Lost in Translation

I'm kind of cranky about something.  It's been bothering me a while and not until I was able to listen to my 9 year old daughter's perspective on the whole thing, did it come full circle and make sense.

That's right.  I said a child taught me something.  They have so very much to teach us.  Are we watching, listening, learning, and applying it to our own lives?

Anyway, some organizations give out New Testaments.  Not entire Bibles, but just New Testaments.  In the same vein, some people only talk about Jesus.  Just Jesus.  They rarely mention the name, "God" and have forgotten entirely about that other important One, what's His name?  Oh yeah, the Holy Spirit.

For the most part, except for magazines, I read from the first page to the last one.  (I like to flip through a magazine backwards for whatever reason...)  So, I understand why sitting down in front of a Bible could be daunting.  Depending on the translation there are upwards of 1950 pages to digest.  That is a lot of pages.  And they aren't just pages filled with words but filled with stories of many historical events, people, places, not to mention Creation of the whole entire Universe and a whole heck of a lot of wars and prophecies yet to be fulfilled.  So, content is rich and thick.  It's not one of those books you just sit down to with a cup of tea and finish up over the weekend by a fire.

It's also not one of those books you read only once.  At least it isn't meant to be.

What I wonder is why some people are able to devour an entire series of pop culture books that are "all the rage" and recommend them highly to everyone on Facebook and Twitter, but when it comes to consuming the same amount of pages in the Bible, it sits there, unread, crisp and a little dusty?

I've read the Bible.  I've read it a few times.  It was my main textbook in college as a theology major.  And yes, when I became a Christian, I read the book of John first, the proceeded to read the rest of the New Testament before I read the Old Testament.  Because that's what some other people encouraged me to do.  And it's all worked out just fine.  So this concern of mine, it isn't life and death, per se...

But my beef is this:  Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."  (You can read the entire passage and context in Matthew 5:17-20)  So, for people who are ONLY reading the New Testament, there are so many things they are missing out on.  For example, the WHOLE REASON Jesus came in the first place.  And how do you know WHAT LAW He came NOT to abolish?  And how does a person know Jesus is the fulfillment of Biblical and historical prophecy if they only ever read the New Testament?

If you had tripped and fallen on some train tracks and were unable to get to your feet as a locomotive approached, you would be able to see it coming, hear its whistle, assess the situation, realize you need the train to put on its brakes which wouldn't occur in time for your cataclysmic encounter, so you would know with quite clarity that you need a rescuer.

Me:  Em, something has been bothering me lately.
Em:  What's that, Mom?
Me:  Well, some organizations give people New Testaments.  They don't give them the whole Bible.  What do you think about that?
Em:  Well, that's just lame.  I love the Old Testament!  I mean, you know my favorite story is Moses and the plagues.  And what about Joseph being sold into slavery?  Man, if people are only reading the New Testament they are really missing out!
Me:  Why do you think they are missing out?
Em:  Because even though the New Testament is about Jesus and Him saving us from sin and death, it's important to know what we've been saved from.
Me:  That's exactly what I'm talking about!
Me:  It's great that they are getting copies of the New Testament, for sure.  Don't get me wrong.  But why not just give a person the whole Bible and then encourage them with a reading plan of how to tackle the Big Book in bite sized pieces?
Em:  Yeah, I love the Old Testament!  It's my favorite!

Now, granted, some reading may think, "Well, I know what I've been saved from:  drugs, prostitution, addiction, abuse, a crazy childhood, a bad marriage, my own selfishness...."  Yes.  I get that.  Ditto.

But to have a bigger picture of the Grace which has been extended and offered freely to every. single. person. on. earth. we must not throw the baby out with the bath water.

Yeah, I get it.  There's some crazy stuff which is also difficult to understand in the Old Testament.  I'm going to be jotting down some of my personal thoughts on those here, soon.  If you are interested, come on back for more.

But Jesus isn't just the Cliff Notes.

He's the whole 9 yards.


*What are your thoughts on just handing people the New Testament?
*Do you think the message is lost without the bigger picture of the Bible as a whole?

Gotta have faith!

Today my mom starts chemo. I wish there was no such thing as cancer, sickness or any type of disease or pain, suffering, or heartache.

I wish magic was real, fairy dust worked, and really awesome things happened when I twitched my nose...not only cures for disease, no more famines and war, but even instantaneous house cleaning, disappearing laundry piles, and steaming fresh dinner on the table, along with a spotless kitchen, by 6:00 every night.

In all truth and honesty, I wish my reality matched my faith...because I have HUGE faith! I do not doubt that God can do anything at any time in any part of the whole wide world...and yet at the same time, I've known sadness and deep disappointment in the way my heart yearns for things or outcomes and the way that God runs the Universe.

I'm not disillusioned to believe that life on earth will be without its struggles. It's life on earth, the first clue. I just wish I could take away other people's pain and sorrow.

At the same time, I know full well that it is through hardships, suffering, resistance, opposition, challenge, and pretty much anything that drop kicks us out of our comfort zones, that makes us grow stronger, putting down deeper roots, and allowing the false fluff of faking it to fly away.

My mom is really brave. It's not that she wants to be brave. She doesn't want to walk through this as much as you and I don't want to walk up and order our favorite java treat in a busy coffee shop BUCK NAKED. Yeah...who wants to do that? Who even wants to see that, right?!

And you know, this journey being one of her daughters, watching, listening, praying...it's been interesting. For the most part, it's been beautiful, in spite of the word cancer. The very word has opened doors to people willing to be vulnerable, real, candid, honest, and sincere. And, of course, the word cancer has also brought out some of the well-meaning sentiments. Like, "Betty, you already ARE healed. You don't need to DO anything about it but just have enough faith, because you ARE healed."

Yep. Someone said that. To my mom. If the person had said it to me, let me just say there would have been a can of whoop-ass opened at that moment. You see, my mom has faith. Like I said before, it could be a bumper sticker on the back of my car that states, "My mom has more faith than your honor student..." or something to that effect.

But let me just expose something that I feel is just one of the reasons some people shy away from God and church in the first place. Yes, in order to believe in a God we cannot see, we need faith. And, yes, there is a woman in the Bible whom Jesus spoke to and told her that her faith had made her well. Not her willpower, but her trust that Jesus was who He said He was and that God was bigger than her condition. BUT, here's where I get a little crusty. When people think they have control over a negative situation by sheer will power, positive thinking, or even trying to manipulate an outcome through prayer and fasting. And, this really gets my panties in a wad...I've even seen it here in blog world, but when an idea is put out there that if we just get enough people praying, it will change the circumstances...yes, historically God has moved when His people prayed...but at the same time, He knew their motives. He always knows our motives...and if motives are "bandwagon" or sheer entertainment, well, how pure is that?

So, basically, that thought process is stating there's a magic number that will change the outcome to line up with how we want it and if we can just hit that magic number of people praying...Or, I've heard people say, "Well, I guess I didn't have enough faith..." or "You know, you have sin in your life so that's why this is happening to you..." or "God's trying to teach you a lesson." Jesus blew the "sin in your life=why this is happening to you" theory out of the water.

ANYWAY, I am ALL FOR enlisting a lot of people's prayers, not just for the healing of a dying little boy or the healing of a cancer patient. But, what about enlisting prayer on a daily basis. What about talking to God in an intimate way, regularly that doesn't come with an agenda or a "What I want for Christmas" list? Since God is real and Santa's not...And, what about having faith and trusting God because He's good, even when we don't agree with how He does things? And not just when it works in our favor or benefits those we love?

When we pray for other people and the rough road they are walking, it's time that we are one, not thinking of ourselves, and two, communicating with the God who is in love with His creation. How great is that?!

Jesus gave us a model by which to pray. The part in there that says, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done..." I would guess many want to leave out the "Your will be done" part because it doesn't line up with our own.

Are we able to trust that even though we may not understand why we walk through trials and suffering or why our lives aren't as smooth as we would like, that maybe, just maybe, maybe, maybe, "Your will be done" is a beautiful thing? That perhaps God sees a bigger picture, and even though we don't, He's got beauty in mind for each of us?

I don't have all the answers, but I do know this. My mom's got faith. And my mom's got cancer. And my mom's got her first round of chemo today for the next half year. And God's got my mom. So, I have faith in Him.

Redemption?

So, I guess since I'm due in less than a week it's probably time to have some more belly shots...my friend Gina took these of me on my front porch. The memory on my camera has been full and I've been a bit busy. I guess documenting this pregnancy has been a bit surreal for me.

Anyway...

I've realized that I think I'm afraid to actually meet "Baby Nacho". I remember after Noah died that I wished I could have gone back to when he was in my belly, safe, alive, just the two of us, him tucked away from the cares and curse of the world.

Everyone keeps wondering when this little man will make his grand entrance. I know I should be so excited, but it does not seem real. I obviously don't know the future, but part of my heart wants to keep him all to myself because as long as he's in my belly, at least in my heart, he's okay.

Yeah, it sounds like I have zero faith, hope or trust that God's got a different scenario laid out for this child. Believe me, my faith is way bigger than zero...

People have said things to me over the last several months to the effect of, "God will redeem the situation" or "Oh, it's a boy! What a redeeming story!"

I have some serious thoughts, feelings, and words about the above sentiments. God does not have to "redeem" anything. By us having another boy doesn't mean God is "redeeming" our loss of another little boy. What if this one was a daughter? Would that mean He was only sorta redeeming it? What if we had never been pregnant again? Would that mean redemption wasn't written for us?

Redemption or redeem is defined: to buy back; to win back; to free from what distresses or harms; to change for the better; to repair or restore; to atone for or expiate as in an error

God did not make an error when He made Noah the way He did. And, another baby boy will not win back Noah's life. And as far as "buying back" or "winning back"...my heart never ran away...even though I don't always understand or agree with the way God runs the Universe, I totally trust Him and trust that the bigger picture He is able to see is much more glorious than the one I see, even with eyes of faith...so no, I don't need "buying back" because I never ran.

God is amazing and so difficult to understand at the same time! I believe whether we ever had another child or not, Redemption, in its true definition, has already happened in our lives. It is for every single person on the face of the earth from the beginning until the end who will choose to believe. It was planned for since day one in time, and it occurred about 2000 years ago through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He is our Redeemer.

And this is a different boy, not in place of the last one, but another one, a different one, with his own story...a story that will be written one day at a time because of God's grace...and for God's glory alone.

He's a really BIG God!

I live in Colorado. For the most part, I grew up in Arizona...from 1978 until I headed off to college. I have spent time in Oregon, Washington, California, Montana, South Dakota, Utah, Nevada and Wyoming. I've spent a bit of time in Mexico, Venezuela, Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, and Japan. One thing all of these places have in common is mountains.

I love mountains. I mean, I really, really LOVE mountains!

I do not take mountains for granted.

Every time Em and I are in the car on the way to school or headed out on errands where our view of the Rocky Mountains is, for the most part, in plain view as far as we can see north and south, I say, "Em, look at those beautiful mountains God made! Can you imagine just deciding to make those one day!?"

I don't ever want to be used to the mountains.

Not only because they are magnificent and humongous and go on and on for miles and stand miles above sea level and hide hidden treasures and stories of the past...but because the moment I lose my awe of them, I'll lose my awe of Him.

We sing about mountains in church...how our Savior, He can move the mountains...how He is mighty to save. We read about faith in God's word...how opposite world, that is God's world, states if we have teenie tiny, itty bitty faith we can move gargantuan things.

Matthew 17:20 He replied, "Because you have so little faith, I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Matthew 21:21 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.

1 Corinthians 13:2 "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."

The truth is, I see big mountains every single day. I am a very literal person. It actually makes my husband crazy! But, I have really big faith and there is no freaking way that it could move the entire Rocky Mountain range. I mean, seriously! I've seen Eiger peak and if I were to say, "Move it, Mister!" It would just look at me funny.

Mountains are big. Hills don't count. Mole hills don't either. I'm not talking bluffs here, folks. If my oxygen levels aren't challenged by it, it doesn't count as a freaking mountain. Mountains stand out. They reach. They speak volumes yet do not utter a word. And God made them...the physical ones, that is.

The mountains that Jesus refers to, however, are absolutely and totally movable...He told us the truth. God is not a man that He should lie. The truth is this: no matter what in our lives we may have faced, are facing, or will face one day, nothing, zip, zilch, nada, nothing is impossible with God. Does it mean it will all end up looking like we think it should look? Abso-freaking-lutely not.

Sometimes life is a picture of many of our choices mixed in with us actually following God's direction here and there. Other times it resembles a recipe of some of God's basic ingredients mixed with surprising ones. It's possible that God is the Iron Chef and He's in there with our lives throwing in a little of this and a little of that because even though it doesn't make sense to the non-chefs in the audience, He knows it's a winning recipe, unique and aromatic. I'm not really sure...I wasn't interviewed OR HIRED for the position of All Knowing Creator of the Universe, so I really don't know EXACTLY how God works...but I do know this...

God is bigger than the mountains. He made them. He's just that creative. And, He's also bigger than our mountains. He's big. I mean HUGE. LARGE. GIGANTIC. And, at the same time, He fits perfectly inside our hearts if we allow Him to dwell there.

Imagine...the very God who created the magnificent mountains around this green earth is the very One who desires to stand with us and show us that through Him and by His strength we can say to our mountains, "Back off, mountain! My God is bigger than you! Have you seen how big my God is!?"

Faith

I read this quote today and it is something I want to share here...

"A visible God would have lots of superficial followers." Chris Tiegreen

Faith is hard. It's hardcore and it's uncomfortable! I mean, seriously, who wouldn't follow God if, at the moment each of us died physically, our bodies either floated peacefully to Heaven or went straight to hell? It would be the easiest decision Eh-ver! Instead, at times we feel a need to defend God or His existence. And, at other times, we try to convince ourselves.

"Okay, God, I know You are real. Wanna just throw me a bone though, just to make sure I'm on the right track?" or "God, I don't think You really exist. I think you are a figment of a bunch of whacko's imaginations and I don't want any part in it..." (Oh really, then why are you 'thinking' to God in your head? Just throwing that out there...)

Each and EVERY ONE of us has been hand crafted by the Creator of the Universe, God Himself. We weren't manufactured in an abandoned/bankrupt automobile factory or even designed by a computer engineer. And technically speaking, even scientifically, we weren't just instantly human. God literally made us from dirt! We were dirt! Without His life breathed into us, that is how we would have remained. Sometimes we still may feel like dirt, but we were loved enough to be so much more!

I love, love, love that quote by this guy!

It takes something from us to actually have faith. It takes surrender, I am finding. It takes a willingness to admit I'm not the smartest person in the world. It takes effort on our parts to say we are wrong, that we don't have all the answers, and maybe, just maybe, God, who we can't see and who doesn't work or do things the way we necessarily would, is good, loves us, and sees a bigger picture. And, in my opinion, by admitting that, you are more wise than all the philosophers and theologians and scholars in the the world...Because, of course, He's smarter than them...

If He were on, say, American Idol, He may have likely had the best voice, but I'm thinking a lot of people would have voted Him off because He just doesn't 'have the look', 'fit the mold', 'have great stage presence', according to OUR standards. Jesus didn't do flashy miracles all the time and He didn't fit into the mold of what the people were expecting. He definitely did miracles, but not for esteem or to draw attention to Himself, but to point people to His Father and to show His love. An 'out of sight' Dad, but not out of touch. Very much IN TOUCH, hence, sending Jesus and all!

Superficial means: of, relating to, or located near a surface; lying on, not penetrating below, or affecting only the surface; concerned only with the obvious or apparent; shallow; seen on the surface; external; presenting only an appearance without substance or significance

In order to know God, in order to have faith, in order to gain a perspective in life that is so much more than what we can tangibly see and feel, we have to dig deeper, get below the surface, because, really, God doesn't show Himself physically a whole heck of a lot. We don't dig deeper by setting up more rules on proper behavior and good works. We don't dig deeper by doing everything right and always saying the right things. Actually, thank God that when He instructed us on what is required and how much faith it takes to follow Him, it was only the size of a mustard seed. Whew! I've got that!



Now, I'm off to follow and trust and live for my unseen GOD! Deeply, truly, below the surface, where roots can spread and growth takes place...