The Ever-Ascending Cycle

Anyone who has gone through the education system, whether it be public, private, or homeschool, has had some experience with the Bruner ascending cycle of learning. Sure, we've probably never heard of it by that name - and I'm pretty sure that Bruner stole the idea from YHVH who, not surprisingly, invented the concept in the first place.

The concept goes something like this: we are to be ever-ascending as we move through the cycles of life (some people call them seasons of life.)

On YHVH's calendar that involves His Sabbaths, festivals, the new moons - those are all integral to our cycles of life as they are "shadows" (prophetic pictures) of what is to come. As we go through these cycles of life, if we fail to gain elevation (learn our lessons), we end up digging ruts for ourselves. (On person aptly likened this concept to a scratch in a record... but not many are familiar with the analogy these days.) As we practice the Lord's calendar, if we fail to learn trust, obedience, discipline, and see the love and the future He has planned or us, we end up following a system of works for the sake of works.

We have all heard the adage:  "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." The same principle applies.
This concept is one of the main reasons why some of us fail to embrace or fulfill our destinies: by failing to learn our lessons, or learn from our mistakes, we relegate ourselves to repeating the cycle over and over again. Think the movie Groundhog Day, and the whole premise of the plot.
It could very well be one of the reasons that the Israelites took 40 years circling the same path before entering the Promised Land.

Remembering our failures helps us to not forget, and thus have to relearn the hard way, the lessons that YHVH has for us to learn. Understanding our history helps us to understand how we got to where we are now, as well as what our future holds: it helps us to see who we are called to be, what our purpose on Earth is, and how dependent we are upon YHVH to fulfill that purpose.

M*A*?*A*

Unless you have your head buried in the sand, it is virtually impossible to avoid seeing political slogans everywhere you turn. We have another year+ of this, I'm afraid. Last week I saw an entire family (with about 6 kids in tow) proudly walking into our local Big Box Store, all wearing matching red MAGA hats and t-shirts. I admired their bravery for taking a bold stand in declaring their beliefs, knowing full well they could possibly be assaulted just for their statement alone.
That's the world we live in right now - sad but true.

Today I ran into Trader Joe's to grab a few things for salad-making tonight and was confronted with a slogan that was new to me: Make America Kind Again. Wouldn't that be nice?

As I was online Googling my salad recipe, curiosity got the better of me, and I also Googled "Make America Kind Again", wondering if it was also a movement or indicative of a particular political bent. (Seriously, I do not keep up with this stuff, so pardon my naïvete.) Yeah - it was probably too good to be true, to propose that people can just be kind without an agenda.

Of course, there is no shortage of people wanting to jump on any particular bandwagon these days, I even came across "Make America Straight Again", "Make America Godly Again", "Make America Juicy Again" (not kidding - apparently they think we don't drink enough beer.)

While I do think it would be lovely if we could achieve kindness, a possibly better (and even more improbable) goal might be:
Make America Humble Again.

Please Define "Legalism"

It turns out that somewhere along the way, I have apparently done something to deserve having the label LEGALIST slapped on me. Do I deserve this? You be the judge.

Our esteemed Mr. Webster defines "legalism" thusly:

strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law or to a religious or moral code

Elsewhere, the website Christianity.com has this to say:

Legalism exists when people attempt to secure righteousness in God’s sight by good works. Legalists believe that they can earn or merit God’s approval by performing the requirements of the law,” Thomas R. Schreiner said. A legalist believes that their good works and obedience to God affects their salvation. Legalism focuses on God’s laws more than relationship with God. It keeps external laws without a truly submitted heart. And legalism adds human rules to divine laws and treats them as divine...

And here is where I believe common usage of the term has been changed and is being used to whack people over the head. If someone believes the Bible is true, and seeks to order their lives in accordance to their sincerely held beliefs, it doesn't matter that they do have a truly submitted heart. It doesn't matter that the "rules" they are trying to apply to their own lives are not, in fact, "man made" but found entirely in scripture. The very fact that they are following those laws at all somehow justifies being labeled as a legalist.

Are there followers of the Bible who are trying to earn or merit Gods approval? I'm sure there are. But who am I to be the judge, jury, and hangman in this case? And what, for goodness' sake, are they hurting by doing so? Nothing, as far as I can tell - UNLESS they impose their beliefs on others.

So, forget what labels people slap on me. Forget even what Webster or Christianity.com or your next door neighbor says. What did Jesus say? (WDJS?)

If you love Me, you shall guard My commands. - John 14:15

If you guard My commands, you shall stay in My love even as I have guarded My Father’s commands and stay in His love. -John 15:10

You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. - John 15:14

There are about a gazillion more references to keeping God's commands, but we don't have all day here.

It's not about "earning" anything, folks. It's about saying you love someone and acting like you mean it. 

Period.

Goals

Reading today in Romans. I don't know why it's taking me so long to get through Romans this time. Maybe it's because I'm stopping frequently to chew on what I've read. I've been in it for over a week and I am only on chapter 10. Having just read verses 1 through 4, my thoughts turned to the definition of goal.

Truly Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to Elohim for Israel is for deliverance. For I bear them witness that they have an ardour for Elohim, but not according to knowledge. For not knowing the righteousness of Elohim, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of (did not obey) Elohim. For Messiah is the goal of the Torah unto righteousness to everyone who believes.

So my question here is this: why do people who read this verse assume that it means that Jesus nailed the perfect instructions of God to the cross?

That is not what I'm reading here at all. I never played football in school, but I played plenty of scrimmages on the front lawn with my brother and neighbor kids. I know what a goal is - it is something that you are aiming for. It is the purpose of trying to get that ball, and it's what you run toward. Once you get the ball across the goal line, that does not end the game. So why do people use that analogy and equate that to the Torah being done away with?

That is what I'm chewing on today.

You Might Find This Offensive

I like to read, and I'm always on the lookout for a good book. Having a few relatives who are librarians comes in handy here.

With my bookshelves full and overflowing with books (not counting the boxes full of books in my storage unit), coupled with the fact that I am in the throes of downsizing in order to retire and move out of our not-so-spacious apartment and into an even-less-spacious travel trailer, well, let's just say I have taken to relying a lot more on our local library and e-books than ever before.
Now, instead of capping off each trip to Costco with the obligatory stroll through their book section with an eye to a new acquisition, instead I am looking for suggestions for my next book request from the library. (Sorry to all my family and friends who earn their living by working for Costco.)

I recently had the opportunity to talk about books with my librarian sister, who just happens to be serving her last term as reader on a statewide committee which determines "Book of the Year" in her state. In her capacity as a reader, she has the enviable task (or possibly unenviable, depending on your bent) of reading over 50 submissions for nominees any particular year. In so doing,  she will obviously be reading from numerous genres, including poetry, children's books, historical... all categories that she might not normally read.

So, when she shares the title of a particular book that has left a favorable impression, I take note. I also took note of the comment which accompanied her recommendation: "You might find it offensive." Honestly, I had to chuckle inwardly. I can't even recall exactly what she thought might offend me. I was too busy ruminating on the fact that anyone besides myself - even someone who has know me for 60+ years, would think they knew what might offend me. 

In the first place, I didn't realize I was easily offended.

In the second place, I was a little surprised that someone would think me so narrow-minded.

Do I have opinions and thoughts on a myriad of topics?  If you've wasted any time trolling through my comments throughout the years, you'll know the answer to that. Do I think I am always right? Mmm... not so much. That is why I do choose to read books, listen to podcasts, or even watch movies that might possibly contain controversial content. I have my opinions and thoughts... I am willing to entertain that I might not have the last word on a given topic... But my bottom line is that I weigh what I read or hear against one standard. What does the Bible say?

If that makes me narrow-minded, I guess I will just have to live with that.

Challenging Comfort Zones

Several things presented themselves to me as I began my journey of taking a deeper, closer look at the faith walk that I had been on for what seemed like my entire life.
I will form these thoughts as questions, because that is how they presented in my mind.
1) Did Jesus really come to start a new religion?
2) Did Paul start a new religion or teach something different from what Jesus had taught?
3) If neither of the two questions above could be answered as "No", then why did the religion I followed look and sound and feel so different from the "religion" I read about in the Bible?

Please note: I despise the term "religion" as used to describe a faith-based, personal experience with Who I believe to be a living Creator Who has made Himself known to His creation. The Webster's definition: "an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods" does not accurately define the relationship that I am describing as my own experience.

Another question:
4) If either question 1 or question 2 could be answered "Yes", then how did that fit with a belief system that claimed a God Who is "the same yesterday, today, and forever"?

God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? -Numbers 23.19

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. - James 1.17

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. - Hebrews 13.8

I have recently started reading a book written by a (surprise, surprise) Southern Baptist preacher, The Unsaved Christian: Reaching Cultural Christianity with the Gospel which (thus far) has been describing much of my frustration and dilemma with having been raised in the church. I have been surrounded by, and have myself been what I would consider to be a "cultural Christian" for most of my life.

Hear me: I am in no way wanting to disparage the countless MANY wonderful, kind, good people who have influenced my life over the years. I am just waking up to the reality that there is so much more to having a relationship with a living God. Much as there is so much more to a marriage that a wedding ceremony.

Let that sink in if you will. Imagine a marriage that got no further than the wedding ceremony. Both parties kiss, exchange rings, walk back down the aisle and out the church door, going their separate ways - and then go on living their lives having little interaction except perhaps a weekly conjugal visit... if they weren't too busy going skiing, playing golf, watching the bowl game. Sure, you dress up nice for the occasional date and tell everyone you are husband a wife, but where is the relationship?

Have I just described the average "Christian" relationship with the Father of heavenly lights? The same one who so desired a restored relationship with his prodigal child that He sent his only son to die for us?

I'm sorry if that description offends you or puts you on the defensive. But I know exactly how you feel, because those are the same challenges I have been wading through for the past 13 years as I have tried to come up for air as I found myself drowning in a sea of religion.

43534 :: Post-Apocalyptic Musings

It has been 122 days since an apocalyptic-sized firestorm swept through our county, killing 85 people (mostly elderly) and untold other pets and wildlife, destroying nearly 19,000 structures (and effectively, several communities) and displacing over 50,000 souls. 

Labeled "the deadliest and most destructive fire in California history," the Camp Fire which started November 8, 2018 and roared for 18 days, continues to have a huge impact on our community today, in ways we did not anticipate. 

We knew to buy up air purifiers and N95 face masks. Hundreds volunteered countless hours at Red Cross, humane, and other shelters to serve those who had lost everything. Many donated bedrooms and travel trailers for use by strangers who had been displaced. There was no lack of compassion or outpouring of selfless giving on the part of our community during this time of dire need.

Vacant rentals within a 50+ mile radius filled up within a week - a few landlords generously even waived deposits or pet restrictions. People were on the phone to realtors, buying houses sight-unseen even as they drove down the hill through walls of flames. Thousands got in their cars and just kept on driving, relocating to other cities and states... or sometimes, countries. Thousands of others camped out in tents, trailers and cars in any open space they could find for weeks, until rains threatened flooding and more shelters were opened.

Church shelters filled up within days, until the outbreak of norovirus and the influx of opportunistic transients infiltrated, causing the most vulnerable - the children and elderly - to feel further traumatized.

It was ironic, if not almost comical, to answer the inevitable, innocent question asked by anyone not familiar with our community: "Were you affected by the Camp Fire?" Even those of us who did not lose a home could not fail to have been affected. At the very least, we each have multiple friends and/or family whose lives were upended as they literally fled for their lives, leaving melting cars in the traffic jam as they ran through blazing walls of fire on both sides.

On a lesser note, one cannot fail to see the impact with crowded grocery stores, restaurants, streets, medical facilities. We have an entire town just 20 minutes up the hill from us who lost hospitals, clinics, restaurants, hotels, convenience stores, gas stations... how can that not fail to impact the rest of us, even if we lost nothing more than the ability to breath clean air for a few weeks?

But to me, the most devastating effect that has impacted us all, is the ability to afford to continue to live in this community that we have called home for decades. As we were nearing retirement, we had already been looking out for affordable housing in the senior mobile home parks that abound. Now, it would seem, opportunistic sellers have disregarded any thought to anything besides feathering their own nests at the expense of not only those who have lost everything, but the rest of us who can no longer afford to remain where we have lived, in our case, for 14 years.

Our District Attorney warned businesses that it is illegal (not to mention immoral) to raise the price on rent or food or cars or gas or building materials more than 10% in the face of a disaster. But selling a house is a different matter. As pointed out recently on social media, a 49-year old, single-wide mobile home in a senior park that had been listed at $18,000 pre-Camp Fire was raised to $55,000 (with no apparent improvements to warrant the price increase) and sold within a week. Likewise, slapping a coat of paint on a 48-year old double-wide in the same senior park is apparently justification for listing at $154,000 what was listed in 2018 for $20,000.

Sadly, that is just the tip of the iceberg. Many more long-term renters have now been served notice that landlords are selling houses (one must assume to the highest bidder), taking advantage of this window of opportunity where people desperate for a place to live coupled with insurance payouts are forking out double - and sometimes triple - the amount of what a place is worth, further displacing yet more families in their wake.

I'm not sure where it will all end, but I'm not so naïve as to think it will end any time soon. Nor will it end on a happy note. The bubble will burst, there will be a lot of people who have shelled out FAR-above reasonable market value for houses, businesses will not be able to move to (or even continue to operate in) our area because there is no available housing for employees, and the bubble is going to burst with a big splat.

I hope I am wrong - but I don't think I am. And I doubt we will be here to see it anyway, since no one can live on Social security and a meager savings where housing prices have tripled.