The Best Lemon

“She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family. . .” – Prov. 31:15

One of the most important characteristics of a mother – a good, Christian mother – is that she must be selfless.  For some, that may be easy.  But I think that for many of us, that seems like a goal that just will never be achieved!  Don’t get me wrong.  As mothers, we are forced to be selfless – after all, somebody has to get up with the kids, feed them, change their dirty diapers, etc.  But I have to admit that my attitude is not always selfless.  Sure, I may fix the kids breakfast, but I can’t guarantee a smile or a song on my lips while I’m doing it.  The actions are there, but my heart is just not in it.  Sometimes I feel as sour as a lemon actually!

I was reminded of my need to embrace selflessness yesterday – my birthday.  Anyone who knows me knows that my birthday is one of my favorite days of the year.  I am a middle child who has always felt the need for attention, and my birthday is the one day a year that I can be guaranteed to get some of it.  But now I am a mom, and that translates into a whole different kind of birthday!  Gone are the days of sleeping in, lounging around on my birthday, watching whatever I want.  Instead, Jamie had to be at work early, so I rolled out of bed early with my kids, who were very excited that it was Mommy’s birthday.  (Well, Hannah was, at least.  Ephraim is just generally excited whenever Hannah is!)

Anyway, I had a good attitude making breakfast for my two little munchkins.  Hannah prayed that Mommy would have a good birthday.  We had a good breakfast, and I went to finish getting ready.  That’s when disaster struck.  We can no longer allow Ephraim in the living room without an adult, so I put the gate down to keep him in the back of the house with me.  Hannah was watching t.v. and decided to climb over the gate to find us.  The next thing I know, Hannah is screaming, and blood is streaming down her leg.  Hannah tends to be overly dramatic about her injuries and started kicking me and hitting me when I tried to clean her up.  (She’s okay, by the way.  She had simply re-opened an old wound in climbing over the gate.)

Meanwhile, Ephraim had discovered a way to get on top of his dresser and had found his lotion.  Next time I saw him, he was covered head-to-toe in lotion, and the carpet was covered with the rest!  After cleaning Hannah’s wound, I had to re-dress Ephraim and wash out his hair.  And I was still not dressed myself!

Hannah decided she was mad at me for cleaning her wound, so she told me she was going to pretend it wasn’t my birthday and set out to be grumpy for the rest of the day.  Sigh!

But being a mom means that even my birthday is not about me.  It means that if the kids are sick or hurt or just plain old grumpy, then I need to set aside my own wants and needs and take care of them instead.  Being a mom means that I daily have to die to self and love my children – even if they are being unlovable (because, let’s be honest, all of us have days when we are unlovable).

I love being a mom.  It is the absolute BEST job in the world!  And it is also the most humbling job in the world.  My children daily remind me of my own sinful nature.  They remind me that nothing I do can ever be good enough to get me into heaven.  And they remind me that I am in need of a Savior, One who never struggles with dying to self because He loves me unconditionally.  He never snaps at me, never gets annoyed with me, never locks Himself in the bathroom to get just a few minutes alone.  He is the perfect Parent!

But somehow, it is all worth it – the struggles, the trials, the grumpiness – when Hannah hands me a card that says, “Mommy, you are the best mommy in the whole wide world.”

Despite the chaos I experienced with my children on my birthday, it was still an absolutely wonderful day.  I may struggle to die to self daily, but my kids are worth it.  I remember the birthdays before I had a husband and children, and all I ever wished for was to some day have a family of my own.  They may force me to die to self, but they also love me unconditionally – even when they are having a grumpy day.

Being selfless may seem difficult until you read the next line in your birthday card that was dictated by your four-year-old, “Mommy, you are the best lemon in the whole wide world!  Hee hee!”

“Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.” – Prov. 31:28

A Review of The Messenger

If you are looking for espionage tied into history with a dash of romance, then The Messenger by Siri Mitchell is a must-read!

Mitchell creates the character of Hannah Sunderland, a Friend (or Quaker), who finds herself divided between her church’s neutral stance on the Revolutionary War and her twin brother’s imprisonment from fighting for justice.  Although instructed by “the Meeting” to stay away from the prisoners, Hannah finds herself bending the “rules” to help her brother, whom she finds sick and starving as a result of the jail keeper’s cruel treatment.  Distressed and helpless, Hannah can’t go to her family for help, so where can she turn to save her brother’s life and the lives of his fellow prisoners?

Jeremiah Jones is nothing like Hannah Sunderland.  Left with only one arm after fighting a band of Indians, Jones has turned to a life as a spy, passing messages to and from General George Washington.  But when his contact decides to abandon the cause, Jones is left in charge of figuring out a way to help the prisoners to escape.  As the owner of one of the local taverns, Jeremiah has firsthand access to the king’s soldiers, who easily share information with him as he serves them more drinks.  The life he has led has only pushed him farther from God, and he sees no value in believing as the Quakers do.

As Jeremiah spends his time evaluating a way to get into the jail that has forbidden visitors, he notices Hannah doing the same.  With no one else to ask, Jeremiah finds himself drafting a “Friend” to be a spy, and she refuses to lie while doing it!  With truth as her weapon, Hannah finds herself questioning her beliefs and finding a God she never really knew.

Can a godless, armless ex-soldier and an honest Quaker woman save the lives of the colonial soldiers, and can two unlikely hearts entwine as one?

Mitchell uses real situations and people to bring her story to life – sharing the true story of how some soldiers escaped and using the influence of some of the women and Quakers who influenced that era.  While the two main characters are fictitious, she uses real-life characters to fill in the rest of the story.

Mitchell’s point of view in the story is also unique.  Using the first person, Mitchell switches back and forth in each chapter, portraying first Jeremiah’s voice and then Hannah’s.  While many would find this difficult or confusing, Mitchell smoothly transitions between the two, giving the reader clear guidance on who is speaking.

This story is excellently researched and paints a vivid picture of the true events that happened during the Revolutionary War.  While there are obvious evidences of a budding romance, Mitchell stays true to her characters and does not add feelings or actions to make the romance more “readable” than would have actually been true during that time.

With mystery, romance, and history mixed into one novel, this book is a must-read for any book lover!

We Serve a Risen Savior

Dyeing Easter eggs for our Easter morning breakfast

If you’re like us, this weekend was probably pretty busy for you!  From Easter egg hunts and dyeing eggs to Easter baskets and church, Easter went by in a blur!  For me, it was especially hectic because my husband had to work, so I had to deal with all of the Easter festivities on my own, although he was able to get in some Easter egg hunting with the kids on Saturday!

Daddy and the kids hunting Easter eggs

I had grand plans for our little family, too!  I put the kids down early on Saturday night, their beautiful Easter outfits laid out neatly for Sunday morning.  I had bought biscuits and sausage to make for a special Easter morning breakfast.  I had all of the Easter baskets done and set out at everyone’s place at our dining room table.  My plan was to wake up at 5:30 with Jamie (he had to leave for work at 6:20) to have some Easter breakfast with him, get myself ready, and then get the kids up and ready to walk down the street to the church in our neighborhood that was having a sunrise service at 7:15.  Then the kids and I would return home from our leisurely morning walk, eat breakfast, finish getting ready for church, and be at our church by 9:30.  Sounds like a wonderful way to spend Easter morning, right?

Except I didn’t figure on Ephraim screaming for over an hour during the night because he was hungry (from angrily refusing to eat his supper because he wanted marshmallows instead!).  And I didn’t consider Hannah having a nightmare (probably from Brother’s screaming) and trying to crawl into bed with us.  So when 5:30 came around, guess who did not get out of bed?  But I still thought that I would get up at 6 and still make it to the sunrise service.  Except that I didn’t get up until 7:30!  And Hannah and Ephraim didn’t get up until 8:30.  And the kids decided that they wanted candy for breakfast instead of the yummy biscuits and gravy I had made.  And nobody wanted their teeth brushed.  And beds were not made.  And we didn’t make it to church until almost 10:00!

Mommy and the kids in our "Easter best"

And it just continued to go downhill from there.  We were late to my in-law’s.  We were late for naps.  We were late to my parents’ house.  We were frustrated, tired, irritated, and not at all enjoying the resurrection of our Lord.  Easter was extremely exhausting this year!

I wonder if that first Easter was anything like mine.  Consider how things started out that morning.  The disciples, Mary, and Mary Magdalene certainly didn’t get up that morning glorifying God, I’m sure.  After all, the One they thought was the Savior had died.  In fact, He had been dead for three days.  I imagine there was probably a lot of weeping and mourning for the loss of the One they loved.  I imagine there was some anger at God for allowing Christ to die and perhaps some anger at Christ for having led them to believe that He was the King of kings and Lord of lords.  I am sure there was confusion regarding what had happened; after all, what had Jesus actually done wrong?  Even Pilate didn’t want to sentence Him!

“When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.” – Matt. 27:24

There was probably some fear for their own lives.  After all, if the people had killed Jesus, the next most likely victims would be His followers.  I am sure that on Easter morning there was absolutely no rejoicing.  No singing.  No praising God.  It seems that perhaps on the third morning after Jesus’ death, there was probably a lot of exhaustion and despair.  I am sure that is how I would have felt!

But then came the dawn.

“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week. . .” Matt. 28:1a.

Things began to happen.

“And, behold, there was a great earthquake:  for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it” – Matt. 28:2.

The soldiers were so frightened, they fell down as though they were dead!  And imagine Mary’s and Mary Magdalene’s reactions!  Fear?  Hope?  Joy?  Was this their answer from heaven?

And then come the words that they longed to hear and that have continued to give all who believe in Him a blessed hope:  “He is not here:  for He is risen, as He said. . .” (Matt. 28:6a).

Today, in 2012, it is the day after Easter.  We made it through the Easter egg hunts, the must-have pictures of the kids in their Easter “best,” the baskets of candy, the Easter feast, and now it is Monday.  For many, Monday is the first day of the week – a day to work, go to school, fight traffic, and just generally get back into routine.  Easter is behind us, and so we move onto the next holiday.  We start planning what to do next weekend.  We quickly start to let Easter fade from our memories, completely forgetting that the rest of our year is only blessed if we believe in the real reason for Easter – Christ’s resurrection from the dead, His victory over sin and death, and His unfailing love for us!

Do you know what happened after those women found out that Jesus had “risen, as He said”?

“And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, ‘All hail.’  And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him” (Matt. 28:9).

Consider what is happening here.  These two women are running to tell the disciples what they have heard and seen.  They could easily be arrested by the Roman guards.  They could be seen as hysterical women, who were overcome by the death of their beloved “Teacher.”  They were risking their reputations by running to tell anyone.

They could have simply worshipped Him there and then quietly gone back to their own homes to meditate on the events of the weekend.  It was, after all, the first day of the week.  I am sure they had responsibilities of their own.

But they did two things.  First, they stopped to worship at His feet.  Did you stop to worship at Jesus’ feet this morning before you started your day?  Did you even speak to Him today?  But wasn’t it just yesterday that you were singing at the top of your lungs, surrounded by your fellow churchgoers, “He arose, He arose.  Hallelujah, Christ arose”?  Then why aren’t you worshipping Him today?

But the women didn’t stop with just their own personal worship time.  They ran to tell others!  Do you know how many people “celebrated” Easter yesterday for no other reason than just to have something to do?  Do you know how many kids think that the Easter bunny is the reason they get candy in brightly-colored baskets once a year?  Did you tell anyone why you were celebrating Easter?  Did you run and tell anyone that “He arose”?

Perhaps our hearts have grown so hard with commercialism that we Christians are no longer sure why we are celebrating Easter either.  Let’s soften our hearts.  Let’s go back to the grave, roll the stone away, and discover with Mary and Mary Magdalene that “He is risen, as He said!”  And then, with joy, worship at His feet and tell everyone the Good News!

I SERVE A RISEN SAVIOR!!!

 

A Review of October Baby

*Disclaimer:  All views in this article are my own.  I did not receive compensation to write this review, nor do I receive compensation for traffic to my blog.  These opinions are strictly mine based on my own convictions and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Last night, I finally had the opportunity to see October Baby, a pro-life film focusing on one girl’s life after a botched abortion.  While I don’t normally give movie reviews, I feel so strongly about this movie and the negative remarks from reviewers from The New York Times and Slate Magazine that I felt like I had to speak up as well!

 

Spoiler Alert – I may reveal some things from the movie in order to give you a better idea of what to expect before you view this movie for yourself.

October Baby is the story of 19-year-old Hannah (played by Rachel Hendrix), whose life-long health problems cause her to pass out during a stage performance.  While running tests to find out the real source of her health issues, the doctor (along with her parents) finally reveals that Hannah was adopted – alive only because the abortion her birth mom attempted was a failure.  The botched abortion is apparently the cause of her medical issues.  Hannah, reeling from this new knowledge about herself, embarks on a journey to find her birth mom, enlisting the help of her childhood friend and secret love, Jason (Jason Burkey).  Along the way, Hannah discovers secrets about herself, the strength to find her way, and forgiveness for the woman who tried to end her life and the parents who lied to her.  Also starring are John Schneider (“Dukes of Hazzard,” “Smallville”) as Hannah’s father, Jacob; Jennifer Price as Hannah’s mother, Grace; Jasmine Guy (“A Different World”) as Nurse Mary; and Shari Rigby as Hannah’s birth mom, Cindy.  Also appearing in the film is American Idol (2007) contestant and Top 10 Winner, Chris Sligh.

The movie is rated PG-13, only because of mature thematic material.  There is absolutely no cursing, no taking the Lord’s name in vain, and no sexual innuendos.  There is also no sex in the movie, including no kissing.  At the point where you expect a kiss, the couple pulls apart, laughing instead.

There is one scene that I thought was going to turn into a problem but was actually used as a way to point out Hannah’s commitment to doing right instead.  When Hannah and Jason arrive, dripping wet, at a hotel, they find that there is only one room available for them.  While Hannah is given the bed, Jason opts to sleep on the floor.  The conversation turns to the fact that Hannah has never been with a guy “in that way” because she’s a “good, Christian, home schooled girl.”  Jason never responds, never even gets up to make a move on her.  Hannah, instead, jumps up with her blanket and pillow and declares that no matter the circumstances, she can’t be in there with him.  The two, instead, fall asleep, sitting up, on the couch in the hotel lobby.

Based in Alabama, the movie is inspired by the true-life story of Gianna Jessen, who is the survivor of a failed saline abortion in 1977.  Jessen now travels from city to city sharing her story.  Some of the facts from the movie are based on other failed abortions and did not happen to Jessen herself, but the movie clearly portrays abortion as a horrible choice that has life-long effects on all who are involved (including the nurse, the babies, the birth mom, the birth mom’s family, and the adoptive family).  There are some graphic details given about the abortion, so I would not recommend taking children to see this movie.

Because of the theme of the movie, The New York Times critically reports, “More slickly packaged than most faith-based fare, “October Baby”gussies up its anti-abortion message with gauzy cinematography and more emo music than an entire season of ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’  But not even a dewy heroine and a youth-friendly vibe can disguise the essential ugliness at its core: like the bloodied placards brandished by demonstrators outside women’s health clinics, the film communicates in the language of guilt and fear” (“Obsessed by the Circumstances of Her Birth:  ‘October Baby,’ with Jasmine Guy and John Schneider” by Jeannette Catsoulis on March 22, 2012).

I’m not sure what movie this critic was watching, but I never once perceived a message of guilt and fear!  Instead, the message conveyed was one of love, acceptance, and forgiveness.  The only time I sensed there was any remnant of fear in the movie was when Hannah did not know the truth about her life and was concerned about her health.  Perhaps the critic is describing the brief encounter with the birth mom, who appeared guilty when confronted by her attempted abortion victim (yes, I used the word “victim”).  But let me ask you, if you had tried to abort your child but instead ended up delivering and giving up that child, wouldn’t a confrontation by that person send you reeling?  It would almost be like seeing a ghost.  After all, you were resolved to never know the life that was inside of you, and then here she stands before you as a grown woman.  I think the actress portrayed those kind of feelings instead of guilt and fear!

According to Slate Magazine, “The message is perfectly of-the-moment and demonstrates how anti-abortion and anti-woman messaging often overlap.  We have a presidential candidate, Rick Santorum, who a few years ago warned about ‘radical feminism’s misogynistic crusade’ to force women to work ‘outside the home.’  We have Rush Limbaugh slut-shaming the uppity, suit-wearing Georgetown law school student who dared argue health insurance companies should be required to pay for contraception.   We have, in other words, October Baby’s false argument writ large and very real—the idea that abortion and family planning are made necessary by women’s unfortunate progress, instead of being needs as old as humanity” (“What October Baby Gets Wrong About Modern Womanhood” by Libby Copeland, published on April 3, 2012).

But the film has no political support, does not ever once flat-out condemn the birth mom, and never even devalues womanhood.  Instead, it is a coming-of-age story for a young woman striving to find herself and daring to spread her wings beyond the limits that have been placed on her by her health and her overprotective father.  It is the story of a woman realizing her own strength instead of identifying herself by someone else’s choice, which basically promotes womanhood, in my opinion!  In fact, the movie ends with Hannah’s stepping out on her own, finally leaving her parents and the comfort of home.  The birth mom is never condemned for her choices but is, instead, portrayed as a woman who came away from tragic circumstances and made her way in the world – a story of forgiveness and success.

To say that the movie is anti-woman is simply a way to dissuade anyone (especially women) from going to see the movie!  I am not sure about the critic’s own personal experiences, but I do know that the actress who played the birth mom (Jennifer Price) had an abortion herself and had dealt with her own guilt and shame as a result (stay for the credits to hear her testimony).  I know that this is just one woman’s experience, but I have often heard of women who never recover from the trauma of aborting their unborn child.  Perhaps Copeland has dealt firsthand with abortion and perhaps not, but I think it would be interesting to hear her own personal story before she hastily criticizes a movie with an actress who is willing to share hers.

The truth is that the critics are not pleased with how well this small, Christian film is doing.  The New York Times grudgingly reports, “The movie, the first feature by a pair of filmmaking brothers from Birmingham, Ala., opened the same weekend as the chart-topping ‘Hunger Games,’ [sic] but with the backing of evangelical groups and churches, ‘October Baby’ [sic] managed to open at No. 8 and, through Sunday, had made $2.8 million, more than three times its production budget.  It is expected to move to more than 500 screens on April 13″ (“Film Inspired by ‘Abortion Survivor’ is Quiet Hit’ by Melena Ryzik on April 4, 2012).

Obviously, this small production is making a huge impact and is a movie that the people want to see!  But despite the fact that this movie came in No. 8 last weekend, the top movies list in The New York Times does not name this as one of the top movies.  A little bias, perhaps?

One of the best reasons to see this movie is that 10 percent of the movie’s proceeds have been assigned to the Every Life is Beautiful fund, which will disperse the money to pro-life organizations, such as Bethany Christian Services, Hope for Orphans, Family Net, and Focus on the Family, as well as several others.

I know that there are several extremely popular movies in theaters right now, but the media and Hollywood need to know that we want to see more movies like this – ones with strong, Christian values and moral, uplifting plots.  Please consider going to see this movie and spreading the word to your friends.   Oh, and make sure you take some tissues with you when you go!

“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Ps. 139:13-14).

What Wondrous Love!

What wondrous love, what grace You gave

When on the cross my soul you saved.

Your nail-piereced hands, your thorn-rimmed head -

“Father, forgive them,” is what You said.

They spat on You and tore Your hair.

They hated You; they didn’t care

That what You did was for their souls.

They never knew You could make them whole.

The sky turned black; the veil rent in two.

Your Father turned His back on You.

Alone to die amidst my sin,

You gave up Your ghost, my redemption to win.

They laid Your body in a tomb.

It seemed that You had met Your doom.

I’m sure Satan was laughing with joyful glee.

He thought he’d won the fight, you see.

All seemed hopeless, all seemed lost.

Was my sin really worth the cost?

But death had lost the victory,

Had lost its sting, its grip on me.

On day three, the stone rolled away,

And You were found missing on that day.

For death could not hold You, nor Satan could bind!

Were You not the One who healed lame, deaf, and blind?

Then why didn’t we know?  Why didn’t we see

That You were there to fulfill Your God-given destiny?

A perfect sacrifice – no greater one than His -

So my soul could stand in awe and sing, “What wondrous love is this?”

Christ on the Cross Between Two Thieves, by Pieter Pauwel Rubens (1619 a.d.)

Do you ever wonder why we celebrate Good Friday?  Over the years, it has become almost obsolete, as many organizations have decided to no longer acknowledge this day as a holiday.  Some view it as a Catholic holiday.  Others see it as a good day to have off of work.  But without Good Friday, Easter wouldn’t matter.  There would be no Savior.  There would be no freedom from our sins.  Why is Friday so good?  Not because of the actual events that transpired that day – after all, it was a pretty dark day, one that seemed without hope, without compassion, and without justice!  Friday is good because of the purpose of that day!  You see, that is the day when Christ purposed to die for me.  And you.  And your children.  And your grandchildren.  I deserved to hang on that cross, but He wouldn’t let me!  When He died, He took my specific sins – even though it would be a couple thousand years before I would even be born! -  and paid the debt for them!  Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Here are the events that happened on Good Friday (from Matt. 27:1-61):

Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed.   ²So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

 ³ When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.  ⁴ “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

   “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”

 ⁵ So Judas threw the money into the temple and left.  Then he went away and hanged himself.

 ⁶ The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.”  ⁷ So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners.  ⁸ That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day.  ⁹ Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, ¹⁰ and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”^[a]

Jesus Before Pilate

 ¹¹Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked Him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

   “You have said so,” Jesus replied.

 ¹² When He was accused by the chief priests and the elders, He gave no answer.  ¹³ Then Pilate asked Him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against You?”  ¹⁴ But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

 ¹⁵ Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd.  ¹⁶ At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus^[b] Barabbas.  ¹⁷ So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”  ¹⁸ For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

 ¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of Him.”

 ²⁰ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.

 ²¹ “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.

   “Barabbas,” they answered.

 ²² “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.

   They all answered, “Crucify Him!”

 ²³ “Why? What crime has He committed?” asked Pilate.

   But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!”

 ²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd.  “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said.  “It is your responsibility!”

 ²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”

 ²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them.  But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

 ²⁷ Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around Him.  ²⁸ They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him, ²⁹ and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head.  They put a staff in His right hand.  Then they knelt in front of Him and mocked Him. “Hail, King of the Jews!” they said.  ³⁰ They spit on Him, and took the staff and struck Him on the head again and again.  ³¹After they had mocked Him, they took off the robe and put His own clothes on Him.  Then they led Him away to crucify Him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

 ³² As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.  ³³ They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).  ³⁴ There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it.  ³⁵ When they had crucified Him, they divided up His clothes by casting lots.  ³⁶ And sitting down, they kept watch over Him there.  ³⁷Above His head they placed the written charge against Him:  THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

 ³⁸ Two rebels were crucified with Him, one on His right and one on His left.  ³⁹ Those who passed by hurled insults at Him, shaking their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself!  Come down from the cross, if You are the Son of God!”  ⁴¹ In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked Him.  ⁴² “He saved others,” they said, “but He can’t save Himself!  He’s the King of Israel!  Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.  ⁴³ He trusts in God.  Let God rescue Him now if He wants Him, for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”  ⁴⁴ In the same way the rebels who were crucified with Him also heaped insults on Him.

The Death of Jesus

 ⁴⁵ From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.  ⁴⁶ About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,^[c] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?”).^[d]

 ⁴⁷ When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

 ⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge.  He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink.  ⁴⁹ The rest said, “Now leave Him alone.  Let’s see if Elijah comes to save Him.”

 ⁵⁰ And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit.

 ⁵¹ At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  The earth shook, the rocks split ⁵² and the tombs broke open.  The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.  ⁵³ They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and^[e] went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

 ⁵⁴ When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

 ⁵⁵ Many women were there, watching from a distance.  They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for His needs.  ⁵⁶ Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph,^[f] and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

The Burial of Jesus

 ⁵⁷ As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus.  ⁵⁸ Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him.  ⁵⁹ Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰ and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock.  He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.  ⁶¹ Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

Remembering God’s Grace: Happy Birthday, Hannah!

I’m sorry to have been so remiss in my ramblings, but we had a big event to celebrate this weekend as our oldest, Hannah, turned 4!  We made the celebration last all weekend long with a party with the extended family, a Strawberry Shortcake party with friends, and a special birthday lunch with just Mommy, Daddy, and Brother.  We.  Are.  Exhausted!

Before Hannah came into our lives, my heart was so heavy.  We had been trying to have a baby for five years, and all I wanted was to be a mom.  That’s it.  I never had many aspirations beyond being a wife and a mom.  And yet my arms ached with emptiness for years.  I enjoyed my friends’ babies but went home empty-armed once again.

My theme song during that time was “I Would Die for That” by Kellie Coffey.  I still cry listening to that song, but now I am amazed at where God has led me!

It was just at the point when I felt that my dream was dying that I began to really study Hannah’s story in I Samuel.  Here was a woman who was adored by her husband but ached with the emptiness of her womb.

“There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite^[a] from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.  ² He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah.  Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.  Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD.  ⁴ Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.  ⁵ But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb” (I Sam. 1:1-5).

I knew EXACTLY what Hannah was enduring!  I have a husband who adores me, too, but there was always something missing.  Someone missing.  Our home did not feel complete.  I cried out to the Lord just as Hannah did, begging Him to give me a child, and I promised – just like Hannah did – that I would dedicate my child to His service.

“And she made a vow, saying, “LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son [or a daughter], then I will give him [or her] to the LORD for all the days of his [or her] life. . .” (I Sam. 1:11)

What struck me the most as I studied Hannah was that she left her burden at the altar!  She poured out her heart to the Lord; and “then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast” (I Sam. 1:18).

I remember that studying Hannah was a turning point for me.  It was in that moment that I realized that God had the perfect family for me – whether it was always just Jamie and me or whether we had a dozen kids!  So I poured out my heart to Him and “[my] face was no longer downcast.”

It wasn’t too long after I gave it all over to God that we were expecting Hannah, whose name means “grace of God.”  I truly felt God’s grace in those days leading up to Hannah’s birth.  Her arrival in our home was nothing short of miraculous, and the people involved in our life at that time could truly see God’s hand working as we anticipated her arrival!

Baby Hannah

I can remember meeting our daughter for the first time, hair covering her from head to toe!  She was so tiny, just 6 lbs. 10 oz., and I had never been in charge of a newborn before I became a mom.  In fact, I was afraid to even hold her, looking to the nurse to help me in changing her and feeding her.  Of course, before long, I felt competent in what I was doing, but those first few days I was pretty unsure of myself!

As we returned home, now a family of three instead of just two, I remember so vividly walking into her nursery for the very first time.  The rocking chair, where I had sat many nights crying my heart out to God, was now a place to rock my daughter and to pray over her life.  I could scarcely comprehend the magnitude of God’s love for me as I held this tiny new life in my now-full arms.

But I had not forgotten my promise to God either, and I knew that I needed to dedicate her to His service and instruct her along the way as she grew.  And now, as I gaze at my beautiful, four-year-old, who has lost most of her baby fuzz, I am still reminded of God’s grace, still reminded of His promises, and still reminded of His great love for me.

Hannah is already devoted to loving God and serving Him.  She is a constant blessing, although she is far from perfect and is actually quite moody!  But she makes friends easily, shares the Gospel willingly, and loves God openly.  As she continues to blossom into the woman that God will have her to be, I cannot help but remember my empty arms and how the Lord has filled them above all that I could ask or think!

Hannah is definitely a performer!

“For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of Him” (I Sam. 1:27) – KJV.

Happy Birthday, Hannah!

Listening for God’s Whisper

I couldn’t get on Facebook today (or this weekend, for that matter) without reading someone’s opinion on the new movie out this weekend – both positive and negative.  I admit that I have not read the books or seen the movie, so I can’t comment on whether or not this movie is something that you should go to see.  But as I read the arguments taking place among Christians, I noticed a lot of negativity, a lot of tension, and a lot of self-defense.

And I don’t believe it is honoring God at all.

It seems to me that any time new literature, new music, new movies, or new television shows are released, the Christian family finds a way to be in discord, taking away from glorifying Christ and instead seeking their own opinion.  This is coming from both sides of the argument.  The ones who opposed the movie are angry at the ones who supported the film.  The ones who have read the books and looked forward to the movie’s release feel defensive that their fellow believers think so lowly of them.  There is no winner, but there sure is a lot of bickering!

Legalism is alive and well, even if we want to claim that we’ve given up the harsh rules of our parents’ generation.  But somehow many people have begun to think of legalism as being forced to wear skirts or only read the King James version of the Bible or only listen to old hymns.  The truth is that legalism is starting to rear an even uglier – if more subtle head – of “reverse” legalism.  Suddenly, if you don’t want to see the newest blockbuster in the theaters, you must be legalistic.  Or if you don’t care for a particular Christian artist, you must be legalistic.  Or if you prefer the King James version of the Bible to a newer version, you must be legalistic.

Have we so quickly forgotten that Christ warned us about going down the path that everyone has taken?

“Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” – Matthew 7:13

Legalism is forcing your beliefs and convictions onto someone else in place of the Gospel.  It is making man’s law override God’s law.  And it can be seen just as easily from those who claim to have been freed from oppressive rules as those who still live under the “old” rules!

Please don’t mistake what I am saying as a condemnation for those who went to see this week’s most popular movie or who find peace listening to the newest Christian artists!  That is not my point at all!

What I am trying to point out is that the Spirit is the One who must work in each one of us to convict us about the things that are “true. . .noble. . .right. . .pure. . .lovely. . .admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Phil. 4:8).  It is the Spirit’s responsibility to know our hearts because He “sees not as man sees:  man looks on the outward appearance, ^(B)but the Lord looks on the heart” (I Sam. 16:7).

That is not to say that if we see obvious sin in someone’s life that we should not confront them about it.  But there are certain things that will be presented to us in this life that will convict some and not bother others.  This does not mean that the Spirit is moving in one person and not in the other!  But it does mean that the Spirit convicts each of us about different things that will point us each, individually, to eternity!

For example, I belong to a book club with about seven other women from my church.  We are reading a Christian book, but it is amazing that each and every single one of us brings some completely different thoughts to the discussion!  Because of where I am in my spiritual walk this week, one phrase or paragraph will jump out to me that didn’t jump out at someone else who needed the Spirit to speak to them in a different way.  And from what I can ascertain from our brief time together once a week, none of us are spiritually immature or new to our faith.  So why doesn’t the Holy Spirit tell us all the same thing?  Because we all need to hear something different!  We are each unique!

When we feel strongly about a topic, it’s so easy to get on our high horse and to boast over our opinion, trying to force our convictions on everyone who will stop to listen (or even some who are running away with their hands over their ears!).  I know I am guilty of being overly opinionated – especially when no one really cares to hear what I think!  It’s a sin that I am constantly wrestling!  But we need to be careful to not shout so loud that God can’t be heard because, unlike us, God doesn’t force Himself on anyone who doesn’t want Him.

“And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire:  and after the fire a still small voice.” – I Kings 19:12

I know when controversial movies, books, songs, and other media are released, it’s easy to go to battle with each other – our convictions used as swords against those who don’t believe as we do.  But we need to remember that these are our convictions.  God didn’t say, “Thou shall not go to the movies,” but He also didn’t say, “Thou shall read and watch whatever you like in the name of Christian liberty.”  Instead of seeking one another’s approval, we need to be searching the Scriptures and prayerfully asking God if the things we are putting before our eyes will glorify Him.  And then we need to let Him convict each of us as He determines!

We each are responsible for answering to Him for our own actions, and I hope that He will tell me “Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with [the second greatest commandment, 'love thy neighbor as thyself' - Mk. 12:31] ; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matt. 25:21).

Be blessed!