Life becomes much easier when you realize that what is holding you back is simply a truth denied. The denial often comes because of a loathing of a truth, but when you surrender to belief, though your whole being hates the idea of it being true, there is freedom.
There are many examples of this. A simple, but real one for me is that I am an introvert. My sisters, outgoing and beautiful, amazed me at parties. They could work a room, charging it with energy. I tried for many years to be like them. It never worked. In a room full of people, I felt guilty or silly for wanting to sneak away someplace quiet. I would tell myself, “I should be more social.” Or “I can be more fun.” And so I was stuck in a bad cycle of not believing the truth because I didn’t want something to be true.
Now that I’m older and know myself better, there is an acceptance of who I am. No longer to I have the same drive to change, but can simply know how I was made without feeling bad about it. Believing the truth that I previously denied brought freedom.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
End of the Rainbow
It rained this Fourth of July, deterring us from going to see the fireworks. Disappointed children filled our car as we drove to Blockbuster for a family video night. As we walked out of the double doors, a bright double rainbow greeted us in the sky.
We decided to try to find the end of the band of colors. We almost found the end too. We drove until we found where it looked like it faded into the park near our home. Was it in front of or behind those apartments? Yes, no, well, maybe. The colors paled until you couldn’t tell exactly where it ended. But it looked so close, like you could run out into the field and stand in the fading colors.
It was a once in a lifetime experience; this quiet display of colors standing in stark contrast to the loud, sparkling display of fireworks I’ve seen many a fourth of July. This silent rainbow reminds me of our freedom from fear of destruction by a flood—of a faithful God who will take care of us.
Happy Fourth of July!
We decided to try to find the end of the band of colors. We almost found the end too. We drove until we found where it looked like it faded into the park near our home. Was it in front of or behind those apartments? Yes, no, well, maybe. The colors paled until you couldn’t tell exactly where it ended. But it looked so close, like you could run out into the field and stand in the fading colors.
It was a once in a lifetime experience; this quiet display of colors standing in stark contrast to the loud, sparkling display of fireworks I’ve seen many a fourth of July. This silent rainbow reminds me of our freedom from fear of destruction by a flood—of a faithful God who will take care of us.
Happy Fourth of July!
Choking the Roses
The first rose blooms began to open when my mother in law noticed that in the greenery was an enemy camouflaged. The winding weed curled its way from the base of the rosebush around the branches and up to the buds. By the time the bush was ready to bloom, the weed was ready to choke the budding flowers. It was as if someone planned the whole thing.
We tried to unwind the curling vine, pricking ourselves along the way, but it was tedious work. Getting the vine from the roots seemed to be the best strategy, as it killed the nasty weed. Within a few days, the roses bloomed, healthy and strong.
We need to make sure that weeds do not grow up in our lives, wrapping around us, ready to choke at just the moment we’re about to be productive. We need to watch for them, and cut them off at the roots before they become so entwined in our lives that we can’t get untangled.
We tried to unwind the curling vine, pricking ourselves along the way, but it was tedious work. Getting the vine from the roots seemed to be the best strategy, as it killed the nasty weed. Within a few days, the roses bloomed, healthy and strong.
We need to make sure that weeds do not grow up in our lives, wrapping around us, ready to choke at just the moment we’re about to be productive. We need to watch for them, and cut them off at the roots before they become so entwined in our lives that we can’t get untangled.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Going with the Flow
We do a lot of talking about going with the flow around here. Unmet expectations are met with sad faces and tears, as we try desperately to help our children understand that things won’t always go their way…and that’s ok. Tonight we went to McD to get ice cream and play in the playland. They were cleaning, and the kids weren’t able to play. Small disappointments, but big for them. I hope they learned that we can still have a nice time together even when things don’t turn out like we had hoped.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Tree Climbing
I had no idea that tree climbing would be the activity of choice this summer. We have now branched out into big kid-ness and it’s disturbing to see my baby hundreds of feet in the air, supported only by the branches of an overgrown bush. I hope the branches are strong, I try not to imagine her falling to the ground, feeling the sensation of the wind being knocked out of you, staring into the sky. I did my share of tree climbing—and falling and am faced with the concrete reality that I am no longer in control of my daughter’s life. I have to trust her; and even more, I need to trust God with her.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Work Apnea
I’m sitting at the computer working diligently on something and suddenly, I inhale a deep, involuntarily breath and realize that I have been holding my breath. Sometimes it happens on the phone during an intense conversation, sometimes in church when the speaker takes my mind and carries it along a path that is both intriguing and personal. I call this phenomenon “work apnea.”
The sudden breath of oxygen reminds me that no matter how intense life is, I still need the basics to survive. I can put the base needs aside for awhile to concentrate on something intense and important, but eventually I will have to meet those needs. Remember to breathe, take care of the basics. Don’t let work apnea steal away the quality of your life.
The sudden breath of oxygen reminds me that no matter how intense life is, I still need the basics to survive. I can put the base needs aside for awhile to concentrate on something intense and important, but eventually I will have to meet those needs. Remember to breathe, take care of the basics. Don’t let work apnea steal away the quality of your life.
Sprouts
The garden has sprouted. After a couple weeks of humidity and rain, the seeds have germinated (except for the pumpkin) and we have little seedlings. I’m thankful that my garden in in the backyard and in fenced in, even though the fence our gate is attached to rocks back and forth whenever I go in and out of it. The deer and bunnies won’t eat my delicate shoots, like they ate my infant lilac bush and lily in the front yard. Now is the time for protection.
Is there something in your life that is a new shoot that needs protection? Maybe a new habit or attitude you are cultivating? Make sure to keep it safe from the things that may nibble it down to nothing. Be proactive. Pray, ask for prayer, guard it.
Proverbs 4:6 (New International Version)
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.
Is there something in your life that is a new shoot that needs protection? Maybe a new habit or attitude you are cultivating? Make sure to keep it safe from the things that may nibble it down to nothing. Be proactive. Pray, ask for prayer, guard it.
Proverbs 4:6 (New International Version)
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.
Minimalist or Miniaturist?
Ok, so this is not a word reclamation, it’s quite simply a popular use of one word and a redefinition of the other.
Minimalist is a word used to describe art, but can also be used to describe a kind of lifestyle where excess is removed from one’s life—excess of stuff or space. This is an attractive concept for many of us who are victims of a culture of excess. We have too much stuff and we spend much of our time maintaining that stuff. More than once a month, I have a mind to pitch most of it, but then I refrain. Aren’t we supposed to Reduce, reuse, and recycle? Throwing stuff out in the trash wouldn’t be responsible greenness. So, I’m stuck with my stuff.
Jon and I have been talking about how we really don’t want to be minimalist…we like our stuff. We would much rather be miniaturist, and by that I don’t mean we would begin painting miniature portraits. Instead, we would rather have all of our stuff be small or take up less space. Have a stereo, but make it a mini i-pod. Have a high-quality tv, but get the 17”. Get smaller furniture, smaller containers of food, smaller everything.
I wish the developers of things kept small in mind, and made a small version of everything. I wish you didn’t have to pay extra to buy the small container of applesauce rather than the large one that will certainly mold before you get to it.
Any other miniaturists out there?
Minimalist is a word used to describe art, but can also be used to describe a kind of lifestyle where excess is removed from one’s life—excess of stuff or space. This is an attractive concept for many of us who are victims of a culture of excess. We have too much stuff and we spend much of our time maintaining that stuff. More than once a month, I have a mind to pitch most of it, but then I refrain. Aren’t we supposed to Reduce, reuse, and recycle? Throwing stuff out in the trash wouldn’t be responsible greenness. So, I’m stuck with my stuff.
Jon and I have been talking about how we really don’t want to be minimalist…we like our stuff. We would much rather be miniaturist, and by that I don’t mean we would begin painting miniature portraits. Instead, we would rather have all of our stuff be small or take up less space. Have a stereo, but make it a mini i-pod. Have a high-quality tv, but get the 17”. Get smaller furniture, smaller containers of food, smaller everything.
I wish the developers of things kept small in mind, and made a small version of everything. I wish you didn’t have to pay extra to buy the small container of applesauce rather than the large one that will certainly mold before you get to it.
Any other miniaturists out there?
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Alice in Wonderland
I decided to read Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. I had a copy on my shelf that is so old, it doesn’t even have the copy write page. As I’ve been carefully turning the delicate pages, I’ve been rediscovering the story in a way that Disney or any visual media doesn’t capture. There’s something about reading a book amidst the reality of living; the popping in and out of a story as you live your own. It makes a book part of you in a way the t.v. does not.
Alice is in that wonderful phase of childhood where everything about her world makes sense. She loves to share what she knows and cannot fathom why there would be any confusion on matters of simple understanding. Then she ends up in this dream-like world where nothing makes sense, and that’s sensible to everyone around her.
In many ways, Alice is going through what adolescents go through when their world begins to change. Suddenly, the old rules do not work anymore, and things are not as simple as they once were. Things feel out of control and well, weird.
Teenagers are not the only ones who go through the Alice experience. Whenever our lives change, we may feel like we’re thrown into Wonderland where none of our previous experiences help us on our way to finding normalcy again.
Instead, we may feel like we’ve changed completely. Like when Alice met the Caterpillar on the mushroom:
“Who are you?” said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, “I—I hardly know, sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.”
“What do you mean by that?” said the Caterpillar sternly. “Explain yourself!”
"I can’t explain myself, I’m afraid, sir,” said Alice, “because I’m not myself, you see.”
“It isn’t,” said the Caterpillar.
“I’m afraid I can’t put it more clearly, “ Alice replied very politely, “for I can’t understand it myself to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.” (pg. 48-49 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.)
It’s good to remember in our Alice moments that it is not just our surroundings that have changed, but we are changing too. Our experiences get inside us and we begin to grow and adapt.
I’m enjoying watching Alice go through her Wonderland experience. Perhaps I will have more to share as she goes along.
Alice is in that wonderful phase of childhood where everything about her world makes sense. She loves to share what she knows and cannot fathom why there would be any confusion on matters of simple understanding. Then she ends up in this dream-like world where nothing makes sense, and that’s sensible to everyone around her.
In many ways, Alice is going through what adolescents go through when their world begins to change. Suddenly, the old rules do not work anymore, and things are not as simple as they once were. Things feel out of control and well, weird.
Teenagers are not the only ones who go through the Alice experience. Whenever our lives change, we may feel like we’re thrown into Wonderland where none of our previous experiences help us on our way to finding normalcy again.
Instead, we may feel like we’ve changed completely. Like when Alice met the Caterpillar on the mushroom:
“Who are you?” said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, “I—I hardly know, sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.”
“What do you mean by that?” said the Caterpillar sternly. “Explain yourself!”
"I can’t explain myself, I’m afraid, sir,” said Alice, “because I’m not myself, you see.”
“It isn’t,” said the Caterpillar.
“I’m afraid I can’t put it more clearly, “ Alice replied very politely, “for I can’t understand it myself to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.” (pg. 48-49 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.)
It’s good to remember in our Alice moments that it is not just our surroundings that have changed, but we are changing too. Our experiences get inside us and we begin to grow and adapt.
I’m enjoying watching Alice go through her Wonderland experience. Perhaps I will have more to share as she goes along.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Yard Work
Anyone who has done yard work has probably spent time thinking about how life is full of weeds. They spring up anywhere there is a bare spot and multiply quickly. Unlike the fragile grass that we try to grow, weeds are strong and resilient.
Our lives are full of weeds. Bad habits, patterns and thoughts. It’s easy to grow them and it’s hard to root them out. You have to get to the very bottom of the root to make sure it doesn’t grow back. It’s time consuming and takes great effort to get rid of the weeds.
One mistake we were making with our yard was to assume that getting the weed out was enough. Instead of grass growing there, another weed would quickly take its place because nothing good was put there to grow. Now we know to put some grass seed in wherever we root out a weed so something healthy will take its place.
It’s like that with our lives. We cannot simply stop bad patterns, but need to replace them with good. We need to work hard and fast at them, making sure they don’t multiply by going to seed.
Jesus says in Luke 11, 23"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.” We need to draw near to Jesus so he can take the place of the weeds in our lives.
In Luke 11, Jesus explains what happens when evil is gotten rid of and nothing takes its place.
24"When an evil[h] spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' 25When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."
Dear Jesus,
Let your truth be the good seed in the yard of my life. Help me to root out the weeds, but don’t leave empty holes to be filled with more weeds. Instead, fill my life with You. I love you. Amen
Our lives are full of weeds. Bad habits, patterns and thoughts. It’s easy to grow them and it’s hard to root them out. You have to get to the very bottom of the root to make sure it doesn’t grow back. It’s time consuming and takes great effort to get rid of the weeds.
One mistake we were making with our yard was to assume that getting the weed out was enough. Instead of grass growing there, another weed would quickly take its place because nothing good was put there to grow. Now we know to put some grass seed in wherever we root out a weed so something healthy will take its place.
It’s like that with our lives. We cannot simply stop bad patterns, but need to replace them with good. We need to work hard and fast at them, making sure they don’t multiply by going to seed.
Jesus says in Luke 11, 23"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.” We need to draw near to Jesus so he can take the place of the weeds in our lives.
In Luke 11, Jesus explains what happens when evil is gotten rid of and nothing takes its place.
24"When an evil[h] spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' 25When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."
Dear Jesus,
Let your truth be the good seed in the yard of my life. Help me to root out the weeds, but don’t leave empty holes to be filled with more weeds. Instead, fill my life with You. I love you. Amen
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Spring Storms
We get most of our winter in the spring. Where it may not snow for weeks November through January, we get amazing coverage in April. But the blankets of snow don’t last long, and are usually preceded and followed by warm temperatures that tempt you to plant too early. Coming from Chicagoland, this does not fit my idea of April. Rain, yes. Snow, no.Sometimes our lives are like April in Colorado. Change comes on so suddenly that we can hardly believe it’s our life anymore. Then just as suddenly, it settles down into routines and predictability. Most of the time, we don’t expect the storms. The warm, calm weather preceding and following the storms of change may look like a stable job, family, and a good church. The storms may be failing health, a lost job, lost family member or a move.
We may forget to enjoy the mundane life weather while we have it. We long for more, feeling unsatisfied. We want the excitement of change, but when the storms come unannounced, we may not feel happy for the change because it’s out of our control. Spring storms remind us that we are not in control, and that our idea of spring is not what dictates reality.
While it’s not comforting to know that storms will come, it is comforting to realize that storms do not last forever, and they come in seasons. The snow will melt away into May weather and leave us with stability and routine again. We can weather the storms of change and unpredictability because we have a God who cares for us.
Psalm 107:23-32 is a beautiful passage about a storm. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20107:23-32;&version=31;
Psalm 107:29-30 says,
29 He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Defining "Political Will"
I just found an excellent definition for "political will." So I blogged about it on my Innovation in Mission Blog. You can check out the entry at: http://innovationinmission.blogspot.com/2009/03/political-will.html
Thursday, February 19, 2009
The wind; a musing
Our house sits in a wind tunnel. A bluff stands to the east of our neighborhood, and rising to the west are the foothills of Pike’s Peak. About a day before any new storm comes in, the wind whips through our street, carrying bags, rugs, and garbage cans along its path. A little boy on our street calls the moaning, “the cows in the trees.”
When the wind begins to moan, I have a fear reaction. I don’t know what I’m actually afraid of: The house blowing away like in the Wizard of Oz? No. Something in the yard blowing into the neighbors yard? Maybe. The fence falling down. Probably. But those things do not justify the amount of fear I feel at the sound of the wind rattling the windows.
It seems so wild, so uncontrollable, so inescapable.
The Bible talks about wind in many different ways.
God sent a wind to recede the waters of the flood.
Genesis 8:1 (NIV), “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.”
The wind brought the locusts to Egypt.
Exodus 10:13 (NIV) “So Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and the LORD made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts;”
Then it took them away again.
Exodus 10:19 “And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea. Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt.”
The wind described famine…
Genesis 41:27 (NIV) The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.
…and brought food.
Numbers 11:31 (NIV) Now a wind went out from the LORD and drove quail in from the sea. It brought them down all around the camp to about three feet above the ground, as far as a day's walk in any direction.
It brought judgement
Job 1:19 (NIV) “when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
and insight into God’s character.
1 Kings 19:11-13 (NIV) 11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
Wind cannot be caught.
Ecclesiastes 1:14 (NIV) I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
The wind can destroy.
Matthew 7:25 (NIV) The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
The wind truly tests our faith..
Matthew 8:26 (NIV) He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
Ephesians 4:14 (NIV) Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
James 1:6 (NIV) But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
It was the wind that made Peter afraid and begin to sink.
Matthew 14:30 (NIV) Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
It can represent temporality.
Hebrews 1:6-8 (NIV) 6And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."[a] 7In speaking of the angels he says,"He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire."[b] 8But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
Jesus told Nicodemus:
John 3:8 (NIV) The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
The wind came at Pentecost
Acts 2:2 (NIV) Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
So what can we learn from all these references to wind? Surely it is a powerful force that can be used by God to bring curses or blessing. It can be frightening, but it is always under the control of the Creator. Maybe these thoughts will calm my fears when the cows moo in the trees and my windows bang. If not, at least I know that my Savior can calm the wind outside and in my own soul if I ask Him to.
But along with the comfort, it also brings to me a challenge. Am I willing to let the wind of God's Spirit into my life? Our strong, unpredictable God will not leave me unchanged after he has come through. Am I ready?
When the wind begins to moan, I have a fear reaction. I don’t know what I’m actually afraid of: The house blowing away like in the Wizard of Oz? No. Something in the yard blowing into the neighbors yard? Maybe. The fence falling down. Probably. But those things do not justify the amount of fear I feel at the sound of the wind rattling the windows.
It seems so wild, so uncontrollable, so inescapable.
The Bible talks about wind in many different ways.
God sent a wind to recede the waters of the flood.
Genesis 8:1 (NIV), “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.”
The wind brought the locusts to Egypt.
Exodus 10:13 (NIV) “So Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and the LORD made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts;”
Then it took them away again.
Exodus 10:19 “And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea. Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt.”
The wind described famine…
Genesis 41:27 (NIV) The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.
…and brought food.
Numbers 11:31 (NIV) Now a wind went out from the LORD and drove quail in from the sea. It brought them down all around the camp to about three feet above the ground, as far as a day's walk in any direction.
It brought judgement
Job 1:19 (NIV) “when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
and insight into God’s character.
1 Kings 19:11-13 (NIV) 11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
Wind cannot be caught.
Ecclesiastes 1:14 (NIV) I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
The wind can destroy.
Matthew 7:25 (NIV) The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
The wind truly tests our faith..
Matthew 8:26 (NIV) He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
Ephesians 4:14 (NIV) Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
James 1:6 (NIV) But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
It was the wind that made Peter afraid and begin to sink.
Matthew 14:30 (NIV) Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
It can represent temporality.
Hebrews 1:6-8 (NIV) 6And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."[a] 7In speaking of the angels he says,"He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire."[b] 8But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
Jesus told Nicodemus:
John 3:8 (NIV) The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
The wind came at Pentecost
Acts 2:2 (NIV) Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
So what can we learn from all these references to wind? Surely it is a powerful force that can be used by God to bring curses or blessing. It can be frightening, but it is always under the control of the Creator. Maybe these thoughts will calm my fears when the cows moo in the trees and my windows bang. If not, at least I know that my Savior can calm the wind outside and in my own soul if I ask Him to.
But along with the comfort, it also brings to me a challenge. Am I willing to let the wind of God's Spirit into my life? Our strong, unpredictable God will not leave me unchanged after he has come through. Am I ready?
Sunday, February 15, 2009
A prayer for my household
Dear Lord,
Thank you so much for all your blessings. We are so thankful for each other and the unique way you put us together individually. We are also amazed at the special blend of personalities that make up our family.
Please draw us close to you. Give us hearts that look to you in the midst of difficult times. Help us to turn our eyes to you when pain, frustration and fear want to stare us in the face. Help us to be honest with you, and to listen to what you are saying to us. Give us hearts to listen and wills to obey.
Lord, give us peace in our home—within ourselves as well as with each other. Let a steadfast peace between us and you be reflected in our relationships together.
Give us a deep and lasting joy that is unshakable.
Protect us God—not only from the affects of the evil in our world, but also from our hearts being captured by what looks good in the world—power, influence, riches, significance, and success.
May our lives bring you glory.
In Jesus name,
Amen
(Mindy Hirst)
To pray for your household go to www.hcjbglobal.org/myprayer
Thank you so much for all your blessings. We are so thankful for each other and the unique way you put us together individually. We are also amazed at the special blend of personalities that make up our family.
Please draw us close to you. Give us hearts that look to you in the midst of difficult times. Help us to turn our eyes to you when pain, frustration and fear want to stare us in the face. Help us to be honest with you, and to listen to what you are saying to us. Give us hearts to listen and wills to obey.
Lord, give us peace in our home—within ourselves as well as with each other. Let a steadfast peace between us and you be reflected in our relationships together.
Give us a deep and lasting joy that is unshakable.
Protect us God—not only from the affects of the evil in our world, but also from our hearts being captured by what looks good in the world—power, influence, riches, significance, and success.
May our lives bring you glory.
In Jesus name,
Amen
(Mindy Hirst)
To pray for your household go to www.hcjbglobal.org/myprayer
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Friendship
As Valentine's Day approaches, I thought that friendship would be something good to think about, and who better to start our thinking than C.S. Lewis?
The love of friendship is optional. Nothing forces friendship upon you. It is an investment we make that enhances our lives. It feels good to be a friend and to be befriended. It makes life beautiful to have someone to share life with.
"Eros will have naked bodies; Friendship naked personalities." C. S. Lewis
The love of friendship is intimate. So often, our relationships fall short of friendship. We do not share our naked personalities, but cover them up with the clothes of the soul: friendliness, quips, and smiles make us more bearable to ourselves, and, we think to others. It's scary to show our true selves to others. We're scared we will be rejected. Friendship takes courage to overcome this fear.
"Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives." C. S. Lewis
The love of friendship is rewarding. The investment and courage it requires brings indescribable rewards. The happiness we gain from true frienship is a gift. Perhaps friendship is the best Valentine of all--investment, courage and affection from one to another.
"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival." C. S. Lewis
The love of friendship is optional. Nothing forces friendship upon you. It is an investment we make that enhances our lives. It feels good to be a friend and to be befriended. It makes life beautiful to have someone to share life with.
"Eros will have naked bodies; Friendship naked personalities." C. S. Lewis
The love of friendship is intimate. So often, our relationships fall short of friendship. We do not share our naked personalities, but cover them up with the clothes of the soul: friendliness, quips, and smiles make us more bearable to ourselves, and, we think to others. It's scary to show our true selves to others. We're scared we will be rejected. Friendship takes courage to overcome this fear.
"Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives." C. S. Lewis
The love of friendship is rewarding. The investment and courage it requires brings indescribable rewards. The happiness we gain from true frienship is a gift. Perhaps friendship is the best Valentine of all--investment, courage and affection from one to another.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
The Comfortable Middle
The Comfortable Middle
My brother and I used to play “hot lava” when we were kids. The furniture was safe, but the floor was hot lava that would surely kill you if you even brushed your toe against its surface. We’d take risks jumping from the couch to the chair and with much trepidation, step over onto the coffee table. It was a great thrill to play, and we certainly developed coordination and imagination in the process. But it was the beginning of the development of something else: the sense that life was like living on a tightrope surrounded by hot lava.
Bringing this sense into my understanding of God, for many years I felt as if I were walking that tightrope, hoping not to lose balance. Balance was only achieved by sticking to the tight middle, staying absolutely to the line.
At first, I stuck to the middle for fear of the lava below. I thought if I messed up, there was no hope. After I began to understand grace and forgiveness, there was then a net of our Savior’s love and forgiveness placed below me in the metaphor. Walking a tightrope causes tremendous anxiety and requires an amazing amount of focus and discipline. It’s an uncomfortable middle you must stay within. You can do it for awhile, but it’s not a sustainable way to live. There’s very little room for creativity or freedom of movement. That’s why we gaze, open-mouthed when we see it performed in the circus and the acrobats make it look as if they were on the floor.
I walked the tightrope for years. Every thought, every decision was balanced on that line. I couldn’t move for fear of losing balance one way or the other. But then I began to understand grace more deeply and the metaphor began to change again. I began to see balance as staying within the safety of our God. This is the comfortable middle.
The world is not a safe place, but we are safe within his protection. It’s more than a safety net under a rope, but a warm, familial safety of home. I think of Psalm 91 and the imagery of being underneath the wings of God in a dangerous world. Yes, there’s sin and danger out there, but we’re not left alone on a high wire with a safety net. We are under the wings of God, safe from what’s “out there.” We are in the “comfortable middle.” Not out of balance, but warm and at peace with our God, in the center of his love and grace.
Psalm 91:1 “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”
Psalm 91:3-4 “Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.”
Within this environment, life becomes full of freedom and peace. Creativity is released. Nobody is watching us, waiting for us to fall, but we have a father who is right there, helping us through the process. In this way, staying close is the challenge, not staying balanced. We need to stay under his wings, depending on him for our life—not on ourselves and our own ability.
Walk in the comfortable middle, and experience peace.
Mindy Hirst
My brother and I used to play “hot lava” when we were kids. The furniture was safe, but the floor was hot lava that would surely kill you if you even brushed your toe against its surface. We’d take risks jumping from the couch to the chair and with much trepidation, step over onto the coffee table. It was a great thrill to play, and we certainly developed coordination and imagination in the process. But it was the beginning of the development of something else: the sense that life was like living on a tightrope surrounded by hot lava.
Bringing this sense into my understanding of God, for many years I felt as if I were walking that tightrope, hoping not to lose balance. Balance was only achieved by sticking to the tight middle, staying absolutely to the line.
At first, I stuck to the middle for fear of the lava below. I thought if I messed up, there was no hope. After I began to understand grace and forgiveness, there was then a net of our Savior’s love and forgiveness placed below me in the metaphor. Walking a tightrope causes tremendous anxiety and requires an amazing amount of focus and discipline. It’s an uncomfortable middle you must stay within. You can do it for awhile, but it’s not a sustainable way to live. There’s very little room for creativity or freedom of movement. That’s why we gaze, open-mouthed when we see it performed in the circus and the acrobats make it look as if they were on the floor.
I walked the tightrope for years. Every thought, every decision was balanced on that line. I couldn’t move for fear of losing balance one way or the other. But then I began to understand grace more deeply and the metaphor began to change again. I began to see balance as staying within the safety of our God. This is the comfortable middle.
The world is not a safe place, but we are safe within his protection. It’s more than a safety net under a rope, but a warm, familial safety of home. I think of Psalm 91 and the imagery of being underneath the wings of God in a dangerous world. Yes, there’s sin and danger out there, but we’re not left alone on a high wire with a safety net. We are under the wings of God, safe from what’s “out there.” We are in the “comfortable middle.” Not out of balance, but warm and at peace with our God, in the center of his love and grace.
Psalm 91:1 “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”
Psalm 91:3-4 “Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.”
Within this environment, life becomes full of freedom and peace. Creativity is released. Nobody is watching us, waiting for us to fall, but we have a father who is right there, helping us through the process. In this way, staying close is the challenge, not staying balanced. We need to stay under his wings, depending on him for our life—not on ourselves and our own ability.
Walk in the comfortable middle, and experience peace.
Mindy Hirst
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Doing Your Best
Doing Your Best
My mom used to say to me, “All I care about is that you do your best. If that means that you don’t get an A, that’s ok with me.”
Though I took it to heart in some respects, I strove for that A and the affirmation that little letter represented. This was often at the expense of other important things in my life. Only after living a little while, did I realize that there are other important things to strive for: relationships, taking on important responsibilities, gaining experiences.
The school environment is artificial in many ways, for good reason. Outside the classroom, education can get pushed to the background as survival growls in our faces everyday. Parents guard their kids from this monster to equip them with the education that will help them to deal with it in the future.
I’ve always been a sprinter. Fast, efficient, but only in the short run. What I ended up doing was sprinting for the goal I set before me while putting everything else on hold. Essentially I could get the “A” I set out for, but was failing in many other areas of life…usually the ones that had no grading scale. Eventually, I began to see that what I was craving was approval and that though that was an effective motivator for me, it wasn’t the highest goal in life.
My senior year in college, I had a professor who expected much. I was challenged and a not a little intimidated. I took a “no excuses” attitude with myself and vowed to do my absolute best in his classes. But then in my last semester, during work on my final research paper, I got slammed with a terrible illness. No car, I didn’t have the ability to run around to doctors to figure out the problem. I just tried to plod on through the misery. I don’t know how, but I would make it through an entire week of classes just to suffer through hours of violent nausea on the weekends. I’d lay in bed motionless until class on Monday morning, and then drag myself out of bed to face another week.
After six weeks, I knew I had to talk to the professor. The illness was affecting my paper, my attitude, attendance, and I knew I needed help and understanding. I remember meeting with him, literally shaking as I told him the problem. I hated making excuses for my lack of performance. Then he surprised me with his response. I can’t quote him exactly, but this is what I remember, “I wish you would have told me this earlier. I could have worked with you. It’s helpful to know what is going on with someone personally.” That moment, my attitude began to change. I began to allow my life to enter my education and to see them as a united whole. My needs as a person were not to compete with my work, but to be a part of what makes my work mine.
I know it doesn’t work this way in the classroom, but in my life, I see an average of a C in each area as an A overall. I now realize that a grade is no reflection of how valuable a class is to my education. A grade is not a final pronouncement on my worth, but a tool to use to gage progress and effort.
I didn’t graduate with highest honors, but overcoming great obstacles and finishing well made the honors I earned high enough for me. I stood proud of my work, cherishing what I gained from my education. I’ve accessed and added to it everyday since…sometimes getting an A and other times just learning something along the way.
My kids and family became my great equalizer. The constant need for attention and physical care forced me to give up my sprinter’s pace of burst, crash, burst, crash, and adopt a more sustainable model of living. This has forced me to let go of things that I used to strive for. A clean and orderly house when people came to visit, looking like I was put together, helping the people at church when they sent out the guilty vibes and it would help me “gain points.” I had to let them all go. My children’s health and well-being was more important than a perfect house. Getting them to the doctor trumped the junk mail being sorted through.
So now when I wade through the piles of things that need attention to spend energy on the people that need me, I give myself the “A” for life. I’ve earned it by allowing myself to average a “C” in all important areas and take a “Withdraw Fail” out of the electives for now. There will be time for them when the children are bigger.
My mom used to say to me, “All I care about is that you do your best. If that means that you don’t get an A, that’s ok with me.”
Though I took it to heart in some respects, I strove for that A and the affirmation that little letter represented. This was often at the expense of other important things in my life. Only after living a little while, did I realize that there are other important things to strive for: relationships, taking on important responsibilities, gaining experiences.
The school environment is artificial in many ways, for good reason. Outside the classroom, education can get pushed to the background as survival growls in our faces everyday. Parents guard their kids from this monster to equip them with the education that will help them to deal with it in the future.
I’ve always been a sprinter. Fast, efficient, but only in the short run. What I ended up doing was sprinting for the goal I set before me while putting everything else on hold. Essentially I could get the “A” I set out for, but was failing in many other areas of life…usually the ones that had no grading scale. Eventually, I began to see that what I was craving was approval and that though that was an effective motivator for me, it wasn’t the highest goal in life.
My senior year in college, I had a professor who expected much. I was challenged and a not a little intimidated. I took a “no excuses” attitude with myself and vowed to do my absolute best in his classes. But then in my last semester, during work on my final research paper, I got slammed with a terrible illness. No car, I didn’t have the ability to run around to doctors to figure out the problem. I just tried to plod on through the misery. I don’t know how, but I would make it through an entire week of classes just to suffer through hours of violent nausea on the weekends. I’d lay in bed motionless until class on Monday morning, and then drag myself out of bed to face another week.
After six weeks, I knew I had to talk to the professor. The illness was affecting my paper, my attitude, attendance, and I knew I needed help and understanding. I remember meeting with him, literally shaking as I told him the problem. I hated making excuses for my lack of performance. Then he surprised me with his response. I can’t quote him exactly, but this is what I remember, “I wish you would have told me this earlier. I could have worked with you. It’s helpful to know what is going on with someone personally.” That moment, my attitude began to change. I began to allow my life to enter my education and to see them as a united whole. My needs as a person were not to compete with my work, but to be a part of what makes my work mine.
I know it doesn’t work this way in the classroom, but in my life, I see an average of a C in each area as an A overall. I now realize that a grade is no reflection of how valuable a class is to my education. A grade is not a final pronouncement on my worth, but a tool to use to gage progress and effort.
I didn’t graduate with highest honors, but overcoming great obstacles and finishing well made the honors I earned high enough for me. I stood proud of my work, cherishing what I gained from my education. I’ve accessed and added to it everyday since…sometimes getting an A and other times just learning something along the way.
My kids and family became my great equalizer. The constant need for attention and physical care forced me to give up my sprinter’s pace of burst, crash, burst, crash, and adopt a more sustainable model of living. This has forced me to let go of things that I used to strive for. A clean and orderly house when people came to visit, looking like I was put together, helping the people at church when they sent out the guilty vibes and it would help me “gain points.” I had to let them all go. My children’s health and well-being was more important than a perfect house. Getting them to the doctor trumped the junk mail being sorted through.
So now when I wade through the piles of things that need attention to spend energy on the people that need me, I give myself the “A” for life. I’ve earned it by allowing myself to average a “C” in all important areas and take a “Withdraw Fail” out of the electives for now. There will be time for them when the children are bigger.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Buildings
I talked about plant analogies in my last post, contrasting plants with buildings. Interesting that I just came across this building analogy. I'm going to have to think more about this...
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=53&chapter=3&version=31
1 Corinthians 3
10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
16Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 17If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.
18Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"[a]; 20and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile."[b] 21So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, 22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas[c] or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=53&chapter=3&version=31
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=53&chapter=3&version=31
1 Corinthians 3
10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
16Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 17If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.
18Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"[a]; 20and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile."[b] 21So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, 22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas[c] or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=53&chapter=3&version=31
Goal or Gift?
Goal or Gift?
January always makes us think of new beginnings. The glitter of white snow gives us a sense that the old can be made right again. For me, the fact that it’s my birthday month adds to this sense of beginning.
There are many things we try to start anew. Learning new hobbies or getting back to old ones, reading new books or rereading favorites, investing in people or renewing old friendships. Another new start may be getting to know our Lord better.
So how do we approach these new beginnings? Do we get out our planners, plotting and planning how to rearrange the realities of our lives so we can do the things we feel we must? Do we take control of the situation, trying our best to accomplish more? Do we take the advice of the best minds of our world and begin to be proactive, assertive and focused?
There’s no doubt that the principles of business produce results in many cases. There may be times when these principles are needed, but can this be transferred to our spiritual lives? I think we need to be careful to think it through. Using a worldly principle may not be the best way to grow in our relationship with God.
I find it interesting that Jesus uses so many plant analogies. We don’t know as much about plants and their needs as we used to when people’s lives and the lives of plants were more interconnected. In our world of strip malls and tended landscaping, many of us cannot even keep a houseplant alive.
But I think it’s worth it to try to think about caring for plants and how it’s different from how we approach our goals. For a plant caretaker, a healthy plant is the goal. The fruit comes out of the health.
In our culture, we tend to look for the fruit. The more fruit the better. We want the plant to produce larger, better fruit for longer periods of time. We want to overlook the cycles of plants: times of growth, times of fruit and times of rest.
We like to build things. It’s faster, more to the point and it doesn’t take as much patient care as growing things. Plants on the other hand require patience, and nurturing. It isn’t about forcing a screw into a steel beam, but about providing what something needs to grow. It’s out of our control, and that makes us uncomfortable.
So who is the plant? Jesus talks about being the vine, and us being the branches. We need to bear fruit, but a plant doesn’t bear fruit all year. It’s working at being a healthy branch all year to bear fruit in season. So, just because there’s no visible fruit today, that does not mean it’s a worthless branch.
If we then are the branch, what do we do? The vine draws up the nutrients from the ground, the branches simply abides in the vine. This sort of passive activity disturbs me deep down. I was taught to do something, not to be something. But I am asked to abide, and Jesus says that His Father is the gardener. (John 15:1)
So we are asked to submit, not to plan, to become closer to our God. What a disturbing and freeing realization! I do not have to build my spiritual life like a building, or plan it like a well-executed project. I am called to be a branch that bears fruit, having abided in the vine and been taken care of by the gardener. Our fruitfulness is a gift, not a goal: a gift of health if we allow the gardener to take care of us, and abide in the life-giving vine.
Verses to Ponder
John 15
The Vine and the Branches
1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=50&chapter=15&version=31
January always makes us think of new beginnings. The glitter of white snow gives us a sense that the old can be made right again. For me, the fact that it’s my birthday month adds to this sense of beginning.
There are many things we try to start anew. Learning new hobbies or getting back to old ones, reading new books or rereading favorites, investing in people or renewing old friendships. Another new start may be getting to know our Lord better.
So how do we approach these new beginnings? Do we get out our planners, plotting and planning how to rearrange the realities of our lives so we can do the things we feel we must? Do we take control of the situation, trying our best to accomplish more? Do we take the advice of the best minds of our world and begin to be proactive, assertive and focused?
There’s no doubt that the principles of business produce results in many cases. There may be times when these principles are needed, but can this be transferred to our spiritual lives? I think we need to be careful to think it through. Using a worldly principle may not be the best way to grow in our relationship with God.
I find it interesting that Jesus uses so many plant analogies. We don’t know as much about plants and their needs as we used to when people’s lives and the lives of plants were more interconnected. In our world of strip malls and tended landscaping, many of us cannot even keep a houseplant alive.
But I think it’s worth it to try to think about caring for plants and how it’s different from how we approach our goals. For a plant caretaker, a healthy plant is the goal. The fruit comes out of the health.
In our culture, we tend to look for the fruit. The more fruit the better. We want the plant to produce larger, better fruit for longer periods of time. We want to overlook the cycles of plants: times of growth, times of fruit and times of rest.
We like to build things. It’s faster, more to the point and it doesn’t take as much patient care as growing things. Plants on the other hand require patience, and nurturing. It isn’t about forcing a screw into a steel beam, but about providing what something needs to grow. It’s out of our control, and that makes us uncomfortable.
So who is the plant? Jesus talks about being the vine, and us being the branches. We need to bear fruit, but a plant doesn’t bear fruit all year. It’s working at being a healthy branch all year to bear fruit in season. So, just because there’s no visible fruit today, that does not mean it’s a worthless branch.
If we then are the branch, what do we do? The vine draws up the nutrients from the ground, the branches simply abides in the vine. This sort of passive activity disturbs me deep down. I was taught to do something, not to be something. But I am asked to abide, and Jesus says that His Father is the gardener. (John 15:1)
So we are asked to submit, not to plan, to become closer to our God. What a disturbing and freeing realization! I do not have to build my spiritual life like a building, or plan it like a well-executed project. I am called to be a branch that bears fruit, having abided in the vine and been taken care of by the gardener. Our fruitfulness is a gift, not a goal: a gift of health if we allow the gardener to take care of us, and abide in the life-giving vine.
Verses to Ponder
John 15
The Vine and the Branches
1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=50&chapter=15&version=31
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