I lote blackberries. That is not a typo. It's a love hate thing all smashed together. I love warm blackberries off the bush and blackberry crisp and canned blackberry jam. I hate the stinking bushes. Our particular bushes hang over our fence from the neighbor's yard. Convenient when the fruit is ready. A hazard to drive through or walk through on the way home. I've got scars to prove it. Saturday I donned my crud clothes and my heavy duty gloves and went out to battle the blackberries. I always feel like the underdog when I go out into the yard.
The most well known story in the book of 1st Samuel has to be the epic battle between David and Goliath. The little guy beats the big guy saga is woven throughout literature and pop culture. It's included in any self-respecting self help book. Most of the time though the retelling skips an important piece. The story isn't really about the underdog vs. bully. It's about the power of God. David wins because he trusts the character of his creator. That same power is available to you. Fight your giants. God is bigger. "And David said, "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine," I Samuel 17:37a Just like David and Goliath, the rest of the stories in 1st Samuel are beautiful puzzle pieces all by themselves. Little character portraits that we can draw wisdom from and apply to our own lives. Hannah: We spent two years of our marriage wondering if we could have a baby. Surgery and therapy and lots of prayer later and I identified with Hannah. Later my eldest daughter was convinced she would be an only child forever. She told me she prayed for a sister for over a year. When we read about Hannah my kiddo said she understood. Hannah cried out to the Lord and he heard her plea. Like all kids, Samuel was a gift. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. I Samuel 1:27 Samuel: This boy was dedicated to the service of God from birth. He grew up in the temple helping the prophet Eli. When Samuel was around twelve, he heard God speak. His response is one we should all mirror. Speak. I'm listening. "Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." 1 Samuel 3:10 Saul: Samuel grows up to be a great prophet. The people come to him and beg for a king. They want to be like all the surrounding countries. So in grief, Samuel asks God. And God replies with a classic parenting method. You aren't gonna like it....but okay....here is a king. Sometimes we manipulate our lives to the point that we get what we want. It would have been better had we waited. At any rate, God appoints Saul to be king. This goes okay for a while but Saul becomes a bitter, jealous, arrogant man. God eventually tells Samuel his reign is over. Saul spends the rest of his life trying to kill David. Like most things, it's all about the heart. When the motives are wrong the situation deteriorates. "But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart". I Samuel 16:7 At one point on Saturday I was standing under the berry bushes cutting down the tangled vines above. The branches were heavy with dried leaves and leftover berries. Each time I cut a vine out of the mess I was showered in dust and dried bits. It got in my hair, down my shirt, into my eyes. Every time. The fallout was painful. Frequently the puzzle piece stories of 1st Samuel show the consequences of choices. Fallout. Jonathan: I love the story of Jonathan. He is Saul's son and heir to the throne. He was also good friends with David. You would assume that when the throne was given away Jonathan would have joined his father in a temper tantrum. He doesn't. Jonathan spends the rest of his life protecting David. Love helps us let go, support others, protect. "As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." I Samuel 18:1 David: This shephard boy turned giant slayer turned great king is perhaps the pinnacle character in the entire Old Testament. David is called a man after God's own heart. He is a servant leader, a humble king and as we'll see in 2nd Samuel a repentant flawed soul. David is also a symbol hinting at the servant savior promised to Abraham who will be fullfilled in the coming Messiah. (Hint: Christians believe that was Jesus). Saturday afternoon as I stood back from my now cleaned up fence line I thought about the book of 1st Samuel. The stories wind and weave together a lot like my blackberry vines. Some of those stories are sharp warnings to avoid the barbs of jealousy and rebellions. Some give lessons to sweeten our lives. The full picture that the book of 1st Samuel makes when it is pieced together and seen in context of the entire Bible narrative is breathtaking. It's full of courage and redemption. Promise and consequences. The grand picture continues to be that God's eternal plan will be worked out for good. Resources
Read Scripture: 1 Samuel. Here you go! If you haevn't watched these yet, grab a cup of coffee and catch up. They are a great tool.
Handy infographic from New Spring Church along with a whole array of stories to help you think about and process the book of 1st Samuel. Read here.
There are TONS of great books about the characters in 1st Samuel; Hannah, David, Saul, Goliath. Here are a few I've read and enjoyed. Click on the book to purchase a copy through Amazon.
Mark Batterson's newest book is on my to read list. I loved In a pit with a lion on a snowy day. This one is the sequal. Chase your lions!
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For our anniversary last year I signed my spouse up for a subscription date box. This is a kit that shows up in the mail once a month and includes a variety of themed items for a date night. My husband was less than impressed with the first box which included instructions on how to give your wife a fantastic massage. This might be one of those times when I gave him something for me. Subsequent boxes were better. We've even let the kids tag along on a couple boxes as we made cake pops, roasted marshmallows over some homemade candles, planted carrots in our hand-crafted pinch pots and played lots of games. This month's box was touted as an International Date Box. It included instructions for how to make an origami crane, two Suduko games and a whole kit for making your own sushi. It also included a grocery list. I hauled home sushi grade tuna, shrimp, crab, avocado, and cucumbers. I was excited about this one. My eldest daughter loves Sushi, the littlest is generally willing to try anything her older sister will eat and my husband is a fantastic chef. High hopes. The kids and I sat at the counter watching the resident chef set up while we happily folded paper cranes and worked on Suduko puzzles. I'm a confident Suduko whiz so I used a pen. Um. Two hours later and my Suduko puzzle was a big ink blob of errors. The cranes were crumpled messes. The youngest one was sobbing. The oldest was hiding in the corner on her iPod. The resident chef was declaring that he was going to throw out every sushi item in the entire kitchen as soon as we ate the stupid rolls. Turns out that it takes forever to chop and set and roll and cut those gorgeous california rolls. I took pictures of the pretty ones. I did not take pictures of the ones that we called snowballs. We were starving. And tense. We ate our sushi in non date like silence. The best part of the entire evening was when we opened our fortune cookie. We all grinned. We threw out the sushi tools and shrugged our shoulders.
I've been married for 17 years. We have a great time together. Most of the time. However, we are both first born strong willed people. Our children are not mild. Therefore, not all our days - or our dates - qualify for Instragram photos and beautiful blog posts. Sometimes we argue and cry and pout. My guess is that's true in your family as well. Relationships can require a lot of work. They may need counseling and self help books and lots of prayer and heart change. We've certainly had those chapters in the last 17 years. But I've also discovered that frequently there are problems you can solve in simple ways. It doesn't always have to be complicated. Sometimes shrugging your shoulders and throwing out the sushi tools is enough. Seriously. How to save your marriage from yourself? Relax. Cut each other some slack. Take a deep breath. Tell a joke. Hug. Give grace. Say sorry. Order takeout.
I have two daughters. My heart walks around ouside my body. I think about the days I have to play and teach and mold. There aren't that many really. I hold their hands and cuddle in and tell them stories. Some to make them laugh. Some I hope they take to heart. One of my favorite tales is the short four chapter Biblical saga of Ruth.
Once there was a young woman named Ruth. She was a Moabite woman. She fell for an immigrant, an Israeli boy, a refugee who had left his home country with his family to escape famine. Ruth married her man and she committed fully. Ruth bonded with his faith and family. Ruth loved his mama, Naomi, as her own. Then tragedy struck. Her father-in-law, brother-in-law and her husband all died. The famine was closing in. I'm sure she was scared and hungry.
I watch my two girls and wonder what the future holds. I pray we equip them with deep roots and steadfast souls. They will have good days and bad. Joy and sorrow. They will fall down. We all do.
Naomi sat in her grief and saw only one way forward. She had to move home. So she turned to her daughter-in-laws and told them to do the same. Go home girls! They had a good cry and one left. Ruth sat still. She didn't move. "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God." Ruth 1: 16 That verse is the most popular in the book of Ruth. It's said at weddings and stiched on pillows. But I love this one more. When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. Ruth 1:18 Naomi saw the loyal soul of her daughter-in-law. This verse makes me proud of my tough and steadfast girls. I want them to be brave and unmovable on the things that matter. This is why I tell them the story of Ruth. When it matters - Don't move. Perseverance leads to success. Temptation quits when it sees determination.
Ruth and Naomi travel back to Israel. And Ruth kicks into gear. Ruth spends her days gathering leftover barley from nearby fields in order to feed Naomi and herself. Word of her effort and her loyalty reach the ears of the landowner. Hard work is always a good idea. The best way to get noticed is for character. Enter the male lead - Boaz. This wealthy farmer starts to assist Ruth and gives her a blessing.
May the Lord reward your work, and your wages be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge." Ruth 2: 12 Oh my daughters! May you choose wisely where you seek help. Trust God. Watch for miracles great and small. They are all around. What a joy it is to celebrate when God builds serendipities into our lives.
When Naomi hears that Boaz is helping Ruth she grins. You see Boaz is their kinsman reedemer. Close relatives were charged with rescuing widows, managing their land and continuing their family line. So Naomi smiles and her heart starts to hope. She starts to plan.
Girls. Wish big giant dreams. Plan and pray. Get after it. Be bold. Control what you can.
Ruth listens to Naomi's plan. She dresses in her finest. Brushes her hair. Approaches Boaz and makes her situation clear. Heads back to Naomi. Then they wait.
Listen my loves. Once you've done all you can, then you wait. Watch and see. The Lord fights for you. "Then she said, 'Wait my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today." Ruth 3: 18
Naomi and Ruth's story includes a wedding and a baby. A home and a future. A family tree that leads to King David and ultimately to that long awaited Savior.
"Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel." May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him." Ruth 4: 14 You see when God gets involved our story weaves into His. While He does not promise everyone a fairy tale wedding; He does promise a secure future. He promises us all a redeemer. A restorer. A sustainer. My daughters. Be a Ruth. Loyal. Steadfast. Committed. Determined. Hard Working. Celebrating. Grateful. Bold. Patient. Redeemed. Resources
The Bible Project has succeeded again in this walkthrough of Ruth. The discussion of God's providence and plan working out through individual people's choices inspires me. Watch it!
Liz Curtis Higgs is an engaging funny author. I love her take on the book of Ruth. Click to buy your own copy.
Here is a handy infographic from NewSpring Church for the book of Ruth. This one is pretty! You can check out their Bible study on the book here.
The 2016 Portland to Coast is all done. Finished. Over. Our pastor on Sunday stated in his sermon people his belief regarding those who do the Hood to Coast or the Portland to Coast. He said we are all crazy. He may well be right. It's a ton of hard work. It's hot, stinky, exhausting, cramped, and crazy fun. As I was walking along in my first 6 mile super hot section I distracted myself from the blistering heat by running a blog through in my head. It occured to me that my previous blog about climbing hills was only half the story. Sure there are lots of tips and tricks about how to preservere in personal challenges. But the best part of the Portland to Coast is that it's a relay, and its done in and through neighborhoods. People really are what make it work. The encouragement and laughter and teasing and support I received from my girls are why I have done this loony event more than once. And that same love and joy is why I do most of my life with people all intertwined up in my business. I support them, they love on me. So here you go - top five life applications from this year's Portland to Coast. 1. Find a team and some cute pants. Life is more fun when you have a set of people committed to cheering you on. If you can find a coach with glowing shoes I recommend that as well. I'm only kinda kidding. Adding a little color and light and sillyness to your daily grind is a great way to combat the dark. 2. Drive Slowly! Be careful with the people around you who are running a race. We used to live just down the road from a motorcross track which hosted a national championship every year. It was truly a pain. Awful traffic, noise, tons of people. We typically stayed home and hid the whole weekend motorcross was in town. So I totally understand why some of the local residents may not be a fan of the PTC and HTC. However. At one point in the middle of the night a large beefed up pickup truck came speeding and reving through the middle of a bunch of racers. He clearly didn't appreciate us in his neighborhood. Dangerous. Scary. His temper tantrum was not worth the risk. Made me think though. How often do I get frustrated by the inconvenience of people I know who are striving to finish a race? Do I grump and growl when I have to slow down to make room for someone? Do I endanger their peace or safety because I am annoyed? I'm going to do my best to remember the reving truck next time I amp up. Slow down. Be careful. People are running their race. 3. Remember we are all different. Eight girls in one van for 36 hours. Big bold personalities complete with bull horn and blinking lights tucked in beside some quiet gentle souls. Speedy walkers and slower shufflers. One of the very best ways to keep the peace is to start with a simple truth. We are all different. That's just fine. 4. Food and Water Win Just before the crest of a big giant hill sat a neighbor watching the race. He sat beside an open cooler of water bottles. Cold water given to strangers. I love that guy. Matthew 10:42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disiple, truly i tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward. Middle of the night, tired and sore. My teammate handed me a pita filled with homemade chicken salad. Grapes and pineapple and almonds. I ate and refueled and smiled. Food is my love language. There have been days in my life where words were not useful but food and water helped. Hospital rooms, court rooms, hospice. Love sometimes looks like dinner. 5. Don't leave anyone behind. Somewhere up in the hills outside Seaside, Oregon I decided that it was TIME to change my clothes. We were parked on the side of the road waiting for our walker to pass. So I hauled to the back of the van and cleverly used the van doors and my bin to create a little changing closet to swap out my pants. Pants off. Van pulled away and parked 100 yards down. I was standing there surprised as I watched my team leave. A racer speeding by grinned and asked what I'd done to get myself evicted from my team. Oh gosh. The driver....who shall remain nameless....wait....she left me half clothed on the side of the road.....grace grace grace....stopped the van and hopped out. She looked back, saw me standing there and yelped. Got back in the van and quickly backed my changing closet back to me. I laughed. Life lesson though: check your people before you leave. Build boundaries in your marriages, put filters on your internet, ask your kids questions. Check on your people. Don't leave anyone exposed. So my team - thanks for the encouragement. I love you all. Go go Rocket Girls.
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About MeI love Jesus. I think my two daughters can change the world. I think you can too. Past Posts
August 2020
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