my job. But I said it anyway... Sometimes that’s how life is – we get tired of it. Now I’m not a very astute person – sometimes I have to...

  You know, I think it’s a privilege to be a woman. To be made in the image of God as a woman. To have the biology to produce children and nurture them. To be a supporter, nurturer, and encourager of any in my circle of influence. To live out my calling from God as a woman and to encourage other women to do the same (Titus 2:1-4). I don’t find any ambiguity in womanhood – I see purpose. For our day and our time, we need to be clear about our purpose. So, how can we encourage one another as women? What could women’s ministry look like? I think we can find an example in Luke chapter 1. These passages may be very familiar – in them we are introduced to two women – one older and one younger. You know the story – Zacharias is in the midst of an opportunity of a life time – as a priest he is chosen to enter the Holy of Holies and burn incense. While there the angel Gabriel appears and tells him his wife Elizabeth will bear him a son that will bring joy and turn the sons of Israel...

  Limits Limits – we’re used to them – speed limits, credit limits, menu limits, gas price limits… Well, maybe not. Did you know the bad guys have limits? It would be nice, wouldn’t it? If the oppressors, the wicked, and the incompetent could only go so far and that was it. They’re done – game over! Well, they do. Take for example, Balaam. Balaam was a prophet or a seer – someone that could be hired for money to give a message from God. He wasn’t a real prophet like Isaiah or Ezekiel. He could be bought. Balak was the king of Moab and he was afraid. Israel was on the move in the desert. They had conquered the Amorites and there were a lot of them. We know what he thought, “Now this horde will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field” (Numbers 22:4). So Balak sent for Balaam and promised Balaam a rich reward if he would curse the Israelites. Now Balaam was willing, but God told him not to go. The whole story is in Numbers 22-24 – you...