Sharing the Burden

Suggested Scripture: Hebrews 3:1-16

Key Verse: See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

Hebrews 3:12,13 (NIV)

For years I was discrete about having a chronic illness. I was afraid that if people knew I had cystic fibrosis, they’d pull away from me. I didn’t want to be known as “the girl with CF.” I craved normalcy and anonymity.

That worked well for a time. However, as I began experiencing more complications, I found I needed to open myself up to others. After all, how could my friends pray for me effectively if they didn’t know what was happening in my life? How could they help shoulder the burden, without knowing just how much weight there was to bear?

My friend Jen once told me that it was my willingness to share my struggles that allowed her to share hers as well. Our friendship has, in fact, been made stronger as we have shared many encouraging conversations and prayer time. God has taken our pain and used it to bring honor and glory to Himself through a remarkable friendship. We have rejoiced in times of healing, prayed in all occasions, and most importantly, sought God’s wisdom together by reading God’s word.

Had I not been willing to make myself vulnerable, I would have missed out on so many blessings. If I had kept to myself about my spiritual struggles, surely my heart would have been hardened.

Reflecting Pool:

Have you ever been afraid to share your weaknesses or spiritual shortcomings with others?

How has God used friendship to encourage you in times of trial?

House Rules

...because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. --Hebrews 12:6 (NIV)

During my adolescents, my parents were diligent about monitoring my TV viewing habits. I was allowed to rent R-rated movies, but with the condition that Mom or Dad had to watch it with me. I brought a certain Academy Award winning film home one weekend, and settled back on the couch to watch it with Dad. Within 20 minutes our ears had been assailed by many utterances of the f-word. Dad took 3 long-legged strides over the the VCR, ejected the tape, and told me that I was never to bring anything like that into the house again.

I tried arguing with my dad that the story was great and that I just "had to see it." Dad would have none of it. I whined that all my friends at church had seen it and that their parents didn't have a problem with it.

"I'm not your friends' Dad. I make the rules for you, not for them."

I deeply love and respect my dad. Over the years I came to realize that the house rules that I thought were intrusive, were really just an extension of his love for me. Like our Heavenly Father, Dad's rules and the way he disciplined for disobedience, were always in the right measure and most beneficial. My character and integrity was undoubtedly shaped by the house rules and the enforcement thereof.

The same is true of the way God disciplines those he calls sons. He corrects, rebukes, and trains us in righteousness. Without such discipline and direction, we would be spiritually immature, and unable to tell right from wrong.

Reflecting Pool

What house rule do you appreciate more in hindsight?
How does being disciplined by God make us more mature?

Running Ahead, Not Running Away

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. --Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

Each of us struggles with something--perhaps even multiple somethings. I struggle with math (among other things.) I don't particularly enjoy it, nor does it come easily to me. When I was in high school, my lack of mathematical prowess became a seemingly insurmountable source of frustration. At first I refused to admit how badly in need of help I was. I allowed myself to develop a mental block about the subject. I felt defeated just thinking about math.

When I enrolled in college and selected my major, I was more than a little concerned about how I was going to get through the math requirements. The first few courses weren't too bad. I had friends in the class to help me along--study buddies who had done better in math in high school and could help me catch up. Then came calculus. My former study buddies were just as lost as I had become. Some even switched their majors completely to avoid having to take any more math. There were times when I wanted to take that route as well.

Instead of letting my mental block and fear of math keep me from pursuing the goal I wanted (i.e. a bachelor's degree), I had to call in the reinforcements. I signed up with on-campus tutors and attended my professors' office hours to get homework help. My parents arranged to hire private tutors as well. Even if I had wanted to, I couldn't argue that I didn't have plenty of assistance available to me.

Slowly, my understanding of mathematical concepts improved. The mental block was being chipped away with each problem I answered correctly on a calculus quiz or midterm. Because I had chosen environmental science as a major, each and every one of my upper division courses had a math component to it. Every step of the way I had someone there cheering me on, helping build my confidence and reminding me that just because something didn't come naturally to me didn't mean that I was doomed to failure.

My life as a Christian has experienced similar transitions. The things that I used to struggle with so frequently are not nearly as intrusive anymore. As I have faced difficult situations in my life and been encouraged by others who have been through similar things, I find myself less likely to back down from the challenge. Life will never be free from struggles or problems--not even for Christians. To think otherwise is ridiculous. However, if I allow myself to become bogged down by the things that discourage me, I will certainly never reach the goal.

God has a path marked out for me. Sometimes I will struggle along, but God has provided a way for me to keep the goal in sight even when the going gets rough. There will be a day that is even more thrilling than seeing an "A" on my transcript next to a difficult, math-intense class. Now THAT will be incredible.

Spiritual Routine or Spiritual Rut?

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.--Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)

I attended the same church with my family for 22 years. So many details about that church--the format of the worship service, the hymns selected, where certain families sat each week--became so familiar that even now I can see it all in my mind's eye. When my husband and I married, thereby becoming a family unto ourselves, we became members of a different church family. The transition was difficult for many reasons. For me the hardest part of coming together for corporate worship with a different body of believers was just that--it was different. My attitudes and expectations about church had been previously defined by 22 years spent in a single church-shaped box.

The thought of "church shopping" scared me. Admittedly, there were mornings when I preferred to hide under the covers instead of sit through an unfamiliar church service with hundreds of strangers, mumbling through praise choruses that I had never heard before. I knew I had to attend church; I was honor-bound to respect my husband by attending church with him, but something inside kept me from fully opening my heart to the experience. Before long I found myself in a spiritual rut. Going to church had ceased to be an edifying part of our spiritual routine as a married couple. For several months I set my jaw and went to church out of obligation and routine.

Routine isn't necessarily a bad thing. After all, our God is a God of order and not chaos, and a well established routine can bring about order and peace. This is especially true for the two of us. Brad and I thrive on routine. We like to have our schedules coordinated and carried out in a timely manner. Just because we're routine doesn't mean we're rigid or boring or that we're in a rut. When we have a routine we feel much more settled and have the time to appreciate each other in ways we hadn't seen before.

I think the same can be said of using routine to develop our relationships with God. Even if we go to church out of habit, we are still giving ourselves an opportunity to spend time with God. When we're not in the habit of going to church it can be very difficult to be receptive to what God may be trying to communicate to us. Brad and I once again find ourselves trying to discover where it is that God would like us to worship with His people. I can already tell that this time I'm in a much more flexible frame of mind, and will not be so distracted by the unfamiliarities of what our new routine will initially entail. God has already taught me new and exciting things in the few weeks at the different church and I look forward to what He ministry opportunities there may be for us there.

God commands us to go to church so that we can spend time learning about him and learning about how he is working in the lives of other Christians. This is such a vital part of the Christian experience that we can't downplay its importance. Being unwilling to go to church because we are afraid of feeling like we're in a rut is no good reason to make a habit of staying home. We must not give up meeting together with others, even if it means the routine has to change a little bit or if something unfamiliar is put in our paths.

Securely Anchored

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. --Hebrews 6:19-20a (NIV)

Lately my mom has been helping me unpack and decorate in my new home. Over the last couple of days we've progressed to the ever-challenging window treatments. Once I finally decided on the draperies I wanted for the bedroom, living room and guest room, we had to find suitable curtain rods--something that provided the perfect combination of form and function. I'll spare you the frustrating details, but let's just say that although my mom and I are talented, creative and artistic in many ways, drapery hardware challenges us.

One piece of hardware with which I've become familiar in the last 72 hours is the drywall anchor. I'm amazed at the ingenuity behind this unassuming little piece of plastic. The purpose of the drywall anchor is to hold the a screw in place. It goes into a pre-drilled hole in the wall, then when the screw is put into place, it expands, sort of like an umbrella, and tightens into the hole in the wall. This provides a much stronger hold than if the screw had just been inserted into the drywall. This is especially useful for holding up things like curtain rods, which have to handle a substantial amount of weight.

Without Christ as my anchor, I wouldn't be able to stand under the weight of the things that life throws at me sometimes. I would probably be able to hold myself up for a little while--I might even look pretty good doing it--but eventually I would collapse. Because of who I am in Christ, I know that there is nothing on this earth that I have to face alone. He is unmoving and unchanging. He provides a place where I can rest securely in him. Ultimately, it is by his strength and not my own that I am made strong.

My heavenly Father has provided an anchor for my soul in his Son, Jesus Christ. It is in him that I find strength and security. This is not only in my day to day life, but also in the hope I have for what lies beyond this life. My faith, which is fervently grounded is Christ, ensures my place in heaven. My faith and my hope are tied together and secured by the anchor that is Jesus Christ.

When Your Back's Against The Wall

...that you may receive mercy and find grace to help you in your time of need. --Hebrews 4:16


There is a reason why I call these things "Pools of Grace". There is a reason why I use Hebrews 4:16 as my theme verse. It is because I firmly believe that God continually bathes and showers us in mercy and grace. He does this not only when we ask Him to, He does it when He knows we need it. That is precisely the nature of mercy and grace.

I have found that when my back is against the wall, God doesn't necessarily provide a way out. What He does provide, however, is the means to withstand whatever circumstance I am facing for as long as I need to. Sometimes the walls of life close in all around me and there is nowhere I can go. It is in those moments that I see bits of grace tucked cleverly into the crevices of that wall.

As my husband once wrote in his poem In Time of Need:

When I'm trapped in a corner with nowhere else to go

I pray that you remember me

and over years my faith will grow.

God remembers us no matter where we are. In fact, there is nowhere we can go that is out of His reach. Furthermore, God will never stop providing for His children. He never stops pouring out His love on us in beautiful, unexpected ways. Very often, we don't see these things until we are able to view them from a distance. When we have come through a rough period, we are able to stand back and see that the great precipice which once threatened to undo us, is now a mere stepping stone to where we are now.

Throughout the last several weeks, God has refreshed me and given me the mercy and grace that I need to go on. Because of His great love for me, I am not consumed (Lamentations 3:22). Even when I don't understand what God is doing in my life, I am at peace to know that the details are in His hands. My faith grows steadily as I rest in the hope I have in my Savior. Whether I find myself face to face with an unyielding wall, or seeking the face of my Heavenly Father, I am given exactly what I need at the perfect moments, and that is what keeps me strong.

Discussing and Defining Faith: Part II

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. --Hebrews 11:6

(to read Discussing and Defining Faith: Part I, click here)

Faith comes by hearing of the message of Christ. Faith is that which enables us to believe in the reality and truth of something or Someone we have not seen. Faith in God, fear of Him, and a desire to come to Him to be blessed by Him are what drive us to adhere to His commandments, thereby living a pleasing and obedient life.

What is it about a lack of faith that displeases God?

Paul Rosenfels, in his work entitled "“Psychoanalysis and Civilization" states "“Faith bridges the gap when understanding fails; when understanding has grown to a necessary point, faith disappears, its work done, and insight is born."” I believe Rosenfels' definition helps point to a reason why a lack of faith is displeasing to God. If faith does in fact only serve a purpose to aid in reaching a point of understanding, then the disappearance of that faith indicates a self-righteous supposition that we understand God. This truly, is an arrogant attitude and displeasing to God.

The world would like to convince us that it has the answers and explanation for just about everything. Many of us buy into the belief (or is it misapplied hope and faith?) that if we were to obtain just enough information about something, we will be given a measure of great contentment. Like Job'’s friends, we are bombarded with reasons and excuses for why things happen, and it can be tempting to think that faith in God is foolish.

In the book of Job, we are given an account of a man who had great faith in God. He was forced to endure unjust hardship at the hands of the enemy. Before Job could be convinced by his faithless friends that belief in God was of no value, God spoke to Job out of a storm. Job was admonished and reminded that even the most far reaching human understanding of God is nothing because He is Sovereign. In Job, Chapter 38, we read God'’s words as He questions Job about his knowledge, and shows him that words without knowledge "“darken his counsel"” (Job 38:2).

Like Job, we must have faith that God is in control, even when the wickedness of the world is heaped upon us. It pleases God to hear us say that we trust Him completely, even when it looks for all intents and purposes, like we can gain nothing by saying so. Our faith pleases God the most when it draws us into a relationship with Him regardless of the possibility of being blessed. God could win us all over in an instant if He wanted to, but God is not interested in winning a popularity contest. Those who earnestly seek Him do so knowing that to come near to God is to stand in the presence of righteousness so powerful that we dare not look it in the face.

Only God can determine the sincerity of our faith, but it is not impossible for us to have a reasonable understanding of what it means to possess faith. Because of my faith in Christ, I am assured of my salvation, and I know that I never have to doubt whether my faith is strong enough to merit God'’s favor. I have come to Him believing that He exists and that He rewards me with the gift of eternal life for earnestly seeking Him.

Discussing and Defining Faith: Part I

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. –Hebrews 11:6

Faith. What is it? Hebrews chapter 11 tells us that is being sure of what we hope for, and confident of things unseen. The dictionary defines it as the acceptance of beliefs and ideals which are not necessarily demonstrable through experimentation or reason. Paul Rosenfels, in his work entitled “Psychoanalysis and Civilization” (1962) tells us that “faith bridges the gap where understanding fails.”

Pleasing God. Apparently it cannot be done without faith. But faith in what? In Him? Is there a difference between faith and belief? Where do we get faith unless from God, and why would He see fit to give it to us if we are not in a state of being able to please Him? Is there such thing as too little faith? I have wrestled with those questions for the last several hours. Actually, I have wrestled with those questions for many years, as have many others.

Understanding God is possibly one of the most difficult things we could ever undertake. This is why faith is so important. Where then do we get faith? Romans Chapter 10 tells us that faith comes by hearing the message, that is, the message of the word of Christ. Those who walked and talked with Jesus during His life and ministry have recorded their eye-witness accounts as well as word-of-mouth confirmations about Him. When we hear the gospel and believe it, we are expressing faith.

Does this mean that faith is something each of us chooses to exercise, similar to free-will? The Apostle Paul’s letters to the early church at Galatia indicate that faith was preceded by obedience and adherence to God’s laws. For example, God’s people we read about in the Old Testament had clearly not yet heard the message of the word of Christ. However, some of them did hear directly from God. It is my understanding that the earliest people of faith were those who were somehow connected to those who had actually heard God’s voice. These are the patriarchs of the Hebrew faith—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. As Paul describes to the Galatians, obedience to the law, as given by God to Moses, was supplemented by faith on the part of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Faith on the part of God’s people well before Christ’s is only the first part of understanding of faith, and how it relates to salvation. As we spend more time hearing God’s Word and reflecting on it, we must be confident that God will give us a measure of His wisdom as a gift of the Holy Spirit to shed more light on what it means to be a person of faith, and how we can please God by being such.

Pride of Authorship

In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. --Hebrews 2:10-11

My co-workers and I are in the process of being transferred to a new location. This means we have to sort through our file cabinets and decide which things need to be boxed up and sent to the archives, and which reports and documents should stay close at hand. It's very gratifying to see the results of my hard work displayed on my bookshelves. The pride of authorship makes it difficult to put things in a box and send them away to a storage facility.

God our Father, who is the author and perfector of our faith, takes pride in us, His children. When we belong to Him, we are always within arm's length of His grasp. Through the work that Christ did on the cross, we become new creations. God delights in us and loves us so much that He would never even consider putting us in the corner to make way for newer, better, more exciting projects. Each of us has a designated place, a prominent position in God's line of sight.

Moreover, we aren't just "projects" to God. We are His sons. God provides a means of salvation through His son Jesus, and when we accept His gift of grace, we are welcomed into God's family. When God looks at us, He sees us as blemish-free, redeemed men and women. None of this could happen without the incredible suffering that Christ endured on the cross. I look forward to the day when I will stand in God's presence, adoring Him along with every man and woman who has been made holy through His son.

Swimming Alongside

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. --Hebrews 10:24-26

Rosencrantz was clearly struggling. His glittering little body hung suspended, nearly perpendicular at one edge of the aquarium. Occasionally he wildly flailed his tiny fins in an attempt to right his position and move water across his gills for oxygen. All the while, Gildenstern and Laertes--two of my other fish--swam close at fin in what appeared to be a role of support. The trio swam alongside one another for most of the afternoon until finally, Rosencrantz' body gave out and he floated silently to the surface of the water.

By nature, tetras are community fish. They prefer to live with several of their own species, benefiting from the safety of a school. Christians also benefit from strong communities. We all need someone to swim alongside us in our times of need. When our Christian brothers or sisters find themselves needing additional encouragement or support, some of us don't always respond very well. We become uncomfortable because we don't know what to say or do. We say something hurtful or inappropriate, albeit unintentionally. Sometimes we bail out completely and distance ourselves emotionally and physically from a person.

When I have been the person in need, I have sometimes felt alienated. I have regretfully realized that this is most often my own fault. At times I have taken it personally when people have responded poorly to my situation. I would get upset with people who meant well, but said or did something that I perceived as hurtful. When it is my turn to be the one to offer encouragement or support, I'm sure I have made mistakes as well. I try my best to simply swim alongside, but even that isn't fool-proof. The point is that we all try because that is what it means to be part of a Christian community, and that is one of the ways in which we can love each other.

Because God is not physically present in our lives at this moment, each member of the Christian community serves as an extension of his love. Within a body of believers, we can always find someone to give us a hug when we're having a bad day, godly advice in a difficult situation, or a voice of encouragement for our walk with God. Every one of us needs to participate in this form of Christian fellowship so that we are available to love one another in unique ways on a daily basis. We model Christ's love best when we are swimming alongside our brothers and sisters, offering encouragement.

A Dose of Discipline

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. --Hebrews 12:11

Depending on our upbringing, we each may have a different mental image when we hear the word "discipline." To some, the word invokes images of a trip to the school principal's office. Others may call to mind their field of study in college. Still others may understand the definition of discipline to mean adherence to a particular lifestyle. Each of those definitions is correct, yet none of them gives a full picture that can be applied to God's definition of discipline.

Hebrews 12, verses 5 through 12, describe how and why God doles out discipline to his children. He does so by allowing us to endure hardship. He also disciplines us by rebuking us when we have done wrong. He does these things because he loves us, and sometimes he loves us so much that it hurts.

No discipline seems pleasant at the time. Is it the disciplinary action that hurts or is it something else entirely? After all, God doesn't exactly come chasing after us pulling his belt through the loops with the speed of lighting. He allows things to happen to us, but I don't know that he directly thumps our heads. If God is not giving us a parental bum-swat, then what is it about discipline that hurts?

Of the six definitions I found for the word discipline, only one of the usages of the word refers to the act of punishing. The others refer to gaining knowledge, teaching, training, or instruction, "especially to teach self-control." That is where the painful part of being spiritually disciplined comes into play. Our natural inclination is to be self-serving. It hurts to deny ourselves of what we want.

What God wants from us is clear in the Bible. His word contains instructions and serves as a training guide for how we are to behave as his children. The word of God is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2nd Timothy 3:16). When it's put that way, it's clearer to see what God's picture of discipline looks like.

My current understanding of the definition of God's form of discipline forces me to return to the not-so-flattering Biblical image of myself as a sheep. Sheep are simple creatures and consequently, do dumb things, not unlike myself. Because of the tendency to wander into trouble, I need discipline. God has set up his rules, precepts and laws, as a fence around me. When I am obedient and living according to his rules, I don't get hurt. If I venture beyond the fence, I do so at my own risk. When I fail to yield to God's discipline, I take my chances with what the world may hand out. Any hurt I experience when outside of the fence is not caused by rope burn from God throwing out a lasso to drag me back. The hurt happens because I try to do my own thing in a world in which I don't belong--a world outside of God's precepts.

Because God loves us, he puts up the fence to keep us safe. Because God loves us he will always provide for us when we stay within the fence. Some people may not like the idea of being within a fenced area, and that's likely due to their own unwillingness to submit their selfish nature to God's discipline. God is not surprised when people feel that way; in fact, he gave each of us the to do so under his provision of free will. God will never force us to live subject to his discipline and all that goes with it. We have the free will to decide whether we want to live in his house with his rules, or try to go it on our own.

It has taken several years and will likely take several more before I am fully trained to stay inside the loving restraint of that fence. I know that the more I keep at it, the more disciplined I will become. Eventually I will get to participate in a harvest of righteousness and peace.

Dialing Down the Noise

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and run with perseverance the race marked out for us. --Hebrews 12:1

For the last several days my husband and I have been a one-car family. To help us overcome the commute challenge this presents, my mom has been kind enough to let me borrow hers until we've established automotive equilibrium. It's a nice big powerful machine with quite a bit of "oomph", but it's radio reception is pretty poor because of a badly damaged antenna. Normally I try to sit in the car during my lunch break so I can listen to a portion of Dr. Laura's program on KFI while I eat. This has become quite interesting as I've attempted to overcome the static interference that results from not having an adequate antenna. I've found that if I park away from tall buildings, stay away from the lee side of a hill, and turn the volume knob up considerably, I can hear Dr. Laura's voice coming from behind all the excess noise.

As I was perfecting this "radio stance", I thought about how communication with God is not unlike trying to tune in to a radio broadcast. There are times when we feel that we aren't hearing much from God or that He is "off air". Instead of making the effort to put ourselves in places and situations where we can be more fully exposed to the incoming signal, we give up. We turn off our hearts because we think that if God really wanted to communicate with us He'd find a very obvious way to do so.

One of the reasons we have trouble hearing God isn't because He isn't loud enough or isn't saying anything. I recently looked up the word "voice" in a Bible index and nearly every reference I found about God's voice was about how powerful it is. So powerful in fact, that the earth trembles and the sea gives way. God's voice is a force to be reckoned with, and not just a hinted whisper that often goes undetected. If communication with God is a problem, it's not because He isn't putting out a powerful enough signal. The problem lies with us and our reception. We often fail to recognize his voice because we are distracted by varying forms of interference.

In the spiritual world we will come up against interference on a regular basis. Every proactive attempt we make to connect with God elicits a counter-measure from our enemy. In order to keep us from experiencing closeness and intimacy with God, the enemy will put many distractions in our paths. He will try to get us to think we're too busy to pray or go to church. He'll make us feel like God wants nothing to do with us because of our imperfections and shortcomings. The enemy would like us to believe that the problems we have in life are because God is angry and displeased with us and is therefore punishing us. All of those thoughts are destructive interference--spiritual static that keeps us from communicating on a deep and personal level with God.

In order to dial down the noise and zero in on God's voice, we need to position ourselves carefully. It is important to keep away from anything or anyone that could make it difficult to live in a manner that is pleasing to God. For some people, this may mean eliminating certain behaviors. For others it may require a re-evaluation of particular friendships. Once the distractions are minimized, tuning in to God's voice involves surrounding ourselves with the kind of people who already recognize Him. Dialing down the noise and cutting out the spiritual static means we also should invest in a strong spiritual antenna. The Bible is an excellent way for us to spend time reading God's words and learning about what He has to say to us personally.

There may be times when we find it very difficult to hear God's voice, but the better we become at eliminating the worldly interference, the better we get at hearing Him clearly in every situation. Communication with God is not about just sitting back and waiting for Him to shout to us from the heavens. We need to put ourselves in positions where we are not entangled by sin but instead are well equipped to receive His words.

Wonders of Creation

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. --Hebrews 11:3

During my freshman year of college one of my major's requirements was a biology course entitled "Evolution and Ecology". I registered for the class with a great deal of trepidation. For most of my life I had been conditioned to regard theories of evolution as preposterous, and I thought that as I Christian I had no business even entertaining such ideas for fear that it could jeopardize my faith. In reality, the class served to solidify my belief in Creationism. For the rest of my college career, the more I studied subjects like environmental science, geology, ecology, and yes, even evolution, I developed a deeper appreciation for the elements of God's creation and the incredible ways that God has designed the physical, biological and chemical processes to work together.

Controversial theories abound regarding creation and evolution. Some people believe in a creation week made up of 7, 24 hour days. Others think that each day of creation was representative of an era or age. Still others subscribe to the idea of what has been termed "progressive creationism" which is creation by means of evolution. Like this verse in Hebrews points out, God's creation is much more than meets the eye. Even though I learned a lot about God's earth in my classes in college, I also had to look at it more deeply by reading the Bible. However, even with the Bible's account of how the world began, I don't think anyone can truly know exactly how it all happened. I believe that Creation is factual. I also believe that there are a great many scientific realities that further explain parts of how God enabled creation to take place.

Because I am a Christian who also happens to be a scientist, I often find that my theories about creation and evolution are no less controversial that some others. The root of my belief is that God did indeed speak this universe into being. This is Biblical. I was not there to witness it, neither was the author of the book of Genesis, neither was Hugh Ross, Charles Darwin, Johannes Kepler, John Calvin nor Rick Warren. The earth was not formed by accident, nor was it formed without purpose. Many people will never discover that purpose because they fail to understand that some things must be taken on the basis of faith.

People without faith may only ever observed the world around them on a surface level. The things that are visible--fossil records, the Grand Canyon, even our DNA --even though these can be described or observed in detail by science, they cannot tell the whole story. Faith helps us fill in some of the gaps and allows us to focus on the things of the most value and importance. What is important is not how old the earth is or how the process of natural selection works. The important thing is that there is a God who formed our universe out of nothing. He brought us into being and breathed into us the breath of life. He gave us a soul that we might know Him and seek after Him even without having seen Him.

My faith enables me to believe in things I don't understand. It also helps me trust that God has a plan for me. My future is not in the hands of fate, and I am not subject to some great cosmic game of chance.

Spinning Wildly

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith--Hebrews 12:2a

When I was a little girl, I loved for my mom to turn on the record player so I could pretend to be a ballerina. I would spin around and around, watching my feet and the pattern on the carpet swirl together into one indistinguishable blend of browns and golds. Instead of toe shoes, I wore Big Bird slippers. Instead of Tchaikovsky, I danced to Cher and Neil Diamond; instead of being able to twirl endlessly, I often collapsed from dizziness.

When I got a little older, I learned that dancers like ballerinas and ice skaters have a little trick they use to keep themselves from getting dizzy. They are trained to locate a fixed focal point, and to turn their heads in such a way as they spin, that the fixed point remains in their line of sight until the last possible second. When they have completed the spin, they immediately focus on the point again to establish a sense of equilibrium. This is how they keep from falling or becoming very dizzy.

I thought about how this principle is something that we can apply to our everyday lives. Even Christians have times in their lives when things don't go as smoothly as planned. Inevitably, each of us will encounter some type of circumstance that will seem to send our world spinning wildly out of control. Unless we find something steadfast that we can use as a focal point, we may be swept away by those dizzying situations. If we don't have a way to reestablish our equilibrium, we run to risk of endangering our faith.

Jesus is our steadfast focal point. For as much as life changes, he remains the same. He is constant and faithful. Although our selfish ways may keep us from completely fixing our eyes on him at all times while we spin, the important thing is that we make the effort to return to him. When I have faced difficult times in my life, it has been easy for me to take my eyes off Jesus for a time. At those times, I was feeling so consumed with finding a way to deal with my problems on my own that I failed to allow Jesus to handle them for me. The longer I went without him as my focal point, the more overwhelmed I felt. Until I returned my gaze to him, my world went on spinning wildly out of control.

Even when I have fixed my eyes firmly on Jesus, there are times when life continues to spin. That is just the reality of life here on earth. We are often at the mercy of circumstances beyond our control. God never promised us that by belonging to him we would escape the world's troubles. He does promise, however, to give us the means to remain firm in our faith, despite whatever else is going on. God is faithful and unchanging. By focusing on him, our faith is perfected. The dizzying circumstances of this world we live in no longer have the power to knock us off our feet as they would if we were without the influence of Christ in our lives.

Encouraging Thoughts

But encourage one another, while it is still called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. --Hebrews 3:13

For the greater part of my life, my friends were mostly people whom I had known for 10 years of more. Now that I'm married, I no longer live near my hometown friends. Growing up in a close-knit community, I experienced a social environment that was relatively unchanging, and I took that for granted. I just assumed that the only valuable friendships were those with people I had known for the better part of a decade. Up until recently, I distanced myself from new people, and told myself that it wasn't worth investing in any new relationships, particularly with people who wouldn't be around for more than a year or two (a common thing at our church, which has a lot of seminary students.)

How completely selfish that way of thinking was! I hang my head at the thought of how many wonderful chances I had to get to know different people, but didn't. I passed up a lot of opportunities because I thought that unless I was getting a good return on my personal investment in a friendship, then I shouldn't even bother. Even more upsetting is the realization that the more I distanced myself, the less I was in constant fellowship with other Christians. This gave the enemy a chance to harden my heart and usher in feelings of discouragement over the fact that I didn't have any "close" friends at my new church home.

This verse in Hebrews says that we are to encourage each other while it is still called today. While reading it, the phrase carpe diem springs to my mind. I thought about how I could apply this idea of encouraging others to my desire to act differently in my approach to seizing the day and starting to develop friendships. In looking up the definition of encourage, I found that the phrase "to give support to; foster" seemed the most applicable, and the most in tune with how Christian communities should work.

Part of the function of the body of Christ, his church, is to do just as the definition says. We when come together in a spirit of Christian fellowship, we are strengthened by the combining of individual gifts and talents from all members of the church. As a result, we are able to support one another more effectively in a variety of life situations. This ultimately fosters a greater ability to live in a more Christ-like manner.

The more I think about this verse and the word encouragement, I think about how important friendships are, especially among Christians. When Jesus began his ministry, he did so with a group of men who undoubtedly become his closest personal friends. Unlike me, Jesus didn't dismiss the idea of friendship with them simply because he was only going to be with them for a short period of time. A few years must have seemed very short indeed to someone who has a true grasp on the concept of eternity! Furthermore, Jesus didn't hold himself back from loving people completely, even when he knew they would never invest the same level of effort into knowing and loving him in return.

In the future, I plan to eliminate my own social agenda when it comes to forming friendships. No matter how long those relationships may last, I need to approach them with the goal of being an encourager. To love like Jesus does, I need to work on seizing the opportunities to develop unique relationships with any number of my fellow Christians.

Establishing Habits

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.--Hebrews 10:25

When my husband and I had just started dating, we quickly discovered how alike we are. Each of us grew up in very similar environments, and as a result, we share a lot of the same personality traits. We both exhibit characteristics typical of oldest children, and we are both type-A personalities (which, by the way, serves us very well in our respective places of employment!) Our parents did a lot to instill in us many of the same values they had been exposed to while growing up. The similarities in our personalities are undoubtedly the result of certain aspects of our upbringing.

In addition to shaping our learning environments, our parents also shaped our spiritual environments. Both our families attend church on a regular basis and have for many years. There were times in high school and early college when I wondered if going to church was something I did because it was simply a family tradition, or because there was something deeper going on. Sometimes it felt like my Sunday activities were more of a force of habit rather than something meaningful.

Even when I struggled with those questions and feelings, something inside me still pushed me to go to church. I have come to a point now where I realize that even if I'm not "feeling" particularly spiritual, going to church is a habit that I dare not let fall by the wayside. Attendance may be partially done out of a sense of obligation or a need for routine, but the truth is, it's a healthy habit that results in a deeper relationship with God.

I have come to think about church attendance in a way similar to how I think about spending time with my husband. Brad and I thrive on routine. We like to have our schedules coordinated and carried out in a timely manner. Just because we're routine doesn't mean we're rigid or boring or that we're in a rut. In fact, throughout this last week we have made a very conscious effort to step it up a notch in planning out our time together. As a result, we feel much more settled and have the time to appreciate each other in ways we hadn't seen before.

I think the same can be said of using routine to develop our relationships with God. Even if we go to church out of habit, we are still giving ourselves an opportunity to spend time with God. When we're not in the habit of going to church it can be very difficult to be receptive to what God may be trying to communicate to us. For example, when I hadn't gone to church for a number of months, when I finally did go I found myself thinking "I'm in church. This feels strange. How many people are judging me for not being here last week? How long do I have to sit here before I can get up and go home?" I missed out on a lot of good sermons because I was too distracted. Now that I am in the habit of sitting in the same section of the sanctuary each week, my thoughts have changed to "Here I am in my regular seat. What am I going to learn here today?" The comfort that goes with being settled into a routine makes it much easier for me to sit still with fewer distractions.

God commands us to go to church so that we can spend time learning about him and learning about how he is working in the lives of other Christians. This is such a vital part of the Christian experience that we can't downplay its importance. Being unwilling to go to church because we are afraid of feeling like we're in a rut is no good reason to make a habit of staying home. We must not give up meeting together with others.

Thankfulness, Reverence, and Awe

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. --Hebrews 12:28

In our daily prayers, Brad and I thank God for the blessings he has given us, but we realize that nothing we could ever say would be an adequate response of thankfulness. God has overwhelmed us with his love. I am personally thankful for God's character and the merciful way he deals with me.

Two years ago I wanted nothing to do with God. I resented the very thing that we as humans love most--free will. I selfishly wanted to live my own life and make my own choices, but heaven forbid that God should allow free will on the part of others to affect me! Although I will never understand why God does the things he does, or why he allows the things he allows, I am thankful that he is undoubtedly in control. He is God. His kingdom cannot be shaken. Far beyond any material thing for which I could express thankfulness, I am thankful that God is real and that he exists. In fact, I'm even thankful that I don't understand him, because if I did, then what basis would there be for me to be in awe of him?

The following are the lyrics to a song I have written entitled "There are No Words". I have no adequate words to describe God's character, nor do I have the words to describe the intense thankfulness I wish to express to him for being a personal God, but this is a modest start.


"There are no Words"

There are no words to describe your love
it's as boundless as the sea.
You're seated high in heav'n above,
yet you've extended your hand to me.
There are no words to describe your power,
you're in charge of all the earth.
You command each season, each hour,
and in me you find great worth.

Nothing I could do or say,
Would be able to convey,
all that you've allowed me to see.
No words seem to fit.
No description is appropriate.
There are no words.

There are no words to describe your grace,
the gift you give so freely.
I've made mistakes that I can't erase
yet you make them all cease to be.
There are no words to describe you
but oh! So much to say!
So I will constantly praise you for who you are,
and thank you with each new day.

Nothing I could do or say
would be able to convey
all that you've allowed me to see.
No words seem to fit.
No description is appropriate.
There are no words.