Biblical Time Machine

There are many moments in Biblical history that I wish I could be transported into, to be a fly on the wall and see the action firsthand.

The creation, for instance--can you imagine anything more breathtaking than that?

Or the parting of the Red Sea. Or the fall of Jericho. Joseph's reunion in Egypt with his brothers. The magnificent construction of the temple. The donkey talking to Baalam. The soap opera-like story of Esther.

Jesus feeding the 5,000. Raising Lazarus. Any of Jesus' miracles, for that matter.

And of course, Jesus' resurrection.

Then there are some moments where I'd just rather not be present. The 10 plagues--I don't think I could stand being around all the flies and gnats and boils and all that. Plus, Pharoah's extreme stubbornness would peeve me off.

The crucifixion. I just don't think I could stomach it. Watching "The Passion" (and "The Chronicles of Narnia") was hard enough. The real thing had to have been infinitely more intense. Watching someone who I loved suffer and die--and knowing that I was the cause of that agony--would be too much to bear.

So, if you could go back in a Biblical time machine of sorts, where would you want to stop? And what are you grateful to NOT see firsthand?

Choosing My Words

I'm still on the road to recovery from this sinus crud, feeling even better today. However, the crud seems to have wrapped itself squarely around my throat, and as a result I'm losing my voice. Yesterday, my voice was somewhat deep and throaty, quite sultry, in my humble opinion. Today, it sounds less sultry and more like an adolescent boy going through puberty. I fully expect that by the end of the day, I'll be barely squeaking out words.

So I'm doing my best to limit my talking. And you know what? That's hard to do! I don't realize how MUCH I talk throughout the day until I'm forced to not talk.

I know a few people who are extremely shy and who barely say a peep in public. Sometimes I envy them. They rarely have to deal with the embarrassment of having said the wrong thing! My sarcastic nature gets me into trouble sometimes. If only I could keep my trap closed a little while longer before I spoke, perhaps I wouldn't step on quite so many toes.

Since I'm trying to limit my talking today, I'll have to choose my words carefully. If only I would do that EVERY day!

Feeling Better, Feeling Grateful

Yesterday I felt awful. Achy, rundown, somewhat congested...it appears that I've caught the sinus crud that has been going around. Being the Superwoman that I am, I toughed it out at work, then went home to crash for the evening. My boyfriend brought over some provisions for me...soup, orange juice, diet Sprite. What a sweetheart--I am truly blessed!

Thankfully, despite a poor night of sleep (or lack thereof), I am feeling MUCH better today. The achiness is gone. Still a little congested, but it's a vast improvement over yesterday.

I think God sometimes allows us to catch minor ailments such as a cold or sinus infection to help us be more appreciative of when we're healthy. I know that everytime I'm sick, I'm infinitely more grateful to be well again.

Too bad that's a lesson I have to keep learning the hard way!

Joseph

One of the benefits of keeping a journal is being able to read through previous entries and see how God has worked in my life. It's mildly amusing to be reminded of some of the issues I agonized over, not knowing the plans God had in store for me. Many times, He answered my prayers. Many other times, He chose a different answer--and always, a far better one than I would have imagined.

One of my favorite Biblical figures is Joseph (of the O.T.). The poor guy went through the ringer! Despised by his brothers. Sold by them into slavery. Framed and hung out to dry by his boss's wife. Forgotten in prison. Talk about suffering!

And yet, through it all, Joseph remained faithful to God. I'm sure there were many times when he questioned God's plans for him. Many times when he just wanted to die, to end his suffering. And yet, in seemingly impossible circumstances, God came through. Not only that, but He ultimately placed Joseph in the position of second-in-command of all Egypt.

When Joseph's brothers came to Egypt to buy grain during the famine, and Joseph finally revealed his identity to them, he recognized that God had brought him to Egypt so that his family--the very family that betrayed him and sold him into slavery--could be saved. Time after time, challenge after challenge, God's plans prevailed.

While I certainly don't want to suffer to the extent that Joseph did, I do admire his faithfulness and his ability to see things through God's lenses. Re-reading journal entries, I can see how God worked things out for my good, for the good of those around me. These are important things to remember when I wonder just what on earth God is up to in my life.

Foggy Weather

Last night I drove home in a heavy fog. I could only see a few yards ahead of my car, which is not the most comforting way to drive.

Sometimes I feel like my life is in a dense fog...I can only see a few steps ahead of me, and I'm frustrated because I want to know MORE. I want to know what to expect around the corner. I want to know what the journey's going to involve.

And yet God, in His infinite wisdom, chooses to keep me in the fog. Not for my harm, but for my own good. If I knew what He had in store for me next, how quickly would I do something to mess it up?

Sometimes He has to protect me from myself!

Sometimes Superwoman Needs a Hero, Too

Antonio Davis of the New York Knicks has been suspended for 5 games for entering the stands during Wednesday night's game at Chicago to defend his wife, who he thought was being threatened by a fan. There have been many NBA players throughout the years who have, for one reason or another, right or wrong, ended up in the stands--chasing an errant basketball, or confronting a hostile fan. But Davis' instinct to come to his wife's rescue, while punishable under the NBA's zero-tolerance policy, is something to be admired, in my opinion.

I consider myself a fairly independent woman. I've lived on my own since I graduated from college and got my first job at 22. With the exception of one year, I've lived sans roommate through all these years. I've had to kill bugs on my own, move furniture on my own, cut my own grass and clean my own bathroom. I've had to pay all the bills myself. I've had to deal with car repairs and house repairs on my own.

I'm not bragging; I'm just pointing out that I've become independent, to a large degree, out of necessity. Even today, with a dad and boyfriend who are willing and able to help me out with household projects, I still find it hard to let them help at times, because I'm used to doing things on my own. Sometimes my boyfriend refers to me as "Superwoman", and that's not necessarily a compliment.

Reading about Davis coming to his wife's defense reminded me that, deep down inside, we Superwomen want the knight in shining armor to ride to our rescue. As John Eldredge put it in his wonderful book Wild at Heart, we women want to know that we are beautiful, and we want to be rescued, and we want to share in man's adventure. I'm sure a lot of men dismiss our desire for romance and rescue as insecurity on our parts--and I'm sure a lot of women think that they must be insecure if they desire someone to ride to their rescue.

I can buy myself flowers. I can tell myself that I'm beautiful (hopefully without anyone in earshot, or else I sound pretty vain). But it means so much when it comes from someone else. (Note: I'm not basing my identity on what others think or say about me. This is different.)

The older (and hopefully wiser) that I get, the more I'm admitting that my desire for romance and feeling worthy of being rescued and desired isn't just some fantasy that I came up with on my own. It's desire that God placed within my feminine heart. Sometimes the Superwoman in me hates admitting it. But it's true.

No Place Like Home

I enjoy traveling, especially when someone else (i.e., my work) is footing the bill for it. Flying is usually fun, when I'm not stuck on a cramped plane seated next to a colicky infant or sitting on the tarmac while we're the 15th in line for takeoff on an already delayed flight. (Thankfully, neither of those things happened on any of my flights this week.) It's fun to stay in a hotel and know that I don't have to make my own bed, that my towels will be replenished daily and that I'm not the one who has to scrub the toilet.

But whether I'm on the road for work (as I was this week) or I'm on vacation, after a few days I'm READY to come home. Coming home is a great feeling. I get to sleep in my own bed. I'm in a familiar city again. Best of all, I get to reconnect with my family, my boyfriend, my friends, and my beloved dog. It's a great feeling to know that the people you're so happy to reunite with are just as happy to see you.

Of course, there's a bit of an adjustment period whenever I return from a trip. I have to immediately unpack--I can't stand to let a pile of clothes or a suitcase just sit there for days on end like some people can. There are a few mountains of laundry to tackle. There's mail and e-mail to sort through. And there are news and blogs to catch up on. It usually takes a couple of days before I feel like I'm back in the loop.

As wonderful as coming home from a trip usually feels, I wonder how much more wonderful our homecoming in Heaven will be. THAT is our true home. In essence, for our entire mortal lives we are simply travelers on this earth ("This world is not my home, I'm just a-passing thru..."). Imagine the comfort of returning home to sleep in your own bed, of reconnecting with your loved ones, and multiply that by a gazillion. Perhaps that's the joy we'll experience on entering Heaven, that overwhelming sense of truly coming home. That's got to be one of the best feelings.

Even better, we won't have a mountain of laundry to come home to!

Don't Worry

"So I tell you, don't worry about everyday life – whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn't life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don't need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not. And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you? You have so little faith! So don't worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." Matthew 6:25-34, NLT (emphasis mine)

Controversy on the Air

I've got the heart of an activist--I see or hear about a problem or issue that hits close to home, and I want to take action. Kudos to these stations in IN and AR for taking a stand and refusing to air the new NBC series, "The Book of Daniel." You can also read "Focus on the Family"'s statement about the show here.

Perhaps I can get a protest going in Montgomery as well....?

Upgrading

I tend to hang onto things a while, probably longer than I should. My car is now almost 8 years old. I could probably afford to trade it in for a new(er) vehicle, but why do that when it's paid for and has given me relatively few problems over the years?

Some things I keep out of sentimental value, even though I realize that I'll probably never read that particular book again or wear that particular item of clothing again. And then some things I hang onto because I'm too thrifty (a polite way of saying "cheap") to spend the money upgrading it.

However, I've come to the conclusion that it's time to upgrade my computer. It's nearly 5 years old, has served me quite well, but let's face it, in this technological age, 5 years is more like 20. So I'll soon be upgrading to a faster model with more memory.

There are some intangible things that I tend to hang onto for too long--attitudes such as selfishness, insensitivity, pride. It's time to get rid of those and upgrade to some new attitudes of love, humility, cutting people some slack, cutting myself some slack.

What areas of your life need an upgrade?