Lent

Most years I give up something for Lent. It is usually food-related, that being my biggest vice. I don’t go to a church that practices this; I just choose to do it on my own. One thing that I have discovered is that I need to do it for the right reasons. You don’t give up something for Lent to lose weight. I found that out the hard way one year. I think that was the only year that I totally blew it. I think Lent should be a time of sort of making a covenant with God to make a small sacrifice which is really incomparable with the sacrifice He made for us on that Good Friday nearly 2000 years ago.

So this year, I have decided that for Lent I will stick to Weight Watchers 5 days a week (which will be a big improvement over what I’ve been doing lately). I know it sounds like I am doing that to lose weight, but that’s not really the reason. I need to be disciplined, and I need to be healthy. God tells us our body is His temple, and He wants us to take care of it. I know Weight Watchers to be a good, healthy eating plan. I have prayed about this and feel like it is something I can do which will be a good thing for me both physically and spiritually.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

The Cost of Political Correctness

"He who refuses to study the past is destined to live it again." This was quoted to me by a history teacher in high school. I scoffed at it -- I didn’t enjoy history at the time -- but I never forgot it. And the longer I live, the more I see for myself that it is true.

Don and I watched the movie Song of the South (best known for the song "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah") last night, which someone loaned me. I didn’t ask questions. The movie has never been released for home viewing in the United States, so I knew I had a rare treasure on my hands.

Why has it never been released? Disney does have some quirks about what they release and when, but the word is that the racial issues in the movie are now considered politically incorrect.

The movie never states exactly when it is set, but it was apparently around the time of the Civil War. It depicts black people (now called "African Americans") as slaves, or possibly recently-released slaves who chose to stay on with their owner, who seems for the most part to show them kindness. They speak in a dialect that is rarely heard today and are basically subservient to the white people in the movie.

One of the main characters, a black man named Uncle Remus, develops a close bond with the children in the film, both white and black, captivating them with his stories, teaching them to laugh and be happy in spite of their circumstances, and to stand up for themselves. He eventually helps to save a white boy’s life, and is a hero when the story ends. The film was released in 1946, and at that time it was not considered controversial.

So why is it so controversial now? Our society seemingly can’t accept this movie now because it depicts black people as slaves. Though it may seem harsh, the truth is, slavery REALLY HAPPENED. The movie is fictionalized, but, as far as I can tell, historically accurate, though some may object that it glosses over the horrific aspects of slavery.

Are we denying the past in favor of political correctness? Do we not want our children to know what happened in the history of our country: how a race of people was wrongly treated, and what it took to correct the problem? This movie doesn’t directly depict all of this, but I believe that’s the essence of why it hasn’t been released.

Perhaps if we had studied that time in our history more closely, we would have been kept from making a mistake which, in my way of thinking, has many similarities to slavery: the legalization of abortion. Once again, we are regarding a group of people as less than human, treating them in heinous ways because we find it necessary to support our own way of life. I believe that somewhere in everyone’s heart they know this is wrong, but they are more afraid of losing their freedom than they are of having to answer to God.

It took some of the darkest days in our nation’s history to end slavery. A country divided, a horrible war fought in which over 1,000,000 soldiers were either killed or maimed. Many people lost all they had. Freed slaves found themselves without shelter or food. A president was assassinated. The country, though legally united afterward, still felt a huge rift for many years to come. I believe that even now, nearly 150 years later, we are still suffering the consequences of all this in some ways.

Will it take something so horrible to end abortion as well? What about all the other things going on in our country today that ignore God’s commandments?

I believe the breach between those who stand for what is right and those who stand for what is wrong is growing greater and greater. I don’t think it’s something that’s just going to work itself out. I hope and pray that it won’t take another civil war or something worse to bring our country back around to what it should be, that we will learn from history before it has to repeat itself. May God have mercy on us all.

A Challenge for You

We have been studying Creation in our Sunday School class, and it has been eye-opening. Many of us grew up in public schools that subtly incorporated evolution into their curriculum, and which our young, impressionable minds may well have accepted as truth. Media today regularly slips in references to evolutionary theories as if they were well-established facts. Why? Because they deny God's existence. To accept Him as Creator is to acknowledge that you will one day be held accountable to Him (though not accepting it doesn't change this fact).

My dad has been especially convicted by this class, as he is realizing that he has been believing things that society has told him but are not in line with what the Bible says. He asked that I put this on my blog as a challenge to my readers to find out the truth for yourselves:

IT ALL BEGINS WITH GENESIS

Do you truly believe this, or has your mind been cluttered up with evolution and other theories? Let me make a suggestion to you – reread Genesis, but before you do, get down on your knees and ask the Lord to reveal His Truth to you. I believe you will get a different perspective than you have, not only on Genesis but other scripture as well.

Let me know your results! E-mail loujeter@comcast.net.

What God is Teaching Me

I haven’t been blogging much lately. I’m sort of brain dead. It’s one of those times when God is working in my heart a lot, but it’s hard to put it all into words.

1) He’s teaching me that I need to surrender to His will, WITHOUT a contingency plan of my own. This is before I even know what His will is. I think He has been waiting for me to do this for a long time before we could move on to some bigger and better things.

2) He’s teaching (well, trying to teach) me to trust Him and not fear. This is a big one for me, and I’m encountering teaching on it at every turn. Let’s face it: we have a lot to fear right now in our country. But God is in control. He promises: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" (Jeremiah 29:11). It’s not so much that I don’t believe this; it’s just that I’m just afraid that the hope and future God has for me may not match up with the one I have for myself.

What's wrong with this picture??

So I believe that God has some good things in store for me, but I’ve just got to trust Him and not fear. I’ve got to surrender my own will to His. That should be easy, shouldn’t it??

Happy Valentine's Day!

I thank my God every time I remember you. Philippians 1:3

I’ve always liked Valentine’s day. Even before I had a "valentine" of my own, it was an opportunity to express my love for those important people in my life, without all the pressures and expectations of Christmas.

In school it was a fun time to make a valentine "mailbox" and buy cheap valentines for everyone in the class, and of course, PARTY! My favorite valentines from classmates were the ones that had candy in them. I always tried to wear red or pink that day. The poor teacher could never get any work done.

Now I’m old(er), but it’s still fun to give and get valentines. It’s also a time to think about those people God has placed in my life who I am especially thankful for. I didn’t manage to get valentines for all of you this year, but I’m still glad you’re in my life!

I’m especially thankful for my #1 valentine, my hubby. I had to wait a long time for him, but he was worth the wait!

So to all of those I love, happy Valentine’s Day, and thank you for being a part of my life!

Daffodils!

Yesterday was an important day. February 11? Yes! It was important because I spotted the first daffodils of the season! They were a bit earlier than usual, but we have had a week of beautiful weather, so these first brave ones apparently found the courage to poke their pretty yellow heads out of the ground. (They are in someone's yard, so I didn't want to traipse through their yard to get a better picture.)

Seeing daffodils is always exciting for me, because it is the first sign of spring. After months (well okay, weeks, here in Nashville) of winter, I am always ready for it.

One of the first things I did when Don and I bought our house was plant daffodils in the yard. As you can see, mine aren't as far along as the others, but at least they have sprouted. Hopefully I'll have some in a couple of weeks.

One thing I learned last year that I have been doing wrong is mowing them down before the green part dies (I had just waited until the flowers died). Apparently the bulbs need this extra time to rejuvenate for the next year. Hopefully they'll be forgiving and bloom again anyway, and I'll make a point to do it right this year.

Anyway, I just wanted to encourage all of you who feel the way that I do about winter that the daffodils have sprung, and spring is on its way!

Debut Performance

The Cedar Creek Community Band, which I am a part of, will be having its first concert on Monday, March 9th at 7:00 p.m. at the Mt. Juliet High School auditorium. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for ages 10-17. Under 10 is free. Let me know if you’d like more information.

100 Things

I know I've already done one "100 things" list, but this one is a little different. This is something that’s been floating around Blogdom for a while. The idea is to cut and paste the list and then bold the things that you have done. So, without further ado, here is my list:

1. Start your own blog
2. Slept under the stars (in a tent)
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5.Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you could afford to a charity
7. Been to Disneyland (actually Disney World)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Spent a summer 'abroad'
13. Watched a storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child/fostered a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train ride/flight
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you weren't ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run in a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise/sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish Community
36. Taught yourself a new language (ancient Greek -- just the fundamentals)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Been to the top of The World Trade Center
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung Karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful Erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach in the moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had a portrait painted/drawn
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen The Sistene Chapel
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in movie
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served in a soup kitchen
61. Sold girl scout cookies
62. Paid off a mortgage in full
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
65.Gone skydiving/parasailing
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (now there's one I'm proud of!)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the CNN Tower
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Criss-crossed Canada
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chicken pox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby/been pregnant
95. Witnessed a birth
96. Been present at a death
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in a day

Who Chose Who?

It is an age-old question among Christians. Did we choose God, or did God choose us?

I confess to being a Presbyterian, one of the "frozen chosen," known for their die-hard beliefs in predestination. But I don’t blindly agree with everything they teach (and in fact disagree with them on the issue of infant baptism, but that’s a separate matter).

I have been struggling with the issue of predestination for a while, and it came up again this week in my (non-denominational) Bible study when we were studying Jacob and Esau. God clearly says he chose Jacob before he was even born or did anything, and poor Esau never had a chance:

"Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls—she was told, "The older will serve the younger." Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." Romans 9:12-13 (The original story is in Genesis 25.)

It’s not so much whether we are actually predestined that I struggle with. That’s pretty clear in the Bible:

"In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." Ephesians 1:11

What I’m really struggling with is, what does predestination look like? Some would say that God didn’t actually plan for us to be saved; He just knew who would be. I disagree with this.

"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." Romans 8:29-30

It seems pretty clear to me from this passage that God goes way further than just knowing what we will choose. He Himself predestined us.

So if God predestined us for salvation, this brings up a whole new set of questions:

1) Why would He choose some people and not others?

2) How much control does He actually have over us, and how much free will do we have?

The first question is not for me to answer. All I can say is that God is sovereign, and it’s up to Him to decide. I would also say that He doesn’t doom anyone to hell. We doom ourselves to hell by our sin. But God in His great mercy saves some of us.

The second question can blow your mind if you think too long and hard about it. Does He only control our salvation but give us free will in everything else? Or, at the other extreme, does He control every single thing we do, so we only think we are making our own choices? And if He does this, why does He allow sin in the world?

I can’t really answer this either, and I don’t think the Bible gives us a cut and dry answer. It seems like we are making our own choices. But if God controls our salvation, He would have to control the events leading up to it. I, for one, can look back to the time before I was saved and see how God was working in my life to point me to that event: going to church every Sunday and learning Bible stories and developing a hunger for Him, feeling like there was something missing, then later moving to a neighborhood where I attended a Good News Club and found the answer I had been looking for. He has put certain people in my life both before and after my salvation who have influenced me in major ways. He has brought circumstances that are undeniably for a greater purpose.

My best explanation at this point in my life is that we are sort of like a dog on a leash. God has ultimate control of us. He is leading us in a certain direction and keeping us out of harm’s way, but we are free to make some decisions on our own. Of course, my mind is finite. I can only think so deeply.

I can agree to disagree with people on this issue. The most important thing is definitely THAT you are saved, not how you think you got there. I know that the Bible is subject to different interpretations, and true Christians may have completely different points of view on this issue. I would be curious to hear what others of you out there are thinking about all this.

Happy Birthday Abbie!

My niece Abbie was born on Super Bowl Sunday, 5 years ago today. Her mom had a C-section scheduled for later in the week, but true to what we now know to be her nature, Abbie came on her own schedule.
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She has brought her family (Aunt Jill included) lots of joy and laughter in the past five years. She is full of smiles and funny antics. Some would think she was in a difficult place, being the youngest of 3 sisters and the third of 4 children, but Abbie can hold her own. She makes her wishes known and is never at a loss for words, though her spirit is sweet.
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Happy birthday, my Abbie. I’m so glad you’re a part of my life!