October 20th, 2010
OK, so here’s one for the grist-mill! [I hope you’ll enter into the discussion on this one!] Last post I talked about God growing to understand us. Many people feel that God knows everything and to consider God learning demeans God somehow. I don’t feel that way at all for two reasons: One, I am artistic and my creative expressions create something that is an expression of me. Each creation is an expansion of me not a subtraction. Two, God is infinitely creative and to be infinitely creative requires creation, growth, and expansion, if not learning too. I see the issue more as God growing and learning, and expanding as He creates more to learn and experience and grow; than as a God who doesn’t know it all and learns to fill in lacks. Creativity absolutely requires creating something new and that something new may bring new things to learn with it! Every time I create something I learn something new; whether it’s a photo album in which I’m artistically presenting my life in pictures (which always reminds and teaches me more deeply that I am blest!); Or it’s a Bible study where I’m putting together information for people on a certain topic – all teachers know that when you teach, you learn even more than your students!
All this leads me to seeing God as growing and expanding and yes, learning! I came to this conclusion, through studying the Torah and Old Testament. Isaiah 5:2c reminded me again today. Isaiah and God are discussing His judgments on His people of Judah which they are referring to as a carefully tended vineyard. It says “Then [God] expected it to produce good grapes, But it produced only worthless ones.” Why was God surprised?? He knows we are fallen and warped by evil? But in the context, He is truly surprised. The entire Old Testament is full of God ranting and raving about how we have turned from Him and don’t get it!! But the kicker is that this attitude is then TOTALLY LACKING in the New Testament! What changed? God experienced humanity in the form of Jesus Christ – He experienced the catch twenty-two we feel in trying to emulate [copy] God, and yet always fail in our fallen humanity. God learned from His creation! This isn’t basic faith, it’s advanced faith [neither position affects our salvation and we really just don’t know for sure, we’re all guessing about God’s character using the Scriptures and our experience as hints.] But it’s so important that I talk about God’s extending grace and reconnecting to His precious creation as Jesus’ divine agenda, in three places in God for Everyone – on pages 12, 62, and 181-182. Finally, check out Hebrews 5:8, then tell me what you think!
October 5th, 2010
I’ve had God for Everyone called a Trinitarian book [emphasizing the trinity], but that was not at all my intent. One of the points of the book is that God is ONE. I just broke down the personalities of the trinity to explain them, but it’s absolutely vital to realize that they are aspects of ONE GOD. When I was in college, I stayed away from my faith because I thought God the Father was a wimp because He sent His Son to suffer and die and didn’t go Himself! Because I was seeing God as three persons and so not making the connection that GOD came down to experience humanity so GOD could understand how we feel. The One God bears the marks of the cross, and understands our experience – even more-so because part of God is now active inside those of us that allow Her. It’s all in the book. Please consider that God is One made of many aspects – just like us! That’s the point of the book.
October 2nd, 2010
I noted in my last blog that I have trouble believing, the width and depth and height of God’s love for me. The best way to build my faith is to base it in Truth = Reality. I have discovered that the Scriptures are talking about Truth and Reality, so I go to them. What do the Scripture’s say about God’s love for us? The Father’s Love Letter lists them!! “You are precious and honored in My sight and I love you.” “My thoughts toward you are as countless as the sand on the seashore.” “My plans for you are filled with hope,” “because I love you with an everlasting love.” These are but a few of the things that Scriptures tell us about God’s love for us. You can find the rest listed in the Father’s Love Letter. That is why I’ve made it available free to anyone who wants it. Just sign up for the free resources and you’ll get the Father’s Love Letter and the Miracle Prayer sent to your email box immediately. Don’t ya just love technology! God loves us and wants us to know that. That’s why I wrote God for Everyone. The whole book is full of evidence and explanations and proofs of God’s love for us. It’s really true – even if I have trouble taking it all in!
September 22nd, 2010
I’ve known God basically all my life and I still have trouble believing the extreme width and depth and height of the Divine love for me. What if we don’t believe the good things about God because we mistakenly attribute the bad things satan does to God? Evil is so in-our-face, on the news constantly; negative, annoying drivers and line-cutters and rude business people abound. I know I get overwhelmed by it all and forget that this was never God’s intention. God wants to bless us. I’m about to board a plane to watch my daughter ride in the World Equestrian Games. If you look at our finances we shouldn’t be able to afford to own horses let alone have such amazing experiences; yet somehow God makes it work. Why don’t I hold onto the dreams God is bringing to life around me in the face of the onslaught of frustrations that threaten to strangle me? It’s a choice I’m making, and I’m planning to start making the positive one. I am going to choose to live in the awe and wonder of what God is doing, and leave satan and his evil agenda to God’s justice – it is coming!
September 17th, 2010
How can I help you? In the past, the two resources that I have most used to help other people with their spiritual quest have been the two I’ve made available for free on this site. I did not write them, but I have used them extensively for over a decade. The Miracle Prayer is my shortened version of Linda Schubert’s truely MIRACULOUS prayer – Miracle Hour. Because I realize that most people aren’t ready to pray for an hour initially; with her permission, I shortened her very complete prayer. Sign up for the FREE RESOURCES on the right, and receive the most powerful prayer I know of immediately in your email! You don’t want to miss out on the power of prayer, and this resource saves you years of learning to communicate effectively with God.
September 4th, 2010
What if our challenge in life isn’t to fix the world, but to repair our little portion of it? I believe it was Winston Churchill that said “the only way for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.”
What about our neighbor who has lost their job? Can we bring over a bag of groceries and leave them secretly at the front door?
What about the elderly person slowly approaching the store we’re leaving, can we wait a few seconds and hold the door for them?
What about the clearly down-on-their-luck person approaching us, can we smile and give them a bit of our luck just by acknowledging their existance?
What about our parent we haven’t spoken with in several years? Can we call on their birthday and let them know we do still think about them and want to have a relationship?
Can we pray for our enemies and ask for God’s will to prevail in our portion of the world?
August 16th, 2010
I’m coming to realize that living in the Truth of “I don’t know” may be one of my most important growth steps. Because the Truth is that “I don’t know”! I believe, but I don’t know for sure that I can do it. (Last time I did it, it worked fine, but what if the tool breaks, or the resources arn’t available?) I believe, but I don’t know for sure how much God loves me. (It’s alot, but He’s not easy, sometimes His love is tough and doesn’t feel like love!) I believe, but I don’t know for sure much of anything. (I don’t fully understand God, I’ve only observed God and His character!) The uncertainty is the part that most people who don’t believe in God, can’t make their peace with; believing looks too much like ‘magical thinking’. But, honestly, “I don’t know” is the most honest thing that any of us can say. Once we realize that, we realize that we still have to believe in something we don’t fully understand (Science, my decision, Gravity, Mother Nature, Evolution, God, our parents or spouse, ect…). I choose God. And after almost 50 years of testing, He has proven His worth, even if I still don’t know it!
July 30th, 2010
Are there some questions you’re currently asking about God and your relationship to Diety?
I’d love it if you’d share what you’re thinking and wondering! This website is designed to serve you and help you connect with God, so if you have a question you’ve been wanting to ask – here’s your opportunity! I’d love to give you my best shot at answering it, and maybe someone else has a contribution they’ll share too. Let’s all join in the discussion and compare notes. Just click on the “comments” word directly beneath this entry and leave your comments or questions! Please join in the discussion, we need each other’s insites!
July 29th, 2010
I love to share the really exceptional things I run across, so here’s one taken from Tough Times, Tough People in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Written by Johnna Stein, it reminds us of two of the primary spiritual principles: Less is More, and Attitude is Everything:
Good Times in Bad Times
The economy’s failing is what they all say, Don’t worry ’bout tomorrow, appreciate today.
Those stocks and 401Ks have shrunk and gone down. It’s my own choice to wear a smile or a frown.
The gas prices shoot sky high, then lower than low. I have learned to conserve wherever I go.
The cost of heating our home makes me want to weep; I don double socks, then curl up in deep sleep.
Beans and rice make great protein when meat prices soar. There is no gas shortage in our home anymore.
Our drink of choice has become good ole H2O. We have it on the rocks to put on a good show.
We snip out coupons and dream of discounts galore. We await final sales in our favorite store.
No more nights on the town; we eat more homemade fare, Which leads to conversing and becoming aware.
Forget box office tickets and the movie debut; Renting DVD’s is cheaper, with no ads to view.
The TV reminds us of things we can’t afford. Turning it off provides its own great reward.
We’ve rediscovered board games and the fun they bring. Free books from the library, another new theing.
Getting back to basics has brought us joy and fun. Could it be this cutting back has merely begun?
There’s always someone worse off than we are, they say. Which remins us we’re blessed in a really big way.
In good times or bad times, we know one thing is true: Having faith in our God, helps us see our way through.
The conomy’s failing is what they all say. Don’t worry’bout tomorrow delight in today!
July 15th, 2010
Dr. Hans Selye, “The true pioneer in discovering the impact of emotions on health,” “named vengeance and bitterness as the emotional responses most likely to produce high stress levels in human beings. Conversely, he concluded, gratitude is the single response most nourishing to health.”
I love the Dayenu, a portion of the Seder celebration at Passover which lists God’s gifts and our response:
“If He had rescued us from Egypt, but not punished the Egyptians, We should have been content!
If He had punished the Egyptians, but not destroyed their gods, We should have been content!
If He had destroyed their gods, but not killed their frist-born, We should have been content!
If He had killed their first-born, but not given us their property, We should have been content!
If He had given us their property, but not divided the Red Sea before us, We should have been content!
If He had divided the Red Sea for us, but not drowned our oppressors, We should have been content!
If He had drowned our oppressors, but not supplied us in the desert for forty years, We should have been content!
If He had supplied us in the desert for forty years, but not fed us with manna, We should have been content!
If He had fed us with manna, but not given us the Sabbath, We should have been content!
If He had given us the Sabbath, but not brought us to Mount Sinai, We should have been content!
If He had given us the Law, but not brought us to the Land of Promise, We should have been content!
If He had brought us to the Land of Promise, but not built us His temple, We should have been content!
If He had built us His temple, but not provided permanent salvation, We should have been content!
If He had provided permanent salvation throught the sacrifice of Jesus, but not indwelt us with His Holy Spirit, We should have been content!”
But, Praise the Lord! For God has provided us with it all and His power to succeed!
Reading this list always puts me in a profound attitude of gratitude.