Rebuilding

I used Joy & Mike's bathroom as an object lesson in Bible class today.  Our study is on Sensible Strategies for Belonging.  Today's lesson was titled Regaining a Genuine Self.  Just to explain the progression of the discussion, the leading questions were:

1. Who in your life do you label mature and why? (Muffin- He acts like himself in the midst of difficulty, establishes an accurate community identity, enjoys each community member, parents and matures the community, and gives life to those without a family through spiritual adoption)

2. Why do people with underdeveloped "joy centers" appear to do just fine for the first 20 or 30 years of life then collapse?  They isolate to cope, so we don't see them fall apart until they are married and have children or go into the work force. 

3. Do you know any high functioning adults who are responsible in many areas of life but have difficulty maintaining successful and enduring relationships?   Do you know any "child adults" who only take care of themselves often at the expense of others?  

 

So this is where the bathroom analogy hit me.  Their bathroom looks good except for a crack in the floor, which we know is indicative of a much bigger problem.  When the experts told them what was needed they said to prepare with a trash truck that would hold two tons of materials, because they know how much needs to be removed before the renovation can begin.  Making a comeback to be a mature adult after 20 or more years of thinking like a child because of a broken life isn't easy, but it is a possibility if the right people are there with the trash truck doing the renovation and Jesus is involved. Several people sitting in our study are evidence to a "renovated life."  One was locked in a room for long periods of time for 11 years by a step father who didn't want to deal with her while her mother was on business trips.  Another reverted to her "child self" and tried to commit suicide six times before finding that Jesus was there for her even in her past.  God is good.  All the time. He never changes. That means that He is there now. He was there then. He will be there tomorrow.  I love Him!

Establish

So, my "word for the year"  is ESTABLISH.  That's it.  And I've know this since the last week of 2010, so I'm convinced that this is the year to "establish".  Working on Bible study. Working on Mozart and Bach. Working on Baby Music classes. Working on more time for family relationships. Working on teaching more effectively. Working on more effective ministry.

Job 22:28  You shall decide and decree and thing and it shall be established for you, and the light of God's favor shall shine on all your ways.  AMP

James 5:8  So you also must be patient.  establish your hearts [strengthen and confirm them in the final certainty], for the coming of the Lord is very near.  AMP

These are my first two verses for memory with the SSMT.  Thinking about that established heart this week.

Scale of 1 to 10

I haven't posted for awhile. I have no particular reasons or excuses. Each week is the same in many ways. Mondays include Reunion Group. Tuesday mornings I'm part of a Sozo team in ministry to an individual who has a great ministry, yet needs to be free of many generational bondages. Wednesday morning is Bible study, a.k.a. Sozo ministry training. And Monday-Wednesday are full of students as well. Evenings I go to the health club for Body Flow. Thursdays vary with communications, meetings, and errands.

So the variations in schedule are in the Lord's time, place, and people. For example the ministry day two weeks ago was "unscheduled" by six inches of snow. Three weeks ago it was two hours of intense ministry with three of us praying and following the Holy Spirit. This week two of us met for just an hour and great freedom resulted. When a student is sick or needs to miss for another reason I can spend a few minutes praying or practicing or sorting out music. This week in a break I sat quietly and soaked in the Lord's presence while listening to quiet instrumental music. He showed me some beliefs I had that were simply ingrained in wrong ideas about myself and had been there since I was a child.

We all have those beliefs. For example:

How many sides on a Stop sign?

What color is a Stop sign?

How many sides on a Yield sign?

What color is a Yield sign?

Most of your answers are 8, red, 3--for the first three questions. If you were born before 1988 your answer for question four may have been "yellow". However, Yield signs were changed in the 1990's to red and white. Really! Our perceptions and our thinking are skewed by our circumstances too often. God is better than we think He is, so....

we need to change the way we think!

On a scale of 1-10 I may not be accomplishing on a level of 9-10 every week as far as my schedule appears. But my perceptions are changing and my expectations of daily life are changing as well.

Siestahood

As one of Beth Moore's Siesta readers (that's "sistah" blog reader, if you are among the uninformed), I spent the afternoon reading through the comments on today's post. There are hundreds of them, but it was no hardship because this is July 1st. Let me explain. On the 1st and 15th of each month this year, we report to Beth, as comments on her blog, the scripture, along with its address and Bible version, we will memorize during that half of the month. At the end of the year we will each have memorized 24 scriptures. It is pure joy to read the roll call, because every comment is from His Word, our daily bread. Here are some of my favorites from July 1, 2009.

Beth's: Say to wisdom "You are my sister" and call understanding your intimate friend. Prov. 7:4 NASB

Awesome! We have a sister and friend in wisdom and understanding.

"Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way."
Psalm 119:37 (NKJV)

His ways are always worthwhile.

Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
~Deuteronomy 6:7-8 NIV

Speaking of God's Word, of course.

Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Proverbs 30:5 NIV

I can always use a shield to deflect those fiery darts!

Colossians 2:2 (The Message)
I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ, God's great mystery.

I love being part of a tapestry of love!! Love it!

My mouth chews and savors and relishes truth—-I can't stand the taste of evil!
Proverbs 8:7 (The Message)

No calories in truth, and so very satisfying. Yum!

Isaiah 45:2-3 NAS
I will go before you and make the rough places smooth;
I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.
I will give you the treasures of darkness
And hidden wealth of secret places,
So that you may know that it is I,
The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.

Now this is a true Superhero!

He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him. I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers, You have given me wisdom and power, You have made known to me what we asked of You, You have made known to us the dream of the king.
Daniel 2:22-23 (NIV)

...a Superhero who also reveals mysteries and things hidden in darkness because He IS the flashlight!

Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

My personal verse for this half month.

Esther

I don't want to face the fact that the Esther Bible study is finished. We learned so much and connected to the "cast of characters" so completely. Each Wednesday was a great blessing, and I anticipated seeing the DVD's of Beth Moore teaching, as well as being with my sisters in study, discussion and prayer. To be very honest, my favorite part of this study was the homework. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed each day of it. I would get my coffee, my workbook and my computer and open Libronix,

  a Logos Bible study software,  to

 study. Each week I would automatically pull up the chapter for study on the home page, then go to the Bible study tool with the passage guide feature, and click on "passage in parallel versions".  My three favorite versions, stored in order, are the Amplified Bible, New International Version (Nearly Infallible Version if you are a smart mouth), and The Message, always with a fresh take on what I think is familiar.  

At this point, I'm practically salivating in anticipation and I begin to read the chapter of the week, along with Beth's comments on the daily homework. I just devour it! And if something really captures my attention or curiosity, I can double click on the home page and get the Strong's numbers and research from that angle. Or there is always the Bible dictionary with more info, or some of the books that Beth references are also in Libronix so I can read further than what she has actually written about in that days homework, or... Well, you get my point. It's endless.  My favorite studies are laced with Greek and Hebrew nuances and revelations and I begin to make notes in my homework book and in my "real" Bible too.  

Actually, I loved doing the homework so much, that I would sometimes save it up for a morning when I had no meetings or interruptions. Then I would do three or more lessons from start to finish, spending all morning and two big cups of coffee with my eyes, fingers, and spirit spinning out of control!  As Beth says, there is no high like the Most High. And there is no better caffeine than that which come from He-brews!  Aww, there are worse things that being a Bible study geek.