when God sends mildew ...

the other day i was reminded of a passage in leviticus 14 about mildew. in the middle of several chapters labeled ‘instructions for the people’ about cleanliness are two whole passages on regulations for & cleansing from mildew. apparently this was kind of a big deal to God.

“you must keep the israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my dwelling place, which is among them.”  - leviticus 15:31

the part of particular interest to me was about the presence of ‘spreading mildew’ in their homes. it says, “when you arrive in canaan, the land I am giving you as your own possession, i may contaminate some of the houses in your land with mildew.” (leviticus 14:34) my thought when i first stumbled across these words, and again as i read them today, is that seemingly God sometimes causes mildew to see how diligent we will be about cleaning.

i know the prevailing school of thought is that a good God would never cause anything bad to happen. but may i remind you that He sent His one and only Son first and foremost to earth as a human, which we all know is hard enough in and of itself, and then to die on a cross, which is about as bad as you can get. romans 8:28 does not promise that God DOES only good. it promises “that God causes everything to work together FOR the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” does He want anything bad to happen to us? of course not. but if a little mildew is what we need to accomplish His good purposes in us and others, then that might be what He will bring.

first off, the people had to tell the priest, “i have seen something that looks like mildew in my house.” (v. 35) they didn’t try to figure it out on their own. they didn’t wait to see if the problem would go away. they were to go directly to the priest. how much grief could we save ourselves if we handled problems in the same way? if, instead of trying to figure it out on our own or hoping that a problem will go away, we took our concerns directly to God or trusted friend or mentor. 

next, the priest emptied out the house before examining the suspected mildew. there was no messing around. the mildew had not even been confirmed, but they didn’t want to run the risk of anything else being contaminated. then, if they thought it was mildew, they would close the house up for 7 days before coming back to check again. if there’s something in our lives that has even the smallest potential of becoming a major problem, we need to cut it off at the pass. clear out. put ourselves in time out and wait to see what God has to say about it.

then, if the mildew had spread, the priest ordered for the contaminated stones to be removed and walls scraped, the waste discarded outside of town, and new stones be put in their place with fresh clay and plaster. once a problem area has been clearly revealed in our lives, we need to be thorough about removing it. not just the larger, more obvious portions, but also the smaller, hidden pieces that have held the big pieces together. in truth, that is often where the problem originates. 

and once the contamination has been removed, we can’t just leave a gaping hole. this seems obvious when you’re talking about a home, but how often do we do this in our own lives? we can’t just clean out. we must replace what has been removed with fresh, new material so that the problem is permitted to return with even greater fury.

“when an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. then it says, ‘i will return to the person i came from.’ so it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order. then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. and so that person is worse off than before.” - matthew 12:43-45

after the mildew has been removed and repairs made, and upon examination the priest finds that it has not returned, then he will pronounce the house clean and make atonement. if, however, the mildew reappears, then it is not just a ‘spreading’ mildew, but a ‘destructive’ one. the house will be declared unclean and must be completely torn down. greater sins - ones that do not merely creep but threaten to destroy - require an outright disassembly. 

“surely the eyes of the Sovereign Lord are on the sinful kingdom. I will destroy it from the face of the earth.” - amos 9:8

the beautiful thing is that which He dismantles, He also promises to rebuild. 

“in that day I will restore david’s fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be.” - amos 9:11

we need only submit our lives to Him. because of Jesus we are thankfully no longer bound by the old system of cleansing and purification. however, we must recognize that in keeping our own ‘homes’ clean, we also keep His dwelling place - not the temple, but our hearts - pure.

who can you turn to in helping you examine any areas of concern in your life? is there any mildew needs to be cleaned out? is it simply the ‘spreading’ variety, or a more ‘destructive’ form? do not fail to carry out all that He has called you to do.

“therefore tell the people: this is what the LORD Almighty says: 'return to me,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD Almighty.” - zechariah 1:3

choosing to pitch tents ...

it's been nearly 6 months since i've posted here. i've had blog ideas that i never sat down to write and are now long forgotten. that makes this blog that much more appropriate. i resolved to write more this year ... to pitch more tents in my life ... will you?

exodus 33: 7-11

v. 7 now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp.

pitching a tent is not easy work. i’ve done it once. it was in the heat of summer and not the most fun experience, but at least there was tree cover and with the help of today’s technological advances. just imagine how much more difficult it would have been back then, on dry, unforgiving desert ground, exposed to all the elements. but every time they stopped, instead of simply using one of the tents that was already part of camp, Moses would take the effort to pitch a tent for the sole purpose of meeting with God, away from the chaos of camp. and not just on the outskirts of camp, but 'some distance away'. so if people wanted to inquire of the Lord, they had to make the effort to do so. 

i know that today, because of Christ, the opportunity to meet with God is available to us anytime and anywhere (hebrews 4: 14,16). modern technology makes it easier than ever, but also easier to take for granted ... and to get distracted. this verse highlights the importance of making a concerted effort to meet with Him. i was recently reminded of this when watching The War Room. He is as close as our next breath, but will we make space just for Him apart from the chaos of our daily life? when the ground of our hearts is dry and hard, will we put in the time and energy required to truly encounter Him?

the passage goes on to say that “whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents … while the Lord spoke with Moses … they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.” it doesn’t say what happened when someone else would go out to the tent of meeting but i imagine they would bring their issue to Moses, and he would bring it before the Lord. 

i’m so grateful that we don’t have to stand outside the ‘tent of meeting’ while someone intercedes on our behalf, or worship at a distance while someone else gets to interact with God as a friend. just like Abraham, if we act on what we believe, we too can be considered friends of God (james 2:22-23), and experience the intimacy that comes along with that. 

the same opportunity is there for everyone. will you make the investment and take advantage of it?

(http://www.ucl.ac.uk/slade/fairclough/archive-2/pitchatent)

fasting & the sabbath ... redefined.

i can't tell you how many people i've heard talk about taking a break from social media lately. it seems that many are feeling the need to remove distractions, simplify and get focused on what really matters. then on sunday, pastor jack talked about isaiah 58 and called us to a church-wide week of prayer & fasting ...

  

Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please ... Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? ... If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed ...

If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words.

a true fast is not just about denying yourself. it's much less about what you don't do, and much more about what you're called to do instead. i could give up dessert and alcohol and facebook. i could stop watching tv, or not eat for 40 days. but it doesn't mean a thing if i'm not also proactively doing something for others & for God.

i also found it interesting that this passage speaks to the importance of the Sabbath. how we are called to keep the Sabbath today is something that has been rolling around in my head for a while now. during my trip to Haiti, a scripture about the Sabbath from Hebrews 4 jumped out at me ...

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it ... Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said ... And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world ... There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

i'm not a biblical scholar by any means, but it surely seems to me that the Sabbath, just like fasting, is not about doing nothing, but about being called to a higher standard. we are not supposed to do as we please or speak idly, but to honor God through obedience. when God finished creation, He entered rest. it wasn't just a one day break, but has been going on ever since. and God has made that rest available to us, too. 

through the 10 commandments, the Sabbath was 1 day of rest per week. but because of Jesus and our belief in Him, we have the opportunity to enter into His eternal rest. through Jesus, we can rest in the knowledge that we are able to approach a glorious God with complete confidence, and that He will help us in our time of need. isaiah 58 calls us to bring freedom to and meet the needs of the oppressed, and then tells us to honor the Sabbath. healing and providing are things that Jesus regularly did on the Sabbath, so doing the work of a true fast - walking in obedience - is part of the rest to which we are called. 

we are absolutely called to set aside time for God. and sometimes that involves giving up normal pleasures. but fasting and resting are a lot more active than one might think ... and the fruit is that much sweeter! 

 

day 26 ... brothers & baking

today is my brother rob's birthday.  i am so thankful for both of my brothers and the amazing men they have become.  it's so weird to write that, but true.  they have also become great friends.  i am blessed.

i am thankful for hosting friends in my home for meals and conversation ...

today was also a day of thanksgiving prep.  a large apple crisp, over a gallon of pumpkin purée, pumpkin seeds & two pumpkin mousse pies later, i'm calling it a day.  the cranberry relish will wait until tomorrow.  i love getting to create in the kitchen.

day 21 - 25 ... oops ;)

kinda fell off the posting wagon since i've been on vacation, not for lack of thankfulness, but just because i've ... no, no excuses.  i've been thankful.  i haven't made time to post.  plain & simple.  so i'm posting now.

on friday, i was thankful for a light day full of fun and laughter.  lots of laughter.  as hard as the year has been, i truly love my job, my kiddos, and my coworkers ... and especially the little perks like wearing pjs, sharing meals, playing with paint, & snuggling.  i was thankful for bugles and pumpkin cookies, for get togethers after work, playing games around the fire after a long week, and getting to sleep with a dog.

on saturday, i was thankful for a gorgeous morning walk, coffee in my favorite mug, cuddling on the couch and watching movies while editing pics, panera iced green tea, unexpected free time for a costco run, and a fabulous dinner catching up with a sweet friend.

sunday i was thankful for getting to run in shorts and a tshirt and even for getting caught in a downpour, my incredible church family, being part of a make-a-wish celebration for one of my sweet kiddos at work, and digging deep with our amazing lifegroup family.

monday, i was thankful for being real about the hard stuff, the chance to relax while feeling crummy, and then a reprieve to dive in and clean like crazy.  yes, i'm thankful for getting to clean - that i enjoy it and have that attention for detail.  i am also thankful for my love for and fascination with animals - from house pets to catching mice to rescuing giant salamanders.

today was a sad day.  but still we are called to give thanks in ALL things.  with love comes pain - i am learning to embrace that.  i am thankful for a doctor who cares, for running into friends, for hallmark cards, for holiday shopping, for my tito's family, and that my sweet friend lisa lives in nashville again!

it's been a great week so far.  i'm excited to really dive into thanksgiving mode tomorrow, and hope that everyone can find their own little joys to celebrate, as well.

day 20 ... romanced ...

it was a great day.  the day before break. extra time with one of my sweet kiddos.  an unexpectedly free afternoon to shop and catch up.  reading.  worshipping.  laughing.  

tonight i read about how God romances us through creation - by showing off in ways that speak directly to our heart.  then while riding home i saw a fireball fall from the sky that was 10x more spectacular than the spectacular one i saw tuesday morning.  tuesday was just for me.  tonight was to share.  He knows my heart.

day 18 ... meteors & silver linings ...

i love God's incredible creation.  i love when He answers prayers immediately.  i also love when He closes a door because He knows what's best for us.

the day started off with a meteor streaking across the sky so spectacular that i literally declared out loud in my car, "that was amazing!"  apparently there was a meteor shower last night ... always grateful for those little blessings of getting up early that i would miss otherwise.

then i almost got sick from not taking my antibiotic with enough food ... but in the middle of wondering if i would be able to even make it to school but hating to leave everyone in a lurch, i found out that one of my kiddos was going to be out so there would be someone to cover if needed.  thank you, Lord for quick answers and provision! 

then, tonight, between this morning's adverse reaction and another funky reaction i'm having to something else, i was absolutely exhausted, but had made plans to attend a concert downtown.  i told myself it would be worth it.  God knew otherwise.  by the time i got to the venue, it was already past capacity and the doors were closed.  home i went.  instead i got to watch it on my computer, in my pajamas, while cleaning my room & writing this blog.  i'm so thankful that He knows what's best for us, even when it's disappointing, and inconvenient.

i put gas in my car.  i got to go to the store.  i got an extended conversation with my parents.  and now i get to go to bed.

day 16 ... redefining BUT ...

i didn't post for a couple days because i was busy retreating with this fabulous group of women ...

my heart seriously feels like it's going to burst just looking at that beautiful pic and thinking about all the wonderful memories we made this weekend!  it was such an honor and privilege to serve with our incrdible team ... and it's truly amazing how when you're operating in your sweet spot, it doesn't feel like work at all.

i've heard it said before that if you want to know your area of calling, then you should look at your area of greatest opposition/attack.  one of the lovely ladies shared this again before we left today, and it brought a great revelation for me.  all weekend, i had been particularly aware of some unhealed woundings - random thoughts & memories that would literally squeeze my chest in pain.  as i lifted them to the Lord this morning, asking Him to show me what this revealed about my calling, His response was almost immediate.

the phrase that had been running through my mind was "there are some things that i really appreciate about you, but ..."  it's amazing how one little word can completely change the meaning of something. it carries so much weight & can cut so deeply.  BUT then God reminded me about the title of this blog ... the phrase He has continually brought me back to time & again.  

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

but NOW ...

THAT is the crux of my calling.  God has continued to show me why He gave me 1 peter 2:10 seven years ago.  it has been for so many different reasons.  today it was for redefining my BUT.  He is reminding me yet again that how He sees me is what matters most.

don't let someone else's BUT ever trump

God's.

day 12 ... shop til you know my heart

tonight i am thankful for fun shopping - mainly of the grocery variety - excursions.  they are one of my favorite ways to connect with people.  you can learn so much about them based on what they buy, and also have lots of time to chat while strolling through the aisles.  some of my all-time favorite memories involve shopping.  it's a luxury - both the availability and the opportunity - and one i do not take for granted.

day 11 ... laughter ...

today i am thankful for laughter.  it is truly the best medicine.  it's no secret that this hasn't been the easiest year

at work.  staff changes.  schedule changes.  friend changes.  when a kid spends the morning screaming, or STILL can't tell you what a verb is even though you've discussed it every day for 10 weeks, it's enough to make you want to give your two weeks.  but then.  then you get to sit around a table and laugh with your amazing coworkers.  and you're reminded that it's all going to be okay.  you may have woken up early for no reason and gotten a not so great diagnosis, but as long as you can laugh about it, then you have won.

day 10 ... pink linings ...

after a long weekend of little sleep, i didn't sleep well again last night.  then, i got a new schedule at work, which started my day off with a bang.  i made it home with a long list of things to-do, more questions than answers, and even less motivation.  

that is why, today, i am grateful for a quiet night at home and for making myself go outside to enjoy another gorgeous sunset ... 

sometimes you just have to make time to relish the simple things.  some clouds have silver linings.  others are pink.  you just have to stop long enough to look.

day 9 ... not unchanged ...

today i had the privilege of taking part in the fall Encounter graduation - er, commencement - celebration.  

it was such a sweet blessing to see so many of those who had been in my own training, and such a sweet reminder of what God did - and continues to do - in my own life.  

that seems to be the theme lately.  it's what they talked about at the lifegroup meeting i missed tonight, too.  satan would love for us to think otherwise, but as a believer, if we are seeking God then He will not leave us unchanged. what a refreshing thought.

day 8 ... the gift of memory

from the first glimpse of light peeking through the trees, to colors swept across the sky as the sun fell yet again, 

it was a beautiful day of reflection and laughter shared with friends.

relaxing & productive, i treasured simple pleasures that i have so missed, 

and as i turn out the light, i am most grateful for jubilant hugs and friends who don't forget.

day 7 ... the little things ...

i was beyond exhausted today, but i treasured every moment, precious & humorous alike - sleeping an extra hour, a beautiful sunrise/moonset run, building the perfect blanket fort, reading books & playing with trains, shared looks that lead to laughter, snuggles, gorgeous fall colors, curry while curled up on the couch, and yes, even rodents.

that's about as much as my thoughts will form tonight ... mostly i'm just grateful for making it through another day & week, learning & taking nothing for granted.

day 6 ... home ...

yup.  as a follow-up to tuesday, that's my word for the day.

some of it's definitions include "the place in which one's domestic affections are centered; any place of residence or refuge & deep; to the heart"

i know that this world is not my ultimate home, but i have known the sweetness of that here on this earth.  i have also experienced the heart-wrenching void of its absence.  whether in work or friendships, the places i frequent, my favorite outfit, church, a city, or a literal dwelling.  it is where you feel safe, secure & fully accepted.  it is where your heart can find rest & your soul can breathe a sigh of relief.

that is what i am grateful for today.