Living life with steps of faith

Dear Department Store Management, If you want to survive in the online consumerism culture, you need to change your hours.  You have to understand how your client has changed and change with them.  Your target audience is the shopper who needs instant gratification.  The shopper who needs the item "this hour," not "twelve hours from now."  Which means, you need to change your hours. Personally, I shop before work and after work.  Guess who is not open?  The department store.  Gone is the day of casual wandering of stores... at least during the work week. A large department store is going out of business and is having huge sales.  I drop the kids off at school and then stop by the department store on my way to work.  Oh wait, the store is not yet open! As a sales industry it is time to think differently. Target the person who forgot the birthday party this evening, and needs to pick something up on her way to work. Target the person w...

To the woman considering an abortion, I’m sorry that you are facing an unplanned pregnancy. I can’t imagine the fear or the troubling circumstances you must be facing.   But before you choose to abort, please take a moment to consider what a miracle it is that you are even pregnant! To conceive a child requires perfect timing.   Even when trying to become pregnant, there is only a 20% chance each month we will be successful.   Add to that the fact that intercourse must take place in the optimal time frame of the month. Yes, when we ovulate, our pheromones, or the animal scent that attracts us one to another, is at its prime.   As is the cervical mucus to carry the sperm to reach the egg. And so perhaps we are more likely to have intercourse when we are most fertile.   But that still doesn’t mean that a healthy sperm will reach a healthy egg, that the two will meet, and that the blastocyst (embryo) that is formed will implant into the uterine wall. ...

We live in a culture in which adoptive parents are criticized for "taking" someone else's baby, and yet we march to encourage "freedom" of abortion.  My heart is struggling with the Women's March that just took place in Washington D.C.  On one hand, I'm proud of so many women gathering together to express unity and a desire for good for women across the globe.  I think of how privileged I am as a woman living in the United States.  Even though I may be criticized and come against opposition, I can choose whatever life I want for myself.  Yet in so many places across the world this is not the case.  So, I would march for my sisters who cannot march. On the other hand, my heart is grieved.  This isn't a statement of lightly banded together words to figuratively express an emotional appeal.  No, my heart grieves.  I am a barren woman.  I desire a child.  And yet the march that took place Saturday, January 21st, 2017...

I think there can be a lot more of God, husband, and wife working together to create a baby through Assisted Reproductive Technologies than the Catholic church gives credit.  When a couple is struggling to have a child, they really grasp how much the formation of a human being is the result of God's miraculous work. (Thus, why so many people get angry at God during the grief of infertility and why so many give God the glory when they do conceive after a time of barrenness.)  But when a couple, married or not, learn that the woman has conceived easily after intercourse, conception doesn't have to be viewed as miraculous.  Some argue that IVF focuses on science in place of god.  The same argument could be made about natural, easy conception through intercourse: conception is just the result of the science of the sperm and egg meeting. Talk to anyone working in the field of reproductive endocrinology and they will tell you that they can't make a baby...

I encourage everyone to read the full manuscript of Pope Francis's message to the U.S. Congress prior to reading my response.  So much of what he has said has been politicized without the context of his references to four people recognized in the United States as role models of the Christian faith.  I encourage you to learn more about the people he mentioned as well. My response: The Pope’s words encouraging us to avoid fundamentalism’s “simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil” reminds me of how Jesus interacted with the Samaritan woman at the well, Zacchaeus the tax collector, and how he spent enough time with people who were alcoholics that some called him a drunkard just for hanging out with them.   Jesus was without sin, yet he knew that those overwhelmed with it were people who needed God’s compassionate grace and needed his healing touch. When he mentions the “stranger in our midst” I am reminded that Jesus’ ancestors were immigrants too....

I feel like my brain is being re-wired.  Actually, whenever I read God's word I feel the fresh breath of the Spirit's wind cleansing out my mental cobwebs and giving me new clarity of thought.  But, today I have to admit a courage-giving movement of the Word in my life.  I return to what I knew, but with greater buy-in and more depth of understanding. Infertility can strike the core of one's gender identity.  Doesn't matter if you are a man or a woman - there is a part of your femininity or masculinity that is attacked.  Part of the healing process is a restoration or a new creation of that identity.  What does it mean to be a woman whose womb doesn't seem to work?  What does it mean to be a man whose arrows miss the target?  Our culture is over sexualized.  I think that is one reason that homosexuality gets so much attention - we care a little to much about our gender as it is related to our sexuality. We overemphasize this character t...

"'This one at last Is bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh. This one shall be called Woman, ['ish], For from man ['ish] she was taken.' Hence a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, so that they become one flesh.  The two of them were naked, the man and his wife, yet they felt no shame." (Genesis 2:23-25) As men and women we feel compelled to return to one another.  We are compelled because of our creation.  The first human was likely neither male nor female.  Neither is God male or female.  It is in our coming together that we more fully reflect the image of God. It is in our nature to cling to one another and in our uniquely shared nakedness to be unashamed. It is interesting that in the second telling of the creation story in Genesis 2, there is no command from God to reproduce. The first telling in Genesis 1 is more about the mechanics of creating and filling the earth, whereas the second telling in Genesis 2 focu...

“For me, the celebration of Easter puts our earthly concerns into perspective. With humility and with awe, we give thanks to the extraordinary sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our Savior. We reflect on the brutal pain that He suffered, the scorn that He absorbed, the sins that He bore, this extraordinary gift of salvation that He gave to us. And we try, as best we can, to comprehend the darkness that He endured so that we might receive God’s light.   “And yet, even as we grapple with the sheer enormity of Jesus’s sacrifice, on Easter we can’t lose sight of the fact that the story didn’t end on Friday. The story keeps on going. On Sunday comes the glorious Resurrection of our Savior…. Today, we celebrate the magnificent glory of our risen Savior. I pray that we will live up to His example. I pray that I will live up to His example. I fall short so often. Every day I try to do better. I pray that we will be strengthened by His eternal love. I pray that we will be worthy of His many ...

"And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life."  - Genesis 45:5 I think I just discovered my mission related to this journey through infertility. How many babies are destroyed each day on a mother's search to create life?  As a pro-life Christian, for the longest time I thought many fertility technologies were not available to me.   What I have discovered though in discussions with my spouse and in research is that there are options available in which life can be preserved.  Eggs and sperm can be frozen separately.  Embryos that look a little off (given a low grade) can still be placed in the womb, and surprisingly may even grow into a healthy baby. There are doctors in this country who are committed to making life, not destroying it. So, on this Easter Sunday as I read the 45th chapter of Genesis and hear Joseph explain how he has reconciled the difficultie...

I was just reading the "Likings and Loves for the Sub-Human" chapter of C.S. Lewis' "The Four Loves" and was struck by his definition of what patriotism is and is not.  Lewis explains patriotism as caring for your home country despite of its weaknesses.  He warns that when patriotism becomes based upon the value or worth of your home in comparison to that of others it becomes diseased. It isn't because your home is "good" that you are patriotic, but it is because it is your home. This was really insightful for me, as I've struggled with the whole concept of patriotism since 9/11.  In fact I think many have struggled with this idea, because it has become so closely linked with "righteousness."  But what is righteous about the war in Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Iraq? And this is where Lewis' words really spoke to me and have made me reconsider my own generations' response to war.  He writes: Where the sentiment of patrioti...

The Jahi McMath case has troubled me over the last few weeks.   How can I pray and ask God to heal this little girl when so many other families have made the heartwrenching choice to let go and remove life support.   If she were to be healed, wouldn’t this be harmful to those families who accepted the doctors’ prognosis and let go?   Wouldn’t it be cruel of God to heal her when others weren’t “given that opportunity” to be healed? Today, as I sat down to read my daily devotional, I reflected upon the story of the deceased child found in chapter five of Mark.   The community declared and mourned the death of twelve-year-old Tabitha.   Yet Jesus said, “This child is not dead but asleep.”     This statement of Jesus makes me wonder two things.   Was there something Jesus knew about death that the culture of the time didn’t know?   Was she really, truly still alive, yet only asleep?   Or, was this Jesus speaking a...

I want to thank Brad Paisley & LL Cool J for not being P.C. and for being real.  I'm disappointed that the articles published by major news sites have been short and have not dug into the meaning of the "Accidental Racist" lyrics or discussed how they might be representative of more than Paisley and Cool J.  I'm also disappointed that talk show personalities, like Ellen, have not asked the hard questions.  The fact that there has been unity in putting down this song and not more back and forth conversation though makes me question if the song accomplished its goal.  The unity of people's responses online also leads me to question the authenticity of the responses. When was the last time we were this united as a nation? Especially on a topic that so deeply touches the core of people's self-understanding?  I am in agreement with these guys, that if people are afraid to say how they actually feel and have the conversation, we won't get over our racial d...

My husband mentioned that there has been a few news articles most recently asking where God was the day 6 and 7 year olds lost their lives at Sandy Hook Elementary. I have to admit, that hasn't been one of my questions this Christmas season, rather I have found meaning in a part of the Christmas story that for the most part of my life I have overlooked: Matthew 2:16-18 New International Version (NIV) 16  When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.   17  Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18    “A voice is heard in Ramah,    weeping and great mourning,  Rachel  weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted,        because they are no more.” [ a ]         ...

One of my favorite New Testament stories is of the Samaritan woman's encounter with Jesus at Jacob's well.  I love this story, because it models to me what it means to share the gospel.  In it, I am reminded to speak the truth in love, to invite my neighbor to have his or her thirst quenched by the Living Water, to use what is before me as a tool for witness, and to reach out to those who are marginalized by society.  I typically interpret the woman to represent in modern times those disfranchised in society by race, poverty, or culture.  But, today when I read it, I saw it in a new way.  The Samaritan woman had faith. She believed in the Torah and worshipped God.  She was at odds with the Jewish believer because she chose to worship God in a different way and she rejected parts of the Scriptures.  I read it and I heard an encounter between Jesus and a Muslim woman. I also heard the part about her having several husbands in a new way.  Previ...

This morning I read an AP article about the young man who went on a shooting rampage at the new Batman movie.  As I read his story, it sounded like the story of so many people in my generation.  We were told in elementary school, middle school, and high school to continue our education after high school and to pursue a white collar financially secure career that fit with our gifts, talents, and dreams.  But after completing college, so many of us discovered that the only jobs available to us were jobs that did not require the education we received.  Those who were able then decided to further their education with a masters or doctorate degree.  But once in those programs, we discovered that the higher the degree we earned the less likely were our chances of finding a spouse, having a happy marriage, and getting a job.  Some of my peers who are completing their PhDs are discovering that indeed the job pool is even thinner than when they began.  So what...

I was just searching the Internet looking for a middle-eastern nativity scene for purchase.  In that search I came across a brief article about a human-sized "political" nativity scene that was vandalized at a church.  I thought this a bit strange, and realized that a Christian could be charged with vandalizing a Christian nativity scene, because they considered it sacrilegious, but if a Muslim stole an image of Muhammad, because they found it offensive, it might be considered practicing religious freedom. In our society, to some degree certain religious beliefs and commitments are idolized, whereas others are scrutinized - and not with the same measure.  In this fictional scenario, the media and protestors would be up in arms advocating for the Muslim who rightfully was defending Mohammad, and would also be up in arms in opposition to the Christian who was defending Jesus.  At the same time, in other parts of our country, the Muslim would not even have a chance t...

So, I just stumbled upon a contest, where members of the U.S. American church are challenged to write a letter to the church answering the question, " If I could say anything to the church, what would it be?"   The contest ends tonight at midnight (oops - I guess it ended at noon - I missed it).  Here is the website that details the contest:  http://promoshq.wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/211410 Since I just stumbled upon the contest, here is my impromptu response (hopefully this counts as submitting it in the contest?): Dear church,             Don’t be so concerned with fitting in with culture.  I remember how hard you tried as pre-teens to gain approval from your peers, how in middle school you were taunted for the way your faith made you stand out, that is okay.  It is okay to not fit in.  The early disciples didn’t fit in, “and more were added to their number each day.” (Acts 2:47) ...

I came across another youth ministry article today that was addressing purity in teenage dating relationships.  Since getting married I have some very strong feelings about how the Christian sex/dating/marriage education thought-process is missing the target.  Here are just a few of my thoughts: 1.  When I was a teenager much of the focus of "purity" lessons was on the physical aspect of purity, but little was said about the "heart" aspect.  I remember people commenting on how quickly a young man could undress a young lady with his mind, but little was said of how quickly a young woman may marry a young man in her mind.  (And of course nothing was said of how quickly a young woman may undress a young man in her mind or how quickly a young man might marry a young woman in his mind.)  Instead of focusing on what a young woman should wear or how she should keep physical boundaries (which so often is focused upon), shouldn't we address how quickly she com...

A good friend of mine who is a pastor in Iowa recently blogged about the tension she feels as a person and a pastor in regards to her attendance at a caucus.  I appreciate what she wrote, so I want to share a link to this post: "Confession of Repentant - Iowa Caucus" Here is my response to what she wrote: "I'm glad you wrote about this.  I was wondering the same question this morning.  I know how Iowans feel about pastors expressing themselves politically - more than one pastor has lost his/her job as a result.  I understand and respect the boundaries of the pastoral role, but I too wondered how this works itself out in a caucus situation.  If you attend the Republican caucus, no one may know how you voted, but they know that you attended the Republican caucus.  If you attend the Democrat caucus, everyone who also attends knows exactly how you vote.  I thought about the importance of attending to show the value of participating in this US American...

For over a year now, God has been speaking to me about the topic of homosexuality.  I am now waiting anxiously for a book on "Gay Theology" to arrive in the mail.  This morning I read the 5th chapter of 1 Corinthians which addresses a sexual immorality "that does not occur even among pagans" and that is of a Christian man having intercourse with his father's wife. Yesterday I had a conversation with a co-worker about homosexuality.  She asked me about the passage in the Old Testament that is dismissed by people because it is "just an Old Testament law and we don't follow those anyways."  I believe she was referring to Leviticus 18:22. SACRIFICIAL LAW SYSTEM I find it a bit amusing when people choose to discredit this verse.  Yes, there are different types of laws in the Old Testament and many Christians choose to no longer follow those laws.  For example, Christians believe they are released from the priestly laws of the sacrificial system be...