2017 – The Thinking Christian Woman

Loving my neighbor as myself?

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Oct 262017

Arrived home last night weary from an out-of-town trip and was just able to squeeze the car into the wee parking space left in front of my house. It was tight because the neighbors’ trash and recycle cans are always placed on my side of their driveway, which is right on the property line, so the cans are in front of my house.

Knocked over a can of leaves and debris as I backed in. “Serves them right,” I justified to myself, “putting their cans where I need to park” (my property has no driveway). It was dark. I was tired. Lots to carry, and it was their fault anyway, so I left the mess for them to deal with.

Out to finish unloading in the light of day, saw the mess, felt convicted, so I started scooping up the leaves and noticed my trash can had been put out and was full of grass clippings. Then it hit me, “the gardeners were here while I was out of town and put these cans out!”

That was MY can of green recycle that I’d knocked over, and was now cleaning up.

Thought I was loving my neighbor as myself, but in reality, was still only loving myself.

Thank You Lord. A beautiful lesson. I will be alert to some way I can bless these neighbors in Your name soon!

Happy Easter from the Haunted Mansion

Taking Disney Captive to Christ 1 Response »

Apr 142017

Taking Disney Captive to Christ – No. 7

At first glance, it may seem that Disneyland offers only egg hunts and bunnies in recognition of the Easter season, but a closer examination reveals a celebration of the real meaning of Easter, of the highest order, in the most unlikely location…the Haunted Mansion queue.

After entering the gates, and zig-zagging the immaculate front yard, guests enter an area to the left of the Mansion that features a crypt with several pun-filled burial markers like “Trudy Departed” and “U.R. Gone.”

Among those markers are startlingly-clear declarations of the heart of Easter. Someone on the Mansion design team must have had a lot of fun coming up with these God-honoring name puns.

On the third day after Jesus died, His followers discovered that His body was gone. His tomb was empty. “And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples – and Peter – that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” Mark 16:6-7

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you’…” John 14:27-28.

Empty Tomb and I’ll Be Back…the essence of Easter in a nutshell!

Waytago Disneyland!

The Guy on the Other Side

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Jan 232017

Recently I’ve been noticing what I focus on when I talk to God – help in a difficult situation, relief from stress, better ideas about how to handle a problem, something I need, getting someone to change, etc.

It suddenly came to me while listening to all of the great prayers during the 45th U.S. presidential inauguration…there’s a Guy on the other side of those prayers.

When I pray, the Guy-on-the-Other-Side is listening intently to my every word, because He’s in love with me! He wants to be with me, talk with me, exchange ideas and feelings, draw me into a deeper friendship with Him…relationship stuff.

I need that. I get lonely and emotionally needy and people can only do so much. Expecting or requiring them to do more than they can do leads to frustration. Expecting or requiring people to do what God wants to be doing in my life is a kind of idolatry and leads to worse things than frustration.

This change of prayer focus – from results to relationship – is liberating, empowering and full of hope. I’m excited to see where this leads us!

Thank You Jesus, for giving me access to a relationship with the Guy-on-the-Other-Side!