You ought to be ashamed...

"Shaming" is a thing these days.

Many of us have seen the funny posts with picture after picture of a cat or dog with a sign declaring what "shameful" thing they have done, like the cat who sat and watched a mouse eat her food, or the dog who grabbed the last piece of chicken off the serving tray when nobody was watching.  We laugh at these because, honestly, a lot of them are hilarious.

Then there are the less funny ones, like parents who publicly shame their children as a form of punishment, or worse, who publicly shame their children for their own amusement.  Mom-shaming is also a thing.  According to UrbanDictionary.com, mom shaming is "criticizing or degrading a mother for her parenting choices because they differ from the choices the shamer would make." (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mom-shaming).  These are only a couple of examples.  There are many more out there.

Generally, especially as Christians, we look on these things as bad.  We should, because they are.  "Shaming" like that is degrading and malicious.  I could spend the rest of this post talking about the "hows and whys" of it, but that's not why I'm writing today.  Today, I am writing because of the ways we SHOULD be shaming.

"WHAT???"

Yes, you read that right.

Ephesians 5:11-12 says, "Don't participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.  For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret." (Emphasis mine.)

Shameful.  Even the mention of those sinful acts is considered to be full of shame.  According  to Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, shame is defined as "a painful emotion caused by a consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety." (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shame).  As Christians, we are directed to be "imitators of God" (Eph. 5:1), and to stay away from things like sexual immorality, impurity, greed, obscene and foolish talking, crude joking, etc. (Eph. 5:3-5).  The culture we live in, though, thrives on these things, with no shame.  Christian, I would venture to say that at least a portion of this is because we no longer view or address them as shameful.

Now, I'm not saying that we should be "shaming" the sinner.  Not the way the world "shames" people.  Again, it is malicious and degrading and hateful.  We are called to love, not to hate.  To quote a catchphrase from my childhood, "Hate the sin, but love the sinner."

Instead, we need to be addressing the sin itself as shameful.  STOP LOOKING THE OTHER WAY!!!  When we laugh at the crude jokes, take advantage of someone financially, watch cruelty and violence without taking action (whether it's on TV, on social media, in person, or whatever), et cetera, we are condoning those things, giving them our seal of approval, which is the exact opposite of acknowledging or expressing their shame.  You know what else, Christian?  When you do that, you are telling people that God approves of those actions, which is a bold-faced LIE.  You think I'm being extreme in saying that?  Let's check scripture...

"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us.  We plead on Christ's behalf: 'Be reconciled to God.'" - 2 Cor 5:20

Back to the dictionary.  Ambassador, according to Merriam-Webster, means "an official envoy especially: a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government or sovereign or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment" (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ambassador)

As Christ's ambassadors, everything we do represents Him.  We even meet the "special and... temporary" part of the definition.  We are only on this earth for a short time, and have a very specific and special mission to make disciples.  Condoning shameful, sinful behavior hurts that mission.

Maybe you've thought briefly about this before.  Maybe you haven't.  Either way, now you're faced a decision to make... which path are you going to walk?  Are you going to look the other way, condoning sinful and shameful behavior?  Or are you going to take a stand for your mission?

The Name of the LORD...

Following a series of very long days, I wanted little more than to just stay in bed this morning.  When I opened my Bible, I was looking for some motivation and encouragement.  I was led to Proverbs 18:10, which says "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."  How can we be kept safe by just a name?  How can just a name be compared to a strong tower, something that shelters and protects?

In Hebrew culture, your name was more than just what people called you.  Your name defined you.  It explained you.  It was the very essence of your being.  We have an example of that in the book of Ruth. In Ruth 1:18, we hear from Ruth's mother-in-law: "'Don't call me Naomi,' she told them.  'Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.'"  "Naomi" means pleasant, and "Mara" means bitter.  Because she had changed, her name changed as well.  (If you aren't familiar with the story, I encourage you to read the book of Ruth.  It's a quick read, and one of my and my daughters' favorites!)

The name of the LORD is no different.  He is Righteous.  He is Holy.  He is Everlasting.  He is King of kings.  

We are taught early on in our faith not to misuse His name.  It is even demanded in the Ten Commandments!  "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." (Exodus 20:7)  But do we really understand that fully?  Especially in our culture where your name is little more than just what people call you.  

When we accept Christ, we take on His name.  "Christian" actually means "little Christ."  We have the fish emblems on our cars.  We share all the Scripture posts we see on Facebook.  But do we really take on His name?  Are we really living out the essence, the definition of Jesus Christ?  Do the people around us see the fruit of the Holy Spirit (check out Galatians 5:16-26 for this one), or are we still clinging to our sinful nature?

Misusing the name of the LORD is so much more than using it as a curse or saying it carelessly.  We don't even have to let it cross our lips to misuse it.  We misuse the name of our LORD when we live in a way that misrepresents Him.  When we say or do something that harms another.  When we fail to love those around us.  When we fail to share the gospel message with those around us who are lost and doomed to an eternity in hell.

If I stepped on your toes with this one, don't feel singled out.  I'm just as guilty of misusing the precious name of my LORD as anyone else.  It is my earnest prayer that He will help me be a better representative of who He is, and that He will do the same for you.

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." - 1 Corinthians 10:31

In other words, live life in His name.

Busy Day!

Yesterday was a very busy Friday for us!

Our day started early with Boss-man getting up to help me try out a new breakfast dish.  (Ok, really it was more like me helping him... that man is an AMAZING cook!)  We had homemade cinnamon rolls!  It was actually a lot simpler than I thought it would be, just time consuming.  We made our regular biscuit dough (which for our family is always a double batch!), rolled it out flat, coated it with the filling (mix 1 stick melted butter, 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar, and 4 tablespoons cinnamon), rolled it up like a jelly roll, then sliced it into 1-inch buns.  We baked them at 375 F until they started to brown a little on the edges, then spooned a glaze over them.  They were delicious!  We served them on my big pizza platter, and by the time I thought to grab a picture, this is all that was left!

After breakfast, I headed over to the local farmers' market and picked up some sugar snap peas, which were the only thing available when I got there.  Those go in the freezer for me to pull out for stir fry through the year.  When I got back, I tended my own little garden.  I have baby tomatoes now!  On my 16 plants, I counted 22 little green baby tomatoes!  I am beyond giddy about this, since this is my first real garden.  I posted on here last year about trying to start one... yeah, those poor tomato plants never made it to the great outdoors.  This year, I used plants instead of seeds.  I'll get there eventually.  In addition to the tomatoes, I also have 4 jalapeno plants (only one has bloomed so far, and it has the cutest little itty-bitty peppers starting to show up on it!), 8 heads of romaine lettuce (planted 16), and a row of carrots.  I had much grander plans for the garden, but at least I have SOMETHING this year, which is more than any year before.  My goal this year is to prove to myself that I can actually keep something green alive. :)

Friday is "Library Day" for us, so after I finished up in the garden, we went over to the local library for story time.  I picked up a copy of "Growing Up Duggar" and hope to actually get a chance to read it this weekend!  We shall see.

While Miss P napped after lunch, the big three sat down to do their school work.  After that Boss-man and I went out in the yard to clean up the jungle in front of our house a bit.  We ended up doing more than just "a bit."

A rake, a broom, a shovel, a scoop, pruning shears, a hedge trimmer, and a reciprocating saw later, my front yard looks nicer than it has in the three years we've lived here!  We took down three shrubs, two small trees that had grown up where they weren't supposed to, and an evergreen ground cover that the previous owners had planted right in front of the house that was overtaking my walk.  It took about five contractor-size trash bags to clean up all the vines and brush and such that we raked and trimmed and pruned.  There were also several stones lining where the walk comes off of the driveway that we pulled out.  I want to put an arch over the walk instead and plant grapes to go over it.  Eventually, gradually, I intend to start practicing permaculture on our property.

After cleaning up from a dinner of cheesy hashbrown casserole, fried okra, and corn, we went back out in the yard.  This time, though, it was with blankets.  All six of us were lined up, lying on blankets, watching the stars.  Miss P was so adorable!  She was snuggled in between her sisters, sucking her thumb and ready to go to sleep.  She didn't, of course, and after about five minutes of lying down was up and walking all around us, bringing her daddy and me clover blossoms.  We saw a couple of "shooting stars" and talked about comet tails and asteroid belts.  There were a few lightning bugs out, and we even spotted a bat!  At one point, Boss-man went inside and came back out with his tablet so we could use an app he has for locating things in the night sky.  The kids were beyond excited when they realized that the red "star" they'd noticed was actually Mars!

Yesterday was one of those days when I was hard-pressed to believe that the breakfast of homemade cinnamon buns had actually happened on the same day.  All in all though, it was a wonderful day of family togetherness.

Mary vs. Martha

Mary vs. Martha

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

- Luke 10:38-42

This is an almost daily battle for me.  My day starts with rolling out of bed and stumbling to the bathroom to take a shower.  Once that’s done, my eyes are usually open enough that I can manage to dress myself, then it’s off to the kitchen to pack my husband’s lunchbox for the day.  By the time he leaves for work, I have been out of bed for a little over an hour and can function somewhat like a human being.  At this point, I am faced with my daily struggle… do I go sit down in the living room with my Bible and dig in to the Word, or do I start tackling the mountain of housework that is always waiting for me no matter how much I get done the night before.

If you were to ask me, point blank, “Rebekah, which should you do?” the answer would be easy.  I should be like Mary and go sit down to have my quiet time with God.  However, when I look around my home in the morning, Martha starts to take over and I start thinking about the clean dishes that need to be put away, the laundry that is always there (six people can make a very large laundry pile very quickly, especially when one is a toddler learning to use the potty), planning out the steps that need to be done to have good nutritious meals and snacks, the preparation that needs to be done for the day/week’s schoolwork, etc.  These thoughts can get overwhelming, and my very human need to be in complete control of my environment often takes over.

I can get so caught up in what I think needs to be done that I forget about what God says I need to do.

When we have a specific part of our day set aside for Bible study and prayer, and actually DO it, we will grow steadily closer to God.  This will in turn affect the rest of the day.  The days I slip up and skip my quiet time are almost invariably the days that I lose my cool with the kids, that I get completely frustrated and overwhelmed in the kitchen, etc.  It’s when I sit down and read my Bible and spend time in prayer that I draw closer to Him.  That is when I can feel His gentle guidance more strongly throughout the day.  The kids and I may still “butt heads” over the things they don’t want to do, but I am able to handle that conflict with much more grace if I have spent time with God first that day.

When you look in the mirror each day, who do you see?  Do you see Martha, going about your daily chores and leaving no time for God?  Or do you see Mary, realizing that God should always come first, that the chores aren’t going anywhere and will still be sitting there patiently waiting for you to tend to them after your quiet time?

Finally Starting a Garden!

I'm venturing out into new territory today.  Well, at least it's new for me. :)  I just started my first-ever tomatoes from seed.  A lot of my friends are surprised when I tell them I've never had a garden before.  Yes, I grew up on a small farm.  My dad has had a garden every year for my entire life (and then some!).  I even helped him in it as a child.  His green thumb, however, did not get passed down to me.  I was always good with animals, but have notoriously black thumbs.  I've even killed a cactus!  A few of years ago, I got a couple of small tomato plants from my dad and tried them in huge planters on my porch.  I yielded one tomato.  One.  There were originally three, but the other two became collateral damage during a pool noodle fight.  I still don't know exactly which of the three possible culprits actually did it.

In spite of my black thumbs, there are so many reasons why it is so important to have a garden!  To name a few...

1. Nutrition - providing fresh food for my family to keep them healthy.

2. Money - a few bucks now for seed, starter trays, potting soil, etc, compared to all the money I would otherwise be spending on tomatoes for the coming growing season.  This carries even further when you add in the possibility of making my own tomato sauce, which gets used in our house at LEAST once a week right now.

3. Stewardship - for us to have the space we do, and NOT grow our own food, would be some pretty poor stewardship of what God has blessed us with.

Back to today.  I'm going to try to chronicle our gardening adventure on here as a way of keeping motivated with it.  Here is what I've done so far...

My methods are far from perfect, but I'm learning.  Please keep us in your prayers... the lives of these poor tomatoes may depend on it! ;)

Where are YOUR priorities?

"Now this is what the LORD Almighty says:  "Give careful thought to your ways.  You have planted much, but have harvested little.  You eat, but never have enough.  You drink, but never have your fill.  You put on clothes, but are not warm.  You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." (Haggai 1:5-6, NIV)

Unfulfilled.

Discontent.

Dissatisfied.

How many other words can we come up with to describe that feeling of emptiness we all have known at some point in our lives?  According to Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, some synonyms for "discontent" are depression, displeasure, envy, regret, restlessness, uneasiness, and unhappiness.

What causes this?  Why do we all feel so dissatisfied when we keep pouring ourselves into the things that are supposed to make us happy?  We think our priorities are in line, but are they?  We work hard all week long to bring home that paycheck, which is immediately spent on the important things: food, shelter, transportation.  What time we have at home, we spend focusing on our families, on our children.  That's what we're supposed to do!  Isn't it??

Not if we're placing these priorities before God.

Don't get me wrong here... those ARE critical priorities!  However, they will amount to nothing if we are not placing God FIRST in our lives.  "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33, NIV)  Jesus promised our needs would be met (notice that I say needs, not desires), but we have to place God's Kingdom first!  Seek out His will for your life, and pursue that first. Does He want you to serve where you are?  Awesome!  Do it!  Does He want you to drop everything and do something totally different, or go somewhere totally new?  Awesome!  Do it!  "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28, NIV)

My challenge to you today is to read the book of Haggai (less daunting than it sounds... it's the 2nd shortest book in the Old Testament!), then read Matthew 6:25-34.  Study and pray on these passages, and your priorities.  Ask God what steps He wants you to take to place Him first in your life.

Praying for God's blessings on you!
~Rebekah