Chalkin' Up Decade #1

Wow... 10...

Lyrics for "Spinning Like a Wheel" by: Susan Ashton

There is so much I could write about the past ten years. Phil and I spent a lot of time, tonight, just talking about some of the amazing moments. The road has not always been easy, but doing what's right seldom is. And this is so right. It always has been...

I love you, Phil. I am so blessed to have you to spend the rest of my life with. God has been very, very good to me.

Lisa

It is late. I probably should have gone to bed long ago. I am tired. But, 213 pages later, my book is complete. I hesitate to say that it is finished, because there is editing and formatting yet to be done. I am going to give Phil the first read through, and he will, undoubtedly, come back to me with at least several sentences that start, "Remember the time…," or, "You can't forget this…," and then I'll be scrambling to squeeze in another chapter or two. But the basic story is all there. I really can't believe it, but I wrote a book!

Lisa

"Mountain Of God", by Third Day

From the Recording, "Wherever You Are"

Thought that I was all alone
Broken and afraid
But You were there with me
Yes, You were there with me

And I didn't even know
That I had lost my way
But You were there with me
Yes, You were there with me

'Til You opened up my eyes
I never knew
That I couldn't ever make it
Without You

Even though the journey's long
And I know the road is hard
Well, the One who's gone before me
He will help me carry on
After all that I've been through
Now I realize the truth
That I must go through the valley
To stand upon the mountain of God

As I travel on the road
That You have lead me down
You are here with me
Yes, You are here with me
I have need for nothing more
Oh, now that I have found
That You are here with me
Yes, You are here with me

I confess from time to time
I lose my way
But You are always there
To bring me back again

Sometimes I think of where it is I've come from
And the things I've left behind
But of all I've had, what I possessed
Nothing can quite compare
With what's in front of me
With what's in front of me

Funny...

...but I feel like I'm learning an awful lot from Buzz Lightyear these days. I think my latest profound thought was from the first Toy Story movie, but this one comes from the second. Let me give you a little bit of background information…

In Toy Story 2, there is a scene where several of the toys are walking through Al's Toy Barn (a toy store), and Buzz stops and stands in awe at the Buzz Lightyear aisle. He notices that the new Buzz Lightyear toys have an upgraded utility belt, so he climbs up to the display model to get a better look. The display model comes "alive" and, of course, he believes that he is the "real" Buzz Lightyear, just as Buzz did in the previous Toy Story movie. The model attacks the Buzz Lightyear that we all know and love and tries to shoot him with his laser light bulb, while making claims about himself that are completely ridiculous, since he is, after all, a toy. Buzz rolls his eyes and mutters, "Tell me I wasn't this delusional". And then we all laugh, because we know that he was…

I was startled by a comparison between this scene in an animated flick and the "Christian" lifestyle. Mostly, this thought came to me because I used to be that delusional. And, let's face it, I probably still am sometimes.

Just so you know, I have been trying to write this post for over a month, and I keep getting hung up on some things, but I think this is the night it is actually going to hit the blog. Please be patient…

So, I have this fear. I'm afraid that we (ok… generic term, "we", I'm not actually sure who I'm talking about) keep equipping people with new utility belts. People are seeking a personal relationship with the God of the Universe, and we smile, pat them on the back, hand them the belt, and convince them that it's the real deal… standard issue… you're in, wear it proudly. And, suddenly, they're space rangers!

But I think there's something wrong with the belt.

In Ephesians 6, we read about the armor of God, and He issues us a belt, too. It's called the belt of truth. For most of my life I have been a brutally honest person. In fact, people have, on occasion, asked me not to be so honest. I have shared before that I make both friends and enemies very easily. It often has something to do with my honesty. But I am not claiming to have a corner on truth tonight. It is God who holds all truth. And I think that most people would rather just live with a lie sometimes. This, however, could be another post, in itself.

God equips us with more than just a belt. Here's the text from the NIV:

Eph 6:10-18 "Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

And, I know it blows my parallel, but it is simplified in The Message:

"Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out."

I'm afraid our new "standard issue belt" is more ornamental than anything else. I'm afraid it's like my "Y" card. It gets me into the building. It proves that I'm part of the club. But it doesn't make me a body builder anymore than the belt makes you a space ranger. My card is useful, and the "Y" offers me a lot of resources that I otherwise wouldn't have. But I really shouldn't let my membership "name" me. Only God can define my worth.

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that there's more to an authentic relationship with Christ than just looking the part. There's more to an authentic relationship with Christ than just having the goods. And, may God help us if we are attempting to fight Spiritual battles with blinking light bulbs…

This is unfinished. My own level of discipline in the matters of Spiritual Formation is far too anemic for me to continue this post without hypocrisy. But God is good… He is working… And there will be more to come in the near future. You can count on it.

In the meantime, any thoughts?

Lisa

Locked Out!

There are some things in life that are only supposed to happen in the movies... or at the very least only to other people that you read about in some obscure news article on a slow news day...

Today I took my kids to Wal-Mart. Upon exiting, I determined to change diapers before leaving the parking lot. I sat Caleb up in the passenger seat and closed the door. I changed Ian's diaper first and buckled him in. Then I closed the sliding door. And only then did I realize that Caleb had locked me out of the van!

I immediately did the only rational thing I could think of. I started pounding on the door and begging Seth to let me in. He and Grace both looked at me with smirks on their not so innocent little faces and appeared rather helpless...

It was a very hot day, but this was not bothering them in the least, since the van was running with the air conditioning going full blast. I was the only one sweating...

After a few moments, Seth found it in his best interest to unbuckle his seat belt and manually unlock the sliding door for me. I changed Caleb's diaper and threatened to make him eat quiche tonight, instead of pizza, if he squirmed out of his car seat at any point during our return trip (another of his recent antics). It worked like a charm, because, of course, everyone hates quiche... except me...

Ah... kids are fun.

Lisa

Games...

There are times when I have to sit back and wonder if God is playing with us…

That could be easily misunderstood. I am not complaining about God. And I am not suggesting that He is toying with us. That would mean something different altogether. I am simply perplexed by His nature… and by His timing…

It never ceases to amaze me that God tends to wait until we are completely to the end of ourselves before He shows up on the scene with a bang. That's not to say He wasn't there all along… just that He wasn't making enough noise for me to hear Him… I have even pondered, at times, if it is possible to exhaust my human resources and understanding more quickly in order to hear His voice louder… and faster… I wonder if I am the only one who thinks like this… yeah… probably…

Following are the lyrics for, "Lifeguard", off of Stellar Kart's album, "We Can't Stand Sitting Down". Please do not try to read too much into them. This is just a song that has been playing a lot around here lately (both on the stereo and in my head). Sometimes when I write, people tend to think that I am directing my comments at them, personally. So… It is with great caution that I even included verse 2 of this song. Just so you know… it is not directed at anyone specifically. Mostly, I've just been singing the chorus anyway…

"Lifeguard"

Decision making comes down
To do the best I know how
Everyone watching me
To see what I believe
If I am willing to fold
How far is too far to go
Can I stand up to this
Or will I swing and miss
I'm scared of this temptation
Feels like I'm gonna drown
Under all this attention
But you can't pull me down

Throw it at me
See if I'm ready
Can't touch my heart
'Cause I've got my lifeguard
Here to save me
He always will be
Watching my heart
My lifeguard

Put on your real face now
And show me what you're about
You were so cool I thought
But now I see you're not
Not even close to the truth
I'll never give into you
I'm though with failure
This time it's over
I know that this temptation
Can't get the best of me
Under all this attention
I'll make it wait and see

Responsibility, never easy
I'm never given more than I'm ready for

So… alright… Bring it on…

Lisa

Changes

"It just seems like a complete departure from everything..."

"And... this is bad, why?"

Lisa

Currently Reading Flight of the Buffalo: Soaring to Excellence, Learning to Let Employees Lead By James A. Belasco, Ralph C. Stayer see related

I hope you all enjoy my new profile pic. Phil spent a long time, today, trying to get a shot that looked natural. This is what he came up with. Pretty good, huh?

Lisa

PS I am really reading this book. Can you say, "dull"? L.

Reflection

By nature, I am a hopeless romantic… a daydreamer… an idealist. But if you met me within the past four years, you probably wouldn't know it… I do not like unfinished business… I like to get what I want… And, I usually get it, too…

But there are those occasions when everything goes terribly wrong. I am not good at letting go, and I tend to spend a great deal of time re-writing the end of the story in my mind until I get it just the way I want it… And I don't give up until it actually happens…

Well, this got me to thinking about Philippians 1:6, and particularly the words, "… He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion…" (NIV). Actually, I took it way out of context for my particular situation. It's easy to do…

However, when I found the verse, I went ahead and read the entire passage and realized that I wasn't as far off as I could have been. The words still apply. They just aren't so much for me as they are for those I am so concerned about re-writing the ending with…

So… until the day when God sees fit to bring us back together (and I still believe that day is coming), I am going to go on choosing to believe that He will keep working in you… bringing His work to completion. Ah… one of the hardest life lessons to learn is that it's not all about me…

On a slightly different subject… and a slightly different story… Some 195 pages into my manuscript, I am having trouble getting to the end. I am bored. Please don't read this and think, "Lisa has written a boring book!" In fact, I have not. I am just having trouble wrapping it up now, because I know how it ends… I don't particularly like how it ends… and there's not a whole lot I can do to change it, since it is, after all, a true story. I need to get it done, though. My latest goal is to complete this draft before my school year starts. That gives me about two weeks. All of the editing and "fluff" can come after that point. I don't think it's going to take that long. But I have to wrap it up soon.

Excerpt from Suddenly by TobyMac, on the recording, Portable Sounds:

Sometimes there's nothing left but to believe
And suddenly all of it's behind you
And I'm here to remind you
That yesterday is gone so say goodbye

Lisa

Johnny Depp

Well… This post has been a long time coming… It's hard to decide just exactly where to begin, but here's the deal… I really don't think married women should lust over men that aren't their husbands…

Let me explain…

Over the course of the past several weeks, I have awakened… TWICE… to a picture of Johnny Depp in my inbox. It is almost enough to make me change my e-mail checking habits. That's not what I want to see first thing in the morning!

What is most disturbing, however, is that the person who sends these pictures has a knack for complaining about her marriage, on-line. Hmmm… Let's see… You admit that you are basically obsessed with a man who is twice your age, you post pictures of him on your personal blog on a regular basis, and he is your screensaver. Think that could have anything to do with it?

And she's not the only one…

I am rather disgusted with the number of twenty-something, married women who describe Depp as, "yummy"… Get a life!

Now, as many of you well know, I am somewhat of a moron when it comes to pop culture. I like it that way, so I'm not ashamed to admit it. So, the other night, I decided that I would do some research on Johnny Depp. This was mostly due to the fact that I couldn't quite grasp what the big deal was over "Edward Scissorhands"… well… anyway… most of you weren't even born, so just read on…

I am not in the business of trashing other people's reputations on my blog, so I'm not going to get into all of the dirty details I dug up. He's a Hollywood star. If you want all the latest gossip, you can just google him. What I really wanted to know was how old he was, because he seemed pretty old to me when I was watching the aforementioned flick… at age nine or ten…

Johnny Depp is 44 years old. That was enough to turn me off, right there… (Not that I was ever turned on, just to set the record straight…) I read futher… Depp is the father of two children and says that he uses most of his fortune to buy their privacy. And he admitted that the kissing scenes in the Pirates movies were uncomfortable, because he was old enough to be the actress' (sorry… name escapes me) father! That should be enough to turn you all off. I don't think he's interested in pursuing your love interest in him…

Now, I am not going to sit here and lie to you by saying that I have never noticed a good looking man. I have no problem with the fact that God made some very beautiful people. But there is a real difference in "noticing" and in obsessing…

Seriously, think about this… If these same women were walking through the mall with their husbands and one of the men stopped at the Victoria's Secret storefront to "admire" the models, do you think it would be viewed as acceptable? How about if he had a pin up hanging by his bedside? To me, this is comparable to the screensaver, is it not? Come on now… you know this is absurd! We would never put up with it!

And, then, there's this other issue… Sorry. You don't have to read on, you know…

My research on Johnny Depp led me to some other popular names, and I decided to go ahead and get an education…

I am really having trouble with all of the headlines… and articles… and web pages that have been committed to these young women who are entertainers of various sorts… and apparently the role models for this generation of teenage girls.

Please… girls… listen to me. There is absolutely NOTHING glamorous about risking your life (and the lives of others) by drinking and driving or by getting involved in drugs. Don't look at these stars and idolize their behavior. They are ending up in jail! And although they may have the resources to get out, you don't! It's not worth it.

Further… It seems like there is a serious trend among teenagers and college aged girls, alike, that is scaring me to death. Has it become the "popular" thing to get pregnant? Let me take a minute to say that I know several very wonderful, capable, young, single moms, and I am not judging you at all. But PLEASE don't be afraid to tell other girls how difficult it is! It seems like every time I turn around there is another baby on the way. The moment you conceive a child, your life is no longer your own. Think about that long and hard. I am very happily married with four beautiful kids, but there are days when it is incredibly difficult for me. I cannot imagine how much more difficult it must be to parent a child… alone. You are young, and you have lots of time. Think that through before you start having sex, and certainly before you plan a pregnancy outside of marriage…

OK… that's it… for now, anyway… Leave me some feedback, but please no more pics. of Johnny…

Lisa

Spiritual Formation via Buzz #2

Funny, but I feel like I'm learning an awful lot from Buzz Lightyear these days. I think my latest profound thought was from the first Toy Story movie, but this one comes from the second. Let me give you a little bit of background information…

In Toy Story 2, there is a scene where several of the toys are walking through Al's Toy Barn (a toy store), and Buzz stops and stands in awe at the Buzz Lightyear aisle. He notices that the new Buzz Lightyear toys have an upgraded utility belt, so he climbs up to the display model to get a better look. The display model comes "alive" and, of course, he believes that he is the "real" Buzz Lightyear, just as Buzz did in the previous Toy Story movie. The model attacks the Buzz Lightyear that we all know and love and tries to shoot him with his laser light bulb, while making claims about himself that are completely ridiculous, since he is, after all, a toy. Buzz rolls his eyes and mutters, "Tell me I wasn't this delusional". And then we all laugh, because we know that he was…

I was startled by a comparison between this scene in an animated flick and the "Christian" lifestyle. Mostly, this thought came to me because I used to be that delusional. And, let's face it, I probably still am sometimes.

Just so you know, I have been trying to write this post for over a month, and I keep getting hung up on some things, but I think this is the night it is actually going to hit the blog. Please be patient…

So, I have this fear. I'm afraid that we (ok… generic term, "we", I'm not actually sure who I'm talking about) keep equipping people with new utility belts. People are seeking a personal relationship with the God of the Universe, and we smile, pat them on the back, hand them the belt, and convince them that it's the real deal… standard issue… you're in, wear it proudly. And, suddenly, they're space rangers!

But I think there's something wrong with the belt.

In Ephesians 6, we read about the armor of God, and He issues us a belt, too. It's called the belt of truth. For most of my life I have been a brutally honest person. In fact, people have, on occasion, asked me not to be so honest. I have shared before that I make both friends and enemies very easily. It often has something to do with my honesty. But I am not claiming to have a corner on truth tonight. It is God who holds all truth. And I think that most people would rather just live with a lie sometimes. This, however, could be another post, in itself.

God equips us with more than just a belt. Here's the text from the NIV:

Eph 6:10-18 "Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

And, I know it blows my parallel, but it is simplified in The Message:

"Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out."

I'm afraid our new "standard issue belt" is more ornamental than anything else. I'm afraid it's like my "Y" card. It gets me into the building. It proves that I'm part of the club. But it doesn't make me a body builder anymore than the belt makes you a space ranger. My card is useful, and the "Y" offers me a lot of resources that I otherwise wouldn't have. But I really shouldn't let my membership "name" me. Only God can define my worth.

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that there's more to an authentic relationship with Christ than just looking the part. There's more to an authentic relationship with Christ than just having the goods. And, may God help us if we are attempting to fight Spiritual battles with blinking light bulbs…

This is unfinished. My own level of discipline in the matters of Spiritual Formation is far too anemic for me to continue this post without hypocrisy. But God is good… He is working… And there will be more to come in the near future. You can count on it.

In the meantime, any thoughts?

Lisa