Monthly Archives: June 2009

Imitating Ezra: Spiritually Preparing Yourself to Serve Others

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One of my heroes is a writer named Ezra, who lived about 450 years before the birth of Christ. The Bible describes this priest and scribe as a man who “had devoted himself to the study and observance of the law of the LORD and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel (Ezra 7:10, NIV).” Ezra passionately pursued God through the study and obedience of His Word. As he learned from God, Ezra then taught others and helped them apply God’s Word to their lives.

God has led me along a similar path. He gave me an insatiable desire to study His Word. As I study, His Word disciplines and refines me. God is faithfully shaping me into the woman He wants me to be. Meanwhile, He regularly brings teaching opportunities my way to share what He has taught me. Read more

What Legacy will you Leave?

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Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, is dead at fifty years old. I really can’t remember a time in my life that I don’t remember Michael Jackson. In my early years of grade school, he was already singing with the Jackson Five. “ABC, easy as 123. As simple as do ray me. ABC, 123, baby you and me girl.” (Here is a link to their first performance of the song on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYx3BR2aJA4&feature=related )

Jackson spent forty years in the world’s limelight. From singing with his brothers and a tremendously successful solo career to starring in movies and being an innovator in music videos, Michael Jackson seemed to have it all. In fact, his 1982 release “Thriller” is the best-selling album of all-time at 45 million in world-wide sales.

I’ve seen nothing else on the news today but stories about Jackson. The circumstances of his death. The mourners around the world. Speculations about who will raise his children. Will those holding concert tickets be reimbursed? I don’t remember there being this much hoopla when Elvis died. And yes, I’m old enough to remember.

What kind of legacy does this 50-year-old pop star leave behind? According to Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman, CEO and President of Sony Corporation, Jackson was “a genius whose music reflected the passion and creativity of an era. His artistry and magnetism changed the music landscape forever.” Yes, all this is true. Michael Jackson was an incredible music talent. A once-in-a-generation kind of star. But what of eternal value did he leave behind?

Jackson’s death has prompted me to think about my own legacy. When I’m gone, what will my children remember about me? Will it be the cheesecake I make for special occasions or will it be the things I taught them about Jesus Christ? When they think about me, will they picture me sitting at my laptop or with my Bible?

What things of eternal value will I leave behind? Will there be lives forever changed because I shared Christ? Encouraged the discouraged? Comforted someone with the comfort only God can give? Or will my life only impact physical, temporal circumstances. I pray not. What about you? What kind of legacy will you leave behind?

Did the Devil Make You do it?

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“The DEVIL made me do it!” was an oft-heard expression coined by comedian Flip Wilson’s character Geraldine. If you’re much younger than I am you may not remember the The Flip Wilson Show, a popular, television comedy of the early 1970s. But I can still see “Geraldine” toss her hair with her hands on her hips while she blames Satan for devil11her outrageous behavior. Throughout the decade and even beyond, people jokingly used the phrase when they were a “little bit bad.” The slogan was even printed on t-shirts.

Ironically, while on the surface “the devil made me do it” was intended as a casual joke, in reality it reflects our human nature. We don’t like to accept responsibility for our actions. We often look for someone else to blame. And this pass-the-buck attitude isn’t new. It started in the garden with Adam and Eve. Read more

Hoarding Hope

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weightsI have become friendly with a number of older, retired gentlemen that frequent the gym where I work out. Over time I have learned their names and enough about them to chat while we lift dumbbells or walk on the treadmill. To them I am a youngster and that’s the way I like it.

Joe, one of these “gym friends,” is ninety years old. His usual gym attire is a western shirt with pearl buttons, shorts, sandals, and dress socks. Joe always carries a little bag of candy in his shirt pocket. When he arrives at the gym each day he makes his rounds, offering a sweet piece to each of us who are already sweating and breathing heavy. Read more

Puffer Fish, Teenagers, and Dictators

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Do you ever look around at injustice in the world and wonder why God doesn’t step in and do something? Some days it seems like evil has free reign in our world. In fact, it often feels like evil is beating the snot out of all things good.

Here’s just a small sampling of the things I read about in the news today:puffer-fish

- A Chicago man has been accused of planning to kill his wife with a puffer fish. Incredible as it sounds, the man was arrested by federal agents when he attempted to accept delivery of vials of tetrodotoxin. This toxin, made from poison found in puffer fish, is 1,200 times more deadly than cyanide. When agents searched the man’s home they also found syringes, needles, and a book on how to poison people. And it just so happens that the man recently took out a $20 million life insurance policy on his wife. You can read more about his story here.

- Two California teens have been arrested in the brutal murder of a 47-year-old woman. The woman was the mother of one of the teens, a 14-year-old girl. The other teen was the girl’s 19-year-old boyfriend. A possible motive was the woman’s attempt to file statutory rape charges against the teenage boy. Read more here.

- Despite sanctions and warnings by the United Nations to stop its development and testing of nuclear weapons, North Korea remains defiant. Kim Jong II threatened to retaliate a thousand-fold if the US or its allies attempt to infringe on their “republic’s sovereignty.” For more on this story read here.   Read more