I Found God in Falling Skies...

I'm constantly looking for a Buffy-replacement.  So far, nothing has matched my all-time favorite show, and most shows I end up liking don't make it past one season (No Ordinary Family, V, etc.).  But, I've found new one on Sunday nights on TNT that I am loving...!!  It's called Falling Skies with Noah Wyle.  Alien invasion, great action, and intriguing characters are just what I like... and I discovered a happy surprise while watching it... There's a Christian character!  And for once, she's not a freaky religious caricature of what a Christian is truly like!!!


"Lourdes" (played by Seychelle Gabriel) is a pre-med student whose college education was interrupted by the alien invasion of the Skitters and Mechs.  She helps in the clinic of one of the resistance bands, and routinely (normally!) displays her Christian faith in each episode.  We see her pray before each meal, openly discussing her faith to the other characters (even if they don't agree - or even have any faith of their own), and... my favorite... when she prays over photos of each of the missing children posted to a bulletin board.  She doesn't preach - she leads by example, and she doesn't back down when other characters make fun of her or dismiss her faith as "pointless."


This character does what we, as Christians, should ALL be doing... letting her actions show others that a faith in God will give us strength in the hard times, enable us to see outside of ourselves to help others, and though our everyday, ordinary actions, show how our faith in God has transformed our heart, our mind, and our actions.


People are usually leery of those "freaky, religious people" infiltrating the workplace or social settings outside of church.  I confess that I have a BIG freak-o-meter, myself!  I can't stand meeting pushy religious people who seem to be play-acting their faith.  The trick is to be "normal" - to "naturally" share your faith in small, authentic ways... to gently lead others by example.  God can change someone's heart; He doesn't need you do do His job.  But you can open a door by being the kind of person who represents God authentically with honor, integrity, and honesty.  There is a great article about naturally sharing your faith in the workplace HERE.


Falling Skies is not a religious show.  It is a show with guns and bad language and survival in a post-invaded world.  There is violence, and fear, and grief, and hard choices... the alien-invasion part may be make-believe, but the human feelings are common in many situations in our real-life world.  But God makes our life better when we let Him work through us naturally... in everyday, ordinary places... and allows us to lead others to Him.


What can you do to share your faith naturally?

The World Is Not a Stage

 ¹ "Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don't make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won't be applauding. ^2-4"When you do something for someone else, don't call attention to yourself. You've seen them in action, I'm sure—'playactors' I call them— treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that's all they get. When you help someone out, don't think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.

Pray with Simplicity

 ⁵"And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?

Matthew 6:1-5 (Msg)

You can win more people to Christ with your everyday, ordinary behavior than you can preaching at them.  Leave the preaching to the Pastors, and lead by quiet example.  Your example just might be the one thing someone else needs to come to know Christ.

Take care of you and yours,

:) Mags

Plastic Jesus

I have an issue with "fake..."  Fake attitude, fake happiness, fake family, fake faith, fake Jesus.  I'm sure it's because I've met too many people in my life who completely false:  

• They act nice to you... but talk nasty about you when you walk away.
• They pretend to have it all together (making me feel like a dolt), but really they are falling apart... just like the rest of us.
• They pretend to be "THE BEST" spouse, parent, friend, associate, leader, whatever... but really, they are beyond flawed and their relationships are a disaster.
• They pretend to be a Christian... they talk big, but walk small.... clutching their "faith" in a tightly-held fist and waving it front of everybody.  But their faith is fake... plastic... like the little Plastic Jesus they grasp.

I've posted several videos by IgniterMedia on this blog - largely because they "get" everything I'm thinking.  This one about "Plastic Jesus" is no exception:

Stop pretending!!  You don't have to be the PERFECT person/spouse/friend/parent/child/etc.  You just have to be YOU... flawed, screwed-up, YOU.  Because believe me, all of your friends are flawed and screwed up too.


I am a HUGE Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanatic... as in I own all of the episodes, have action figures, posters, and other prop-replicas... scary, I know!  One of my favorite episodes is called Earshot.  In this, Buffy is tainted by a demon's blood and is suddenly able to hear everyone's thoughts... all of the time.  She overhears what she thinks is a plot to murder kids at school and finds herself in the school's bell tower with one of the school nerds who is brandishing a high-powered rifle.  This is an excerpt from her speech to him (before she disarms him):


JONATHAN
Stop doing that!

BUFFY
Doing what?

JONATHAN
Stop saying my name like we're friends.
We're not friends. You all think I'm an
idiot. A short idiot.

BUFFY
I don't.I don't think about you much at all.
Most people here don't. Bugs you,
doesn't it? You've got all this pain,
all these feelings and nobody's
paying attention.

JONATHAN
You think I just want attention?

BUFFY
No, I think you're in the bell tower
with a high powered rifle because you
want to blend in. Believe it or not, Jonathan,
I understand. About the pain.

JONATHAN
Oh, right. 'Cause the burden of being
beautiful and athletic, that's a crippler.

BUFFY
I'm sorry, I was wrong. You are an idiot.My life happens very occasionally to
suck beyond the telling of it. More than
I can stand sometimes. And not just me.
Every single person down there is
ignoring your pain because they're way
too busy with their own. The beautiful
ones, the popular ones, the guys that
pick on you... everyone.

If you could hear what they're feeling -
the confusion, the loneliness... It looks
quiet down there. It's not. It's deafening.
Everyone has struggles... Everyone has pain...  You don't have to pretend that "everything is perfect" when it's not.  Jesus was the only "perfect" one... and His life was full of hardships and pain!
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Psalm 9:9-10

Learn it... believe it... God is a refuge - a place of safety and comfort.  You don't have to pretend anymore.  He will help you.  He understands.  And if you really looked around, you'd see that all of your friends are also dealing with their own issues too.
Why settle for the illusion provided by the Plastic Jesus when you can have the real thing?

In A Nutshell.... SUCK IT, SATAN!

Our friends, Gary & Beth, do a wonderful job of family Bible study time with their three kids. This seems to be a regular thing for them, and I wish I was that good at incorporating God's Word naturally into activities with our kids.

I was especially impressed when they decided to let their KIDS lead a study or two. Each kid was responsible for coming up with a short lesson to share with the rest of the family.... When their third grader, Leah, had her turn, this is what Gary posted on his Facebook page:

...(I) enjoyed Leah leading our family Bible time last night. So cute seeing her ask questions, request us to look up scripture, explain God's words, then finish by exclaiming........."SUCK IT SATAN!" When asked where she heard that, Seth said "That would be from us" (referring to his brother & self). Crazy kids!

I LOVE THIS!!!
I love it when kids just "get it" - and can sum it up in their own language!

And how powerful do you feel when you gather your breath and exclaim, "SUCK IT, SATAN!"

Go ahead... give it a try. Think of a difficulty in your life that you are facing right now.... a sin or temptation you are trying to stand up against. Satan is the ultimate deceiver - instead of being swayed by his clever lies, hold your head high, and tell him off!

"Control yourselves. Be on your guard. Your enemy the devil is like a roaring lion.
He prowls around looking for someone to chew up and swallow.
Stand up to him. Stand firm in what you believe.
All over the world you know that your brothers and sisters are going through
the same kind of suffering."
1 Peter 5: 8-9

The Bible puts it a bit more eloquently, but the result is the same. Stand up to the lies, the deceit, the whispers, the sin... say "Suck it, Satan!" and remember that "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you." (Romans 16:20).

:) Mags

I Found God in My Husband...

Yesterday, marked the anniversary of 14 years of marriage for me and my "King Charming," David. I have been blessed with a husband who is a noble and honorable man... one who stands firm in his convictions, but who also yields when it is in the best interests of the family (or his sanity!). One who provides for our family and models the type of man I want my sons to emmulate. I am lucky, for sure, and I thought I'd share just a few of the lessons I've learned from him...

1. Don't Waver On Your Faith - When David and I got married, I was VERY resistent to going to church. But David was patient and steadfast - he quietly followed my initial "one week on - one week off" rule regarding our church attendance, but continued his own growth with men's classes on the side. He encouraged me to pick up more responsibility at our church - even joining me in helping in the nursery and such. When I came time to find a new church closer to our home, he valued my opinions and insight on the various places we visited. We've had some spirited discussion on many "hot" topics: homosexuality, abortion, etc. - and his point of view has always been backed by Biblical teachings. He has never let society and their "rules" interfere with what he knows to be True from the Bible. One's faith is critical - you have to know WHAT you belief... and more importantly, you have to know WHY you believe it so you can explain it to others. David knows his stuff ... and he can share it with others so that they can understand too. God loves the pure-hearted and well-spoken; good leaders also delight in their friendship. - Proverbs 22:11 (Msg)

2. Know when to bend. You know how we had to put our beloved dog, Clifton, down last month? "THE PLAN" was to wait a year (or at least across a summer) before getting a new one. I was on board with THE PLAN... when we had an infirm dog already and taking a break seemed like a good idea.... but about 12 hours after having "no dog," I realized that I hated not having a dog in our house...!! And 36 hours later, I had found a new dog on the Columbus Cocker Rescue site! Needless to say, David was flabbergasted - he was not on this "NEW PLAN" of mine - but he came to realize how important getting a new dog was to me. He put his own wants and needs aside for me - gave up his plan and accepted the new plan... for me... because he loves me, and in this instance, he could be the bigger person and B E N D.

3. Leave the baggage behind. Everyone has baggage in their life... sometime small bags that are easily discarded and forgotten... but sometimes BIG baggage that sits in the foyer of your lives forever - unable to be emptied, recycled, trashed, or wiped from memory. But one's circumstances or past does NOT have to dictate your whole life - The past may have shaped who you are TODAY... but it does NOT have to dictate who you will be tomorrow. David refuses to let old family stuff impact our kids or our family. He steps up and protects our core family from the baggage that could infect another generation. It's not easy - and I so admire him for that!

4. Have fun with your family. ... And on the 7th day, God rested... David takes time to play with the family... We see movies, he wrestles with the kids, he coaches their sports teams, he co-leads the Scouts. He shows our kids all the time that they are important to him and that they matter. Sure, he's got work... and lots of it! But he's not ALL about work - and the kids know that THEY are more valuable to him than work.

5. Love your spouse. Proverbs 6:17-20 (Msg) reminds us to "never take love for granted." David brings me flowers... not just on a birthday or anniversary... but "just because." He once went out a 9:45PM (10 minutes before Best Buy would close) to buy me a security cable for my laptop before we left on vacation because he knew I really wanted (needed?!) one for our trip. He takes care of our cars (you have to change the oil??) - our home (what's a furnace filter?) - and our money (with help from Dave Ramsey). He's endured more than one craft show, the nightmarish rubber stamp convention, the garrish Rennassance Festival, and the American Girl Doll Store (and we don't even have a daughter!). This man SHOWS me over and over... daily... that he loves me and our family.

Thanks, Sweetie... for your everyday life lessons... ♥

I Found God In My Dog...

Last night, we said "good-bye" to our 13-year old Cocker Spaniel, Clifton. I'm assuming that since God took the loving care to create cats and dogs (and other pets) who would bond so fervently with his human creations, He has also provided a place for them in Heaven. So I'm comforted by the idea that Clifton is now playing with any other pets from my life as well as various relatives who have gone on before us.

Now that our "interactive stuffed animal" (He looked like a giant Webkinz), is gone, there are so many lessons I can take from his life (the equivelent of a 91-year-old!). Here are five that stand out:

1. Stop whining about the crummy stuff! - Buck up and deal with it...! About 5 years ago, Clifton went blind due to cataracts. That didn't stop him - he used his hearing and sniffer to get around. Then he lost his hearing. He was only able to smell and feel these last few years, but he still went outside... He still followed us around the house... He still explored new areas (moved furniture, a kennel). There was no whining - a dog can't complain all day long; he just deals with it. I wish humans were so adaptable. Jesus endured unspeakable pain before His death - nothing we go through will be as bad as that - so stop whining and buck up.

2. Don't Hold Grudges...! Because Clifton was blind and deaf AND insisted on being "where the action was" (i.e. wherever we were in the house), he was under-foot most of the time. Quite often, we would trip over him when he unexpectedly darted under our feet, and I'm sad to say that he was inadvertantly kicked in the head a lot. *sigh* But we never heard a growl... a snarl... nothing. Clifton was as loving as always - every day. I've got two kids who whack each other the moment the first one makes a transgression against the other. I would love it if they were as forgiving as my ol', blind & deaf dog!

3. It's the Simple Things In Life That Matter Most...! Clifton didn't need a fancy bed, or a fancy toy, or a bedazzled collar to be happy. He just wanted to be with us - snuggled on the couch watching TV... or gnawing on a piece of rawhide... or sandwiched in the bed between me and David. Above all, he wanted TIME with us... And TIME with your loved ones, is usually the best gift you can give them.

4. It's Not Always About You...! When Clifton got "old," not only did he lose his sight and hearing, but he suffered periodic seizures, and he had warts all over his skin, and he had a few cancerous tumors removed. His stomach got tricky - and about twice a week, we'd come downstairs to find he'd tossed his cookies (usually on the carpet!), or had an accident (also on the carpet). It's easy to get angry when older beings fall apart - what was once strong and independent (and in a dog's case, trained!), is now weak, fragile, and messy. But real love is a choice - and we choose to give of ourselves to care for this dog (or this grandparent or this friend) no matter how messy it gets. Caring for Clifton may have gotten frustrating at times, but it's not always about ME... it's about making life better and easier for my friend.

5. Love Unconditionally...! "A dog is the only thing on earth that will love you more than you love yourself." We are flawed, we screw up, but our dog loved us anyway. God is the same way - We make rediculous decisions every day, and God still gives us His unconditional love. Having a pet helps you love unconditionally and experience this back. We are blessed with 13 years of memories of our precious dog; he helped us become more loving people.

When God made the earth and sky, the flowers and the trees.
He then made all the snimals, the fish, the birds, and bees.
And when at last He'd finished, no one was quite the same.
He said, I'll walk this world of mine, and give each one a name."
And so He traveled far and wide and everywhere He went,
a little creature followed Him until it's strength was spent.
When all were named upon the earth and in the sky and sea,
the little creature said, "Dear Lord, there's not one left for me."
Kindly the Father said to him, "I've left you to the end.
I've turned my own name back to front called you "DOG," my friend.

Friday Funnies - (DE)Motivators

I love Despair.com. I know it's (slightly?) obnoxious - but honestly, these signs often show an element of truth in the business world. I'd love to buy a whole assortment of framed prints for our den. These would be some of my favorites...

Aside from being just funny, I put these here to remind us that PERCEPTION is important. God says this in Matthew 4:1-6...

"Be especially careful when you are trying to be good

so that you don't make a performance out of it.

It might be good theater, but the God who made you won't be applauding. "When you do something for someone else, don't call attention to yourself. You've seen them in action, I'm sure—'playactors' I call them— treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that's all they get. When you help someone out, don't think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.

Consulting businesses make their money by building on, changing, or tweaking the public's perception of a particular company or individual. What we see is what we tend to believe.

So what perception do others have of you? Kind...? Honest...? Loyal...? Christian...? Your behavior in the "real world" decides the reputation you will earn. How do you want others to view you? Because by behaving in the way that you want to be seen, you can shape and change perception.

Perception: What the caterpillar calls "the end," the rest of the world calls a butterfly.

I Found God on Facebook...

I love Facebook - reconnecting with people from college or high school - or even elementary school can be so much fun! It's like all of the "good-byes" you had to say at graduation because you just knew you would likely never see that friend again have been erased (like the rewritten history on a soap opera), and now you can pop in and see what's been going on with them for the past decade or two.

Facebook is also a way to re-invent yourself from the way you were viewed in high school or college (or elementary school). Some people haven't changed, for sure. Some people have gone in a life direction that I surely would not have chosen for myself (i.e. My status will never say, "WOW... I'm still drunk this morning...") *sigh* But I've found that many people HAVE changed - me included - I really enjoy catching up with them.

This morning, I found GOD... literally... on Facebook. He has a page. You can become a fan. And at my joining today, God had 1,455,171 fans. Undoubtedly, some people joined because they were being obnoxious. And some people joined because they were being reverent. I suspect that it was more of an "Average Joe" who set up the page just to see what would happen rather than the Lord, Almighty. Regrettably, just a few hours after I joined, I had to UN-sub due to the massive amount of nasty trash photos that appeared on the page. But I did like the info that appeared on my profile page:

I like that it said, plain and clear, "Maggie became a fan of God" for all 239 friends of mine to see. :)

Would it be so outrageous to expect to find God on Facebook? If He was, he would certainly attact both the faithful AND the mockers - just as with his life as Jesus. Jesus spent most of His time with basic people. Not buddies with kings and queens - but befriended the lost, the hurting, the searching, the weak... the average. He dealt with His share of ridicule, mockery, abuse, and torment. I suspect that if God actually set up a page on Facebook, most people would be too skeptical to believe it was really Him, anyway... And, as with this particular fan page, the non-believers would, indeed, line-up to mock, ridicule the other believers, and post lewd and obnoxious content just because tearing down someone for their beliefs makes them feel better about their own lack thereof.

This "God" page aside, I love that Facebook is filled with thousands of "average Joe's" - sharing their lives, their triumphs, their hurts, their celebrations. Within Facebook, I've been able to "celebrate" the friends' birthdays, pregnancies, or anniversaries. I've grieved with friends who have lost loved ones-- some who have lost children. I even learned of a couple's impending divorce on Facebook. Each time I post to this blog, it syncs up with Facebook and posts the same content there. All of these people who knew me when I was 19, or 16, or 12, or 6 see my faith out in the open - and just maybe, they are impacted by something I write.

God is everywhere - why NOT on Facebook... ??

Psalm 139 (The Message)
1-6 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.
I'm an open book to you;
even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
I'm never out of your sight.
You know everything I'm going to say
before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you're there,
then up ahead and you're there, too—
your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
I can't take it all in!

7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
to be out of your sight?
If I climb to the sky, you're there!
If I go underground, you're there!
If I flew on morning's wings
to the far western horizon,
You'd find me in a minute—
you're already there waiting!
Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
At night I'm immersed in the light!"
It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you;
night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.

13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day.

17-22 Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful!
God, I'll never comprehend them!
I couldn't even begin to count them—
any more than I could count the sand of the sea.
Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!
And please, God, do away with wickedness for good!
And you murderers—out of here!—
all the men and women who belittle you, God,
infatuated with cheap god-imitations.
See how I hate those who hate you, God,
see how I loathe all this godless arrogance;
I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred.
Your enemies are my enemies!

23-24 Investigate my life, O God,
find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,
get a clear picture of what I'm about;
See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong—
then guide me on the road to eternal life.

When you sign-up for Facebook and start letting "in" people to your profile, you are in essence inviting them to investigate your life. Your status updates, the groups you join, the wall posts you make all reflect on YOU. What does your Facebook activity say about you to the Facebook world? Is that a true reflection of who you want to be?

A Google search of "God and Facebook" did yield some comical results. One funny one was here: http://www.huc.edu/libraries/LA/sheryl/FBGenesis/ Another one I edited to remove some obnoxious content but overall, thought the "Wall" posts really mimicked Facebook's overal look:

One final thought - I spend a lot of time on facebook; it is my homepage now. But, I found THIS ARTICLE to be quite the good reminder that in order to truly to truly add God to YOUR friend list, you need to seek him earnestly and truly with your heart. It's not going to happen with a quick "Add To Friends" button! :)

I Found God In Little Eyes - An EverydayPlaces Rewind

First... a little note (THX, Michelle for forwarding this to me!):

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING


When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing, and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, 'Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.'

-Author Unknown (by me, at least)

This is my segway into EverydayPlaces Rewinds - a way to highlight some older posts that may have gotten lost in the Archives. One of my favorite posts is about being an AUTHENTIC Christian. "Little Eyes" see a LOT... just like God... who sees past our facades and who knows our hearts, our intentions, and our motives.... Go HERE to rewind to the original post about "God & Authenticity." It's a good one! :)

I Found God In A Quilt...

Got this great inspiration email from Gran-Roberta (my-step-grandma-in-law):

Quilt of Holes

As I faced my Maker at the last judgment, I knelt before the Lord along with all the other souls.

Before each of us laid our lives like the squares of a quilt in many piles; an angel sat before each of us sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry that is our life.

But as my angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares was. They were filled with giant holes. Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in every day life. I saw hardships that I endured, which were the largest holes of all.

I glanced around me. Nobody else had such squares. Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich color and the
bright hues of worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened.

My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty, like binding air.
Finally the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light, the scrutiny of truth. The others rose; each in turn, holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives had been. My angel looked upon me, and nodded for me to rise.

My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn't had all the earthly fortunes. I had love in my life, and laughter. But there had also been trials of illness, and wealth, and false accusations that took from me my
world, as I knew it. I had to start over many times. I often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again. I spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life. I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured painfully, each time offering it up to the Father in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the judgmental gaze of those who unfairly judged me.

And now, I had to face the truth. My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it was.

I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light.

An awe-filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around at the others who stared at me with wide eyes.

Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes, creating an image, the face of Christ. Then our Lord stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, "Every time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles. Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through, until there was more of Me than there was of you."

May all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowing Christ to shine through!

God determines who walks into your life ... it's up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go.'

When there is nothing left but God...

that is when you find out that God is all you need.

I Found God In A Thread...

Our church is doing a WHY? study - 6 "big" questions about God, Jesus, and Faith.

On Sunday, Pastor Tom discussed the big "WHY?" question of "Why Should I Trust The Bible?" and the thread of consistency found within the Bible:
- a volume containing 66 books,
- written via 40 different authors,
- living in different location,
- in several different languages,
- across a couple thousand years,


We live in an era where even the most amazing technology and skilled technicians can't even accurately translate a book into a movie (i.e. The Firm, Flowers in the Attic, Twilight, Harry Potter 3, etc.!) when the book they are referencing is right in front of them! Yet the Bible has maintained its authenticity and consistency over the years and across numerous translations!

To illustrate this thread of consistency, Tom's wife, Kay, stood up and recited this song by heart called "HE IS" - written by Arron Jeoffrey:

In Genesis, He's the breath of life
In Exodus, the Passover Lamb
In Leviticus He's our high priest
Numbers, the fire by night
Deuteronomy, He's Moses' voice
In Joshua, He is Salvation's choice

Judges, law giver
In Ruth, the kinsmen-redeemer
First and Second Samuel,
Our trusted prophet
In Kings and Chronicles, He's sovereign
Ezra, true and faithful scribe
Nehemiah, He's the rebuilder of
Broken walls and lives

In Esther, He's Mordecai's courage
In Job, the timeless redeemer
In Psalms, He is our morning song
In Proverbs, wisdom's cry
Ecclesiastes, the time and season
In the Song of Solomon,
He is the lover's dream

He is, He is

In Isaiah, He's prince of peace Jeremiah, the weeping prophet
In Lamentations, the cry for Israel
Ezekiel, He's the call from sin
In Daniel, the stranger in the fire
In Hosea, He is forever faithful

In Joel, He's the spirit's power
In Amos, the Arms that carry us
In Obadiah, He's the Lord our Savior
In Jonah, He's the great missionary
In Micah, the promise of peace
In Nahum, He is our strength and our shield

In Habakkuk and Zephaniah
He's pleading for revival
In Haggai, He restores a lost heritage
In Zachariah, our fountain
In Malachi, He is the sun of righteousness
Rising with healing in His wings.

He is, He is

In Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
He is God, Man, Messiah
In the book of Acts, He is fire from Heaven
In Romans, He's the grace of God
In Corinthians, the power of love
In Galatians, He is freedom from
The curse of sin
Ephesians, our glorious treasure
Philippians, the servant's heart
In Colossians, He's the Godhead Trinity
Thessalonians, our coming King
In Timothy, Titus, Philemon
He's our mediator and our faithful pastor

In Hebrews, the everlasting covenant
In James, the one who heals the sick
In First and Second Peter,
He is our shepherd
In John and in Jude, He's the lover
Coming for His bride
In the Revelation, He is King of Kings, and Lord of lords

He is, He is

The Prince of peace
The Son of Man
The Lamb of God
The Great I Am

He's the Alpha and Omega
Our God and our Savior
He is Jesus Christ the Lord
And when time is no more

He is
He is

Throughout the Bible runs a thread of consistency. One that holds it together - solidifies it - binds it. As a kid, I believed that the Bible was just a collections of stories... of fables to teach all of us a lesson or two. It hasn't been until the last few years, that my mindset has changed to include the faith that the Bible is not just a collection of poignant tales, but a manual, written by God. The words may have been penned by man, but the verses themselves are God-breathed. When you are searching for an instruction-manual to this crazy thing called life, you can find tips, tricks, wisdom, rules, guidelines, and more in this single book.

Recently, our family visited the Creation Museum in Kentucky. I plan to write about it in detail in a future post, but one video clip about fossils and the history of dinosaurs struck me; it said:

"Rocks and fossils don't come with tags on them, telling us how old they are. Scientists reach different views about the past, not because of what they see, but because of their different starting points: autonomous human reasoning or God's Word... Our conclusions about the world are affected by the decision to trust either the words of the eternal, perfect God or the words of temporal, fallible men. [Either way] there is an element of FAITH at work in every interpretation of scientific evidence."

Purposefully changing your mind to the faith that the Bible = Truth changes the way you see the entire world. It IS, in fact, life-changing. :)

If you'd like to hear the messages from our church, they are download-able from the Christ's Church at Mason website. The sermons are on a week-delay, so likely the sermon on "Why trust the Bible" will be available after Feb. 22 (2009). But the other messages in this series are posted now.

HERE is the link!

Pastor Tom is an amazing speaker and so is David Ray, (who also does one of the sermons) - I think you'll enjoy what you hear!

:) Mags

Karaoke Tuesday: Our Love Is Loud by David Crowder

This is such a fun song! One of the things I just love about the 9:30 Contemporary Worship at our church is the grungy, "garage-band" feel of it. We always sit in the 3rd or 4th row - right by the large speakers. On many of the songs, it can get so loud that I just feel like I'm "IN" the music; THIS is one of those songs... and the title makes the "loudness" of the music all the more fun...
LYRICS - "Our Love Is Loud


This song got me to thinking: It is no doubt that Christians love the Lord, but do we "LIVE" the Lord in our everyday lives? What if our everyday faith... our everyday prayers...our everyday joys... our everyday LOVE were LIVED OUT LOUD for people to witness? How could that impact someone else in our lives if we were more open about our faith? Just as we all bopped and clapped and danced to this song in Worship, couldn't we demonstrate our faith and love to others by our words and deeds in our everyday, walking-around life?

Are you living OUT LOUD? Are you standing up for your Faith? Are you standing up for God? For Jesus?

Then he [Jesus] said, "Go into the world.

Go everywhere and announce the Message of God's good news to one and all.

Mark 16:15

You can hear David Crowder's song HERE on LastFM! Crank up your volume and just enjoy...! :)

♥Mags

I Found God in the Movies: Dead Poet's Society

In college, I had a movie writing assignment - to write about the theme as it pertains to teaching (my major) in a movie of our choosing. One of my all-time favorites is Dead Poet's Society with Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, and Josh Charles; that was the film I chose for my essay.

How interesting that I would revisit this for The God Blog. It wasn't a "religious" movie, specifically - but the central theme revolved around discovering the beliefs and values you consider important... and then standing up for them. There was a quote from this movie that has always stuck with me... Not the "Carpe Diem" (Seize the day!) that Robin Williams' character, John Keating, was known to say... Not Captain, My Captain quoted by his students. This was just one more truism that Mr. Keating spoke - and it had a big impact on me.

He says...

You must strive to find your own voice,
because the longer you wait to begin...
the less likely you are to find it at all.

Your own voice. Do you have one?

Do you hold fast to your beliefs or do you cave under the pressure to fit in with those around you? Do you mimic the voices of others... never taking a stand for yourself? Are you silenced by the fear that people will make fun of you? Or are you just too lazy to take a stand on what you know is right?

Perhaps your voice is mumbled and muffled so that YOU won't be the one making waves or causing "discord?" Perhaps you don't have a voice at all. The platform of "no opinion" is certainly an easy and safe place on which to stand.

But the longer you wait to find what you believe in... the longer you stall on truly finding the lines you will not cross... the less likely you are to find your Voice at all. Your voice will become muted - dwarfed by the larger voices speaking out around you - and others will speak for you... instead of you speaking for yourself. When it comes to your faith... can you really afford to be silent?

Your own voice. Do you have one? And does your voice echo the voice of God?

God gave His people free will because He wants us to use it. He wants us to make choices and honor Him with our decisions. The tricky part for us is that often using our voice to glorify God brings condemnation from others. The Bible even tells us this:

"When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own family. There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don't quit. Don't cave in. It is all well worth it in the end. It is not success you are after in such times but survival. Be survivors! Before you've run out of options, the Son of Man will have arrived. ~Matthew 10:21-23

If you haven't seen Dead Poet's Society, I HIGHLY recommend it. It's one that will stick with you - just as Mr. Keating's teachings did with his pupils. The boys in Mr. Keating's class found their Voice; they learned to think for themselves again... to stand up for their their beliefs - even in the face of disciplinary action, even in the face of great personal loss:

Can you imagine the changes in your life if the voice you find within yourself glorifies God? Mr. Keating climbs upon his classroom desk and says, "I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way." Standing up for God, the Bible, and Christianity - even if others roll their eyes at you and say "That's crazy..." or even if the herd brays "That's baaaaaaad," - needs to be one of the components in the Voice you speak. God stood up for you when he allowed His Son to sacrifice Himself for all of mankind. Isn't using your voice to stand up for God the very least you can do?

Mr. Keating shouts to his students:

In my class, you will learn to think for yourselves again!...
And as the powerful play of life goes on, YOU will contribute a verse...!

In a sea of millions of people in this world - all contributing a verse to the overall play of life, what will your verse say? How will your verse stand out from all the rest?

Speak. I'd like to hear your voice... especially if you leave a comment on this blog! :)

♥Mags

I Found God In Authenticity...

I was distracted writing the post before this one because full text of Matthew 6:1-4 had me thinking about authentic Christians:

The World Is Not a Stage: Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don't make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won't be applauding. When you do something for someone else, don't call attention to yourself. You've seen them in action, I'm sure—'playactors' I call them— treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that's all they get. When you help someone out, don't think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.
Pray with Simplicity: And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?

I stayed away from church for a long time during high school and college - partly because I didn't "feel" God when I was there... and partly because I was so leary of what I called "freaky, religious people." You know the ones - like in the movie, Leap Of Faith, where Steve Martin's preacher-character is knocking people in the heads "healing" them, making a big show of being "saved..." while stealing their money at the same time. Some so-called "religious" people are, in actuality, false... faking their faith on Sundays and then cheating, or lying, or whatever during the rest of the week.

Over the years, I've had my share of false people in my life just as I'm sure you have as well. People who pretend to be good... pretend to be faithful... and in their pious attitude, condemn the rest of us who aren't living up to their standard. It makes me so angry when I know that their Sunday behavior is just a carefully constructed facade created to hide their sins or flaws.... and in their theatrics, they can cause the rest of us to feel unworthy...

So, I am very committed to surrounding myself with "authentic" people. People who don't just raise up their hands or close their eyes during Worship because it "looks good" - but because they are truly feeling, at that moment, moved by the Spirit... People who don't pretend to be sinless or perfect, or better than everyone else. And we have been so lucky to have found so many authentic people within our current church and within our circle of friends.


Now, as I started writing this post, I did a Google search for this phrase "Bible behaving one way on Sundays," I remembered a sermon our Pastor did a short time ago, and he had a quote from the Bible that would have worked very well for this post... if I could have remembered it!

But, my search led me to this article about Christians Behaving Badly by Holly Vicente Robaina. She is discussing the behavior of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) after the passing of the actor, Heath Ledger, and she says this:

Stories such as this one embarrass me.

They make me want to disassociate—Well, I’m not like “those Christians.”

But I’ve started to wonder: Do any of my actions make me seem like them?

Do others ever perceive me as one of “them”?

“Those Christians” make me uncomfortable because

their actions cause me to consider my own.

When I'm writing on this blog, I sometimes feel so "wise..." so filled with knowledge... so eager to impart what I've learned on any who read this. And 15 minutes ago when I started this post, I was smug in the knowledge that I was authentic, myself. But God warns us about pride...

Proverbs 16:18 - First pride, then the crash— the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.

When it comes to authenticity, this is what I know about myself:

• I am flawed.
• I am ordinary.
• I struggle in this Christian walk - to be true to myself AND true to God's Word.
• I want to inspire others, and I crave affirmation that I'm doing it.
• I am impatient, and needy, and sometimes prideful.
• I screw up all the time...

BUT...

I am honest (sometimes to a fault!).
I am true.
And I am trying... trying hard each day to be a better person, wife, mother, daughter, and friend today than I was yesterday.


You don't have to be a Saint. You don't have to be perfect. You don't even have to "pretend" to be those things... God doesn't view us though "beer-goggles;" he sees us clearly to our very core... In our actions, in our thoughts, in our hearts. He knows whether we are authentic or not.

But PEOPLE are not that gifted - they can only see your actions and hear your words. They make assumptions based on what limited information they receive from you. So I challenge you to speak and behave as an authentic Christian. To be "real" - in your interactions with others - and in your heart. You don't have to pretend to have all of the answers. You don't have to give the illusion that you have it all figured out. But like the Little Engine That Could, you do need to keep chugging along everyday... continuing in your own Christian Walk... learning more and more each day... and showing authentic Christian behavior in your words and deeds... becauses you never know who is watching you and learning from you.

What lessons are you teaching them?

♥Mags