FGHart

A season for celebrating beautiful things.

And the promise of things to come.

Praise God for his Son! Alleluia!

I’m fascinated by God’s score for our lives. Not “score” as in an accounting but “score” as in the orchestration of all of the various parts that individually make no sense but collectively come together in a way we could never plan or enact on our own.

I’ve fallen behind in my Bible In A Year reading, bogged down in Deuteronomy. Once I got past the laws covering everything natural (from nocturnal emissions to “waste management”) and perverse (rape, cross-dressing) and mundane (don’t wear clothes of wool/linen blend), I labored through the curses outlined for the disobedient and got past the horrifying statement that “Just as the LORD has found great pleasure in causing you to prosper and multiply, the LORD will find pleasure in destroying you (if you are disobedient).” Obey and God will bless you. Disobey and God will curse you. We’re reminded that obedience is not unattainable, but it is a matter of discipline – “the message is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it.”

However, our disobedience was inevitable. I began to understand the significance of John 3:16.

In reading about Moses’s last days, I’m seeing parallels with New Testament scripture about Christ’s last days. Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them, “You have seen with your own eyes everything the LORD did in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to his whole country-all the great tests of strength, the miraculous signs, and the amazing wonders. But to this day the LORD has not given you minds that understand, nor eyes that see, nor ears that hear! … You ate no bread and drank no wine… but he gave you food so you would know that he is the LORD your God.”

In Christ’s last days he performed many miracles and demonstrated the power of God. He told parables exemplifying righteousness, right living and right choices…but few people had eyes for seeing or ears for hearing. Christ became our God-given bread and wine.

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life.”

It is the choice between life and death. It is a matter of love. Love God, give your heart to Him. He gave His son for you. There is no greater sacrifice.

I needed to enjoy the flowers today.

“He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.” Proverbs 28:26

At the end of the four day “A Woman Inspired” Webinar, all I can say is “Praise God.” I won the privilege of attending, it wasn’t something I set out to do. In the middle of chaos and a crazy work schedule I put 4 hours per day of sessions on my calendar, and made time for the inspired women who put this together. “Praise God.”

By the end, I’m blissful and joyful. I’m so filled with joy my eyes are leaking. Today I went to the Maundy Thursday service that ends with the stripping of the altar. What a stark revelation – what life would be like without our savior. What a blessing, knowing that He is risen. “Praise God.”

Even knowing “how the movie ends” I found myself weeping at the thought of how desperate our lives would be without Him. Life without wisdom. Life trusting ourselves. Foolishness. Fortunately, God so loved the world He gave His only son to save us. “Praise God.”

God, protect me from foolishness. Help me to stay humble. Help me to hold on to this “mountaintop” and refrain from temptations of independence. Let me ever seek You. Let me ever walk with You. Keep me safe.

Amen.

I have been blessed from my head to my toes this week. So appropriate for Holy Week. Today was Day 3 of the “A Woman Inspired” Webinar. It has been so fabulous to sit in the office with headphones on, tuning out everything and submitting myself to the Spirit. I can’t recall ever experiencing anything like this.

By 3pm yesterday, I’m emerged from my cubicle with a goofy grin on my face. One of my engineers asked if I was “protected in my bubble of joy.” Oh, yes! Yes, indeed.

I left work, got home in time to visit with family for a few minutes. Which included a dialogue with D#2 re: her bringing up ancient history during the last week or so. After church Sunday she told our priest (in my presence) that we left her behind on 4 different occasions. Huh? And the youngest, also standing there, backed her. I was speechless. I talked to the youngest about it Sunday, but I felt the need to probe with D#2.

It’s not that there’s NO truth in her comment: We used to go to the lake every Saturday and hang out with our friends. We were truly raising our children in community, sharing parenting stories and sharing supervision while enjoying Austin’s wonderful lake-life. One Saturday, after the kids were loaded up in their respective vehicles, well after dark, the parents were still standing around chatting for longer than D#2 deemed reasonable. So she got out of the van and hid. Eventually we all cleared out and when we got home we discovered dear D#2 was not with us. So we got to go back to the park and get her. In the dark, of course. No, she wasn’t hiding any more so it wasn’t too hard. But that was about 10 years ago. Around the same time (she reminded me) one Sunday after church she went on a tour of the new education building with on of our parishioners. Hubby and I left in separate vehicles, each thinking she was with the other (communication break-down? Not the first or last!). So what was with the comment? She was never maliciously “left behind” and certainly never “4 times.”

There was another “revelation” conversation from last week (details not relevant) all of this leading to my conclusion that as a new mother she’s fretting about motherhood. We had a nice discussion about parenthood while I followed my 10-month old g-son around and around the downstairs (boy, does he want to go up those stairs!!!).

After this chat we (Hubby, youngest, D#2, g-son and I) loaded up for the Tenebrae service at our church. Hubby was one of the main readers for this incredibly moving service.

The Tenebrae service is a service of darkness. 15 candles are extinguished one by one following the reading of 15 Psalms. There are also Lessons and Antiphons. At the end of the service, the last remaining candle is hidden and we’re sitting in darkness. Then, with a loud noise, the last candle is returned – representing the death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. If you’ve never experienced this service, I highly recommend it. Mark your calendar for 2010’s Holy Week.

By now I’m overflowing the Spirit. What can top off such a wonderful day? Taco Bell inhaled. Then on the phone for 2 hours of planning discussions with my team in Taiwan. Off the phone, hit the hay for a good 6 hours of sleep. Now I’m up, finishing the post I started last night.

And I am pumped about another day of the Webinar. But a little misty because it’s the last day. When the last session ends, I will focus on the single candle that was hidden, then brought back to us. I will let that light shine on me and through me.

I am so blessed right now I don’t know what to say. Work has been closing in on me. I’ve been crying out to God, “What do you want me to do???” I think I know, but then the path does not seem clear. Chaos threatens me. Then, a few weeks ago, I won a free pass to an on-line seminar (“Webinar“).

Oh my! This has been a wonderful. I wasn’t at all sure what to expect. This was one of those times when God’s nudge was unmistakable so I responded in faith. I have put all of the sessions on my calendar and I’ve taken time to participate in most of the sessions. For one of today’s sessions, all I could do was watch the slides and the “chat” but I couldn’t listen to the audio because I was tied up in a meeting. And yet…still I was lifted by the Spirit.

I’ve spent night after night on conference calls. I just got off of 2 hours of calls with Taiwan. I’m sure there are powerful words that I could reference that support this Tip…but all I can say is “Sometimes you’ve just got to go with your heart, devote the time and let the Spirit pour into you, regardless of the situation or source.”

Alleluia!

Yesterday was a day of highs and lows. The first half of the day (getting ready for church, going to Sunday School, church itself) was as good as it gets. By afternoon, however, I was in a bit of a funk. One of the funk-contributors was the aftermath of Al (aka “the killer cat”) and his evil ways natural desire to please us with his prowess.

He laid this treasure outside of the sun room door, then meowed and meowed and meowed to be let in. I wish I knew how to respond to discourage this behavior in him. I know he’s a cat and he’s doing what comes naturally, but I am not looking forward to spending the summer dealing with dead animals. Here we can see the shriveled corpse of a frog (probably the 1st kill, set free and didn’t make it, if I had to guess).

Here is the Killer Cat lurking, waiting. I watched him stalk a bird, quietly slipping into the dwarf bamboo that grows near the would-be-(will-be-when-it’s-put-back-together) pond. I shouted “Al, no!” and the sparrow was spared, but it’s only a matter of time. His instincts are strong.

I guess I should be grateful. With Spring here, he has quit attacking me as I walk blissfully through the house, unaware that I’m being stalked by the Killer Cat.