Witness – The Thinking Christian Woman

Better than a pot ‘o gold

God's love, Gospel, holidays, life purpose, love neighbor as self, prayer, service. loving sacrifice, Witness Comments Off

Mar 172015

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Many will celebrate this festive day by wearing green, decorating with 4-leaf clovers and leprechauns, and maybe even a good bit of drinking, but is that all there is to be known and celebrated today?

Who is St. Patrick?

Patrick was born to a wealthy Roman/British family. At 16, Irish raiders dragged him off to serve 6 years as a slave in Ireland. Patrick found God while a slave, and in prayer, God told him to flee for freedom. After becoming a priest in what would later become England, Patrick responded to God’s leading to return to Ireland and share the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. It is said that Patrick often used the 3-leaf clover to help explain the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). Patrick died on March 17, 461, and is buried in the homeland of his servant’s heart – Ireland.

A reason to celebrate

Patrick became Ireland’s patron saint because of his love for the Irish people. Patrick’s heroic obedience to God’s call, and his courageous self-sacrifice to return to the land of his captivity, brought the penetrating light of God’s love and truth to clear the spiritual fog engulfing Ireland. Heroism, courage, self-sacrifice, love and truth – all good reasons to celebrate!

So, even though this has become a day for dyeing the Chicago River green, drinking green beer (perhaps to excess), and laughing at the antics of leprechauns, YOU know the real meaning of this day, and YOU can celebrate better than ever based on that deeper, richer, more fulfilling knowledge.

As the Good Book says, “…add to your faith, virtue, to virtue knowledge…” (2 Peter 1:5)

Better than a pot ‘o gold!

Folklore spins a tale about leprechauns secreting away a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow. Folklore also says that if you catch a leprechaun, it can grant three wishes in exchange for release. But are leprechauns really as silly, playful and harmless as portrayed in our common culture?

First of all, leprechauns are not real, they are not part of God’s creation. Secondly, leprechauns were understood to be the offspring of evil spirits (demons) and mischievous fairies. Current depictions of leprechauns are based on derogatory 19^th century stereotypes of Irishmen.

As a college literature major, I learned that fairies, elves, trolls, genies, etc. were invented in literature to represent actual spiritual beings. Those that do good represent the angels who remain loyal to God. Those that do evil or mischief represent the fallen angels whose aim is to destroy mankind. What do you think? Were leprechauns invented to represent benevolent spiritual beings? And if not, do we really want to populate our homes, cubicles, or even church fellowship halls with them?

The Good Book says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

As we think about St. Patrick today, we don’t have to settle for drowning our sorrows, or hoping for leprechaun wishes or their gold. As the warm light of God’s uncommon love and truth burn away the spiritual fog perpetrated by common culture, we can celebrate this fun day with knowledge and wisdom and genuine faith, all of which are much more valuable than gold! (Psalm 19, 1 Peter 1:7)

And if there is sadness, heaviness, worry on this day, the Thinking Christian Woman can take it to God in prayer (James 5:13), and throw it over onto Him, because He cares for her (1 Peter 5:7). And as for wishes, I believe God when He says in Psalm 37 verse 4, “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

I won’t settle for anything less! How about you?

Thank God for the Oscars (coming out of the prayer closet)

praise, Witness Comments Off

Mar 302014

Quick! Without googling…what is Oscar holding in the golden Academy Award of Merit statuette, and what is he standing on? And, for extra points, can you name the Midwest city where Oscars are made? I’ll look for your answers in the comments!

Since 1929, nearly 3,000 Oscars have been handed out, but precious few recipients have publicly acknowledged God for their achievement.

Slate.com has tallied to whom thanks has been given most often at the Oscars since 2002, and the AP has apparently tallied acceptance speeches for the past 30 years, and God still comes out next to last (14 mentions out of 270). Only Abraham Lincoln, who was thanked by Daniel Day-Lewis last year, comes in lower on the list than God. This third study goes back 60 years and says God has only been thanked 11 times, so there’s some discrepancy in the numbers, but the same outcome.

That’s part of what makes the ceremony held a month ago today so special; a whopping 2 award winners thanked God!

Darlene Love was bold and clear and musical with her God-honoring acceptance “Lord God I praise You, and I am so happy to be here representing the ladies of ’20 Feet from Stardom’, and I sing because I’m happy. Oh I sing because I’m free, cuz His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”

Matthew Mcconaghey (Best Actor) seemed to shock the audience who didn’t know whether to clap or not when he said, “Now, first off, I wanna thank God, cuz that’s who I look up to. He’s graced my life with opportunities that I know are not of my hand or any other human hand. He has shown me that it’s a scientific fact that gratitude reciprocates. In the words of the late Charlie Laughton, who said, ‘when you got God, you got a a friend, and that friend is You!”

The Thinking Christian Woman knows that God is very keen on gratitude and acknowledgment.

God is worthy of our thanks (Psalm 106:1)

In everything give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Do everything with thanks (Colossians 3:17)

God guides those who acknowledge Him (Proverbs 3:6)

Lack of gratitude toward God can lead to dire results (Romans 1:18-32) and can even be fatal (Acts 12:21-23)

And though we may never win an Oscar, we each have the sweet opportunity to encourage Jesus and His Father by remembering from Whom all blessings flow, as in the story of the 1 leper out of 10 who thanked Jesus for the healing (Luke 17:11-19).

At their best, Oscars can acknowledge achievement in a given field, but must not venerate the recipients. Everything we accomplish is a result of God giving us the breath of life (Acts 17:25), gifts, and opportunities to use those gifts (Deuteronomy 8:18).

Every desirable and beneficial gift comes from heaven. The gifts are like rivers of light flowing down from the Father of Light (James 1:17).

In the “light” of that truth, what can you thank God for right now? Each time we humbly thank Him, He shines on us, in us and through us to light the path of life before us. And the Oscar goes to…

Surprised by righteousness

compassion, Proverbs, righteousness, Witness 1 Response »

Jan 232012

There’s a pet store in my neighborhood whose proprietors appear to have chosen a lifestyle I don’t agree with. I never felt comfortable there, so for many years did business elsewhere.

After my dog was attacked (see Bitten by the postal carrier’s dog) and refused food (and therefore heart meds), I found myself stopping in for something to spark his interest.

One clerk in particular went out of his way to suggest treats and food like canned turkey and canned pumpkin, opening packages and giving me free samples of dehydrated food and tasty bits to offer. As a direct result of this extravagant kindness, my dog started eating.

In recognition of such exemplary service, I dropped off a coffee house gift card with a note:

Dear Ray,

Thanks so much for your kind compassion when I came in looking for things that my sick old dog Max (who, on top of everything, had been bitten by a loose dog) would eat.

He’s doing much better now, by the way.

It’s so rare to find merchants who are so genuinely concerned and motivated to help.

The Good Book says, “A righteous man regards the life of his animal…” (Proverb 12:10) thanks for helping me do that for Max!

God bless!

I wasn’t sure about including scripture, not wanting to offend, but in the end felt led to do it. Imagine my surprise returning to the store a week or so later, and seeing the note displayed on a pillar right by the register for all to see!

In that moment, as a thinking Christian woman, I realized I had vastly underestimated the spiritual sensibilities of these shopkeepers. They had embodied the spirit of Proverb 12:10 so much that they were willing to display it in their store! What a treat to be surprised by such a display of righteousness. Glory to God!