Reading with a Pencil

One small sentence opened up a whole paragraph for me this morning. And all because I read my Bible with a pencil handy. 

Do you have a Journaling Bible or keep a notebook nearby when reading? I find it so helpful to jot down or underline something each day. That simple action can help wake up my brain when feeling dull.

▪︎ If it sparks more connections, that is exciting! 

▪︎ If it simply gives me an extra minute of focus on the truth and something to look back on through the day, it is a blessing. 

▪︎ And for the years when chronic illness took away most reading comprehension, simply listening to an audio Bible would wash my weary heart with truth.

How do you read and study the Bible in your current season of life? 

~ Hannah

2023 Word of the Year: Mindset

Spring is beautiful... at least indoors!

While the snow is still melting outdoors [our most recent storm was April 4th-5th], these lilac branches that I cut in on Palm Sunday are breaking out in beautiful, spring green!

What began as sticks covered in hard, brown buds...

...were cracking open to show bits of green three days later.

Day 7:

Do you ever feel as if you also "come to life" along with spring? 

In a sense, we view winter around here as a time of hibernation - spending many cosy evenings wrapped in blankets with handwork or a good book - especially a family read-aloud! But as the snow melts we once again see all the work waiting outdoors... gardens to be planted, flowerbeds and groves to be cleaned... and of course, the house siding to be finished by our carpenters.

In a spiritual sense, we seem to live through seasons as well. Early in 2023 God placed a word on my heart that pointed to where He would be leading me in the next season.

MINDSET

It has been years since I had a "word for the year," and I wasn't looking for this one. So at first I had to think, is this biblical? Doesn't the world talk about this in a godless way? Well, yes, our enemy has a way of taking the truth and twisting it to keep people searching for meaning and hope anywhere but in the true Source - God Himself.

But it didn't take long to remember passage after passage where we are told to have a godly mindset. For just a few examples:

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. - Colossians 3:2

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. - Mark 12:30

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  - Romans 12:2

See also: Isaiah 26:3, Romans 8:5-6, I Corinthians 2:16, Philippians 4:8-9, I Peter 1:13

We have heard how important it is to keep reminding ourselves of who we are in Christ. Yet how many (like me) have rarely purposefully done it? "Why bother?" we may think. "I know the facts, and I come across reminders in my Bible reading."

But lately it has become a lifeline for me to state biblical truths throughout the day - either direct quotes of verses or biblical declarations based on specific verses. 

NOTE: These declarations have nothing to do with the world's method of trying to boost self-esteem and mental health by stating "Positive Affirmations" which are so often just humanistic, self-centered mantras - if not flat-out lies.

I have come to realize that declaring the truth throughout my day is actually using the Sword of the Spirit [the Word of God] just as Jesus did when tempted. Just as David did over and over in the Psalms. And as Paul did in prison.

I can't be the only one whose mind is being bombarded with lies and discouragement... and all the more as our enemy sees us purposely drawing closer to God and renewing our minds in Christ! When I pay attention to the thoughts that hide behind my emotions and actions, they can too often be lies such as:

- You are too weak to take your thoughts captive today.
- You have every right to be upset about...
- How can you expect to ever be free from physical reactions that have ruled 9+ years?
- They don't deserve your forgiveness.
- You are a hopeless case. God can't use you.
- Today will be no different than yesterday.
- You're stuck for the rest of your life.

Do any of those sound familiar?!

BUT when I chose to declare scripture, these thoughts (leading to feelings and then to choices & actions) are rebuked for the lies they really are. And we know where lies come from...

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  - James 4:7

And we know where the truth comes from!

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. - John 14:6

So let's choose the truth, day after day... all throughout the day!

What scripture-truths help you most to keep a godly mindset through your days? Please share them in the comments to encourage us all!

Here are some of mine.

• I belong to Christ! He is the Truth, and I choose truth right now. 
• I am strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. (Ephesians 6:10)
• The joy of the Lord is my strength! (Nehemiah 8:10)
• I am fearfully and wonderfully made! Your works are wonderful; I know that full well! (Psalm 139:14)
• No weapon formed against me shall prosper. (Isaiah 54:17)
• Greater is He who is in me than He who is in the world! (I John 4:4)
• The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want!... He restores my soul... (Psalm 23)
• God is giving me everything I need for life and godliness today. (2 Peter 1:3)
• God's perfect peace is mine when my mind and trust are fixed on Him. (Isaiah 26:3)
• God has forgiven me, so I can [and must] forgive others. (Colossians 3:13)
• God will bring to completion the work He has started in me! (Philippians 1:6)
• ...and so many more that God brings to mind at just the right time!

Sometimes one sentence will suffice for the skirmish, but at other times I have to string many together for blow after blow in the battle. And even when I don't "feel" the truth, it is still powerful! (Hebrews 4:12)

So if it still looks like wintertime in our souls, let's be at work planting seeds of Truth and Life in our minds every day. We will see the growth and fruit at the right time!

A Shepherd Explains

One reason I appreciate audio-books is as a great way to re-read a book I first enjoyed in print. A recent audio-read was A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller. So good!



Packed with the author's real life experiences in the rugged life of sheep-ranching, his insights breathe life and meaning into every word of this familiar song written by the ancient shepherd, David.

And the life-applications go deep. Such as when Keller illuminates the phrase "You anoint my head with oil" - which for sheep includes treating pests and scab picked up by rubbing heads with other sheep:

"Often it is when we “get our heads together” with someone else who may not necessarily have the mind of Christ, that we come away imbued with concepts that are not Christian.

"Our thoughts, our ideas, our emotions, our choices, our impulses, drives and desires are all shaped and molded through the exposure of our minds to other people’s minds. In our modern era of mass communication, the danger of the “mass mind” grows increasingly grave. Young people in particular, whose minds are so malleable find themselves being molded under the subtle pressures and impacts made on them by television, radio, magazines, newspapers, and fellow classmates, to say nothing of their parents and teachers."

Note: Can you believe this was first published in 1970?! It sounds like today. Especially the next bit... (emphasis mine)

"Often the mass media which are largely responsible for shaping our minds are in the control of men whose characters are not Christlike: who in some cases are actually anti-Christian. One cannot be exposed to such contacts without coming away contaminated. 

"The thought patterns of people are becoming increasingly abhorrent. Today we find more tendency to violence, hatred, prejudice, greed, cynicism, and increasing disrespect for that which is noble, fine, pure or beautiful. This is precisely the opposite of what Scripture teaches us. In Philippians 4:8 we are instructed emphatically in this matter…



"There are those who seem unable to realize His control of their minds and thoughts. It is a simple matter of faith and acceptance. Just as one asks Christ to come into the life initially to assure complete control of one’s conduct, so one invites the Holy Spirit to come into one’s conscious and subconscious mind to monitor one’s thought-life. Just as by faith we believe and know and accept and thank Christ for coming into our lives, so by simple faith and confidence in the same Christ, we believe and know and accept with thanks the coming (or anointing) of His gracious Spirit upon our minds. Then having done this, we simply proceed to live and act and think as He directs us.

"The difficulty is that some of us are not in dead earnest about it. Like a stubborn sheep we will struggle, kick and protest when the Master puts His hand upon us for this purpose. Even if it is for our own good, we still rebel and refuse to have Him help us when we need it so desperately.

"In a sense we are a stiff-necked lot and were it not for Christ’s continuing compassion and concern for us, most of us would be beyond hope or help. Sometimes I am quite sure Christ comes to us and applies the oil of His own Spirit to our minds in spite of our own objections. Were this not so, where would most of us be? Surely every gracious thought that enters my mind had its origins in Him."

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller

Now, that's our Good Shepherd who humbled Himself to come to us as a vulnerable baby. Let's celebrate Him this Christmas!

Merry Christmas! 
In His love,
Hannah

Abiding Joy

'Tis the season for warm, wool stocking caps!

 

Last year I decided to design my own hat to combine a couple of motifs with some verses I had been memorizing.

First was the Viking runic letter "wunjo/wynn," which means JOY. (I learned this, of all places, from a plaque on the wall of my favorite, small-town hospital lab. Being mostly Norwegian, it caught my interest.)

Next was the delicate vine pattern from a sweater in Kofteboken 2. 
[published by Sandvik&Samsoe, 2015]

And finally, the verses:

"I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. 

These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

John 15:5, 9-11

Can you see why I named this hat design Abiding Joy?

Words

Who else remembers "Auntie"?

My first glimpse of the internet in the late 1980's was using an online bulletin board by this name.

How things have changed since then. For example, to the best of my memory, our computer screen was about 6 inches and probably weighed more than my whole computer today. Back then we had no inkling of all we would do on a computer hooked up to the phone line (let alone a cell-phone beaming through thin air). It was just a novelty that we didn't take seriously as children. My cousins and I occasionally "logged on" to "post a comment" (terms I had not yet heard) on the bulletin board which anyone could read.

Our comments were mostly "Hi, Daniel" or a joke from our favorite, tattered joke book. Even that petered out long before the world-wide-web had any significant meaning.

But what has changed even more than the tech side is the appalling decline in human communications.

Oh, I know people are in touch more than ever now, though the methods of my childhood: snail-mail, telephone, and face-to-face (whatever that is in 2020?!) are on their way to extinction. It seems, so are English grammar and spelling.

Don't get me wrong. The internet is a compounded blessing to those of us who are ill and mostly home-bound for years. Being able to keep our off-site family daily updated with notes, quips, prayer requests, and photos is an unheard-of connection just a generation ago. Email is invaluable for keeping up with friends and conducting business. My sister can even start and run a whole business from home, thanks to the internet. And then being able to do our shopping from the couch - especially for specialty groceries - and having podcasts, audio books and Sunday sermons at our fingertips...

What concerns me most is the change in attitudes regarding human interaction. Have you noticed how less than 30 years online has drastically lowered standards in courtesy and decency? Kindness is the exception. Civility is rarely considered. You can say whatever you want to utter strangers and think nothing of tearing down and picking fights with friends and relatives. Even opinions are often couched in "fightin' words."

What a contrast to the list of standards we can read that George Washington set as his goal in his youth. No wonder he was so greatly respected and trusted and was such an effective leader for our country in times of bitter turmoil and war. [Side-note: I have read three biographies of Washington these years. Even the one "In Words of One Syllable" uses richer language than most writing now!]

What a greater contrast our online words are to the standards of relationships given by God, which were really the foundation of George Washington's character. 

For example:

Philippians 2:4
Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate... forgiving...

Psalm 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Philippians 4:8
Whatever is true...noble...right...pure...lovely... admirable...excellent...praiseworthy... think about such things.

Luke 6:45
...for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

James 3:4-5
The tongue is like a small rudder turning a large ship, and...
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!

(And to dig deeper, use a concordance to search the book of Proverbs for its many warnings about the power and use of the tongue.)

I cringe to think how an entire generation has now been raised with the internet's standards for using our words. How can we possibly raise the standard again? 

Only by looking to THE WORD. (John 1:1,14)

After typing all these words, I can only pray that this blog avoids the pitfall described by George MacDonald in A Quiet Neighborhood which described a person, "with an immense amount of mental inertia discharging itself in constant lingual activity about little nothings."

When the News Gets You Down

Are you sickened by the news? Try reaching for the Psalms more often instead and see how your perspective changes.

Don’t fret because of evildoers,
    neither be envious against those who work unrighteousness.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
    and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in Yahweh, and do good.
    Dwell in the land, and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Also delight yourself in Yahweh,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to Yahweh.
    Trust also in him, and he will do this:
6 he will make your righteousness go out as the light,
    and your justice as the noon day sun.
7 Rest in Yahweh, and wait patiently for him.
    Don’t fret because of him who prospers in his way,
    because of the man who makes wicked plots happen.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath.
    Don’t fret, it leads only to evildoing.

But the salvation of the righteous is from Yahweh.
    He is their stronghold in the time of trouble.

Psalm 37:1-8, 39 (World English Bible)

"I Just Had to Vent!"

"I just had to vent!"

How many times have you heard this? How many times have you read it online - especially on social media? That phrase set me thinking this winter... is this behavior biblical? When we are frustrated, when and where is it right to vent?

I ran across an example of venting frustrations in front of your friends in God's word, and it is not a pretty picture. 

"'Listen to me; let me also declare my opinion.'... For I am full of words; the spirit withing me constrains me. Behold, my belly is like wine that has no vent; ... I must speak, that I may find relief..." (from Job 32)

A couple biblical examples of venting (even when only in front of your spouse) also come to mind. Job's wife. David's wife Michal.

My own experience confirms that when I vent even just to a family member, it usually causes more harm than good and spreads wrong feelings and incorrect thinking even farther.

As Proverbs 17:9 warns: "Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends."

So does the Bible have positive examples of venting? Does it have directions as to the proper way?

How about the Psalms? There we see dozens of samples of men in dire straights and deep angst spilling their guts... but to whom? To God! 

As it says in I Peter 5:7, "Cast all your anxiety on [God] because He cares for you."

The beautiful thing about venting to God rather than people is that He can handle it. Nothing surprises Him. But then He can also lovingly defuse the fire in our hearts and clear the scales from our vision, bringing us around to a fresh knowledge of the truth. Even when we don't always see the source of our turmoil cleared up, if we get our eyes on God, all the rest can retreat to its proper place. 

For example, see the progression in Psalm 73. Verses 1-3 are focused on "I" while verses 4-15 fixate on "THEY." As a result the author, Asaph, is an unhappy mess. But when the focus shifts to "YOU" [God] for the remainder of the chapter, there is finally hope.

Maybe someone would argue that the Psalms give them license to vent in public if they just tack on a spiritual twist at the end. While I had that in mind, a Bible study on the Psalms which I started this year pointed out the fact that: "Something we will discover throughout the Psalms is that David is always careful not to name his enemies..." But I am afraid that much online venting nowadays which manages to avoid names is still so obvious to many people closest to the issues that it could do more harm than good.

To simplify all of the above: I wonder... how often does online venting (or even in person to friends or family) really lead us closer to God? Does it lead those who read and hear us closer to God?

If we are children of God, let's be careful about picking up the world's methods and buzz-words without first seeing how they look in light of God's word. 

.............

Now, I wonder what "beams" in my eye God will have to expose that aren't as easy for me to spot as this "speck" in others' eyes.