Tag: Jesus

The Giving Rules (plus Jesus with a dinosaur)

This is really beautiful because you can tell the dino feels God's love.
CAUTION: Dinosaur related humor in this post is to be read as comedy.
(The Jesus picture isn’t perfectly related to this post. But sharing it seemed like the right thing to do–especially within the scope of the topic today. You see, if God gave me a baby T-Rex, I’d give him back; both out of fear, but as a offering of first fruits too. Mostly because Jesus would probably tame him into a “little lamb”. Sort of like he when he changed things up as he called out to Mary in the garden: “Mary”. He would say, “baby dino,” and that would be it. I guess that’s just the power of God.)Instead of the word “Rules” in the title, I was going to use the word “Laws”. But, I soon realized Laws aren’t what the used to be. Even what we’ve thought of as “Laws of Physics” have been bent or misshapen somehow, in recents times.

Here, I use the word “rule” to highlight what seems to be invariably consequential. Or , “It seems thus.”  If you’d like to debate it, I welcome that.

The #1 Giving Rule:
Hoarding causes spoilage.
 Not just the material variety of hoarding, but also as a spiritual reality. An inner decay.

A helpful (Biblical) case in point is the spiritual lesson gathered (ahem) from a physical instance with an ancient wandering people group. Here we see what happens with a “hoarding of mana” (or sustenance): Exodus 16:20. In a word: Maggots.
Yet, the story begs the question for us all: Do we think our daily provision (in every way) is really up to us?

It seems that all gifts and blessing that are not shared with others and given back to God as a love offering, ferment and grow toxic.

This includes spiritual blessings, talents, and material blessings. There seems to be scads on this principle demonstrated in the Bible.

I came up with an equation a few years back, and I feel a burst mathematical jubilation to use it here.

Think about the equation below for about 15 full seconds, and please tell me what you think.

Gifts (from God)
– Fruit (of the Spirit)
= Corruption

Do you agree? How does this play out?

And-Please Help me with the reverse equation. (What formula does not cause corruption?)

So-What is the best “giving back” to God?
Worship in Spirit and Truth.
John 4: 22-23

Worship is giving: A gift of one’s first affections.

This has a board range starting with core loyalty, and moving into every other area or currency that involves us. (Yes. Including your time, talents, thoughts, technology, and legal tender. It’s all-encompassing.) And it is all thoroughly swaddled in gratitude.

I thank you to participate in thought and word today.  :)

(odd ball photo found here.)

In 2011, I’ll read the Bible more.

For Christians, these are some of the most devotional resolutions. “I want to pray more,” or “I want to read my Bible more.”

This year I resolved to not make a New Years resolution. This was mainly because last year, I resolved to lose 20 lbs, and I think I found 20 instead. Now the romance is gone, and I’m done with that sort of thing, at least for 1 year…if I keep my resolution, of course.

If you’d like to read the Bible more this year, I recommend first starting out with the best book I’ve ever read to help one understand the Bible better.

I like it so much, that when I find an inexpensive copy, I buy it, just to give it away.
To celebrate the 2011 NEW YEAR, I’ll do it again. In the month of January, if you post a comment that you’d like this book, I’ll put your name in the hat. Even though it’s the Year of the Rabbit, a rabbit won’t come out of the hat, but one fortunate person will be picked at random to get this book mailed to them. (No strings attached.)

PS If a rabbit leaves gifts of chocolate covered raisins on your porch, don’t eat them. This is a trick they pull every 12 years. You have been warned.

Don’t Eat the Fruit… cake.

Piece of fruitcake, 14 lbs.

Tonight is the Eve of Christmas Eve. Some have referred to this night as Christmas Adam…because Adam came before Eve. It’s all very Biblical, like Christmas itself, when Jesus came down a chimney, and was born under a tree, and then wrapped in swaddling gift wrappings.

I have usually rejected the moniker “Christmas Adam” because it takes away from Santa Clause. This is a tough night for Santa, with all the dry runs they have to do in the North Pole, and the elf toymaker’s threat of strike casting an unseemly shadow on this year’s holiday Super Bowl of Arctic events. It’s one of the best reasons compassion should be at the fore in our minds.

Christmas Adam is not so much a day of cheer. It’s a day of cuss words, traffic, last minute panic buying, and feeling like a dope for forgetting any number of basic merriment preparations.

And- Christmas Adam allows us reflection for one more important holiday theme. Don’t Eat the Fruit…cake.

I buy it twice almost every December, because a genetic mutation passed from my mother-in-law to my husband, allows them both to delight in the stuff. 28lbs later, my shopping is complete… if I remember to include the stuff.

Are you a fan of the holiday Cake of Candied Fruit? (Is it REALLY fruit anymore?) To me it seems like eating cement bread laced with misshaped jelly beans. Bleck!

I know one thing, it’s not Jesus’s favorite birthday cake. And calling it FRUITcake of the Spirit won’t help your cause either. (You can’t even get candles into it!)

Happy Christmas and Best Wishes for the New Year!



Can Mustard Seed-sized Faith move a Mountain…of trash?

Some days you take your faith to the scales. You wonder…is it up to mustard?

Today is one of those days–and it’s epitomized in the not-so-scenic view from my front porch.

Will you pray for me?

What do you need faith for today?

Third Sunday of Advent Meditation 12/12/2010

church in winter -click for source-

 

(from the online Book of Common Prayer)

Third Sunday of Advent

Stir up thy power, O Lord, and with great might come
among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins,
let thy bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver
us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and
the Holy Ghost, be honor and glory, world without end.
Amen.

160    Collect:  Traditional

O God, who hast caused this holy night to shine with the
illumination of the true Light: Grant us, we beseech thee,
that as we have known the mystery of that Light upon earth,
so may we also perfectly enjoy him in heaven; where with
thee and the Holy Spirit he liveth and reigneth, one God, in
glory everlasting. Amen.

Do you have any reflections for this Sunday?